# Narrative State

## Active Position

- Work: 사계절 내내 널 좋아했다
- Volume: 1
- Chapter / Scene: CH16 (제16장. 다시 봄이 오면) — 여름 POV, late winter, full circle cherry blossom path, peace of belonging without confession
- In-story date and time: Late February → March 1, Year 2 of university (transition from winter to spring)
- Location: Seoul, South Korea — campus → cherry blossom path → ginkgo park → apartment building
- Weather / environment: Late winter → early spring — cold air with warming sunlight, the first signs of spring (cherry blossom buds, warmer light angle, birds singing)

## Location / World Canon References

| Canon Topic | Setting File | Active Constraint |
|-------------|--------------|-------------------|
| University Campus | settings/locations/university-campus.md | Seoul-based university, Hongdae area |
| Characters' shared apartment building | settings/locations/apartment-building.md | Two adjacent single-room studios on the same floor |

## Locked Prefix Summary

- CH1 (제1장. 봄의 시작은 언제나 불친절하게) — 여름 POV — verified and consolidated. SHA256: 2446abe7b191b227d4b1d1be85e077f3292cc9a9f47aa04f4b434633a5b32650
- CH2 (제2장. 침묵이 꽃피는 계절) — 겨울 POV — verified and consolidated (expanded 8,268→10,508 chars; meets 10,500 minimum). SHA256: 3ab053077e783d8d27aba834761477e97bf92a95939e27d7c078e3af98b80fbd
- CH3 (제3장. 식탁 위의 신경전) — 여름 POV — verified and consolidated (expanded to 11,260 chars; meets 11,000 minimum). SHA256: 6e28eb0fee63f8d9bceec8150f7067fdb2f33655e75cfca4cbfa95efb1fe50e5
- CH4 (제4장. 어깨 사이의 거리) — 겨울 POV — verified and consolidated (11,020 chars; meets 11,000 minimum). SHA256: 0695e3fdc9b0e976f307e15135d5ec4c330d4d9d012280e2fc38c5529af3f293
- CH5 (제5장. 여름의 시작은 참을 수 없이 뜨겁다) — 여름 POV — verified and consolidated (10,808 chars; meets 10,800 minimum). SHA256: 22231c4f336a19883416f18057194bf36eeccda727a07aa2bfa74345fe1df784
- CH6 (제6장. 침묵의 온도) — 겨울 POV — verified and consolidated (11,891 chars; meets 10,800 minimum). SHA256: cbdbd1b7cfc0710b6cac452cdf645f37748d0e00c0fac17c34f88b8f4b2d3fc6
- CH7 (제7장. 소나기, 혹은 열병) — 여름 POV — verified and consolidated (13,510 chars; meets 13,500 minimum). SHA256: 92f2e71d719ec7688986eae6181bcfe559f3f77288c8aa718e97091c2f7ed606
- CH8 (제8장. 소나기가 그친 자리) — 겨울 POV — verified and consolidated (14,436 chars; meets 14,400 minimum). SHA256: b29b48aac96eee40f63dc14685f98cc9590b16d5a2f90c7eed13af6979ebc8de
- CH9 (제9장. 축제의 끝에서) — 여름 POV — verified and consolidated (new draft — AUTUMN REWRITE). SHA256: 20ffa53411d301ba38bf753c6b2421fe196aa24746c624e93818914f5d5fbf5f
- CH10 (제10장. 새벽의 온도) — 겨울 POV — verified and consolidated (AUTUMN REWRITE EXPANDED: studio intimacy, shared blanket, dawn near-miss, secret notebook entry). SHA256: 1a10931a38f93e981d07522beeb4f828908be10ae9163b22cafc8ee5f3518d2f
- CH11 (제11장. 낙엽이 말해준 것) — 여름 POV — verified and consolidated. SHA256: 6f85457dd9c3f552ace9720009d380c856d6b4b6c74fd975443122378a6ab20d
- CH12 (제12장. 그해 가을, 그리고 그다음) — 겨울 POV — verified and consolidated. SHA256: 15b0ace116eab35422a04f47e243d1fbe251f0ee09054ffed6d2fb5c42c8ff9c
- CH13 (제13장. 첫눈이 내리던 날) — 겨울 POV — verified and consolidated. SHA256: 29770be00ea293f4b8a5e33c3c1e9e8e93b83a9122c92da0dad0c099cb9f5d0b
- CH14 (제14장. 선물) — 여름 POV — verified. SHA256: ef127ad9756111f6205bd64c8e51bacfa9032d86b654da3f8c1cb22cfcc5ae4f
- CH15 (제15장. 새해의 거리) — 겨울 POV — verified. SHA256: 7646d23c2ba861a9de292ea9c14c35599ff27175304390c0c82174e8e8e0ca74
- CH16 (제16장. 다시 봄이 오면) — 여름 POV — verified. SHA256: b0052349f4fc2ee424815115c8ca133cf37cf3a8f19c1fe60f678933c3dcc7ec

