“How so?”
“She’s still doing ballet, at Julliard actually. She’s stubborn as a mule. She’s intelligent, determined, witty, direct,” Wynter described, seemingly lost in thought. “She’s…beautiful. Stunning really, like trying to look the sun dead on.”
“Woah,” Bae gasped, licking her cinnamon-covered fingertips. “She was always pretty, Wyn.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,dumbass. You were just too caught up to notice.” She rolled her eyes. “But what about her has you so worked up?”
“I’m conflicted, you see, about the version of her from Waverly Peak and the version of her here in New York. I’m struggling to merge the two,” he explained. “I don’t think I view her in the same manner.”
Bae’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
He paused, bracing himself. “I don’t see her like one would a sister.”
The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning. He watched Bae’s reaction, bracing for judgement. But to his surprise, there was none.
“It’s about time,” she said, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
Wynter blinked, taken aback. “You’re not… surprised?”
Bae shrugged. “Wyn, we all saw it. Even Beck.”
He chuckled, a wave of relief washing over him. Bae’s words were a validation, a confirmation of what he'd been trying to deny. “Saw what?”
“That you two had that…zing you know. Like inHotel Transylvaniawith Maeve and Johnny, you guys just clicked,you know, a little more than everyone else.” Bae brought to light, “you two were always off on your own at every function.”
“That can’t be the case. I don’t remember it that way…” he muttered.
“I’m sureshedoes.” Bae chuckled. “Men, so oblivious.”
“Bae Daehyun Kwon, I hope you know nothing about men and their true nature for as long as you can avoid,” I warned her.
“Then what does that say for Yesoh then, if the true nature of men is as dastardly as you speak of?” Bae questioned.
“It says that I have to work every day to show up as my best self with how I speak to and treat her, just as I do with you guys,” he clarified. “I am not exempt from the deep-seated flaws of my gender.”
“Exactly,” Bae huffed.
“But what about Cahya?” he asked, the worry returning. “He’s my best friend. It isn’t my intent to hurt him in admitting my confusion of what I feel towards his sister.”
“What is it that you feel, Wyn, Christ’s sake you can’t even say it out loud!” Bae sighed, throwing her arms up in frustration.
“Warmth,” he whispered, “when I’ve been in the cold all the days of my life.”
Bae’s expression softened. “Wyn, Cahya wants you to be happy. Trust me, he’s not the kind of guy who holds grudges. Besides,” she added, her smile turning mischievous, “Jiwon and I used to say that there is no fathomable reality out there in which Yesoh Yeo was ever going to bejustyour friend. Friends don’t linger the way you both do in each others lives, like you always have.”
Her words echoed a truth he’d known deep down. Yesoh had always been different. Their connection, even as children, held a spark that went beyond friendship. But he never saw her that way, she wasmuchyounger than him, and those two years felt like a decade as teenagers. He’d been so caught up in his loyaltyto Cahya, in his fear of disrupting their carefully constructed world, that he’d failed to acknowledge his true feelings that were awakened the second he set foot in New York.
“Thanks, Bae,” he said, taking her hand, grateful for her unwavering support.
Bae grinned. “That’s what little sisters are for, Wyn Wyn. Now, are you going take me shopping like you promised or not?”
He laughed, the tension easing. Bae’s visit, meant to be a distraction, had become a catalyst. He had a lot to figure out—his feelings for Yesoh, his friendship with Cahya. But for now, he’d savour this moment with his sister, drawing strength from her honesty and unwavering belief in him.
The wind whipped around them as Wynter and Bae walked down Fifth Avenue. His plan was simple: he’d follow her around, let her pick whatever she wanted, and swipe his card whenever necessary.
“Do you really mean anything?” Bae asked, eyeing him with a mischievous glint. She’d dressed up in her usual mix of colors and patterns—pink tights, a pastel skirt, and a baggy hoodie adorned with a glittery-eyed rabbit. Wynter had long since stopped questioning her style choices.
