Ever since he was a kid, Baekhyun had this fascination about mascots. When many of the children his age would cower away from those weirdly shaped, moving characters in by the shops, Baekhyun would always stare at them. Sometimes, if the mascot is not that big, he would shyly approach the mascot and pet him. A big smile plasters itself on his face whenever the mascot will hold him back or even carry him. It brings joy to Baekhyun’s small child heart. His mother has noticed his fondness on them that’s why she started collecting photos of Baekhyun and the mascots that he plays with. Album after album were filled with those specific memories and Baekhyun would always look at them whenever it is Throwback Thursday.

                Among all of the places that Baekhyun has visited throughout the years, there is one that is his most favorite because every week, a new mascot will be standing by the entrance and it amuses Baekhyun to no end. It is the PCY Arcade. Before, he could only watch from the outside and see all kinds of machines that spew out colorful candies, trapping cute little plushies, make you drive an unmoving car and shoot hoops in a close distance. As if the cute mascots aren’t enough to keep him entertained.

                When he came of age, he was able to get into the arcade himself and play all day long there if he was just allowed to. The blinking lights adorning each of the machines inside reflects on Baekhyun’s sparkly eyes. At first, he could only play the whack-a-mole and put-the-fire-out but now that he is already in high school, he has mastered the Claw Monster and Stack-o-Bricks and he frequents the Dance Revo as well as the mini-noraebang booths that are now installed in the bigger and better arcade.

                His taste for arcade games may have changed over the years that he has matured but his love for PCY Arcade mascots haven’t changed. He watched the mascot from the character in whack-a-mole to a plain but cute and cuddly marshmallow. Baekhyun never failed to take selcas with the new mascots everytime.

                But one thing that makes Baekhyun curious is to who is the person behind the costumes? Are they different person every mascot? Or is there only one who has the opportunity to wear those costumes and entertain people that drop by the arcade? How does it feel to be inside one? Will it be snug or surprisingly comfortable? Why aren’t they speaking? Why not make the mascots speak right? And why does it seem that the mascots of the arcade grows bigger, just like how Baekhyun had gotten bigger?

                He has had this questions for a long time already but somehow, he’s just too shy to approach one of the workers there and ask his questions. Maybe they’ll find him annoying and childish. Who in the right mind would still be loving mascots when they are already adolescent and nearing to be an adult? Baekhyun has been a little weird like that but he can’t seem to shake the feeling of giddiness and excitement whenever he sees a mascot.

                Mascots are Byun Baekhyun’s favorite things in the world.

                “Baek, are you going to be free tonight?” Kyungsoo looped an arm on his bestfriend’s while they walked to the cafeteria for lunch. His bestfriend tilted his head and pretended to think about his schedule for a few seconds until he grinned and replied a big ‘Nope!’ to Kyungsoo’s pouty expression.

                “You know that it is a Monday, right, Kyungie?”

                “I know it’s a Monday night Baek but you taking a selca with those hideous mascots won’t take an hour!” Kyungsoo protested with another pout. As much as he loves Baekhyun, he has never understood the latter’s fascination on those people clothed with bulky and smelly costumes. He has never been a fan of them but maybe he blames it on one of the movies that Jongin has made him watch when they were just toddlers. It was about kidnappers who dressed as clowns and mascots that kidnap children to be offered with some voodoo whatever.

                “What are you planning on doing, anyway? It’s a school night,” Baekhyun pointed out as they lined up for food.

                “You’ve been so out last Friday, huh?” Kyungsoo shook his head in disappointment. “Tonight is the acquaintance party, Baek! It’s going to be our final one so we have to be there!”

                The mention of the party brought shine in Baekhyun’s eyes. Next to his love for mascots and his bestfriend comes his love for parties. Kyungsoo has a point. He can just drop by real quick to the arcade, take a picture and hurry home so he can change into party clothes. He needs to dress to impress (not like he doesn’t always do that) because it is their final acquaintance party and maybe, maybe he could get his crush to look at him.

