The Girl Who Stole My First Kiss

Chapter Seven - Lingling Kwong

Ling

The shout of "Milk!" pierced the air, grabbing both Orm's and my attention. I silently thanked Love for the distraction. Orm's pout and puppy-dog eyes were a force I wasn't sure how to handle.

One moment she was a baby, the next a warrior princess. It was clear she wasn't a fan of Love, probably because of the library incident.

"Babe!" Milk's reply echoed through the gym. I always admired their relationship. Since freshman year, they seemed to never fight, at least not in public. Though, I did accidentally stumble upon Love threatening Milk over some random girl in class once.

"Ling! Oh, hi Orm!" Love greeted us, noticing me for the first time. "So sorry about earlier, Orm. I mistook you for Diana. You two are the same height, and you were both with Lingling. Please forgive me." Her adorable apology left Orm speechless.

"Oh, no worries, hehe. It's okay," Orm stammered, glancing at me for help.

"Heading home?" I asked Love, who simply nodded goodbye before leaving with Milk. We were suddenly alone in the vast gymnasium.

"Phew," Orm sighed, then proceeded to drop her head right onto my lap. My entire body froze in surprise. My heart hammered against my ribs, and I couldn't move a muscle.

"Do you really hate me so much that you won't even look at me?" she whispered, her voice laced with exhaustion. But I had to stay strong. I had no clue what I might do if I actually looked at her neck and face from this angle.

"Lingling Kwonggg!" she whined, trying to get my attention.

Someone, please send help!

"I like your eyes," she pleaded, her voice barely a whisper. "Please look at me." That was it. The moment our eyes met, a wave of sadness and happiness washed over me.

Sadness for the pain reflected in her beautiful eyes, eyes that always sparkled whenever they looked at me. Happiness that she was here, with me, even if I couldn't say the words.

' I miss you '

She bolted upright. "Lingling Kwongg, why are you crying?" she exclaimed, worry etched on her face. I shook my head and simply pulled her into a hug.

'Why can't you remember me? Please remember me.'

The words hung heavy in the air, a silent plea I desperately wished I could voice.

Orm wouldn't let the crying incident go. Even after we left campus and headed towards my cafe, her questions persisted.

"Ugh, just spit it out! Why were you crying?" she pressed..

"This place," Orm began, her voice trailing off as she stopped walking. "This is it, isn't it?"

Confusion clouded my features before a memory clicked.
Her words jolted me back to that night, the memory of seeing her at the cafe sending a blush creeping up my face. I tried to play it cool, feigning ignorance.

"I own this place," I offered, gesturing for her to follow me inside. "Order anything you want, it's on the house."

Before I could take a step, Orm grabbed my arm, effectively stopping me.

"Let's hold off on the cafe for now," she pleaded. "I really want to know why you kissed me back there, but more importantly, why you were crying."

Her grip remained firm as she steered me away from the cafe. We ended up at a deserted bench along the sidewalk.

"So?" she prompted, raising an eyebrow expectantly.

Desperate to deflect her curiosity, I mumbled, "I forgot."