”Intrigued…? Don’t be.” Momo’s words repeated itself in Mina’s head. How was she not supposed to be ‘intrigued’ after Momo had given her that kiss? It was so unexpected, it happened out of nowhere, and Mina’s heart rate increased a little more each time she pictured the kiss again in her mind. It was her first kiss, and Momo stole it from her—not that she minded or anything. It wasn't regretful one bit. 

She remembered what that kiss felt like, her lips were soft while Momo’s were chapped and rough. Traces of blood from Momo’s lips had transferred over to her own and it tasted metallic; not the most wonderful ‘taste’ but Mina wanted more. Why Momo had given her that kiss, she didn’t know, but what she knew was that Momo had to have a liking for her or else she wouldn’t have kissed her. You only kiss those you like right? it was only natural for Mina to think that that way.

Unwilling to hold off her feelings any longer, she wanted to muster up her courage and tell Momo how she felt about her, instead of shying away like last time.

---

Momo wondered why she was compelled to kiss Mina, she didn’t even know the girl’s name yet. Was it a rash act on her side? Probably. But currently, she has another match tonight and her mentality should be focusing on her training right now; not about some damn kiss she gave a girl.

“Ahh, so now I know why you weren’t interested in me.” Mark walked right into her jump roping session and said with a mischievous smile.

Momo stopped what she was doing and glared at him, “What are you talking about?”

“That kiss—the one you gave that girl.” He said with a toothy grin.

“You saw it? Why were you in the locker room when I was changing?” Momo asked in a threatening tone. 

“Chill out, I just happened to see the kiss when I passed by. I didn’t see you changing or anything.” Mark insisted and Momo rolled her eyes.

“Okay, and so?”

“Do you like her or something? If not why would you be kissing her?” Mark said, reaching down to pick up the pair of jump ropes.

“What?” Momo asked with a look of disbelief, “I was just telling her to screw off and not come here anymore. It was a scare tactic”

“Right. You want to tell her to ‘screw off’ and not come here anymore by kissing her—thus making her want to come here for more. Wow that’s a really great way to tell someone to screw off.” Mark said with full sarcasm, laughing.

“Screw off, Mark.” Momo said and went off to the next room. She still had to warm up a bit more for her match tonight, she had no time to mess around with him.

“Oh, do I get a kiss too?” Mark yelled and Momo returned back inside the room to give him ‘the finger’.

“Anytime! My place or yours?”

---

Like always, every night she’d be facing off against a new opponent and tonight she was against someone by the name of Park Kahi. For once, Momo was actually afraid of her opponent; the woman had a stronger built than her and her abs were no joke. While warming herself up in the ring, she found herself searching the audience for Mina. She felt disappointed that she couldn’t find the girl, despite having no right to feel that way. But a newfound rush of energy came into her system when she finally spotted Mina trying to squeeze into the crowds for a better view. 

She didn’t want the girl to come find her again and yet, she was a bit happy on the inside that Mina did.

“Ganbatte!” Mina muttered and made a gesture with her fist. Although Momo could not hear her, she knew what Mina meant by her gesture and so she cooly smiled to herself before getting into a fighting stance for the match.

When the bell rang, Kahi was quick to get right into the action. She knew Momo was known for her quick speed in the ring so she was smart to not be worn out quickly by her. She threw quick punches at Momo and Momo wasn’t able to dodge any of them. Just 3 minutes into the fight and Momo was suffering from extreme fatigue; Mina’s heart skipped a beat every time she saw Momo getting punched by Kahi and she just stood in the audience not knowing what to do to help, she was useless, there was no way for her to help Momo out there. 

Kahi was ruthless when it came to punching, she wouldn’t stop punching the same vulnerable spot on Momo and it was her back—previously bruised by Seho.

Momo was down on her knees when the referee started to do a countdown starting from 5. By the time he got to a ‘3’, Momo successfully stood up but using this as a chance, Kahi did a roundhouse kick and it sent Momo back onto the floor, gasping for air.

“5,” The referee counted, “4..3..2..1 and the winner is Park Kahi!” A mixture of claps and boos erupted. Everyone was so use to Momo winning that they were a bit shocked over the result. Mark and Jackson was quick to bring Momo inside somewhere, and Mina tried to see where so she could come see how Momo was doing.

“I think we should take you the hospital.” Mark muttered silently but Momo shook her head.

“I’m fine, just let me rest for a while. You go out and start your match” she said in between pauses of grunts from the pain she was suffering from. She was lying down on her side, the pain on her back was too immense for her to be lying down on that side.

“Are you sure?” Jackson asked with a worried look on his face but Momo just nodded.

