​💖 Aura of the Confined Heart (The Unspoken Gaze)
​Genre: Girls' Love (GL), Coming-of-Age, Emotional Drama
Characters:
​Pim: The Introvert. ​Fah: The Extrovert/The Love Interest. ​Dao: The Rival/The Third Roommate. ​
Chapter 1: The Weight of the Unspoken Gaze
​The air in the hostel room was thick, not with the smell of old dust and instant noodles, but with something heavier: a dizzying mix of Fah's scent—clean laundry and a hint of sweet jasmine—and Pim's own overwhelming loneliness.
​Pim sat stiffly on her tiny bed, a knot of homesickness still tight in her chest. She had moved away from home for college, and the sudden, total isolation felt crushing. She had cried until her throat was raw, and it was Fah, the bright, loud extrovert and her new roommate, who had somehow managed to quiet the storm. Fah hadn't offered advice or platitudes; she had simply sat, steady and radiating warmth, until the tears stopped.
​Now, a quiet had fallen.
​Pim risked a glance up. Fah was leaning against the wall, casually scrolling through her phone, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. But when Fah felt Pim's eyes on her, she slowly lowered the phone.
​The smile vanished.
​It was in that moment that Pim understood the true meaning of the hostel's suffocating atmosphere. It wasn't the room, it was Fah's gaze—unblinking, focused, and so intensely magnetic that Pim felt not just seen, but chosen. The look was heavy, too profound for a casual roommate. It settled over Pim like a warm, inescapable blanket, making her heart hammer a frantic rhythm against her ribs.
​"What is it, Fah?" Pim asked, her voice barely a whisper.
​Fah pushed off the wall and walked slowly across the cramped space. She stopped directly in front of Pim, her shadow enveloping her.
​"Nothing," Fah murmured, her voice dropping to a low register that sent a shiver down Pim's spine. "It's just... I'm looking at you, Pim. Really looking."
​Fah reached out, and Pim instinctively flinched, expecting a friendly clap or an annoying poke. Instead, Fah's long fingers gently brushed the dried tear tracks beneath Pim's eye. The contact was feather-light but felt like a shock of electricity.
​"You have such kind eyes," Fah said, her gaze fixed on Pim's. "And you look so delicate. You know... if I were a man, I would marry you and take care of you forever."
​The words hung in the silence. Pim's mind went blank. The sentiment was outrageous, a kind of dramatic hyperbole Fah often used. Yet, the intensity in her dark eyes stripped the comment of any joke. It felt like a solemn declaration, an unspoken proposal.
​Pim's face burned hot. She was flustered to the point of pain, her introverted self completely overwhelmed. "Fah... that's a crazy thing to say."
​Fah chuckled, a low sound of satisfaction, then stepped back. "Maybe. But I mean it. Someone needs to take care of you, Pim."
​Just as the romantic weight threatened to overwhelm Pim, the door burst open. Dao, the third roommate, strode in, her hair damp from a shower. She froze, sensing the unusual atmosphere. Dao's eyes darted from Fah, who was still glowing with that inexplicable energy, to Pim, who looked like she'd just been struck by lightning.
​"Fah! I've been looking for you," Dao said sharply, her smile tight. "We need to go over the lab notes right now before dinner. You promised."
​Fah's intense aura immediately dissipated, replaced by her usual easygoing charm. "Oh, right! Coming, Dao." She turned to Pim, offering a quick, familiar wink—the gesture of a mere friend—and then followed Dao out.
​Pim was left sitting alone on the bed, her breath unsteady. In the span of five minutes, she had been singled out as a soulmate and then instantly abandoned for a scheduled study session.
​Was I dreaming? Pim thought, touching the spot under her eye where Fah's finger had rested. Did that really just happen?
​The confusion was a painful knot, but underneath it, a thrilling, terrifying question had begun to bloom: Did I just fall for her?