After Jinyoung had left the room Youngjae got Jackson off of him and put him into him into his clothes.  Almost everything in Youngjae’s wardrobe was oversized so they fit nicely on Jackson.  In fact, his clothes looked really good on Jackson.  Too good.

“So, you aren’t dating each other?”  Youngjae had pulled Jinyoung back out to explain the situation, not letting him have any false pretenses.

“We’re not; he’s just a scam artist.”  Youngjae said while smiling sweetly.

“Scam artist?  You mean matchmaker, and let’s not forget I agreed to help you out for free.  You should be thankful.”  Jackson scoffed, not actually angry, more in a playful way.

“Maybe I’d be thankful if you actually matched me up with someone who was looking for a date and not a free pass into Everland.” 

Jinyoung looked at them confused but decided to let them bicker it out on their own time. “So, when I walked in you were just…”

“That was his fault!”  Youngjae pointed at Jackson.

“I was just teasing you, relax,” Jackson scooted closed to Youngjae and pushed down the arm that was pointing at him.  “Besides, you looked like you were enjoying it.  You didn’t try to push me away for a while.”

Jinyoung had hold back his giggles.  They looked too funny arguing over nothing.  “You’re still willing to find Youngjae, a real boyfriend, right?” 

“Of course, I don’t go back on my word.  There’s still four days before the family thing, right?” 

“After today I don’t think I trust you anymore.”  Youngjae had his arms crossed; ignoring the way Jackson was leaning against him.

“Don’t worry; I won’t set you up with any more brats.  I’ll screen harder this time.  Jackson Wang doesn’t leave a job unfinished.”  Jackson said proudly. 

“Four days?  I’d like to see you accomplish that.”  Jinyoung said, intrigued.

“Is this real leather?”  Youngjae was holding the jacket Jackson just handed to him, feeling the material.

“Yeah, it’s one of my favourites, so be careful with it,” Jackson helped Youngjae put it on.  “Hmm, it’s kind of big, but you still look good.”

“I don’t get why I need to wear this…”

“The constant sweater paws thing you’ve got going on is cute, but I think you need to ramp up the coolness just a bit more.  This helps… a little.”  Jackson pulled at the jacket trying to let it lay in the best position.

Youngjae didn’t think what he wore really mattered, but if Jackson thought it would make a difference he decided it was worth a shot. 

Jackson had told him to meet him the very next day at a movie theatre for another date, since he had already found another guy for him, assuring him that this time he was going to be the one.

“Walk for me.”  Jackson ordered suddenly.

“What?”

“Just walk over there…”

Youngjae was confused but he obeyed, walking normally to the right.

“See, no!  That’s all wrong.”  Jackson walked over and tugged Youngjae back.  “That’s not how you walk with a jacket like that.” 

“I just walked normally.”

“That’s the problem, you have to walk with a bit of swag,” Jackson strutted a few steps forward and back, trying much too hard to look cool.  “See, something like that.”

Youngjae had to hold back laughter; it was almost funny watching him.  “I… see.”

“Now, you try!”  Jackson motioned for Youngjae to walk forward. 

Youngjae tried his best to mimic what Jackson had done but he got stopped not even half way through. 

“You know what, never mind the walking,” The look on Jackson’s face made it obvious he was a lost cause.  “No matter what you do it’s not going to look right… just stick to normal walking.  Let the jacket do the work.”

Youngjae was alright with that conclusion. “I hope you finally found me someone who’s not a brat.”  Youngjae asked while Jackson was sending messages on his phone.

“Don’t worry!  This guy is the complete opposite of a brat!  He’s a bit older, but I think he’s rich…”

“I’m looking for a boyfriend, not a sugar daddy.”

“He’s not that old!  He’s 28.”

“That’s old!”

“He’s not that old, you’re both adults, relax.  He’s really handsome and I showed him your picture and he thought you were super cute.  I think it’ll work out, just trust me.”

That seemed to be Jackson’s favourite phrase, trust me.  It was hard to earn someone’s trust when you haven’t done anything right yet.  It was just a movie, not anything overly intimate.  He should be fine.

