Original story credited to Denise 

Thanks for the lovely fic dear~~ <3

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“Yah, Jong-hyung, she’s totally beating the crap out of your !” Jungshin hollers over the Dance Dance Revolution machine’s blaring speakers. Yonghwa watches the showdown intensely while all that Minhyuk could do is plant his face into one of his palms.

You have no idea how it got to this. One minute, you’re in your house getting ready for bed, and then the next, your four dorky friends show up on your doorstep, dragging you to the nearest abandoned arcade, urging you to sneak in along with them.

The arcade screen flashes with multi-colored arrows and the speakers continue to blast with Japanese rock music. You’re focused—following all the steps with accuracy and precision. You allow yourself only a glance at your competitor—Lee Jonghyun.

He takes in his breaths hastily as he scrambles his feet on the dance mat. His moves are unbelievably messy and uncoordinated but a huge, huge smile is still plastered on his flawless face. You become somewhat distracted and look away immediately, just as Yonghwa shouts to you, “You’re owning his , dongsaeng! Just a minute left!” 

“Hyung, I think we all know who’s going to win this,” Minhyuk says to Yonghwa. 

“Yeah, but Jonghyun tends to get really amped up and hyper when he’s competitive,” Yonghwa chuckles. “Just look at that gigantic grin of his!”

Jungshin shrugs. “Point taken.” 

You block out the conversation the other three boys are having and focus on the game. Jonghyun isn’t the only one who could get competitive. 

Soon, the song comes to a close and Jonghyun looks at you, his chest heaving in and out in exhaustion. Still, he has that annoying grin on his face. He gives you a thumbs up and exhales, “That…haaahh…a good….ahhh…round.” 

“Uh-huh,” you manage to utter out. The both of you then focus your attention to the screen as the music crescendos into a finale. A big, golden A flashes in your place, while a big, fat D appears in Jonghyun’s. You throw your arms up in the air in victory as Yonghwa, Minhyuk, and Jungshin break out in applause. 

Jonghyun’s smile only falters in the slightest bit. “Aww. Another D?” 

“Yeah, I think that’s enough for me,” you nod. 

Minhyuk covers his mouth, concealing a yawn. “Yeah, hyung. It’s too late in the evening already. Let’s head home.” 

Jonghyun shakes his head and points at you almost dramatically. “You there. One more round!” 

“Hyung, we’re all tired. We’ve had our fun. You could come back tomorrow or something,” Jungshin mumbles, his eyelids growing quite heavy. 

“Competitiiiiiive,” Yonghwa slurs into your ears. Jonghyun pouts and folds his arms. 

“Okay, fine,” he says. But then he shoots you a look a moment afterward. “I guess you’re just too chicken to face me again.” 

Your fists clench as you hold him in an intense glare. “What did you call me?” 

He shrugs. “You heard what I said.” 

You turn to the other three boys and say, “You guys can head home if you want. I’ll stay and show this who exactly he’s messing with.” 

Jonghyun breaks out in an excited giggle. You cannot believe your ears. A frigging giggle. 

Yonghwa merely laughs and puts his arms around the two younger boys, taking steps toward the arcade exit. “Okay, okay. You kids have fun now, alright?” 

As the trio fade into the night, you turn back to Jonghyun. He smirks at you as he runs a hand through his raven-colored hair. “Ready to lose?”

“I’ll make you eat those words, Lee Jonghyun.” 

***

Lee Jonghyun. You are completely baffled by the strange boy beside you, who still manages to smile widely despite his 8 losses in a row. He opens his mouth but you raise your hand to his face to interrupt. You already know what he’s about to say. 

“I’m not going for a ninth game. I beat you eight times already for crying out loud!” you groan, taking in deep, tired breaths. 

Jonghyun laughs out loud—his signature, high-pitched laugh. “Yeah, yeah, we can leave now.” 

The cold air flies to your face as you and Jonghyun leave the abandoned arcade. Suddenly, an certain awkwardness comes in between the two of you, and everything turns silent as you walk side by side with him under the night sky. You steal a glance at the usually brooding, silent guitarist and are astounded by what you see.

That damn, competitive, hyped-up, mischievous smile. 

