Li V.S. Sweetheart

Chapter 13: Edited

*Continuation of Flashback*

After finally hearing the answer Kevin concluded after quite a long time, Scarlet's face darkened by a hundredfold. The aura around her became so menacing that the clinic was now filled with murderously high killing intent.

She had patiently waited for him to seriously decide on her nickname in order to not end up with an odd one. But here she was, waiting for all this while just to end up with a way more odd, bizarre, and awful nickname that would stay with her for the rest of her life!

Why was Scarlet so unhappy, you ask?

Her reasons were quite simple, actually.

She didn't know why but somehow, she felt appalled by how feminine, pure, cute, and endearing it sounded to her ears.

[At least your instincts know of the actual meaning.] It proudly nodded its head.

Her next reason would be the different definitions of the word, "Li."

As someone who had learned about 10 languages through the movies she had watched in the past, she would like to state that...

First of all, she was not a Chinese unit of a distance that was equal to approximately one-third of a mile or about half a kilometer!

Second, because of her amazing intelligence as the 3rd placer of the batch, she knew that "Li" symbolized a chemical element 'Lithium.' It was the chemical of the atomic number 3 and was the lightest of the alkali metals, a soft silver-white metal.

Was he deliberately saying to her face that she'd forever remain as 3rd place? Or was he trying to say that she was a weakling like the lightest of the alkali metals?

What a slap in the face!

Third, to greatly heighten her discontentment and contempt for the new nickname, the chemical element, the Lithium Carbonate or also known as the Lithium Salt, was used as a mood-stabilizing drug throughout history.

Even though she was ignorant of many matters, Scarlet knew the basic meaning of drugs and their harmful effects on the human body like every child on this planet.

Was she now a mood-stabilizing drug to her first friend? If he was brimming with happiness or sadness, would he immediately go to her in order for him to calm down?

That seemed like a nice way to see things. But no, she was not a drug!

[Yes, you are. You are his addiction.]

After angrily thinking of the disgusting thought of drugs, she moved on to her next reason, which would be the abbreviation of "Li."

In today's digital age, "Li" was a well-known abbreviation of "Lol," meaning to "laugh out loud" at some given joke.

Since it did not seem real to actually laugh out loud towards something funny on the internet, "Li" became the famous term used by modern-day people, meaning to "laugh internally" or to "laugh inside."

Last but not the least, "Li" was an abbreviation of "Long Island."

It was a place in New York where people would go during the summertime. However, she was neither a place to visit in summer nor a joke to laugh inside about!

Was he currently laughing inside right now because of her reaction? Because if he was, she'd gladly be his mood-stabilizing drug and let him die from overdose until his mouth can't breathe out a single carbon!

Look at all these definitions!

Just why and how in the world did she end up with such a preposterous nickname?

The least that her first friend could do was to seriously think of a nice nickname!

Right now, Scarlet used all her efforts to not glare on the man in front of her and on the awful nickname he had given but her efforts were all in vain.

Luckily, Kevin was her first friend. Or else, who knew what might happen?

[I'd love to see that.]

Unfortunately for the girl, Kevin was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to even bother with the obvious change in her expression.

While staring deeply into the girl's eyes, Kevin displayed a very bright and handsome smile that showed off his pearly-white teeth and tiny but visible dimples. Right now, he seemed even brighter than the sun.

Since he was not at all affected by her intense glare and had not even bothered to change her preposterous nickname, Scarlet angrily replied with all her might, "No."

This time, Kevin was the one appalled by her reaction and response.

'Huh? Why not?' Kevin thought, intrigued at the same time.

The special and affectionate form of address he made for her was just perfect!

[For you.]

Indeed, his woman was not ordinary but someone more exceptional than he had ever imagined. Kevin could not understand her disapproval, no matter how much of a genius he was.

[...] No comment.

Unfortunately for Scarlet, this time, Kevin was neither willing to let go nor give up on the perfect nickname he had seriously thought of for a long time, despite how adorable her glare, how rosy her cheeks and ears, and how pouty her red kissable lips could be.

Kevin persevered and endured with all his might in order to keep the last bits of self-control within him intact.

"Sorry, Li. You can only choose between 'Sweetheart' and 'Li.'"

For the first time in his life, he sounded childish.

Kevin didn't know whether to laugh or to cry...

[Cry.] Duh... So easy. Just admit you're stupid.

"..."

Hearing his bizarre and childish response, her eyes widened and her mouth slightly opened and then shut repeatedly, seeming like the words she wanted to say was stuck inside her mind and not leaving her mouth, again and again.

Only 'Sweetheart' and 'Li?' Was he serious?

Was 'and' part of the option?

[...] Sweetheart, don't let that moron rub off on you.

Scarlet's thoughts jumbled up as to why he chose, 'Li.'

A few moments later...

"!" Ding.

A light bulb popped out of nowhere.

Scarlet finally realized that the nickname came from the syllable "Let," leaving her with no choice but to keep her mouth shut and to instead accept her fate while giving him the silent treatment and a hidden glare.

Just because she thought of those meanings did not mean that he thought of it too before making a special nickname for her.

If she voiced out her opinions, she then had to say the several definitions of "Li." And if she was wrong and had instead enlightened him, she might die from the embarrassment and regret from digging her own grave.

Meanwhile, Kevin's eyes flashed with a mischievous glint while he displayed a handsome but devious smile.

Both options were in his favor. So why should he not?

This time, Kevin revealed his true colors.

After some time had passed, the girl was still as silent as the dead. So Kevin became impatient and gladly decided the answer for her.

"Then, I'll stick with 'Li.'" Kevin happily concluded while openly disregarding her negative facial expression.

Since "Sweetheart," was too common between lovers, Kevin chose "Li."

Now that he thought of a new nickname, Sweetheart did not sound special anymore. So he was very grateful to his Sweetheart for letting him thin of this perfect nickname.

Nice to meet you, Li. Let's get along." Kevin mentally added, 'for a lifetime.'

Ignorant of his thoughts, Scarlet genuinely smiled at him. She was very happy to make her first friend that she simply let the word "Li" slip from one ear to another.

"Yea- Agh..."

Just as she was about to shake hands with him, Scarlet groaned from the forgotten pain on her elbows, making Kevin immediately remember her injury.

Meanwhile, Kyle noticed that his first love was taking quite a long time outside the classroom that she even missed the whole morning classes because of it.

With his superior and godly skills in hacking the closed-circuit television, otherwise known as the video surveillance cameras, Kyle, who was in the classroom, had opened his laptop and used it to easily hack into the school's system of security. In there, he saw his first love in the clinic.

With his brother.