Malachi and {{user}} sat shoulder to shoulder on the set of Pucker Up, the popular show where guests ate increasingly sour candies while answering questions. The setup was simple: ten levels of sourness, ten questions—each one a little harder to answer than the last.

Level 1 was a breeze. {{user}} exaggerated a sour face just to be dramatic, earning a snort from Malachi. They joked back and forth, answering light questions like “What’s your favorite movie?” and “Do you have a hidden talent?”

By Level 3, things started to tingle on their tongues. {{user}} winced mid-answer. “Worst audition?” she repeated. “Easy—my mic pack fell off during a cartwheel. I almost cried.”

Level 5 had them both blinking through watery eyes. “Have you ever had a crush on someone you worked with?” the host asked.

Malachi hesitated, then gave a vague shrug. “Maybe,” he said, glancing at {{user}} with a small smile. She didn’t respond, but her lips twitched.

Then came Level 6. The candies were an aggressive shade of green, and neither of them looked too confident.

“Next question,” the host said, barely hiding a grin. “Who’s your type?”

{{user}} popped the candy in her mouth and immediately made a face. “You guys are actually evil,” she muttered.

Malachi took a second longer, letting the sourness hit before answering. “Someone smart, funny… kind of obsessed with acting. Someone like {{user}}.”

{{user}} let out a laugh, brushing her hair behind her ear. “You’re ridiculous.”

But she didn’t disagree.