Behind the Script

Chapter 30: Orm's Ship

Orm swallowed hard, feeling her knees go weak. "Mae," she whispered to her mother, who was nearby, "hold me. I'm about to collapse." 

Mae Koy didn't even look up from her phone. "If you faint, don't expect me to catch you." 

The scene required Ling Ling, as Fahlada, to confront Earn with a cold, intimidating glare. But every time Ling Ling stepped into Orm's personal space, Orm's brain short-circuited. Instead of looking guilty, she gave Ling Ling her most flirtatious smile. 

"Cut!" P'Nay, the director, yelled. "Orm, stop flirting! Earn is supposed to feel remorseful, not like she's about to ask Fahlada out on a date!" 

Ling Ling's cheeks turned bright red. "I'm sorry, P'Nay. I—I got distracted." 

Orm grinned smugly. "It's okay, P'Ling. I'm distracting sometimes." 

The next take wasn't any better. Ling Ling delivered her lines perfectly until she accidentally glanced at Orm's lips. Her voice faltered, and she looked away, biting her lip in embarrassment. 

"Cut!" P'Nay sighed. "Ling Ling, you're supposed to be angry. Stop looking like you're about to kiss her!" 

Orm leaned over to Ling Ling and whispered, "Do you think P'Nay will notice if I mess up again? I wouldn't mind another retake." 

Ling Ling glared at her, but it lacked conviction. 

---

Orm's feelings for Ling Ling extended off-set, too. Ling Ling's quiet, attentive nature only made Orm fall harder. 

During dinner with the cast one evening, Ling Ling sat next to Orm as usual. The table was filled with laughter and chatter, but Orm's attention was solely on Ling Ling. 

"Nong Orm," Ling Ling said, scooping food onto Orm's plate. "Don't eat that one. It's too spicy for you. Here, take this instead." 

Orm stared at her, wide-eyed. "P'Ling, are you taking notes on me? How do you know I can't handle spice?" 

Ling Ling shrugged, her expression calm. "You complained last time, remember? I pay attention." 

Prikhing, who was sitting across from them, pointed her chopsticks at Orm. "Wow, Nong Orm, look at you! So pampered. P'Ling even remembers your food preferences. You're basically married already." 

Orm grinned smugly. "Jealous? You don't have someone to feed you?" 

Ling Ling rolled her eyes but didn't deny it. 

Later, when Orm dozed off at the table, Ling Ling quietly draped her jacket over Orm's shoulders and made sure no one disturbed her. 

---

The highlight of Orm's day was always the kissing scenes. One particularly memorable scene required Earn to wake up in a hospital bed and see Fahlada's face close to hers. 

Orm purposely messed up the take twice, stuttering her lines or "accidentally" blinking too much. 

"Cut!" P'Nay groaned. "Orm, what's going on? You're never this clumsy!" 

"Sorry, P'Nay," Orm said sheepishly. "I'm just... nervous." 

Mae Koy, watching from behind the monitors, snorted. "Nervous, my foot." 

Orm wasn't fooling anyone. She just wanted to kiss Ling Ling again. When they finally got the shot, Orm leaned in with just a little too much enthusiasm, savoring every second. 

---

As the unofficial captain of the *LingOrm* ship, Orm fully embraced her role. She secretly created a fake fan account to like and save edits of her and Ling Ling together. Her gallery was filled with Ling Ling's photos—some candid, some selfies, all precious to her. 

Occasionally, Orm even used Mae Koy's social media account to post pictures of her and Ling Ling with the #LingOrm hashtag. Mae Koy, however, quickly caught on. 

"Nong Orm," Mae Koy said one day, holding up her phone. "Stop using my account for your ship propaganda." 

Orm grinned unapologetically. "But Mae, it's for the fans!" 

---

During a recent fan meeting at Ch3's building, fans cheered loudly as Orm and Ling Ling walked through the lobby together. 

"P'Ling!" one fan shouted. "Can you open the girlfriend line?" 

Ling Ling turned to Orm, confused. "Can I?" 

Orm frowned. "What's a girlfriend line?" 

One of the fans explained, "It means fans can line up to be P'Ling's girlfriend!" 

Without missing a beat, Orm crossed her arms and said firmly, "Absolutely not." 

The fans laughed, thinking it was all part of the act. But Orm meant it. 

If anyone was going to be Ling Ling's girlfriend, it was going to be her.