Defy: Taennie Special

- 15

Cielle was buzzing with excitement as she walked alongside Koen, clutching the art supplies they had just bought. She had been gushing about her project the entire time, and Koen listened with his usual calm, hands tucked into his pockets. But the moment they passed an arcade, Cielle's eyes lit up, spotting a photobooth tucked inside.

"Koen! Let's take photos!" she exclaimed, already pulling him toward the booth.

Koen hesitated, scanning the crowded arcade. "There are a lot of people here..." he muttered, but Cielle was already dragging him along. He wasn't the type to let loose, especially in a place like this, but something about being with her chipped away at his usual reserved demeanor.

Before he could protest, they were squeezed into the small booth. The flashing lights started, and Cielle made goofy faces while Koen tried not to laugh. By the third photo, he gave in, letting his guard down just a little, his smile soft and real.

Once they had their strip of photos, Cielle proudly tucked it into her bag before leading Koen deeper into the arcade.

As soon as they finished the photobooth, Cielle spotted the gun-shooting game nearby and dragged Koen toward it.

"Let's see who's got the better aim," she teased, picking up the plastic gun with a determined smile.

Koen raised a brow, grabbing the second gun. "You sure you can handle this?" he said, his voice calm but with a slight smirk. "I don't go easy."

The game started, and Koen immediately took the lead, shooting down enemies with precision. Cielle tried to keep up, but her shots were more scattered. Every time she missed, she groaned loudly, causing Koen to chuckle.

"Okay, Mr. Perfect," Cielle laughed, "I get it. You're a sniper or something!"

"You should focus," Koen said, effortlessly hitting another target. "Or you'll lose."

In the end, Koen won by a large margin. Cielle threw her hands up in mock frustration. "Argh! How are you so good at this?"

Koen shrugged, clearly pleased with himself. "Told you I don't go easy."

Not wanting to be defeated just yet, Cielle spotted the Tekken arcade machine next. "Fine, rematch here!" she said, pointing to it. "I'm good at this one!"

Koen followed her with a hint of amusement. "You sure? Fighting games aren't exactly your style."

"Watch and learn, Koen," she said confidently as she selected her character, already mashing buttons with practiced ease.

As the match started, Cielle was immediately aggressive, landing hit after hit on Koen's character. He struggled at first, caught off guard by her speed.

"Okay, okay!" Koen laughed, finally getting serious. "You weren't kidding."

They went back and forth, but this time, Cielle was winning. Koen furrowed his brow, focusing intently. "You've been practicing, huh?"

Cielle grinned. "Told you! I'm not just good at school stuff, you know."

In the end, Cielle won, and she jumped up in victory. "Take that! I'm the Tekken queen!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Koen in triumph.

Koen smirked, shaking his head. "Fine, you win this round."

Next, they moved to the Step Dance machine. Cielle stepped onto the platform and giggled. "You're not going to beat me in this one. I can dance."