There were two people wandering. They wore contrasting hoodies; one plain black, the other white with blue checkers on the hood. The first person was shorter and buffer, the second taller and leaner, although the height difference was barely visible. 

They sneaked around the crowd of people with uniform, which means they chose the right time to go: after school, when kids and teenagers came to hang out with their friends here in the mall.

Their appearance shouldn't be obnoxious, as the people were too busy with each other to care, and they weren't any exception.

The pair was going on a normal date, those dates when you take a walk to normal places and do normal things. Even though they are seen together in the same place more often than most couples, normal dates don’t happen every week or month for them. It’s a thing to be cherished, giving how much effort it takes to have one—such as waiting for a day off that doesn't happen often, passing all the practices quickly so it won’t be too late to go out and looking subtle enough to be just some average guys you stumbled upon one day, not worthy for a second glance.

Being a gay couple in general is risky. Being a gay couple of rising idols in a nation that still looks down upon it is in another level.

Bang Minsoo thrown the hood of his jacket as up-front as possible, same goes with the edge of his baseball cap. Ahn Daniel wore a mask to cover his nose and his full lips; people could perceive him as an ill blonde guy if they want. Even if they were to spend the day as friends, in which they won’t, they couldn’t risk getting stalkers. It’s not a five-minute short trip to the nearest convenience store to buy snacks and instant noodles. They will spend a whole afternoon here playing games in the mall arcade Minsoo used to go with his old friends in Seongnam. And with old friends, it also includes old girlfriend.

But, first, Minsoo had already moved on from all sorts of feminine things—except for Niel in girl costumes, like those white dresses he wore last year, it’s still a weakness for him. Second, he thought it would be nice to go somewhere at his hometown, like coming over to Café Dani’s re-opening last month, but only the two of them this time. Third, they believe in the power of games. In fact, if it wasn’t for being a nice gaming companion that won’t get bored after a few rounds, Minsoo wouldn’t get Niel the easy way (“Niel. I love gaming like I love you, I can help you gain EXPs and coins in any game, I’m awesome, and hot, and can be cute if you don’t like hot, and I love you since ever, so ...date me?”, Awkward Confession of the Year 2013).

Lucky for them, it’s not just about playing on the iPad in the free time. Minsoo really loved Niel since ever, since their trainee days; the vocalist had successfully distracted him from his girlfriend and girls in general without trying to do so. And for a few months before he heard the confession in a nice day in March, when spring slowly replaced winter, Niel had been wondering whether his wish of falling in love had been complied in a weird way, since he felt fuzzy for his own group leader. The answer is most likely yes.

“Hyung, I thought you told us the arcade is in the first floor?” Niel asked attentively as they rested in a bench in the corner of the mall, after three laps of walking around the first floor. If he wasn’t in public, he must have let out his most fatal weapon: fish lips’ pout. “When is the last time you visited it? Last century?”

Minsoo laughed dryly, “Yeah. It could have been moved. Three years ago, meeting up with mom and my two noonas, then I have no time. Fool, I’m not a dinosaur. I’m twenty-two and unborn children cannot hang out in earth one hundred years ago.”

“Then? Cancel it just like that? You should try to search for it, hyung. You’re the one that came up with the arcade-in-Seongnam-and-not-Seoul idea.”

“I have tried … your turn now. Go search in the map for me, please?”

Minsoo pointed the electronic map which stood right beside of their bench and ended it with an eye smile. It’s closer to Niel, though. No reasoning. He got to do that. The boy in white hoodie walked a bit to the map, reading every store name, looking for the location of the Sunshine Arcade, as it was called according to his boyfriend. He didn’t find it anywhere in the first floor. He went on to the second floor and found it quickly, in a spot which was practically above them.

“I think it did move out, hyung. You know, if we just go up a floor from here, we can found Sunshine right there. Serves your lazy existence right,” Niel said as he sat again beside Minsoo.

“Snap. Let’s go then,” the hyung responded as he was up from the seat. The dongsaeng followed his action and they went up with the nearest escalator. They could hear sounds of various video games already: gun shooting, racing, dance music. When they reached the second floor, the Sunshine Arcade was right in front of them. It looked at least twice bigger compared to the place Minsoo used to frequent before he debuted. Most of the machines were already upgraded to newer versions—of course, it had been three years and video game developers can’t just sit back and watch people get bored—and added in amount so more people can play at once. The place is also as packed as ever, although the wider space made it freer to go around for everyone.

