Chapter 20 - The First Date

Orm woke up that morning with a renewed sense of optimism. The contract was signed, the relationship was official, and she had survived a night of overthinking only to emerge with a plan. She was going to take Lingling on their first official date—something cute, simple, and romantic. Nothing too dramatic, nothing that would end in carnage. Right?

Wrong.

It all started innocently enough: a coffee break between classes. Orm and Lingling were seated at a small table in the campus café. Becky and May lingered a few tables away, blatantly eavesdropping.

Lingling, sipping her espresso, said it almost casually, "We should go on our first official date."

Orm, fighting the urge to grin like a fool, leaned back in her chair, trying to appear calm. "Yeah, we should. Where do you wanna go?"

Lingling lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? You're letting me decide?"

Orm smirked, tapping the rim of her cup. "What, are you scared I'll outdate you?"

"Outdate me?" Lingling repeated, sounding both amused and intrigued.

Orm shrugged with feigned nonchalance. "We're competitive. You know it. Whoever plans the better date wins."

A faint gleam sparked in Lingling's eyes. "Oh, sweetheart. You're playing a dangerous game."

Orm shrugged again, refusing to back down. "I like a challenge."

Becky, who had been straining her ears, nearly gasped. May kicked her under the table to keep her from screaming. They both knew that the second Orm challenged Lingling, the night was going to be far from "cute, simple, and romantic."

They chose a classy, candlelit restaurant in the city—somewhere with ambient lighting, a quiet string quartet, and impeccable service. Orm got there early, heart pounding. She wore her best outfit: a sleek dress and carefully styled hair, all meticulously arranged to ensure Lingling's defeat in this so-called "date battle."

She was going to win.

Then Lingling entered.

Orm nearly forgot how to breathe. Lingling wore a fitted black dress that clung to her figure in a way Orm had only read about in romance novels. She crossed the dining room with elegant strides, her eyes locked on Orm as if nothing else in the restaurant existed. Orm gripped the back of her chair, desperately trying not to swoon.

Lingling took her seat, offering the faintest smile. "You look beautiful tonight."

Orm.exe momentarily shut down. She cleared her throat, trying to recover. "Th-thanks. You too. I mean, obviously..."

She forced herself to breathe. This is just a date, she reminded herself. A normal, no-pressure date.

Somewhere in the back of Orm's mind, a voice cackled: Nothing is normal with Lingling Kwong.

Dinner officially commenced and so did the unspoken competition. Candlelight danced across their table, illuminating every smirk, every subtle glance.

Orm decided to strike first. She leaned forward, chin propped in hand and said in a low voice, "You always look good, but tonight? I might need you to sign another contract—to keep everyone else away from you."

Lingling's lips curled. "Oh? So you admit you get jealous?"

Orm managed a playful scoff. "Only when I have something worth being jealous over."

Lingling leaned in a touch, her eyes shining with challenge. "So... you're saying I'm worth it?"

Orm's heart pounded so loudly she wondered if the nearby violinist could hear it. "I—I... that's not—"

"That's what I heard," Lingling said, voice smooth as silk.

Orm's mind screeched to a halt. She had opened with a strong move, only to get trapped in her own words.

Score: Lingling 1, Orm 0.

When their dishes arrived—Orm's elaborate pasta and Lingling's filet—Orm tried to regain composure. She told herself she could still win. But the second she looked away from her plate, Lingling reached over and took a forkful of Orm's pasta, maintaining unwavering eye contact.

Orm nearly dropped her silverware. "You could just order the same thing, you know."

"But this is more fun," Lingling murmured, chewing serenely.

Not to be outdone, Orm stabbed a piece of Lingling's filet and popped it into her mouth. Lingling's eyes widened fractionally. She paused, then shook her head, looking oddly impressed.

"So you're fighting back now?"

Orm grinned. "You started it."

As the meal wound down, Orm spotted the waiter approaching with the check and lunged for it. She snatched it up, smirking at Lingling. "I'll handle this," she declared, voice dripping with triumph.

