Pupu had been waiting all day to eat the last piece of his favorite candy—a shiny, golden-wrapped caramel he’d been saving for a special moment. He had hidden it deep in his toy box, right under his plush dragon and beside his secret stash of comic books. As the sun dipped low and dinner was done, he tiptoed into his room, humming with anticipation.
But when he opened the toy box, his smile froze.
The caramel was gone.
Pupu blinked, then dug through the box like a mad raccoon—comics flew, toys tumbled, but the candy was nowhere in sight.
He stormed into the living room, cheeks puffed and fists clenched. “POKI!” he yelled, pointing dramatically at his little brother, who was suspiciously licking his fingers and watching cartoons with innocent eyes.
Poki turned slowly, guilt creeping across his face like syrup on pancakes.
“You… you ATE it, didn’t you?” Pupu gasped.
Poki gave a nervous giggle. “It was just sitting there! I thought you forgot about it…”
Pupu’s face turned redder than a cherry soda. “FORGOT? That was the last one! It had a golden wrapper and everything!”
Poki’s smile faded. “Sorry…”
Pupu crossed his arms and huffed. “You can’t just eat my stuff. That candy was special. I was saving it!”
Seeing how hurt his big brother was, Poki got up and disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned, holding a slightly smushed but still-wrapped chocolate bar from his own secret stash.
“This is my favorite,” Poki said, offering it. “You can have it. I didn’t know it meant that much.”
Pupu stared at the chocolate, then at his brother’s apologetic face. His anger melted—just a little.
“Fine,” Pupu grumbled, taking it. “But next time, ask.”
“Deal,” Poki grinned.
They sat on the couch, half a candy bar each, a cartoon playing, and a silent promise between brothers: don’t mess with the candy stash.
