Shion stared at the box that Safu had shoved into his face, backing up slightly so that he could properly see what it was.

"Pocky?"

"Yep!"

"Does Nezumi really like it or something?"

Safu shrugged. "I don't know."

"Then how is it supposed to help me get closer to him?"

"You've never heard of the Pocky Game, have you?"

Shion thought for a moment. "No. What is it?"

"Not surprising. I learned about it when I was studying abroad. It's not something anybody in No. 6 does. The game is simple: You put a piece of Pocky in your mouth, only enough so that it doesn't fall out, like this," Safu opened the box, pulled out one of the sticks and stuck the tip between her teeth, letting the rest jut out toward Shion, then pulled it back out of her mouth to continue the explanation, "Then, the other person takes the other end. The two of you munch on the pocky, getting closer and closer, until either somebody pulls away, or there is none left to eat. Since most people don't like having their lips touch somebody else's who either aren't family or somebody they are romantically interested in, they pull away before that actually happens. But, it's a perfect opportunity to land a kiss with Nezumi! A good kiss is a great way to express your desires!"

Shion thought about it for a moment. He wasn't entirely sure how willing Nezumi would be to participate, or if he had ever heard of the game before. Though, it wouldn't be the first time he kissed Nezumi, and if he could beat Nezumi...

Yes, this sounded like a good idea. Any opportunity for him to show that he could be just as good as Nezumi was one he had to take. While it was just a little game, beating him would still prove something, and he intended to prove himself.

"I'll do it!"

The sun was beginning to set, and Karan had closed her bakery for the day. Nezumi, who occasionally came by to help out, was ready to head back home. Upon Shion's insistence, the two boys had walked together to the edge of No. 6, where they would part ways as Nezumi returned to West Block.

"I'm not entirely sure why you felt the need to walk me back, but here is where we part." Nezumi said as she stopped at the ruins of what was once the wall that isolated No. 6 from all other territories.

"Um, actually..." Shion pulled a box of Pocky from inside his coat. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding to himself and opening the box determinedly. Confused, Nezumi watched as he pulled a stick of Pocky out, held the tip between his teeth, and leaned in towards Nezumi.

"What are you doing?"

"Pocky game!" Shion said through partially clenched teeth.

Nezumi smirked. "Oh, you know of it? Surprising, considering it's not something people would do in No. 6. Of course, it doesn't usually happen in West Block either, for obvious reasons, but I do know how it works. Are you sure you want to challenge me?"

Shion nodded and kept his eyes locked onto Nezumi's to show his determination.

"Alright. This will be amusing." Taking a couple of steps forward, Nezumi lightly bit onto the other end of the stick. For a moment, neither of them did anything. Realizing this was a challenge from Nezumi, Shion finally started munching on the pocky.

He chewed slowly, waiting to see if Nezumi was going to do anything. When Nezumi took a bite, Shion decided he had to pick up the pace. He had to prove he was no coward. By the time Nezumi had taken a second bite, Shion had already munched on a good portion of the pocky. As their noses touched, Shion made his decision. If he hesitated now, Nezumi would know, and then he would never be able to live it down.

The remaining bit of Pocky was claimed by Shion in one big bite. Their lips brushed together before Shion pulled back with a triumphant look on his face. Just to prove his point, he let a piece of the pocky poke out from between his lips, as if to show off his victory.

"Not bad. You certainly did better than I thought you would, but..." Nezumi smirked as he leaned closer, leaving their faces only inches apart. When he spoke again, his tone was much lower, almost a whisper, "I think you forgot who you challenged."

Before Shion could react, Nezumi closed the space between them, pressing their lips together. Shion suddenly found his still-intact piece of Pocky being coerced right out of his mouth. Both his body and brain seem to suddenly become paralyzed and unable to function. The Pocky had been all but forgotten about. The only thing that existed for that moment as far as Shion was concerned was Nezumi. He still hadn't quite processed what was going on when Nezumi pulled back, chewing on the biscuit that had been Shion's just a moment ago.

"Better luck next time."

Shion watched, dumbstruck, as Nezumi turned and walked away. It wasn't until Safu, who had been spying on the whole incident to make sure Shion was successful, walked up to him that he finally snapped out of it.

"That looked like a success from where I was. You must have given him quite the kiss for him to have come back for more."

"I... I lost..."

"Hm?"

"I lost the game, Safu."

"Shion, what are you talking about?"

"The Pocky Game. Nezumi took my Pocky from me. He got the last piece, which means I lost. I failed to prove myself! I thought I won for sure, but he still managed to beat me!"

This time, it was Safu who was staring in disbelief. "Shion, you idiot! It's not about who has the most Pocky in the end! You kissed him, didn't you?!"

"But I was supposed to prove that I could eat it without turning away, but, in the end, I was unable to do anything! I couldn't move, I couldn't think!"

Safu cried out in aggravation. How could her friend be that dense? After taking a deep breath to calm herself, she placed a hand on Shion's shoulder. "Shion, I want you to think about, and I mean really think about, what happened just now, then, when you figure it out, come back and tell me if you think you won. 'Kay?" She gave him a couple pats before she turned around and walked back into No. 6.

Shion watched as Safu also walked away, leaving him alone. He still wasn't entirely sure what was going on- as far as he had been concerned, the point of the game was to prove to Nezumi he wasn't just a coward. He wasn't even sure what Nezumi thought about the whole thing. Though, what he did know was that, if Nezumi was going to do that every time they played this Pocky Game, he would have to challenge Nezumi more often...