warning: short kiss scene, please skip this if you are uncomfortable (sorry, I have never written one before so forgive me if it doesn't meet your expectations d:)

Your POV   

   Pepero stick...competition?!   

   Self-consciously, I my pale pink lips, trying to digest what the announcer had just declared. I noticed Hyunseung was looking, too, equally panicked and his mouth had opened so wide I could see his tongue resting on the ceiling of his mouth. What?! What if we accidentally... That would be my first kiss...

   "For those who do not know the rules of this entertaining game, I shall explain them to you," the plump man proceeded to pluck out a long Pepero stick with his fingers, pinching the end of the stick without the frothy chocolate with his short pink fingernails, "the game goes like this. Each one of you will bite a end of the stick, and when the game commences, you will have to bite the stick, moving towards each other. After around ten seconds or if the stick drops, we will stop the timer and measure the length of the stick left...if there is any!" the announcer cheekily smiled.

   "Of course, you can choose to chicken out, or continue till..." the man could not help grinning a little, "The pepero sticks are 10cm long, and we will subtract the remaining length from that to get your points. Well, without further ado, let's start the game! We shall go one by one, starting from the couple with the least points...can we have Choi Seung Hyun and Park Bom to come out first?"

   The tall muscular man with mint blue hair and the woman with striking red flowing hair stepped out, choosing a stick covered in pink chocolate and the man lightly placed the end with the sweet chocolate between his teeth. When the whistle was blown, the man started to move forward, yet the woman stayed rooted to her spot. Hesitating and then timidly biting on the stick, she jerked back by accident and the short stick dropped onto the carpeted floor, which measured to 3cm.

   The next couple seemed to feel pretty awkward as they stayed frozen in the original places, unmoving, and when the sound of the whistle echoed through the air, they hurriedly went back to their places, flushing red. 

   Among the other couples, some were pretty shy and embarrassed about having an accidental kiss and barely moved an inch while some others bravely lunged forward and lips met, not leaving a single trace of the stick left or just a tiny length. With that, 4 couples had gotten the maximum number of points for this category.

   "Finally, it's time for the last couple, the sweet couple! They have achieved to get the maximum number of points for each game, and are now leading right at the top! Will they be able to clinch the top prize? Well, let's find out!" the announcer's booming voice reverberated around the whole shopping mall. Avoiding eye contact, Hyunseung and I took tiny steps forward. I blushed deep red. Why must that guy call us the sweet couple?!

   "We'll take the stick with white chocolate. Hyunmi totally adores it, ever since young." I was pretty surprised that Hyunseung had actually remembered my favourite type of chocolate. Clenching the stick with shaky fingers, he turned towards me with the chocolate end of the stick facing me. Without hesitating, I bit on it lightly, the part inside my mouth and savouring the taste. Memories floated back to me.

Flashback

Sliding open the toilet door, I stepped out with a sulking expression written clearly all over my oval-shaped face. Biting on my lower lip, I felt slight fury towards Hyunseung for seeming to have forgotten it was my birthday. It had been an ordinary day, without any of his usual birthday surprises.

I hate you, Jang Hyunseung. I hate you with all my heart. I hate you with all my soul. I hate you...

"Oh great, I have to face him now. I'm supposed to be angry, furious at him for forgetting, but he always makes me laugh or at least smile, I can't even stay angry at him for long," I groaned to myself silently as I noticed from under the dusty wooden door of my room seeped out golden orange light, indicating that Hyunseung was inside. 

Shuffling unwillingly over the tiled floor of the brightly-lit hallway, I paused suddenly at the outside of my room. My hand hovered above the metal doorknob, hesitating. With my bare bony foot, I shifted it carefully to the foot of the door, and my suspicions were confirmed when the cold air came into contact with my foot.

The air-conditioner was on.

That was rare. The air-conditioner was always never switched on as it would contribute greatly to the multiplying electrical bills of the orphanage, and we were never allowed to turn them on. It was only on special events that we did.

Curiosity took over me. Instantly, I closed my fingers around the shiny silver doorknob, quivering a little as the icy cold knob made contact with the palm of my right hand and forcefully pushed the brown door open. The moment I did that, the room had been enveloped in darkness.

Confusion and fear overcame my body, curiosity gone. Letting go of the doorknob, I heard the door slam shut. Moving sideways like a crab at the beach, I raised my right hand and was about to snap on the lights when my foot connected to something warm.

"Oof!" the object squealed. "

You fail, Jenny," the familiar voice flooded the room as the lights were switched on again, illuminating the room once again in the bright orange light. Glancing forward, I was astounded to see the whole population of the orphanage gathered in the tiny room with huge smiles on their faces. A glass table which I hadn't seen before was placed in the middle of the room with the children surrounding it. I could barely catch a glimpse of the cake sitting on the tabletop.

