The lightning gathered within the wandering clouds. The sky seemed empty, but the more the clouds ignored it, the brighter the flashes became.
...
They stayed on the damp ground, locked in a tight embrace. Eventually, they moved close to the bushes. Leaning against the brick wall, the mud hidden under the greenery stained their skirts.
Bua rested her head on May's shoulder, their fingers laced together. Tears continued to flow silently as May listened to her speak.
A small, broken voice reached May's ears.
"I'm actually scared... Would you believe me if I said I already knew who you were before we met on campus? Would you believe our meeting wasn't a coincidence? I'm terrified, May... If you discover everything, you might leave me. I'm so afraid you'll hate me and push me away."
A shaky breath escaped Bua with her words, piercing May's heart. May tried to hold back her own tears but her lips trembled harder the more she fought the emotion.
"It's easier to fall in love, but..." Bua paused, lifting her head from May's shoulder to glance at her face before burying her face against May's neck, unable to continue.
"My parents loved each other for a long time. They got married, and then I was born. I always admired their relationship, even their little fights. One day, when I was getting ready for school, my mother came into my room. She didn't even knock—something she had never done before. I wondered what was wrong. I thought maybe she came to surprise me... or tease me. I looked up at her, but she avoided my gaze, as if she had done something shameful and couldn't bring herself to say it aloud."
The same memories echoed inside Bua's head.
"Bua... You need to get ready..."
"Mae..."
"We're going somewhere far away..."
"What about Pa? And my school?"
"Your father... won't be coming with us..."
Pulled back to the present, her words trailed off.
"My mother never used that tone with me, May... It broke me more than hearing her say they didn't love each other anymore. No... She didn't even use the word 'love.' She just said she didn't want to pretend anymore."
Clutching her chest, Bua cried heavily as her whimpers and uneven gasps made it hard to breathe.
May wrapped her arms around her, patting Bua's back and stroking her hair while whispering, "It's okay... It's okay..." But the comforting words only caused Bua's tears to double.
"Pa... Pa didn't even come to see me off. Mae rarely spoke to me after that... It felt like my very existence was a punishment. So, I just acted like I didn't exist..."
"You can cry... Don't hold it in. Please don't..." May continued to soothe her, even as her own tears blurred her vision.
"May... Tell me... Are we going to end up like them?"
Time seemed to freeze.
No sound came from either of them.
Their eyes met, carrying an unspoken promise.
May found it hard to speak, but eventually managed to get the words out. "I... I can't promise that we won't..."
Bua's tears fell silently again, and May gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"But... let's try our best to cherish what we have right now. Let's not put an expiry date on us. Let's live and do our best not to give this a final ending. It's not going to be easy... but we'll never know unless we try."
"Bua... will you be my girlfriend?"
The sudden nervousness made her heart race. But looking at Bua, she felt those rapid heartbeats press against her chest as she pulled the younger girl into a tight hug.
"Don't hold anything back... You did so well. Bua... I love you. More than you think. I didn't know I could be like this, but with you, I found a different side of myself. I don't need to hide anything from you. Just being myself is enough. That's why I love you. That's why I fell for you."
"Thank you for having feelings for me... I'm sorry I didn't notice someone like you before."
Bua reached out and pulled May into another tight hug. Crying softly, she finally let all her feelings out and neither of them tried to stop their tears.
...
Eventually, the moisture on their cheeks dried.
"It's quite chilly out here." May glanced down at Bua and exhaled a gentle breath. "Can we go to my condo? You look exhausted."
Bua's attention settled on a firefly that had landed near them. Her arms tightened around May before she gave a small nod.
"Mmh..."
....
They both got into May's car. Before starting the engine, May sent a quick text.
"We're leaving. No need to worry."
Bua furrowed her eyebrows. Seeing her confused expression, May leaned closer.
"It's my group chat. If I didn't tell them, Nin might get killed tonight by the others."
Bua smiled and texted her own friends as well, the bright phone screen casting a clear light on May's face.
"I also have protective friends. They'll probably kill Nin before yours do."
"I know... I know," May said, intertwining their fingers before kissing Bua's palm.
Bua shook her head, her ears turning red, and they both settled back into silence.
"Bua... Can I...?" Tracing a finger gently over Bua's lips, May closed her eyes and leaned in for a kiss.
HONK!!!
Startled by a passing horn, May quickly started the engine.
The car glided smoothly onto the busy roads.
Silence carried them through the journey.
Bua's eyes stayed fixed on May. With a small chuckle, she asked, "Who did you buy those flowers for?"
"For you."
Looking over in surprise, Bua asked, "For me?" before picking up the bouquet to inhale the scent and adding, "You remembered I like lotus flowers."
May tilted her head affectionately as Bua settled the flowers on her lap. She took May's free hand and snapped a few pictures together, leaving May wondering what she planned to do with the photos.
Watching the bouquet in Bua's lap, May admired her beauty as if seeing her for the very first time.
The car entered an open parking area near a large residential building.
