The Black Swan Behind (Beauty of Fire)

280 First Kiss

It took a few seconds for Levi to sort out his heart when he saw the big word ‘Best Friend Forever’ that Emma had placed at the bottom centre of the frame. Indeed, they were friends. Why did Levi’s heart have to hurt?

“Remember, we only have three takes. Each has a thirteen-second pause.” Emma said with a finger that was already above the ‘START’ button.

Levi woke up from his daydream, then smiled, “I’m ready.”

“This is the first Take! One, two, three...” Emma pressed the button and immediately stood up properly while doing a pose.

So far, Levi had never taken a photo because he felt like his life was not worth remembering. This made him stiffen when he had to pose for photos.

CLICK!

A flash indicated that their first photo had been taken. It was a nice photo. Emma posed cheerfully with two ice creams in her hands and beside her, Levi just stood with a stiff smile on his face.

“Hey, posing right. I’m going to put one on the front photo board as a contribution to this ice cream shop.” Emma said.

“What? Don’t you have the guts to do that, lady!” Levi said with wide eyes.

.....

Emma laughed. “Get ready. The next shot is coming.” she pointed forward.

“Look. The ice creams are melting,” Levi pointed at Emma’s hands with raised eyebrows.

“Gosh...” Emma immediately devoured one of the ice creams that started to drip.

The photobox room was small and had a lot of white lights, so the temperature in it was a bit warm which made their ice creams melt faster. In addition, Emma and Levi kept wasting time fighting.

Levi saw an ice cream cone that was melting. He glanced at Emma who was still busy licking the other ice cream. Before it dripped on the floor, he ended up taking Emma’s hand and devoured the ice cream that had been ignored by her.

CLICK!

Emma and Levi just remembered that the photo timer kept running, from the camera flash that was on. They immediately drew their faces back from the ice creams that had kept them busy. The two of them turned their heads to the screen which revealed a very silly second photo of them.

The tragedy was enshrined in the second photo shoot. Emma and Levi were busy devouring ice cream, which both were in Emma’s hands.

To find the silly picture, they again laughed out loud before they ended up looking at each other.

Their laughter broke even more when they saw each other’s faces that were covered with ice cream all over their mouths. In fact, they still had them in their mouths.

Levi directed his fingers to clean both sides of Emma’s lips. But in that very second, his heart was hitting hard, as if it was about to jump out of his chest. Unfortunately, it also happened to Emma.

Either because the air inside the small box was getting warmer or it really came from inside the two of them. But like people who were having high fever, their consciousness seemed to evaporate like boiled water.

Emma’s full and fresh pink lips felt soft against Levi’s fingers. Her beautiful face, even though it was a bit dirty with ice cream, seemed to bewitch him until his sanity was erased from his soul.

The hands that had only planned to caress Emma’s lips, now turned to hold her jaws. Then, he brought his face closer and immediately landed a kiss on her sticky lips.

Emma didn’t know what was happening. She seemed to be enchanted by Levi’s grey eyes that had been very close to hers. But suddenly, everything went dark. Not because she fainted. Not because of the blackout either. But it was because Emma closed her eyes.

Emma didn’t know what had gotten into her. It was as if she had shifted her soul and sanity that she couldn’t move. Her hands were full of two ice cream cones. And her whole mouth was full of Levi’s tongue.

It was Emma’s first time and, frankly, Levi’s. At such a mature age, it might be embarrassing to admit that they had never dated anyone, let alone kissed. But what was happening right now made them look as if they had done it dozens of times.

Maybe it was because of the ice cream that was still left in their mouths. Levi and Emma couldn’t help the whirl that boiled up in their chests as if they were hungry wolves.

The sticky and sweet taste of the ice cream mixed with the soft and tender lips mashing with each other. When their tongues coiled together and warmed each other, it gave an explosive sensation that made their brains suddenly go blank. It was as if time had stopped to give them space.

