batchlinko
Lingling always chose the back row.
It was quiet there. Safe. Predictable. A place where no one could sit behind her, no one could watch her too closely, and no one could easily enter her life unless she allowed them to.
Then Orm started sitting beside her.
At first, Orm only came to Ling because of Den - the girl Orm could not stop looking at. Ling was just the convenient one. The quiet one. The useful one who knew people, fixed things, explained notes, and made everything easier.
But somewhere between borrowed highlighters, rainy nights, quiet songs, family dinners, and a shirt left behind for "next time," Lingling started making space for Orm.
A chair beside her.
A place at her table.
A place inside her home.
A place inside her heart.
The problem was, Orm was soft when they were alone... but different when Den was around.
And Lingling slowly learned that being needed is not the same as being chosen.
The Chair Beside Me is a university GL coming-of-age story about almost-love, quiet heartbreak, friendship, self-respect, and the painful truth that not everyone who made you feel special deserves a permanent place beside you.
Because sometimes, the worst thing is not an empty chair.
It is saving it for someone who only sits there when it is convenient.
Genre: GL / University AU / Angst / Coming-of-Age / Slow Burn
Themes: Almost-love, friendship, unrequited feelings, emotional healing, self-worth
Content note: Emotional manipulation, public humiliation, heartbreak, non-endgame romance.