A hand blocked a camera’s view. It pulled back slowly, waving at the lens. It revealed a blue sky with white clouds. A building made of red bricks loomed in the background. People walked around in groups. They filled most of the frame.

Pearly white teeth grinned.

Violet eyes glistened under the sun rays.

“Hey, everyone! It’s Max here!” He waved both hands over his chest. Then, he ran his fingers through his ebony hair. A smirk curled at the corners of his lips, “As the handsomest and coolest player in our team, I invite you to our basketball championship game later. What? You don’t believe me? Then, you would have to watch the game and see for yourself if I’m lying or not.”

Alex rolled her eyes, off camera.

Selene held back a snort.

They stood at the fields of their campus. Various booths and tents had already been put up. The clubs were also ready to sell their products or host a game. The news about the mini festival had spread far and wide. The school administration decided to escalate it.

Classes had been cancelled.

Attendance was still a must.

The two girls stood near the edge of the clearing. Max posed in front of the camera, tugging the collar of his varsity jacket. He winked, “If you’re not into basketball, well, we still have our festival. Come and join in! I’ll personally escort you if you wish. I will show you a great time.”

Selene cut the recording. She made a face at her phone screen, “Oookay…, this is not a matchmaking app. Please refrain from promoting your dating life.”

Max shrugged, glancing to the side. The look on his face read,

I-can’t-help-it-since-I-am-a-bachelor.

“Well, if I had a date—”

Something caught his attention from the corner of his eye.

Platinum blonde hair fluttered against the wind. The wavy strands created a waterfall that spread across the back of the female’s head. Her light blue eyes had been framed with black eyeliner and mascara. Juicy pink gloss painted over her plump lips.

The hem of her cream boho dress reached below her knees. The bodice hugged her upper body with a sweetheart neckline. The sleeves belled over the lower arm up to the wrist. The square heels of her tan boots barely sank on the soil.

Max placed a hand over his chest, “I have been bestowed by the presence of a goddess.”

Emily stopped in her tracks. She placed her hands on her hips, eyeing him up and down. She scrunched her nose, “And I have been bestowed by the presence of a human-sized pest.”

A satisfied grin painted his face, “You are Jae’s girl alright.”

“Excuse me?” Emily arched a sharp brow.

A chill appeared in the air.

“Nothing, nothing. I did not say a thing. My lips are zipped tight.”

Alex came to Max’s rescue, wearing a dumbfounded expression, “Aren’t you grounded?”

Her cousin shrugged, “Grounded and suspended mean two different things.”

“Yeah, but you’re on both.”

Emily flipped her hair, walking to her side. She closed the gap as if it was the runaway. Her arm snaked around Alex’s, “Not anymore! I kept my studio clean for a week and mom had finally freed me back into the wild.”

“Your studio? Clean? You didn’t use it?”

She smacked her cousin, “Don’t degrade my hard work! It took more effort to keep it clean than doing my art. I have read too many webtoons. They sparked ideas on clothes and accessories! I easily filled a sketchbook! It could be its own entire collection of couture someday.”

Colors, jewels, laces and more overflowed in Emily’s mind. She used different mediums on how to showcase the designs. She made sure to capture the shine, the patterns and the texture. She poured it out like a flowing river. Time became irrelevant.

Then, the painstaking task of cleaning her tools would come.

She had to do it even when her eyes threatened to close.

Alex laughed, “Fine, you did good. I’m glad to have you here. Did you come with grandma?”

“Yes, I did! She’s the reason I could even come here” Emily chuckled, “If it weren’t for grandma, I don’t think mom would have approved.”

“Where is she?”

“Don’t worry mom and Aunt Angie are keeping her pre-occupied.”

Alex contemplated if they should leave so she could pay her proper respects. On second thought, she realized that introductions needed to be made.

She turned around, pulling Emily, “This is Selene. She helps me with the media coverage of the school events.”

Her cousin gasped suddenly and covered her mouth, “I love your pink highlights!”

Selene’s brown eyes smiled behind round glasses, “And I love your sense of style!”

“Oh, this piece of rag…” Emily mused. The pitch in her voice rose higher. She flipped her hair, “It’s just my pajama set.”

Alex received a look from Selene, “I like her already.”

The conversation moved to another topic. They talked about suitable colors for Emily’s hair. She had thought of changing for years but couldn’t decide on the perfect one. Alex joked that she should just buy wigs. Selene offered an idea to use more than one.

Max watched the exchange from the sidelines. He rubbed his eyes, making sure nothing impaired his vision. He cleaned out his ears too. His hearing might not have been working well. He pinched his skin and checked if he was real.

Even after that, he still couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Hey, hey, hey! Where’s my introduction?!”

