LingOrm | Safe Zone (English) (FULL)
Safe Zone (Eng ver.) - Chap 02
[Two years later]
Lingling Kwong drove home from the airport, her eyes flicking fondly to the seat beside her, where a giant teddy bear sat neatly wrapped in pastel cellophane. A soft smile curved her lips. She was sure Orm Kornnaphat would love this gift. Just a few days ago on a call, Orm had excitedly mentioned how much she adored oversized plushies. After some searching, Lingling had finally found the largest one available, big enough for Orm to wrap her whole body around. Nestled in the teddy bear's arms was a small box, a necklace Lingling Kwong had custom-designed just for Orm Kornnaphat. It was meant to be Orm's birthday present. Lingling wouldn't be in Thailand on the actual day, so she wanted to give it to Orm early.
About a year ago, Orm had insisted on moving out. Mr. and Mrs. Sethratanapong couldn't change her mind, but they agreed on one condition: Lingling had to live with Orm. Afterall, they still always worried about their little daughter. Now that Art no longer boarded at school, Lingling Kwong didn't have to worry about the parents being lonely, so she accepted Mae Koy's condition and moved into a two-bedroom home with Orm Kornnaphat.
Every day, unless she was on business trips, Lingling would drive Orm to school before heading to work. These days, Lingling had reconnected with her youngest aunt, and now split her time between helping Papa Oct manage Sethratanapong Group and supporting her aunt in running Kwong Group. In truth, her schedule had become much busier than before. Lingling Kwong spent less time in Thailand overall, and every time she left for a business trip, Orm Kornnaphat would sulk for days. Even when they called, Orm's voice would tremble on the verge of tears. It always left Lingling torn, longing to fly home just to comfort her little princess.
It had become clear to Lingling Kwong now, that Orm Kornnaphat had slowly occupied more and more space in her heart.
As she turned into the street leading to their neighborhood, Lingling frowned. Up ahead stood a familiar figure. Her vision was sharp, yet what she saw made her blood run cold. A tightness seized her chest, each breath suddenly labored. Lingling clenched her jaw against the ache radiating through her ribs and quickly pulled the car over. Lingling Kwong opened the car door, almost rushing out, because there, right before her eyes, was the girl she loved... kissing another person. A man.
The couple sprang apart at the sound of the car pulling up. Orm turned around just as Lingling approached, and Orm caught the flash in Lingling's brown eyes: anger, annoyance... jealousy? A faint, almost taunting smile played on Orm's lips, her gaze shimmering with something calculated, unreadable. Orm took a step toward Lingling.
- P'Lingling! - Orm chirped sweetly, looping her arms around Lingling's with practiced ease, her face aglow with joy.
Lingling stared at the girl welcoming her like nothing was wrong, even though the scent of someone else still clung faintly to her lips. Swallowing the wildfire rising in her throat, Lingling looked away. Her hand clenched tight inside her coat pocket, the pressure whitening her knuckles.
- This is P'Pu, my boyfriend - Orm said casually, as though she hadn't just introduced a dagger to Lingling's chest. Her eyes didn't leave Lingling's face, not for a second.
- Nice to meet you, Khun Pu. I'm Lingling Kwong, Nong Orm's older sister. - Her voice was polite. Icy, almost.
- A pleasure, Khun Lingling Kwong - Pu nodded respectfully, though his eyes flashed briefly with something less innocent.
- Why are you looking at her like that? - Orm's smile slipped. A crease of displeasure formed between her brows. She had caught that fleeting glimmer in Pu's eyes.
- Sorry... - Pu quickly bowed his head in apology. - I've admired Khun Lingling Kwong from afar for a long time. Meeting her in person today just... caught me off guard.
- That's enough. Don't look at her like that again. I'll get jealous. - Orm warned lightly, though the edge in her voice was sharp.
- Okay, okay. Got it! - Pu laughed nervously, hearing Orm Kornnaphat would get jealous, quickly turned to coax his girl. Then Pu turned back to Lingling with another bow. - My sincere apologies, Khun Lingling Kwong.
- Mm. - Lingling replied flatly. Her tone remained stiff as she turned to Orm, forcing a gentleness that felt unnatural on her tongue. - It's cold out. You should head inside.
- Okay! I'll come in right away. - Orm nodded and grinned at Lingling.
