The rooftop of Pim's condo was calm, a dramatic contrast to the bustling streets of Bangkok below. A gentle breeze rustled through the potted plants along the railing, carrying the aroma of night-blooming jasmine. The city sprawled out before them, sparkling with golden lights, as if the planet itself were celebrating the day's events.
Tonight was meant to be about celebrating Arthur's reunion with Nick. Relief hung in the air, a collective sigh released after months of strain and yearning. But for Mia, something much more significant weighed on her heart.
Pim leaned on the railing, gazing at the skyline, a faint grin playing on her lips. "I still can't believe it," she murmured. "Arthur found Nick. He actually found him."
Mia nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere.
Her heart raced against her ribcage. Now or never.
She had waited too long, thinking there would be a better moment, a perfect opportunity. But the truth was, there was no perfect moment—only the courage to create one.
Taking a deep breath, she gripped the chilly metal railing with her fingertips. "Pim, can I tell you something?"
Pim turned her head, intrigued. "Of course."
Mia's palms felt clammy and her throat dry. "I—I've liked you for a long time."
Pim's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't say anything. Mia took it as her cue to continue.
"I think it started the first time I saw you at that university event," Mia added, her voice getting quieter. "You were standing in front of a whole panel of professors, arguing with them about funding for student businesses. Everyone else was intimidated, but you—" Mia let out a small, breathless laugh. "You weren't afraid. You stood your ground with that fire in your eyes, and I remember thinking, 'Wow. I want to know her.'"
Pim blinked, visibly astonished.
Mia swallowed hard and continued. "Then we became friends, and I got to see even more of you—your kindness, your stubbornness, your absolute refusal to give up. That's when I realized it wasn't simply admiration. I liked you. I liked you so much it worried me."
She exhaled nervously. "But I never told you. I thought if I ignored it, it would go away; that I could just be your friend and be comfortable with that." Her eyes locked on Pim's. "But I wasn't. Every time you smiled at me, every time you brought me into your late-night brainstorming sessions, every time you showed up at my door with some crazy idea—I fell a bit more."
Mia's voice cracked as she said, "And I'm tired of pretending. So I'm telling you now." She took a deep breath, gathering the last bit of courage. "I like you, Pim. More than a friend. I always have. And if there's even a tiny part of you that feels the same way…" She trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.
Silence stretched between them, dense with unspoken emotions.
Then, unexpectedly, Pim let out a sharp breath. She covered her face with her hands and laughed—a gasping, incredulous sound.
Mia felt her stomach twist. "Pim—"
"You idiot," Pim interrupted, dropping her hands. Her eyes gleamed with something Mia couldn't quite decipher. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to say that?"
Mia blinked. "What?"
Pim took a step closer, her expression softening. "I like you too, Mia." Her voice was both kind and forceful. "I have for so long."
Mia's brain stalled. "But—you never said anything."
Pim laughed again, shaking her head. "Neither did you."
Mia glanced at her, trying to understand. "So, we've both just been idiots?"
"Massive idiots," Pim confirmed.
And then, before Mia could say anything else, Pim closed the distance between them, throwing her arms around her in a tight embrace.
Mia paused for a moment, then melted into it, her arms tightening around Pim's waist. The aroma of Pim's jasmine-scented shampoo overwhelmed her senses, and Mia's eyes fluttered closed.
They stayed like that for a moment, enveloped in each other, neither of them saying anything.
Then, Pim pulled back just enough to look at her. "You really thought I didn't like you?"
Mia swallowed, her hands still resting on Pim's waist. "I wasn't sure," she admitted. "You're so focused and driven—I thought maybe I was just another person in your busy life."
Pim sighed, shaking her head. "Mia, you've never been just another person. You're one of the most important people in my life. You always have been."
Mia's heart soared, hope blossoming in her chest. "So… what does this mean?"
Pim smirked. "It means I've been waiting way too long for you to ask me out."
Mia laughed, the last of her nerves finally fading. "Well, in that case…" She gently grasped Pim's hand, linking their fingers together. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
Pim didn't hesitate. "I thought you'd never ask."
And before Mia could react, Pim leaned in and kissed her.
It was soft at first—tentative, delicate. But as soon as Mia responded, as soon as she kissed her back, Pim deepened the kiss.
