The walk back from the ice-cream shop's bench should've been quiet.
Simple.
Normal.
But nothing involving Lin Yi was ever
'normal.'
I licked the last bit of vanilla ice-cream from the spoon and sighed.
"So," I said, brushing my hair back, "debt cleared."
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That fast?"
"Yes," I said firmly. "Paid... Done...Over."
He smirked like he didn't believe a single word.
And just when I was about to turn away, a motorcycle came speeding past my side
too close, too fast.
Before I could even gasp, Lin Yi's hand wrapped around my wrist and pulled me sharply toward him.
My body collided against his chest
warm, solid, annoyingly comforting.
For a second…
I forgot how to breathe.
His eyes were right there.
Close.
Sharp.
Ridiculously, unfairly good-looking.
My heart stuttered.
He snapped his fingers in front of my face
Tik! Tik!
using his thumb and index finger.
"Hello?" he teased, leaning down a little. "Don't stare at me like that. I'm not used too.."
He laughed.
I instantly stepped back, heat exploding across my cheeks.
"Oh no! I..I was just…" I stuttered like a broken robot.
"I was thinking how ridiculous you are!"
"Really?" He crossed his arms dramatically. "I save your life..again and this is the thanks I get?"
"I didn't ask you to.."
"Tomorrow," he cut in smoothly, "buy me a lemonade."
I blinked. "…You're greedy."
"Yeah, yeah," he said, waving his hand lazily. "I'm a greedy saviour of yours."
I groaned.
Greedy?
Yes.
Saviour?
Unfortunately… also yes.
We kept walking until we reached the lane near my house.
I pointed ahead.
"My home is there," I said. "Can I go now? Or do you want to come, my 'saviour'?"
He didn't even hesitate.
"Why not?"
"What!!!?" I nearly choked.
His lips twitched.
"Relax. I'm kidding. I don't like being an unwanted guest."
I exhaled loudly, muttering something that sounded like,
"You're impossible."
He gave a lazy salute with his two fingers.
"Bye bye."
I nodded and turned to leave
Then suddenly
"Hey!" I yelped as he snatched my phone right out of my hand.
Before I could process what was happening, his fingers were flying across the screen.
He typed something, saved it, locked the phone, and finally handed it back with the smuggest expression I had ever seen.
"What did you.."
I clicked open the contacts.
"Bad Boy 😈"
Saved.
In my phone.
As his number.
I stared blankly.
He winked.
Actually winked at me.
"Call me if you're about to get hit by something again," he said casually.
"Or, you know… even if you're not."
And with that, he turned around and walked off, hands in his pockets, humming to himself like he hadn't just rewritten my entire day.
I stood there in the lane, heart pounding, cheeks burning, and phone glowing with Bad Boy with devil emoji staring back at me.
What was happening to my life…
…And why did it suddenly feel like trouble had a name?
A very handsome one .
Reached home.
I opened the door.
Thump..!!!...
Mumma looked up from folding clothes.
"You're late today," she said.
I said instantly without thinking anything
"Yeah, someone wanted a Choco-Mint ice-cream treat so…"
Mumma gave that small knowing smile.
Said "Oh, so you were with Li Xue…"
I only said
"hmm"
and escaped to my room before her warmth cracked me open.
The moment the door clicked behind me, the air felt heavier.
What was I supposed to tell her??...that my best friend suddenly feels like a stranger? That the one person who knew everything about me now acts like I'm pretending, like I'm faking innocence for attention?
My eyes burned again, the way they always do when I try too hard to act normal.
I sat on my bed, staring at the faint reflection on my phone screen
the name "Bad Boy 😈" glowing like a joke the universe was making on me.
Everyone thinks I'm fine.
Everyone thinks I'm laughing, walking, eating ice-cream with someone new.
But they don't know that a part of me is still standing in that class room where Li Xue said those words.
Still confused.
Still replaying every moment.
Still wondering what I did so wrong that he had to twist it into something ugly.
And the worst part?
I can't even tell Mumma… because if I speak, the whole thing will spill out like a wound that never healed.
So I just whispered to myself,
"It's fine… time will heal me "
even though I knew I wouldn't.
I washed my face and joined her for dinner, pretending everything was normal.
She kept glancing at me between serving rice.
"School is okay, right?"
"Yes, everything's fine," I lied, forcing a small smile.
"Oh, by the way," I added casually, "I got the scholarship again this year."
Mumma stopped mid-bite, and clapped
"congratulation !! Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
I shrugged lightly. "Forgot."
She laughed softly.
"So that means you celebrated yesterday and today...no wonder you're late."
I smiled back, playing along, though my stomach twisted.
I kept quiet, kept eating, kept acting like nothing inside me was breaking.
After dinner, while we were picking up the dishes, she noticed my hand.
"Wait...what happened?" Her finger brushed the bandage near my wrist.
My heart jumped. I curled my fingers inward and hid my bandaged palm behind the tray.
"It's nothing, Mama… just a small cut. Yesterday… during the celebration with friends."
The lie slipped out too smoothly, maybe because I'd practiced pretending all evening.
Mama looked at me for a second longer, like she wanted to say something, but then she simply sighed and stroked my hair.
"You should be more careful..."
I forced a small smile, hoping she wouldn't see how tight my throat felt.
"okay mumma..!!"
After helping her in the kitchen,
I escaped to my room the moment she turned away. The door closed behind me, and all the strength I'd been pretending to have melted off.
The room felt too quiet too honest.
I dropped onto my bed, exhaled shakily… then my phone buzzed.
A message.
From Bad Boy 😈
The name he'd saved himself as.
My tired, swollen eyes stared at the notification, my heartbeat suddenly picking up despite everything that hurt again.
Bad Boy 😈: "Reached home? Or still thinking about how good I look?"
A tiny, unwilling laugh escaped me
small, but real.
And … something felt a little lighter.