1. Truth or Dare

"Yeayy! It's your turn now, Eve!" Her friends exclaimed cheerfully.

Eve casually spun the empty soda bottle on their makeshift seating arrangement. And the bottle stopped at the word 'Dare'.

"Yuhuuu! It's my turn to give you a challenge, right? Ahem, ahem!" One of her friends shouted loudly, clearing her throat as if creating a dramatic impression.

"Yes, yes ... hurry up! I can definitely do it, just like Eve!" Eve boasted, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"You have to confess your feelings to any man who passes by us for the first time from now on. Okay, guys?" The challenger asked, seeking support from the others.

They all seemed to cheer and agree, while Eve was taken aback and regretful.

"Wait, what's that? The challenges so far weren't that crazy! Unfair, ugh!" Eve protested, feeling that the challenge given to her was too risky and difficult to accomplish.

"Eiits! No complaining allowed! It's a deal! Or you admit defeat, and we'll disperse and go eat at a restaurant, and you'll foot the bill for all of us. Right, gang?" There was a clamor pushing Eve not to refuse the given challenge.

"Ugh! Okay, instead of losing a lot by treating all of you, I'd better confess to a guy. Oh God, hopefully the first guy who passes by is single and handsome," Eve said, preparing herself to accept the worst-case scenario.

"But wait, does that mean I can only approach guys who are walking alone? If he's with a partner, then I can choose someone else, right?" Eve asked. Various thoughts of the worst possibilities started to fill her mind. "And he has to be around our age, right? I mean, I'm afraid if he's too old, he might already have a wife, crazy!"

"Hahaha. The rule is that it's the first man who passes by us. It doesn't matter if he's old or young, alone or with his mistress, it's none of our business!" Her friends reaffirmed the rule, which made Eve regret agreeing to such an absurd challenge.

"Damn it!" Eve cursed repeatedly, her heart pounding as she anxiously waited for the first person to pass by.

Evangelin Ravenwood, or Eve as she was commonly called, was hosting a farewell event after graduating from university. They wanted to spend their vacation together at the beach before each of them embarked on their professional careers, where it would be difficult to meet and spend time together again.

Somehow, someone came up with the idea to play Truth or Dare. Because it sounded fun, Eve didn't refuse. Besides, from the beginning, it seemed like the challenges given were normal and reasonable, like teasing the person sitting next to them or eating extremely spicy noodles. At least, those were still categorized as safe challenges.

But why did it have to be her turn to confess to the first guy who passed by, regardless of his relationship status or age! It was truly risky!

And one of her friends screamed as a couple, a man and a woman holding hands, could be seen in the distance. Oh my gosh! This was basically committing suicide! She could get slapped by his partner if she dared to confess her feelings.

"Hey? Don't you guys think that I have to confess to him?" Eve asked, rolling her eyes.

Her friends seemed to discuss it and ultimately canceled their plan to approach the lovey-dovey couple. Eve let out a relieved sigh.

Not long after, a man appeared who was handsome even from a distance. His athletic body created a perfectly sculpted silhouette. He was wearing an overly formal suit that was not suitable for a beach area, especially at night.

His facial expression seemed as if he was searching for someone. Who could it be? Eve wondered to herself.

"Come on, Eve! Now's the time!" One of her friends commanded.

Eve trembled for a moment before gathering the courage to carry out the agreed-upon challenge.

With determined steps, Eve approached the man and cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Ahem, Sir?" She greeted, forcing a nervous smile.

There was no response. In fact, the man didn't even glance in her direction. Did he not hear her? Eve wondered silently.

She turned to her friends, who were making facial expressions and waving their hands, urging her to continue the action that had already started.

"Sir, excuse me, are you looking for someone?" Eve finally mustered the courage to intercept the man's path.

The man still maintained a serious and indifferent expression. And to make matters worse, he simply shook his head without any meaning in response to Eve's question.

"What does that headshake mean, huh? Does he not hear or is he not looking for someone? It's so unclear!" Eve grumbled to herself. She glanced at her friends, some of whom were giggling while others continued to encourage her to proceed.

"Hey! Sir! Are you mute or deaf, or both? How is it possible that I've been talking at length and there's no response at all!" Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, Eve, who was not used to being ignored, vented her anger towards the man.

Unexpectedly, the man finally stopped and turned to look at Eve sharply.

"Are you talking to me? Who's mute and deaf, huh?" A deep baritone voice, authoritative and commanding, came out of the handsome man's lips.

Eve suddenly felt as if she had shrunk in her place. She didn't expect the man to approach her instead. His sharp eagle-like eyes, framed by thick eyebrows, scrutinized Eve from head to toe with an evaluating gaze. It was truly a disrespectful way of looking at her, Eve thought, becoming more annoyed by the man's attitude.

"Now it's your turn to be mute and deaf, hm? Silly girl!" The man retorted, narrowing his eyes as if belittling Eve.

"Well, if you had just remained silent like me, I would have treated you as if you were just a passing breeze--"

"It's not always necessary to respond to the absurd behavior of fickle-minded girls like you, right?" He pointed towards Eve's group of friends who were clearly watching the exchange of words between them.

Oh, it seemed that from the beginning, this man suspected that he was the target of Eve and her friends. No wonder he was so annoying and unresponsive.

Eve couldn't find words to say. Being called an absurd fickle-minded girl was not an achievement in front of such a handsome and beautiful man. It was definitely not a memory she wanted to cherish as part of her vacation.

With a piercing glare directed at Eve, the man walked away with his broad steps, distancing himself from Eve, who was still stunned and unsure of what to do. Luckily, she hadn't had a chance to confess her feelings due to her friends' demand to the man. It would have been extremely embarrassing if she had been outright rejected!

Angrily, Eve stomped her foot and turned back to her friends. Some tried to console her, while others only made her more frustrated by blaming her.

"You, calling him mute and deaf. How thoughtless!"

"Yeah! Too bad you didn't get to know such a cool guy! Who knows, he might have been your savior from your current single status!"

Eve clicked her tongue in annoyance. "If being cool means being so rigid, I'd rather stay single. I'd be unlucky for life if I had a boyfriend like that!"

***