"My toast almost got burned."

 

Cocking an eyebrow, Hitomi cranes her neck, her round eyes examining the pile of toasts on the pink plate. When she fails to even spot any sort of black colored substance on the surface of the bread, she tilts her head up, raising her eyebrow even higher behind her long fringes.

 

"It's not burnt," Hitomi testified, confused. She looks back again on the pile of toast, inching closer as if the pigment will change upon closer inspection. "Yep, not burnt at all." She looks up again, a bit surprised to see Chaewon's annoyingly smug expression.

 

"I know," the older girl says, smirking victoriously, "that's why I said I almost burned it." And as if to flex her victory, Chaewon pulls the plate closer to her chest and did a dramatic twirl and a happy victorious dance. Hitomi watched her, horrified, holding her breath as the toast on top of the pile moves dangerously, and at some point, almost got thrown off. Watch out for the toasts! She wanted to say, but Chaewon is too busy monologuing about her adventures on toasting Hitomi's favorite food.

 

 

Hitomi isn't one to live dangerously and the careless way how Chaewon handles her toast contributed to the reduction of her life span. And then, fueled by the desire to see the toast is in safe hands (which means, definitely not Chaewon's), she promptly forced out a loud, "And?" in hopes Chaewon would stop doing that dangerous stunt immediately.

 

 

"I almost burned my toast," Chaewon reinstates, still wearing the same smug smirk─but thankfully, Chaewon stopped endangering the food. Hitomi fears the smirk will become permanent at this rate. Chaewon settles the plate down─far enough for Hitomi to not be able to snatch one without endangering her life.

 

"Aren't you going to congratulate me for making a perfect toast?" Chaewon questioned, furrowing her eyebrows in curiosity. Usually, Hitomi always showers her in compliment every time she doesn't burn the kitchen down.

 

"There is no such thing as perfect toast," Hitomi pointed out, scrunching her lips into a pout, tearing her gaze away from the pile of delicious-looking toast. Her inner Hyewon coming to play, she haughtily adds: "If it's not in my mouth."

 

Chaewon's mouth formed an 'o'. "Ah," Chaewon giggles, amused. "I knew it. Unfortunately, these toasts aren't for you."

 

"Not even a bite?"

 

"Nope!" Chaewon grins, deliberately popping to accentuate the 'p'. "I owe Minju a breakfast for annoying her last night."

 

"And she can eat all of them?" Which, Hitomi sincerely doubt it. Yet, sometimes, Minju can eat like a ravenous wolf that even put Wonyoung's and Hyewon's eating ability to shame. But it's a rare occurrence; Hitomi dares to say it's a once in a blue moon.

 

The older girl responds by shrugging her shoulder. "You know how she eats, lately."

 

"Still… that’s not fair to fill me up with false promises."

 

Chaewon tuts, setting the plate even further as she takes a seat beside Hitomi, draping her arm over Hitomi's shoulders as if it has always belonged there. "Life isn't fair," she whispers conspiratorially to Hitomi's ear. She notes how Hitomi's body seems to shudder; perhaps due to her breath hitting Hitomi's ear. Hitomi's ears have always been sensitive.

 

A quirk Chaewon noticed very early in their relationship.

 

"Tch." Hitomi turns away from her. As clear as day, Honda Hitomi is sulking.

 

Of course, Chaewon can't afford that to happen. Her love-life is in danger if she pissed her off this early!

 

The gears on her brain started to move, hatching a fool-proof plan in no time. "But since you have the privilege of being my most favorite person," Chaewon drawls out, picking a toast and waves it, right in front of Hitomi. "You can have one."

 

She knows she's being greedy, but Hitomi has natural greed towards bread, cheese, and anything Chaewon. "Out of three?" She asks, bargaining.

 

The older girl gives her an unreadable look. "If you kiss me today I'll make another." It's a win-win situation, Chaewon is sure Hitomi would never resist this!

 

"Eh, I think one is better," Hitomi says, cringing, unexpectedly didn’t take up the challenge. 

 

Chaewon sighs. Well, she tried. "Fine. You can have this."

 

Hitomi cheers cutely, bumping her head a little to Chaewon while uttering how much she loves Chaewon. She reaches her hand towards the toast, but Chaewon quickly pulls the toast away. "Unnie!"

 

Chaewon gives her a smirk (Hitomi swears she looked so annoying at that moment).  Swaying the toast again, she gives Hitomi a teasing look."Aah! Only if you use your mouth!"

 

The Japanese frowned, giving Chaewon a disgusted look. "Chaewon unnie, please do not even try to drag me into the furries line."

 

Indignant sputtering. "I'm not a furry!"

 

"Sure you aren't."

 

"Just─" sigh. Hitomi continued to give her a doubtful look and Chaewon is tempted to erase that kind of expression. But Chaewon isn't one to dwell with something so trivial. Furthermore, Hitomi probably won't understand that. "Just try fetching it with your mouth. I want to see something."

 

Hitomi's eyes narrowed until they are no more than a pair of slits. She lets out a dissatisfied hum, silently telling Chaewon that no, I am not convinced and you are suspicious.

 

Unfortunately, Chaewon takes it as a yes; so, she waves the bread in front of Hitomi's face again. The way Chaewon sways the toast back and forth like a pendulum is undeniably teasing. Like Chaewon is deliberately testing her patience.

 

"Are you sure you are going to resist this?" Chaewon coaxed, smirking again. She just knows Hitomi can’t and won’t resist this.

 

Now, Hitomi is tempted to just yeet the toast to Chaewon's smug face and stomp away just to scorn the older girl, but that Hitomi doesn't want to vilify the toast's dignity. Toasts are meant to be eaten, not thrown.

