"So, um, are we supposed to be on a double date or are we spectators to their competition?" Melanie mused between herself and Linna.

The cousins were watching Jake and Sunghoon competing against one another through another game of darts without Melanie and Linna joining in this time. They were playing fine, but became uninterested after witnessing the two being a bit too competitive and insisted in watching the two out of pure entertainment. Anyway, the young men were currently on round five. Earlier the two had done a few rounds of arm wrestling with the arm wrestling machine, as well as the punching machine, and both machines were something to witnessed.

"I have no clue." Linna responded with a soft laugh while thinking of something.

"But do you wanna ditch them?"

"I'm down. I think they forget that we're here, too, despite inviting us on this so-called date."

"I know right."

The fake couples were hanging out at an arcade-like spot, but it seemed more like a hangout between friends than an actual date between two couples. Still, the two didn't mind as it was better than just them alone with their respective date. However, Linna and Melanie didn't want to be like those plots in dramas and movies where it usually backfired at some point, but knew they needed to play cool and go with the flow. As long as the boys were preoccupied, then they were fine with that from doing anything lovey-dovey. 

"Yeah, for real. I honestly didn't think they were the competitive type." Linna commented with a laugh as Melanie agreed.

"Me either. They're actually worst than the boys and there's a lot of them."

"I know right, but luckily unlike them, we don't have to get caught in the crossfire of these two."

"So true."

Melanie started reminiscing.

"Especially between Daniel and David. They were always bad despite acting like nothing happened minutes later."

"Oh yeah, I know right, but not as bad as Jeffrey and Evan." Linna added with a laugh.

"They always brought our sisters into the mix no matter what. Remember two summers ago when we were at the beach and those random girls got jealous and kept throwing the beach ball at them until they got what was coming to them?"

Melanie nodded with a smile.

"Oh yeah, most definitely. We all had to leave after Minseo tackled that one girl to the ground, knocking her out completely."

"That was a sight to witness, but at least Kenny and Tommy would always intervened when it got a bit too much though. Weird that I miss the boys now."

"I know right, but after those once a week video call, I don't."

Melanie laughed in agreement.

"Oh, yes, definitely. Those calls make me glad to know we're oceans apart."

The only one that really kept up to date with the boys was Serena when she played online with them from time to time. Anyway, Melanie and Linna gazed over to Jake and Sunghoon, but the two seemed more focused on winning over the other than anything else when they switched over to another game. Melanie looked at her cousin.

"Oh, hey, I remember seeing Paulin Pancake on the way before we got here." Melanie mentioned with an eager face.

"Let's go check it out. I've been dying to try the Berry Nice Day and Banana Works."

"Oh, yeah for sure. I saw that, too. I've been wanting to check that out for a while now, too." Linna said, just as eager.

"I want to try the Green Mile and Fine Tiramisu."

"Tiramisu? That's my favorite."

Sunghoon's voice interjected into their conversation as the cousins looked at the male duo, surprised that the two weren't occupied now.

"Oh, are we getting something to eat after this?" Jake asked while looking from one female to the other.

"Yeah, sure." Melanie answered nonchalantly as Linna looked from one male to the other.

"Are y'all done playing?"

"Yes. I've won." Sunghoon said proudly as Jake shook his head.

"I won the first time and the last round just now."

"Yes, but I won three out of five overall." Sunghoon countered.

"Yeah, but I still won the first and last time." Jake argued.

Melane and Linna cast one another with a knowing look and intervened.

"Anyway, are we gonna eat or not?"

"Or are y'all gonna stay here and play some more?"

The two friends decided to end their little competition until another time and responded with getting souffle pancakes with their fake girlfriends. The pairs ended up getting to know one another better like actual friends, talking about school, the dance showcase, and other interests. However, the cousins didn't delve too deep into their personal lives and the two young men didn't probe further than that, just wanting to enjoy the moment all around. Of course, when the meal ended did Sunghoon and Jake suggest playing some more games elsewhere and if their next date could be at either another arcade cafe or an amusement park or something similar to those. Melanie and Linna left it up to them and said they'll be fine and wondered amusingly if they were babysitting toddlers more than on a date with college students.

