ten

"Hwaiting! Hwaiting! Hwaiting!" Students cheered loudly at the people standing on the small makeshift stage. [A Korean exclamation used for encouragement and cheering on. Sort of like saying "Good luck!" but also adding the emphasis of working hard or trying your best]

Min's tender eyes sprang around the whole setting with unrest and fervor.

Why did the setting look like that of a fighting match?

A pretty doll-like female waved her frail arms up in the air, one arm holding a mike as if urging the gathered audience to cheer more.

On the stage, stood a linear table covered in red table-cloth with five people behind it. Two females and three males.

Min could easily recognize Danny's shy posture avoiding the crowd.

The beautiful female glanced at her wristwatch, then held the mike close to her parted lips. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it's about time we begin the first eating challenge of this new semester."

Her voice though high pitched and squeaky didn't minimize the holler of the boys from the audience.

She motioned at the five people standing behind the eye-catching table and happily announced. "Today we have these five food warriors from different years taking this challenge."

Donghyuck had already found a stable position in the crowd, which gave a clear view of Danny and vice versa. Next, he pulled Min who was a certain distance away from him to right beside him.

Min was frightened at the sudden yank on his arm but calmed down when Donghyuck's face came to his sight.

Hastily grabbing Mun Hee, Min shoved past the blocking students to stand beside Donghyuck.

"Today's challenge is to see who among these five food warriors can consume how many buckets of chicken wings in five minutes. Oh, they are extra spicy and each bucket contains twenty wings." The same voice of the female anchor reverberated.

Min tightly held onto Mun Hee's hand, afraid of losing his new friend in the crowd.

Donghyuck clasped the fiber fencing separating the audience from the crowd and yelled. "Danny Cha, you better win this!"

Perhaps Danny was able to hear Donghyuck's encouragement because that very moment Danny turned in their direction and gave a smirk.

A male student with a carton full of water bottles stepped up on the stage and gave four bottles to each participant.

With the distribution of water bottles done, the challenge began. The digital timer beeped and everyone was able to see the countdown of green digits clearly.

Min was baffled at the actions of the participants. All were stuffing chicken wings like candies in their mouth.

Danny had one water bottle unscrewed while he used both his hands in a popular way, food challengers ate chicken wings.

Using one hand, Danny separated the meat from the bone and inhaled them like plain air. The speed at which Danny was downing those wings looked inhuman to Min.

Min was frozen stiff. What's this? It's more exciting than the official games he had watched.

The cheers from surroundings increased with each passing second and Min could vaguely make out Donghyuck's loud shouts from beside him.

Mun Hee on the other hand was sweating tremendously, sandwiched between the energetic crowd. Her heart was pumping disorderly too.

Mum Hee had personally never come across any live food challenges before but who would've guessed that she would see one in her university?

The time limit was almost reaching its half and Danny had cleared the fourth bucket of chicken wings. Min could only stand there getting the otherworldly experience.

Danny's face has turned reddish from the smoking and spicy flavor and anyone could see the obvious mess Danny was in. His sky blue shirt was soaked to bits, clinging to his model-like sculpted body.

As the countdown neared it's closing time, the crowd turned louder and Min's heart pained on watching Danny stuff the chicken wings like his life depended on it.

During the last remaining 20s, the crowd started chanting the countdown. Donghyuck couldn't control himself as he began jumping along the rattling fence, acting as Danny's catalyst for the win.

Min too faintly whispered the numbers, his eyes shining like two pools of dark chocolate.

In the final ten seconds, it was as if Danny got possessed by the spirit of an elephant, eating left and right. Danny's mouth looked as if it was about to burst from overfilling.

Just as the buzzer indicated the end of the allotted time, Min felt his heart leaping to his throat.

The residue bones from Danny's hand fell on the empty bucket as he staggered back losing his balance.

But thanks to one of the representatives, who swiftly helped Danny and offered him some water. Danny drank the water and heaved a couple of breaths, his chest violently rising and falling.

The female anchor from before claimed her position back on the stage. "Wow! That was really a battle. Those chicken wings just disappeared in a blink. Anyways, I would request our representative to begin the counting and provide me with the results."

One of the representatives came forward wearing plastic gloves in his hand and slowly began counting the number of sauce smeared buckets.

Min's chest was bubbling with anticipation. He prayed for Danny to win.

Danny, now done with the challenge, was exhausted. Shrugging his wet shirt, Danny started jumping on the stage to help clear the heaviness in his chest dissipate. Otherwise, he would surely puke out some of the food, resulting in a loss.

The counting was finished rather fast and results were already getting whispered in the female anchor's ears.

The female anchor nodded understandingly and declared the results. "On our third position with 107 pieces of chicken wings is Jung Hyejin."

A round of applause erupted and a petite but meaty girl waved her hand, wiping the other on a paper napkin.

"The second place goes to Seo Jongin with 113 pieces of chicken wings devoured within five minutes." The crowd hooted and a fairly bullish boy smiled, showing his muscles to the crowd.

"And with the newest record of eating 120 chicken wings in five minutes-" The crowd gasped at the revelation. "The first place goes to Cha Danny!!"

Min didn't realize but as soon as he heard the name, his body reacted on his own and he jumped high with a screech, hands clapping each other with immense pressure.

He was happy. He was so so very happy.

A few flashes of camera lightened Danny's face as he threw a peace sign towards it.

Min's heart was going numb from happiness. It felt like it was not another one's but his win too.

What a strange feeling.