Lingling didn't respond. She turned her back and walked briskly into the house. She couldn't look anymore. For twenty-two years, Orm had been by her side, and now, for the first time, Lingling heard her say the word jealousy, but not for her. Not for them. It was jealousy because of her... over a man. A stranger.
Lingling's chest throbbed with a slow, bleeding kind of pain. The girl she loved was now with someone else. Kissing someone else. Wanting to possess someone else. And as for herself, Lingling was still clinging to decades of memories that no longer belonged to her, the memories of the past 22 years with Orm Kornnaphat by her side.
Not knowing when Orm would get back in, Lingling stepped into the house and collapsed onto the sofa, one hand pressed to her forehead as exhaustion swept over her. She was a workaholic. If she wasn't working, she was at the gym. After that, she came home, to Orm Kornnaphat. For the past two years, she'd stopped dating altogether. Because deep down, Lingling knew... if it wasn't Orm, it couldn't be anyone.
Feeling hollow and restless, Lingling got up and walked to the liquor cabinet, pouring herself a drink. One glass turned into two. She grabbed the whole bottle and returned to the sofa. By the time the third glass emptied, the front door finally opened.
Orm entered, cradling the giant teddy bear in her arms. She'd noticed Lingling's car earlier, so Orm had used her spare key to pick up and carry the birthday gift Lingling had gotten her inside.
- You've been drinking? - Orm Kornnaphat set the plush bear down and rushed to Lingling Kwong's side.
- Mm... just a little. - Lingling nodded, the haze of alcohol already casting a blur over her senses.
- Why would you drink? - Orm placed a gentle hand on Lingling's cheek, brushing lightly. - You know you can't really drink...
- I know... - Lingling leaned her head back against the sofa. She really couldn't. For the longest time, she had steered clear of alcohol, but recently, she had begun drinking more often, but never too much. - ...just a little more.
Lingling reached for the refilled glass, but Orm stopped her, her hand firm, forbidding. Lingling didn't resist, just pressed her lips together and let go of the glass, slumping into the sofa as the dizziness wrapped around her.
- Sis...
- How did that kiss feel? - Lingling suddenly cut in, interrupting what Orm was about to say.
Orm looked at her. She knew Lingling had seen the kiss earlier. But there was not a shred of guilt in Orm's amber eyes, only clarity, gazing on Lingling.
- Didn't you already know? - Orm replied.
- Know? Know what? - Lingling turned to Orm, confused.
- You've dated people. You've kissed others, haven't you? - Orm smiled.
- I didn't feel anything! - Lingling shook her head wearily. The alcohol was slowly dulling her logic. - I asked... how did you feel!
- How I felt? - Orm's smile deepened, her gaze shimmering with unspoken meaning.
- Yes...
- Are you asking... - Orm leaned in, inhaling the cool scent of Lingling's skin mingled with the bitter sharpness of liquor, her voice now only a whisper against Lingling's ear - ...what it feels like to kiss me?
- Mm... - Lingling was too far gone to sense the trap winding around her, to realize how Orm had twisted the question.
- Didn't you... already taste it? - Orm moved closer still. - ...or have you forgotten that my first kiss belonged to you?
Lingling froze, her mind suddenly thrown back into a flood of memory.
It was last year. Orm's birthday.
Lingling had returned late that night, missing the celebration entirely. Orm had sulked so much Lingling hadn't known how to soothe her...until Orm demanded that they celebrate in her room. They blew out candles together, shared a slice of cake. Then Orm pulled out a bottle of wine, asking Lingling to drink with her. Lingling had tried to refuse, she was never good with alcohol, but she wanted to soothe her little princess, and...Lingling Kwong could never resist when it came to Orm Kornnaphat.
The wine warmed her up. One drink too many, and somehow, she didn't know how, or who moved first.
And ... somehow, somewhere, Lingling Kwong had kissed Orm Kornnaphat.
Sweet lips, soft as rose petals in bloom. Not her first kiss, but the first that had ever tasted like this. Lingling was drunk, yet remembered everything: the heat of Orm's breath, the tremble in her own heart... all in that kiss.
The most damning part? Orm hadn't pushed her away.
