Mr. Park

31

Jaeje and Heeseung sat at their booth, both quiet as they took scoops of their ice cream.

"I left my phone at home" Jaeje sighed.

"Why was that important to tell me? " Heeseung asked, trying to go along with the conversation.

"It means I don't have an excuse to not talk to you" she stated bluntly and Heeseung gasped in realization.

"What a terrible situation you're in now" he said and Jaeje nodded in agreement.

"So tell me Mr. Lee, why did you show up at my door tonight?" She got down to business, she would be lying if she said she came out only to help Heeseung of his late night blue's.

"Well Miss Lee I didn't exactly feel like going home" they both know why so she doesn't question on that further.

"Mr. Lee" she called out after another scoop of ice cream.

"Miss Lee?" He asked.

"I haven't done anything fun in a while, I haven't even been in this city for up to a year" she said with a frown, looking up at him.

"I have a place we could go" he smiled and led them out, ice creams in hand.

"Of course you take me to an arcade" most of the people there are teenagers who obviously have school that following morning.

"We aren't leaving till I beat you at something" he says bitterly and Jaeje lets him scan the room for what to play first.

"Basketball" he says and leads them to get a bucket of coins.

"You know I have work tomorrow right?" She tells him, eyeing the bucket.

"I'm sure your boss won't mind" they're already at the game and Heeseung puts in a few coins until the machine beeps ready.

"What do I get if I win more arcade games than you?" Jaeje asks.

"I'll get you as many stuffed animals as you want" he answers, knowing the girls love for the plushy toys.

"And if you win?" she asks again.

"Surprise" is all he says and the game starts.

They go a few round, both only missing a few shots as the balls continuously pass through the net. It's a neck and neck game before Jaeje wins with four more points than Heeseung.

"Yes!" she exclaims in victory as Heeseung groans into his hand.

"Good game Mr. Lee" she says stretching out her hand.

"Likewise Miss Lee" he takes the hand and shakes it, lingering for a bit before letting go.

"My turn" she says as she heads towards the next machine.

They play just about every game there, but it's alright since Jaeje's boss probably won't have a problem with her coming in late tomorrow.

If there's one thing Heeseung is grateful for it's the fact that she's treating this like two friends meeting up to hang out, she can probably sense that they both need a distraction, even for just one night.

The real world can wait till tomorrow.

"Well according to the score board, it appears we have a tie, guess no one wins" Heeseung calls out, glad he at least won the last game, he would have had to buy all the BT21 plushies in Seoul.

"Nope, the best was of course saved for last" she tells him, at his confused looks she turns him around to look at the crane machine.

Oh no.

"I don't think it counts" he tried to excuse, but she wasn't having it. She leads them to the two machines which were unoccupied.

"The first person to get one wins" she says and he takes a large gulp in fear.

They immediately start putting the coins in, whatever left in the bucket slowly draining as they played over and over again. Heeseung was silently praying, his hands were starting to get sweaty and he tensed every time he would get one, but let out a fearful groan once it slipped out of the claw.

"Last ones" she said as they both held the last two coins in the bucket.

"If we don't get one, we'll finally call it a tie" she tells him and he lets out a sigh of relief.

He sets the claw over a brown teddy bear and holds a hand to his eyes, the other over the button.

With his hand being off the controller, he doesn't notice Jaeje move the claw a little bit more before he pushes the button.

After a few seconds, he opens his eyes and sees the bear is no longer visible throw the glass of the machine.

"YES" He screams in victory and quickly takes out the bear, shoving it in Jaeje's face to show he won.

"Congratulations, you win" she says admitting defeat.

"Here, since you won't be getting all the stuffed animals you want, you can have the sign of my victory" he holds out the bear to her and she takes it with an exasperated sigh.

"Thank you very much, but I think it's time you send me home" the arcade will be closing soon and most people are already gone.

"Hm, I just hope your boss doesn't get angry if you're late" he says as they walk out.

"I think I have a good enough excuse" she waves the teddy bear in his face.

"Well who can argue with a bear" he agrees with her and this time he's the one in the driver's seat.

He feels a lot better than when he first left Jay's house earlier that night, albeit it'll come back by tomorrow, he doesn't dwell on the thought.

They're heading back up to her apartment and he knows the night is coming to an end, they both pause once they get to the door.

"Thanks for tonight" he says, trying not to sound awkward.

"It's no problem, hold on I have something for you" she carefully walks back into her room, coming back out with a different animal.

"Here, have this" it's a deer and normally Heeseung wouldn't pay a single notice towards it, but Jaeje is holding it and it seems to be the most wonderful item he's ever seen.

"I never said me getting one of your stuffed animals would be my prize for winning" he said crossing his arms.

"So you don't want it-" she starts to back it away from him.

"I never said that" he snatches it from her and holds it protectively.

"But it's still not my prize" he continues.

"Then what is?" she asks, more curious now.

Heeseung leans down a bit and gives her peck on the lips, it's over in a second, but he still has the biggest grin on she's seen tonight.

"That's my surprise" he hasn't backed away yet and Jaeje is still looking at him amused, though he can see a light blush in her fair skin.

"I'm winning" is all she tells him.

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing" he gives the deer a kiss on the head for her to see and walks away.

She waits till he's out of sight before heading back in.