Li licked her matcha scoop triumphantly. **"This is a one-time mercy. Next time, you're buying me gold-leaf truffles—or I'm draining your bank account for two months."**
Zhang Yu rolled his eyes. **"Sure, sure. But since *I'm* driving—"** He swerved into an ice cream parlor without warning, sending Li face-first into the dashboard.
**"YOU MANIAC!"**
**"Oops."** He didn't look sorry.
The shop smelled like childhood—sugar, waffle cones, and poor life choices. Li ordered matcha with extra spite; Yu chose vanilla **"because I'm not a basic monster like some people."**
Then disaster struck.
A dollop of green tea plopped onto Li's nose.
**"You've got a little…"** Yu gestured vaguely, then lunged with a napkin. His thumb brushed her cheekbone as he wiped it away—
*Time stopped.*
Li's brain short-circuited. Yu's pulse hit warp speed. For ten eternal seconds, they were statues.
Then Li *exploded* backward, shoving the rest of her cone into her mouth like she was destroying evidence. **"I'M DONE!"** She fled, leaving Yu clutching the napkin like a love letter.
The drive home was *torture*. Li glued herself to the passenger window, silently reciting the periodic table. Yu strangled the steering wheel, his ears burning.
Yu needed air. Or a brain transplant. He stomped into a convenience store—
**THUD.**
He collided with a human brick wall. **"Watch where—"** Yu froze. *That face.* **"Yin Zhang?"**
The man blinked. **"Yes…?"**
**"Zhang Yu. Luong's brother."** Yu crossed his arms. **"The one who knows twelve ways to dismember you."**
Yin's smile didn't waver. **"Ah. The overprotective legend."**
**"Damn right."** Yu grabbed two cup noodles. **"You hungry? My treat."** *(Mostly because Li stole his dignity and he needed to assert dominance.)*
They hunched over a tiny plastic table. Yin chatted about work; Yu heard nothing. His brain was stuck on *loop*: *Li's skin was so soft—*
**"You okay?"** Yin frowned. **"You're murdering those noodles."**
Yu stabbed his fork down. **"Today, I wiped ice cream off Li's nose. She *ran*. My heart's been punching my ribs ever since. *What does that mean?*"**
Yin's lips twitched. **"Congrats. You've got a crush."**
**"NO."** Yu's chair screeched. **"We're *enemies*. She steals my snacks! I hide her stapler! It's *war*!"**
Yin sipped his tea, amused. **"Funny. Luong threw a pen at my head on our first date."**
Yu groaned, collapsing onto the table. **"This is *worse* than dismemberment."**
**"First love usually is."** Yin patted his shoulder. **"Want advice?"**
**"NO."**
**"Flowers. She seems like a tulip girl."**
Yu contemplated throwing himself into traffic.