                “Maybe you should mention that Chanyeol will be there though he said that he’s going to be a bit late,” Jongin suddenly popped out of nowhere. His damn ninja skills almost made Baekhyun scream in shock but Kyungsoo just rolled his eyes on the newcomer because he was just so used to Jongin’s antics. Thirteen years of being around each other does that.

                “Can you do that a little louder, Jongin?” Baekhyun muttered sarcastically but Jongin is a big idiot so he cleared his throat and turned away from the bestfriends.

                “I JUST SAID TO BAEKHYUN THAT HE SHOULD COME TO THE PARTY LATER BECAUSE P – OWWW!” Jongin clutched his head where Baekhyun had whacked his head hard.

                “I was being sarcastic, you ,” Baekhyun groaned. “I don’t know how you can stand this dimwit, Kyungie. You can do so much better than this egotistic jerk.”

                He turned to his bestfriend to seek some support but Baekhyun should’ve known that he won’t be getting any because Jongin is using that ’pitiful, little cutie mushy puppy’ look on his bestfriend and judging by Kyungsoo’s expression, he’s just too whipped to even care for Baekhyun’s grumbling. He just took his lunch tray over to their usual table and ignore the lovebirds who were giving each other googly eyes that makes him want to puke because they’re just gross and he’s just being envious. He sighed.

                “Why the long face, Baek?” a deep, honey-like voice woke Baekhyun up from his self-wallowing and he had to gulp whatever it was in his mouth. A tall, lean frame folded itself beside him and curious eyes were trained on his. He had to look away before he melted right there but his breath got caught in his lungs when his eyes fell on the hair of the person beside him. Ash gray, he thought. And it looks so ing y on the owner of the head where the hair is on.

                One last gulp and he gestured to the couple on his other side, where Kyungsoo is touching Jongin’s head tenderly but he’s scolding him half-heartedly about stopping on teasing Baekhyun because it’s bad to tease people and he might get a large ‘boo boo’ later at the party. Jongin replied with a pout and nodded glumly to his boyfriend before he snuggled on Kyungsoo’s smaller body and buried his head on the smaller’s shoulders.

                “Oh,” Chanyeol commented as he looked over Jongin and Kyungsoo. Baekhyun shot him an I-told-you-so look and slumped his shoulders in defeat. The former can’t help but smile at the latter’s cuteness but he pressed his lips together to keep his long time secret still undiscovered.

                “You’re here, Yeol,” Jongin has just then acknowledged the other’s presence but he kept his head on Kyungsoo’s narrow shoulders. “I was just telling Baek here that he should be at the party later because you’re going to be there,” he spoke lazily and he opened his mouth at the spoonful of rice that Kyungsoo shoved into his mouth to silence him a little too late. Baekhyun blushed furiously.

                “Aren’t you coming later, Baek?” Chanyeol tilted his head questioningly on the other and Baekhyun flinched on his seat.

                “I-I am g-going,” he stuttered and now he can’t even look at Chanyeol. Damn Kim Jonign and his big mouth. “I just h-have to drop by the arcade but I’m going!” he added and he hoped to whoever god is listening that Chanyeol didn’t catch what Jongin’s words were not explicitly saying. Or else Baekhyun is dead meat.

                “Of course,” Chanyeol muttered amusedly under his breath, not loud for anybody to hear, though. “Then there’s no problem, right? We’ll be partying together tonight!”

                Baekhyun bade his goodbye to Kyungsoo and Jongin and brisk walked towards the arcade. He needs to make this fast so he could go home and still take a shower before the party. It would if he will be stinking even without the dancing yet. Before they parted though, he cast a last glance in the campus at the hopes of seeing Chanyeol before he goes but no luck. It’s just too bad that he’s stuck with Kyungsoo and Jongin throughout his high school days while Chanyeol is always in a different class.

                Maybe if he was just away from those sickeningly sweet lovebirds, he might’ve made Chanyeol notice him more than just a childhood friend, just like what happened to his bestfriend and one of their childhood friends. It was funny, really, how those two started. Jongin has annoyed the hell out of Kyungsoo when they were kids by making Kyungsoo watch scary movies though he would say that they are ‘fun’ movies, steal Kyungsoo’s food because Jongin says that it’s more delicious when Kyungsoo has taken a bite at it already, pay the other unannounced visits because he’s dead bored, copy Kyungsoo’s homework because Jongin is just an idiot who only knows how to dance beautifully and many more.

