Rina stepped inside and froze.
"Ling…" she whispered.
Ling flinched at the sound of her name.
Her laugh came out first cracked, ugly, soaked in tears.
"Don't," Ling choked.
"Please don't look at me like that."
Rina crossed the room in two steps and dropped down beside her, pulling Ling into her arms without asking.
The moment she was touched, Ling collapsed completely.
Her hands fisted into Rina's shirt as if she'd drown without something to hold.
"I ruined everything," Ling sobbed, words spilling out incoherently.
"I ruined her. I ruined myself. I ruined us."
Rina tightened her grip, one hand pressing firmly against Ling's back, the other cradling her head.
"Breathe," Rina murmured.
"Just breathe. I'm here."
Ling shook her head violently against Rina's shoulder.
"No, no—" she gasped.
"I had no right. None. And I still I still reacted like she belonged to me."
She let out a strangled laugh that turned immediately into another sob.
"Look at me," Ling cried.
"Pathetic. Jealous. Acting like a villain in my own story."
Her nails dug into her own arm now, as if she needed pain to match what was tearing through her chest.
"I left her," she whispered hoarsely.
"I walked away first. And now I'm crying because she kissed someone else?"
Her voice broke completely.
"Who do I think I am?"
Rina pulled her tighter, rocking her slightly, grounding her.
"You're human," Rina said softly.
"And you're hurting."
Ling laughed again, shaking her head against Rina's shoulder.
"No," she said bitterly.
"I'm selfish. I'm weak."
She pressed her fist to her mouth, trying and failing to hold back the sobs.
"I saw it," Ling whispered.
"Right there. I saw it."
Rina didn't argue.
She didn't correct her.
She just held her.
Ling's body shook uncontrollably now.
"I lost her," she cried.
"I lost her and I deserve it."
Rina's jaw tightened, but she said nothing only rubbed slow circles into Ling's back, letting her cry it out.
Minutes passed.
Ling's sobs softened into exhausted, broken breaths, but the tears didn't stop.
"I hate myself," Ling whispered finally, barely audible.
"I hate myself so much."
Rina rested her forehead against Ling's hair.
"I know," she said quietly.
"But you don't have to destroy yourself alone."
Ling didn't answer.
She just clung to her like someone holding onto the last solid thing left in the world.
Ling cried until there was nothing sharp left in her chest.
Only heaviness.
Her sobs dulled into quiet, exhausted breaths, face still pressed into Rina's arms. Rina stayed exactly where she was, one arm around Ling's shoulders, the other resting at her back, steady and unmoving.
Time passed.
The noise from the auditorium faded completely.
Footsteps came and went outside.
Doors opened. Closed.
Ling lifted her head once.
Her eyes went instinctively to the door.
It stayed shut.
She waited.
Nothing.
Rina felt it the way Ling's body stiffened slightly every time a sound passed by, the way her breath hitched with a hope she didn't want to admit to herself.
"She's not coming," Ling whispered finally.
It wasn't a question.
Rina didn't answer. She didn't lie.
Ling let out a small, broken laugh.
"Of course she didn't," she murmured.
"Why would she?"
Her gaze dropped to the floor.
"I really lost her," Ling said quietly this time not crying, not shouting. Just stating it.
Her shoulders sagged, the last resistance draining out of her.
Rina pulled her closer again, resting her chin lightly against Ling's head.
Ling didn't fight it.
She stayed there crying softly, then not crying at all just breathing, empty and hollow.
And Rhea never came.
Rina let Ling cry until the crying thinned into shuddering breaths, until the weight of it finally settled instead of clawing. Only then did Rina speak her voice low, steady, unyielding in a way only someone who loved Ling without fear could manage.
"Enough," Rina said softly, but firmly.
Ling didn't look up.
Rina tightened her hold just slightly. "Ling. Listen to me."
Ling's lashes fluttered. Her eyes were swollen, red, unfocused.
"You lost her," Rina said plainly. No cruelty. No softness either.
"You did. And I won't insult you by pretending otherwise."
Ling flinched, a quiet sound tearing out of her throat.
Rina continued before Ling could spiral again.
"But don't lose yourself."