CLICK!

The flash from the last shot made both of them open their eyes, like a lightning strike that brought them back to their respective consciousness.

Emma and Levi blinked at each other, though their lips were still patched to each other. They digested the crazy thing that was going on.

Levi quickly withdrew his hands that were grabbing Emma’s jaw and warm neck. He quickly backed away from her.

Emma’s body froze. Her eyes were wide as if she could no longer blink. Both of her hands were still holding the ice creams which had now melted so badly that it stained the floor and her own hands.

“E-Emma... I...” Levi stammered, still shocked at his own actions.

“Hh...” Emma could only gasp, then looked at her hands which were covered with melted ice cream. She was like a dazed person.

Seeing that, Levi immediately took the ice cream cones from Emma’s hands.

Suddenly...

‘Thank you for using Family Photobox! Have a lovely memory!’

After the photobox machine made a sound that startled the two awkward persons in it, the photo hole gave out three photos in one sheet of a little long photo paper.

Levi and Emma looked at the photo that was still stuck in the hole of the machine. Both of their faces immediately turned red when they realized how crazy the photos were.

In the first photo was the two of them posing sane. Actually, the result was very nice and cute.

In the second photo, they were both busy eating the ice cream in Emma’s hands. It was a messy picture with uncontrolled facial expressions.

And the third picture was a thing that would make them probably decide to end their lives in shame. It was a picture that showed the two of them kissing hotly like a perverted couple.

In a flash, Emma grabbed the photo paper, took her purse back from Levi’s shoulder, and stepped out of the photobox while wiping her mouth, which was still sticky with the remaining ice cream and droll, with the back of her hand. She left Levi there alone.

“You’re out of your mind, Levi! What did you do?!” He muttered as he grabbed his black hair.

Once out of the ice cream shop, Emma rushed to the toilet. There, she went into the toilet cubicle and locked it tightly.

She lowered the toilet cover and sat on it with a pensive face. Everything happened so quickly, that she even still trying to study what had just happened.

‘Did I just have my first kiss? And I did it with Levi?’ She thought with a frown.

“Shit! You’re nuts, Emma! Why did you let that happen?!” She ruffled her hair.

Suddenly, Emma’s cell phone rang. She took it out of her purse. When she saw who was calling her, her breath hitched again. It was Levi.

Emma didn’t dare to answer the call. She just kept staring at her cellphone screen which kept telling her that Levi was calling, until the call stopped by itself, leaving a missed call notification.

Not long after the call, a text came into Emma’s cell phone. It was Levi again. Emma opened the message.

‘Emma. Where are you? I apologize. Let’s talk.’ – Levi.

Emma stared pensively at the message for a long time, thinking about how to respond. She really couldn’t face Levi’s face right now.

‘I’m really sorry for my impudence, Emma. I’ll explain. But, please don’t disappear suddenly like this. Please tell me where are you,’ – Levi.

Emma took a deep breath, then started typing to reply to the message.

‘Please give me some time to pull myself together. I will go home by myself. You don’t have to look for me.’ – Emma.

‘I brought you here, so I must also take you home. You are my responsibility, Emma. At least let me drive you home.’ – Levi.

‘Please don’t force me, Levi.’ – Emma.

Emma put her phone on her thigh. She leaned back as she closed her eyes. Slowly, her head began to ache.

She fell into it. The promise that she thought would hold back their feelings was bullshit.

Suddenly, Emma’s phone rang again. She opened the short message from Levi who had just entered.

‘All right. You can go home alone. Be careful on the way. Let me know when you get home.’ – Levi.

Emma was relieved that she was able to avoid Levi after what had happened to them.

***

The sound of dripping water echoed in the bathroom. On the side of the room with white and cream shades, was an oval tub with a girl soaking quietly in it.

Hot steam and fragrant aroma therapy filled the bathroom. It was the effort of a girl trying to calm her chaotic mind.

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