Chapter 25 - Possession In Motion

Orm thought she could finally relax. Midterms were over, Becky and May had calmed down (for now), and she was strolling across campus under the mild afternoon sun. Her shoulders felt light for the first time in weeks.

Then, a voice she hadn't heard in far too long reached her ears.

"Orm."

She stopped mid-step, a spike of dread running through her. That voice—she recognized it instantly. Turning slowly, her eyes landed on Ryu.

He stood just a few feet away: tall, sharp features, and wearing that easygoing grin she remembered all too well. His gaze on her was familiar, slightly amused and entirely confident. It made Orm's stomach twist.

"It's been a while," Ryu said, his tone suggestive of all the history between them, the unresolved tension that never developed into anything tangible. Yet, as he looked at her now, it was clear he was still comfortable acting like they had an unspoken connection.

Orm forced a stiff smile. "Ryu," she said quietly, unsure how to navigate this sudden blast from the past. In truth, she had no idea what to do next.

Lingling had been a few steps behind Orm, fully intent on minding her own business—until she saw the way Ryu smiled at Orm. Her instincts kicked in like a reflex. Usually, Lingling kept any flicker of jealousy under lock and key—she prided herself on calm self-assurance. But this was different. There was a familiarity in Ryu's body language, an ease in his voice, that made Lingling's pulse tighten.

She paused, observing Orm's face as they exchanged a few awkward pleasantries. Orm wasn't brushing him off. She actually looked... comfortable, or at least not immediately dismissive. A twinge of unease sparked in Lingling's chest. This wasn't just a random admirer that Orm could shut down. This was something else.

From the sidelines, Becky and May sensed the tension. They exchanged alarmed glances.

"Oh no," Becky breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh no, no, no," May echoed.

Lingling turned to them, her expression composed—but that very composure was dangerous. "Who is that?" she asked in a measured tone.

Becky and May froze. They both knew Lingling well enough to sense the undercurrent of jealousy she was normally so adept at hiding.

"Uh..." Becky began, trying to decide how much to say.

"Do we lie?" May whispered frantically.

Becky shook her head, voice low. "No. We die faster if we lie."

They looked back at Lingling, who was staring at them, visibly running out of patience.

"Becky," Lingling said softly, but there was an undeniable tension beneath the calm. Becky flinched like a child caught in a lie.

She exhaled, accepting her fate. "Okay, that's Ryu."

Lingling's face revealed nothing, but Becky could practically feel the temperature drop around them. "And?"

Becky hesitated. May squeezed her arm in a silent show of sympathy, both bracing for impact.

"And... well..." Becky began, struggling to find words that wouldn't lead to disaster. "He and Orm... kinda had a half-fling, I guess?"

A terrible, suffocating silence followed. Lingling's face remained carefully unreadable. But Becky and May caught the faint flicker of something in her eyes—a restrained edge of anger or possessiveness.

"She's going to kill him," May muttered under her breath.

"She might kill us first," Becky mumbled back.

Lingling inhaled slowly, turning her attention back to Orm and Ryu. She said nothing more to Becky and May, but her stance spoke volumes. She was watching, calculating, and very much not okay with what she saw.

Unaware of the brewing tension behind her, Orm still traded polite remarks with Ryu. She even laughed at something he said, touching his arm lightly in a reflex of friendliness. That small gesture hit Lingling like a physical jolt. She felt her jaw clench, heart speeding up. This was a scenario she'd never anticipated, and she hated it.

Inside Lingling's mind, questions fired off:

How serious were they before? Did Orm still harbor feelings for him? Was Ryu here to get her back?

She couldn't stand the ambiguity, especially when Orm wasn't visibly shutting him down. Ryu seemed far too confident. Lingling rarely lost her cool, yet something about his easy grin made her want to stand between them and make it clear Orm was hers. That red-hot flicker of jealousy tore at the composure she'd built around herself.

"How close were they?" she asked in a hushed tone, not bothering to look at Becky or May as she spoke. The question hung in the air like a storm cloud.

Becky swallowed. "They almost became something," she admitted, voice trembling with nerves.

Almost. That single word lodged in Lingling's chest. It meant there had been genuine feelings or at least a shot at it. She silently cursed the pang of insecurity gnawing at her. She prided herself on never feeling threatened, never stooping to possessiveness. Yet here she was, stomach tight and every nerve on edge.

Lingling's voice went cold. "I see."

Becky and May exchanged a frantic look. Lingling didn't do open jealousy, but this? This was worse—it was a quiet, razor-sharp calm.

May whispered, "She's going to kill him."

Becky nodded grimly. "Orm might be collateral."

Lingling hardly heard their commentary. Her gaze was locked on Orm, who remained oblivious to the tension, still smiling at Ryu. A swirl of bitterness and protectiveness coiled inside Lingling. She hated feeling so out of control, but letting Ryu stand there and charm Orm without interference? Absolutely not.

She took another steady breath, forcing her shoulders to relax. If Orm wasn't drawing a line, Lingling would. She wasn't proud of this sudden possessiveness, but the idea of Ryu stepping back into Orm's life set off every alarm bell in her head.

Calmly, she began moving forward. Becky and May stayed rooted in place, both looking like they'd rather be anywhere else. In the short distance between her and Orm, Lingling's mind whirred with how best to handle the situation. She didn't want to blow up in front of everyone, but she wasn't about to let Ryu walk away thinking Orm was available to reclaim.