                Baekhyun thinks that Jongin’s constant presence around Kyungsoo is what made his bestfriend fall for the stupidly cute tanned boy.

                What if Chanyeol and he were given those kinds of excuses to be together? Would they have progressed from being friends to something more? It sure is one of Baekhyun’s deepest desires. He sighed once again. It could only stay that way though because he and Chanyeol are not like Kyungsoo and Jongin so Baekhyun’s wishes can only just stay as that. He shook his head as he neared the arcade and smiled when she saw a middle aged woman standing by the entrance.

                “Why are you here outside, Auntie?” he asked after she kissed her cheek in greeting.

                “I was actually waiting for you, sweetie,” the woman smiled fondly at him and he returned the smile.

                “Is that Baekhyun?” a male voice called from inside the arcade and Baekhyun is embraced tightly and his breathing got cut for a second because of the tight grip of the man on him.

                “Hello, Uncle Park,” he greeted the man who just hugged him and his smiled really resembles his son. Baekhyun blushed a little but he looked away before any of the adults notice the color on his cheeks.

                “Don’t worry he’s coming out in a minute,” Chanyeol’s dad clapped his shoulder lightly and he looked back, a little confused. Chanyeol’s mom seemed to have pinched her husband because the man jumped with a grimace.

                “He means our new mascot, dear. You’re here to see it, right?” she quipped as her husband rubbed his arm slowly. Baekhyun smiled at this.

                “What are you having for the week, Auntie?”

                “Since Easter is approaching, we’re having the Easter bunny!” she clapped her hands cutely and Baekhyun can’t help but giggle. The Park family has always been fun to be with and that is one of the main reasons that he has come back again and again to the arcade that they own, aside from his mascots. Baekhyun’s already a VVIP there.

                “What color is it? Does it have long, long ears? Is its tail fluffy? How about its body? Will he carrying Easter eggs?” Baekhyun squealed in excitement and the adults can’t help but coo on his cuteness.

                “You’re always very excited for the mascots, Baekhyunnie,” Mrs. Park messed his hair a little and Baekhyun didn’t mind.

                “I love your mascots, Auntie! They’re always super cute! I really, really love them!” Baekhyun looked dreamy as he remembered all of the mascots that PCY Arcade had used and he just loved all of them. Mr. Park is about to say something when his wife glared at him and he excused himself to check on some machines. A movement from Baekhyun’s right caught his attention and he’s jumping up and down when he saw the tall Easter bunny come out. Mrs. Park had to push him down on his feet because he might trip from too much jumping.

                Baekhyun took deep breaths to calm down and when his heart started to beat normally again, he ran to meet the mascot. It is everything that he has imagined. Its fur is mint green, its ears are very long that it folded halfway and dangled on the side of its head and it’s very furry making it fluffy. It also has whiskers and its eyes are rounded, almost like Kyungsoo’s and Baekhyun smiled.

                “Auntie?”

                “Yes, Baekhyunnie?”

                “Why are your mascots so tall?” he pouted and Mrs. Park giggled. The Easter bunny’s shoulders started to shake as if joining the woman in giggling so Baekhyun pouted more. Great, now the mascot is laughing at him too. The bunny then stood straight again and took a step back. The bunny leaned his head down until it’s on the level of Baekhyun’s. Startled, Baekhyun took a step back but he realized what the bunny wants him to do so he petted the bunny slowly at first but his hands are now playing with the long ears. He loved the soft feeling of it under his fingers as he rubbed them lightly. He was too mesmerized and he just realized that it had been minutes that he was doing that when the bunny raised its head and its eyes met the boy’s.

                At that moment, Baekhyun felt like the mascot is trying to tell him something but he can’t pick it off from its frozen expression. He tried a few more times by trying any possibility in his head b