"The arcade? Why the arcade?"
Malkiel confusingly looked between Quincey and Galene. He saw how Quincey disappointingly shook her head while Galene was looking at her like he had just asked a ridiculous question.
"Wow don't you know?"
"Have we never told you?"
Malkiel was growing impatient and annoyed at how the two of them were looking at him like he was a fool. His attention shifted to Drystan who was sitting beside Galene.
"Please tell me you don't know what the two of them are talking about"
Drystan looked up from his music sheets to look at Malkiel before his gaze landed on Galene who was smiling at him. He smiled back at her before looking back at Malkiel.
"As a matter of fact, I do, you're just an idiot for not noticing"
Malkiel grimaced as he glared at Galene who was now laughing out loud.
"Are you having fun?"
Galene and Quincey both nodded before finally telling him.
"You're an idiot, Serenity loves the arcade. Bring her in there to play some games and I'm pretty sure you'll get your ass kicked"
"Language"
Drystan dryly said scolding Galene to which she just made face off.
"Anyway there's this arcade that we always go in, there's a karaoke too. So just bring her there if you want her to have fun"
Malkiel thanked them briefly before running out of the clubroom to find Serenity. For the past few days, Serenity has been stressed out due to her exams. She failed one of them and needed to take another exam to make up for it. She had passed the exam but he remembered how stressed out she was during the review process.
He wanted to do something for her, a celebration in a way if you think about it. That was why he went to ask Quincey and Galene but was made a fool before getting the answers he needed.
He found Serenity by the flower boxes behind the school. He smiled when he saw how intently she was staring at it. He walked up behind her startling her a bit.
"When did you get here?"
She smilingly asked him.
"Just now, are you busy?"
Serenity shook her head as an answer. Malkiel then held out a hand to her to which she stared at.
"Want to go on a date then?"
🎙🎶🎙
When Galene and Quincey told him that Serenity loved the arcade and that he was going to get his ass kicked in every game, he thought it was impossible. Not until it really happened.
"You lost again, that's 3-2 already"
Serenity happily announced as she stared at the now dumbfounded Malkiel. Malkiel had challenged her to a game of basketball and found himself constantly losing. He stared at Serenity and scratched his head before holding her hand.
"Why don't we try some other games then"
He said trying to change the subject but Serenity didn't really mind, she was having fun and it even got more fun because Malkiel was turning their date into a mini competition to which she was winning drastically.
"Are you stressed out?"
Serenity asked Malkiel who was now staring at his score in the racing game. Malkiel turned his head towards Serenity, his expression dead like he didn't expect Serenity to win every single game that they had tried. Serenity just laughed at him.
"When Galene and Quincey told me that I was getting my ass kicked, I thought they were just exaggerating."
"Still think they do?"
Serenity asked teasing Malkiel to which the latter just rolled his eyes before standing up, his hand extending towards Serenity.
"I concede, should we just grab something to eat now? I don't think my ego would have handled one more loss"
Serenity laughed before taking Malkiel's hand.
"One more game"
She said before pulling Malkiel towards the last game that she wanted to try. Malkiel looked at Serenity, disbelief in his expression when he saw what game it was.
"You sure?"
Serenity nodded at him before putting a coin in the game machine.
"I won't play, I just want to see you play something you would've wanted to play"
Malkiel felt the blossoming feelings in his chest again, he kissed Serenity on the cheeks quickly before grabbing a hold of the drumsticks.
"I love you"
Serenity felt her cheeks heating up when she saw the boyish smile on Malkiel's face.
"I love you too"
She shyly said as she stared at Malkiel who was now happily playing drums on the game machine.
She stared at him and saw a different smile, a different aura, and a different person. She knew exactly how to make Malkiel happy and it was in the thing that he loved doing the most.
It never changed, she thought. How happy he was whenever he was playing the drums or how his smile grew wide whenever he played in front of a crowd. And she was glad that she could see his smile every day.
As she stared at Malkiel who was proudly showing off his high score, she could only think of one thing.
She wants this man to be hers for a very long time. To love and cherish him, to make him happy, and to always support him. And she was glad that she dared to tell him how she felt.
And this story of theirs would transcend time and eventually bring everyone else together again.