Chapter 11: Messy

Ming had just finished teaching her class. She returned to the office, missing Kao. But then she remembered—Kao was still filming out of town.

Now wasn’t the right time to contact him.

Not wanting to disturb him, she opened her social media.

By accident, she stumbled upon a trending hashtag: #JosKaoisReal.

Ming smiled. Her heart pounded. Her boyfriend was famous.

She opened Kao’s profile. His story was glowing. Click.

Cold blood rushed through her veins.

That photo.

Jos and Kao’s faces were close. They weren’t looking at each other—but they were close. Too close.

Ming held her breath.

“They’re just working,” she whispered to herself.

But why did her chest feel like it was burning?

Ming felt something that defied logic.

Something unusual had slipped into her relationship with Kao.

She placed her phone on the desk.

She is trying to understand the situation. To understand the consequences of being a girlfriend of an actor.

She is trying to clear her mind.

Then she left to buy some cold water.

In front of a vending machine, Ming spaced out.

She remembered Kao’s kiss. It felt different.

Something inside him had been reaching out—seeking acknowledgment.

And it had revealed itself faintly in that kiss.

She felt like she’d just found the answer.

Ming inserted coins into the machine with a shaken hand.

She is trying hard to not be affected by that hashtag.

And, also, trying to reject the negative whispers.

She got herself a bottle of cold mineral water.

Ming drinks cold water. That water soothed her throat. Cold. But not enough to shut down the fire in her chest. It still raged.

Hurrying back to her seat, Ming needed to be sure.

That closeness was purely professional, she said to herself.

But she couldn’t accept the trending hashtag.

The storm inside her screamed, “I’m Kao’s real partner!”

But she couldn’t say that out loud.

She put her phone away in her bag.

A teacher from another class entered the office.

They exchanged glances.

“You look pale. Do you need a doctor?” the teacher asked.

Ming was confused, but later realized could use that interpretation to go home early.

“I think I’ve got a bit of a headache,” Ming replied with a faint smile.

She didn’t realize that her emotional turmoil had shown on her face.

“In that case, you should head home early. You don’t have any more classes, right?”

Ming nodded.

Usually, she wouldn’t leave right away even after her classes were done. She still had to complete the daily report.

“You can finish your report tomorrow. Don’t push yourself,” the teacher added.

Ming nodded quickly.

She seized the opportunity to leave early—not to rest, but to dive deeper into that viral hashtag that had shaken her sanity.

“Thank you,” Ming whispered to her colleague.

She rushed out of the office.

She hadn’t brought her own vehicle.

Usually, Ming would order a GoCar through the app, but not this time.

She hailed a passing public taxi in front of the academy.

The fare could be more expensive than GoCar.

Inside the taxi, Ming heard strange voices.

Urging her to get Jos out of Kao’s life.

She was deeply restless.

The car movement felt like forever never arriving at home.

When the car arrived in front of the apartment, Ming hurriedly handed the money to the driver. Sprinted to the elevator. But, the elevator’s movement also suddenly felt slower.

The voices in her head grew louder, stronger, making her heart beat uncontrollably.

Ming rushed into her apartment.

She kicked off her shoes without looking.

She ran and threw herself onto the sofa, instantly reaching for her phone to open the social media again.

The hashtag had truly gone viral among JosKao fans.

Some told them to get married.

Many said their chemistry transcended the screen.

On-screen or off—it made no difference.

People were asking, “Aren’t the two secretly dating in real life?”

Fans had posted numerous behind-the-scenes photos, tracking Jos and Kao all the way to the filming location.

“Damn! Fuck!”

Ming threw her phone.

It landed on the sofa.

She was trembling.

“The world’s gone mad, people have lost their minds. How could they…?”

Ming burned with rage.

Her hands trembled as she reached again for her phone.

She hoped for a message from Kao.

Zero.

No missed calls.

No incoming texts.

But Kao had updated his story.

Showing himself with Jos and the drama crew—on an island known as the most romantic place on Earth.

Ming stared blankly at the screen.

Eventually, the phone slipped from her hand without her even noticing.

Darkness crept in from behind.

From the cold, icy wall, black smoke emerged, followed by long, black fingers.

They touched Ming’s shoulders—cold as ice—seizing her entire consciousness.

“Arrrg!!!”

Ming screamed hysterically.

She collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

Twilight had passed when Ming opened her eyes.

Slowly, she sat up, brushing back her messy hair.

“Oh… I must’ve fallen asleep after work. Damn it,” Ming muttered to herself.

She took off her shirt and pants, grabbed her bag, and walked to the bedroom in only her underwear.

With indifference, she tossed her clothes into the laundry basket.

Her work bag landed carelessly on the bed.

Ming entered the bathroom, removing her undergarments one by one while humming a mysterious tune.

She turned on the shower.

Enjoyed a warm night bath.

Kept humming the same strange tune.

Even after finishing her bath and standing before the mirror, Ming was still humming.

She stared at herself—now wearing red lipstick, but nothing else.

To her, her body was a pure and sacred beauty.

She lifted her bag, placing it on the table as if moving the most beautiful bouquet in the world.

She continued dancing in front of the mirror.

Her movements gradually became more than just a dance—they became a silent language, understood only by those who loved in silence.

The dim light from the bedroom cast soft shadows on her skin, accentuating the silhouette of a body immersed in a rhythm of its own making.

She danced slowly, as if each movement were a way of calling someone from the past—or the future—who always lingered at the edge of her longing.

Ming imagined Kao.

Appearing behind her, silently—not with sound, but with a presence felt deep within.

He approached her like mist before dawn, wrapping around her, touching without touching.

Kao’s hand touched her hips—unhurried, gentle—like someone caressing what they had long missed.

They began to move together, in a silence filled with meaning.

Their breaths aligned, their steps synchronized, and the space between them melted into warmth.

No fabric separated their bodies.

No words disturbed the song of their souls.

Only the sound of breath, and heartbeats falling into harmony.

Their dance was no longer just motion.

It was an unspoken dialogue.

Guilt, unresolved longing, and love that never fully bloomed—flowing through their bodies, dancing under the soft glow of dim light.

When the dance ended, Ming lay down on the bed.

She was still alone, but didn’t feel lonely. Because the shadow of Kao arrived in her room.

Ming touched herself gently. Every touch reminds that she is still alive. Ming misses those feelings. A moment when Kao held her body and whispered a naughty word, made her get enthusiastic.

The shadow is getting real, even if they only began as a dream. Kao fingers traced Ming skin like one would a memory. Ming's body stirred, not in wild lust, but in silence filled with aching yearning. Every small movement made her moan.

Her sighs were soft, restrained, like a lullaby meant only for the prince.

Among her stifled breaths, Kao's voice came calm, warm.

That voice filled the emptiness she’d long kept hidden.

“I miss you. In my life… just you… my love,” Kao's voice said, whispering like a breeze slipping through the window.

Ming exhaled deeply.Her body relaxed like a flower finally falling into the arms of the wind. A smile appeared out of nowhere. Slowly, her eyes closed. A soft smile lingered on her lips also.

The smile that is only seen on someone who just met their lover, fondly.