The table hadn't fully recovered from Soo-min and Eun-ji's kiss.
Na-yeon was still fanning herself dramatically, muttering, "I feel like I just watched a K-drama finale," while Ji-hyun sat rigid beside her, chopsticks clenched like he was holding back a lecture. Eun-ji had practically folded herself into a ball, cheeks flaming, while Soo-min leaned back in her chair with the smugness of someone who'd just won a war.
I sat frozen, my mind looping back to the sight of Eun-ji melting into Soo-min's kiss. The way one dared and the other responded—it wasn't just a game anymore. It had felt real. Too real.
And the strangest part? Watching them stirred something inside me. A longing. An ache. A thought I couldn't say out loud: I want that. I want that with him.
But I kept my face neutral, pretending to focus on grilling another piece of pork belly.
---
The game continued, though the air was still thick.
Ji-hyun was next. Na-yeon pounced instantly. "Truth or dare?"
He gave her a flat look, then muttered, "Truth."
Na-yeon smirked. "Okay, then—do you like someone right now?"
The chopsticks in his hand stilled. For a second, he didn't answer. Then he cleared his throat. "That's… private."
"Ohhh, he does like someone," Na-yeon sang, leaning closer with a grin.
Ji-hyun adjusted his glasses, ignoring her, but the faint pink at the tips of his ears gave him away. Na-yeon laughed like she'd just scored a point in some invisible game.
Then it was Na-yeon's turn.
"Truth or dare?" Ji-hyun asked, his tone deceptively calm.
"Dare," she shot back without hesitation.
Ji-hyun's lips curved ever so slightly. "Then sing the chorus of any song… loudly. Right here."
Na-yeon blinked. "What—"
But Ji-hyun only arched a brow, clearly enjoying himself. The rest of us started cheering, egging her on.
Na-yeon rolled her eyes dramatically, stood up, and belted out the chorus of the latest girl group hit, complete with improvised dance moves. The restaurant wasn't ready for her performance, but we were laughing so hard it didn't matter. Even Ha-neul cracked the faintest smile, his shoulders shaking.
For a brief moment, it was easy. Light. Fun.
Until Soo-min turned toward me.
---
Her eyes gleamed like a cat spotting prey. "Minjae," she purred. "Truth or dare?"
My heart skipped. Na-yeon instantly began pounding the table, chanting, "Dare! Dare! Dare!" and the others joined in.
I swallowed. My instinct screamed at me to pick "truth," but the chorus was too loud, too insistent. "D-dare," I said finally, voice weak.
Soo-min's grin widened into something wicked.
My insistent telling me that something..... something going to happen ....
Something bad?
Don't know
God help!!
"Perfect." She leaned forward, elbows on the table, eyes glittering with mischief. "I dare you… to kiss Ha-neul. For forty-five seconds."
The world stopped.
The clatter of dishes, the chatter of other tables, the faint hiss of the grill—everything faded under the roar in my ears.
I wish for that but... but in front of everyone.... now?
No.. no..
I...
"What—" I croaked, but my voice broke.
Na-yeon squealed like it was her birthday. Ji-hyun pressed a hand over his face. Eun-ji nearly toppled out of her seat. And Ha-neul…
Ha-neul just looked at me. Calm. Unblinking.
"No backing out," Soo-min sing-songed, clearly delighted with herself. "You agreed to a dare."
I could barely breathe. My palms were slick with sweat, my pulse hammering so hard I thought it might shake the table. And yet—when I turned to Ha-neul again, expecting him to refuse, to push me away, he didn't.
He just sat there. Silent. Waiting.
The unspoken permission sent a jolt straight through me.
---
I leaned closer, every inch closing between us making the air heavier. My chest felt too tight, my breath too shallow. His face came into focus—the sharp line of his jaw, the curve of his lips, the way his dark eyes never wavered.
And then I kissed him.
At first, it was a brush, tentative, like dipping my toes into water that might be too cold. His lips were softer than I'd imagined, warmer too. He didn't move, didn't push me away, didn't kiss back. He just stayed utterly still—except for the faintest intake of breath that ghosted across my skin.
But the dare wasn't just a peck. Forty-five seconds.
My heart raced as I pressed in a little more, enough to feel the shape of his mouth beneath mine. Every second stretched impossibly long, each beat of the timer burning into me. His warmth seeped into me, his stillness pulling me deeper into a haze I couldn't escape.
I noticed everything—the faint scent of his cologne, crisp and clean. The way his breath hitched against my cheek. The way his lashes fluttered, just once, before going still again.
It wasn't a kiss returned, but it wasn't rejected either. It was something in between. A suspended moment, fragile and dangerous.
"Time!" Soo-min finally called.
But I didn't move.
The kiss lingered, my lips still pressed to his, a silent rebellion against the countdown. My heart begged for just a few more seconds. Just one more breath of him.
When I finally pulled back, it wasn't forty-five seconds. It was a minute. Maybe longer.
My face was burning, my chest heaving like I'd run a race.
Ha-neul, as always, was unreadable. He reached for his water glass, took a slow sip, then set it down. His expression was calm, but his eyes…
They lingered. Just a fraction too long.
---
Na-yeon exploded. "OH MY GOD, YOU ACTUALLY DID IT!"
Ji-hyun muttered, "Unbelievable," still covering half his face. Eun-ji was hiding again, her hands over her cheeks. Soo-min, of course, was grinning like the devil herself.
But none of it mattered.
Because all I could think about was the feel of Ha-neul's lips on mine. The warmth. The closeness. The silence that felt louder than any cheer.
And the question that wouldn't leave me:
Did it mean nothing to him?
Or… did it mean everything?