You didn’t expect this. Not at all.

It started as a harmless game, a stupid challenge at the party. Someone had shoved a Pepero stick into your hand, laughing as they paired you with Joshua—the one person who always got under your skin.

"Come on, just do it!" your friend cheered, already tipsy.

Joshua smirked, holding the other end of the Pepero between his lips. His dark eyes locked onto yours, filled with something infuriatingly smug.

"You scared?" he murmured, voice slightly muffled.

Your pride wouldn't let you back down. "Hardly."

You leaned in, biting off a piece. He did the same. The gap shrank. His teasing expression shifted, amusement melting into something deeper, something dangerous. Each tiny bite brought your lips closer, the tension thick between you.

Your heart pounded. You could stop now. Pull away. Laugh it off.

But neither of you did.

The last sliver of Pepero disappeared. For a split second, your lips brushed. Barely there. A mistake. An accident.

And then Joshua moved.

His hand cupped your jaw, tilting your face up as he crashed his lips onto yours, no hesitation, no pretense. The taste of chocolate lingered between you, sweet and intoxicating. Gasps and cheers erupted around you, but it all faded into white noise.

Because in that moment, it wasn’t about a game anymore.