Kiss & Tell ( Asa and Chiquita)

Chapter 4: Crossing Lines

Chiquita's POV

Asa's words echo in my mind as I watch her walk away. "I don't need you."

I can't help but smile a little. She says that like she believes it, like it's some kind of shield she can hide behind. But I've seen enough of her to know better.

She's fighting it. Fighting me.

And that makes this even more exciting. For someone who claims to have it all figured out, Asa is anything but predictable. She's scared, and I can see it. Every time I push, every time I tease, she pulls back harder. But I don't think she knows why she's pulling back. I think she's just terrified of what will happen if she lets herself feel anything at all.

I sit back in my seat, casually flipping through my phone, trying to appear unaffected, but inside? Inside, I'm already planning my next move.

I wasn't lying when I told her I wasn't going anywhere. She's a puzzle I can't quite solve, and I'm not the type to give up easily.

The thing is, I know she's intrigued. I've seen the way her eyes flicker to mine when I'm not looking. I've felt the heat between us every time we've crossed paths. And I know she's not nearly as immune to me as she thinks she is.

She'll come around.

And when she does, I'll be ready.

Asa's POV

I didn't go back to the office after lunch. The meeting with Ahyeon was enough to derail my focus for the entire afternoon. Her probing questions about Chiquita, her relentless teasing — it's all starting to feel like too much.

I'm supposed to be at the top of my game. I'm supposed to have control over every aspect of my life. I've worked too hard to get here, to make it this far. I won't let someone like Chiquita — someone so... free and chaotic — ruin everything I've built.

But it's not just about control anymore. I'm starting to realize that I'm not afraid of losing my control around her. I'm afraid of what it means if I actually don't want to.

I run a hand through my hair, staring at the files scattered on my desk, but none of it matters. The numbers blur into meaningless strings of digits. Every time I try to focus, all I can see is her smile — that knowing, teasing smile that's both maddening and... inviting.

I should call her. Tell her to stop, to stay away. But the moment I think about doing that, a strange part of me doesn't want her to.

I pick up my phone and start typing a message to Ahyeon about rescheduling our next meeting, but then I pause. Instead, I open a new thread. I can't stop myself from typing her name.

What do you want from me, Chiquita?

I immediately regret it. My fingers hover over the send button as I question my sanity. This is stupid. I don't do this. But the words feel like they're burning a hole in my chest. I have to send it.

I press send.

Then I wait.

Chiquita's POV

I'm sitting on my balcony, sipping wine, when my phone buzzes.

I see Asa's name on the screen, and my heart gives an unexpected flutter. She's messaged me.

I swipe to open the text, reading it through with a small, satisfied smile. What do you want from me, Chiquita?

I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a surge of triumph. It's not just a text. It's an invitation. She's asking me — begging me, in her own way — to push harder.

I don't reply immediately. Instead, I take a slow sip of my wine, thinking about what to say. I don't want to rush this. No, I'm not going to make it too easy. I'm not going to be the one who makes the first move this time.

So, I sit there, savoring the silence, letting the tension build. I want her to wonder what I'll say. I want her to feel this as much as I do.

Finally, I reply. What do I want from you? Asa, I want you to stop pretending you don't feel anything.

It's direct. It's blunt. And I know it'll get under her skin. She doesn't like being vulnerable. She doesn't like feeling things she can't control. But she already knows, deep down, that she's in over her head. The question is, will she admit it?

Asa's POV

I read her response, and for a moment, my mind goes blank.

What do I want from you? Asa, I want you to stop pretending you don't feel anything.

I can feel the heat rise in my chest. She's right. It's true. I've been pretending. I've been lying to myself, convincing myself that I don't feel anything when I feel everything. I feel too much, and it terrifies me.

The problem is, Chiquita knows exactly what to say. She knows how to break me down, how to expose all the cracks I've spent years building up.

I toss my phone onto the bed in frustration. I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready for her.

But the longer I fight it, the more I realize I'm only making things worse.

I want to call her, to tell her to stop — to demand that she leave me alone — but I don't. I can't.

Instead, I take a deep breath, clenching my fists, and type back. You're wrong. I'm not like you.

It's not much, but it's all I can muster.

Chiquita's POV

I laugh softly when I see her response. You're wrong. I'm not like you.

Oh, Asa. That's the thing — she doesn't get it. She thinks that being like me means giving up control. She thinks I'm reckless, that I don't care. But she's wrong. I've never been more in control of my life than I am now. I just don't need to pretend.

She's the one who's running scared. She's the one who's afraid of what's happening between us. And the more she fights it, the more she pushes me away, the more I know that I've got her right where I want her.

I text back, this time with a little more flair: I don't need you to be like me, Asa. I just want you to be you.

I lean back in my chair, satisfied, as I wait for her response.

Asa's POV

I read her message again, and my stomach tightens. I don't need you to be like me, Asa. I just want you to be you.

I should be angry. I should hate how easily she's pulling me into this game, how effortlessly she's breaking down the walls I've built. But there's something else — something deeper.

Be you.

It sounds so simple. So... freeing.

But it terrifies me.

I turn my phone off, trying to force my mind to focus on something — anything — other than Chiquita. But it's too late. The damage has already been done.

I've crossed a line I can't uncross.

And I don't know how to get back to the person I was before.

Chiquita's POV

I know she's struggling. I can feel it. And that makes it all the more fun.

But now I can see the flicker of something in her — the uncertainty, the questioning. She's not the Ice Queen I thought she was. She's not unbreakable. And the more I learn about her, the more I realize there's a whole other side to Asa Enami.

A side she's terrified to show.

And that? That's the most exciting part of all.