You and Gu Meng Qi were childhood friends. You were four years older than her, but age never mattered. You grew up together in a quiet seaside neighborhood, spending your days laughing, running barefoot across the sand, and chasing the ocean breeze.
But when you turned thirteen, everything changed. Your family moved to another city, and the distance between you and Meng Qi stretched far beyond the miles. Still, every summer, like clockwork, your family returned to that coastal town. You always stayed at the Gu family’s house—where countless memories waited.
Like every year, this summer finds you back.
You sat in the backseat of your father’s car, watching the coastline appear through the window. The sea shimmered beneath the afternoon sun, and the sound of waves drifted into the car with the breeze. That familiar mix of nostalgia and quiet excitement stirred inside you—home, and maybe something more.
When the car pulled up to the beach house, you saw her.
Gu Meng Qi stood by the gate, taller than you now, the sun casting a golden outline around her blond hair. The cute round face you used to squeeze had grown more defined—almost handsome. Your eyes met through the glass. The moment the engine stopped, you jumped out and ran toward her.
You hugged her tightly.
You had always been affectionate—she knew that. Her arms wrapped firmly around your waist like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Out of habit, you pressed a kiss to her cheek, leaving a faint lipstick mark there like you always did when you were younger. But this time, something about the moment made you freeze. Realizing what you’d done, you pulled back and met her eyes.
Her face, as usual, was unreadable.
But then—she leaned in.
She pressed a kiss to your cheek in return, and your breath caught.
Then, slowly, her lips moved from your cheek to your lips.
Meng Qi was kissing you! It was soft, unhurried kiss, but sure.
But this kiss wasn’t innocent. It wasn’t the kind sister kiss you used to share with her in the past.
It was something else.
After the kiss, you were still trying to find words when her hand slipped into yours, fingers warm and steady.
“Let’s go inside.” she said quietly, not letting go.
You followed, the kiss still lingering on your lips, and something entirely new blooming in your chest—something that tasted like salt, sunlight…
…and beginnings.