The Twins Chronicles pt. 2

The first day of school had finally arrived, and Lingling was ready.

Prepared. Structured. Efficient.

Everything was under control.

The twins' uniforms? Perfectly pressed and free of wrinkles.

Their backpacks? Packed with notebooks, pens, extra snacks, and emergency supplies.

Lunches? Carefully measured for optimal nutrition, including homemade organic meals.

School schedules? Memorized and printed with color-coded time blocks.

Emergency contacts? Laminated, cross-checked, and personally handed to the school principal.

Lingling was prepared for every possible scenario.

Except...

The reality of dropping off Norrawan.

Because the second they arrived at the school gates—

Norrawan took off.

Like a rocket.

Arms spread wide, hair bouncing, screaming with excitement.

"FREEDOM!"

Lingling almost dropped her designer purse.

"OH MY GOD—WAN, GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Norrawan, already halfway across the playground, ignored her completely.

She was climbing the jungle gym like an escape artist.

Lingling spun around in panic, pointing wildly.

"STOP HER! SOMEBODY STOP HER!"

The teachers watched in shock.

Other parents whispered.

Meanwhile, Sirilak, calm and composed, stood next to her mother, adjusting her backpack.

She exhaled, shaking her head.

"She's gone."

Lingling clenched her jaw.

"I CAN STILL CATCH HER."

Orm, watching with amusement while sipping her coffee, smirked.

"Looks like one of them is ready for school."

"ONE OF THEM IS A MENACE."

Sirilak, already mentally preparing for the chaos that would be her twin's existence, sighed again.

"We should go inside, Mom."

Lingling wanted to fight God.

Once inside the school, the teachers greeted them warmly.

"Ah, the Kwong twins! We're so excited to have you both in class!"

Lingling stood proudly.

"They're very bright. You'll find that they are disciplined, intelligent, and well-behaved—"

Before she could even finish her sentence—

Norrawan climbed onto a desk.

"WAN!"

Orm, laughing, casually lifted her down.

Meanwhile, Sirilak had already found her assigned seat, placed her books in a perfectly straight line, and folded her hands neatly on the desk.

She was the image of discipline.

A teacher approached her. "Sirilak, would you like to introduce yourself?"

Sirilak nodded, stood up, and spoke clearly, calmly, and with perfect articulation.

"My name is Sirilak Kwong. I enjoy reading, mathematics, and strategy games. I look forward to an educational and productive year."

The entire classroom fell silent.

Even the teachers looked impressed.

Lingling was practically glowing.

"She's advanced for her age," she said, brimming with smug satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Norrawan was trying to see how many pencils she could fit in her mouth.

"WAN, NO!"

Orm choked on her laughter.

"She's just... experimenting."

Lingling wanted to scream.

It didn't take long for the school to realize the full extent of Sirilak's intelligence.

While other children were learning basic addition, Sirilak was finishing complex multiplication tables.

While the teacher introduced the alphabet, Sirilak was quietly reading a fourth-grade level book.

At one point, the teacher handed out coloring worksheets.

Sirilak took one look at the crayons like they offended her.

She turned the worksheet over and began writing a full essay about educational system inefficiencies.

The teacher picked it up.

And immediately sent an email to the principal.

Subject: We have a problem (or a genius).

Lingling, who had been eagerly observing, smirked at Orm.

"I told you she's special."

Orm, grinning, ruffled Sirilak's hair. "She's definitely yours, babe."

Sirilak, fixing her slightly messed-up hair, nodded.

"Obviously."

Meanwhile—

Norrawan was trying to lick the whiteboard.

"WAN, STOP IT!"

If Sirilak was a genius, Norrawan was a force of nature.

Within the first hour of school, she had:

Befriended half the class.

Started a game of tag in the hallway.

Discovered where the principal's office was (by accident).

Climbed the bookshelf.

Tried to barter her lunch for extra playtime.

Lingling watched in horror as her second-born thrived in absolute chaos.

Meanwhile, Orm was delighted.

"She's got leadership skills," Orm said proudly.

"She's got criminal tendencies," Lingling muttered.

At lunch, while Sirilak quietly ate and read a book, Norrawan was—

Standing on the cafeteria table.

"CHICKEN NUGGET TRADE—WHO WANTS TO MAKE A DEAL?!"

Lingling wanted to sink into the ground.

"I have given birth to both a future president and a mafia boss."

Orm laughed and kissed her cheek. "We have range, babe."

At the end of the day, parents were given a first-day progress report.

Lingling took it with extreme seriousness.

The teacher smiled.

"Sirilak is incredibly advanced. We might need to move her to a higher level soon."

Lingling beamed.

"And Norrawan... is very... energetic."

Lingling's smile dropped.

"She is social, outgoing, and has incredible charisma," the teacher continued.

Orm grinned. "That's my girl."

"She also attempted to organize a playground revolution against nap time."

Lingling groaned.

"WAN."

Norrawan giggled proudly. "I WASN'T TIRED!"

The teacher chuckled. "She's a delight, though. Just... a bit hard to contain."

Lingling looked at her daughter, who was now hanging upside down from Orm's arms.

"I have noticed."

The moment they got into the car, Lingling slumped against the seat.

Orm, smirking, glanced at her.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

Lingling groaned.

"I have given birth to a future CEO and a future escape artist."

Orm laughed. "Oh, come on, they're doing great."

"Sirilak is running the school system, and Norrawan is leading a rebellion."