Mia immersed herself in it. The warmth of Pim's lips, the way her fingers curled around Mia's hand, and the way the world seemed to dissolve around them made everything else disappear.The rooftop of Pim's condo was calm, a dramatic contrast to the bustling streets of Bangkok below. A gentle breeze rustled through the potted plants along the railing, carrying the aroma of night-blooming jasmine. The city sprawled out before them, sparkling with golden lights, as if the planet itself were celebrating the day's events.
Tonight was meant to be about celebrating Arthur's reunion with Nick. Relief hung in the air, a collective sigh released after months of strain and yearning. But for Mia, something much more significant weighed on her heart.
Pim leaned on the railing, gazing at the skyline, a faint grin playing on her lips. "I still can't believe it," she murmured. "Arthur found Nick. He actually found him."
Mia nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere.
Her heart raced against her ribcage. Now or never.
She had waited too long, thinking there would be a better moment, a perfect opportunity. But the truth was, there was no perfect moment—only the courage to create one.
Taking a deep breath, she gripped the chilly metal railing with her fingertips. "Pim, can I tell you something?"
Pim turned her head, intrigued. "Of course."
Mia's palms felt clammy and her throat dry. "I—I've liked you for a long time."
Pim's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't say anything. Mia took it as her cue to continue.
"I think it started the first time I saw you at that university event," Mia added, her voice getting quieter. "You were standing in front of a whole panel of professors, arguing with them about funding for student businesses. Everyone else was intimidated, but you—" Mia let out a small, breathless laugh. "You weren't afraid. You stood your ground with that fire in your eyes, and I remember thinking, 'Wow. I want to know her.'"
Pim blinked, visibly astonished.
Mia swallowed hard and continued. "Then we became friends, and I got to see even more of you—your kindness, your stubbornness, your absolute refusal to give up. That's when I realized it wasn't simply admiration. I liked you. I liked you so much it worried me."
She exhaled nervously. "But I never told you. I thought if I ignored it, it would go away; that I could just be your friend and be comfortable with that." Her eyes locked on Pim's. "But I wasn't. Every time you smiled at me, every time you brought me into your late-night brainstorming sessions, every time you showed up at my door with some crazy idea—I fell a bit more."
Mia's voice cracked as she said, "And I'm tired of pretending. So I'm telling you now." She took a deep breath, gathering the last bit of courage. "I like you, Pim. More than a friend. I always have. And if there's even a tiny part of you that feels the same way…" She trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.
Silence stretched between them, dense with unspoken emotions.
Then, unexpectedly, Pim let out a sharp breath. She covered her face with her hands and laughed—a gasping, incredulous sound.
Mia felt her stomach twist. "Pim—"
"You idiot," Pim interrupted, dropping her hands. Her eyes gleamed with something Mia couldn't quite decipher. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to say that?"
Mia blinked. "What?"
Pim took a step closer, her expression softening. "I like you too, Mia." Her voice was both kind and forceful. "I have for so long."
Mia's brain stalled. "But—you never said anything."
Pim laughed again, shaking her head. "Neither did you."
Mia glanced at her, trying to understand. "So, we've both just been idiots?"
"Massive idiots," Pim confirmed.
And then, before Mia could say anything else, Pim closed the distance between them, throwing her arms around her in a tight embrace.
Mia paused for a moment, then melted into it, her arms tightening around Pim's waist. The aroma of Pim's jasmine-scented shampoo overwhelmed her senses, and Mia's eyes fluttered closed.
They stayed like that for a moment, enveloped in each other, neither of them saying anything.
Then, Pim pulled back just enough to look at her. "You really thought I didn't like you?"
Mia swallowed, her hands still resting on Pim's waist. "I wasn't sure," she admitted. "You're so focused and driven—I thought maybe I was just another person in your busy life."
Pim sighed, shaking her head. "Mia, you've never been just another person. You're one of the most important people in my life. You always have been."
Mia's heart soared, hope blossoming in her chest. "So… what does this mean?"
Pim smirked. "It means I've been waiting way too long for you to ask me out."
Mia laughed, the last of her nerves finally fading. "Well, in that case…" She gently grasped Pim's hand, linking their fingers together. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
Pim didn't hesitate. "I thought you'd never ask."
And before Mia could react, Pim leaned in and kissed her.
It was soft at first—tentative, delicate. But as soon as Mia responded, as soon as she kissed her back, Pim deepened the kiss.
Mia immersed herself in it. The warmth of Pim's lips, the way her fingers curled around Mia's hand, and the way the world seemed to dissolve around them made everything else disappear.