Orbit

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The sun was barely rising, casting a soft orange glow over the campus streets as Namtan and Milk made their way to class. Milk slurped noisily on her iced coffee, her oversized tote bag swinging at her side. Meanwhile, Namtan walked in silence, her hands jammed into her hoodie pockets, her eyes glued to the ground.

Milk nudged her shoulder, breaking the quiet. “You’ve been weird since the festival, Namtan. Real weird. What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Namtan muttered, her voice tight.

Milk raised an eyebrow and let out a dry laugh. “Oh, come on. You were literally locked up during the fair, and you’re acting like that’s normal.”

Namtan shot her a sharp look. “You’re the reason I was locked up in the first place!”

Milk’s grin widened, completely unapologetic. “Hey, I told you to run faster. It’s not my fault you’re slower than campus security.”

Namtan groaned, her shoulders slumping. “You ditched me, Milk! And then some poor girl got dragged into the mess because of you.”

Milk waved a hand dismissively, though a flicker of guilt crossed her face. “Yeah, yeah, I feel bad about that part. But look, I knew you’d handle it. You’re tough! And, I mean, it’s not like you were completely alone, right?”

Namtan froze for a second, the memory of the jail booth flashing through her mind. The awkward silence, the quiet conversations, and those fleeting glances that felt way more significant than they should have.

Milk noticed the slight hesitation and pounced like a cat on a mouse. “Wait a second.” She narrowed her eyes, stepping in front of Namtan to block her path. 

“Who were you stuck with?”

“No one,” Namtan said quickly, brushing past her.

Milk’s jaw dropped in mock outrage. “No one? You’re telling me you spent all night in that booth and didn’t even talk to the person who was literally handcuffed to you?”

“I didn’t say we didn’t talk,” Namtan mumbled, her face heating up.

Milk gasped dramatically, grabbing Namtan’s arm. “Oh my God. You did talk! Who was it?”

Namtan bit her lip, her ears turning red. “It doesn’t matter. It was just… some girl from the Faculty of Architecture.”

Milk tilted her head, her curiosity growing. “Architectures, huh?”

“She didn’t do anything…” Namtan said sharply, surprising even herself with the edge in her voice.

“She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Milk blinked at her, then let out a low whistle. “Wow. You’re actually defensive about this girl. That’s new.”

“I’m not defensive,” Namtan grumbled, kicking a pebble on the sidewalk. “I just… feel bad. She wouldn’t have been there if it weren’t for us.”

Milk studied her for a moment, then smirked. “Okay, but if she was mad about it, she’d probably have ignored you, right? So, what happened? Did you two bond? Was it all ‘stuck-in-a-cage enemies-to-lovers’ vibes?”

Namtan’s eyes widened and her face turned bright red. “You’re insufferable”

Milk threw her head back and laughed, slinging an arm around Namtan’s shoulders. “Oh, this is so good. Did you develop a crush overnight?”

“I did not!” Namtan protested, shrugging off Milk’s arm.

“You did,” Milk sang, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “How long have we been friends? You think I don’t know you? Your face has subtitles! You’re terrible at hiding it.”

“I wasn’t!”

“Right, and I’m the queen of London,” Milk teased. “Come on, what’s her name? I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

Namtan stayed silent, her face burning.

Milk sighed, shaking her head in mock disappointment. “Fine. Keep your little secret. But if I see you staring off into space again, I’m going to figure it out. You know I always do.”

Namtan groaned, picking up her pace to get away from Milk’s relentless teasing. But deep down, she couldn’t shake the memories of that night—or the way Film’s soft smile had stayed in her mind ever since.

- 🐥See you on the next chapter 🐼-