The Unwritten Chapter - LingOrm

BITTERSWEET

Orm and View are in the elevator going to have their planned lunch together. Lingling, however, had left the room shortly after they did. Orm, still sore, found it difficult to walk without stumbling. Earlier, she had let her friend leave the room first so she could discreetly leave the door unlocked for Lingling to exit and lock it by herself.

Orm teetered on her heels, nearly losing her balance. Just as she teetered on the brink of a fall, View's quick reflexes caught her, steadying her before she could topple. "Orm, are you alright?" She asked, her eyes fixed on the girl's unsteady legs.

Orm forced a smile and nodded, "I'm fine," she lied. "I just slipped in the bath earlier."

View, still concerned, nodded slowly. "Okay, where does it hurt?"

"I think my butt." Orm replied.

"Alright, hold onto my arm" View instructed. "You shouldn't have worn heels if you can't walk in them properly."

"Sorry, I thought it wouldn't be a problem." Orm apologized.

"Okay, just be more careful next time, alright?" View said.

The two girls then headed to a nearby restaurant for lunch, placing their orders as the enticing smells filled the air.

The model is enjoying her lunch, but the girl sitting across from her seemed lost in thought. She tried to get her attention by waving a hand in front of her face. "Lost in thought, are we?"

Startled, Orm quickly averted her eyes, She caught View's knowing glance and then followed her friend's finger, which pointed at her untouched plate.

"Oh, right" she mumbled, forcing a smile. She picked up her fork and began to eat, the flavors of her meal a mere echo in her mind, drowned out.

Orm needed advice, desperately. A decision loomed, a crossroads she couldn't navigate alone. But who could she turn to? The girl across the table, the one whose eyes held a secret yearning, was the last person she wanted to burden with her woes.

Orm gazed at the woman in front of her, someone she had known since they were children and admired for her kindness. A gentle smile played on her lips, unaware that her soft gaze is causing View to blush deeply.

Lingling's voice, laced with a reassuring calm, echoed through the phone. "I still have a lot to fix here, Dad. Don't worry, the company is in good hands." Her father, concerned about her prolonged absence in Bangkok, had called to ask about her return.

She sighed, leaning back against the plush couch, a playful glint in her eye. The memory of the passionate encounter earlier at Orm's hotel room was still fresh, a vivid sensation that made her heart skip a beat. The longing for Orm's touch, for the feeling of her body pressed against hers, was a constant ache in her heart. She craved to be near the young woman, to see her face every second of every day. But Lingling knew she couldn't be greedy, not yet. She was still in the delicate process of winning her back, and she wouldn't risk jeopardizing their fragile connection.

View and Orm are walking in the garden, enjoying the fresh air. "So, what are you going to do now that Lingling is back?"

Orm was caught off guard. She felt a lump in her throat and swallowed hard. "I... I don't know," she stammered. "We haven't spoken since that night she tried to talk to me."

She bit her lip, looking away. She closed her eyes tightly, feeling a pang of guilt. She had just lied to View again, and it felt terrible. She didn't know how to tell View the truth about what happened between her and Lingling. The thought of admitting that she and Lingling had slept together, and then lying about it to View, made her feel awful. She hated herself for it.

View was the kindest person Orm knew. Lying to her felt like a huge mistake, like a sin. Orm didn't want to hurt View or give her false hope.

It's understandable that she wouldn't be oblivious to the way Orm was looking at Lingling. At the corporate party that night, she witnessed everything firsthand. She had planned to ask Orm to dance, but Lingling got there first. She wouldn't deny feeling hurt that evening when she saw the two kissing.

She turned to Orm and gently took her hand, wanting to hold it. Orm flinched a little at the unexpected touch, but she allowed it. She then turned Orm's body to face her, reaching for both of her hands. "If she asked you to be with her, what would you do?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady, but her eyes betrayed her sadness.

Orm noticed the sadness in View's eyes and felt bad about it. "View..."

View shook her head, her eyes softening with a newfound understanding. "It's okay," she said gently, her voice laced with a hint of resignation. "If you ever think of going back to her, I would understand."

Orm sighed, her heart heavy with sadness. Seeing her friend like this, her own heart ached. "View," she began, her voice laced with concern, "I don't want to hurt you, but I also don't want to lose you. You're so dear to me. I'm not sure yet where love brings me and Lingling together. The past still casts a shadow, and I'm afraid of repeating old mistakes. I need to understand myself better before I can truly understand where this path might lead."

View offered a small, understanding smile, tapping Orm's shoulder lightly. "Right now, you don't know how you feel towards her," she said, her voice calm and reassuring. "But I know..."  She paused, her finger tracing a line over Orm's heart, "Deep inside that, you still love her."

Orm collapsed into View's embrace, seeking solace in the warmth of her friend's arms. View held her tight, her own heart aching with a familiar pain. As their tears mingled, the sky opened up, mirroring their sorrow with a downpour of rain. View cried, but found a strange comfort in the rain, as if it washed away the pain in her heart. She knew, deep down, that she was only a friend to Orm, nothing more. She had accepted it, even if it broke her a little each day.

Wiping her tears with the back of her hand, she held Orm a little longer before gently pulling away. She looked at Orm who is still sobbing under the rain, a pang of sadness pierced her heart. "I'll go back to Paris," she said, her voice laced with a bittersweet tone. "My manager has been calling me to come back. A lot of endorsements are waiting for me." She hated to say goodbye to the woman she admired, but Paris called to her. There were things waiting for her there, a life she had to return to.  For weeks, she had been contemplating this decision, and now, as she made it, she also made the painful choice to let go of her love for Orm.

Orm didn't say anything, her heart heavy with the impending loss. She simply hugged View again, her voice choked with tears. "I will miss you," she whispered, "Please don't cut contact with me." View nodded, a painful smile gracing her lips. Her eyes then drifted towards the glass window of the convention room, where a figure stood watching them, her eyes filled with a silent pain. It was Lingling, the girl whose heart ached at the sight of View and Orm hugging tightly.

A wistful sigh escaped her lips. releasing her hug and raising her head, forcing a smile. "You should get inside," she said, her gaze lingering on Lingling. "You're probably the one she's waiting for." She gently turned Orm towards the window, urging her to go. "Go now."

Orm, still heartbroken at the thought of her friend leaving, started to walk towards the door. Before she could fully enter, she turned back to View, who stood there, a smile plastered on her face, but her eyes betrayed the brokenness within. Orm mouthed, "Thank you." before stepping inside the convention room, going to Lingling. View watched them disappear, her heart heavy with a bittersweet longing, before turning and walking away, leaving behind a love that could never be.

Manut, No. 😭