Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – A 15-Year Friendship and the Desire for a Prize

* * *

The next stop on Si-hyun and Yerin’s outing was a newly opened arcade.

‘This was Chae-yeon’s favorite place…’

He’d first come here two months ago, and after that, Chae-yeon insisted on coming nearly every week.

Now, being here with Yerin instead brought a strange, conflicted feeling.

“Si-hyun, I’ll go exchange some cash. Wait here for a bit, okay?”

“Sure. I’ll grab us some drinks, and we’ll meet back here.”

“Got it!”

While Yerin went over to the change machine with her wallet, Si-hyun made his way to the vending machines.

“Oh, wrong one…” he muttered, realizing he’d accidentally selected grape soda—the same drink Chae-yeon always used to order.

“Guess I’ll have to drink it myself…”

He sighed, realizing that, though he’d mentally moved on, his habits hadn’t quite caught up yet.

After a moment, he bought Yerin’s favorite, Milkis, and headed toward the arcade entrance, where Yerin was waiting, fanning herself with a stack of crisp 1,000-won bills.

“This should keep us entertained for hours, right?”

“Planning to camp out here?”

Si-hyun handed her the Milkis, and she immediately noticed his other drink with a puzzled look.

“Wait… Since when do you drink soda?”

“I dunno. Just felt like it.”

“Okay…”

Accepting his answer without question, Yerin grabbed his hand, leading him into the arcade.

Her eyes darted around with excitement as they walked, until she suddenly stopped at the racing game area.

“Shall we start with a race?”

“Yeah. Watch out—my unlicensed skills are about to blow you away.”

Si-hyun gave her an amused look, knowing full well that racing games were his specialty.

This was the one genre he could confidently beat even Chae-yeon at.

Vroom.

After inserting a bill, the screen switched to the character selection menu.

“Ooh, she looks strong,” Yerin said, choosing a character with a sporty, seductive vibe and a sleek red sports car. Satisfied, she nodded at her choice.

Then it was Si-hyun’s turn.

“It’s all about skill, not looks,” he said, picking both his character and car randomly to prove his point.

He ended up with a muscular male character and a large, stable car. Although slower than a sports car, it had excellent control around curves.

“Let’s do this…!”

As they both lined up at the starting point, Yerin licked her lips with a determined glint in her eyes, as if she were gearing up for battle.

3.

2.

1.

The countdown ended, and they both hit the gas.

Yerin’s car surged ahead initially, thanks to its speed advantage.

“Hey, Si-hyun! Can you keep up? Want me to slow down for you?”

“Oh, yeah. Slow down a little for me,” he replied casually.

“Just kidding!” Yerin teased, pressing down harder on the pedal.

Si-hyun, grinning at her predictability, waited for the first sharp curve to close the distance.

As soon as it appeared, he turned the wheel at the optimal angle, smoothly overtaking her with perfect precision.

“No way! How did you do that?!”

With flawless inside cornering, Si-hyun had flipped the lead in seconds, and Yerin’s confident expression began to falter.

“Yerin, should I slow down a little for you?”

“…Maybe just a bit?”

“Sorry, no can do.”

“Argh!”

A victorious grin spread across Si-hyun’s face.

Meanwhile, Yerin tried everything to reclaim the lead, steering wildly to take advantage of the curves, but each time, Si-hyun expertly blocked her path.

“Is someone pushing me from behind? Why does this feel so easy?” he quipped.

“Kim Si-hyun, you…!”

While Yerin had a knack for games, her skills couldn’t match a seasoned player like Si-hyun. She kept trying for a comeback, but ultimately lost the race.

Refusing to let it end there, Yerin shoved Si-hyun back into his seat.

“One more round,” she demanded, pushing another bill into the machine.

For round two, they both chose the same characters and cars, with the only change being the new desert track.

Despite Yerin’s newfound determination, Si-hyun still took the lead early on.

“Yerin, want to see something cool?”

With a smug look, Si-hyun took one hand off the wheel, casually steering with only his left.

Even one-handed, his driving was smooth and stable, and Yerin instantly knew—there was no way she’d win if they kept playing fair.

Glancing sideways at his overly confident face, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

“Phew… here goes…”

Blowing softly into his ear, she whispered flirtatiously.

“Ack! What the—”

“Now’s my chance!”

Seizing the moment of surprise, Yerin reached over and jerked Si-hyun’s wheel sharply to the side.

Screech!

Si-hyun’s car spun out, veering wildly off-course as she sped ahead, putting distance between them.

