Yours Truly

2: Small Town Girls in a Big Arcade

"Wow."
Lisa's wide doll eyes widened even more. Her long eyelashes fluttering. Her fingers tracing the canvas.
"We had no clue you worked on this for an entire week..."
"Correction Lalisa Manoban. I'm still working on it."
"But it looks so complete. It's a beautiful pair of eyes."
Lisa saw Sierra's long neck snap. Eyes stern, eyebrows lifted, hand on her hip.
"Just a beautiful pair of eyes?"
Lisa felt Sierra's feline eyes burn a hole through her. Saliva at theback of her throat that couldn't be gulped. Her otherwise cute laugh was all awkward,
"Yeah... A beautiful pair of eyes."
How beautifully her eyes rolled. Throwing her beautiful neck back with sigh,
"That's the fucking problem Li. It's just one pair of eyes. Beautiful, but not what I wanted it to be. You see, this is a mere eye and not the feeling inside me. You know the pupils don't look warm enough. The eyes itself don't look cold enough. It just is never enough."
Rosé side hugged the tired soul. Her thin arms around her cold body,
"It's okay Ra. You can always try again."
"Still Young. The satisfaction that comes with a finished piece, is undeniable."
Sierra felt a sigh escape her lips. Her paint cover palms grasping the roots of her hair. Squinting her face, brows furrowed. Jisoo couldn't help but back hug their precious maknae,
"You know what else is just as good as finishing your drawing but a tad bit colder?"
"I don't know, revenge?"
Sierra shrugged, making Jisoo playfully hit her arm,
"Nope. Just icecream."
Jennie's long dark locks swayed gracefully as she joined the circle.
"Also, we can just walk around, visit some arcades, just goof around. You know?"

"Jiji Unnie. JenJen Unnie."
Sierra slinged her long arms on both the petite ladies. Well, they weren't that much petite, it's just that Lisa, Rosé and Sierra were a bit too tall.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you so much. There's so much colour out here. These graffiti, the nature, the concrete roads. I mean I was pretty bored of the sage green walls and the same bed, same curtains, same canvas. Everything."
The older girls exchanged glances smiling. Their maknae was happy. All they had here were themselves. A found family.

"Ra? Let me click a picture of yours. Here stand by this door. You'd look charming."
Jennie nudged Sierra softly. Her lips spread into an assuring smile. Her fingers holding the polaroid camera. Sierra smiled, fidgeting her fingers. Her feet slowly taking her towards the door. She wasn't that much photogenic ever.
Her body forming an S line. Crossing her left leg in front, she had heard it made her legs look longer. Hiding her face, extending her palms towards the lens. Covering her face. She leaned backwards, her back hitting the pink neon door.
Jennie thought the maknae looked charming. With a graphic cropped tee and graffiti wide legged jeans. Her art peeking out of them. Her denim jacket with words holding both worlds. France and Korea. Words like Noir, Papillion, Je'taime accompanied by Saranghae, Bultaewo, Mirae, Hwangjanim.

Sierra's back hitting the floor. As a natural reflex her legs went a full circle and she was on her knees. The girls watched her, eyes widened. What have they done!
"Sierra! Get the fuck up! We need to leave before they call the..."
"Good afternoon, young ladies."
A rather sketchy voice. Breaking in between. Creaking more than a rusted door.
Sierra, who still was on the floor, couldn't help but notice how small of a face the man had. They said small face is a sign of beauty. How wrong can one be?
Wrinkles all over his face, white hair falling behind his ears. A very heavy glass on his nose bridge.
"We're sorry for barging in and disturbing you sir."
Jennie bowed, stepping forward. She never backed down, when the girls needed a voice. Jisoo on the other hand helped Sierra up, checking for minor cuts and bruises.
"Not at all, young ladies. Well, the arcade is open to all."
"Arcade?"
Curiosity kills the cat. This time the cat lover. Stepping in, eyebrows high up. Her dark locks flowing. He smiled,
"Yes pretty lady. An arcade with loads of fun games to play. And judging by the camera in your hands. You'd get many aesthetic shots as well."
"An arcade? Really? We haven't seen this one ever."
Rosé tried to drag Lisa away from the man. No offence, but he looked scary. The green eyes were just adding to it. His smile looked more vicious, accompanied by his sketchily hunched body. Sign of age? Maybe.
"Well, I don't know why, but check it out if you want to. If you feel odd or don't think it's a safe place, please do leave. No one's closing the gates."
Her eyes flutterred around. Looking back and forth between her Unnies. Doesn't it seem fun to them? Doesn't those neon lights pull them in? The arcade looks so fun.

I've spent all of the love I saved
We were always a losing game
Small-town boy in a big arcade
I got addicted to a losing game

The stereo blasting. The neon lights made the area so pleasant. Games beeping and buzzing. Aesthete. Sierra chewed on the gum, playing with her hair. Her jacket was off, it was oddly sweaty in here. Lisa and Jennie were trying to beat each other. Jisoo watched with proud eyes. She never thought her girls would pick up her gaming traits.
"What's that over there?"
Sierra felt a bony finger poke her forearm. Like a lost puppy, Sierra's head shot towards the direction Rosé pointed at.
A sketchy red arcade cabinet. Yellow controls and a mediocre screen. Words flashing on the screen.

Enter coin to start.

"That's odd. It doesn't have a specific type of game in it. Machines like this usually have stickers of the game that's being placed on it."
Her long thumbs rubbing the controls slightly. Sierra had followed her by now. A weird and unknown curiousity peaking out of their eyes.
"What do we have here?"
Jennie strolled towards them, giddily. Her Lili had won. What more did she need? The way her eyes glowed when she won.
Lisa, hands tucked in her pockets, alongside Jisoo walked towards the familiar crowd. Her face glowing from the past win.
"What game is it playing?"
"We don't know. Sierra and I have been trying to find out."
Hands on her hips. Leaning forward a bit. Rosé's powerful gaze scanning the game. What could it be?