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....

"The name for the best actress is in my hand right now!", the MC said as he slowly open the card inside his hand. After he read the name on the card, a gasp escaped his mouth before his face came back closer to the standing microphone.

"2022 Best Actress Award goes to..."

.

.

.

"Karina Yu!"

The crowd clapped their hands enthusiastically, waving their hands in the air and putting up the banners with Karina Yu's name on them. The white spotlight moved and found the actress who was now standing up from her seat and slowly walking forward to the stage with her hand on her chest as her gratitude signature.

Karina Yu is in her white long dress smiling toward the camera, enough to make anyone watching her from home or the big screen from the hall awe in amazement. How can a human be this beautiful?

The slim figure finally reached the stage as the MC passed the gold thin trophy to the actress. Karina said her thanks before walking towards the standing microphone, facing all the spectators in front of her with her bright smile.

"First of all, I want to say thanks to everyone who supported me through all difficulties. The one who believed me and keep loving me, whether I knew it or not. I'm always thankful for everything people have done to help me receive this award. Truth to say, I felt like I don't deserve this. I mean, there is a lot more actress here who is more talented and experienced than me. Thanks for everything. I'll work hard for my future works and thank you for putting your faith in me".

Karina slightly bends down her body in gratitude and flashes her last brightest smile on the stage to everyone there before walking backstage with the guidance of the MC.

....

"It's Karina Yu!!!!"

"Karina!!!! I love you!!!!"

"I love you, Yu woman!!!!"

Karina walked out of the hall building with her manager, Key, and her two stylists, Aeri and Ningning. The three couldn't help from making a circle barrier around Karina's figure because her fans were crowding their way toward her car. It's a mess for sure, and it was stupid that the event holder didn't send any guards to help her from this massacre.

Some hit Karina on her face. Some shrugged her pretty rough. Some even step on her feet. Even tho Karina knew that all of it happened by accident because the crowd was just out of control, the pain sure stung a bit.

Karina tried her best to smile at her fans and finally managed to enter her car. That's when she can finally take a whole breath of air. It wasn't as suffocating as before.

"Gosh. The crowd...", Aeri muttered thru her breath. Not only Karina finally can breathe in freedom. Her two stylists and her manager feel the same as well.

"It can't be helped. I'm too popular", Karina smirked while running her fingers between her hair. Aeri can't help from shaking her head in disbelief while Ningning just scoffs. Even tho they are only an actress with her two stylists, pretty much that they were like sisters. Inseparable and all three is a true definitions of a dork.

"I think we should consider having a bodyguard for you, Rina", Key said as he start driving the car. Ningning lifted her hand in the air and nodded her head hard. "I agree with you! The crowd was pretty scary sometimes".

"Me too! Remember the last time when someone accidentally elbowed me on my nose? Gosh, it's really painful. I can't touch my nose for days!", Aeri said while shaking her head. Remembering that painful memory sure leaves a sting on her nose sometimes. While everyone bragged about how important Karina needed to have a bodyguard, the actress herself never give her answer to Key's suggestion.

"Hey, Rina. How about--"

The moment Aeri turned her head to Karina, the actress already fell asleep. Her mouth is slightly agape and her breathing is stable and slow. That's when everyone knew that the actress had fallen asleep for pretty much a while already.

"Great. She didn't hear anything we said since minutes ago", Ningning scoffed.

....

A week after the award, Karina's company granted her manager wishes to have a bodyguard for the actress. Karina had a schedule early in the morning and she was surprised when suddenly there were two unknown people beside her manager's car.

One is a man in a denim jacket while the other one is a woman in a black leather jacket. Both wearing some sort of communication device inside their ears and seeing them all of sudden early in the morning only make Karina confuse.

"Who are you guys?", Karina asked while approaching the two unknown people. The actress wrapped her body with a blanket and her bare face still looking at the two, interested. But the two didn't answer her question.

Seconds later, a familiar voice rang inside Karina's eardrums. Her manager was finally there, waving his hands toward the actress and he saw the confused expression on Karina's face, standing right in front of the two unknown people.

"Oh, you guys here as well", Key said with his little smile toward the two. Karina lifted one of her eyebrows because these two identity was still a mystery to her. "Who are they?".

"These two are the people we talked about the other day. They are from National Security. This man over here, his name is Yeonjun. This woman over here is Winter--"

"Winter Kim?", Karina jumped slightly upon hearing the name. The woman named Winter was also startled by Karina's sudden statements. Why not? The actress just said her full name. "You know her?", Key asked when Karina slowly walked closer to the woman.

"Winter Kim, right? No wonder when I saw your face just now, it felt so familiar!", Karina jumped in excitement when she saw how Winter suddenly became flustered. Her guess must be true. The woman in front of her must be Winter Kim.

"N-Nice to meet you, Miss Yu...", Winter said as her hands were still by her side. Karina shook her head lightly and laughed softly at how Winter acted so awkward around her. While Key still looking at Karina full of questions, Karina saw him and tried to shrug his questions away with her smile.

"Winter and I used to be close friends in middle school and high school", Karina said to Key before turning her attention back to Winter. "It's been seven years, right? Oh my god, your hair is now short. It suits you, Winter!", she put her hands on both Winter's shoulders. Her face formed into a bright happy smile.

"T-Thank you, Miss Yu--"

"Come on, Winter. We are close friends, remember? Just call me by my name as we used to~", Karina tilted her head slightly to the left, still looking at Winter with her smile. The younger girl was supposed to be the actress's bodyguard here today, but now she needs to be the actress's friend again.