"Happy birthday to you...happy birthday to you..." My heart exploded in warmth as tears brimmed in my almond shaped eyes, clouding my vision. I felt extremely touched. Hyunseung held out a pink plastic knife to me and a bright grin flashed on his face. "

Don't accuse me of doing nothing for your birthday, because I made preparations for all this. Enjoy now, thank me later. Happy 10th birthday, Bae Hyunmi," he smiled and gave me a big hug.

Full of happiness, I hardly remembered what I was doing that night, other than busily shoving the cake decked in white chocolate into my mouth, letting the sweetness explode in my mouth. I can recall...sweeping the sweet red cherries, strawberries, dark brown chocolate shavings and carefully removing the whipped cream from the cake with a metal knife and gorging on the white chocolate. 

Ever since then, Hyunseung had bought a white chocolate cake for me on all of my birthdays, watching me with glee as I shoved humongous mouthfuls of the delightful sweetness into my mouth.

End of flashback.   

   "Well, ready, and...go!"

   The thick white chocolate was enough to make me feel giddy and unconscious with happiness. Without a doubt, I kept biting on the stick, chewing the almonds and the crunchy biscuit and letting the sweet chocolate spread over my tongue. I proceeded forward over long distances.

   The distance between our lips reduced, little by little.

Hyunseung's POV

   I love her.

   But it was still too early to have our first kiss...my idea and plan for our date was to relive the memories of lying down on the damp grass staring up the glimmering stars, then kissing her in the romantic ambience. Yet now, there was a perfect chance of doing so, unromantically, but it was the only way we could win.

   If I really have to kiss her, I'll make it a sweet, lingering one. And I should do it now. Her first kiss...it should be a memorable, sweet one.

   Without hesitating, I lurched forward, closing up the gap in between us bit by bit, and within a matter of seconds, our lips were a hair's breath apart. I could feel her soft breathing on my soft lips.

   Jang Hyunseung, go for it! Be a man!

   Taking a deep breath, I lunged forward and completely closed up the distance between our lips. Locking lips with each other, I took the last bit of the stick into my mouth, chewing it slowly.

   The taste of the sweet white chocolate was still present on her soft frothy lips, as our lips met with each other and melted against one another softly. It was not rushed, but slow and tender. Gently, I pressed my pink lips against hers, taking in the sweet scent of her cherry lip gloss. Squeezing my eyes shut, I savoured the moment, and I believe Hyunmi did too, since she didn't resist.

   Hyunmi did not pull back at all, a fast indicator to me that she pretty much enjoyed the sweet lingering kiss. Taking in the smell of her strawberry perfume which was sprayed generously over her neck, our lips moved together in unison and ultimate synchronisation. Her lips were as soft as clouds, slowly melting as the heat from my lips travelled to hers. It felt like pure bliss, pure heaven.

Your POV

   Out of the blue, without warning, Hyunseung lurched forward and before I knew it, we had locked lips. I froze and my eyes widened in horror, almost to the size of saucers.

   My first kiss...gone...

   For a moment, I stood there, rooted to the spot in shock as Hyunseung pressed his lips lightly against mine, being as tender as he could to make me enjoy it. He didn't make a bad attempt - I'm not afraid to admit - I really enjoyed it. The way his soft lips are set upon mine, it felt like pure heaven.

   The kiss wasn't so rushed or forced that it literally my soul out of my delicate body - it was a sweet one. After having gotten over the shock, I moved my pink lips together with him in total harmony, going with the flow. Our lips were like cotton candy - melting against each other softly. 

   I sniffed and took a deep breath from my nostrils, inhaling the deep scent of his cologne. His neck smelt like scented soap - it was totally my drug. Shutting my eyed, I savoured the moment. My heart was bursting in - I was sure - intense love. 

   His hands crawled around my back and around my hips, gently cuddling me closer to him as my hands let go of the Rilakkuma stuffed toy and s up to his brilliant red hair, pushing in towards me as we deepened the sweet kiss. My arms wrapped around his sweet smelling neck as we enjoyed the kiss.

   Cheers erupted from the audience, yet we were to absorbed and engrossed to notice. It was as if we were in our own world - no one else was with us. We were alone in the whole world, and we could do whatever we want and enjoy the peaceful bliss of life.

   "I guess, Hyunseung and Hyunmi has won the competition, even ending it with a sweet kiss! Please give them a round of applause! They have hereby won TEN air tickets to Germany and a rare beautiful necklace!" the announcer's voice resonated around as never-ending claps and cheers erupted, deafening us.

Sungyeol's POV   

   The sight before me was total hell to me.

   The usually strong Sungyeol had gone, replaced with my weak side.

    Tears b in my eyes, I decided to escape from reality.

    I ran.