Mixed Up | Yeonbin

31. arcade

The lights of the arcade blinked and flashed all around them, neon signs casting a rainbow of colors across the room. The hum of games, beeping machines, and scattered laughter filled the air, creating an atmosphere that felt almost electric. It was the perfect distraction, exactly what Yeonjun needed.

Soobin nudged him, pointing to the row of basketball hoop games near the back. "Wanna bet I can beat you at this?"

Yeonjun raised an eyebrow, glancing at Soobin's smirk. "Bro, please. You're tall, but that doesn't mean you're gonna win."

Soobin laughed, already walking toward the game. "Oh, trust me. I'm not just tall, I'm talented."

Yeonjun rolled his eyes but followed him anyway. Soobin was already sliding the coins into the slot, and the countdown to start lit up on the screen. He cracked his knuckles, eyes focused, looking almost too serious for an arcade game.

The game began, and Soobin was off, shooting with a kind of casual confidence that made Yeonjun immediately regret underestimating him. One after another, the balls sailed through the hoop, the scoreboard lighting up faster than Yeonjun could process.

"Dude, what the—?" Yeonjun stared, half-impressed, half-annoyed. He grabbed a ball and started shooting, but his accuracy was... questionable, to say the least. Meanwhile, Soobin just kept sinking shots like it was nothing.

"Binnie, you're killing it," Yeonjun muttered, a hint of frustration in his voice as his ball hit the rim and bounced off.

"Not my fault you're trash at this," Soobin teased, laughing as he made another perfect shot.

Yeonjun groaned, giving up halfway through when he realized there was no catching up. "Okay, okay, you win. Damn."

Soobin grinned, stepping back as the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the game. "Told you."

"Whatever," Yeonjun muttered, but there was a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. For the first time in days, he felt lighter, even if it was just for a moment.

Soobin couldn't help but to stare at Yeonjun. That smile, that was the smile he fell for. And he felt accomplished, seeing he could make Yeonjun lift the corners of his mouth again.

Cute

They moved on to the Dance Dance Revolution, where Yeonjun finally found his groove. His footwork hit every arrow and every beat.

"W- what the hell??" Soobin panted as he gripped the railing behind him with his dear life. "Is that even possible?" Soobin struggled to keep up.

Yeonjun just chuckled as he stepped on the last move. "It's a skill issue, Binnie." Yeonjun put both of his hands on his hips as he turned to Soobin. Both of them trying to catch their breath.

"Nah," Soobin was in a lot worse shape than Yeonjun, though he kept up that dimpled smile. "You're a robot, I swear." Soobin chuckled.

By the time they had made their way through the air hockey, first person shooter, and every other machine that caught their eye, they were both riding a high. It was the most carefree Yeonjun had felt in weeks.

The weight on his chest had loosened,  he wasn't drowning in thoughts of the mess of his life.

As they were heading out, something caught Yeonjun's eye—a claw machine filled with white bunny plushies. Each one had a little sky-blue bow around its neck, and for some reason, it reminded him of Soobin.

He stared at the machine for a moment, not even sure why he was drawn to it, but the resemblance was lowkey hilarious... and cute.

Soobin noticed him slowing down. "Wanna try it?" he asked, nodding toward the claw machine. "It's got you written all over it."

Yeonjun snorted. "What? No way, that thing's rigged. It's a waste of time. Only a fool will fall for that thing."

"Come on," Soobin teased, nudging him with his elbow. "You don't want a cute little bunny to remember me by?"

Yeonjun gave him a look, but he couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips. "Nah, I don't need a bunny for that."

Soobin blinked, like he wasn't expecting that answer. For a second, the air between them felt different—softer, quieter. But Yeonjun quickly shook it off, shoving his hands into his pockets as they headed for the door.

"Alright, alright. Let's get out of here," Soobin said, his voice light again, though his eyes lingered on Yeonjun for just a second longer, then he glanced at the claw machine as he followed Yeonjun's footsteps.

Guess I'm a fool.

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a.n.

Always wanted an arcade date:( who'll take me theree, I'm a hopeless romantic ✋😔