That Siheon bastard—he looks like the type who’s never even tried something like this before. His brows furrowed at the gunshots and noise blasting from all directions.
Standing before a massive monitor, I was firing at the same target as Min Siheon.
As I watched zombies collapse, I glanced at the numbers counting up above our heads. Something about the atmosphere felt off.
Once I confirmed the widening gap between us, I was certain of my defeat.
[YOU LOSE!]
The red letters announcing my loss made a hollow laugh rise in my throat. Bang! My screen went black as the shutter dropped, and I just stared at it blankly.
The toy gun I’d been clutching sagged in my arms. Min Siheon, standing beside me, glanced my way and curled one corner of his lips up.
At some point, the white letters that had marked the previous high score turned gold—apparently he’d surpassed it.
“Wow, he’s fucking good.”
“That section’s hard, too.”
Even the guys waiting for their turn behind us were saying things like that.
Hey, then what does that make me?
Embarrassment flooded in and I covered my mouth. I’d been the one to suggest coming to the arcade, but Min Siheon looked far more skilled than I’d expected.
With the tables completely turned, I quietly hung the gun back on the machine. I took a step away from him, figuring I’d at least watch properly.
The moment I stepped aside, Min Siheon immediately set his gun down as well. Without moving from where he stood, he turned his head and stared at me.
“Huh? Did he give up?”
“That’s a shame. He could’ve gone further.”
Despite the regretful murmurs around us, Min Siheon didn’t pick the gun back up.
Eventually, his character—still alive on the screen—fell under the zombies’ and monsters’ attacks.
Even on the half-lit screen, the defeat message rolled across.
A window popped up telling him to enter his name for the new record. With a clack, he hung the gun back on the machine and walked toward me.
“You should write that.”
The cursor blinked impatiently, but even when I nudged his shoulder and asked what he was doing, Min Siheon didn’t turn back. He only looked down at me.
“I don’t have to enter it.”
“Why all of a sudden? You were having fun. Did you get bored halfway through?”
“It’s not fun if you’re not playing.”
“…You’re insane.”
Apparently I was the only one startled by that blunt remark.
Even in a noisy arcade like this, hearing something like that said so casually caught me off guard.
At the same time, the thought flashed through my mind that we needed to get out of there.
The guys waiting for their turn were glancing at us, hesitating over whether to grab the machine. They might’ve heard.
With that possibility in mind, I grabbed his wrist and dragged him into a corner.
Maybe I’d used too much force because he was bigger than me. After letting go, I saw the reddish marks left on his wrist and felt a pang of guilt.
I gently rubbed the spot with my fingers and muttered an apology. Min Siheon lowered his head, looking at his wrist—and at my fingers resting on it.
“Does it hurt?”
“No.”
“Anyway, hey, you scared me back there.”
“It was true. Why would I play alone?”
I knew he tended to go his own way. But I hadn’t realized it was to this extent, and my head throbbed.
If anything, ever since that incident between us, he’d grown more dependent on me. At some point, he’d started hating being left alone.
I hadn’t expected that to extend even to something like an arcade game.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Min Siheon looked into my eyes and began stroking the fingers resting on his wrist.
He gently caressed them—then added a faint scratch with the tip of his nail, all while wearing the calmest expression imaginable.
“…Be honest. You weren’t having fun, were you?”
“Mm. The game wasn’t that interesting. Watching Cha Jungwoo get serious and focus on the game was more fun.”
“Hey.”
“I want to hold you right now.”
“No.”
“…Maybe we should’ve stayed home after all.”
How does that even connect to that?
I couldn’t read what was going on in his head.
When he smiled, he seemed to carry the scent of spring. But the moment he calmed down, there was something chilly and strange about him.
He probably said it casually, without much thought—but the moment the word home came up, goosebumps ran down my back.
No way. I’d worked hard to create an escape route.
At the very least, today I planned on going back to my family home—not Min Siheon’s apartment.
To do that, I had to survive drinks with Yoo In-ho and the others, and get Min Siheon just pleasantly tipsy.
If he was already like this before we even got to the bar, what was I supposed to do? I felt flustered.
Maybe choosing the arcade had been a mistake.
Trying to have a “normal” date with Min Siheon seemed to come with a lot of restrictions.
With no other option, I turned my head and looked around. Unlike the central area packed with machines, this section seemed filled only with claw machines.
There didn’t seem to be many people looking to grab plushies right now. The long hallway was empty except for us.
That should be fine.
With that judgment, I suddenly threw myself into Min Siheon’s arms. “Threw myself” was an exaggeration—it was more like I bumped into him and pulled away—but still.
I wrapped my arms tightly around his broad torso, then stepped back toward the crowded center of the arcade.
Even though I could feel him following behind me, I kept moving briskly.
