Echoes of a Heartbeat [LingOrm]

A little help

Orm's pov

I was sitting alone on a park bench, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my face as I took a bite of my sandwich. The day was peaceful, the kind where you could lose yourself in the rhythm of nature—the soft rustle of leaves, the distant laughter of children, the birds chirping in the trees above. My mind was drifting, thoughts lazily wandering, when I suddenly felt a light touch on my shoulder. Instinctively, I smiled, expecting to see Ling's face as I turned around. But instead of Ling, I found myself staring into the familiar eyes of Win.

"Hey Orm, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, his voice soft but serious.

Caught off guard, I quickly swallowed the bite of food and stood up, brushing crumbs off my lap. "Yeah, of course," I replied, trying to sound casual, though a knot of anxiety began to form in my stomach.

"So, I wanted to ask you a favor," he said, looking down at his shoes as if unsure how to continue.

I raised an eyebrow, curious and a bit confused. "What favor?" I asked, searching his face for clues.

Win hesitated for a moment, then finally looked up, determination in his eyes. "I want you to help me ask Ling out.

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt the air around me thicken. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. The idea of helping someone else pursue Ling 'my' Ling,was unthinkable. I quickly shook my head, my voice firmer than I intended. "No, sorry, I can't help you."

Win's face fell, but instead of accepting my refusal, he suddenly dropped to his knees, desperation in his eyes. "Please, Orm, you have to help me. I've liked Ling for so long, and I don't know how to do this on my own."

I looked around, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over me as people began to stare at the scene unfolding. "Win, please get up," I urged, glancing nervously at the passersby who were now giving us strange looks. But Win remained on his knees, pleading with me, his eyes wide with hope and despair.

Finally, with a frustrated sigh, I gave in. "Fine! I'll help you. Just stand up, okay?" I said, my voice laced with irritation.

Win's face lit up as he quickly got to his feet, dusting off his pants. "Thank you, Orm! You don't know how much this means to me."

"Do you even have any idea of how to ask her out?" I asked, crossing my arms and giving him a skeptical look.

Win grinned sheepishly. "I thought of asking her to a picnic by the sunset."

The word 'sunset' sent a jolt of panic through me. Memories of that Sunday flooded my mind, memories of Ling and I under a sunset that had changed everything between us. "No! No sunset!" I blurted out, more angrily than I intended. Win looked taken aback, and I quickly tried to cover up my outburst. "I-I mean, she doesn't like sunsets."

Win blinked, clearly confused, but nodded anyway. "Oh, really? Okay, so what about by moonlight?"

I was exhausted from the conversation and just wanted it to be over. Without really thinking, I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sure, moonlight is fine," I said, my mind already wandering back to thoughts of Ling.

As the afternoon wore on, all the students were called to the auditorium for an announcement. The air was thick with the chatter of excited voices, and as we made our way there, I couldn't help but notice Ling and Win talking on the way. A pang of jealousy shot through me, but I quickly pushed it aside. Ling sat beside me as we waited for the professors to arrive.

"Ugh, Win is always trying to ask me out on a date," Ling said, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

I chuckled at her frustration, trying to lighten the mood. "Someday you'll have to accept it," I teased, enjoying the way she scrunched up her nose in response.