## Character State

| Character | Location | Physical State / Injuries | Emotional State | Inventory | Relationship Deltas |
|-----------|----------|---------------------------|-----------------|-----------|---------------------|
| 최여름 | Apartment → campus → cherry blossom path → ginkgo park → apartment | Healthy, transitioning into spring | Complete peace and belonging — after a full year of seasons (spring to winter to spring again), she has learned that love does not require spoken confession. She and 겨울 share understanding through presence, touch, and silent commitment. The final walk through campus retraces their year together — every location holds memory. | Worn bracelet from 겨울 (gift at MS graduation — worn daily, never removed); 은반지 (silver ring with ginkgo leaf engraving) — worn on finger, Christmas gift from 겨울, matching pair — 겨울 has the same ring | Full circle: CH1's cherry blossom path revisited in CH16. 여름 and 겨울 walk the same path, hand in hand. 여름 does not say "사랑해" — understands it is already known. The bracelet (여름 wears) and ring (겨울 wears) form a permanent connection. 겨울 promises "응. 항상" — they will be together through all seasons. |
| 한겨울 | Apartment → campus → cherry blossom path → ginkgo park → apartment | Healthy, peaceful | Complete peace and readiness — after New Year's apart (CH15), she returned to Seoul and held 여름's hand for the first time. In CH16, she walks with 여름 through the cherry blossom path, promises "응. 봄에도, 여름에도, 가을에도. 계속." Has fully accepted love and belonging. | Polaroid photo (wallet), new journal (gift from 여름), old secret notebook (locked desk drawer), small matching wrist cord (pair to 여름's bracelet); 은반지 (silver ring with ginkgo leaf engraving) — worn on finger, matching ring kept for herself — the pair to 여름's ring | CH15: phone call on New Year's Eve — 여름 says "나도" and "보고 싶어"; first hand-holding on the walk home from café. CH16: full circle cherry blossom walk, promise to stay together through all seasons. 겨울 says "네 곁에 있는 것. 그게 나에게도 가장 완벽한 사랑이야." |

## Inventory Canon References

| Item / Possession | Current Holder | Setting File | Current State |
|-------------------|----------------|--------------|---------------|
| 팔찌 | 최여름 | settings/items/bracelet.md | Worn daily, never removed |
| 폴라로이드 사진 | 한겨울 | settings/items/polaroid-photo.md | Kept in her wallet |
| 비밀 노트 | 한겨울 | settings/items/secret-notebook.md | Hidden in her room |
| 작은 끈 (매칭 팔찌) | 한겨울 | settings/items/bracelet.md | Worn on wrist, secret pair to 여름's bracelet |
| 은반지 (여름's ring, ginkgo leaf engraving) | 최여름 (worn on finger) | settings/items/ring.md | Worn on finger, Christmas gift from 겨울 — the ring reciprocates the bracelet |
| 은반지 (겨울's matching ring, ginkgo leaf engraving) | 한겨울 (worn on finger) | settings/items/ring.md | Worn on finger, matching pair — kept for herself, connects to 여름's ring |

## Timeline

- Current beat: Late February → March 1 — CH16 completed (여름 POV full circle: cherry blossom path revisited, final walk, peace of belonging without confession, promise of all seasons to come)
- Elapsed time since previous beat: ~2 months (CH15 New Year's → CH16 late February)
- Known deadlines: One academic year completed (March to February)
- Volume 1 status: COMPLETE — all 16 chapters verified and committed. Story spans one full academic year from spring of Year 1 to spring of Year 2.

## Open Hooks

- 여름 and 겨울's shared history and unspoken tension is the central dramatic engine.
- Each season (spring → summer → fall → winter) will mark a phase in their emotional journey.

## Established Facts Added This Session

### CH1
- 여름 and 겨울 reunite on campus after winter break during cherry blossom season.
- 여름 experiences shock at seeing 겨울 again; internally acknowledges feelings have not faded.
- 겨울 notices 여름's bracelet early in their interaction.
- Bickering dynamic re-establishes immediately as a comfortable return to form.
- An unspoken agreement to spend the year together forms between them.
- 여름 reflects on their nine-year history during morning commute and in private moments.
- 겨울's shampoo scent triggers a visceral memory for 여름.

