Curious Hearts

Chapter 18

The day of their first date arrived. Ain stood in front of her mirror. She wanted to look nice but not like she was trying too hard. After a few outfit changes, she settled on a light blue sundress that felt both comfortable and pretty, with a simple cardigan.

As she arrived at the arcade, Ain spotted Jay waiting by the entrance. He was wearing a simple white shirt and jeans, looking effortlessly handsome. When he saw her, his face lit up with a smile that made her heart flutter.

"Hey!"

"Hi, Jay. Sorry if I'm a bit late."

"No, you're right on time."

He glanced at her dress.

"You look... so beautiful."

Ain blushed.

"Thanks. You too."

"Shall we?" he asked.

"Let's do it!"

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The sounds of electronic games and the clinking of tokens. Jay led Ain to the token counter, where they bought of handful of coins.

"So, what do you want to play first?"

Ain glanced around.

"How about.. air hockey?"

"Great choice. But be warned—I'm pretty competitive."

Ain laughed.

"Oh, is that a challenge?"

"Of course."

The game began with a burst of energy. At one point, Ain scored a goal and she jumped up, raising her fists in victory.

Jay laughed.

"Okay, okay! You're better at this than I expected."

Ain smirked.

"Hahaha, I told you not to underestimate me."

The competition continued. In the end, Ain won by a narrow margin and Jay threw up his hands in mock defeat.

"You got me. You're officially the air hockey champion."

Ain giggled.

"I'll take that title."

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Next, they moved to the basketball shooting game. Jay confidently grabbed a ball and started shooting, scoring basket after basket with ease. Ain tried her best to keep up, but she couldn't help laughing every time she missed.

"You're pretty good at this."

"I've had a lot of practice. But you're doing great too, Ain."

As they go to the claw machine, Jay's eyes lit up.

"Oh, I have to try this."

Ain raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Aren't these rigged??"

Jay smirked.

"Maybe. But I have a secret technique."

Ain watched Jay maneuvering the claw with careful precision. She couldn't help but smile at how serious he looked. He pressed the button and the claw descended, grabbing a small plush toy shaped like a penguin.

"Come on, come on."

Jay muttered under his breath as the claw slowly lifted the toy.

"For you."

Ain laughed.

"Wow, I'm impressed! And I love penguins. Thank you, Jay."

"You're welcome."

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As the evening went on, they go to the photo booth.

"Ain, shall we take some pictures to remember this day?"

"Yes, sure!"

The first shot was of them smiling, the second mid-laugh, and the third one showed them pulling silly faces. In the last shot, they leaned closer, cheeks almost touching.

Jay handed Ain one of the photo strips.

"Here, so you don't forget today."

"I will."

Jay looked at her.

"Did you have fun?" he asked.

"I had a great time. Today was... so perfect."

"I'm glad. I really wanted you to enjoy it."

"I did. Thank you, Jay."

"You know, Ain.. I've never really felt this way before. I like spending time with you. You make everything... brighter."

Ain felt her cheeks heat up.

"I feel the same way, Jay."