The four girls left for the college campus together, the morning unusually peaceful. Tina was busy typing on her phone, while Sia strolled ahead, chatting away about an upcoming group project. Orm and Ling followed behind, keeping a careful distance from each other as usual.They were halfway to campus when Tina suddenly stopped, waving excitedly. "Oh, hey! Nod!"Nod, Sia's boyfriend, was standing by the campus gate, looking cool as ever in his leather jacket and carrying two iced coffees. He greeted Tina with a quick nod before turning to Sia with a smile that could melt butter."Hey," Nod said, handing Sia one of the iced coffees."Hey yourself," Sia replied with a grin, taking the drink.Tina made an exaggerated gagging sound. "Ugh, you two are so cheesy. It's like watching a romance movie on loop."Sia shrugged. "What can I say? It's true love." She turned to Orm and Ling, who were both standing awkwardly behind her. "You two should try it sometime—find someone to melt that frosty attitude of yours."Orm snorted. "As if."Ling crossed her arms. "Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather focus on things that actually matter, like my grades."The bickering started almost immediately."Your grades? Oh, come on. Do you ever do anything fun, or is your life just books, books, and more books?" Orm teased."At least I do something productive. You barely even show up to class!" Ling shot back, flipping her hair dramatically.Tina and Sia exchanged a knowing look and rolled their eyes as the argument escalated. They didn't even bother to step in this time—it was practically background noise by now.Once they reached campus, Sia and Tina headed off to their senior-level class with Nod, leaving Orm and Ling to attend their own. Orm groaned inwardly. She and Ling were stuck in the same class—and worse, Ling always sat in the front row, surrounded by her little group of nerdy friends.As soon as they entered the classroom, Ling strode to the front row, where her friends greeted her with smiles and excited chatter. She slid into her seat, pulling out a perfectly organized notebook and pen.Orm, on the other hand, slouched to the back corner, joining her group of backbenchers. Her friends immediately greeted her with exaggerated shock."Wow, look who decided to show up!" her benchmate, Phon, said with mock surprise. "I thought you dropped out or something.""Ha-ha, very funny," Orm replied, rolling her eyes.Phon leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Hey, who's that girl? The one sitting in the front? She seems familiar."Orm followed his gaze and immediately scowled. "That's Ling. She's annoying. And guess what? She's my new roommate."Phon raised an eyebrow. "Your roommate? Seriously?""Yep. She's like a cat—always ready to fight. And me? I'm the tiger. Obviously, I'm going to win."Phon chuckled, sensing an opportunity. "You want to pull a prank on her? I mean, if she's so annoying, why not mess with her a little?"Orm laughed at the suggestion, waving it off. "Yeah, sure. Go ahead. Just don't involve me if you get caught."After the lecture, the teacher announced that the rest of the day's classes were canceled due to an upcoming event. The students cheered, thrilled at the unexpected free time. To make things even better, the weather took a turn—clouds rolled in, and within minutes, it started raining.The air was fresh and cool, and most of the students ran outside to enjoy the rain. Orm and her group hung around the campus lawn, laughing and joking, while Ling tried to slip away unnoticed.Ling wasn't much for socializing, especially in unpredictable weather. She planned to head straight back to the house, but when she reached for her bag, she realized with growing dread that she'd forgotten her umbrella."Great," she muttered to herself, looking out at the pouring rain.She stood under the college building's awning, waiting for the rain to let up. Time ticked by, but the rain showed no signs of stopping. Sighing, Ling pulled out her phone and called Sia."Hey, Ling, what's up?" Sia's voice crackled through the line."Um, could you bring me an umbrella? I forgot mine," Ling said."Sure, but it'll take me a while. I'm out with Nod. Just hang tight, okay?"Ling hesitated. The idea of waiting alone didn't sit well with her, but she reluctantly agreed. "Okay, fine."She hung up and leaned against the wall, watching the rain. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Orm walking up until she heard a voice behind her."Forgot your umbrella, didn't you?"Ling turned to see Orm standing there, a smug look on her face and an umbrella in her hand.Ling's pride kicked in immediately. "What's it to you?"Orm grinned. "Nothing. I just think it's funny how the responsible one forgot something so basic."Ling crossed her arms. "If you're just here to make fun of me, you can leave.""Oh, don't be so sensitive," Orm said, stepping closer. She held up the umbrella and waved it teasingly. "Do you want to borrow it or not?"Ling eyed the umbrella suspiciously. "What's the catch?""No catch," Orm said with a shrug. "I'm just feeling generous today. But if you don't want it…" She started to walk away."Wait!" Ling called after her, biting her lip. "Fine. Can I borrow it?"Orm smirked. "What was that? I didn't hear you."Ling glared at her. "I said, can I borrow it?"Orm pretended to think about it. "Hmm… I don't know. What's in it for me?"Ling groaned. "Are you serious?""Dead serious," Orm said, enjoying herself."Fine," Ling muttered. "What do you want?"Orm leaned closer, her grin widening. "How about you stop being so bossy all the time? Just for one day. Can you manage that?"Ling rolled her eyes. "Fine. One day."Satisfied, Orm handed her the umbrella. As Ling took it, their fingers brushed briefly, sending an unexpected jolt through both of them. Ling quickly pulled her hand back, pretending not to notice."Thanks," Ling said quietly, holding the umbrella over her head.Orm hesitated, watching her for a moment. Ling looked different in the rain—her usual sharp demeanor seemed softer, and for once, she wasn't throwing sarcastic remarks."You know," Orm said suddenly, "you're kind of lucky. If it weren't for me, you'd still be standing here like a wet cat."Ling raised an eyebrow. "And you'd still be wandering around like a stray tiger."Orm laughed, surprising herself. "Touché."For a moment, they stood there in the rain, the usual tension between them replaced by something quieter, almost… pleasant.But then, as always, the moment passed."Well, don't stand there staring at me. Go home before you catch a cold," Orm said, turning to leave.Ling watched her go, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She wasn't sure what had just happened, but for the first time, she didn't entirely mind Orm's presence.