“I hurt you,” he said quietly. “Weather that be intentionally or unintentionally. I’m starting to realize that in the real world we don’t get the privilege of being able to defend our actions by ourintent. Because all that’s left in the end are the effects of what we did, and that’s what has to be reconciled with.”
Her shoulders tightened, and she didn’t turn to face him, as if she were shielding herself from the weight of his words. The silence between them was almost unbearable, thick with things unsaid.
“I found the letters.” He confessed. “I didn’t know you had feelings for Hannah.”
“Why would you—”
“I thought it was house mail. I’m sorry.” He assured her.
“Oh….” Jiwon sighed.
“I don’t know how to make it right, but I want to try.” He paused, his throat tight. “You deserve better than someone like that. Someone who plays with your heart. You deserve to know that I will always be here for you, no matter what. No matter who you choose to love Jiwon.”
The stillness in the room stretched. She didn’t turn. Didn’t speak.
But then, quietly, her voice broke through the silence. “You don’t get it, Wynter,” she whispered, so softly it almost didn’t reach him. “It’s not just about Hannah. It’s everything.”
His heart clenched. “Then tell me,” he said, “Tell me what it is. I’ll listen. I’ll understand.”
There was a long pause before Jiwon’s voice—fragile and full of something raw—finally broke through.
“I’ve been scared,” she whispered. “Scared of you seeing me differently. Of everyone doing so, and rejecting me.”
Wynter’s chest tightened, he wiped away her tears. “We’re your family, we just want you to be happy.”
Her shoulders shuddered before she turned to face him, her eyes filled to the brim. “I don’t want you to hate me or think I’m jealous or something and just acting out.”
Wynter stepped closer, his voice gentle. “Jiwon, I could never hate you. You’re my sister. You’re a part of me.”
She swallowed hard, her hands shaking. “Wynter, I’m a lesbian.”
“Well I figured that was pretty clear.” He chuckled with a warm smile.
“I just needed to say it out loud.” She breathed.
The words hung in the air between them, fragile and full of an unspoken weight. Time seemed to stretch, but it didn’t break.
Wynter took a long breath, his hand reaching for hers. “Thank you,” he said, his voice steady but full of a quiet awe. “Thank you for trusting me with this. And, Jiwon, I’m proud of you. I’m proud of who you are.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and the walls she had built around herself began to crumble. She took a tentative step toward him, and he pulled her into a gentle embrace.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered into her hair. “Always.”
Jiwon’s sobs came quietly, as if the weight of the years she had spent holding herself back was finally being released. She let herself fall into the safety of his arms, her tears soaking into the fabric of his shirt.
Wynter had always known that Jiwon was different, her heart softer and more fragile than most. While Bae carried herself with confidence and Beck wore her strength like armor, Jiwon was a quiet storm. She didn’t shout when she was hurt; she withdrew. She didn’t lash out in anger; she let it simmer in her silence. And Wynter, as her older brother, had always felt a special responsibility to shield her from a world he knew could be unkind.
When they were younger, Wynter had been the one to dry Jiwon’s tears when she cried over stories with sad endings. He’d sat with her for hours, gently untangling her thoughts when her mind felt too full. Her emotions, so tender and vivid, hadalways run deeper than her words could express, and Wynter had learned to listen—not just to what she said, but to what she didn’t.
That moment had stayed with him, a reminder of how much she held inside. Jiwon wasn’t someone who broke easily, but when she did, the pieces were harder to put back together.
PRESENT DAY
3rd person perspective
It was dark all except for the creaking of the ice beneath his feet. Wynter stood on the frozen lake the one that they often had picnics by under the sun. This was the last summer that his family would spend in California. He could feel the brittle cold seeping through his boots and into his bones, the sky above was the seemingly endless swirl of gray and dark cloud. But something deep inside of him urged him to keep walking.
It was only then that he saw it, the shadow beneath the surface. ??