The boys walked to the cashier. They did need a new card. The machine won’t accept an arcade card that was unused for three years, and Niel never went here before. “Welcome to Sunshine Arcade …yah! It’s been a while since you were here. Life’s busy, eh?” Cashier man recognized and greeted Minsoo without referring to his name—he knew better than making the line behind them scream over idols.

“Really busy, no problem though.”

“By the way, who’s this? New girlfriend?” the cashier, who actually owned the arcade, nudged at Niel.

It should be boyfriend, Minsoo almost blurted that out, but he gained enough self-control to muster a more implicit answer, “…Nope. It’s a boy. Just a friend. Pretty indeed.” Whatever. Minsoo didn't care whether the owner got his idea or not. 

“I see. How can I help you two?”

“20,000 won of credits, please. Oh, in a new card.”

They got a plastic card with the arcade’s logo and went off. “So, hyung, any idea on what will we play first?” Niel asked

“How about this shooting game,” Minsoo picked up a gun from the nearby machine.

“Call.”

Cards swiped. Weapons held. For now they weren’t the main rapper and vocalist of Teen Top, but two soldiers battling against their enemy army in the outskirts of a deserted town. They were excellent, passing the first stage with minimum injuries. It was mostly a battle for points, which was won by Minsoo.

Stage cleared.

The warfare went on to the next phase. As the enemy tried moving out with their truck, N.A.P-soldiers ran towards them, but then enemies ganged up on Minsoo and his grip on the gun slowly loosen while his soldier character’s health rapidly reduced. It turned out that he fell asleep standing in front of the machine.

“HYUNG! IDIOT! WAKE UP! THEY WILL KILL YOU!” Niel shouted as he kept firing his gun on the enemies. Just because soldier-Minsoo was dying, doesn’t mean his soldier should die too. Give another 500 won to the machine and a soldier can be resurrected with full power, but he didn’t plan to do that. No. Not his money. He had enough share of taking his boyfriend’s money even before they dated.

“W—what? Who will kill us? Go away from here, don’t think about me…” said a half-conscious Minsoo that had become a little bit too in-character.

“I MEAN THE GAME, IDIOT!”

“Oh yeah. Game. Of course it’s just the game…”

Too late. Player One is dead – insert 1 coin to continue flicked on the screen. And Niel managed to chase Minsoo’s score by then. It’s instant victory as he passed the second stage, but as the third started, a vicious soldier from the other side shot him with his machine gun. Sadly, he wasn’t in par with that soldier (and his comrades), so Player Two died too.

Done shooting, they took their stab on Niel’s pick: racing. Not just another racing game, they got into Mario Kart, playing against two elementary school boys, a boy that must be a kindergartener and his babysitter. Thanks to brats selecting characters before them, Minsoo had to be Donkey Kong while Niel became that mushroom character—Toad, which sounds more like a thing similar to a frog when he thought about it again.

It wasn't really bad as a start, but they do look retarded. Two Idols Found Playing Mario Kart with Kids Out of the Blue in Seongnam wouldn't be a great article for them. Blame Niel, that had completely adopted a F1 racer's style when the marks were just set. Minsoo felt like sleeping through the race, but he can't afford to lose to Niel again. Whatever if his younger boyfriend could get a driving license when he couldn't. Makeshift racing doesn't need any. He just drove like it's driving course all over again.

First lap had ended for most of them. Niel seemed more rambunctious than the kids. In contrast, Minsoo seemed more half-hearted than the babysitter. One thing was same for the pair: they weren't any faster than the kids. "Geez, they're madly quick!" Niel remarked as he was still riding his car on full energy, taking a power item in his way, trying to fire it on the car nearest to him. But the kid moved sharp enough to withstand Niel's attack.

Meanwhile, Minsoo let the babysitter outfast him and they ended up being in the later positions. Niel 4th, Minsoo 6th. Both of them took mental notes to refuse racing with any kind of kids in the near future, not even their maknaes.