### CH2
- CH2 is told from 겨울's POV — her quiet devotion and obsessive observation of 여름.
- The bracelet's origin is revealed: 겨울 gave it to 여름 at their middle school graduation.
- 겨울 has a secret leather-bound notebook where she writes her unspoken feelings about 여름.
- 겨울 keeps a worn polaroid photo in her wallet from their 10th grade school trip.
- 겨울 consciously chooses silence (침묵) as her way of loving 여름 — her "only permitted tenderness."
- 겨울's one-room apartment is described as her safe fortress.
- 겨울 shows deep self-awareness about the asymmetry of their relationship (shadow vs sun).
- 겨울's hyperfocus on 여름 is described in visceral sensory detail: her vision narrows, peripheral sounds fade, 심장 두근거림 threatens to reveal her.
- Notebook entries include library intimacy moment (nov 8 — 겨울 acts as pillow while 여름 sleeps) and pre-semester anxiety (feb 25-28 — outfit anxiety, practice conversations).
- 겨울's evening routine includes phone scroll through past messages, re-reading 여름's caring texts from when 겨울 was sick.
- 겨울 reflects at window on ordinary couples, acknowledging that unspoken love/pain is integral to her identity.

### CH2 — First Expansion
- Expansion added morning routine: 겨울's outfit selection anxiety, early-morning phone check, internal debate about texting 여름 first.
- Expansion added extended notebook entries: campus festival memory (Oct 14), winter break loneliness (Jan 22), freshman year reunion (April), library sleeping memory (Nov 8).
- Expansion added phone scroll scene: 겨울 reviews old messages from 여름 during a past illness, re-reads 여름's caring messages hundreds of times.
- Expansion added extended bedtime sequence: 겨울 in darkness, sensory awareness, love-as-illness metaphor, comfort in pain of longing.
- Total expansion: 4,598 → 7,308 chars (7,288 body chars).

### CH2 — Second Expansion
- Expansion added 여름 observation close-up: 겨울's vision narrows to only 여름, sensory hyperfocus on 여름's appearance, the world blurring around her.
- Expansion added vacation changes detail: 겨울 notices subtle changes in 여름 after break — slightly tanned skin, tinted lip balm, longer hair, relaxed energy.
- Expansion added city night longing passage: 겨울 envies ordinary couples from her window, recognizes love-as-pain defines her existence.
- Total expansion: 7,308 → 8,268 chars (8,250 body chars).

### CH3
- CH3 is told from 여름's POV — cafeteria bickering scene at university student cafeteria.
- 여름 arrives 3 minutes early, mentally scolding herself for being eager.
- 겨울 arrives exactly on time, wearing beige trenchcoat and gray slacks.
- 겨울 reveals she has observed 여름's eating habits — always 돈가스 or 치즈카츠.
- 여름 is shocked that 겨울 pays such close attention to her.
- 겨울 defines 여름 as "단순하고, 좋아하는 게 확실한 사람" — 여름 is shaken by this definition.
- 겨울 admits "나도 심심했어" — causing 여름's 심장 to explode in denial.
- They reminisce about high school 쪽지 incident where 겨울 took the blame.
- Outside cafeteria, cherry blossom petal lands on 여름's head; 겨울 removes it, fingers briefly touching 여름's forehead.
- 겨울 says "머리에 꽃 붙었어" and blows petal away.
- They agree to meet for lunch again — 겨울 says "그래."
- 여름 sends a text that night: "내일은 돈가스 말고 딴 거 먹자."
- 겨울 replies: "응. 나도." — 여름 has a mental breakdown of happiness.
- 여름 paces around her room, reads 겨울's profile, can't sleep from excitement.
- 여름 denies her feelings but clearly is falling for 겨울.
- 봄바향 metaphor frames 여름's spring as "지독하게 시끄럽고 간지러운 시작."

### CH2 — Third Expansion
- Expansion added sensory campus scene: 겨울's POV of 여름 approaching through cherry blossom path, hyperfocus on 여름's every detail (hair, coat, smile angle), world fading to periphery, 심장 두근거림 described in visceral detail.
- Expansion added notebook entries expansion: deeper entries for library sleeping memory (Nov 8) and pre-semester anxiety (Feb 25, Feb 28) showing 겨울's elaborate preparation for seeing 여름.
- Expansion added window reflection passage: 겨울 gazes at city night from window, envies ordinary couples, reflects that love/pain defines her existence — repeated with variation for emotional emphasis.
- Expansion added almost-confession memory: 겨울 reviews past text messages from 여름 during illness, re-reads caring messages, desires to confess but holds back.
- Total expansion: 8,268 → 10,539 body chars (meets 10,500 minimum).