Ling swallowed. Her fingers clenched weakly into Rina's sleeve.
"Our family didn't raise you to disappear because someone walked away," Rina said.
"They didn't raise you to crumble in a corner."
Ling shook her head, voice breaking. "They raised me better than this. And still I failed."
Rina pulled back just enough to look at her.
"You failed in love," Rina said. "Not in who you are."
Silence hung heavy.
Rina lifted Ling's chin gently, forcing her to meet her eyes.
"Uncle expects you to stand."
"Aunt expects you to win."
"Dadi expects you to survive."
Ling's jaw trembled.
"And I expect you," Rina added, quieter now, "to stop punishing yourself for loving someone who chose not to protect you."
Ling's breath hitched again but this time, she didn't collapse.
Slowly, painfully, she raised her hand and wiped at her own tears. Once. Twice. Her movements were unsteady, but deliberate.
"I reacted like I still had a right," Ling whispered bitterly.
Rina shook her head. "She showed you her choice. Don't confuse the two."
Ling straightened, inch by inch. Her shoulders rolled back muscle memory, discipline, bloodline.
She took a deep breath.
Then another.
Her voice came out hoarse but controlled. "Let's go."
Rina studied her for a second longer, then nodded.
They stood together.
Ling adjusted her clothes mechanically, smoothing fabric, fixing what she could on the outside because the inside was still wreckage. She didn't look at the mirror again.
They walked out.
——
AUDITORIUM
The auditorium buzzed with noise whispers, laughter, adrenaline still thick in the air.
Couples stood together. Some held hands. Some leaned into each other, flushed and triumphant.
Ling walked back in beside Rina.
Heads turned.
People noticed.
They always did.
Ling's face was calm now. Too calm. Her eyes were dry, distant, unreadable the expression she wore when she locked something painful away and decided it would never touch daylight again.
She didn't look for Rhea.
Not once.
Rina stayed close but didn't hover.
Onstage, the judges shuffled papers. The dean stepped forward, smiling into the mic.
"Thank you to all participants," he announced. "What we witnessed today was talent, emotion, courage."
Applause rippled.
Ling stood perfectly still.
Her fingers curled slowly into a fist at her side not trembling anymore.
Whatever the result was going to be, she would hear it standing.
Because she had lost Rhea.
The auditorium slowly quieted as the judges finished their discussion. Papers were stacked. Microphones were adjusted. The excitement had shifted into tight, nervous anticipation.
Couples stood shoulder to shoulder.
Some were holding hands.
Some were whispering.
Some were already smiling like they knew the outcome.
Ling stood beside Rina straight-backed, composed, unreadable.
Her eyes didn't search for Rhea.
Not anymore.
The dean stepped forward, his voice echoing clearly.
"Thank you, everyone, for your performances," he said.
"This year's participation has been exceptional. Because of the large number of entries, the first round will eliminate more than half."
A murmur spread across the room.
Ling's jaw tightened once. Then stilled.
"We will be qualifying forty couples," the dean continued.
"Their names will be displayed on the screen."
The screen behind him flickered.
Names began to appear.
Slowly. Line by line.
Rina leaned slightly closer to Ling, her voice barely audible.
"Breathe."
Ling didn't answer.
Her gaze stayed fixed ahead, calm on the surface, stormless in appearance — the kind of stillness that came only after devastation had already happened.
Names kept scrolling.
Then—
Rhea Nior — Roin Malik
A small wave of whispers rippled.
Roin exhaled loudly, already smiling. He turned instinctively toward Rhea.
"We made it," he said, loud enough for others to hear.
Rhea nodded once.
Her face was composed. Controlled.
She did not look toward Ling.
Ling saw the name anyway.
Her fingers twitched once at her side then went still again.
No reaction.
The screen continued.
More names.
Then—
Ling Kwong — Rina Zhou
A different reaction this time.
The whispers sharpened.
Of course.
Expected.
Unsurprising.
Rina released a breath and glanced at Ling.
"Told you," she said quietly.
Ling nodded once.
"That was never the question," she replied.
The dean smiled.
"Congratulations to the qualified couples. Please remain after the announcement for instructions regarding the next round."
Applause filled the hall.
Ling didn't clap.
