It's soft and moist.
That alone was already quite bewildering, but Gabi's warm scent gently pressed down on me.
Clearly that soft and moist sensation is something you can feel even when just washing your face.
Since you need to wet your face, your hands become moist from the water cupped in them.
No matter how thin they might be, at least the palms were always soft.
Gabi's scent is already familiar to me.
We've always slept and woken up together, so perhaps her scent has permeated me as well.
Just as my scent must cling to her.
But now those two things were happening at once.
With my mind feeling like fireworks were exploding inside it, I couldn't move.
No, I couldn't even grasp the situation properly.
What's happening right now?
Did Gabi really just kiss me?
My eyes are definitely wide open right now.
And filling my vision is Gabi's face with her eyes gently closed.
Yet somehow, even seeing this, I couldn't easily comprehend the situation.
Why?
Why would Gabi suddenly do this to me?
Could it be because of that joke about having to kiss when you get married?
If that's the case, she didn't need to go this far.
Jaemin said we could just pretend to kiss with a thumb between our lips.
Or if not that, we could have just pretended to kiss on the cheek while making a smooching sound.
The viewers would certainly get heated about it being fake or deceptive if we didn't actually kiss.
But that's just how internet broadcasts work.
It's not really such a serious matter.
But Gabi really did kiss me.
Not on the cheek, forehead, or nose, but directly on the lips.
And not just briefly—she's still here after exhaling three times.
I couldn't push her away.
Nor could I wrap my arms around her neck and embrace her. I just froze in an awkward position and thought.
At times like this, I was truly grateful for my quick thinking.
When playing League of Champions, I'm used to calculating gains and losses in split seconds and making decisions about my next move.
My mind had to work quickly.
Gabi's expression with her eyes closed is peaceful.
There's no sign of displeasure, like she's being forced to do this because the broadcast demanded it.
So I can at least be relieved about that.
Maybe girls can just kiss each other as a form of affection?
Maybe she's playing a prank to see how I'll react by suddenly pressing her lips against mine?
My thoughts leaned in that direction.
Gabi knows I was a man, and she's accepted that I've become a woman.
But knowing Gabi, she might pull this kind of light prank.
She's always been a bit mischievous.
It's not strange for her to do something like this just to see my reaction.
Of course, I can't say a kiss is nothing special.
It's clearly an act between people who love each other.
But while the original meaning of a peck and a kiss might be the same, they're used differently.
A kiss is something more intense, like the saying about "setting tongues wagging."
What's happening now, just pressing lips together, is more like a peck.
No tongues involved, I mean.
I think they call this the social aspect of language.
Regardless of the original meaning, this is how people use these terms today.
...My thoughts are wandering in strange directions because of how bewildering this situation is.
But thanks to that, I was able to collect myself somewhat.
Yes, it must be a joke.
Someone once said that girls touching each other's breasts is no different from guys touching each other's biceps.
In reality, men can start fighting just from making eye contact on the street.
Women seem to allow a bit more physical contact with others.
Especially between close friends like us.
So when Gabi's face gently pulled away.
When her eyes softly opened and a smile spread across her lips.
I was able to face her in a somewhat calmer state.
"Y-you didn't h-have to go this f-far..."
It seems only my mind had calmed down.
Judging by my stuttering, my heart was pounding wildly.
My breathing had become so rapid that I could barely speak properly.
I forgot to breathe.
I was so focused on analyzing Gabi that I didn't have time to think about my own condition.
Wait, isn't this something my parasympathetic nervous system should handle automatically?
Body of mine, do I have to consciously manage this too?
Regardless of my bewilderment.
Gabi continued with her infinitely light smile and asked me in succession.
"Hehe, isn't a kiss the proper way to end a wedding ceremony? Isn't that obvious? I didn't even use my tongue, so I don't understand why you're panting so much. Did you forget how to breathe?"
"W-why would I forget that? No, that's not the issue. Th-this kind of thing is supposed to be done with someone you truly love..."
"Oh? Does Noel dislike me? Was it all empty words when you said whoever marries me would be fortunate? You're making me sad."
