Xen

It's Raine's turn now and he pulls out a block. The staff hands him the paper with the corresponding number. "What was your most embarrassing childhood moment?" Raine pauses, his mouth in a flat line. He's digging through his memories. "I tripped in front of the class."

The way it comes out, I feel that he's not telling the truth. Weyn looks displeased, but motions for us to move on.

I pull out my block and get my question. Staring at the words printed on the slip, my cheeks warm. "What kind of person was your first love?" I glance at Weyn, wondering if these sorts of questions are allowed. And how does it help us to bond, knowing details like this? There's no way I can tell the truth. Although I dated other people, the only one to get my heart pounding was Raine. Any descriptor feels like admitting it's him. "I… I didn't know them, so, I don't know," I mutter.

DG scowls. "That's not a real answer."

"It's the truth."

Weyn motions for our attention. "Challenge."

"Huh?! But I told the truth!"

"You didn't answer the question."

"How does this kind of question help us bond, anyway?" I grumble.

"Knowing each other's deepest secrets," Weyn replies plainly. "What's the challenge?" he asks the staff member with the questions.

"Fruit string game with the member closest in age."

I don't know what the fruit string game is, but Leela and DG are 26. Raine is 22. That makes him the closest. My heart pounds.

A staff member comes over with a noodle-shaped thing. "W-what's this?" I ask.

Though Raine's expression is plain, I can sense he's perturbed in his tense jaw.

"Fruit string," the staff says.

Leela is cupping her mouth, suppressing her giggles. "Someone explain to Xen."

DG scoots towards us.

"DG, move to behind them so the cameras can get it."

DG moves behind us the takes one end of the fruit string. "Xen, bite this end."

I bite a piece off. Leela and DG burst into laughter, Leela doubling down on her side.

I glance at them and the staff, confused. Raine runs his tongue over his teeth, fighting a laugh. "W-what?"

"Don't bite it off," DG says through gasps.

"It's your fault," Leela sits back up, snickering. "You told him to bite it."

"I didn't think he'd actually bite it. Okay, okay, Xen, hold it between your lips."

Pushing down my embarrassment as the awkward Earthian, I hold the fruit string in place.

DG lifts the other end towards Raine. When Raine scoots closer and takes it in his mouth, I jerk away, startled, feeling the blood rush to my face.

Again, my band mates burst into laughter. Well, all expect Raine who is once again looking perturbed. Oh my god, I'm fucking up left and right.

"Come on!" Weyn calls from behind the camera staff. "Bonding, bonding."

If I act too weird about this, it'll be suspicious. But am I seriously supposed to do this with Raine?! Our mouths are on the same piece of food or candy or whatever this is and our faces only inches away.

"C-can I have another challenge?" I ask, though I can barely hear myself over the pounding of my heart.

"I'm starting to get offended," Raine remarks, staring a hole into me.

I cover my face to shield myself from his stare. Xen, if you act any weirder about this, it'll be too suspicious. It's just a game. It's just a game. It's just a game.

I lift my head, trying desperately to keep my facial expression calm. "Okay."

A staff member hands us a new string because I apparently broke the other in half when I jerked away. DG helps us place the string in our mouths again and I start to shake my foot, unable to release my nerves any other way.

"Okay, now eat the string, with the goal of getting as close as possible until you coward out."

"Rephrase that," Weyn says. "The goal of… making the piece left over as short as possible."

DG follows Weyn's instructions, then holds out his hand. "And, start!"

I'm frozen but in front of me, Raine is steadily pulling the fruit string into his mouth with his tongue. I'm going to wet my pants.

"Xen, move too!" DG yells.

Oh my god. Raine's face gets closer and closer and I can't move. Squeezing my eyes shut, I wait for the big moment and hear, "Ahhhhh!" from everyone in the room.

I don't feel Raine's breath. And it's a moment before I realize the sensation in my mouth is different. I open my eyes and see Raine staring at me without expression, chewing the fruit string. DG lifts something off the floor.

"Hahahah!"

It's a piece of fruit string about the length of a thumb. Who bit it? Me or Raine? If it was Raine, does that mean he refused to get any closer to me? His expression is so calm, he couldn't have done it out of embarrassment. Is he drawing a line?

Weyn claps his hands once. "That's good. Let's move on."

I'm in a daze as DG pulls out his block and receives his question. "What's your worst habit?"

The game continues, most of the questions being answered. I learn that DG has the habit of touching people's butts when he hugs them, wears harem pants because they give nice breathing room, and likes canids over flines, whatever that means. Leela has dated three people in the past, flosses after every meal, and poops once a day.

Raine thinks DG's best feature is his smile and is insecure about his eyebrows.

As the tower grows more and more unstable, everyone grows tense to see who will get the next challenge. It ends up being Raine and his task is to sit in the lap of the person on his left through the first cycle of the next round.

There isn't a bit of hesitation. Leela wraps her arms around his waist and rests her chin on his shoulder. The blocks are set back up and the second round begins. Weyn instructs us to answer less questions so we get more challenges.

DG has to play the fruit string game with Raine and I watch uncomfortably as they get closer and closer until there's only a nail-length piece of string left.

I have to hold hands with Leela. She laces her fingers with mine. They're surprisingly long for the small size of her hands. And they're warm. It's awkward but doesn't feel me with panic like my challenge with Raine did.

I also have to give DG a piggyback ride and everyone is surprised for how long I can carry his weight.

Leela is the one to knock down the tower in the second round, but Weyn surprises us for what he says the final challenge is.

"All the band members, give your youngest a kiss on the cheek."

Likely red as a berry, I remain still as Leela gives me a smack with her lips. The other band members comment about how she always kisses people so it isn't weird for her. I'm especially nervous when Raine comes closer and my foot starts bouncing again. His lips graze my cheek. It's not even a kiss, just a light touch of skin. He still hates me. DG strokes one side of my face as he gets closer and I give him a questioning look as everyone else laughs. His kiss is sweet and gentle.

The staff claps and tells us all it's a job well done. They turn off the cameras, pack up, and leave.

Vont approaches us before we can disperse to our rooms. "That was good, right? It'll be great for ratings and also you guys feel closer. Right?"

Raine shrugs. DG nods and drapes an arm over my shoulder. I'm unable to see Leela's reaction past his huge body.

"Great, great. Jo'lanae is going to be super pleased. Okay," he pulls out his phone, "tomorrow Xen and Raine will head to the studio at 9 to start turning the lyrics Raine has written into songs. Leela and DG, you have the day free. Let me know if you want to stay here or head to the building."

DG flexes and mimes lifting weights which must mean he plans on working out. I hope he comes in the morning so I don't have to ride alone with Raine.

"Next week will start with a photo shoot for the Starlight single. I'll update you on exact times the day before. Everyone got it?"

There's a collection of nods and Yes's.

"All right. Get some rest." Vont walks towards the door. "Especially our youngest members. Tomorrow is going to be long."