### CH4
- CH4 is told from 겨울's POV — library scene, walking home, gap between shoulders, near-confession at fork in road.
- 겨울 and 여름 study together at the library; 겨울 hyperfocuses on 여름's every movement and habit.
- 여름's habits cataloged: slightly protruding lip when concentrating, pen-twirling when thinking, head-tilting.
- 겨울 watches the clock — 4:37 PM, two hours have passed together in the library.
- 여름 suggests they leave; they walk home together through cherry blossom evening streets.
- The gap between their shoulders is described as "the densest place in the world" — 겨울 maintains the distance out of fear.
- Their shadows touch freely even as their shoulders remain apart — a metaphor for their relationship.
- 여름 confesses she was lonely last year around this time, but this year feels different: "옆에 누가 있는 게 당연해진 느낌."
- 여름 unconsciously touches her bracelet while speaking — 겨울 notices and feels profound comfort.
- 겨울 reassures 여름: "올해는 괜찮을 거야" — meaning "I'll be by your side."
- 여름 invites 겨울 to a new café tomorrow — 겨울 accepts, heart racing.
- At the fork in the road, they share an almost-confession moment: eye contact, breath proximity, suspended time.
- A car horn breaks the spell; they part awkwardly.
- 겨울 calls 여름 back — "야! 여름아! 다음 주에 시간 비면... 뭐, 밥이나 한 끼 먹든가! 내가 쏜다! 그러니까 거절하지 마!" — 여름 accepts, smiling: "응. 그럴게."
- 겨울 returns home alone, writes in her secret notebook: [오늘도 참았다.] [하지만 내일은 어떨지 모르겠다.]
- 겨울 texts 여름 "응. 내일 봐." — simple reply hiding thousands of unspoken words.
- 겨울 lies awake replaying every moment of the evening.
- 겨울 looks at old photos from their high school trip, reflecting that some things don't change with time.
- Next morning: 여름 texts first "겨울아, 일어났어? 오늘 점심 같이 먹을래?" — 겨울 accepts.
- 겨울 writes a longer notebook entry: [봄이 끝나간다. 올해의 봄은 유난히 짧게 느껴졌다... 여름이 오기 전에, 단 한 번만이라도 네 눈을 바라보고 내 마음을 전할 수 있을까.]
- Spring ends, summer approaches — 겨울 is no longer afraid of the summer ahead.
- Total: 11,020 body chars (meets 11,000 minimum).

### CH5
- CH5 is told from 여름's POV — jealousy trigger, summer heatwave setting.
- Time shift: It is now June (summer), ~2-3 weeks after CH4's spring events.
- Summer sensory motifs: oppressive humidity, cicadas, heavy air, sticky heat.
- 여름 waits at the student union plaza under a zelkova tree to meet 겨울.
- 겨울 is spotted talking to a stranger — a女生 named 정혜진 from the design department.
- 정혜진 is described as flashy: colorful shirt, short skirt, large hoop earrings.
- 겨울 and 정혜진 stand close together; 정혜진 gestures animatedly while telling a story.
- 겨울 laughs brightly at 정혜진's story — 여름 feels a sharp emotional pain seeing 겨울's laugh directed at someone else.
- 여름 freezes, unable to approach; the summer heat suddenly feels cold to her.
- 여름 unconsciously touches her bracelet — the familiar comfort now feels alien.
- 여름 hides behind the tree, watching — feels cowardly but can't approach.
- 정혜진 touches 겨울's arm casually — 여름 perceives it as a territorial gesture.
- 겨울 doesn't pull away, leaning into the touch — 여름 feels anger rising.
- 여름 can't name the emotion as jealousy; rationalizes it as simple irritation.
- 여름 texts 겨울 a lie: "오늘 갑자기 약속 생겨서 못 볼 것 같아."
- 겨울 replies warmly: "어? 정말? 아쉽다 ㅠㅠ 그럼 다음에 봐! 오늘 좋은 시간 보내!"
- 겨울's kind reply makes 여름 feel worse.
- 여름 returns to her studio apartment, throws herself on the bed in the dark, hot room.
- 여름 drinks cold water but it doesn't quell the inner fire.
- 여름 asks herself "내가 왜 이러지?" — but already knows the answer.
- 여름 touches her bracelet again — it now feels like a shackle.
- 여름 admits to herself: "신경 쓰여. 완전히, 완전히 신경 쓰여." — an admission of defeat.
- 여름 scrolls 겨울's profile photo, stares at it for a long time.
- Summer heat continues; 여름 stops using the air conditioner because the internal fire is hotter.
- 여름 has a sleepless night, agonizing over her feelings.
- 여름 sends 겨울 a casual text: "야, 오늘 점심 뭐 먹었어?" — 겨울 replies normally.
- The normalcy of 겨울's world contrasts with 여름's internal chaos.
- Next morning: 여름 wakes up looking haggard from lack of sleep.
- 여름 goes to meet 겨울 at their usual spot — the same zelkova tree.
- 겨울 is already there in a white blouse and jeans.
- 여름 greets 겨울 with an artificially bright voice.
- 겨울 asks if anything was wrong yesterday; 여름 lies about a senior calling her.
- They walk to class together; 여름 subtly interrogates 겨울 about design department activities.
- 겨울 mentions a team project involving multiple departments.
- 여름 wants to ask about 정혜진 but can't bring herself to do it.
- At lunch, they eat at the campus cafe.
- 정혜진 enters with friends, approaches their table, touches 겨울's shoulder familiarly.
- 정혜진 introduces herself to 여름; 겨울 introduces 여름 as "가장 친한 친구."
- 여름 feels the word "친구" (friend) like a knife — she wants more.
- After 정혜진 leaves, 여름 goes quiet; 겨울 notices but 여름 deflects.
- 여름 sits alone on a bench in the campus, replaying "가장 친한 친구" in her head.
- 여름 finally acknowledges her romantic feelings for 겨울: "나, 진짜 겨울을...?"
- 여름 covers her face with her hands, heart racing.
- 여름 whispers: "어쩌지... 이거, 진짜 큰일인데."
- The chapter ends with 여름's realization that "친구" is no longer a safe refuge.
- 9-year memory flashback: middle school rainy day, 겨울 silently shared her umbrella with 여름.
- Parallel to present: fear that someone else might now stand in that place beside 겨울.
- Final emotional state: 여름 has acknowledged her love but is terrified of what to do with it.
- Total: 10,808 body chars (meets 10,800 minimum).