Orm kissed her cheek. "At least they're ambitious."

From the backseat, Norrawan clapped her hands.

"Tomorrow, I take over the playground!"

Lingling's entire body tensed.

"NO, YOU WILL NOT."

Norrawan, grinning mischievously: "I have a plan."

Sirilak, flipping her book, without looking up: "It's a bad plan."

"NO, IT'S A GOOD PLAN."

Lingling turned to Orm.

"Babe, we are never going to survive these children."

Orm laughed and kissed her again.

"But we're gonna have so much fun."

Lingling and Orm had expected their daughters to argue.

After all, they were twins.

They spent every second of their lives together.

There was bound to be conflict.

What they hadn't expected was the sheer intensity of it.

"YOU TOOK MY TOY!" Norrawan screamed, dramatically pointing at Sirilak.

Sirilak, completely calm, continued reading her book.

"You weren't using it."

"I WAS GOING TO!"

"You left it unattended. Possession is nine-tenths of the law."

"WHAT LAW?!"

Lingling, sipping her coffee, sighed.

"Where does she even learn these things?"

Orm, scrolling on her phone, didn't even look up.

"You."

"I do not sound like that."

Sirilak, turning a page: "Yes, you do."

Lingling nearly spit out her coffee.

Meanwhile, Norrawan had launched herself at Sirilak.

Screaming. Arms flailing.

Orm nudged Lingling.

"You stopping this, or...?"

Lingling took another sip.

"They'll tire themselves out in five minutes."

Despite fighting constantly, there was one unspoken rule.

No one— absolutely no one— could mess with Norrawan.

Except Sirilak.

Because the one time another child tried to bully Norrawan—

Sirilak nearly ended the boy.

Lingling and Orm were both in the middle of work when their phones buzzed at the same time.

Lingling frowned at the caller ID.

The school.

Orm blinked. "That's... never good."

They answered.

"Mrs. Kwong?" The teacher sounded nervous.

Lingling immediately straightened.

"Yes?"

"Um, there was... a situation at school today."

Orm sighed.

"What did Wan do?"

A pause.

"Oh, no, Norrawan was actually the victim."

Both Lingling and Orm froze.

Lingling's entire CEO mode activated.

"Explain."

"One of the boys in class pushed Norrawan during recess."

Lingling's grip tightened on the phone.

Orm sat up. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine!" the teacher rushed to reassure them. "But, um..."

She hesitated.

"The problem is Sirilak."

Orm and Lingling exchanged glances.

The teacher cleared her throat.

"She, uh... she made it very clear that no one is allowed to touch her sister."

Lingling frowned. "Made it clear how?"

"Well..." The teacher took a deep breath.

"Sirilak cornered the boy on the playground. And she gave him a warning."

Lingling exhaled in relief. "A warning? That's fine."

Orm raised an eyebrow. "What kind of warning?"

The teacher's voice lowered.

"She told him that if he ever touched Norrawan again... she would make sure he never played on that playground ever again."

Silence.

Orm tried not to laugh.

Lingling massaged her temples.

"She threatened him?"

"Legally speaking, it wasn't a direct threat. But, um, he's now too scared to go near Norrawan."

Lingling closed her eyes.

"Of course he is."

When Sirilak and Norrawan got home that evening, they were immediately summoned.

Lingling sat at the kitchen table, arms crossed.

Orm leaned against the counter, amused.

Norrawan, completely unbothered, grabbed a cookie.

Sirilak sat perfectly straight, completely unremorseful.

Lingling sighed.

"Sirilak."

"Yes, Mom."

"The school called today."

"I see."

Lingling narrowed her eyes.

"Would you like to explain what happened?"

Sirilak tilted her head.

"No."

Orm choked on her drink.

Lingling's eye twitched.

"Sirilak."

Sirilak finally sighed.

"I handled the situation."

"That's what we're concerned about," Lingling muttered.

Norrawan, swinging her legs on the chair, grinned.

"Lilak protected me!"

Sirilak nodded once.

"It was necessary."

Lingling sighed. "Sweetheart, we do not threaten our classmates."

Sirilak blinked.

"I didn't threaten him."

Orm smirked. "Babe, she's technically right. She just made a... strong statement."

"A strong statement that made a child too scared to play outside."

Sirilak shrugged. "He deserved it."

Norrawan nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! He was mean!"

Lingling pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I appreciate that you want to protect your sister, but next time, you tell the teacher, okay?"

Sirilak thought for a moment.

"...But what if the teacher is inefficient?"

"Sirilak."

Orm had to turn away to hide her laughter.

Sirilak sighed. "Fine. Next time, I'll report it first."

Lingling finally relaxed.

"Good."

Sirilak glanced at Norrawan.

"But if they fail, I will handle it."

Lingling groaned.

Orm high-fived Sirilak.

Despite their constant fights, one thing remained true.

At the end of the day, Sirilak and Norrawan were inseparable.

That night, after they were tucked in, Lingling and Orm stood outside the door, listening.

A tiny whisper.

"Wan?"

"Hm?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah! Lilak saved me today!"

A pause.

"Of course I did."

"You always do."

Silence.

Then—

"I love you, Lilak."

Lingling and Orm held their breath.

A soft reply.

"Love you too, Wan."

Lingling covered her mouth, emotional.

Orm kissed her temple.

"They'll be okay," she whispered.

Lingling nodded.

They were going to be just fine.