Rina walked beside Ling, trying to match her pace.
"It's okay, Ling," she said softly. "Don't react. Not today."
Ling didn't answer. Her jaw was clenched, eyes straight ahead, face blank in a way that scared even her own squad. She nodded once, almost mechanically, and kept walking toward the class.
——
Inside the lecture hall, the atmosphere was tense.
Rhea was already seated with Roin. She hadn't looked back even once. Roin leaned slightly toward her, whispering something.
"Ignore everyone," Roin murmured. "Just focus on the lecture."
Rhea replied coldly, "I am."
Ling entered with her squad. The chatter in the class dimmed instantly. Everyone felt itthe invisible war sitting between two rows.
Ling took her seat, back straight, hands folded, eyes forward. No taunts. No smirk. No drama.
Rowen leaned toward Jian and whispered, "This is worse than her anger."
Jian nodded. "Yeah. This is… dangerous silence."
Rina glanced at Ling. "You okay?"
Ling finally spoke, her voice low.
"I'm fine."
But inside, she wasn't.
Her eyes betrayed her—every few seconds drifting toward Rhea despite her effort. She saw Roin lean closer again, his shoulder brushing Rhea's arm.
Ling's fingers curled slowly into her palm.
She didn't even hesitate.
Ling swallowed hard, forcing herself to breathe evenly.
You wanted distance, she told herself. This is what distance looks like.
The professor began the lecture. Words filled the room, but Ling heard none of them.
Her mind replayed Rhea's face—anger, pain, confusion—all tangled together.
If I speak, I'll break.
If I don't… I'll still break.
Rhea stared at her notebook, pen unmoving.
She could feel Ling's presence behind her like a storm she refused to turn toward.
Roin whispered again, "Are you okay?"
Rhea snapped quietly, "Stop leaning so close."
Roin pulled back, startled. "Sorry."
Her chest felt tight.
Why is she quiet?
Why does that hurt more?
She clenched her jaw, forcing herself not to look back.
The bell rang. Chairs scraped. Students stood.
Ling rose immediately, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
Rina grabbed her arm. "Ling, wait—"
"No," Ling said firmly. "If I stop, I'll do something stupid."
Rowen muttered, "Too late for that definition."
Ling shot him a glare sharp enough to shut him up.
She walked past Rhea without a word.
Not a taunt.
Not a glance.
Nothing.
Rhea froze.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she zipped her bag.
Why does this feel worse than anything? she thought.
Ling leaned against a pillar, finally exhaling. Her hands were shaking now that no one was watching closely.
Rina crossed her arms. "You're hurting."
Ling laughed bitterly. "Congratulations. You discovered gravity."
Jian said carefully, "You can't keep swallowing this."
Ling looked away. "I can. I will."
Rowen frowned. "You love her. This isn't strategy anymore."
Ling closed her eyes for a brief second.
"I know."
Then, quieter almost breaking
"But loving her doesn't mean she owes me anything."
Rina softened. "Then what are you going to do?"
Ling opened her eyes, resolve settling in painfully.
"I'll step back," she said. "Not because I don't care. But because I care too much to destroy what's left of her."
Across the courtyard, Rhea stood watching unseen her heart pounding for reasons she refused to name.
———
The locker room was almost empty. The distant noise of students faded as Rhea pushed the door open, her mind heavy, heart already aching. She barely took three steps inside when the door slammed shut behind her.
Before she could turn
Ling grabbed her wrist and spun her around, pinning her hard against the cold metal lockers. The impact echoed. Ling's forearm pressed beside Rhea's face, trapping her completely.
"You've really become that heartless?" Ling's voice was low, shaking, dangerous. "Not even one look… not even a second… when I fainted."
Rhea stiffened.
Ling's eyes were red. Not angry-red. Broken-red.
"Do you know," Ling continued, jaw clenched, "what it feels like to wake up and hear you didn't even care enough to stay?"
Rhea looked away instantly. That one movement hurt Ling more than any slap.
"I didn't come for you," Rhea said flatly. "Get that through your head."
Ling laughed short, bitter. "Liar."