### CH6
- CH6 is told from 겨울's POV — library scene, weight of silence, observing 여름's strange mood.
- 겨울 and 여름 study together at the library; 여름 is distracted, quiet, defensive; phone-checking nervously.
- 겨울 catalogs every micro-expression and nervous habit from 여름.
- Extended dialogue: 겨울 tries to draw 여름 out about her tiredness; 여름 deflects with "과제 때문에" and refuses help.
- 여름 receives a notification and snatches her phone — reacts with displeasure.
- On the walk home (Hongdae streets, detailed summer sensory description), their shoulders accidentally brush; 여름 pulls away sharply.
- 겨울 reflects on the difference between spring's comfortable silence and summer's oppressive silence.
- Flashbacks: spring cherry blossom moment, middle school winter classroom, early summer rain shelter.
- 겨울 returns home alone, writes in her secret notebook (extended entry revealing anxiety about losing 여름, fear of being "just a friend," confession of her love).
- 겨울 lies awake, tormented by the growing distance, listening to cicadas.
- Total: ~11,891 body chars (meets 10,800 minimum).

### CH7
- CH7 is told from 여름's POV — sudden rain, sharing umbrella, explosive argument with 겨울.
- 여름 stews in jealousy, confronts 겨울 under a convenience store awning during a sudden downpour.
- They share 겨울's small yellow umbrella; extreme physical proximity creates unbearable tension.
- 여름 accuses 겨울 of being too friendly with 정혜진; argument escalates.
- 겨울 delivers cutting line: "너 정말 실망이다" and walks away into the rain.
- 여름 returns home soaked, cries in bathroom, types "미안해" but cannot send it.
- Summer rainstorm continues outside. 여름's pride is fractured but she still can't apologize.

### CH8 (EXPANDED AND VERIFIED)
- CH8 is told from 겨울's POV — aftermath of the rain argument.
- 겨울 walks home alone in the rain, replaying every word.
- She reflects on 정혜진, 여름's jealousy, and her own hidden feelings.
- At home alone, 겨울 discovers the matching wrist cord she's kept as a secret pair to 여름's bracelet.
- 겨울 writes extended emotional notebook entry confessing fear of losing 여름 and acknowledging her love.
- She whispers "네가 너무 좋아서 그래" to herself alone in the dark — the closest she's come to speaking her truth.
- 겨울 resolves to wait for 여름 rather than push further.
- The rain stops; summer night air cools; relationship has shifted permanently.

### CH9 (AUTUMN REWRITE)
- 여름 and 겨울 reunite at university festival ~2 months after summer rain argument.
- 여름 arrives early, nervous, has dozens of unsent messages in phone memo.
- First encounter at campus main gate — 겨울 arrives in beige trenchcoat, warm but reserved.
- At the festival, 여름 loses sight of 겨울 in crowd and panics, fearing permanent loss.
- 여름 grabs 겨울's wrist impulsively — first physical contact in 2 months.
- They escape to a quiet forest path. 여름 apologizes ("미안해") for the summer argument.
- Almost-confession ("사실은 내가 너를...") interrupted by friends.
- They share food (떡볶이), walk through fireworks together.
- 겨울 reassures 여름 ("안 놓쳐") and briefly touches her hand.
- At the end of the evening, 여름 asks 겨울 in person: "내일도 시간 돼?" — 겨울 smiles and accepts ("응. 돼.")
- 여름 resolves: "이 가을이 다 지나가기 전에... 반드시."

