The Next Prince (ZeeNunew) [Charan&Kanin]

7.Conservative

Original CEO ft Enice

"Holy Shit! Nin, you're the real deal."

The sudden exclamation pulls Charan back to reality, and embarrassment colors his face. Memories of Emmaly's legend about the significance of kisses flood his mind.

"You can date anyone, hold hands, kiss cheeks, or express love in any way."

"But don't give kisses away easily, dear, because in our country... a kiss is a vow to love each other forever... We only kiss someone... when we want to spend our lives together."

Charan recalls his mother's sweet and gentle words, emphasizing the profound meaning of a kiss in Emmaly's culture.

Charan remembered his mother's words: in Emmaly, people only kissed when vowing to love each other forever, often using the first kiss to propose. Even though modern society is less strict about first kisses, Charan still upheld these traditions.

Khanin withdrew his hand from Charan's warm cheeks, his gaze scanning his teammate's face for a moment before looking away without embarrassment. Charan calmly wiped the remaining Pocky from his hand, turning to face the others as if nothing surprising had occurred.

"I have only this much left," Kanin said, showing a small piece of Pocky about three millimeters long to Charlie. 

The referee checked it, nodded to the competitors, Seymour and Jimmy, who looked confident and had already decided the contest's outcome.

"My partner has none left," Seymour said confidently, shrugging. "So, we won, right? Now, who has to drink the trash water?"

"It's Kanin," Jimmy said with a smile, happy for the chance to get back at their mischievous friend.

Khanin shared a look with Jimmy, then chuckled as he glanced at Seymour, who stood with a smug smile and a haughty attitude.

"What's the rule, Charlie?" Khanin asked.

"The competitors need to eat Pocky sticks. The pair with more or longer sticks left loses and has to share the trash water," Charlie explained, frowning as he showed the small piece of Pocky he held.

"The one with the shortest Pocky stick left wins," Khanin emphasized, smirking a bit when he noticed Seymour's face turning pale.

"..."

"But you guys don't have any left, not even a bit. So, who should drink the trash water?"

Amid the silence, only the distant wail of an ambulance siren could be heard. Kanin wore a subtle smile, proclaiming his victory. He raised an eyebrow, showcasing his superiority and unbeaten status in the game.

Kanin was the true winner, and if blame were to be assigned, it fell on the flawed rules. He had to defend his own rights, unwilling to lose face in a trivial game. His title wasn't a result of luck or chance.

While Jimmy and Seymour formed a formidable pair, Kanin had strategically planned his moves from the beginning. Without hesitation, he invested in bringing Charan's face closer to bite the Pocky as short as possible.

Despite the correctness of the rules, the scrutiny of their friends' gazes was hard to withstand.

"Oh, we lost... It's okay to admit it," the heartache of defeat proved too much for the couple to bear. Jimmy and Seymour exchanged glances before one of them finally conceded.

"I'll drink that trashy water myself."

"..."

"Ha!"

The friends erupted in cheers upon determining the true winner. Paul took charge, fetching the trash water and splitting it into two glasses, presenting them to Seymour and Jimmy as the crowned victors. The crowd gathered around, cheering as the couple pinched their noses and bravely downed the peculiar liquid.