Mingled Round 🍭 ateez slash challenge [⏯]

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Bottom!Mingi 
Top!Hongjoong

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Hongjoong, determined to impress Mingi, decided to prove his worth when they planned a date.

He was originally ready to do whatever Mingi wanted. However, when Mingi suggested going to the movies, Hongjoong had to refuse. The reason was that he often fell asleep while watching, regardless of how interesting the film was. It was as if his eyes simply could not stay open for long periods, whether it was a big screen or a small phone screen—he would still get drowsy. Maybe there was something personal he held against movies.

Since Mingi didn’t have another idea, he eventually said, "Whatever," when Hongjoong asked about other options. The situation felt like a girl who’s unsure about what to eat when asked.

"How about we go to a haunted house? It seems fun," Hongjoong suggested enthusiastically.

Mingi immediately rejected, "Ew, no thanks."

"Huh? Why not?"

"I don’t know, but the idea of a haunted house sounds incredibly boring."

"Oh. Well, where do you want to go then?"

"Just decide."

But Hongjoong was frustrated. He had already made a suggestion, and Mingi had just rejected it. If it weren’t for the fear of getting punched, he would have squeezed Mingi’s annoying little butt by now.

"How about we go to the game zone?" Hongjoong suggested hopefully.

"That’s a good idea. I’m in."

"Great. Let’s go."

At the game zone, they enjoyed their time immensely. They tried almost all the games. Hongjoong excelled in sports like basketball, boxing, and motor racing, while Mingi was better at musical games like dance, drums, and guitar.

They had a bet, but it turned out they were both skilled in their respective areas. The result was a tie, and neither won nor lost. They ended up just enjoying the games and collecting tickets as a bonus, to be exchanged for souvenirs later.

Before exchanging the tickets at the prize counter, Hongjoong spotted something that caught his eye—a claw machine for grabbing stuffed animals. He imagined winning the cutest stuffed animal to give to Mingi.

Hongjoong decided to give it a try. He had to succeed, or he’d be embarrassed.

"Look, I’m going to get a stuffed animal for you," he said, pulling Mingi to the machine.

"Can you really?" Mingi asked with a skeptical expression, genuinely doubtful, as claw machines were notoriously difficult. "Only one in a million gets a stuffed animal from these things. Even the smartest minds think these machines are rigged to make a profit."

"Of course," Hongjoong said confidently, trying to appear heroic in front of his crush. "Which stuffed animal do you want? I’ll get it for you."

"The biggest one, the one that looks really cute," Mingi pointed to a lion stuffed animal.

"Perfect, it matches you," Hongjoong chuckled.

"Shut up."

"Alright, I’ll go for it." Hongjoong inserted a coin and started controlling the claw with the buttons and lever. He needed to get the lion Mingi wanted. At the very least, he had to get something so as not to look completely foolish.

However, for some reason, whether it was due to being too nervous with Mingi beside him or the pressure to succeed, he ended up missing and grabbing a different stuffed animal.

"Yaaahhh, didn’t get it," Mingi said with a hint of disappointment, though he didn’t mind too much. "It was your choice anyway."

Hongjoong held his breath, focusing even though he ended up with something else. He managed to maneuver the item into the final position.

In the end, the stuffed animal that came out wasn’t the biggest, but it was not far off in size from the lion Mingi wanted.

"This is for you," Hongjoong said, handing over a bear stuffed animal holding a heart-shaped sign with "I Love You" written on it. "Sorry I didn’t get what you wanted. But I hope this is enough for you to accept my feelings."

"So, if I reject you, I shouldn’t accept this stuffed animal?"

"Oh, you can still take it. Go ahead."

It was a bear holding a heart with "I Love You" written on it. Even though he didn’t get the lion, Hongjoong ended up with a stuffed animal that was more fitting for the current situation. It was very supportive.

"Thank you."

Hongjoong responded with a nod and a small smile.

"This is really cute too," Mingi continued to appreciate Hongjoong’s effort, "I still like it."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Ah, I’m glad. Okay, let’s go get our prizes now."

"Wait, I also found something interesting to try before we exchange the souvenirs."

"What is it?"

Mingi pulled Hongjoong’s hand, just like Hongjoong had pulled him earlier.

They arrived at a photo booth.

"To keep a memory of our time here together."

Hongjoong felt unexpectedly touched. It turned out Mingi cared about such small things. Their relationship had become a meaningful reciprocal one.

They entered the booth and had four photo sessions. They tried different poses, nothing strange, just varied.

However, unexpectedly, for the last pose, Mingi kissed Hongjoong’s cheek. When the photos were printed, the last one showed Hongjoong’s surprised face due to Mingi’s sudden kiss. Hongjoong felt happy, as if it were a dream.

"I love you too," Mingi whispered shyly.

"E-eh? What do you mean?" Hongjoong was a mix of shocked and confused.

Mingi pointed to the "I Love You" on the stuffed animal. "This. You gave me this, and I’m giving you my answer."

Hongjoong didn’t regret the mistake he made with the claw machine.