 

Moreover, Hitomi is Hitomi─the Tochigi bread-lover who is willing to trade Ahn Yujin for a loaf of bread, someone who is obsessed with things related to bread, cheese, strawberry, and anything Chaewon.

 

Herself? Resisting a bread? That is impossible.

 

Hitomi's button nose twitched, then her the corner of . Inside her oral cavity, her salivary glands react by producing more saliva at the slightest smell of toast. Her eyes are automatically focused on the dangling food right in front of her, watching the toast like a predator watching its prey. 

 

Her body naturally leans forward, but her brain stopped her so.

 

"If I lean right this and push my body like with both of my arms I can snatch it away! But Chaewon unnie is probably making a game out of it…" Hitomi thinks.

 

Narrowing her eyes and chooses to focus them on the smug-looking girl beside her, Hitomi opened s as she slowly pushed her body forward to claim the toast with her teeth ─but as expected, Chaewon slowly pulls the bread back, grinning ear to ear.

 

"Eyes on the prize, Hitomi," Chaewon chides her, laughing.

 

She has expected this, but she's still annoyed that she was right. Hitomi pouts again, growling. "Chaewon-ah."

 

"Hitoma." Chaewon mocks, swaying the piece of toast again in front of Hitomi. She pulls her arm off Hitomi's shoulders, resting it on her lap as she sits cross-legged on the couch. "Come on, come on! I know you're quicker than that!" 

 

"You're doing it on purpose!"

 

"I do," Chaewon admits with a nod, followed by a cheeky smile. "You're just too cute, Hitoma."

 

"You're lame!" Hitomi huffs, crossing her arms. "Give me the toast unnieee!"

 

"Fetch it with your teeth!"

 

"Why are you so adamant about it?!"

 

"Just do it!"

 

And so, Hitomi hardens her resolve to do just that. She turns her body to face Chaewon and surges forward─the same time as Chaewon suddenly moves the toast away from her. Hitomi's eyes widen as she attempted to halt on her advances, but she lost her balance and lands inside Chaewon's arms.

 

"You─" Hitomi's sputters out her words, cheeks flushing red as she claws Chaewon's shoulder to return to her original position. "You planned this!" Hitomi shrieks─because Chaewon suddenly pulled her until she lands on the couch, with the younger girl on top of her. To prevent Hitomi from going away, she latches her arms around the cheese-lover's torso─after making sure the sacrificial toast is placed safely back on its place.

 

"Not quite true," says Chaewon, smirking victoriously at the struggling girl. She dips her head until her lips brushed against Hitomi's cheek. "I just want to steal a kiss, but I think this is better~" She muses while using her arms to pull Hitomi closer to her until she's able to give Hitomi's lips less-than-innocent kiss.

 

Hitomi moans a little, feeling ticklish at how Chaewon nibbles on her lips. But annoyed Hii is annoyed Hii, and she's going to succumb to Chaewon like this.

 

"ert!" She screeches, unlatching their lips and continues to struggle.

 

Chaewon attempts to feign hurt, but a playful grin shows up instead. She changes her position so that she is sitting down, and Hitomi sitting on her lap. Her arms are still around Hitomi but lowered until they settle around her hip.

 

Looking up, Chaewon laughs at the beet-red face of a certain peach. Her eyebrows wiggled as a thought passed by her mind. "Ha! Isn't this the first time you're on top of me?"

 

Bingo! Hitomi sputters out something incoherent, which, unfortunately for Hitomi, only invites Chaewon's suggestive teasing even more. She can’t help it, flustered Hitomi is rare and too adorable to resist. 

 

"Unnieeee shuuuttt uppp!!" She screams again, pounding her fists to Chaewon's shoulders in a futile attempt to drown out Chaewon's innuendos.

 

"Sorry sorry," Chaewon apologizes lamely, moving her lips to pepper some kisses on Hitomi's adorable bulging cheeks. "You're just too cute!"

 

“Apologies not accepted- stop doing that!” Hitomi tries to be strict, but it’s proven difficult on how Chaewon continues to pepper her skin with more kisses that─yes, turning her skin hot and heart beating rapidly against her chest. It’s familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. They have never done things more than making-out and this caused her to panic.

 

She tries to divert Chaewon’s attention away from the kiss by clawing her clothes, but sadly, that action proves to be ineffective. Rather than being discouraged, such action only encourages the older girl to leave more painful bites along her neck, causing Hitomi to release several pained whimpering. 

 

“C-Chaewonnie… Stop it! It hurts!” and Chaewon stops, pulling away instantly at the small whimper from Hitomi. Her eyes widen as the realization hits her. “Hitomi I’m sorry!”

 

“It’s─it’s okay,” Hitomi says, blinking her tears away and turns her gaze to the pile of cold toast. “It’s just unexpected...” It is unexpected what started as an innocent teasing turns out like this.

 

“I shouldn’t have,” Chaewon says, feeling guilty. As a peace offering, she takes a slice and presses the tip to Hitomi’s lips, urging Hitomi to take a bite. “I’m sorry…”

 

“It’s okay,” Hitomi assures her, nibbling at the toast, looking eerily similar to a hamster. “Since I kissed you, does this mean I get another toast?”

 

Hitomi completely misses out how Chaewon’s eyes glint mischievously. The next thing she knows, they are already inside their shared room, with her sitting at the edge of her bed and Chaewon locking the door with a strange expression.

 

Anticipating for what might happen next, Hitomi’s grip on her half-eaten toast tightens.