“Ah, I see him!  The one with the brown hair!”  Youngjae looked over and damn, Jackson was right, he was handsome.

“Are you sure he’s interested in me?!” 

“Yes!  I already bought you guy’s tickets for the most romantic movie showing, all you need to do is make a good impression.  Now get over there!” 

The man smiled at him as soon as he walked up, giving off the vibes of a handsome older man.  “Youngjae, I’ve been waiting for you.”

“H-hi.”  Youngjae stuttered, still captivated by him.

“I’m Nichkhun, I believe we have a movie to catch,” He pulled out his wallet.  “Did you want anything, popcorn?  I’ll buy.”

 Youngjae was having a hard time focusing on his words; too busy staring at his face.  He didn’t even catch his name but he was too embarrassed to ask him again.  “Uh, sure, popcorn is good.”

He wasn’t expecting him to take Youngjae by the hand ever so softly and pull him gently over to the concession stand.  Youngjae’s heart wanted to leap out of his chest from the physical content.  He seemed like such a gentleman, Youngjae was still wondering if this was really the right guy.

When they both got settled in their seats in front of the big screen Youngjae got a message from Jackson.

Jackson:  I’m sitting a couple of rows behind you, so no funny business!

Youngjae laughed at the assumption.

Youngjae:  You don’t need to worry about that.

Jackson:  Are you sure?  You’ve been giving him those major heart eyes all night.

Was it really that obvious?

Youngjae:  Turn off your phone Jackson; you can’t use that in here.

Youngjae followed his own advice and turned off his phone after sending the message.

“Have you read the reviews for this movie?  I heard it’s pretty intense.”  His date asked him.

Honestly, Youngjae had no idea what movie they were seeing.  He just knew it was supposed to be romantic according to Jackson.  “I haven’t, actually.”

Youngjae expecting a romantic comedy, not a romantic thriller.  It wasn’t scary in the sense that there were jump-scares everywhere, but more so in a murder mystery way.  Two lovers trapped in a relationship cursed.  They wanted to be together but people kept dying, Youngjae had a hard time following the plot.  It wasn’t really his type of movie.

His date seemed to be into it, downing his popcorn in the first ten minutes and his eyes were constantly glued to the screen. 

Youngjae was thankful when the ominous music stopped for a moment and the couple finally had a moment to themselves.  That was until the scene suddenly got steamy.  These kinds of scenes embarrassed Youngjae to no end, would it be weird if he covered his face?  He smiled awkwardly as he felt his date’s eyes on him, unsure what he was trying to convey in the darkness.

That’s when he felt a hand on his knee.

He didn’t need to look down knowing that it was his date’s hand.  Youngjae assumed this was normal on a date, but a first date?  During a really hot scene?  Youngjae was sweating.

Youngjae was panicking again, he kept telling himself to calm down.  It’s just a hand on the knee, no reason to- holy . His hand started sliding slightly further up his knee and Youngjae almost jumped out of his seat he was so shocked.

Youngjae did not appreciate his advances, not at all.  He didn’t know how to move, his hand was still there so close to where it shouldn’t be.  The scene was still playing on the screen.  I can’t just-

“Hey!  Excuse me, you need to leave!”  Some sort of commotion was happening behind them Youngjae tried to look up but he couldn’t see anything in the darkness.  Luckily that distracted his date enough to loosen his firm grip on his leg and let go.  Youngjae wasn’t going to squander this opportunity.

“I need to use the washroom!  Excuse me!”  Youngjae leaped out of his seat before his date could even respond, clutching his extra-large bag of popcorn to his chest.

Youngjae was not going back in there.

He stared down at the bag of popcorn and realized he probably shouldn’t have kept this if he said he was going to the washroom.  Whatever, hopefully, he got the message the date was over.  He dumped the rest of the popcorn in the trash, appetite gone.

Jackson was going to be upset.  He ruined another date, and this time it was his fault. 

