“Lee Taeyong, you are terribly gross!” Koeun yelped, making a face of utter disgust. “Jae, stop him!”

Taeyong was too busy trying to inhale the single strand of spaghetti on his place to look up. Jaehyun, who was Koeun’s boyfriend and the other boys Ten, Yuta and Mark were all engaged in cheering him on and Yuta and Ten were even helping to blow the strand from their corners of the table. Doyoung, who was behind the dare, watched over Taeyong with a complacent smirk.

“Boys will be boys,” Herin laughed at Koeun’s exasperated look, giving her boyfriend Doyoung an affectionate slap on the shoulder. I glanced over at Taeyong, frowning, wondering what might happen if the strand really did get into his nose. “It’s not safe, isn’t it?” I murmured, leaning towards Hina, who was beside me. 

“Yah, Taeyong, don’t play with your food.” Hina, ever the motherly figure of our group, advised, but of course Taeyong waved her off determinedly. Her boyfriend, Ten, gave her a sheepish smile and stopped cheering Taeyong on.

This all began when Yuta was showing them a video of a competition of noodle-nose-slurping in Japan online and Doyoung was betting lunch on whoever could do it. And Taeyong being Taeyong, who couldn’t resist a challenge, was at it faster than we could stop him.

“I don’t think he can even do it,” Herin shook her head. “It’s all your fault, Doyoung-ie.”

“I heard that, Hina!” Taeyong cried out, still intensely air into his nose.

“He’ll get aspiration pneumonia,” I mumbled, covering my face with my hands, not wanting to see how this would end. Taeyong has done many silly things, but if he suffocated to death from this challenge, this would top the list.

Mark, who was sitting on my other side, nudged me lightly. “I don’t know whatever you just said, but don’t be so worried.” He shook his head. “Taeyong won’t be able to-“

Slurrrpppp. 

The noodle strand went up his nose and Taeyong whipped his head so fast back he nearly crashed into Koeun and Ten. “I did it!” He cried out triumphantly, the noodle dangling from one nostril.

“Oh my God, this needs a picture!” Mark jumped out of his seat and whipped out his phone. Jaehyung and Taeyong exchanged high-fives while Doyoung gave a groan of exasperation. Ten was massaging his head while staring at disbelief at the dangling noodle.

“Stupid Taeyong,” Hina clucked her tongue, “To think that Lami actually got worried for you!”

“What? Really?” Taeyong turned towards me with a huge, -eating grin. “Aww, Lami-“

I shook my head vehemently. “What, no way!” Since I was the only single girl in the group, the girls were always trying to pair me up with the other four guys that were not their boyfriends- namely Ten, Yuta, Mark and Taeyong. I felt Mark staring at me from beside me and I quickly added, “This is no big deal.”

“No big deal?” Yuta taunted. “Hey, Lami, if you do it, I’ll buy you anything you want.”

Everyone made “ooh” sounds and I narrowed my eyes at all of them. “I-I don’t need anything.” 

“Just admit that your nose isn’t as strong as mine, Lami.