Life had been a whirlwind for Ling and Orm after moving into their new apartment. It wasn't perfect—there were creaking floors, a temperamental shower, and neighbors who seemed to vacuum at midnight—but it was theirs.
To make the rent manageable, they had decided to take in two roommates. They hadn't met them in person yet, but everything had been arranged via phone calls and emails. Both Ling and Orm had spent the morning preparing the apartment, and by the afternoon, they were bickering about who left the mop outside the bathroom.
"I told you to put the mop away!" Ling huffed, standing in the middle of the living room with her hands on her hips.
"And I told you I would do it later!" Orm snapped back, holding her ground even though she was clearly guilty.
"Later? It's been two days, Orm!"
"Two days isn't that bad!"
Ling grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen counter, narrowing her eyes. "Oh, I'm going to make you regret saying that."
Orm flinched. "Don't you dare."
Before Orm could retreat, Ling splashed water toward her. Orm sidestepped just in time, but the water didn't hit the floor.
Instead, it hit someone standing silently in the doorway.
The person in the doorway stood frozen, dripping water onto the floor. They were dressed in a loose t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, carrying two large duffel bags that looked heavy. Their short hair and sharp jawline gave them the appearance of a young boy, and their brooding gaze added to the air of mystery.
Ling and Orm stared at the figure, their bickering forgotten.
"Oh my god," Orm gasped, turning around and realizing what had happened. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!"
The person wiped their face with their sleeve, their expression unreadable. "It's fine," they said, their voice calm and low-pitched.
Orm's panic only grew. She took a step back, fumbling for words. "I-I didn't mean to! We were just—"
Her words were cut off as her foot landed in the puddle of water, and she slipped. Arms flailing, Orm fell backward—but just before she hit the ground, the stranger stepped forward and caught her with ease.
Time seemed to slow as Orm found herself in the stranger's arms, her back arched and her wide eyes locking with theirs. A soft breeze came out of nowhere (how, no one knew), making Orm's hair flutter like she was the star of a romantic drama.
From Ling's perspective, the scene looked exactly like something out of a K-drama. In her mind, an imaginary romantic song started playing:
🎵 "Almost paradiseee…" 🎵
Ling's jaw dropped as the stranger gazed into Orm's eyes, their face calm but strikingly handsome.
Orm, for her part, was a blushing mess. "T-thank you," she stammered, her heart racing.
The stranger didn't say anything, just continuing to look at her.
Just as the music in Ling's mind swelled to its dramatic peak, something inside her snapped.
"HEY!" Ling's voice broke through the imaginary soundtrack like a record scratch, and the moment shattered.
She stormed over and grabbed Orm's arm, yanking her away from the stranger with enough force to make her stumble into Ling's side. "What the hell is going on here?!"
Orm blinked, dazed. "Ling?"
Ling glared at the stranger, her voice sharp. "Who the hell are you, and how dare you try to steal my girl?"
Orm froze, her eyes widening as her cheeks turned bright red. "Your g-girl?" she stammered, her heart fluttering at Ling's words.
Ling didn't even look at her. She was too busy glaring at the stranger, who raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.
"I didn't steal anyone," the stranger said, their tone dry. "I'm here to move in. I already contacted someone named Orm about the room."
Ling and Orm exchanged a confused glance.
"You're… our new roommate?" Ling asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Yes," the stranger replied.
Orm tilted her head. "Wait… you're a girl?"
The stranger smirked. "Last I checked."
Ling and Orm's jaws dropped simultaneously.
"You're a girl?!" they both exclaimed in unison.
"Yes," the girl said again, clearly amused by their reaction. "My name's Kath. Nice to meet you."
Ling coughed awkwardly, stepping aside. "Right. Sorry about the… water."
Orm, still flustered, mumbled, "And the… everything else."
Kath shrugged. "It's fine."
Ling pointed to one of the rooms. "Your room's over there."
"Thanks," Kath said, picking up her bags and heading toward the room.
Orm moved to close the front door, but once again, she slipped on the puddle of water. This time, Kath didn't move to catch her.
Orm landed flat on her back with a loud thud.
Ling immediately turned to Kath, her voice sharp. "Why didn't you catch her?!"
Kath raised an eyebrow. "You told me not to touch her."
Orm groaned from the floor. "She's got a point…"
Ling knelt down, helping Orm to her feet. "That brat," she muttered under her breath. "How dare she treat you like this."
Orm, still dazed, muttered, "You was first one to throw water…"
Ling ignored her, guiding her to the sofa and making her sit down. "Are you okay?" she asked, brushing Orm's hair out of her face.
Orm nodded weakly. "My pride's a little bruised, but I'll survive."
Ling shot a glare toward Kath, who was standing in her doorway, clearly amused by the entire scene.
Kath shrugged. "I think I'm going to like it here," she said with a smirk before disappearing into her room.
Once the chaos settled, Ling and Orm sat together on the couch. Orm rested her head on Ling's shoulder, still blushing from the earlier misunderstanding.
"Did you really call me 'your girl'?" Orm asked, her voice soft.
Ling stiffened slightly. "I… I panicked. It just slipped out."
Orm smiled, tilting her head up to look at Ling. "You know, it was kind of sweet."
Ling sighed, resting her forehead against Orm's. "You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"
"Nope," Orm said, grinning.
Ling rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "You're impossible."
"And you love it," Orm replied, leaning up to kiss Ling's cheek.
As the evening wore on, they sat together, the earlier chaos already turning into a fond memory.