Rhea snapped her eyes back. "Don't."
Ling leaned closer, forehead almost touching hers. Her breath trembled.
"I felt your presence," Ling whispered. "I smelled you. I felt someone beside me. You think I don't know you?"
Rhea's lips parted but she forced them shut.
"You were unconscious," Rhea said coldly. "You imagine things."
That did it.
Ling's eyes filled instantly. One tear escaped before she could stop it.
"Wow," Ling breathed. "So now I'm crazy too?"
Rhea swallowed hard, nails digging into her palms.
"You fainted because you don't take care of yourself. That's not my problem."
Ling's grip loosened slightly not because she wanted to let go, but because her strength was breaking.
"Two nights," Ling said quietly. "I didn't sleep for two nights."
Rhea's heart skipped. She hated herself for that reaction.
"I wrote every letter myself," Ling continued. "Wrapped every gift. Drew every stupid cartoon. Saved every picture. Planned a future you pretend you don't want."
Rhea shouted, "Stop!"
Her voice echoed.
Ling froze.
"You think this is easy for me?" Rhea snapped, eyes burning. "You think I enjoy breaking every single day?"
Ling stared at her, stunned. "Then why do you keep pushing me away?"
Rhea laughed—a broken sound.
"Because if I don't, I'll shatter."
Ling's hand slid from the locker to Rhea's shoulder, grip gentler now.
"You already are shattered," she said softly. "So am I."
Rhea shoved her hand away. "Don't touch me."
Ling stepped back like she'd been slapped.
"So it's him now?" Ling asked, voice cracking. "You sit with him. Laugh with him. Protect him."
Rhea's eyes hardened instantly.
"Don't bring Roin into this."
Ling scoffed. "You defend him faster than you ever defended me."
"That's because you don't need defending," Rhea shot back. "You destroy everything yourself."
Ling whispered, "I fainted… and the first thing I searched for was you."
Rhea's breath shook but she turned her face away again.
"I don't care," she lied.
Ling nodded slowly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, forcing her composure back piece by piece.
"Fine," she said hoarsely. "Then I'll stop."
Rhea's chest tightened painfully.
"I won't chase," Ling continued. "I won't gift. I won't write. I won't touch."
She stepped aside, giving Rhea space.
"But don't lie to yourself," Ling added quietly. "You cared. That's why you're shaking.
"Lie better. Your hands were shaking when you ran."
Rhea laughed sharply, pushing at Ling's chest but not hard enough to move her.
"Don't flatter yourself. I ran because everyone was watching. I don't want drama attached to my name."
Ling clenched her teeth, anger mixing with pain. "And him?"
"You sit with him. You laugh with him. You protect him. What am I supposed to think, Rhea?"
That name on Ling's lips cracked something inside her.
"Think whatever you want! You're good at assuming, right?"
"So Roin means?"
Rhea's chest tightened. She thinks I care about him.
Good. Let her think that.
"He means enough."
Ling's face went pale.
"Enough… to replace me?"
Rhea swallowed, forcing the lie deeper.
"There was never an 'us' to replace."
Ling stepped back half a step like she'd been hit. Her hands dropped.
Rhea turned her face away.
"Move. I'm done with this."
Ling didn't move.
"You crushed my roses. You lie to my face. And still—"
"—you expect me to stop caring?"
Rhea snapped, eyes blazing now.
"I expect you to stay away! Stop fainting for sympathy. Stop writing letters. Stop acting like my emotions belong to you!"
That was the moment Ling misunderstood everything.
"So that's it. You hate me because you have him now?"
Rhea froze.
That wasn't what she was angry about.
But she would use it.
"Oh, so that's what this is about? Your jealousy?" said Rhea.
Ling laughed bitterly. "I saw the way he looks at you. Don't insult my intelligence."
Rhea leaned closer, eyes sharp, voice dangerous.
"Then open them wider. Because I don't owe you explanations anymore."
Ling's hands curled into fists.
Rhea forced a smile, shoved past Ling, shoulder brushing hers.
"One day you'll stop pretending… and I won't be there to catch you."