“Choi Youngjae!”  He was startled when he heard Jackson’s voice; he must’ve walked out when he saw him leave.

Youngjae mustered up his most apologetic face and started to explain.  “I’m sorry Jackson I can’t-“

“You’re not going back in there.”  Jackson said firmly.

“I… wait what?”  Did Jackson just tell him not go back in?

“I tried to text you but then I realized you probably turned your phone off.  They kept yelling at me for using my phone anyways, then I tried to signal you somehow but you weren’t looking back.  I was about to leap down there and get you myself but then the security had the audacity to kick me out!”  Jackson was talking more with his hands than his mouth.  He was fuming.  “How dare he put his hands on you like that?”

Jackson was genuinely concerned about his safety.  “I’m alright, calm down.”

“I can’t believe this, just shows you can trust people just because they seem like nice people.”  Jackson sighed dramatically.  “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t blame yourself, there’s no way you could’ve known.”  Youngjae patted Jackson on the back.

“How could anyone make such ual advances towards you?  You’re too cute and innocent.” 

“Didn’t you crawl on top of me only wearing a towel just yesterday?”  Youngjae asked blatantly.

That was the first time he caught Jackson completely off guard, flustering him.  “That was completely different; I wasn’t going to actually do anything! I was just teasing….  This guy seemed like he was really going for the gold…”

Youngjae laughed at his reaction, he was really unintimidating when he was caught off guard.  “I was just kidding.”  Youngjae laughed louder and Jackson scrunched up his face.

“I’m just glad you’re alright.”  He mumbled, Youngjae barely catching his words.  “I don’t want to waste my money, those tickets weren’t cheap.  Should we try to sneak into another movie?”  Youngjae wasn’t sure why he spoke so loudly just as a security guard was walking past them.  He gave them a dirty look. 

“I don’t think that’s the best idea,” Youngjae looked around the huge theatre until his eyes fell onto one of his favourite places.  “Want to go to the arcade?”

“I haven’t been to one of those in ages...” 

“What?  Really?!”  Youngjae was appalled someone didn’t go to the arcade often.  Without thinking, Youngjae grabbed Jackson by the hand and pulled him towards the mini arcade inside the theatre.  “You’re missing out!”

As soon as they stepped inside Youngjae felt at home.  He had spent a lot of time there as a kid, and even as an adult.

“Don’t worry I’ll buy-“

“No worries, I’ve got us covered.”  Youngjae pulled out his new hi-tech card, already loaded with credits to play arcade games.  “Nobody uses coins anymore; it’s all automated among the arcades.  I have a ton of credits already.”

Jackson looked at him in disbelief. “Things have changed so much…” 

After countless retro games, a couple of shooting ones, laser tag, and even a claw machine Jackson spotted something that he was convinced he would be good at since his record so far was pretty bad.  Youngjae had beaten him at everything (except the claw machine, which they both decided was rigged).

“Dance Dance Revolution?  Are you sure you want to play that?”  Youngjae wasn’t bad at DDR, he was certainly better than any newcomer, but it wasn’t his forte.

“Yes!  This game is about dancing, right?  Not to brag but, I’m actually a pretty decent dancer.”  Youngjae had assumed correctly, Jackson has no idea what the game was about.

“It’s not about dancing really,” They walked towards it and Youngjae told him to step onto one of the machines.  “See the arrows on the ground?  You just need to use your feet to step on the arrows when they appear on the screen in front of you.”

“That seems easy enough, I have powerful legs you know.”  Jackson said, emphasizing his fact my sticking a leg out and running his hand across it.

Youngjae snorted.  “Alright, I’ll set it to beginner and you can try it out.”

The music started and Jackson was already swaying his body to the cheesy beat.  The arrows started scrolling up the screen at a slow pace and Jackson picked it up quickly, hitting them in time with the beat.  ‘Good!’ Good!’ ‘Excellent!’  “Did you hear that Youngjae?!  The game said I was excellent.”

Youngjae was just grinning at how excited he was over doing well in beginner mode.  He decided to humour him.  “Yes!  You’re doing great!”