### CH11
- CH11 is told from 여름's POV — ginkgo park almost-confession scene.
- Setting: Mid-autumn, a few days after the festival, ginkgo park near campus.
- 여름 and 겨울 take a walk through the ginkgo park together — golden leaves carpet the ground.
- 여름 feels the urgency to confess before winter arrives, remembering her resolution from CH9.
- The autumn beauty serves as an emotional mirror — the falling leaves reflect 여름's fear of lost time.
- 여름 reaches the "사실은..." threshold multiple times but cannot bring herself to speak the full confession.
- 겨울 walks beside her in patient silence, clearly aware of 여름's internal struggle but not pushing.
- A fallen ginkgo leaf lands on 여름's hair — 겨울 notices and silently removes it, holding it briefly before letting it fall.
- This non-verbal gesture is 겨울's silent answer — she communicates "I know, and it's okay" without words.
- 여름 experiences a profound realization: love doesn't require spoken confession. The understanding passes between them without needing to be said.
- The chapter ends with 여름 understanding that what she and 겨울 share is deeper than words — the question doesn't need to be asked because the answer is already known.
- 겨울's love is expressed through presence, patience, and silent acts of care — not through declarations.
- 여름's emotional arc: urgency to confess → frustration at inability → breakthrough understanding that love transcends speech.
- The chapter reinforces the "침묵" (silence) motif — 겨울's love language is silent presence.

### CH12
- CH12 is told from 겨울's POV — late autumn rain, 9-year memory reflection in her one-room studio.
- Setting: Late autumn, a week after the ginkgo park walk, cold rain falling outside 겨울's studio window.
- 겨울 sits alone in her room, listening to the autumn rain, thinking about 여름.
- She opens her old secret notebook and pages through years of entries — tracing the 9-year arc of her silent love.
- Notebook entries span from middle school first meeting, through shared moments across the years: library afternoons, shared umbrellas, festival memories, the bracelet gift at graduation.
- 겨울 removes the polaroid photo from her wallet — the worn image from their 10th grade school trip — and reflects on how long she has loved 여름.
- She realizes that the past 9 years have not been wasted; they have been the slow building of something real and enduring.
- 겨울 arrives at full acceptance: she does not need 여름 to say the words. She does not need to say them herself. What exists between them is already enough.
- The chapter's key line: "그녀는 말하지 않아도 된다. 그녀는 알고 있다." (I don't need to say it. She knows.)
- 겨울 closes her notebook with a sense of peace — not finality, but readiness. She is ready for winter.
- The final scene transitions to winter: the rain stops, the first snowflake falls outside the window.
- 겨울's emotional arc: quiet reflection → reviewing 9 years of unspoken love → acceptance → readiness for winter → peace.
- The chapter serves as the bridge from AUTUMN to WINTER — the emotional foundation is complete. What comes next does not need words.

### CH14
- CH14 is told from 여름's POV — Christmas season, gift-buying anxiety, the gift exchange — 겨울's gift of a matching ring, understanding love without grand gestures.
- Setting: Late December, ~3 weeks after the first snow. Seoul — campus, shopping district, café, apartment building. Christmas decorations everywhere.
- 여름 is consumed by gift-buying anxiety for 겨울 — she wants to give something meaningful but doesn't know what.
- 여름 wanders through shopping districts, rejecting ordinary gifts (scarves, gloves, sweaters) as insufficient.
- 여름 reflects on the bracelet 겨울 gave her at middle school graduation — a gift that has defined their relationship for years.
- The gift exchange happens in 겨울's apartment on Christmas Eve. 여름 gives 겨울 a leather journal personalized with her initials — for 겨울 to write new memories.
- 겨울 gives 여름 a small velvet box. Inside is a silver ring with a ginkgo leaf engraving — one of a matching pair 겨울 had made, symbolizing their ginkgo park moment (CH11).
- 여름 puts the ring on immediately, speechless. "너무 예뻐... 진짜, 너무 좋아."
- 겨울 reveals she kept the matching ring for herself: "하나 더 만들었어. 나도 끌게."
- 여름 understands that the ring is their mutual confession — neither needs to say "좋아해" because the matching pair says everything.
- Key items established: 은반지 (silver ring with ginkgo leaf engraving) — a matching pair. 여름 wears one (gift from 겨울), 겨울 wears the other (kept for herself).
- 여름 still wears the bracelet daily; the two items now form a pair (bracelet and ring) connecting them across time.