They strolled a bit more till Minsoo found a game he wanted to play, something that won't make them look weird like the previous one. He suggested Pump It Up Fiesta 2 to his boyfriend, but that dancing game was virtually the most popular arcade machine everywhere in the nation. They can't expect it to be unoccupied at arcade peak hours, so no. They had enough dancing for a lifetime from performing as Teen Top, though.

They ended up playing to a song they don’t know in Guitar Hero. They didn't get the rhythm well. They barely passed the first song, and didn't bother picking the second song—"Maybe we should just forfeit this game," Niel said as his fingers pressed the guitar's buttons lazily.

"But I'm a rockstar, baby," Minsoo tried hard using his gaming and musical instinct to play.  He ended up being the one that brought them to the final song, still with mediocre scores.

They didn't even take a look at the last song's scores, they left to the air hockey table. As they stood in the opposite sides, grabbed their mallets and threw the puck in the middle of the table, the match started.

Minsoo got to hit the puck first. Niel struggled snatching it, only to find that it had entered his goal. He had done a useless struggle, but he had planned revenge the moment he picked up that piece of plastic and hit it back to his boyfriend.

The leader was being competitive this time. The puck moved back and forth for around a minute or so until Niel successfully inserted it to Minsoo's goal, setting a draw for them.

But then, they only had thirty seconds left on this match. It became more fast-paced for them, taking turns scoring and all—it's unpredictable who will win for those thirty seconds, till Minsoo scored his fifth point at the last second, countering Niel's four points.

They got to play some trivial games too: basketball, bowling, whack-a-mole. But there is nothing like doing unimportant things with people you love. They even took a picture in the photobooth, masks and hoods off, although they took away the picture and  fixed their disguises back before anyone else saw it.

It was going to be late soon, and the last thing Minsoo want to do in the arcade was to try getting Niel some doll from the crane machine. Not just some doll—Rilakkuma. That boy loves Rilakkuma so much, its head was hanging on his cellphone strap was just one example.

"Why would you want to get it for me with the crane machine? You can just buy it in a store. Less hassle," Niel said with his usual sass. He still retained it after dating Minsoo for seven months.

"This is going to be so special. Any other person can buy you a doll in a store. But no one else can do this, only me," Minsoo returned his lover's word with confidence and a flirty tone of speech.

"Of course no one else can do that, no one else can go out with me. As in dating, you know. But I think everyone knows it's not an easy thing. If you still want it, try it then."

Niel sat back and watched Minsoo controlling that claw, aiming for the doll. The vocalist had to admit that the doll was so tempting—it's huge, it's fluffy, and most of all it's Rilakkuma. Something that reminded him (and some of the Angels) of Minsoo, since both of them are lazy and love to sleep and cute... did he just said that Minsoo is cute? But then, a plushie cannot bring Niel a boyfriend. So a boyfriend is better.

The said boyfriend was currently on his fifth consecutive attempt on getting the doll for him. He almost gave up, but the claw decided to work for him and they ended up getting the doll. Niel won't mind bringing it all the way to the parking lot—he can pass as some random tall, blonde girlfriend with his mask. A huge toy was far from the weirdest stuff he ever brought around in his life.

Their next problem is that Minsoo suddenly wanted Niel's doll too, and the owner had to protect his property from anyone else. The couple's trip back was filled of useless fighting over the innocent doll, thanks to Minsoo's second noona that was kind enough to drive them all the way to the dorm...

"Niel... mind to give me Rilakkuma?"

"WHY? DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU WANTED TO GET IT TO ME? HYUNG, PLEASE..."

"But I think I got this, so I can do anything I want with it..."

"MINSOO HYUNG. RILAKKUMA IS MINE."

...they definitely disturbed their driver for the night, "KIDS. PLEASE BE CALM. Minsoo-ya, you're the maknae in the house but you're dating a dongsaeng. Give that doll for Niel. Noona will convince mom so she would buy another one for you."

"Okay, noona, we'll be calm..." Niel said as he sprawled on the backseat, still hugging his doll.

"Never mind, I got Niel already," Minsoo also hugged the doll and fell asleep on it. 

The next red light, Minsoo's older sister took time to look at those two boys behind. They're still so childish and cute, she thought and smiled to herself.