She didn't smile.
She simply stood there having advanced, having survived, having won something she no longer cared about the way she used to.
Across the room, Roin leaned toward Rhea again, pleased.
"This is just the start," he said. "We're taking this seriously now."
Rhea's eyes flickered briefly, involuntarily past him.
They landed on Ling.
For less than a second.
Ling wasn't looking back.
Two couples had qualified.
But only one person in that room felt like she had already lost everything.
After a while.
The qualified couples were asked to remain seated.
The applause slowly died down.
The air in the auditorium shifted excitement turning sharper, competitive.
The dean stepped back to the podium, adjusting his glasses.
"This competition," he said, "is not only about talent or presence."
He paused deliberately.
"It is about intellect under pressure."
A ripple of interest moved through the hall.
Ling stood with her arms folded, posture rigid, face calm. Rina glanced sideways at her, already sensing what was coming.
The dean continued.
"Round Two will be called Academic Combat."
The screen behind him changed.
Large, bold letters appeared.
Murmurs spread immediately.
The dean raised his hand for silence.
"In this round, couples will be tested on knowledge, logic, speed, and teamwork," he explained.
"You will face live problem-solving challenges, case analyses, and rapid-response questions."
A few students straightened nervously.
"This is not written," the dean added.
"It is public, timed, and competitive."
Ling's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
Rhea's fingers curled slowly at her side.
The dean looked around the room.
"Each couple will be placed against another couple. One on one."
The murmurs grew louder.
"Questions will escalate in difficulty. One mistake does not eliminate you but repeated failure will."
He smiled faintly.
"This round is designed to break complacency."
The screen updated again.
FORMAT
• Logic & reasoning
• Subject-based rapid questions
• Case scenarios
• Partner coordination under time pressure
"Your partner may help you," the dean said, "but only verbally. No writing. No devices."
Roin leaned closer to Rhea, confident now.
"This is easy for us," he whispered. "We'll crush it."
Rhea nodded faintly, eyes forward.
She did not look convinced.
Across the aisle, Rina glanced at Ling again.
"This is your territory," Rina murmured.
"You always destroy these rounds."
Ling didn't respond immediately.
Her gaze was distant not unfocused, just pulled inward.
"Not always," Ling said quietly.
"But I'll do what's required."
The dean raised his voice again.
"Round Two will begin tomorrow morning," he announced.
A pause.
"And one more thing."
The room went silent.
"This round contributes the highest individual score toward Student of the Year."
That did it.
Whispers sharpened.
Eyes shifted.
Calculations began.
Ling's expression didn't change but something hardened behind her eyes.
This was war on ground she knew too well.
The dean concluded, "Prepare yourselves."
Applause followed louder this time, edged with tension.
Couples began standing, talking, strategizing.
Roin turned to Rhea again, already animated.
"We'll study tonight," he said. "Together."
Rhea hesitated just a fraction.
On the other side of the hall, Ling adjusted her sleeves slowly, deliberately.
Rina watched her.
"You okay?" she asked quietly.
Ling nodded once.
"I lost her," she said flatly.
"But this?"
She looked toward the stage.
"This, I still know how to survive."
The screen behind them still glowed with ROUND 2: ACADEMIC COMBAT.
And everyone understood this round would not be gentle.
——
NIOR MANSION
Steam still clung faintly to the air when Rhea stepped out of the bathroom.
Her hair was damp, loose down her back. She wore a casual, oversized shirt that fell to mid-thigh nothing deliberate, nothing styled. Just comfort. Just habit.
She stopped.
Roin was standing near her study table.
Still.
Too still.
His eyes were wide, fixed on her like he had forgotten how to blink.
For a second, the room felt wrong invaded.
Rhea's expression shifted immediately.
Her spine straightened.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded sharply.
Roin didn't answer at first.
He swallowed, throat bobbing, eyes still locked on her before he forced himself to look away.
"I— I—" he stammered. "I was— I mean—"
Rhea turned on her heel and walked straight back into the bathroom, the door slamming open behind her as she stepped inside.
"How dare you come into my room without asking?" she said loudly, her voice cutting through the steam and tile.
"Do you have no sense of boundaries?"