Do GL webtoons appeal to you? Presenting Winter Before Spring, a project by rinucomics and moonbun00. Hana experiences bullying every day as a result of upsetting her first love and old friend Min-ji. However, a new girl would be coming to help her overcome the crisis and hopefully embrace her identity. Let’s get straight into Winter Before Spring Chapter 1-5.
Winter Before Spring Chapter 1: What Is Love?
Winter Before Spring Chapter 1 opens with a blonde female sitting under an umbrella in the rain. Even though a lot of people pass her on the busy road, she is by herself. She passes a boutique where the bride and groom’s wedding attire is on display. What is love, she asks us readers? Love is a beautiful thing to her. Additionally, she recently fell in love. The action then switches to a different female, and our protagonist is unsure if she will ever be accepted by the girl in front of her. She wants to know if having feelings for another girl is improper. In the next scene, Another girl catches her from behind and embraces her while the rain pours down on them.
The setting transitions to a high school where the protagonist, named Hana, greets her friend Min-ji. Hana enjoys school and finds Min-ji very attractive. They’ve been friends since middle school, and Hana has developed feelings for Min-ji. She fears Min-ji’s reaction if she discovers Hana’s feelings.
Curious, Hana searches online and finds a forum for people with similar experiences. Min-ji interrupts her, asking what she is doing, and Hana claims she is studying. Min-ji suggests taking a break, embracing her. After school, Min-ji invites Hana to her home for help with homework, which Hana agrees to. At Hana’s house, Min-ji notices Hana distracted by her phone and jokingly asks if it’s her boyfriend. Hana denies this and they head to her room.
Confess
In the room, Min-ji lies on the bed, pulling Hana down beside her, noticing Hana’s blushing and inquiring if she is unwell. Hana assures her she is fine, and they begin their work. During a break, her mother calls Hana away. Alone, Min-ji’s curiosity gets the better of her, and she looks through Hana’s phone. Hana returns to find Min-ji with her phone, visibly shocked
Hana seeks solace online, searching for forums and communities that understand her situation. Her intense phone browsing is interrupted by Min-ji, who teases her about studying too hard and advises her to take breaks. As the school day ends, Min-ji asks Hana to come over to her place to work on homework together. At Hana’s home, Min-ji notices her friend’s distraction and playfully inquires about a potential boyfriend. Hana denies it, but Min-ji becomes curious.
As they reach the room, Min-ji’s playful nature leads her to grab Hana’s hand and pull her down onto the bed. Hana’s awkwardness and flushed face catch Min-ji’s attention, but she attributes it to illness. After studying for a while, they take a break, during which Hana’s mother calls her downstairs. While Hana is away, Min-ji’s curiosity gets the better of her, and she picks up Hana’s phone to uncover her secret. When Hana returns, she’s shocked to see Min-ji scrolling through her phone, leaving her wondering what her friend might discover, concluding Winter Before Spring Chapter 1.
Winter Before Spring Chapter 2: Dating
Winter Before Spring Chapter 2 opens with Min-ji confronting Hana about her presence on a lesbian forum, leading to Hana nervously confessing her feelings for Min-ji. To Hana’s surprise, Min-ji reciprocates, but insists they keep their relationship secret due to her parents’ views and concerns about their classmates. Despite her reservations, Hana agrees, and they begin dating. Their dates are filled with joy, culminating in a cheek kiss from Min-ji that leaves Hana elated.
The next scene shows them at school, where Min-ji happily shares her test results and asks for Hana’s math notes. After school, Min-ji disregards Hana’s need to study and insists on going to a new shop, buying keychains. On their way home, Hana suggests visiting a comic book store, but Min-ji dismisses it and hangs up Hana’s phone when her mom calls. Min-ji then insists on going to a makeup store, and Hana begins to sense an imbalance in their relationship. They eventually do their homework together, where Min-ji is distracted and ends up dumping all the work on Hana, concluding Winter Before Spring Chapter 2.
