Against the Wind || LingOrm [ Under Revision ]

CHAPTER 10

Orm, along with her bandmates, had settled into a cozy booth at the newly opened restaurant, "I Think You'll Like It." Soft music filled the air, and the owner had mentioned a live band performance to celebrate the grand opening.

"Who could it be?" View asked, her interest piqued. Unlike the rest of the group, View wasn't particularly fond of bands, joining only because of her friendship with Orm.

"Let's just eat. I'm starving," Love replied, waving to a nearby waiter.

One by one, they placed their orders. Orm, not feeling particularly hungry, opted for a simple chocolate cake. However, the table was soon overwhelmed by the sheer volume of food Milk and Lingling had ordered. Despite their gym-going habits, the two were notorious for their hearty appetites.

"There's so much food. Why are you only eating cake?" Lingling whispered to Orm. Ying, sitting between them, overheard the conversation.

"Do you like shrimp? I ordered a lot. You can have these," Ying offered, passing a plate to Orm.

"Or soup, if you don't want something heavy," Lingling suggested, gently pushing the plate aside.

"I don't see any drinks for you. You can have my juice!" View chimed in, standing up to place her juice in front of Orm.

"She doesn't like juices. You can have my matcha instead," Lingling retorted.

"Maybe you want some salad then," Ying countered, glaring at Lingling.

"What about tea?" View asked.

The banter quickly escalated into a light-hearted competition among the three women. Love and Milk watched with amusement, while Prigkhing observed Orm, who looked increasingly confused by the sudden attention.

"I'm not really hungry, I'm fine. And I'm okay with water, thank you girls," Orm insisted.

"No, you must eat!" The three women exclaimed simultaneously, their voices drawing a few curious glances from other diners.

Lingling quickly composed herself, clearing her throat and avoiding eye contact. Ying, too, realized they had been a bit loud and tried to calm down. View, on the other hand, continued to smile at Orm, even offering an ice cream, which Orm politely declined.

"Don't you think Orm's a little oblivious?" Milk whispered to Love.

"She is, so is someone I know," Love replied, glancing at Lingling, who was rolling her eyes at View's dad jokes.

"Hey," Milk leaned towards Prigkhing.

"Oh, hi," Khing replied, surprised by the sudden attention.

"You're Prigkhing, right? Did you notice anything about those three?" Milk asked, and Khing couldn't help but giggle at Milk's innocent expression.

"Kinda," Khing smiled. She had noticed the way the three women looked at Orm, a gaze she was all too familiar with. She had once felt the same way, but her past mistakes had made her realize the error of her ways. She was grateful for Orm's civility, considering her own actions.

"Hey, why are you crying?" Milk asked, concerned.

"Oh, sorry. Just got something in my eyes," Khing replied, wiping away her tears. She caught Orm's glance and quickly looked away, feeling unworthy of pity.

"Everything's on me, guys!" Prigkhing declared, causing a cheer from the girls. After paying the bill, Prigkhing walked out of the restaurant.

"Uh, P'Ling. I'll handle something. You can go ahead. I'll book a taxi," Orm said to Lingling, who was about to speak but was cut off.