Streetlights were scattered across the lot.
May stepped out and walked around to the passenger side to open Bua's door.
"Bua... give me a chance." A small pout formed on May's lips.
"Okay. How about we do it again? I'll wait inside."
May gave a small nod, a faint flush creeping up her cheeks. She held the door wide open and extended her hand and Bua gently took it.
"Welcome. This is your girlfriend's place," May whispered near Bua's ear. "It's yours from now on."
Bua lightly nudged May's shoulder and pretended not to hear. The more she blushed, the more May teased her.
...
"Aren't you hungry?"
Bua shook her head.
Under the heavy blanket of the fluffy bed, May leaned against Bua's chest while Bua stared up at the ceiling without using the pillow.
"Even if you don't feel hungry, you need to eat something. I ordered some food. Let's have a few bites before going to sleep."
"Mmh."
"Bua..."
May shifted closer to Bua's face, and her lips gently met hers. Bua's mouth parted, and their tongues grazed against each other as they became lost in the sweet, wet rhythm of the kiss.
Ding!! Dong!!
The sudden chime of the doorbell interrupted them.
Bua broke the kiss, pointing at the messy fabric of May's pajamas. Seeing what she meant, May got off the bed quickly and went toward the front door.
Taking a deep breath to steady her racing pulse, she touched her lips, feeling the lingering traces of Bua's affection. Clearing her throat, she opened the door and collected the food delivery.
"B... B-Bua..." she finally called out. "The food is here."
Bua took a moment inside the bedroom to fix her clothes before joining her.
In the living room...
"It's rice..." Bua's eyes widened.
"You like rice with stir-fried meat, right? That's why I ordered it. There's chicken noodles too, if you prefer."
"Why did you order so much?"
May held her chin in her hand, looking at Bua affectionately. "Don't worry. We can reheat it tomorrow."
Bua's attention kept drifting back to May's swollen lips. Shaken, she grabbed a spoon and accidentally dug into the noodles instead of her rice plate.
The rich aroma of the food and the sound of soda pouring into a glass filled the quiet room.
"I didn't actually invite Nin over tonight," May said, breaking the silence. "She said she wanted to apologize after we ran into each other at the coffee shop. But I didn't even like the coffee there."
"Mmh," Bua hummed, chewing.
"Anyway, I planned to come straight to you after meeting her. But she somehow found out there was a party happening." May lowered her head, stuffing her mouth with rice to hide her embarrassment. "No matter how many times I said no, she wouldn't back down. She insisted on meeting everyone. I didn't have any other option... I only wanted to see you."
Bua gently picked a stray grain of rice from May's lip and ate it herself, listening quietly.
"Actually... Actually..." May faltered, her mind going blank. 'Wait, what was I trying to say?'
Suddenly, she stood up so fast that her chair fell backward with a clatter. "Actually, I was surprised when you confessed to me earlier!"
Bua blinked in shock.
"You know that feeling when the words just get stuck in your throat? I wanted to say yes and kiss you, but I froze. I'm sorry... really."
May bowed her head in a dramatic apology.
Still stunned, Bua let out a soft laugh. She picked up the fallen chair, set it upright and gently pushed May back down into her seat to finish eating.
Their eyes met once more.
For a moment, neither said anything and then they both laughed, realizing how much of it had been a misunderstanding.
Later, the kitchen was a total mess.
Cleaning was always something May was lazy about but now she washed the dishes much faster, which somehow made her feel warm inside.
"Phi May... Don't!"
May splashed water from the kitchen tap onto Bua's face. Bua didn't hesitate to throw water back at her, and they both slid across the wet floor, laughing through the mess.
"Don't... you'll wake the neighbors!" Bua whispered, giggling.
They played until they were tired. If anyone asked about the wet tiles, they would probably just answer together: We can mop it later.
That was the best part. A simple water mess could easily be cleaned up. It made Bua realize that no stain or dirt was permanent, especially when you were with the right person.
The owls had started their nightly duty and the sky outside was beginning to clear.
There was no sound in the bedroom except the steady beating of their hearts.
Sitting up against the wall beside the bed, May pulled close to Bua's warmth. Bua placed her hand on May's pajamas, and May kissed her knuckles before guiding Bua's fingers beneath the loose fabric of her top, letting the golden, silky cloth slide down her shoulder into the cool air.
May's feet gripped the blanket, her toes tensing as Bua sat up, taking off her own dress. Bua drew closer to kiss May's neck, feeling the rapid pulse.
May swallowed hard, looking up at her before their lips locked once more.
The kiss grew deeper as they held each other tightly, Bua nipping at May's neck while her hands moved across her back.
Ahh! May moaned.
When they finally parted, Bua stayed close, pressing a soft kiss onto her closed eyelids.
They smiled in the dim light, their bodies drawing tight together as they let their breaths mingle.
"I love you..."
"I love you too..."
Neither knew how many times they said those words into the dark. Tucked safely under the heavy blanket, they snuggled together while the cold night stayed outside the window.