<h4>Chapter 10: The Kiss</h4>


    When I finished judging in my mind, I opened Maria''s fingers and tried to shove mine through them.


    If it had been a usual scene, someone would have certainlye along to disturb the scene, making us embarrassed.


    But no one was around to bother us here, in part because I was not the protagonist but also because this was my home and I lived alone.


    Today, I decided to do more than just give her a kiss, and this was my attempt to achieve that goal.


    Nheless, it wasn''t my impulsivity but a well calcted n.


    We had met face-to-face almost every day for about two weeks, and I had already filled her heart with love for me by taking care of her in every way I could.


    And if I trust my observational skills:


    Even earlier in the garden and on the Wechat, Maria was reading my every move, so she definitely knew what would happen today.


    And so, I also decided to just let it go with the flow.


    Getting up, I grabbed Maria''s wrist, and pulled her up with me.


    "Wow...!"


    Without speaking or asking for a reason after getting up, she looked at me, and I looked at her.


    Every time I approached her slowly, she stepped backward with the same stride as me, the frequency of this increased, giving a clear indication of how nervous she was now.


    "Wow!"


    Maria, who had suddenly copsed on the edge of the bed, eximed something in a rather high-pitched voice.


    Her eyes were wide open enough that they couldn''t grow any longer, and her pupils were rolling in all directions.


    Tuk.


    I got up on the bed above Maria with my hands grabbing her wrists.


    My knees touched her legs. I slowly, very slowly, lowered my upper body and brought my face closer to Maria''s.


    This time, Maria''s body was leaning backward.


    Her back, which had been angled down, crashed into the bed.


    She had nowhere to run now.


    Realizing this, she suddenly let out an embarrassed, subconscious giggle.


    "hehehe..!"


    But then she immediately shut her mouth from embarrassment and again looked at me.


    Maria''s trembling eyes, which appeared to have experienced an earthquake, had two emotions swirling in them.


    Expectation and fear.


    Of these, thetter was thergest.


    If I keep going from here, it would certainly be a kiss with a bit of force.


    But I wanted Maria to feel the sweetness of her first kiss.


    So I decided to dispel that fear first.


    I stared straight into Maria''s eyes, and opened my mouth.


    "I''m sorry, Maria, but I have hopelessly fallen in love with you. I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours, forever."


    After sincerely apologizing and making a romantic proposal to her in a soft tone that was unlike my usual,


    The fear disappeared from Maria''s eyes to arge extent, and she then increased the force of her fingers that were intertwined with mine, as if giving me an okay signal.


    ''Done.''


    This was enough.


    It would have been better if she had said, "I like you too," but I would have to save that for the next opportunity now.


    Then, I looked closely at Maria''s face.


    "Hmm!"


    Her stiff muscles were being rxed.


    The frequency of her hups had decreasedpared to before, and her trembling body had calmed down.


    I slowly reached out and removed Maria''s hand that was covering the corner of her mouth.


    Her arms slumped to the side, as if there was no power in them at all.


    Maria couldn''t keep her eyes closed, perhaps embarrassed.


    Her tightly chapped lips were looking extremely coveting.


    While my initial instinct was to rush in and greet them, I held off so Maria couldplete her own mental prep work.


    And after I was confirmed, I lowered my face closer and turned my head slightly.


    Then Maria''s eyes slowly closed.


    Completely giving me consent to do whatever I want.


    I sang a hurrah in my mind, calming my beating heart, and then finally,


    I pressed my lips against her soft lips.


    "Heh heh!"


    At the same time, Maria''s hups made her head tilt slightly upward.


    As our lips were pressed against each other, the soft touch became firm.


    Maria''s unintentional action made meugh, and I let out a short breath through my nostrils.


    At that moment, all the strength in her body was gone.


    I could feel her lips collide with mine as they opened.


    ''Can I put my tongue in?''


    Since we had alreadye so far, I decided to put it in.


    After contemting for a while, I stuck out my tongue while our lips met, and gently put it into Maria''s mouth.


    Then I licked her teeth gently, as if painting them with my paint.


    "Wow!"


    As Maria''s body fluttered in surprise, her shut teeth instantly opened up a gap.


    And after that invitation, the moment my tongue went in, her eyes sprang wide open.


    There was a deep surprise in them, and as she looked into my eyes, she instantly became flustered, pushed my tongue out with hers, and closed her eyes and teeth once again.


    For a moment I thought it was over, but seeing that she didn''t push me away, it doesn''t seem like she was really thinking about quitting.


    Instead, her breathing became fast, and her grip on me tightened.


    ''Are you excited?''


    Whatever it was, it was a boon for me.


    I quietly closed my eyelids and gently rolled Maria''s teeth with my tongue, and when a long wind blew out of her nose and tickled the nostrils and pharynx, I called for joy inside.


    That nostril was proof that her tension waspletely relieved.


    Reassured, I didn''t go any further, but my hands that were intertwined with her loosened their grip, and then I wrapped them around her waist.


    I took her whole body in my arms while the tip of my tongue slowly erased the strawberry taste from her mouth.


    And with that I ended my first kiss with her onest time by biting Maria''s lower lip very slightly with my teeth, and hugging her closer in my arms, almost turning our two bodies into one.