Instead, Orm had wrapped her arms around Lingling's neck, let her take, and taste, and press forward with the reckless hunger of someone who had waited too long. Orm didn't resist, on the contrary, she encouraged Lingling, her lips eager, her breath hot, her arms locked tightly around her, pulling Lingling into this endless sensation.
As if Orm had longed for it, just as Lingling had.
But then, just as things were spiraling further as Orm Kornnaphat thought how it would be, Lingling pulled away. Shaking her head, drunk as she was, Lingling Kwong still did not dare to touch Orm Kornnaphat, and still stumbled out of Orm's room that night.
That memory surged back now, crashing over Lingling Kwong like a wave. Her breath caught. Lingling's lips parted slightly, and her eyes, helpless to hide the storm inside, locked on Orm Kornnaphat.
- And you... - Orm leaned in again, her voice as soft as a velvet thread - ...how did it feel watching me kiss someone else?
- Not happy... - Lingling answered instantly.
- And why are you not happy? - Orm continued, with that soft, magnetic voice.
Lingling pressed her lips together, turning away, unwilling to speak. That sour, sick feeling, Lingling didn't like it.
Orm watched Lingling turning away, a smile played on her lips. Orm gently reached out to Lingling's face with her hand, slowly turned Lingling back towards her, forcing Lingling to meet her gaze.
- Tell me...
- I don't like the taste of someone else on your lips... - Lingling's voice trembled, now completely gave in to Orm Kornnaphat's charm.
- Then... do you want to erase it? - Those amber eyes gleamed...a net, already cast - a trap, already set up.
Lingling fell silent. Her eyes fluttered, torn. Who is she to say anything about this? Who is she to wipe someone else's trace from those lips? Once again, head turned away, Lingling remained silent.
- Will you help me... - Orm whispered. Her trap was now closing, catching its prey. - ...to erase it?
- Why? - Lingling Kwong now turned to Orm Kornnaphat, confused.
- Because it feels awful... I feel sick. I don't want to carry this feeling.... - Orm pressed her lips together. Her eyes were beginning to glisten.
- If it's that bad, why kiss him in the first place?
- He kissed me first.... I didn't have time to react... - Tears now hovered at the brink of those amber eyes.
- Don't cry... - Lingling reached out instinctively, her heart aching at the sight. She had spoiled this girl, doted on her, spoiled her to the point of recklessness.
- Sis...I just... I feel sick...so uncomfortable...
And with those words, Lingling was lost. Entirely caught in the web Orm had woven with such charm and sweetness. And Lingling knew it. She knew it and yet... she couldn't run away.
If Orm Kornnaphat had asked her to walk through fire right now, she would have done it.
Lingling's fingers grazed Orm's cheek, then slid down to her lips, caressing them gently.
- Come here...
Lingling's voice was husky and low. She leaned in and pressed her lips to Orm's, erasing every lingering trace from earlier, erasing the uneasy feelings Orm Kornnaphat claimed she didn't want to carry anymore.
Eyes closed, Lingling Kwong kissed Orm Kornnaphat with the kind of ache that only years of longing could birth, letting herself drown in the taste of the girl she loved. The alcohol blurred the edges of everything, was it dream or reality? Lingling Kwong couldn't tell anymore.
She only knew that her feelings had cracked wide open.
She missed Orm.
She was hurt.
She was jealous.
Jealous of the kiss Orm had given to someone else.
She wanted to wash away, to erase every trace of him from Orm's lips and leave only her own.
Orm Kornnaphat let Lingling Kwong kiss her, wrapping her arms around Lingling 's neck. Her amber eyes peeked open, a glint of amusement in them as she watched Lingling Kwong's tightly shut eyes. Then Orm closed her eyes again, enjoying the softness of each gentle pressure from those full lips, obediently letting Lingling Kwong erase the lingering feeling of the man's kiss, replacing it with the sweet tenderness of Lingling Kwong... letting her wipe away everything that wasn't hers.
Only when breath became scarce did they finally part. Lingling Kwong looked at Orm Kornnaphat's lips, now swollen from the kiss. Orm's cheeks were flushed, and her amber eyes shimmered with threads of longing. Seeing that expression on Orm Kornnaphat's face, Lingling ached with the desire to keep this girl all to herself. But her own eyes filled with a silent sorrow, because someday, maybe not too far from now, the one privileged to see such expression of Orm Kornnaphat might no longer be her. It could be Pu... or someone else.
