The kiss
Emili ;
My first day of college began with three things going wrong:
1. I wore my ID card upside down.
2. I got lost despite Google Maps.
3. I accidentally walked straight into a crime scene.
Okay—not a crime crime.
But definitely a bad decision in progress.
I was standing near the notice board pretending I understood the timetable when I saw him.
A senior.
Tall. Calm. Too calm.
And a girl standing in front of him—quiet, tense, holding her bag like it was the only solid thing in the universe.
I wasn’t trying to listen.
I just… heard it.
“Kiss me,” he said.
“Or cut your hair.”
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
My brain checked out for a second.
Ah yes, I thought. College. has begun.
Now here’s the thing about me.
I panic in exams.
I forget birthdays.
I cry at animated movies.
But when someone is being cornered?
Something feral wakes up.
I didn’t plan to step in.
My legs just moved.
“WAIT.”
Both of them turned toward me.
The girl looked confused ...The senior looked tough... Which told me everything I needed to know....
“This doesn’t concern you,” he said.
I smiled politely. “I disagree.”
Then—because my mouth runs faster than my brain—I said:
“If someone has to kiss you… I volunteer.”
Silence.
Even my courage paused to reconsider.
The senior stared at me like I’d just broken the laws of physics.
“this is not a joke “….he said.
I shook my head. “Nope. Very serious emotionally prepared, mentally...umm....questionable”
I turned to the girl and whispered,
“Trust me. Worst case scenario, I embarrass myself. Best case, you keep your hair.”
She didn’t answer—but her eyes softened.
Then I looked back at him.
“I’ve had a crush on you since the orientation posters,” I admitted quickly.
“You looked mysterious. Turns out you’re… complicated. But I’m already here, so let’s finish this.”
Someone in the crowd laughed.
His ears turned red.
Oh, I thought. He’s never been kissed by a stranger who wasn’t scared.
Before I could lose nerve, I leaned in and kissed him.
Quick. Clean. No drama.
Then I pulled back and said, honestly,
“Wow. You froze.”
The crowd burst into laughter.
I added, thoughtfully,
“Like a buffering video.”
He stood there stunned, touching his cheek like it needed confirmation.
I clapped once. “Okay! Ragging done. Trauma cancelled. Let’s all go to class.”
His ears turned red.
He was still staring at me.
I tilted my head. “So.”
“So?” he echoed, clearly lost.
“You owe me a coffee,” I said. “Or tea. Or emotional closure.”
“What?”
I shrugged. “I just kissed you to save a stranger. I feel like that earns me a date.”
The crowd lost it.
Someone whistled. Someone shouted, “Legend!”
The senior blinked again. “A date?”
“Yes,” I said calmly. “One date. You tell me why you were doing that. I decide whether you’re a villain or just an idiot.”
He opened his mouth. Closed it.
I grinned. “ Café near the gate... Evening.”
I grabbed the girl’s hand and walked away before my courage expired....
Behind us, someone said,
“Bro just got reverse-ragged.”
I didn’t look back.
Because my heart was doing parkour.
Later that evening, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
Not the power part.
The confusion.
The way he hadn’t chased, laughed, or defended himself.
The way guilt had flickered across his face—for just a second.
But curiosity has always been my biggest flaw.
I agreed.
What I Didn’t Know Then
I didn’t know he’d come to tell me the truth or not...
