Chapter 5: The First Kiss

The moon hung high, casting silver light over the courtyard of the Southern Pavilion. The scent of night-blooming jasmine filled the air, mingling with the crisp coolness of early spring. A paper lantern swayed gently, its light flickering as if sensing the tension between the two figures standing beneath it.

Way'Lee stood rigid, her arms folded tightly across her chest. Her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing a face set in cold defiance. Across from her, Wang Jo exhaled sharply, his posture deceptively relaxed. But his eyes, dark as ink, burned with something she could not name.

"You're avoiding me," he said.

Way'Lee scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. I have better things to do than waste my time on you."

A smirk twitched at the corner of Wang Jo's lips. "Yet here we are."

Her fingers curled into her sleeves, knuckles whitening. "I had no choice."

"Oh?" His voice was smooth, amused. "You always have a choice."

Way'Lee bristled. "I came because the elders demanded it."

The mention of the elders doused his amusement like cold water. The Chanbat Council had summoned them both, forcing their paths to cross once more. And now, standing alone in the quiet courtyard, their words still hung in the air, unspoken and unfinished.

Wang Jo stepped closer. "Tell me the truth. Did you hesitate before coming here?"

Way'Lee felt her pulse quicken. "You think too highly of yourself."

"And you think too much," he countered. "Always calculating, always weighing your choices. But feelings don't work that way."

"I don't have feelings for you."

The lie tasted bitter.

Wang Jo tilted his head, studying her. Then, as if testing a theory, he closed the distance between them in a single stride.

Way'Lee's breath caught. "What are you doing?"

"Something you won't forget," he murmured.

Before she could step back, before she could demand he leave, Wang Jo's hand caught her wrist. In one fluid motion, he pulled her forward, his other hand cupping the back of her neck. And then—he kissed her.

It was not gentle.

It was not hesitant.

It was fire, searing through her body, igniting every nerve, every hidden longing she had buried deep beneath pride and denial.

Way'Lee stiffened, hands pressing against his chest in protest. But his lips—firm, urgent—moved against hers with a reckless intensity that made her mind spin. Heat pooled in her stomach, shocking her to the core.

For the briefest of moments, she faltered.

Then anger surged through her.

With all her strength, she shoved him away. Her palm cracked across his face before she even realized she had moved. The sharp sound rang through the courtyard, followed by the raggedness of their breathing.

Wang Jo didn't move, his face turned slightly from the impact. A red mark bloomed across his cheek. Slowly, he turned back to her, his dark gaze unreadable.

"How dare you," she breathed, her voice trembling.

Wang Jo exhaled, slow and steady, before running a tongue over his lower lip. "I dare because I know you felt it too."

Way'Lee's chest rose and fell rapidly, her heart slamming against her ribs. She willed herself to say something—anything—to deny it. But her body betrayed her. Her lips still tingled, her skin still burned where his hands had been.

And he saw it.

A smirk—slow, knowing—curled his lips. "You're shaking, Way'Lee."

She clenched her fists, hating him. Hating herself. "Stay away from me."

With that, she spun on her heel, storming away. She didn't dare look back, didn't dare give him another second of her attention.

But as she disappeared into the night, Wang Jo remained standing in the courtyard, fingers grazing his cheek, a quiet laugh escaping his lips.

Because he knew.

She would never forget this night.

And neither would he