Winter Before Spring Chapter 3: Break-Up
Winter Before Spring Chapter 3 opens with Hana eager to share a new comic book with Min-ji but postpones it for lunch with Min-ji and her friends. At lunch, the group discusses a new drama, which Hana hasn’t seen, leading Min-ji to tease her for being a “nerd.” Later, when Hana tries to hold Min-ji’s hand, Min-ji angrily rejects her, fearing their relationship will be exposed. The rejection devastates Hana and makes them begin to question their relationship.
In the following scenes, Hana, now at the library, reflects on Min-ji’s actions. Back in class, Hana refuses to let Min-ji copy her homework, a stark change that shocks Min-ji. Another student, Inha, receives a high score on a test but is unhappy with the result. Hana and Min-ji then confront each other by the stairs. During the confrontation, Min-ji ends their relationship, revealing she was only using Hana for her grades. Hana is heartbroken, realizing Min-ji never truly cared for her, and Winter Before Spring Chapter 3 ends with Inha witnessing the aftermath of their argument.
Winter Before Spring Chapter 4: Hostile
Winter Before Spring Chapter 4 opens with Hana’s somber walk to class. Lost in her own thoughts, she remains oblivious to the whispers and giggles of her classmates. Suddenly, a crumpled paper ball, filled with hateful and vulgar words, strikes her. Confused and hurt, she struggles to understand what’s happening.
Later, a teacher calls Hana for assistance. While helping the teacher, Hana senses the disgust of her classmates, unable to fathom how they could believe the things they did about Min-ji.
In class, the teacher asks for the assignments. When Hana goes to retrieve hers, she discovers it’s missing, despite her certainty that she packed it. The teacher, noticing her distress, asks for the assignment. Hana apologizes, claiming she forgot it. Given her reputation as a top student, the teacher lets it pass. Meanwhile, Inha watches the exchange with an unsettling smirk.
Secret Out
The scene shifts to PE class, where Hana’s classmates are suddenly hostile. Min-ji ignores her completely, and Hana painfully realizes their friendship is over. When Hana tries to change, a girl stops her, cruelly ordering her to use the bathroom instead, citing her “gay” secret. Hana is shocked that her secret is out. Inha, relishing Hana’s isolation, smirks.
Back at home, Hana reflects on the recent misfortunes. She wonders if Min-ji was the one who revealed her secret. Her mother interrupts her thoughts, gifting her a new book. After a peaceful dinner with her mother, Hana feels a glimmer of comfort.
The next day, Hana walks to school, anticipating reading her new book during break. However, she also yearns to share its story with Min-ji. In class, Min-ji, noticing Hana’s solitude, whispers to Inha. Inha smirked and approached Hana, the other students watching. She snatches Hana’s book and mocks her. Hana demands its return, but Inha refuses. Claiming she wants to burn the book, she finds the entire class siding with her, laughing at Hana’s expense. Winter Before Spring Chapter 4 closes with Hana’s desperate fury, grabbing Inha and demanding the return of her book.
Winter Before Spring Chapter 5: Bullied
Winter Before Spring Chapter 5 begins with Hana asking Inha to return her book, but instead of complying, Inha slaps her in the face and throws the book to the ground before walking away. Enraged, Hana throws a pencil case at Inha, who retaliates by forcefully grabbing her and dragging her out of the classroom, with no intervention from their classmates. Inha continues to bully Hana, who is perplexed by her behavior, and when Hana denies being a lesbian, Inha sees through her act, stating that she hates Hana for being the top student, not because of her orientation. Inha warns Hana not to report the incident to their teacher before leaving.
After that day, Hana’s school life becomes a nightmare, with relentless bullying from her classmates causing her grades to plummet and leaving her depressed. The bullying escalates when Hana accidentally spills a drink on Inha’s shirt after being tripped by a classmate, prompting Inha to beat her up while her classmates look on without helping. Hana feels abandoned and alone, and while cleaning up in the washroom, she realizes she’s bleeding from her nose.
The scene shifts to the first day of snow, which brings excitement to some girls, but not Hana. Winter Before Spring Chapter 5 ends with Hana feeling betrayed and abandoned by Min-ji, and as she’s lost in thought, she’s almost hit by a car, only to be saved by a mysterious girl who intervenes just in time.
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