“WHY IN THE WORLD ARE YOU STILL SMILING?!” you almost scream at him in utter confusion and frustration. 

His eyes widen in surprise. “Do I look that creepy? Because my parents call me creepy all the time!” 

“Aish, no it’s not that. Okay maybe it is kind of creepy but I just don’t understand how you could put on a face like that after I beat you like a gajillion times,” you groan, pinching the bridge of your nose. 

“Oh,” he chuckles. “Maybe it’s because I haven’t been that hyped up in a while.”

You look at him quizzically as the both of you continue down the road. 

“Before getting into CN Blue, I did a lot of Judo and Tae Kwon Do during my teenage years,” Jonghyun ponders, a now nostalgic smile playing on his lips. “I loved the thrill of competition and being this big-time athlete. Anything physical would get adrenaline pumping into my veins, you know?” 

“Then, when I debuted with Yong-hyung, Minhyuk, and Jungshin, I obviously had to tone down all the sports I’ve been practicing to focus more on music. Don’t get me wrong,” he continues, now excitedly staring at you like a kid would. “I’m really happy…but…I miss the thrill once in a while.” 

“Ah,” you utter out. Abruptly, you feel a hesitant hand entwine its calloused fingers within yours. You gaze up at the competitive guitar freak, gratitude now shining through his grin.

He whispers, “Thank you. For all the fun tonight. I mean it.” 

You snatch your hand away, hiding your reddened cheeks. “So. Judo eh?” 

“Yup. Black-belter and gold medalist right here!” Jonghyun boasts. You nod. 

“Yeaaaah, sure you are.” 

“Hey…are you…challenging me?”

By the time you see the spark in his bright, excited eyes, you know it’s too late. Jonghyun locks you in a tight, but steady hold. You laugh as you try to break out from it, but you’ve got to admit, it was almost impossible to attempt escaping his grasp. 

Soon, you find yourself on the ground, courtesy of that idiot martial arts extraordinare Jonghyun, as he stares down at you in victory. His hands pin your wrists to the grassy soil, making it once again impossible to get out. He breathes in and exhales. “‘told you I’d beat you sometime.” 

You roll your eyes. “Okay, so you’re a frigging Kung Fu maniac; let me go already!”

“It’s Judo.” 

“Whatever!”

And for the first time that night, you notice Jonghyun’s smile fading away. Instead, an expression of realization bathes his face and he continues to look deeply into your eyes. It begins to scare you. 

You are embarrassed once more, focusing your attention on the bed of grass beside you. “Hey…what’s wrong, Jonghyun-ah?” 

He places a shaking palm to your cheek and makes you face him again. 

“Wow,” he breathes. There is nothing but complete honesty and wonder and sincerity in what he says next. “You’re…you’re really beautiful.”

Jonghyun slowly lowers himself over you until his lips find yours. His kiss is hungry, craving and demanding for more thrill, for excitement, for…you. His fingers wander under your shirt as they massage your stomach gently. Once he moves his lips to your neck, you get sick of him being on top of you and you push him over. He lands with a thump on on his back, his familiar competitive smile returning once again.

“Taking the lead now, eh? Very y,” Jonghyun observes, eyeing you.

“Shut up,” you laugh, leaning toward him and kissing him. He tugs on your collar and pulls you close, temporarily gluing himself to you. A conniving thought sneaks into your brain and you smirk in between kisses. Slowly, you grip the hem of his shirt and slip it over his head, revealing a lean, toned, slightly muscular Jonghyun. He smirks right back and just as he is about to kiss you again, you stand up, bringing his navy blue shirt with you. You try extremely, extremely hard not to get distracted by his upper torso.  

Jonghyun laughs. “What’re you doing? Get back here. It’s cold.” 

You grin at him in a mischievous way. “I’ll race you. If you win, you get your shirt back.” 

He rolls his eyes in disbelief, but that familiar spark begins to shine once more.

“Only if I get my shirt…and yours as well,” he smiles back, with even more mischief.

“Done,” you agree.

As you and a half- Jonghyun position at the starting line, he winks at you, then speeds off into the deserted road.

You begin to wonder why you even challenged him in the first place.

**

FIN