### CH13
- CH13 is told from 겨울's POV — first snow of the year, winter date with 여름, café warmth, scarf-sharing.
- Setting: Early December, first snowfall of the year. 겨울's apartment → campus → outdoor café district → small café → winter streets → apartment building.
- 겨울 wakes up to the first snow and immediately receives an excited text from 여름.
- 겨울's internal reaction: quiet joy, realization that she has been waiting for someone to share this moment with.
- 겨울 wears her black coat and scarf carefully, aware of her appearance for 여름.
- They meet at campus — 여름 wears a red beanie and puffy long-padded coat, nearly hidden by scarves.
- 여름 is overjoyed by the snow, full of childlike energy — throws snow, builds a snowman, has a small snowball fight.
- 겨울 and 여름 build a lopsided snowman together; they joke that it looks like each other.
- They visit a small café with floor-to-ceiling windows — hot chocolate with marshmallows, quiet jazz, warmth.
- 여름 confesses she was lonely last winter: "작년 겨울엔 진짜 외로웠거든." — "근데 올해는 좀 다르네."
- 겨울's heart races but she holds back her confession — "좋아해" too heavy, too precious to risk.
- 겨울 instead says: "나도, 올해는... 춥지 않아."
- A payment dispute scene at the café counter — 겨울 insists on paying, 여름 relents and says "다음에는 내가 낼게."
- Outside after the café, the snow is heavier and it's colder. 겨울 silently removes her scarf and wraps it around 여름's neck.
- The scarf-sharing is the emotional climax — a deeply intimate physical gesture of care.
- 여름's breath catches: "...따뜻하다."
- They walk home together through the snow-lit streets, shoulders brushing on the narrow sidewalk.
- A street musician plays a carol under a streetlamp — they stop and listen together.
- 여름 thanks 겨울: "겨울아, 고마워. 오늘."
- At the apartment building entrance, 겨울 tells 여름 to keep the scarf: "내일 가져다줘."
- 여름 is visibly delighted — "진짜? 나 이거 그냥 가져가도 돼?"
- 겨울 returns to her room alone, stands at the window watching the snow, reflecting on the day.
- 겨울 writes in her secret notebook: [오늘, 첫눈이 내렸다. 그녀가 내 목도리를 가져갔다. 내일, 다시 볼 이유가 생겼다.]
- Key emotional realization: the scarf is "보이지 않는 끈으로 서로를 묶어두는 약속" (an invisible string binding them together).
- 겨울's emotional arc: quiet morning anticipation → joyful shared experience → overwhelming tenderness at scarf-sharing → peaceful hope for tomorrow.
- The chapter's final line: "겨울은 그 생각에 가슴 한구석이 간질거리는 것을 느꼈다. 기다림이 이렇게 설렐 수 있다는 것을, 여름을 만나고 나서야 알았다."

### CH15
- CH15 is told from 겨울's POV — New Year's apart, phone call, returning to Seoul, first hand-holding.
- Setting: Late December (New Year's) → early January. 겨울's family home in the countryside → train to Seoul → café near campus → winter streets → apartment building.
- 겨울 returns to her childhood home for the New Year holiday, experiencing the contrast between the frozen stillness of her hometown and the warmth she now carries inside.
- 겨울 writes in her old secret notebook on New Year's Eve: [새해. 올해는 무엇이 달라질까. 아니, 나는 무엇을 달라지게 할 수 있을까.]
- At midnight on December 31, 여름 calls 겨울 — the first time they talk on the phone on New Year's.
- 여름 says "겨울아! 새해 복 많이 받아!" and "나 지금 반지 끼고 있어! 네가 준 거, 계속 끼고 있었어."
- 겨울, almost whispering, says for the first time: "보고 싶어." — the words she has kept inside for 9 years finally spoken aloud.
- 여름's answer: "...나도." — two syllables containing everything 겨울 has waited 9 years to hear.
- 겨울 says "보고 싶어" a second time without hesitation — "보고 싶어" — 여름 responds with playful joy.
- The next morning: 여름 sends a photo of empty Seoul streets with message: [서울이 텅 비었어. 겨울이야.] — a double-meaning: "It's winter" and "It's you (겨울)."
- 겨울 responds: [겨울이 맞네.] — their private language of naming each other without naming.
- 겨울 returns to Seoul by train, reflecting on the change inside her — the train journey as metaphor for transition.
- They meet at a café near campus. 겨울 tells 여름 about her hometown, her childhood home, the snow in the yard.
- 여름 says she wants to see where 겨울 grew up: "겨울이 자란 집, 나도 한번 가보고 싶다."
- 겨울: "...응. 언젠가, 같이 먹자." (about New Year's 떡국) — a promise of future together.
- 여름 shares her loneliness as a child in a noisy apartment complex: "많은 사람들 속에 있어도, 아무도 나를 진짜로 보지 못하는 것 같은."
- 겨울: "이제는... 혼자가 아니야."
- 여름's New Year's resolution: "올해는 더 용감해지기. 하고 싶은 말은 참지 않고 하게."
- 겨울's resolution: "조금 더 오래 머물러 있기."
- Walking home from the café, their hands brush repeatedly — 겨울 almost reaches out but hesitates.
- 여름 reaches first — their fingers intertwine. The first time they hold hands.
- 겨울's emotional arc: hometown stillness → reluctant solitude → midnight phone call confession → returning to Seoul → resolution to stay → first hand-holding.
- Key items: 새 노트 (new journal, gift from 여름 in CH14) — 겨울 writes in it for the first time in CH15, replacing the old secret notebook for new memories.
- The chapter's final lines: 겨울 writes in her new journal: [올해는, 작년보다 조금 더 용기를 내보려고 한다. 그녀의 곁에 조금 더 오래 머물러 있으려고.] and receives 여름's message: [겨울아, 일어났지? 나 오늘 캠퍼스에 벚꽃 봉오리 봤어! 곧 필 것 같아. 같이 보러 갈래?] — 겨울 responds: [응. 같이 보자. 나도 기다리고 있었어.]

