Minju and Chaewon reached the driving/racing games, watching a little boy playing in the middle one between the three racing game machine.
Seeing that the kid was currently 2nd place with 1 last lap remaining, Chaewon walked closer to him, cheering him on. Minju looked at the two with a smile unknowingly forming on her lips. The kid smiled at the support from a stranger and started to speed up.
The kid's car managed to finish at 1st place after drifting and bumping the car in front a little destroying its balance causing it to turn uncontrollably and eventually slowing down a little, enough for the kid to go past it and take the 1st place.
Seeing the '1st place' display on the screen, Chaewon cheered, her hands clapping happily for the little boy. The boy turned around to face the stranger and smiled widely at her.
"Woah! Nice drive there kid!", Chaewon said, lowering herself to match the kid's height and smiling brightly at the kid. "Noona is pretty... What is your name noona?", the kid asked cutely, his dimple showing itself through his wide smile.
"You have a way with words, huh?", Chaewon said with a chuckle. "Noona's name is Chaewon... Kim Chaewon", Chaewon continued with a grin. "How about you, little kid? What's the name of the great driver that I just met?", Chaewon asked as she looked adoringly at the kid.
"My name is Kim Taekwon, Chaewon-noona", Taekwon said with a bright smile. "Oh so you're a Kim too, huh? Nice to meet you Taekwon-ah", Chaewon said as she ruffled the boy's hair.
Chaewon then turned to look at Minju who is already looking at her, meeting her eyes. "Minju-ah, come here...", Cheawon muttered as she gestured Minju to come closer, which the younger complied.
"This noona over here is Kim Minju... She's noona's friend", Chaewon introduced the younger to Taekwon. Minju lowering herself too to match Taekwon's height and reached out her hand for a handshake.
Taekwon held Minju's hand with both of his hands and shook it, a grin making its way to his face looking at Minju. "Even noona's friend is pretty", the boy muttered without thinking, mesmerized.
Minju chuckled at the comment of the little boy and stood up again. "Wanna play?", Chaewon asked Minju. Minju just nodded and sat on one of the machines, inserting money.
"I'll watch you first before I play myself", Chaewon stated as she sat on the machine, turning her body a bit to face Minju. Chaewon noticed Taekwon looking at the screen of Minju's machine as she selects a stage.
"Do you want to spectate Minju-noona's game with me?", Chaewon asked the kid, making Taekwon look at her and nodded enthusiastically.
Chaewon gestured the boy to come over which the boy happily obliged. Chaewon lifts the boy up and made him sit on her lap, making Taekwon's view of the game much better.
As Minju played, the two chuckled at the way Minju played the racing game. "Minju-ah, I didn't know you're playing a different game... It seems to me that you're playing bumper cars", Chaewon teased with a laugh, just as she said that Minju's car bumped on the side of the race track again.
Minju blushed out of embarrassment and grabbed the steering wheel of the machine tighter. "Relax Minju-ah... Focus on where you're going...", Chaewon said as she reached out to pat Minju's shoulder, causing the younger to flinch a bit from her touch but later on relaxes.
"Go Minju-noona! You can do it, noona!", Taekwon cheered as he sees that Minju was slowly getting better and finally catching up to some of the cars, making her 2nd place currently.
"There you go! Just like that Minju!", Chaewon cheers on as the younger slowly catches up. Minju puts on a little smirk as she feels more confident now and speeds up little by little, the gap between her and the 1st place car decreasing.
With few little meters before reaching the finish line, Minju managed to pass the opponent and ends up finishing at 1st place. Minju faced the two with a proud grin.
Chaewon and Taekwon clapped at her for winning, both of them wearing a big smile on their faces. "Unnie, it's your turn to play", Minju said as she lifts Taekwon from Chaewon to then place on her lap.
Chaewon grinned as she inserted the money and selected the map. As soon as the race started she turns into serious mode as she speeds across all the other cars making her the 1st place immediately.
Chaewon races through the track with ease as she finished with 1st place, wowing the two who were watching in amazement. "Woah... Chaewon-noona is so cool", Taekwon said as he puts up two thumbs up for Chaewon to see.
Chaewon giggled at that and proceeds to ruffle the boy's hair. "Nice drive, unnie", Minju said with a smile as she looks at the older. Chaewon meets Minju's stare and Chaewon's lips tug upwards until she's completely smiling at the girl.
The three then continued to play as time seemed to pass by quickly. "Noona", Taekwon suddenly call out, causing the two to shift their attention to the little kid, humming in response.
"I have to go to Mom now", Taekwon informed the two with a cute pout forming on his lips. "Aigoo...", Chaewon muttered. "Do you want us to come with you?", Minju asked Taekwon softly. Taekwon nodded, his pout still present as he's sad that he can't play with them anymore.
"Okay come on", Minju said as she stood up and grabs Taekwon's hand, Chaewon holding his other hand as they walked away from the machines. "Where is your mother?", Chaewon asked as they got out of the arcades, looking around for Taekwon's mother.
"Taekwon-ah!", they heard a voice call out as the sound of footsteps came louder and louder as the person steps closer to them. The three turned to look at the source of the voice.