"Team Teemo! Team Teemo! Team Teemo!" Serena chanted softly to herself as readied herself to play the League of Legends' Yordle character.

"Yay! Let's go, Teemo!"

The smile on her face dropped when she couldn't play with the champion character like before.

"The ?" She mumbled while trying to use his blind, but it didn't work like before.

"The boys weren't lying with how much Teemo has changed since I've last played him."

Serena was on her break, off in a corner and away from others, playing on her laptop with earphones on. However, she kept herself in view of the cafe just in case she couldn't hear the others ask for her and Serena could keep an eye on the counters, the door, and other patrons within Simplistic.

"Teemo, you're cute and all, but I can't play with you right now or L-O-L either."

Serena exited the game while trying to think of what over online games she could play and remembered Overwatch. She hardly play these games as she usually played them with her brothers, cousins, and male friends despite the time zone. However, she's been addicted to otome games and has been playing those as of late.

"Ooh yes. Nice. Okay, Wrecking Ball, here I come."

Serena opened the game so she could play with her other favorite animal character which was a hamster hero also known as Hammond. While going through the whole setup, Serena realized she wouldn't have enough time to actually play a game. So, Serena exited the browser to work on some free-writing instead as she still needed to write that plot inspired by her younger cousin and sister's current situation. She casually glanced up and connected eyes with Heeseung, sitting across from her at the same table. He shot her a smile while she removed her earphones and closed her laptop.

"Um, what are you doing here?"

"Just getting something to drink and eat, Minseo. I can't do that?"

"No."

Her quick answer made him chuckle as Serena recollected herself a second later.

"I mean, of course you can get something, Heeseung, but like what are you doing here at the same table as me."

"Oh? Friends can't hang out with friends?" Heeseung said in a nonchalant way, but the ssame smile still evident on his face.

"We're not friends." Serena deadpanned, but the smile on Heeseung's face dropped.

"Ah."

Serena did not like the sound of that and tried to rectify the situation. She really need to control her humor when around Heeseung.

"It was a joke. I'm kidding. Of course, we're friends, Heeseung."

Serena knew she didn't sound that convincing as she assumed with her insistent it sounded force yet the smile that graced Heeseung's face didn't quite match his eyes. Serena recalled how close they had gotten since winter holidays and weren't just mutuals or acquaintances like before, possibly making them friends in a sense.

"So, um, how's the whole dance practicing going for the showcase?"

She hoped that Heeseung didn't feel too down about what she had said earlier and that she was geniunely trying to interact now. Heeseung's eyes slightly brightened as so did the smile.

"It's going well. Minor setbacks here and there, but everyone's having fun."

"Good, good."

"Will you be there to watch us?"

The way he said it made her aware that he was hoping she would be there.

"Um, yeah. Yeah, I'll be there." She replied with a smile.

"Um, it's on the seventeenth, right? During finals' week, yeah?"

"Mmhmm. Starts at seven and ends around nine."

"Noted. Anyway, did you come alone? What did you order?" 

Heeseung pointed a thumb over his shoulder.

"I came with Jay and I ordered some fried chicken and a pear slushie."

"Oh, nice."

Heeseung noticed that Serena had no food with her and just a drink.

"Did you not get anything to eat?"

"Oh, I eat too slow during my breaks, so I always get something to drink."

"Ah, okay."

Serena nodded with a small smile while glancing around Heeseung to see if her cousin was now interacting with Jay. She locked eyes with Kierra for barely a second, but caught the way her eyes screamed for help as Kierra inputted Jay's order.

"Will there be anything else?" Kierra asked Jay as she inputted the last said item.

"You could be a little more friendly though." Jay counter as Kierra made a face.

"I'm nice enough."

Jay slightly scoffed, but shook his head.

"No, that's it."

"Are you sure?"

Kierra tried again.