"That's not possible. I sincerely thought that whoever marries you would be lucky."
"Then Noel is lucky. You married me, didn't you?"
"Uh..."
Am I reaping what I sowed?
But I couldn't tell if this was a good thing or a bad thing.
I wish Gabi were serious.
But she's probably just joking around because we're on broadcast.
I'm grateful that Gabi thinks of me so comfortably.
But at the same time, it feels sad, like she's saying we can be this comfortable together because there's absolutely no chance of anything real developing between us.
I'm the one who should be sad, Gabi.
As those words I couldn't bring myself to say aloud screamed inside me,
Jaemin, who had been watching us from the side, grumbled.
"That's unfair, kissing just between yourselves. Hey, what about me? Are you two getting married without me?"
See, even Jaemin isn't making a big deal out of it.
Between girls, as long as tongues aren't involved, this kind of kissing isn't strange.
...Or is it? Jaemin's face is bright red too.
Is she deliberately trying to act like it's no big deal?
Because the viewers' reactions aren't ordinary?
"Jaemin, um..."
"Hehe, that's right. Jaemin is married to us too. The bride and groom should kiss. Oh, should we call ourselves bride and bride between us?"
As I was trying to signal toward the doll in the guest seat out of belated concern,
This time Gabi took the initiative to lead the broadcast.
More than anything, when she moves like that, Gabi's face is fully visible.
Is she okay with that?
It's not like she's trying to show off that both streamer Noel and Celesti are all hers.
Of course, Gabi's face has appeared on broadcast before.
But we've been trying to keep ordinary people off camera as much as possible...
"Uh, uhh...?"
Making those efforts seem futile, this time Gabi strode toward Jaemin.
And just as she did with me, she suddenly cupped both of Jaemin's cheeks with her hands.
See, between girls, kissing is just a joke.
Just as she did with me, Gabi probably intends to playfully kiss Jaemin too.
Jaemin tried to brush it off as a joke when it was happening to someone else.
But now that she's the one involved, she looked just as flustered as I was.
As Gabi's face drew closer, Jaemin's body shrank back.
When Gabi closed her eyes, Jaemin closed hers too.
And finally, Gabi's lips touched Jaemin.
On the cheek.
I got kissed on the lips, but Jaemin on the cheek...?
As I was blinking at this strange difference, the rapidly scrolling viewer chat caught my eye.
- PolarBear: KYAAAAAAAA
- SilverPanthea: Girls can kiss each other on the cheek, you know ㅎㅎ The host did it too
- TearingApart: I'm fine with this?
- Doomfeast: What? I thought they really kissed but it was on the cheek
- PolarBear: KYAAAAAAAA
- RockFestival: Ah I thought they were really getting married but it's just a pretend marriage...
- Convection20Stack: Not as hot as having a full stack of convection...
- PolarBear: KYAAAAAAAA
- CRCE: Phew I was really surprised thinking they actually kissed
- Nunholy: But even if I give them the benefit of the doubt for Noel and the manager really kissing... doing it with Jaemin feels a bit off
- KTC014: Girls can kiss each other on the cheek, what's the problem;
- QueenLexia: Jaemin is a guy
- HotCarDay: For real, suddenly I'm as angry as one burger
- KTC014: Oh right? That's infuriating?
- PolarBear: KYAAAAAAAA
Ah, could it be that the viewers couldn't see Gabi and me pressing our lips together?
I guess since Gabi had her back to the camera, and I'm so small in stature.
Should I consider this fortunate?
Or should I be troubled by the fact that nothing would change either way?
In the end, Gabi only kissed me.
"Hehe, Noel. Noel should give Jaemin a kiss too, right?"
"Ah, yes."
Thanks to Gabi saying that,
I was finally able to gather my wits and reach out to Jaemin.
Even in this situation, I briefly thought that since Gabi had already stolen my lips,
If I kissed Jaemin's cheek with them, it would be an indirect kiss, so maybe I didn't need to do it.
But that's separate from this, and I think I need to talk to Gabi privately after the broadcast ends.
After all, that was my first kiss.