The Space Between Us

#Lingorm AU

Growing up in the same neighborhood, Earn fell in love at first sight when she was only 13. Her heart chose Zhao Xin, the strikingly beautiful Chinese girl who had recently moved into the house across from hers. Zhao Xin's Thai was halting, her accent soft, but her beauty was captivating. For Earn, she wasn't just beautiful-she was a revelation. Every glance at Zhao Xin sent Earn's heart racing, her chest tight with a longing she didn't yet know how to name.

But Zhao Xin was 17, mature and poised in a way that made Earn's feelings seem childish. She never looked at Earn, too absorbed in her own life to notice the quiet girl watching her from across the street. Still, Earn adored her from afar, sneaking glances through her bedroom window and savoring every moment Zhao Xin passed by in her school uniform. Zhao Xin's presence was intoxicating, a mix of beauty and unattainability that left Earn trembling.

As Zhao Xin grew older, Earn witnessed everything: the friends, the laughter, the boyfriend who shattered Earn's heart. Zhao Xin's happiness felt like a sharp ache in Earn's chest, and the weight of unrequited love became too much to bear. When an opportunity arose to study abroad, Earn didn't hesitate. She fled-not just from Zhao Xin, but from the version of herself who loved so hopelessly.

Years passed. Earn, now 22, returned to Thailand as a different person-or so she thought. The neighborhood greeted her like an old photograph, unchanged except for the subtle passage of time. Yet she wasn't the same. She was a grown woman now, more confident, more sure of herself. Or so she told herself.

But when she saw Zhao Xin again, everything unraveled. Zhao Xin still lived across the street, still as beautiful as Earn remembered. The sight of her brought back everything Earn had tried to leave behind-the racing heart, the trembling hands, the aching desire. She hated that Zhao Xin still had this power over her. Hated it, and yet, couldn't look away.