Challenge Accepted

On that Friday afternoon, Lingling and Orm were at Channel 3's headquarters, preparing for the live promotion of the Only You finale. The makeup room buzzed with stylists moving around, the faint scent of hairspray and foundation filling the air.

Orm sat by the mirror, scrolling through TikTok between touch-ups. Her feed was full of dachshund videos. Tiny dogs waddling across living rooms, chasing toys with ridiculous determination. One clip showed a dachshund trying and failing to jump onto a couch, and Orm burst into quiet laughter.

Turning in her chair, she leaned toward her girlfriend sitting at the next station.

"Phi Ling, look at this one," Orm said, eyes bright. "Tell me this isn't the cutest thing ever."

Lingling, in the middle of getting her lipstick fixed, gave the phone a brief glance.

"You and dachshunds again?" she teased, smiling faintly.

"I can't help it," Orm said, still grinning. "I've been watching them all morning. I really, really want one, Phi. Can we please get a dachshund?"

Lingling laughed softly, shaking her head.

"You've been saying that for a year, Orm. And I've told you before, our schedules are too packed. You barely have time to rest."

Orm pouted.

"I can make time. I'll take care of it myself."

"You already have Uni at home. One dog who thinks she's a queen is enough."

Orm frowned, crossing her arms.

"Uni's friendly! She'd love a little brother."

"A little brother you'll forget to feed when you're busy filming?" Lingling teased, her tone affectionate but firm. "And your mom helps take care of her most of the time, right?"

Orm hesitated, caught.

"...She likes doing it," she muttered defensively. "Uni keeps her company."

Lingling chuckled, then added teasingly,

"Didn't your mom say she wouldn't let you adopt another dog? She knows she'll end up taking care of it again."

Orm pouted, her lips curving downward as she slumped back in her chair. Lingling wasn't wrong, her mom had put her foot down about it. After Uni, she refused to have another dog in the house, saying one was more than enough.

That was exactly why Orm wanted Lingling to be the one who gave her a dachshund. Her mother never said no to Lingling. Whatever Lingling suggested, she somehow always agreed.

It was the same when Lingling gifted Orm Abu Chicken, the little parakeet, for her birthday. Orm had wanted a parakeet for ages, but her mom had always refused, saying birds were messy and noisy. Yet the moment Lingling showed up with the cage, her mom just smiled and welcomed it in. No questions, no complaints.

Orm sighed dramatically, leaning toward Lingling.

"See? That's why you have to be the one to get me the dachshund, Phi. My mom always listens to you. You've got some kind of magic over her."

Lingling let out a quiet laugh.

"It's not magic, Nong Orm. It's just common sense."

Orm huffed, crossing her arms.

"No, it's favoritism," she muttered, pouting harder.

Lingling smiled, shaking her head.

"And now you want another one? Who's going to take care of it when you're off shooting again?"