Rhea paused at the door. For a heartbeat her eyes burned, tears threatening.
Then—
"Good." She walked out.
Ling stood alone in the locker room, breathing hard, whispering to herself:
"Lie all you want, Miss Attitude…
I'll wait till the truth burns you alive."
———
The café was crowded, noise low but constant. Rhea chose a corner table near the glass wall. She didn't look around for Ling. She knew Ling would be there somewhere.
Roin pulled the chair closer than usual.
Rhea didn't stop him.
He leaned in, voice deliberately soft. "You okay?"
Rhea nodded, eyes fixed on her coffee. "Yeah."
From the other side of the café, Ling froze.
She had just walked in with Rina, Jian, and Rowen. Her eyes went straight to Rhea without trying—habit, curse. And then she saw it: Roin too close, Rhea not moving away. Rhea letting it happen.
Ling's jaw tightened. Her fingers curled slowly.
Rina noticed instantly. "Ling—"
"I'm fine," Ling said, voice flat. Too flat.
Rhea laughed softly at something Roin said. It wasn't even real laughter forced, hollow but Ling didn't know that. All she saw was Rhea's lips curve while Roin was that close.
Ling turned away and sat, back stiff. She didn't look again. If she did, she knew she'd lose control.
Rowen muttered, "That chimpanzee is dead."
Ling didn't smile. "Shut up."
Across the café, Rhea's hand brushed Roin's sleeve—on purpose. Her chest hurt doing it, but she did it anyway. She imagined Ling watching. Imagined Ling misunderstanding.
Good, she thought bitterly. Feel it.
Roin leaned even closer. "Rhea… you don't have to—"
"Sit," Rhea said sharply under her breath. "And don't move."
Roin stiffened but obeyed.
Ling finally looked again.
That was her mistake.
She stood up so abruptly the chair scraped loudly. Rina grabbed her wrist. "Ling, don't."
Ling pulled free. "I said I'm fine."
She walked out of the café without another word, shoulders squared, pride barely holding together what her heart couldn't.
Rhea saw her leave.
For a split second, her breath hitched.
She stood too. "I'm done."
Roin looked confused. "What? You didn't even drink—"
"Go," Rhea snapped. "Just go."
She walked past Ling's empty seat, past Rina's knowing eyes, past the door Ling had exited through—without following.
Because if she did, she'd break.
And Ling, outside the café, stood alone with her back to the wall, eyes burning, convincing herself of the one thing that hurt the most:
So this is how she chose.
Ling went to her mansion.
Her room door closed with a soft click that sounded too final.
She stood there for a long second, back pressed to the door, chest rising unevenly. The room was dark except the faint city glow slipping through the curtains. Ling didn't turn on the lights. She didn't need to see anything her mind was already too loud.
She walked to the bed and sat down slowly, elbows on knees, head hanging.
Rhea's face flashed in her mind.
Rhea in the café.
Rhea letting Roin lean in.
Rhea not pulling away.
Ling clenched her fists.
"Why did you let him that close…?" she whispered to the empty room.
Her throat tightened.
She replayed it again and again Roin's shoulder almost touching Rhea's, Rhea not flinching, not snapping, not creating distance the way she always did with others.
With Ling.
A sharp breath escaped her.
"What if…"
She swallowed hard.
"What if he replaces me?"
The thought hit like a punch.
Ling lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, one arm thrown over her eyes as if she could block the fear out.
"What if she gets used to him," she muttered, voice breaking, "and I become… unnecessary?"
For the first time, the word irreplaceable scared her.
She had always believed no, known that whatever happened, however much Rhea hated her, fought her, screamed at her… Ling was carved too deep into her life to be erased.
But now?
Now there was someone else walking beside Rhea.
Someone calm.
Someone safe.
Someone who didn't hurt her past.
Ling's jaw tightened.
"I'm not safe," she said bitterly. "I'm the one who hurts her."
Her fingers twisted into the bedsheet.
"And still… I'm the one she cries for. I'm the one she hates. I'm the one she can't let go of."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"So why did you let him touch your space, Rhea…?"
A knock came at the door.
Ling didn't answer.