“Hey! That’s cheating!”

“It’s real life, Si-hyun. You gotta play to win.”

Their once-friendly competition quickly devolved into a chaotic brawl of tactics.

Two people continued their race, competing fiercely in real life.

And the winner…

“Well, it was the obvious outcome.”

It was Yerin, who had gained the upper hand with a sly move.

“Do you feel good winning like that? Huh?”

“Pfft… I feel amazing…”

Yerin laughed brightly, even as Si-hyun tugged on her cheeks.

It had been a while since she laughed like this.

Perhaps it was because she got to spend time with Si-hyun again. Yerin’s smile just wouldn’t fade.

***

After the race ended.

“Si-hyun, to the right. On the right… kyaaa!”

“Move over a bit! I can’t aim because of you!”

3D zombie survival.

“Hi-ya! How do you like the taste of kung fu?”

“For a sneaky tackler, you sure talk a lot!”

From famous fighting games to other distractions, the two played until dusk without noticing the time passing. As the day wore on, they started preparing to go home.

After a quick restroom visit, Si-hyun gathered his things and approached Yerin.

Then he noticed her staring intently at a white teddy bear in the claw machine.

“Do you want it?”

“No, it’s just one of those claw games. It’s a waste of money.”

Though she denied it, there was a clear hint of disappointment in her voice.

Unable to ignore it, Si-hyun put his things down and took the bill Yerin was holding tightly.

“Si-hyun…?”

“I’ll send the money back to your account later.”

Si-hyun also thought claw machines were scams, but he wanted to create a fun memory for them after a long time together.

Besides, the teddy bear Yerin wanted was close to the exit, so it didn’t seem like too much of a gamble.

Whirrr–

The machine started up as soon as he inserted the bill.

The claw moved in alignment with the joystick, and when he pressed the button, it dropped straight down.

Thunk…

The claw grasped the bear’s head, but it lacked enough strength, dropping its target. Yerin, clutching Si-hyun’s sleeve, spoke up.

“Really, I’m fine. So…”

“Just trust me and wait.”

Si-hyun inserted another bill.

Though he missed again, the bear had moved about 5 centimeters closer to the exit.

Whirrr–

The third attempt.

The bear’s arm was now draped over the exit.

Fourth attempt.

The bear’s head rested on the edge of the exit.

“Wow…”

Seeing hope inching closer, Yerin held her breath as she watched the teddy bear.

Then, on the fifth attempt.

Clunk!

Si-hyun managed to grab the bear directly by its body and succeeded in pulling it out.

He retrieved the teddy bear from the bottom and handed it to Yerin.

“See? I told you to trust and wait, didn’t I?”

Yerin, with her mouth slightly open, hugged the teddy bear tightly.

“Yeah..!”

With a smile brighter than ever, Yerin rubbed her face against the bear.

‘If I’d known it would make her this happy, I would’ve given her stuffed animals more often…’

Clueless, Si-hyun scratched the back of his head, thinking her joy was just about the bear.

Meanwhile, an overjoyed Yerin pulled Si-hyun into a tight hug. Then, looking up at his face, she whispered,

“Si-hyun, thank you so much… I’ll cherish this.”

Thump. Thump.

‘What’s this? Why is my heart racing?’

Si-hyun felt his heart pounding wildly, surprised by this sudden feeling.

He knew what it was, but he couldn’t believe he felt it because of Yerin.

In the end, he responded without meeting her gaze.

“Go ahead and do that…”

***

Under the streetlights in a narrow alley.

Yerin, having refused Si-hyun’s offer to walk her home, was heading back on her own.

‘Today was really wonderful.’

They watched a movie together, played games, and he even got her a teddy bear?

Though there had been several unexpected moments, it had been almost like a date.

“I should put this on my bed.”

Yerin gently petted the teddy bear, then found herself wondering like a child what name to give it.

Just as she came up with three possible names—

Click-clack—

She suddenly started running.

As her speed increased, the cold night air whipped against her face.

She passed through a broad street and then back into a narrow alley.

Yerin slipped into a side street and quietly came to a stop.

At that moment—

Tap, tap.

She heard footsteps approaching her direction soon after.

As if searching for something, the person ran and stopped repeatedly.

“Haa…”

Hearing this, Yerin brushed her bangs aside, realizing her pleasant day wouldn’t end on a high note.

She muttered a small curse under her breath, then—

“Why don’t you stop following me?”

She revealed herself to her pursuer.

* * *