The Girl Who Stole My First Kiss

Chapter Three - Lollipop

Orm

My heart pounded in my chest as I raced through the hallways. Thanks to forgetting to set my alarm, I was running late for class. Prigkhing wasn't around to pick me up this morning since she didn't have classes, so here I was, lungs burning, desperately trying to make it to my first period on time.

It had been a chaotic week at school so far. Ever since they found out I was the daughter of their favorite artist, things had been a whirlwind. Students were shoving letters at me, begging me to pass them on to my mom. Yeah, let's just say it's my mom who's the celebrity, not me.

Thankfully, the teacher arrived just as I collapsed into my seat, gasping for breath. As I caught my breath, I realized who my seatmate was for this class: Ling. Now, despite her annoyingly aloof and frankly rude personality, it was impossible to stay mad at her. She was breathtakingly beautiful, like a real-life AI character. I flashed her a friendly smile, but she just looked away, leaving me with a pout. So much for warming up to the pretty face.

Math class felt like an eternity. As an art student, numbers just never made sense to me. But hey, minor subjects are mandatory, right? After a seemingly endless lecture, the professor dropped a surprise quiz on us. Ten minutes in, I was staring at the paper like it was written in another language.

Ling, however, seemed to breeze through the questions. Just as I was about to give up entirely, she reached over, took my paper, and filled it out for me. I was a mix of shock and confusion, but a strange flutter erupted in my stomach. I tried to suppress a grin as she handed the paper back, her expression as stoic as ever.

Taking the opportunity, I peeked at her paper, not to check the answers (though I was curious) but to steal a glance at her full name. "Lingling Sirilak Kwong," I murmured, a giggle escaping my lips. Such a beautiful name for an even more beautiful face.

"Thank you," I mumbled out of gratitude as we left class together. She ignored my attempt at conversation, but that didn't stop me from trailing behind her. We ended up at the library, finding a quiet spot near the air conditioner. Ling immediately buried herself in her studies, while I flipped aimlessly through the bookshelves, unable to focus with her captivating presence nearby. Finally, I gave up on finding a book and simply resorted to staring at her.

Mustering up all my courage, I blurted out the question that had been burning a hole in my pocket, "Why did you kiss me, Lingling?"

She didn't even flinch, her eyes glued to her psychology book. "Lingling," I repeated playfully, a whisper tickling her ear. Finally, she deigned to glance at me, clearing her throat before delivering a cold reply, "I don't have time for your nonsense."

My lips formed a pout, but before I could complain further, a soft touch grazed my lips. It was a fleeting kiss, gone as quickly as it came.

"Hey! That's the second time!" I exclaimed in a hushed whisper, completely bewildered.

Lingling, however, remained unfazed. "I like your lips. Can't help it" she mumbled, returning her attention to the book. "And if you don't want another one, stop pouting."

I straightened up self-consciously, biting my lip. Why was this tiny girl acting like such a boss?

Exhaustion finally took over, and I drifted off to sleep. The sound of students' voices jolted me awake.

"We have another round of tryouts later. See you there, Ms. Best Setter," Lingling curtly said, gathering her things. I couldn't help but notice how much she was sweating, even under the air conditioning.

Concern welled up inside me. "What happened to your arm?" I asked, pointing at the angry red mark that seemed etched onto her skin.

"Nothing," she muttered dismissively before walking away.