- Don't look at me like that... - Orm Kornnaphat reached out to gently stroke Lingling's face. The sorrow and ache in those brown eyes pierced Orm's heart, too.
- Do you feel ...less uncomfortable now?
- Lingling... - Orm didn't answer. Orm simply called out her name. Not "P'Ling." Not "Sister." Just "Lingling." As if that name alone could shift the axis of their relationship.
- Mm... I'm here. - Lingling melted in the way Orm spoke her name.
Others had called her that too, but only Orm Kornnaphat could make her name feel like a secret spell, cast gently upon her soul.
- Now do you know what it feels like to kiss me? - Orm asked.
- I do now... - Lingling answered in a haze, nodding.
- Is there anything else... you want to know?
Orm cast her net wider, her whole body resting against Lingling's. The softness of Orm's chest pressed lightly against Lingling's, and Orm's hot breath trailing down Lingling's neck.
Orm could feel Lingling's body trembling.
- Want to know how it feels to hug me? - Orm whispered, nibbling lightly at the curve of Lingling's ear.
- Orm... - Lingling gasped, her whole body tensing up.
Her reasoning hadn't completely abandoned her yet. A kiss, Lingling could excuse, justified as an attempt to erase an unwanted taste. But anything beyond that... she couldn't allow herself to cross that line with Orm. And yet... she didn't want to push Orm away either. Her lips pressed into a firm line as she wrestled with herself.
- Lingling... - Orm nestled even closer, her lips grazing the slender curve of Lingling's neck, Orm's touch setting Lingling's nerves ablaze.
Lingling absorbed Orm's breath, hot and searing, pressing into her skin like fire. Her lips trembled. The love in her chest spilled over, but she reined it in. Orm was still young. Maybe this was just a game to her. But for Lingling, it could never be.
- Stop... - Lingling finally resisted, holding Orm by the shoulders, gently pushing her away - Orm, stop!
Orm Kornnaphat, who was deep in the web of affection she had spun, now stunned, abruptly interrupted by Lingling Kwong's one swift gesture. Orm's lips pouted in protest, her expression brimming with wounded innocence.
- Did you just yell at me? - Orm's eyes widened, shimmering with unshed tears.
- No... no, that's not it. - Lingling panicked. She couldn't bear it when Orm cried - It's just... what we're doing, it's not quite right...
- Why is it not right? - Orm tilted her head in feigned innocence - ...didn't you just kiss me?
- That was only to help you erase that uncomfortable feeling... - Lingling cut Orm off quickly - ...and part of it is because I was already drunk...
- So you're saying it was the alcohol? That you did that just to help me feel better, that's all? - Orm raised an eyebrow, her voice calm, almost too calm.
- Mhm... - Lingling nodded, smiling in an attempt to ease Orm's tension on her now.
Orm narrowed her eyes at Lingling, amber eyes gleaming with mischief. Her lips curled into a smile that tugged hard at Lingling's heart.
- Sis...so every time I feel uncomfortable, I just need to tell you, right? - Orm clung to Lingling's arm, giving it a little shake, her tone coy and childlike.
- Yes... but don't ever force yourself to endure something you don't like. If you're uncomfortable, push them away. Don't just take it, alright? - Lingling stroked Orm's head gently, all her defenses down around this girl she loved so helplessly.
- I got it! - Orm nodded obediently.
- And one more thing. If it doesn't feel right, just break up with him. Don't drag it out.
- Do you want me to break up with him? - Orm asked, her eyes gleaming with an almost too-hopeful look.
- Why are you asking me that? It's your relationship... - Lingling suppressed the word yes, turning away to avoid the truth in her gaze.
- Then I'll wait a bit longer, I guess.
Orm sensed the temperature around Lingling was dropping, a chill replacing the warmth from before. A knowing smile curved on her lips as she stood up, glancing back at Lingling.
- Come on. Let me help you to bed.
Lingling didn't speak, just nodded. That bitter taste she had washed away with a kiss was now rising up again, harsher than before. Because Orm still wanted to linger with Pu. And Lingling... had no right to ask her not to.
Orm Kornnaphat helped Lingling Kwong to her room, boldly trying to stay the night, but Lingling firmly kicked her out. Orm left with a pout and dragging feet.
