The Best I Ever Had

Moonlit Floor

"Tell us."

"No," I said, trying to keep my tone firm.

"Tell us!" Ying and Ratee demanded in unison, their eyes practically sparkling with curiosity.

"How are we back to this again?" I groaned, rubbing my temples. It was supposed to be a simple, fun night, but somehow, we always circled back to this conversation.

"Just consider it a birthday gift to me," Ratee said, her voice sugary sweet. Lingling chuckled beside me, clearly entertained by Ratee's persistence.

"I already got you a gift, remember?" I pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but this would be the gift," Ratee insisted. "Just one tiny, harmless answer. For my birthday. One measly question."

I sighed, defeated. "Fine. One question."

Ratee's face lit up. "Does her name start with a 'B'?"

I blinked, caught off guard by her eagerness. "No. That's you grasping at straws."

She furrowed her brow. "Does it start with a 'K'?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, amused by her detective mode. "No."

"How about an 'N'?"

"No."

"An 'L' then? Does it start with an 'L'?"

"Is she even ringing a bell?" Tan chimed in, grinning like a Cheshire cat.