The three girls finally glanced his way when they heard his voice. Their conversations ceased and their expressions became indifferent. Max couldn’t tell if which was better, the way they looked at him right now or the way they ignored him before? Both seemed unpleasant.

“Oh, I’m sorry” Emily blinked, “Pests are just not worth my time.”

Gaping, Max shook his head, “What does my best friend see in you?”

“What do I see in who?”

Jae reached the group, sipping from a bottle of water. He wore the same varsity jacket as Max. He paired it with dark jeans and running shoes. His eyes landed on the blonde elf. Then, he gazed at his best friend.

He could already predict what happened.

He winked in Emily’s direction, “Ems! I didn’t know you were coming.”

“You’re not important enough to get an advance notice” she rolled her eyes, shifting her attention back to the girls. She attempted a different subject for the conversation—except her companions seemed more interested in the current situation.

Jae placed a folded arm on Max’s shoulder. He kept his gaze on her, “Is this resentment from the time I beat you in the arcade?”

“That was one time, Parker” Emily scoffed. She glared over her shoulder, “I can beat you at any game if I really wanted to.”

He smirked, “Bring it on, barbie. I always welcome challengers.”

A match began on the spot. The two had a stare down, both refusing to lose. Emily narrowed her eyes and intensified her glare. Jae, on the other hand, seemed more relaxed. The rest stayed quiet and observed the spectacle. They could almost see thunderous clouds around Emily and Jae.

It was Max who came in between and blocked their view. He snapped his fingers, new energy surging in his veins, “I have an idea for a game the two of you can play.”

“Rejected.”

He scowled at Emily. Even with him in the way, he knew that she still looked at Jae, “You didn’t even hear it.”

“Doesn’t matter” she spat, “It came from you so rejected.”

Max raised his hands in surrender. He backed away and headed for Jae’s side, “Geez, no need to be so uptight. I have a friend with a booth around here. I just thought you could help add more foot traffic if you played the game. Your competitive spirits would be enough to attract attention.”

“I don’t mind,” his best friend remarked in nonchalance, “Of course, if the lady is scared, I would have to decline too.”

Emily gritted her teeth. She knew this next game he was playing. He purposely wanted to provoke her. If she refused, she would be the loser. If she accepted, she would still be the loser. The only way to be a winner…

… was to beat him in the pest’s game.

She still didn’t like any of her options.

“Me? Scared? I meant it when I said that I could beat you at any game” Emily taunted. Every syllable that came out of her lips dripped in threats, “Come on then, pest. Show us the game.”

“Alright, cool! Thanks so much for the help, guys!”

===

Max led the group through the main path of the booths and tents. They had a wide space in between. The distance was comparable to a real street. He skipped ahead, whistling to himself. It didn’t take long for him to spot their destination.

The tent had recycled tarpaulins for its cover. The club merely flipped them over so the outer layer would be white. A few strips hung over the side, hiding the empty space in the middle.

Frown lines appeared between Alex’s eyebrows. It didn’t have a lot of customers like Max had said… but she figured it was because of how the booth didn’t display their game.

What kind of tarnation were they walking into?

Max pulled up one strip and beamed, “Felix! Hey! I got you some customers!”

A senior with shoulder length dark hair stood up from behind a table. The space turned out to be littered with boxes and random things. Alex wondered if it was open at all. Nonetheless, they all piled in. Felix seemed to be the only person inside too.

That even made it more suspicious.

“So what is this game?” Emily asked, getting impatient by the second.

The place looked shady and it wasn’t from the tarpaulins blocking the light.

“Oh! Wonderful!” Felix gushed. He walked around the table and nudged Max’s side. He didn’t know where to look, “So who did you bring to me?”

Max pointed at the two directly in front of them, “It’s Jae and Emily.”

“I see, I see!” Felix clapped excitedly, “Well, no need for pleasantries! The activity is very simple. First, both of you should raise one arm. They should be beside each other.”

Jae raised his left.

Emily lifted her right.

Felix pulled them into position and made them parallel to the floor.

“There we go!” He cheered, “Hold on!”

He spun on his heel and laid down on the table, stomach facing down. His hand stretched over to the other side and rummaged inside a box. Items clattered against each other. It took almost a minute before he found what he needed.

“Aha!” Felix exclaimed, “Success!”

Turning back around, he said, “Sorry for making you wait! And here is the game!”

Emily felt cold metal against her skin. A lock clicked into place. Her eyes widened in horror. She pulled her hand back but it was too late. Sharp pain jabbed at her skin as the large ring kept her in place.

A pair of handcuffs had connected two wrists.

“Either you spend three hours like this or you can free yourselves by kissing each other on the lips.”