“…Are you good at all the other games too?”
I forced an awkward smile, trying to change the subject. I didn’t mind losing—I just needed to start something else to distract him.
That’s when I spotted a game not too far away. Wooden panels stacked across a shelf. It was a prize shooting booth.
You still shot a gun, but at least there were no zombies or monsters to kill.
Three bullets for 1,000 won. If you knocked down the panel with the name of the prize written on it, you won that item.
“Siheon, do you like stuff like this?”
“Stuff like this?”
“If I win one, would you take it?”
“Is it a gift?”
“Yeah. A gift.”
“Then I’ll look forward to it.”
Good. It seemed like Min Siheon’s mood had lifted again. Hearing the faint but unmistakable laugh in his voice, I turned to look at him.
Judging by the deep dimples in his cheeks and the way his eyes curved, he seemed to really like the word gift.
Well, then I couldn’t just stand there.
I rummaged through my pocket and handed over whatever bills I grabbed. The employee gave me a tray filled with cork bullets.
If I was going to win something, I wanted it to be good.
I scanned the panels listing the prizes, wondering what would satisfy both Min Siheon and me.
Then I spotted one on the second shelf to the right.
[White Rabbit Keychain]
I glanced around and saw a bunch of keychains hanging on the wall. Among them, there was only one white rabbit.
It looked like faux fur—soft and fluffy.
Small enough to lift with two fingers, with brown embroidered eyes that were surprisingly pretty.
A single thread stuck up above its round eyes, probably meant to be eyelashes, and for some reason it caught my attention.
“That one.”
As if possessed, I pointed. Min Siheon followed my gaze.
“A keychain.”
“Yeah. That one—it looks like you.”
After hearing the amusement deepen in his voice, I wanted that keychain even more.
I gathered up the bullets and leaned over the table. I might’ve been discharged as a sergeant near the end of my service, after all.
Zombie games and prize shooting were completely different.
With that excuse in mind, I pulled the trigger.
Thunk— The cork popped from the barrel and struck the lower left side of the target panel.
It wobbled slightly.
I aimed at the same spot again.
Thwack— clatter— The lightweight panel rolled once and fell off the shelf.
The keychain came down far more easily than expected, considering how many bullets I’d bought. The employee handed me the prize from the wall.
It didn’t feel like a waste of money at all.
I hooked a finger through the ring and examined the rabbit dangling below. Up close, it looked even more like Min Siheon.
Maybe that was why I let out a small laugh.
I walked back to him—he’d been watching me with his arms crossed—and held out the keychain.
“Here.”
“You’re really giving it to me?”
“I told you I’d definitely win one for you.”
Seeing Min Siheon, with his large frame, holding such a tiny keychain was oddly cute.
He could’ve held it with just one finger. But for some reason, he placed it carefully on both palms and simply stared at it.
“…….”
“Now that you’re holding it, it really does look just like you.”
At this point, maybe I’d been more eager to see him standing there holding it than to actually give him a gift.
Shaking my head at myself, I saw Min Siheon reach out and brush my hair.
“Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”
“…Then should we go play something else? We’ve still got plenty of time.”
“Mm, Jungwoo. Wait a second.”
Min Siheon, who’d been smiling brightly, showed a flicker of contemplation.
Then he brushed past me and walked back.
Before I could even process it, he leaned an arm on the shooting counter, gathered the remaining cork bullets, and picked up a gun from the side.
Taking aim, he pointed the loaded gun somewhere specific. Apparently there was something he wanted.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
Pop— clack— One panel hit by the cork bullet tumbled to the floor.
…That works too?
I’d been thinking it for a while now—this guy was ridiculously athletic.
After confirming the panel, the employee handed him the prize. Clenching his fist around it, Min Siheon returned to me.
“Here.”
“Hey, this is—”
“Yours, Jungwoo.”
He opened his fist to reveal the prize resting in his palm.
It was the same design as the keychain I’d won earlier.
The only difference was that this rabbit was black, with white embroidered eyes.
Maybe they wanted each plush to look a little different. Instead of the eyelash thread, it had two embroidered lines that looked more like eyebrows.
It didn’t look angry—just sturdy and solid.
I stared at Min Siheon as he reached his hand out, repeating the exact words I’d used earlier. There was a subtle mischief in his eyes that made me let out a soft laugh.
“What’s this?”
I hooked a finger through the metal ring and looked at the rabbit dangling below. Min Siheon held his own keychain out in front of it.
Now that they were a pair, we both kept laughing as we looked at them.
My cheeks started to ache from how much I was smiling.
“They look like a couple.”
“It looks just like you. So treasure it.”
Hearing Min Siheon repeat my exact words made my heart leap.
Coming to the arcade for our date had definitely been the right choice.
