Chapter 3: The Dare Game

The weekend came around quickly, and Jihan was more than eager to drag Felix out of his usual routine. “Come on, Felix! It’ll be fun,” Jihan urged, practically bouncing with excitement. “You need a break from all that studying. There’s a party tonight. You can’t say no.”

Felix chuckled, eyeing his textbooks with hesitation. “I don’t know, Jihan. I should probably catch up on some work. I’m really behind on—”

“Nope!” Jihan interrupted, grabbing the books from his hands and tossing them aside with a mischievous grin. “You’re coming with me. We’re going to have a blast.”

Felix gave in, too tired to argue, and threw on his best party outfit, which—knowing Felix—was effortlessly stylish and far too casual for most. Still, Jihan didn’t mind. He was just happy to have him there.

At the party, the music was loud, and people were scattered across the living room, laughing and chatting in various corners. Jihan led Felix through the crowd, his eyes scanning for any excuse to get closer to him. After all, it wasn’t just the party that excited him—it was the chance to spend time with Felix, to show him how much he cared.

“Alright, it’s time,” Jihan grinned, grabbing Felix’s arm as they approached a group of people gathered around a table.

“What’s time?” Felix asked, clearly confused.

“Time for a game,” Jihan said, sitting down at the table and motioning for Felix to join him. “We’re playing Truth or Dare... but with a twist. It’s all on cards.”

Felix raised an eyebrow. “Cards? Is this your way of getting me to spill my secrets?”

“Maybe,” Jihan said with a mischievous smile, “but it’s more about the dares. Trust me, you’ll have a great time.”

Felix hesitated but sat down anyway, looking around at the group of unfamiliar faces. He wasn’t the type to enjoy these kinds of parties, but with Jihan by his side, it felt more bearable. And maybe... just maybe, he could use a little chaos.

The game began, and the dares quickly escalated from silly challenges to embarrassing tasks. Felix was tasked with singing a random pop song loudly in the middle of the room, which he did with surprising enthusiasm, earning a chorus of laughs and applause. Jihan, of course, was the loudest cheerleader, making Felix feel oddly proud of his performance.

It was then that the cards came around to Jihan. He drew a dare and read it aloud. “Kiss someone under the mistletoe.” A playful challenge, nothing too extreme.

But Jihan's eyes immediately found Felix’s, his heart skipping a beat. Was this the moment? The chance he had been waiting for?

Felix laughed nervously. “Uh, okay. Sure. But who even brought mistletoe? Is this a holiday party or something?”

“There’s always mistletoe at these parties,” Jihan said with a smirk. He grabbed Felix’s arm and pulled him toward a doorway where a sprig of mistletoe hung above them, perfectly timed for the dare.

Felix froze. “Wait, what are you—”

Before Felix could protest, Jihan leaned in with a teasing grin, planting a quick, innocent kiss on his cheek. “There. I did it. Happy now?”

Felix blushed, a deep red staining his cheeks. “Jihan... What was that for?”

Jihan’s grin faltered for just a second before he quickly recovered. “I dunno. Just having fun.” He shrugged nonchalantly, but the warmth in his eyes lingered for a second too long.

Felix, still flustered, tried to change the subject. “Alright, my turn!” He grabbed a card and flipped it over, trying to distract himself from the lingering feeling of Jihan’s lips on his cheek.

But the moment was quickly shattered when the next dare was drawn, and it was Felix’s turn to do something unexpected.

“Make out with someone in the room for a full minute,” the card read.

Felix blinked in confusion. “Wait—what?!”

The group around the table burst into laughter, clearly excited for the chaos to come. Felix’s eyes frantically scanned the room, trying to figure out who he could possibly ask to do something like this.

And then, his gaze landed on Hyunjin, sitting across the room with a cold expression, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Felix knew he was pushing boundaries, but the dare was the dare, and he had no other choice.

He walked toward Hyunjin, his heart pounding in his chest. "Uh... Hyunjin?" Felix said, his voice a little shaky. "Looks like I need to... kiss someone for a minute."

Hyunjin’s eyes narrowed, and he looked at Felix like he was the most ridiculous thing in the room. “What? Are you serious?”

Felix swallowed nervously, but his smile never wavered. “Yeah. It’s a dare. I don’t know what to tell you. You can say no, but... I kind of need to do this.”

For a long moment, Hyunjin stared at him. Felix could see the conflict in his eyes—the way he wanted to push Felix away, to brush this whole thing off. But there was something else there, too. A flicker of something that Felix couldn’t quite place.

Finally, Hyunjin sighed, clearly giving in. “Fine. Whatever. Get it over with.”

Felix, still unsure whether this was a terrible idea, leaned in slowly. His heart raced as his lips met Hyunjin’s for what felt like an eternity. At first, it was awkward—clumsy even—but then, something changed. The kiss deepened, and for a brief moment, Felix forgot about the game, forgot about the dare, and forgot about everything except for how the world seemed to quiet around them.

When they finally pulled away, Felix’s face was flushed, and Hyunjin’s expression was unreadable, his gaze flickering with something Felix couldn’t quite identify.

Felix, feeling a little dizzy from the experience, took a step back. “So, uh... that’s done.”

Hyunjin’s voice was low as he spoke, barely above a whisper. “Yeah. Done.”

TBC...

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