"We actually have some pistachio and Ferrero Rocher ice cream flavors that we started to include for the summer."

"Can I order both?"

"Oh, yeah."

Kierra inputted two more items.

"Anything else?"

"No."

"Okay. So, fried chicken, pear slushie, black tea, corn cheese, pistachio ice cream, and Ferrero Rocher ice cream."

Kierra told him his total and Jay paid, but continued to linger around after receiving his number tent. However, Kierra decided to entertain the male as there were no other customers while her other co-workers made the orders.

"So, what are you and Heeseung doing here? I thought y'all had dance practice?"

Kierra knew that wasn't true as Sunghoon and Jake were on a date now with her sister and younger cousin.

"Free day today so Heeseung and I decided to eat out as everyone else had other plans."

"And it had to be here?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. Thank you for your business."

Kierra flashed him a smile although she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the so-called date her sister and younger cousin were on right now.

"By the way, my mom wants a copy of the photobook you made for me for my birthday."

"Huh? Your mom? Really."

Kierra did not expect Jay to share it with his mother of all people.

"Yes. Do you think you could make another one?"

"I mean, I could, but it'll take a while because of a few things."

Those things being the works of Serena that needs to be included.

"No worries. Take your time on that."

"Okay."

Jay was about to continue the conversation, but Kierra was called by Seohoo.

"Hayoun, could I get your help, please?"

"Yeah, I'll be there." She called over her shoulder before looking over at Jay.

"Anyway, I gotta go, but catch you later, Jay."

"The same to you, too, Hayoun."

Jay watched as Kierra assisted Seohoo with frying the chicken as Seohoo went to prepare more chicken. Jay felt some sort of way, but at least Kierra didn't seem all that hostile towards him like she used to be. Maybe things were changing between the both of them as a soft look graced his features and a hint of a smile graced his lips. Jay turned around to see Heeseung talking with Serena, before she got up from the table with her belongings and left him there. Jay joined Heeseung a second later after he and Serena greeted one another while passing by each other. Heeseung shot Jay a curious look.

"You seem happy. Did something happen?"

"Just am." Jay replied with a shrug before noticing Heeseung looked the same as him.

"You seemed happy yourself."

"Yeah, something like that."

The two shared a laugh as they settled in just when a worker brought over their meal while Serena and Kierra moved off to the back to talk as Serena got to check her phone while Kierra didn't.

"What's up?"

"Chaeyoung wants to go dress shopping tomorrow for our performance for her birthday."

"Ah, . I thought we weren't gonna do the shopping bit."

"Sujin and Woojoo convinced Chaeyoung to go through with it and now all three are looking forward to dressing us up."

"Of course they are. Oh, well, might as well entertain them."

"True. As long as it doesn't take too long."

"It will as it's Chaeyoung's birthday and there's seven of us going, looking for and trying on dresses."

Serena groaned with Kierra joining her. Soon, their minds became occupied with work.

"Stop fussing with your dress, Hayoun." Woojoo mildly scolded her friend.

"It looks like there's something wrong."

"There is." Kierra huffed.

Woojoo also noticed Serena doing the same thing as Kierra.

"You, too, Minseo."

The group of six arrived in the lobby of the hotel for Chaeyoung's birthday celebration, wearing the same dress in style and in print. However, both Kierra and Serena couldn't help, but to feel slightly uncomfortable in theirs as it was a little more revealing than what they were used to and have worn before. It didn't help as these were one of the few dresses that were in their 'least likely to pick' pile and Chaeyoung ended up choosing from that pile. However, they shouldn't be complaining as they gave their permission for whatever choice of dress the others could choose for them and help pay for.

"I'm trying, but I'm still not used to dresses or dressing up fancy for that matter either." Serena huffed as Kierra joined her.

"For reals. Besides, the fabric is a bit too sheer than I'm used to."

Both eyed Woojoo a bit annoyed.

"And these killer heels don't help much either."

"They're not killer heels." Melanie remarked with Linna agreeing.

"They're barely four inches."