After showering, Lingling lay sprawled across the large bed, the sweet, tender taste still lingering on her lips. She couldn't forget it. She was drunk on the breath of Orm Kornnaphat.
"Orm... if this keeps going... I won't be able to hold myself back anymore..."
Lingling curled up under the covers and drifted into an uneasy sleep. Surrounding her was the faint scent of the girl she loved, every breath a temptation. But Lingling just stayed still, she didn't reach out. She didn't dare. She didn't have the courage to hold on, to Orm Kornnaphat, fearing what they called youthful impulse, fearing the fleeting fire of adolescent recklessness.
While Lingling Kwong lay tangled in weary dreams, in her room, Orm Kornnaphat was texting Pu, her face devoid of even a trace of love-struck affection.
Orm: Next time, don't kiss me like that! I don't like it.
Pu: I'm sorry! But we've been dating for over half a year, and I still barely get to hold your hand...
Orm: We're just getting to know each other, that's all. This isn't even love yet. You're making me uncomfortable.
Pu: I understand. I won't do that again. I'm sorry.
Orm: I'm tired. I'm going to sleep. Don't pick me up tomorrow.
Pu: Why? Are you driving yourself?
Orm: My business. Don't ask. I'm going to sleep.
Pu: Alright, goodnight. I love you.
Orm didn't reply. She tossed her phone aside, buried herself under the blanket, and rolled back and forth, restless. Her fingers touched her lips, remembering Lingling Kwong's kiss. A smile slipped out, unbidden.
She loved Lingling Kwong.
Ever since she understood what love meant, Orm had known, she loved Lingling Kwong.
Not the love of a younger sister toward an older one, but the kind of love that burned with want and hunger. She wanted Lingling's eyes only on her. She wanted Lingling by her side. She hated it when others looked at her with affection. Like earlier, when Pu looked at Lingling like that, Orm felt a wave of jealousy, not toward Pu, but toward Lingling Kwong.
Lingling Kwong belonged to her. Only Orm could look at Lingling Kwong that way. No one else.
Orm had always tested the boundaries, relying on the indulgent affection Lingling gave her. When she found out Lingling was dating someone, she nearly lost her mind. But Orm kept it in. Still, Orm would ruin Lingling's dates in quiet little ways, always the thorn, the third wheel. She admitted it. From the moment Orm realized she was in love with Lingling, she'd become the saboteur in every one of Lingling's relationships.
But she didn't care.
All she knew was that she wanted Lingling by her side. Never far. Never belonging to anyone else. Only hers.
Orm had tested the waters for so long without success, until finally, she resorted to desperate means, getting Lingling drunk. She knew Lingling couldn't handle alcohol. She thought maybe, just maybe, if Lingling got drunk enough, she would lose control. The first time Lingling Kwong kissed her, Orm's heart turned to mush. The longing to touch, to possess, overwhelmed her. But Lingling Kwong had escaped just in time.
Since that day, Orm promised herself she'd reel Lingling in. Orm wouldn't let her run. That's why she insisted on moving out, because she knew Lingling would worry and agree to stay with her. Orm created a world with just the two of them.
At home, Orm Kornnaphat started wearing more revealing sleepwear. A few times, she caught Lingling's heated gaze lingering, only for her to look away the moment their eyes met.
But Lingling Kwong was like a turtle retreating into its shell. No matter what Orm did, Lingling wouldn't move forward. Orm had no idea that Lingling was tangled in an invisible net of morals and propriety, still thinking of them as sisters, still fearing her parents' rejection. Orm didn't care about any of that. She only followed her heart.
And when Lingling moved too slowly, Orm decided to give her a little push. So Orm began dating Pu.
When Lingling left Thailand for several months, Orm, bored and restless, would spend time with Pu. But every time Lingling called, Pu was forgotten.
Just like earlier.
She didn't need Pu to pick her up anymore, Lingling was back. And all Orm wanted was to be cared for by Lingling Kwong again.
"Sis... Orm love you..."
Orm whispered into the dark, her lips still tingling with Lingling's sweetness. A smile spread across her face.
The more Lingling Kwong tried to run, the more Orm Kornnaphat refused to let her.
One way or another, Orm Kornnaphat was going to capture Lingling Kwong.
- - - END CHAPTER 02 - - -
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