Episode 8
878 Words
"Well, it seems I've arrived at an awkward moment."
Aaron stood in the doorway of the study, his eyes stormy despite the faint smile on his lips. "Should I come back later?"
Jessica peeked over his shoulder, immediately covering her eyes at the scene before them. "Oh my! What's happening here?"
Inside the study, a man was pinned down on the sofa, his tie loosened and shirt collar unbuttoned, revealing tempting glimpses of pale skin and subtle muscle definition.
Tousled hair partially obscured his eyes, but couldn't hide the slight flush on his cheeks.
The woman straddled his slim waist, while his long fingers attempted to push her away with no success.
His trapped legs struggled briefly before surrendering.
"Don't," he turned his head to one side, eyelashes fluttering. "Can't we... do this tonight?"
"Hell no! You're eating this right now!"
Emily's sharp voice shattered the intimate atmosphere as she tried to force cookies into Kevin's mouth. "Stop being so precious about it!"
**@Emily,PleaseStopTalking**
**@IClosedMyEyesAndHadAVividMentalImage,ThenEmilyYelledAndBrokeTheSpell**
**@WhyIsKevinSoCute?I'mInLove**
**@ForTheFirstTimeEver,AaronAndJessicaFeelLikeThirdWheels**
"Eat it! Just eat it!"
"No way~"
The dialogue was impossible not to misinterpret.
Aaron, who had been completely ignored, finally lost his patience. He strode to the sofa, practically shouting in Emily's ear:
"I SAID, should I come back later?!"
Meanwhile, Emily had become equally frustrated with Kevin's stubbornness.
"Fine, fine. Won't eat it? Then the dog can have it!" She pivoted and thrust the cookie into Aaron's mouth in one swift motion.
Aaron froze with the cookie between his teeth. "???"
**@WhyAreYouFeedingAaronIfIt'sForThe'Dog'??**
**@HowDareYouInsultHimLikeThat!**
"Sorry about that."
Kevin lazily lifted his gaze, his lips curving into a smile. "I was too caught up to notice you. Did you need something?"
Aaron's expression darkened further.
**@HolyShit,ThisFeelsLikeACrazyLoveTriangle**
**@Wait,KevinDoesn'tSeemToResistAtAll—HeActuallyAppearsToBeEnjoyingThis**
**@Aaron'sActingStrangeToo!HeCould'veJustLeft,ButHeKeptAskingMultipleTimesAndDeliberatelyApproachedToGetEmily'sAttention**
**@Stop Overthinking! Aaron Obviously Thinks Emily Is Scandalous And Couldn't Stand By Any Longer**
**@Exactly,AaronJustWantedToUseTheStudyWithJessicaToReadBooks,AndWantedEmilyToLeave**
**@OhReally?SinceWhenIsTheStudyAaron'sPrivateSpace?It'sACommonArea,LastIChecked**
**@WaitAMinute,TheseChatCommentsSeem...Different.DoesEmilyActuallyHaveFansNow?**
**@YesI'mEmily'sNewFan!AsLongAsSheContinuesBeingChaotic,I'llContinueSupportingHerChaos!**
Aaron was visibly annoyed at being dismissed, but since he was dealing with Kevin, he couldn't lash out.
"I simply wanted to remind Kevin to learn about someone's character before getting close to them. Since you've been overseas, you might not follow domestic entertainment news..."
"Aaron," Kevin interrupted, his smile never faltering. "Try that passive-aggressive tone one more time. Go ahead."
Aaron's breath caught.
**@KevinJustDefendedEmilyAgainstAaron!**
**@HolyShit!ThisIsAnEpicLoveTriangle**
**@IExpectedDramaButNeverThoughtEmilyWouldBeTheFocalPoint,WhileJessicaBecameBackgroundScenery!!**
Jessica stood awkwardly to the side, clearly uncomfortable.
Aaron hadn't expected Kevin to be so direct, suddenly finding himself cornered.
Not wanting to offend him, Aaron hastily mumbled, "You misunderstood, that's not what I meant," before finding an excuse to leave.
With Aaron gone, Jessica naturally followed him out.
Once again, only Emily and Kevin remained in the study.
Emily was still savoring her clever maneuver.
She had seen Aaron enter but pretended not to notice, seizing the opportunity to stuff a cookie in his mouth when he least expected it. A brilliant distraction!
That made 2/3 of her mission complete.
Now, only one more to go...
Emily turned her attention back to Kevin, who met her gaze with crinkled eyes and a sparkle of interest.
Emily couldn't bring herself to smile back.
Ironically, the person who seemed easiest to trick had proven the most difficult.
It was as if he had some vendetta against cookies. Even when she'd used force, he absolutely refused to take a single bite.
She'd need to try a different approach.
As Emily prepared to leave, Kevin caught her wrist.
"You're not going to feed me anymore?" he asked.
Emily laughed incredulously. "Will you actually let me this time?"
"Yes, I will."
"You will? You will, my ass! You—" Seeing Kevin's seemingly sincere expression, Emily paused. "Wait, seriously?"
Kevin nodded earnestly.
Emily cautiously held a cookie to his lips, and he ate it without hesitation.
What the hell...
Then why had he been stubbornly refusing earlier?!
**@WasKevinDeliberatelyPlayingHardToGetWithEmilyForAaronToSee?**
**@HeKnewEmily'sTask,YetStillPlayedAlong—DoesHeActuallyLikeHer?!**
**@NOOOOO!!**
The comments flooded with wails of despair.
Emily, however, was delighted.
Mission accomplished. What a relief.
After enduring Mike's terrible cooking at dinner, nine o'clock arrived—time for the mission results.
The contestants gathered on the living room sofas.
"This afternoon, each of you was assigned a hidden mission," Director Brad announced through his megaphone.
"Fortunately, everyone completed their tasks. Now, we'll determine the room selection order based on how quickly each person completed their mission."
"Emily finished first, so she gets first choice—"
"Excuse me," Jessica raised her hand, asking softly, "What happens if someone guesses another person's mission?"
Director Brad explained, "If your mission is guessed correctly, you fail the task. Additionally, the person who correctly guessed earns an extra point, provided they completed their own mission."
"I see." Jessica nodded with apparent understanding. "In that case, I'd like to guess: was Emily's mission to feed cookies to three male contestants?"
"Correct!"
Director Brad hit a gong dramatically. "Emily's mission is considered failed, putting her in last place! And Jessica, for correctly guessing another contestant's mission, moves into first place!"
**@NiceOne!**
**@JessicaIsSoClever!That'sWhyShe'sTheEntertainmentIndustry'sSweetestSmartie**
**@TooBADForEmily—CompleteTheTaskEarlyAllYouWant,ButDoingItSoObviouslyWasStupid**
"Hold on a second."
Emily remained completely calm, even looking confident.
There was a reason she had been so obvious about her mission.
"Jessica's finished guessing, right?"
She lifted her head, the corner of her mouth curving upward in a smile that resembled a devil's grin, sending chills down everyone's spines.
"Well, now it's my turn to guess."
- Writer
