---
"Ken! Come sit!" Mia called out, waving him over with an excited grin.
Ken, who had just managed to escape Arashi's intense stare-down from the dance floor, let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least Mia would be a distraction.
He didn't notice Arashi following him until he took the seat right beside him.
The long table was already crowded with Mia's college friends, drinks, and a deck of note papers folded into small squares. Ken's eyes flicked around the mess.
"What's all this?" he asked.
"Date Game," one of Mia's friends grinned. "Everyone writes down a dare on one set of notes, and everyone's name on another set. Then we spin the bottle. If it lands on you, you draw a dare and then pick someone to do it with. Totally harmless."
Ken narrowed his eyes. "That sounds like hell in disguise."
"Exactly," Mia laughed. "So we're playing."
Ken was about to protest—but then he heard something that made him stop.
Even Arashi was sitting down. Arms crossed, smirk lazy, completely unbothered.
"What… you're playing?" Ken asked in disbelief.
Arashi raised a brow. "What? You scared?"
"I'm not scared," Ken muttered.
But he should've been.
Because the game quickly turned from harmless to insane. A girl had to sit on a guy's lap for five minutes. Another dared someone to feed cake to their chosen partner mouth-to-mouth. Everyone laughed and shouted, especially because Arashi's presence made people bolder—they wanted to look cool in front of the club owner.
Then the bottle spun again.
And this time, it pointed directly at—
Ken.
All eyes turned.
Ken blinked. "No. Nope. Not—"
"Pick a dare!" Mia said, sliding the paper over.
Ken sighed, reaching for one of the folded dare notes. He opened it.
And froze.
Lip kiss.
10 seconds.
In front of everyone.
His face flushed deep red.
"Y-you guys are insane," he mumbled.
Mia was already giggling. "Now pick the name."
With a nervous breath, Ken reached for the name bowl.
His hand brushed around the slips.
He picked one.
Unfolded.
Arashi.
The table went silent for one second.
Then all at once—
"Ohh…"
"Damn."
"This is going to be good."
Ken sat frozen.
Arashi, on the other hand, looked far too calm. Like he had expected this.
He leaned back in his seat, elbows resting casually, eyes locked on Ken's.
"You're not backing out, are you?"
Ken stared at him. Then at the table. Then at the people around them, waiting.
"This'll look weird," he tried.
Two boys across the table shrugged. One leaned over and kissed the other—quick, casual.
"Nothing weird. See?"
"Just do it," someone said.
Ken sighed. He turned to Arashi again.
"Fine."
He scooted closer, slowly leaning in.
His heart was pounding so loud it was almost dizzying.
Arashi didn't move. Didn't flinch.
Their faces inched closer.
Then Ken closed the distance—
And took Arashi's lower lip between his.
Soft.
Warm.
He sucked gently.
"10…"
"9…"
"8…"
Ken's fingers clutched Arashi's jacket sleeve without realizing it. Arashi's hand brushed lightly against Ken's thigh, just resting.
"3…"
"2…"
"1."
They pulled away.
The room erupted in cheers and teasing. But Ken didn't hear any of it. His face was burning. His chest felt tight. And his lips…
His lips were still tingling.
He didn't look at Arashi.
He couldn't.
The game moved on, but it all blurred. Ken couldn't focus. Couldn't laugh. Couldn't joke.
Later, as people started leaving, Arashi leaned down and said softly near Ken's ear:
"Wait for me. We'll go together."
Ken only nodded.
Still not looking.
Still pretending it hadn't meant something.
But it did.
It so did.
---