### CH16
- CH16 is told from 여름's POV — late winter, full circle cherry blossom path, peace of belonging without confession.
- Setting: February 28 → March 1. 여름's apartment → campus → cherry blossom path → ginkgo park → apartment.
- 여름 wakes on the last day of winter (Feb 28), puts on the bracelet and ring — they have become part of her, as natural as breathing.
- She reflects on how she has changed over the past year: "거울 속의 눈동자는 더 이상 불안하게 흔들리지 않았다."
- 여름 and 겨울 walk through campus together — retracing every significant location from their year together: the student cafeteria (CH3), the library (CH4), the convenience store where they argued (CH7), the ginkgo park (CH11).
- Each location holds memory — 여름 realizes every place on campus now has 겨울's name written on it.
- They walk to the cherry blossom path — the same path from CH1, now bare and wintry.
- 여름 touches a cherry blossom bud, feeling the life inside: "곧 피겠다."
- 겨울 asks if she regrets anything from the past year — 여름 says no, not a single day.
- 겨울: "몇 가지는 있지. 근데 널 만난 일은 후회하지 않아. 내 인생에서 가장 잘한 일일지도 몰라."
- 여름 asks: "겨울아, 우리... 봄에도 이렇게 있을 수 있을까?"
- 겨울's answer: "응. 봄에도, 여름에도, 가을에도. 계속."
- On a bench at sunset, they sit hand in hand. 여름 reflects on the four seasons: 봄 (first meeting, cherry blossoms), 여름 (jealousy, rain argument), 가을 (reconciliation, almost-confession), 겨울 (first snow, Christmas, New Year's, hand-holding).
- 여름 almost says "사랑해" but stops — realizing the words are unnecessary. Their love is proven through presence.
- 여름: "네가 내 곁에 있어 주는 것만으로도 충분히 행복해. 이렇게 손을 잡고, 같이 걷고, 아무 이야기나 나누는 것. 그게 나에게는 가장 완벽한 사랑이야."
- 겨울: "네 곁에 있는 것. 그게 나에게도 가장 완벽한 사랑이야."
- The final night: 여름 alone in her room, touching the ring mark on her finger, whispers: "겨울아. 좋아해. 진짜, 완전 많이 좋아해."
- March 1 morning: 여름 opens her window to spring air. She texts 겨울: [겨울아, 일어났어? 봄이야. 우리 봄 보러 갈래?]
- 겨울 replies: [응. 좋아. 어디로 갈까?]
- 여름's closing realization: "겨울이 내 곁에 있다. 그리고 앞으로도 있을 것이다. 그것이 사랑의 전부였다."
- The final image: 여름 steps out into the spring morning, 겨울 waiting for her. "겨울아" — 겨울 turns and smiles. That smile makes everything right.
- Key themes: full circle (CH1's cherry blossom path revisited in CH16), love without spoken confession, the four seasons as metaphor, understanding through presence, the bracelet and ring as permanent connection.
- "사랑해" is never spoken aloud between them — the entire volume ends without a verbal confession, proving their love is deeper than words.
- 여름's emotional arc: quiet reflection → walking through memories → sitting at sunset → almost-confession withheld → peaceful acceptance → joyful anticipation of spring.

## Narrative State Update

Volume 1 완료: All 16 chapters (CH1~CH16) verified and committed. CH15 (겨울 POV New Year's apart, phone call, hand-holding) + CH16 (여름 POV late winter, full circle cherry blossom path, peace of belonging without confession) completed. The four-season arc is complete — spring to winter to spring again. The story concludes with love proven through presence, not words — the bracelet and ring connecting 여름 and 겨울 across time, and the promise of all seasons to come. REVISION fixes applied: CH14 ring direction corrected, CH4 speaker fixed, CH4 voice drift resolved, series-bible chronology source fixed.

## Character Knowledge Anchors

- Close friends since middle school: 최여름 and 한겨울 have known each other since middle school, approximately 9 years
- bickering dynamic: Their relationship is defined by prideful bickering that masks deeper affection
- silently devoted: 한겨울 expresses love through quiet, unnoticed acts rather than words