"You're flustering her, Rina. They're here today because starting today, they'll be your bodyguard. They'll protect you from the crowd. So please, be nice to them and don't be silly", Key warned her but Karina didn't care.

Right in front of her right now is a friend of hers. Winter Kim. They used to stick to each other back in their school days. They cannot be separated. Back then, if you saw Karina you'll also saw Winter. They were together most of the time.

"How are you, Winter? It's been seven years since we last met. We have a lot to catch up on, you know. Did you have a girlfriend?", Karina asked while her hands were still on her new bodyguard's shoulder. Winter shakes her head softly with a little smile on her face. "No, Miss Yu".

Hearing her answer somehow make Karina as glad as ever. Her face lights up and her smile just gets wider. "You know what, Winter? I had a car accident 2 years ago and I lost some of my memories. I remember everything until the moment we graduated from high school. But everything after that was so blurry, I couldn't catch up on things that happened after that".

"I know", Winter answered shortly and Karina jumped happily again. So her used-to-be close friend knew about this? Winter must hear a lot about Karina after school ended.

"You knew?"

"Y-Yeah..."

The actress is now twenty-five. The car accident and memory loss happened when she was twenty-three. The last time she met Winter was when she was eighteen. Her parents died in a car crash when she was sixteen. She first met Winter at fourteen. Time sure goes pretty fast, huh?

"I'm single as well! Are you married?", Karina's question succeed to send a shockwave to the younger girl. Her eyes widen and her body is frozen in place. That's when Key decided that he need to interrupt.

"Hey-hey! I said don't be silly, Rina. Look how shocked she became when you asked her that ridiculous question! I'm sorry Winter that your used-to-be close friend sometimes just doesn't know her boundaries", Key shook his head as he open up the car's door, signaling that they'll soon move.

"I-It's okay. Miss Yu is my close friend--"

"Gosh! Winter Kim! I said drop the formalities!"

....

Karina's fan sign going on smoothly. Her new bodyguard, Yeonjun was right behind where she was sitting while her used-to-be close friend, Winter was so far away from her. Winter is standing at the end of the line. Karina sighed heavily when she can't get a closer view of Winter.

The next person came up and greet Karina. As usual, Karina smiled lightly at her fan before signing on to the product he bought. The fan sign event goes on for 10 more minutes until the product on the booth is all sold out. Karina greeted her fans one last time before turning her head behind her and looking at Yeonjun full of questions.

"Didn't Key say that Winter was the one who was supposed to stand right behind me thru this event?", Karina asked and Yeonjun nodded his head. "Yeah, but Miss Kim asked me to stand here instead of her. I just follow her instructions, Miss Yu".

Karina turned her head over, looking at Winter who still standing 20 meters away from her. Since the moment she met Winter this morning, she could tell that something was just so strange. The way Winter talked and act around her was so different from Winter she knew back in school.

"Are Winter's rank higher than you, Yeonjun?", Karina asked and the man nodded his head. Karina nodded her head slightly as well, accepting his reason to follow Winter's instructions.

Because Winter was so far away, and Karina knew if Winter was still the same Winter she knew back then, Winter could never resist this. Karina grinned to herself before slowly bending her body down, clutching her stomach, pretending to be in pain.

"Argh...", Karina groan lightly and she grin happily when she heard that familiar footsteps running towards her just in a second. Soon enough, Winter was already in front of her with her worried face. Winter's hands were both on Karina's shoulder, slightly lifting the actress up to face her.

"Rina! Are you--"

Finally, Winter realized it was a silly lie.

"Finally you came closer, Winter", Karina sneered after her painful acting vanished. She's laughing softly while Winter's face hardens, still standing frozen in place right beside Karina.

"I knew it! The Winter Kim that I knew in high school take care of me for dear life. I knew that you'll never-- Winter?", the actress was startled when the younger woman already take her leave, walking away from Karina, trying to get back in her position just now. Shocked, Karina tried to follow right behind her and was finally able to grab Winter by her wrist.

Winter turned her body over towards Karina while her face remain the same. Cold and unbothered. Worried Karina suddenly circled her arms around the woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Winter. I really am. It's just that, after the accident and the memory loss, I've never met anyone I knew back then. Meeting you again somehow makes me so glad. At last, there's someone who knew me was here with me again".

Winter couldn't help but sigh in defeat. Karina was right. Winter knew that Karina was right, and she couldn't deny it. Winter slowly pulled Karina's hand away from her wrist and gave her a little assuring smile.

"It's okay. I understand", she said.

"Really? Your expression didn't say so", Karina continued, still worried if what she did just now hurt Winter in some way. She never wants anyone to hate her, most importantly, Winter. She used to be a close friend for years.

It is true that the younger woman cared for Karina for dear life. Karina clearly remembers how Winter became so panicky after the death of Karina's parents. Since then, Winter stick to Karina like glue. The younger woman was afraid that Karina ever did stupid things from her depressive state. Hell, she even slept at Karina's house for days just to make sure she was fine.

When Karina got a great stomachache in high school, Winter even sprinted from her class just to be there with Karina at the nurse's office. Every weekend, she spends most of her time at Karina's house. Even the neighbor thought that the two is some sort of family because they were together all the time.

"I'm really fine. Just don't-- do that again...", Winter said one last time before finally going back to her original place.

Karina sat back in her seat, totally bothered by how the way Winter acted around her. It was strange. It really is strange. From what Karina remembered, the Winter Kim that she knew seven years ago was sweet, cute, innocent, and kind to her.

But this Winter Kim is cold.

"Are they even the same person?", Karina questioned herself inside her own mind.