“Like he’sneverseen boobs in real life before.” She laughed to herself. “It’s adorable!”
The words hit like a slap, a twist of jealousy flaring up in my chest. The thought of her evenconsideringWynter in that way—of seeing him as a challenge or something to be conquered—made me grit my teeth. I forced myself to keep my expression neutral, but every word out of her mouth felt like an invasion.
Sydney laughed, nudging her playfully. “Hannah, oh my God. Why do you care?”
Hannah shrugged, feigning innocence but clearly enjoying every second of the attention. “I just think it’s…fascinating. Guys like him, they keep things close, but that just makes you want to know more, right?” She looked right at me, a teasing smirk on her lips, like she knew exactly how much it was bothering me. “Besides, whowouldn’tbe curious about someone like Wynter?”
Gold rush, and like I’d said, I was losing.
“He’s demisexual though, so he’s not gonna give you the time of day unless you’re his friend so forget about it,” I spat bitterly, much harsher than I’d intended to. “Just leave him alone.”
Hannah arched an eyebrow, her smirk deepening as she looked at me with a mixture of amusement and condescension. “Oh, sweetie,” she drawled, her tone dripping with fake sympathy. “That’s adorable. You really think that’show it works? Trust me, when someone’s actually interested, friendship is the last thing on their mind.” She gave a little laugh, like she couldn’t quite believe I was serious then snapped the strap of her bathing suit. “But I get it. You’re still young—just a baby in her strawberry onesie, you’ll understand someday when you’re grown up like us.”
“Hannah, what the fuck? You’re always like this when it comes to boys, it’s gross honestly.” Sydney stood up, folding her arms in protest.
Hannah leaned back, tossing her hair over her shoulder, clearly pleased with herself. “Just because he doesn’t noticeyou, doesn’t mean he’ll be blind to everyone else, you know?”
I tried to laugh it off, but jealousy coiled tighter in my chest, my heart pounding. I wanted to tell her she waswrong, that she didn’t understand him at all. That his sexuality didn’t work that way and wasn’t a challenge for her to conquer or manipulate. But instead, I just lay back, staring up at the sun, wishing Wynter would look over and seeme—not Hannah, not anyone else—just this once.
The past two weeks had turned into a slow unravelling—a quiet, insidious change that made every corner of the Kwon house feel unfamiliar. Hannah’s presence lingered everywhere, slipping into the cracks of daily life.
She had made it her sole purpose in life to befriend Wynter—she sat next to him at every opportunity, she laughed at everything he said, she complimented him and played with hishair. She was determined to get what she wanted, whatever that was.
And Wynter? He thought she just wanted to play nice and make friends, he had no idea that she was out for blood—she wanted to take from him, she wanted his soul.
And perhaps I’m insane for describing her like a Disney villain but that was truly how it felt to me back then.
Each morning, whenever I had the chance to sleep over at the Kwon’s there was some new trace of her—a stray earring on the bathroom counter, a half-empty bottle of perfume in the hall, makeup brushes spilling out of her bag on Jiwon’s vanity. She left a pair of shoes by the front door as though she’d been there forever, like shebelongedthere, taking up space that wasn’t hers. Even her laughter seemed to echo in the rooms long after she’d left, weaving into the walls.
Jiwon had dared to question it all first, quietly, probably out of hurt that the very girl she’d been writing to all summer had turned around and forgotten her so easily for her own brother. She was almost hesitant at first, as though speaking it aloud made it more real. “She’s like a…storm,” she muttered one afternoon, her voice low as we sat around in her living room. “She comes in, leaves everything a mess, and then just…goes like it’s no big deal. ButI’mthe one picking up after her.”
Bae nodded, her lips pursed as she glanced down at her phone, then back up at us. “I don’t get it. She’s overallthe time, and it’s like she forgets she’s a guest. Like helloooo? Who even are you, lady?” She sighed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Yesterday, she left her open bottle of nail polish on the kitchen counter. I nearly knocked it over this morning. Matter of fact, I should’ve!”
“Worse,” Jiwon added, exasperation tightening her voice. “She used my hairbrush and just left it in my room, full of her hair. And she leaves her clothes all over—my chair, my bed. Shedoesn’t even ask.” She bit her lip, glancing at me as if she wasn’t sure whether to go on.
I frowned, feeling an uneasy mix of frustration and jealousy coil up inside me. “Wynter doesn’t care?” I asked, my voice sounding sharper than I’d intended.
Jiwon hesitated, glancing at the floor. “He doesn’t say much about it. He’s been…differentlately.” She exhaled slowly, her tone softening. “Like a drug addict, maybe her lips have coke on them I don’t know. They’re always locked up in his room when she’s around. Like, half the time, I don’t even know if they’re actually talking or if…” she trailed off, realising her baby sister was in the room, the unfinished words lingering in the silence between us.
“Oh,” I realised, my stomach churning. I feltill.
The unspoken meaning in her words hit me like a slow ache spreading through my chest. I forced myself to look down at my hands, trying to hide whatever showed on my face. But Jiwon’s gaze was on me, soft and filled with an uncomfortable kind of understanding.
“It’s like she thinks she’s untouchable,” Bae muttered, breaking the silence, her voice tight. “She has this way of looking at everyone like…like we’re somehow beneath her. And Wynter…” she trailed off, glancing over at me. “He seems…different when she’s around. More distant, maybe.”
Cahya, who had been sitting quietly through all this, finally spoke up, his voice thoughtful. “So it's like she knows exactly what she’s doing? She acts like she owns the place. But Wynter—he’s not even noticing how it’s affecting everyone else?”
“Exactly that!” Bae grumbled, “I don’t even care anymore I just want my brother back.”
I swallowed, forcing a calm I didn’t feel. “Maybe she’ll get bored soon. People like her don’t stay interested in one place for long.” But even as I said it, I didn’t fully believe it. Hannahseemed determined to root herself there, like she was slowly working her way into Wynter’s life, one small intrusion at a time.
The conversation faded into silence, but the tension lingered, settling in like dust in the air, too thick to ignore.
“Hey,” I whispered to Jiwon, “Are you okay?”
“Don’t Ihaveto be?” she sighed, eyes holding a deep sadness.
“Not with me.” I placed my hand over hers. “Never with me.”