"Mom!", Taekwon exclaimed as he lets go of his hold to the two's hand and ran to the woman. He hugs the woman tightly causing the woman to smile and hugs back the little boy.
Taekwon lets go first and pointed at the two girls looking adoringly at him. "Mom I made friends with them! They're my pretty noona! They played games with me earlier!", Taekwon rambled on, the three chuckled at his cuteness.
"Oh really?", the woman said as she turned her gaze to the two girls, smiling sweetly. The two bowed simultaneously at the woman which the woman reciprocated.
"I'm sorry Mom didn't play with you, Taekwon-ah...", the woman said as she turned to look at her son and patted his head.
"It's okay Mom we can always play next time", Taekwon said brightly. "Aigoo, my baby is so kind... Care to introduce me to your new friends?", The woman said as she gestured the two girls.
"That's Chaewon-noona and that's Minju-noona!", the kid said as she pointed at them. "Okay, Nice to meet you Chaewon-ssi, Minju-ssi... My name is Kim Yongsun, Taekwon's Mother", the woman said as she bowed to them again.
"We should go now, Taekwon-ah... Say goodbye to your noonas", Yongsun said as she patted Taekwon's back, signalling him to say goodbye.
Taekwon then ran to the two girls with his arms wide open, Chaewon and Minju lowered down themselves as they get engulfed in a group hug with Taekwon. They could hear Taekwon giggling to their ears.
"Bye Chaewon-noona, Minju-noona... I hope we can play again next time...", Taekwon mumbled between the hug. Chaewon and Minju held Taekwon's, back tightening the hug a little.
"For sure that can happen... See you next time, Taekwon-ah", Chaewon said, Minju nodding at her words. Soon, they get off from their hug and Taekwon runs back to her mom and they turned their back on them, walking away.
"Bye bye pretty noonas!", Taekwon shouted at them as he turns back for a second, waving his hand. The two waves back at the kid with a smile.
"Adorable..."Minju mumbled as she looks at the figure of the little kid walking away from them. Chaewon hums in agreement and suddenly held Minju's hand.
"Eh?", Minju mumbled, surprised at the sudden act of the older. "What? We need to find the others", Chaewon said nonchalantly as she dragged Minju back inside the arcades, not letting the younger react.
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"Hiichan let's play this! We haven't played one of these in a while..", Nako said as she pointed at one Tekken 5 arcade machine. They used to play this game a lot back in Japan when they were still kids.
Hitomi just shrugged and sat on the chair provided in front of the machine and tapped the chair beside her. "Come on.. I don't like waiting", Hitomi said as she inserted money on both slots of the 2 player machine.
Nako grinned like a kid and sat on the chair, feeling rather nostalgic as she watches the familiar intro of the game as it shows the modes of playing. Hitomi then selects 'VS Battle', then the screen showed the selection of characters.
Hitomi picked Marshall Law, seeing that, the latter whined as she certainly knew that Hitomi is an expert in using the said character. Nako, slightly losing the will to even fight, picked the character she often uses and is most familiar to which is Ling Xiaoyu.
The first round ended quickly with Hitomi crushing Nako, the latter didn't even land a single attack. Nako let out a cute whine seeing the result and playfully hit Hitomi's shoulder for it, the latter just giggled.
The second round was again won by Hitomi. The girl was actually subtly trying to not play seriously as she lets her character get hit a few times to not upset the shorter girl. Again, Nako whined at her for being good at the game which she just shrugged at.
Now for the third round, Hitomi purposely let Nako win by not pressing the hard hitting combinations and just pressed the simple kick and punch attack.
Nako clapped in victory as she finally wins a round, not noticing that the latter just let her win the round.
The next two rounds were the same as Hitomi just fully gives up being the winner and just let the latter win the battle. Seing the 'Ling Xiaoyu Wins' text on the screen, Nako stood up from her seat and screams in victory.
Hitomi just watches her with a fond smile on her face as the smaller girl celebrates her 'Well Deserved' victory.
Hitomi shakes her head with a smile slowly forming on her lips as she looks at Nako jumping around while laughing, her happiness overflowing for just winning a Tekken battle.
"Woah its my first time winning against you, Hiichan... I can't believe it", Nako said as sits again, smiling widely at the latter who's already looking at her with a smile.
"Maybe my skills are just getting rusty..", Hitomi nonchalantly made an excuse, trying to cover up the fact that she let the latter win.
They played other fighting games as they were reminded of what they were like when they were still kids and always come to a nearby arcade after school.
The two enjoyed their time playing like the 'old' days, their memories together coming back. The only difference now is that Hitomi lets Nako win on most battles as she does not want Nako to be upset.
Back when they're in Japan, Hitomi would always win in every battle they do that Nako always whines about it to her. Nako would always complain that Hitomi doesn't let her win even just one battle.
Despite Nako always complaining about not winning, she would still drag Hitomi along with her when school ends to play with the latter. Nako still enjoyed their time together even if she always losses to Hitomi.
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안녕~
Hey guys^_^ this chapter brings me back to the past as I again have to reminisce those times when I used to play arcade and video games (I always played alone tho)
Those were the happy times...
Enjoy this chapter^_^ As always, opinions are welcome ^_^
Also, Happy Birthday to our Ssamu Fairy, Kim Chaewon! 🎉🎉🎉