“Ahh!  What do I do if two arrows are coming at the same time!?”  Jackson was startled by the sudden hike in difficulty.

“Just jump!  You can hit them both at the same time!”  It finally clicked in Jackson’s mind that he could do that and he was able to successfully complete the move.

“AHH, DID YOU SEE THAT?”  Jackson was smiling so hard he looked like he was going to break his jaw, overjoyed at his accomplishment, looking back making sure Youngjae saw.

Youngjae was leaning against the bar laughing now, unable to answer to he just enthusiastically threw him two thumbs up.

When the music finally winded down and his score came up Jackson sauntered off the machine feeling proud of himself.  “That’s a good score, right?  Think you can beat it?” 

Youngjae stepped on the machine, knowing very well he could beat it.  “I don’t know. It’s a pretty good score.”

Jackson was messing around with the controls, picking a new song.  “Alright!  Only since you’re better than me I guess I’ll choose a harder mode.”  Jackson picked the song, chose expert mode, and hit start before Youngjae could tell him anything.

“Wait!! Don’t choose expert!”  It was too late, the huge clustered of overlapping arrows were already appearing on the screen.  He could hardly see which direction they were pointing since there were so many.  “I’m not that good!”

“Uh oh, guess it’s too late.  Good luck Youngjae!” 

Youngjae tried to move his feet and jump according but he failed pretty quickly, giving up and falling to his knees.  Jackson was laughing so hard behind him his knees buckled as well. “I can’t feel my legs…”

“Sorry!  I didn’t realize expert was that insane!”  Jackson said through his hyena laughter.  “I can’t believe you even tried, that was so funny!”  He was clutching his stomach, practically lying on the floor at this point.  “Oh gosh, I can’t breathe!”

Youngjae rolled onto the machine at some point, giving in and just laughing along with Jackson.  It was pretty funny.  “Whatever, I give up.  You win.”

“Yes!  You promised you’d buy me anything from the prize counter, right?”  Jackson had picked himself up off the floor and reached out a hand to help Youngjae up. 

“Anything you want.”  Youngjae confirmed.  It didn’t matter; they had more than enough tickets for anything there.

“I think I saw a squirtle plush up there, I’ve always wanted one.”  Jackson locked arms with him as they walked to the counter and Youngjae didn’t mind the closeness.

“Squirtle?  Why Squirtle?”

“I look like a Squirtle, right?”  Jackson put on his cutest smile to demonstrate.

“I see it.” This was the first time he looked so closely at his face.  Despite being covered in muscles from head to toe he was really adorable as well.  “People have told me I resemble on otter, I don’t know if they’re joking or-“

“Wait, smile like you do, when your eyes close,” Jackson instructed and Youngjae wasn’t sure what he meant, so he smiled normally.  “I SEE IT!  It’s totally like an otter!!” 

“Really?”

Jackson pulled out his phone to look up photos of otters but when he caught a glimpse of the time he gasped.  “We’ve been here for five hours?!”

Youngjae knew he often lost track of time in arcades, but five hours was a long time.  “Ah, it must already be dark outside.”

“Shoot, I need to go home!”  Jackson pulled his arm free.  “You like arcades like this right?  I’ll find someone else for you to go on a date with, maybe someone who’s into arcades…”

“I do come here now and then, but I prefer online gaming and going to PC cafés more.”

“Oh!  Online gaming!!  I have a friend who you might be interested in!”  Jackson checked his phone one more time put it back in his pocket for good.  “Ok, I’m leaving for real now sorry!  I’ll text you later!”  Jackson bolted out the door mumbling something about curfew.

It was so sudden and Youngjae felt like he was alone again.  It felt so quiet even among all the loud children and gaming machines when Jackson wasn’t there.  It wasn’t like he was gone for good, but Youngjae had no plans to stay there by himself.  He had to admit, he never had as much fun at an arcade before.

He walked up to the prize counter alone and requested the Squirtle plush.

I’ll just give this to him the next time I see him.