Instantly Smitten! -Lingorm

Chapter 4

Orm walked through the campus, her mind occasionally wandering back to the Instagram interaction of the night before. The feeling of giddiness still fluttered in her chest, though she tried to maintain some semblance of normalcy. She had classes to focus on, and her thoughts couldn't keep distracting her.

But as she sat in class, her mind kept drifting back to thoughts of Lingling.

Orm half-heartedly tried to pay attention in class, scribbling down notes here and there. But her mind kept replaying the conversation with Prigkhing. "Send a private message? Easy for you to say," she muttered under her breath. Yet, the thought of actually messaging Lingling sent a wave of anxiety through her.

"I'm just going to make a fool of myself," Orm thought to herself, mentally scolding her own hesitation.

She let out a soft sigh, her pencil idly tapping on her notebook. There was something holding her back from taking that step, self-doubt creeping in as she grappled with anxiety.

Prigkhing, who was sitting next to her, poked her arm gently, effectively tugging her back from her reverie with a startle.

"Hey, earth to Orm," Prigkhing whispered, a mix of amusement and concern etched on her face.

Orm was pulled away from her internal dilemma, the sudden jolt made her jump slightly.

"Oh, sorry," Orm murmured instinctively, shaking her head as if attempting to dislodge the cobwebs from her mind. She offered Prigkhing a sheepish smile, her voice tinged with a hint of embarrassment. "Just got a little lost in my thoughts, I guess."

Prigkhing, her eyes sparkling with mischief, kept the teasing tone going. "Thinking about a certain beautiful rockstar, huh?" she whispered.

Orm's blush intensified, her lips curving into a reluctant half-smile. "Shh!" she whisper-hissed, casting a nervous glance around to ensure no one overheard their conversation. "You don't have to say it so loudly!"

Prigkhing couldn't help but grin widely at the sight of her friend's flustered expression. "Ah, so it's all about Lingling, is it?" she teased, her voice filled with amused curiosity.

Orm's cheeks turning an even deeper shade of pink, she shifted uncomfortably in her seat before mumbling a feeble protest. "Oh, stop being so annoying, will you?" she grumbled. "I was just thinking about your suggestion last night, but I just can't bring myself to do it, okay? I'm too scared to make the first move."

Prigkhing sighed dramatically, her eye roll emphasizing her playful annoyance. "Oh, classic bottom behavior," she teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Orm's cheeks burned even more, her embarrassment growing exponentially. "Shut up!" she half-whispered in a mixture of defensiveness and laughter. "What do I even say to her? I can't just slide into her DMs and say, 'Hey, Lingling, you left me speechless last night.' That's over the top, isn't it?"

Prigkhing playfully raised an eyebrow, her teasing tone unwavering. "Well, if you said that to me, it would totally work," she shot back with a wink. "Why wouldn't it work on Lingling? She already left a comment on your post, didn't she?"

Orm slouched in her chair, her voice laced with self-doubt. "Maybe she just did it because she thought I'm a fangirl, and that's the end of it. I mean, she's a famous rockstar. Why would she truly want to talk to me?"

Prigkhing suddenly tapped her chin, her eyes lighting up as she realised something. "Hold on," she said, "now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever seen Lingling comment on anyone's pictures - apart from the band members. And you're definitely not in the band, last time I checked?"