Victory is mine.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Lingling slid her credit card onto the tray before Orm could even open her wallet. The waiter, skilled in the art of silent flattery, grabbed Lingling's card and nodded politely.

Orm gaped at Lingling, indignation flaring. "HEY—"

"You lost, sweetheart," Lingling said in a low voice, the corner of her mouth quirking up.

"That's not fair," Orm grumbled, feeling her "victory" slip through her fingers.

Lingling shrugged, feigning innocence. "You challenged me."

With that final blow, Orm felt thoroughly defeated.

Score: Lingling 3, Orm 0.

Orm tried her best not to sulk as they left the restaurant. The crisp evening air nipped at her cheeks or maybe that was just the heat of embarrassment lingering from dinner.

"Still upset?" Lingling teased, noticing Orm's pout.

Orm crossed her arms. "I just don't like losing."

Lingling chuckled, slipping her hand into Orm's. The warmth of her grip melted a bit of Orm's frustration. "Oh, sweetheart. If we're together, you win every time I'm with you."

Orm stopped in her tracks. Her heart fluttered, mind scrambling to process the sincerity buried in Lingling's teasing tone. "I... uh..."

Looking painfully satisfied with the effect of her words, Lingling gave Orm's hand a gentle squeeze. "Come on, let's get you home."

They walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence, starlight overhead and their hands intertwined. Orm realized that despite the competitiveness, this was... nice. Maybe losing wasn't so bad if Lingling was the prize.

By morning, everyone on campus knew about their date—everyone.

Becky and May, self-appointed watchers of all campus drama, burst into the café where Orm sat nursing a latte.

"YOU TWO ACTUALLY HAD A DATE?!" Becky demanded, her voice loud enough to turn heads.

Orm groaned, sinking lower in her seat. "It's not that big a deal."

May gasped in exaggerated shock. "And Orm lost? After all her talk about winning?"

Lingling, who had been stirring sugar into her cup, glanced up with a smug grin. "That's exactly what a loser would say."

Becky and May squealed, while Orm buried her face in her hands. "This is not a competition," she hissed through her fingers.

Yet it was. And they all knew it.

But that was it: the moment campus crowned them the official power couple.

Whispers followed in their wake—Orm, the golden princess of the university, and Lingling, the cool, composed law student with a knack for turning arguments into romance.

Betting pools even emerged: Who would propose first? Who would say 'I love you' first? Would Orm ever learn how to win an argument against a future lawyer?

Orm tried to tune it all out. Lingling, on the other hand, seemed to thrive, smiling just a bit more when she caught people staring.

In a last-ditch effort to prove she wasn't entirely "whipped," Orm confronted Lingling one afternoon near the quad.

She sighed dramatically, crossing her arms. "You know, everyone thinks I'm the one who's head over heels here."

Lingling sipped her coffee, unperturbed. "And you aren't?"

Orm scowled. "You're the one who drafted a contract to date me."

"And?"

Orm huffed. "That means you're whipped, not me!"

Slowly, Lingling put her cup down and turned to Orm with a deadly seriousness in her eyes. "If I were truly whipped," she said, stepping closer, "wouldn't I do something like... this?"

Then she leaned in and kissed Orm. Not just a peck—an actual, heartfelt kiss that made Orm's toes curl. The café erupted in cheers and groans. Becky screamed, May collapsed into laughter, and a random student yelled, "Stop being so obnoxiously perfect!"

Orm gasped the second Lingling pulled away, cheeks flushed. "Y-you did that on purpose."

Lingling shrugged, calmly retrieving her coffee. "Obviously."

And just like that, Orm realized she would never truly "win" against Lingling. But strangely enough, she didn't mind at all. Because the way Lingling smiled as she took another sip—like she had all the confidence in the world—only made Orm's heart race faster.

Perhaps surrendering to Lingling was the best kind of victory anyway.