“Just go!” Momo yelled and as much as the two boys wanted to stay back and help tend to her wounds, they listened to her and went off to their match. Mark saw Mina lurking by the rooms searching and showed her the way to Momo, remembering her as the girl Momo had kissed.

“I think she’d be happy to see you right now…or not.” Mark said and shrugged before he quickly returned outside.

Silently, Mina crept up closer to Momo, her heart stopped the moment she saw how injured Momo was. Her heart was almost as painful as Momo's injuries right now.

“Why are you here again?” Momo asked, not moving an inch on the pad she was lying on. Mina stopped in her tracks.

“I just wanted to check up on you” Mina said, her voice trembling.

“Now that you’ve already seen me, you should go back. This isn’t the place where girls like you should be.”

“You told me not to be intrigued with you and yet you kissed me, why wouldn't I be curious to why you did that?” Mina reasoned, walking up closer to Momo.

“The kiss was supposed to scare you away. So that you’d think that I’m that kind of bad person and you won’t come anymore”

“But instead of doing that, it’s pulling me towards you” Mina was brave this time to maintain an eye contact with Momo.

As painful as it was, Momo broke the eye contact by shifting her body to lay down on her back. She winced at the pain and Mina tried to help her up but Momo stopped her from doing so.

“Are you okay?” Mina asked, her eyes filled with worry.

“What do you think?” Momo grunted, closing her eyes as she let out a gasp.

“Let me help you” Mina said before walking over to the sink. There was some clean towels nearby and she took one of them, soaking them in warm water and squeezed out the excess. She walked back to Momo. 

“It’s okay, just go home.”

“No,” Mina insisted, “I’ll help clean you up.”

Momo wanted to refuse, but she just couldn’t anymore. No one cared for her before like Mina did. She didn’t show it, but she was grateful. Momo slowly sat up from the pad.

Mina brought the towel closer to Momo and gently wiped her face, blood stains transferring to the towel until it dirtied and filled with blood. Mina took off her long coat and placed it on a chair nearby. She rolled up her sleeves and was diligent to keep walking back and forth to the sink in order to wash the towel.

“Ahh...” Momo let out a choked gasp, the pain was burning when the warm towel was pressed against a cut on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Mina said, immediately retreating her hand away.

Momo shook her head, “It’s okay, just continue”

Mina silently nodded her head and proceeded to do her job.

“What’s your name?” Momo asked.

“Mina. Myoui Mina” Mina said while helping Momo put on a bandage on the shoulder.

“What compelled you to keep coming here?”

“I want to know more about the person that causes my heart to tremble, and my heart to beat fast every time I see or think about her” Mina said, her voice quivered when she tried to put on a bandage to Momo’s forehead.

It was not just an infatuation, what Mina felt for Momo was more than that. It was only a few times that they have met each other but Mina was really sure that Momo was the person that she first loved.

“I don’t believe in love at first sight, what you’re feeling is not what you think it is”

“My heart doesn’t lie to me. When we first danced, it was the first time that my heart had beaten so fast”

“What about your first kiss then? Your heart probably beat faster than that dance you had with me.” Momo said, trying to divert away Mina’s declaration of love.

“You were my first kiss, and I can’t stop thinking about it”

Momo was immediately guilt-stricken. She stole Mina’s first kiss and that’s something that she can never give back to a person. She felt ashamed because love is certainly something she cannot give her in return.

“I’m sorry” Momo muttered.

“What are you sorry for?”

“That I stole your first kiss, I can’t return that back to you.”

“You just have to return me with your love, you have to have feelings for me too, right? You don't just kiss anybody to just scare them away”

Momo sighed, how can a person be so stubborn?

“Just look at you, and look at me. We’re two completely different people”

From the look of the attire Mina was dressed in, Momo knew she was a rich girl. And what was Momo? Just a lowly pleb of a kickboxer.

“I think that true love conquers all, social class doesn’t matter.”

“I think you are simple-minded if you think that is so.”

“It’s not simple-minded of me for thinking so if it’s true.” Mina persevered with her argument.

Momo sighed, “You really are stubborn aren’t you?” 

“I’m stubborn when it comes to fighting for what I believe in. Just give it a chance, give us a chance.” Mina pleaded, putting Momo in a difficult position, “Let us know more about each other and if it doesn’t go so well, I won’t bother you anymore. I won’t come here anymore.”

“You won’t come here anymore?” Momo asked again, she could see the determination in Mina’s eyes.

Mina nodded, “Give us a chance, one date”

Momo let out a sigh.

“Fine. One date”

She had no other choice but to agree, maybe this would turn out far better than she would expected it to be.

----

A/N: Surprise update! I said I'll update tomorrow but I already had the chapter edited, so might as well post it. 100+ subs, wow! Thanks for all the interest everyone! I +1 everyone who commented, thank you!