the troubled soul lies in wait ; dan heng

the higher you fly, the harder you fall 🍁

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"since when were you ever into arcades, sushang?"

"please, (y/n)! this one seems cool! i heard you can win extra-large plushies at their claw machines!"

"... most of those are rigged. are you really sure you want to go to the new one near your place?"

"just this once! plus, aren't arcades typically your thing? i don't get why you're complaining."

"ugh, well..."

she had a point — arcades were pretty fun to hang out at. plus, the place we were choosing specifically was brand new; who knew what games they would have there?

"alright... i'll meet you there in about 30?"

"yay! thanks! and sure! i'll get ready right now..."

i could hear the sound of sushang's bedsheets rustling as she got up from her bed, the noises quite loud through the phone as it sat on her sheets.

"sounds good. see you at the entrance!"

i end the call, getting up from my own bed and stretching as i walk over to the closet.

opening it, i find a plain t-shirt to wear as i slip a hoodie over it. i also put on some baggy pants, wanting to be comfy and not stand out too much when i arrived at the arcade.

leaving the hood down, i decide to keep my hair down, brushing it before i slip on my socks and sneakers.

i grab my small backpack, with small keychains hanging from the zippers that resembled characters from some video games i liked. i head outside the front door of my apartment, closing and locking it afterwards.

walking down the stairs, i could feel a nice summer breeze hit me. it felt nice, considering the air conditioning in my apartment wasn't the best. i look up the arcade that was near sushang's place — turned out to be a ten minute walk.

"better hurry..."

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"hey, (y/n)!"

i notice sushang at the entrance of the arcade, waving to me happily as i quickly walk over to her. i give her a small hug, before pulling away and examining her outfit.

she was wearing light-blue jeans, along with a plain white top and a light yellow knit cardigan. her hair was tied up in low pigtails that nearly went past her back. it looked nice on her, to say the least — so i chose to compliment her on it.

"hey, sushang! your outfit's very cute."

i smile back at her, nudging her shoulder as we both walk into the arcade. i notice a small tint of pink appear on her cheeks as she waves her hands in front of her.

"ahh, thank you! you're such a sweet friend. let's go play some games! i'm excited to see what they have."

i nod in agreement, as we both pay for our game cards at the kiosk. she decided to get the fifty-dollar one, yet i decided to get the thirty-dollar one, since i probably wouldn't play that many games.

i follow close behind her, watching her look at all the game machines in awe. it was almost like she had never been to an arcade before in her life...

well, knowing her, this was probably her first time in one.