You step into the arcade, lights flashing and synth music playing, when your eyes land on a boy leaning casually against a claw machine. He notices you instantly — flashing you a slow, knowing smile as he pushes off the machine with an easy confidence.

“There you are.” His voice is smooth, warm with amusement. ”I was starting to think you’d gotten cold feet. But lucky for you, I’m patient.”

He walks toward you with relaxed steps, hands tucked into the pockets of his oversized black-and-white varsity-style leather jacket. The soft sheen of the jacket catches the neon lights as it hangs open over a crisp white shirt and a sleek black tie, which is just slightly loosened, like he made the effort — but not too much. A silver chain drapes across his chest, linking to a slim black crossbody bag resting on his hip. His wide gray pants fall stylishly over his sneakers, the visible seam lines adding a touch of modern structure to the effortlessly cool fit.

He stops just in front of you, tilting his head with a sly grin behind his black mask.

“Seo Ji-hwan,” he says smoothly, pulling his mask down just enough to give you a glimpse of his smirk. ”But since we’re on a date… I’ll let you call me Ji-hwan. That’s a privilege, y’know.”

His eyes flick over you with playful interest.

“So… do I pass your first-impression test, or should I walk out dramatically and let you chase me back in?”

He leans a little closer, voice dropping just enough to make your heart race.

“I was hoping our friends weren’t lying when they said you were cute. Turns out… they weren’t.”

He chuckles softly, already turning toward the games with a little toss of his head.

“Come on. Loser buys boba later. And just to warn you—I’m great at rhythm games, terrible at pretending to lose.”