Jealous or not, she had a claim to stake.

Lingling's patience had a threshold. Watching Orm stand there, chatting with Ryu—the ex-almost-something—was rapidly pushing her to that limit. The easy smiles. The lingering eye contact. The way Ryu was standing too close for Lingling's liking. It all set off red flags in her mind.

Her gaze flicked to Orm, who still seemed clueless about the storm brewing right behind her. Ryu appeared far too comfortable—and Orm, apparently too friendly. Lingling's fingers twitched at her side. Enough.

Without rushing, without drama, she moved—confident and precise, the same way she approached any critical moment in a debate. The instant Orm glanced away from Ryu, Lingling stepped in, positioning herself at Orm's side.

Orm blinked in surprise. "Oh! Ling, you—"

Lingling slid her hand into Orm's, a firm, unmistakable gesture. The contact sent a ripple of tension through the small circle. Orm's breath caught, her eyes darting to Ryu and back to Lingling in confusion. Then Lingling leaned in, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to Orm's temple. It was gentle, yet so possessive it left no room for misinterpretation.

Ryu's smile faltered. Perfect.

Lingling finally turned to face him, her expression calm and unreadable. "And you are?" she asked, her voice carrying the ring of polite interrogation.

Orm's brain short-circuited. Oh no.

From behind, Becky and May hovered, hands clamped over their mouths, clearly resisting the urge to scream at the spectacle.

Ryu, to his credit, kept his composure. "Ryu," he said smoothly. "An old friend of Orm's."

Lingling's lips curved by a fraction, but her eyes remained steely. "Oh? Is that what we're calling it?"

Ryu's posture stiffened at the challenge. Orm felt the tension spike, exactly what she'd hoped to avoid by not letting these two meet. She cleared her throat, forcing a weak laugh. "Ahaha... yeah, we, uh, used to hang out. No big deal."

Lingling hummed lightly. She sensed Orm's panic but didn't back down. Ryu, meanwhile, stayed right where he was, refusing to give ground. Something in the air crackled with unspoken rivalry.

"I didn't realize Orm had someone," Ryu remarked, turning a polite but pointed smile on Lingling.

Lingling tilted her head a notch, expression still maddeningly calm. Then she tugged Orm closer, staking her claim in the most visible way possible. "Oh, she does," Lingling answered casually. Her smile broadened—no teasing, no smirk. It was a look far more dangerous: a vow. "And she's very well taken care of."

The silence that followed was thick enough to cut with a knife. Becky and May practically vibrated with shock, their hands pressed to their mouths to stifle any squeals. Orm felt blood rush to her cheeks. "L-Ling?!"

Ryu's jaw tightened, understanding in that moment that Lingling wasn't making small talk. This was a statement of ownership, plain and simple. A certain grudging respect flashed in his eyes, but the tension remained.

He exhaled at last, sliding his hands into his pockets with a cool shrug. "I see you haven't changed," he said to Orm, his tone trying to sound amused but landing somewhere between regret and annoyance.

Orm swallowed, her heart pounding like she'd just sprinted a mile. "Hahaha... y-yeah. You know me," she managed lamely.

Lingling continued to watch him, gaze unwavering. She didn't speak again—she didn't need to. She'd already declared enough for him to get the message.

After a moment, Ryu conceded. He nodded briefly, forcing a polite smile at Orm. "Well. I'll see you around, then."

Just like that, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

Becky and May finally broke down in excited shrieks, grabbing Orm's shoulders. "DID YOU SEE THAT?!" Becky exclaimed, nearly hopping. "Lingling just—just—"

May clutched her chest, eyes wide. "She basically told him to back off or face the consequences!"

Orm, however, was too busy silently combusting to respond. Lingling still had her hand around Orm's waist, the warmth of her palm sending electric jolts through her system. Her cheeks flamed, especially as she noticed the intensity in Lingling's eyes hadn't faded. If anything, she was still dangerously keyed up.

Lingling gently cupped Orm's chin, directing her gaze upward. The sudden closeness made Orm's pulse stutter. Becky and May fell into breathless silence, knowing something else was about to happen.

Sure enough, Lingling leaned in, her voice a low murmur only Orm could hear. "You've been bad, baby," she said, no trace of humor in her tone.

Orm practically choked on her next breath. "I—I didn't do anything!"

Lingling smirked, nose almost brushing Orm's. "Didn't you?"

That hushed accusation left Orm's head spinning. Becky and May's presence faded into the background; all she could feel was Lingling's grip on her, the warmth of her breath, the faint prickle of unresolved jealousy. Lingling wasn't the type to make a big scene, but this was her stepping out of her comfort zone, showing a protectiveness that Orm had rarely seen.

A thousand thoughts ran through Orm's mind: relief that Ryu was gone, panic at how public this confrontation was and a dizzying thrill at how Lingling had openly defended her. But one truth stood out: this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

She could see it in Lingling's eyes—the simmering combination of relief and lingering anger, the certainty that next time Ryu showed up, it wouldn't go any smoother. And Orm, still reeling from the wave of adrenaline, realized she'd have to navigate all this chaos: Ryu's reappearance, Lingling's heightened jealousy, and her own tangled emotions.

For now, though, she let Lingling keep that possessive hand on her waist, let May and Becky chatter excitedly about the drama, and tried not to think too hard about the storm that was sure to come.

Because one thing was certain: Lingling's jealousy had awakened—and no one, not even Ryu, was getting between her and Orm without a fight.