Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Date 3
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We left the movie theater and slipped out of the department store.
The next spot was just outside the station. It would take a few minutes to walk there.
We ambled slowly toward our destination.
The farther we got from the movie theater, the department store, and the station, the less crowded it became. At this point, we could probably walk a little apart without anyone passing between us.
But it felt awkward to create distance now, so we stayed close together, just like before.
We soon reached our destination and came to a stop.
Si-eun tilted her head quizzically.
"This is it?"
"Yeah."
I gave a short reply and headed inside.
The place we'd entered was an arcade right in front of the station.
Machines everywhere were blasting out noise. Squinting instead of covering my ears, I scanned the surroundings. A few people were deep into their games, while couples on the far side tried their luck at claw machines.
Si-eun followed me in, smoothly turning her head to take in the interior before speaking up.
"You planning to invest in an arcade too?"
"Well... maybe..."
I trailed off, with nothing to say in my defense.
Maybe bringing her to an arcade was too obvious. Her eyes seemed to sharpen at my lame response, but there was no helping it. Better to just ignore it.
Putting on my best poker face, I spoke up.
"Why don't you try something that looks fun?"
"...Sure."
She didn't seem eager to press the issue. What a relief.
We started walking, looking around.
Near the entrance, a row of claw machines stood lined up. Deeper inside were rhythm games, darts, baseball, bowling, and even some odd VR setups.
"Want me to win you a plushie?"
"If you suck, it'd be cheaper to just buy one."
Fair point. And I did suck. No way I wanted to blow thousands failing in front of her.
After browsing the various machines, we'd pretty much looped the whole place. Si-eun didn't look all that interested the whole time. Maybe the arcade was a mistake.
That's what I thought—until Si-eun suddenly stopped short.
She'd halted in front of a coin-operated karaoke booth inside the arcade. It was a small space for two or three people, fitted with a karaoke machine.
Did she want to go to karaoke?
"You like singing?"
I asked quietly, and Si-eun whipped her head around.
"I was just looking."
"We're already here. Let's go in."
"What?"
I pushed past her surprised question and entered the booth.
Si-eun looked a bit displeased, but she followed me in anyway.
Once I had the remote in hand and started thinking...
I realized I didn't know any songs I could sing.
I went to karaoke maybe once a year—if that—and I didn't even like current hits. All I had in my head were songs from years ago.
Hmm.
Maybe pass the baton to Si-eun.
"You know any songs?"
She tilted her head at my question.
"Weren't you gonna sing?"
"I thought about it, but I don't know any."
"What?"
Her reaction was pure disbelief. Well, fair enough.
I handed her the remote, and she sighed as she took it. Then, with practiced movements, she started pressing buttons.
"You come here a lot?"
"If you wanna de-stress without spending much, coin karaoke's the best. I've come a few times a week before."
"Hmm."
That made sense, now that she mentioned it.
Before she started living with me, Si-eun had worked part-time jobs. She'd said they were pretty stressful, so maybe she'd belt out a few songs on her way home afterward.
Soon, Si-eun selected a song and hit start.
I didn't know what it was, but... the title rang a vague bell.
As the music kicked in, Si-eun gripped the mic with both hands and sang, staring straight at the screen.
Her voice was higher than usual, with less power behind it. I'd never noticed before, but her tone was nice. It even tickled the ears in a pleasant way.
She was good, too. There was a hint of tension making it tremble a little, but if you thought of it as vibrato, even that wasn't bad.
When the song ended, I gave her a quiet round of applause.
"Don't clap..."
"You sang great. Why not?"
I smirked a little as I said it, and Si-eun furrowed her brow before handing me the remote.
"Why are you giving it back?"
"Your turn."
"I told you I don't know any."
"Sing anyway."
"Yes, ma'am."
No arguing with a pouty Si-eun.
The songs I knew were all pretty old. Maybe three or four at most. Stuff that was popular when we were in middle or high school.
One of them had no crazy high notes. It was a go-to for guys who couldn't sing.
I remembered kids belting it out in class back in middle school. Of course, as the class loner, I'd only sung it in my head.
Time to show off my solo apartment humming skills.
With that in mind, I cleared my throat—ahem—and started singing.
Where do you look when you're singing?
I'd never worried about it before. I didn't go to karaoke much, and when I did, it was alone.
But now Si-eun was here. No clue how to handle eye contact. I figured alternating between the screen and her would feel natural, but wouldn't that just be awkward?
In the end, I ended up staring at the screen just like she had.
Only after the song finished did I turn to Si-eun.
She was staring at me with a blank look. I waited quietly, and she snapped out of it with a shrug, giving a small clap.
Hearing that made me a little embarrassed. I could see why she was pouting now.
"I only made you do it to tease you, but... you weren't half bad. Your voice is... fine, I guess."
"It's an easy song."
I snorted and went to put the mic back—
"One more left."
Si-eun pointed at the screen.
"Three songs for a thousand won."
"Oh? Then you sing another one."
"Singing in front of someone is embarrassing enough."
It really was, now that I'd tried it.
Si-eun crossed her arms.
"Can't have me singing both. It's unfair."
"But me singing two would be just as unfair."
"Exactly."
Si-eun snatched the remote and pulled up a song.
"You know this one?"
It was a duet—a guy-girl one where the lovers bickered through the lyrics.
Surprisingly, it was one of the few I knew.
What a coincidence... nah, not really. We were the same age. She'd probably figured I knew this one based on the last song.
"I know it, yeah."
The moment I answered, she hit play.
"Then sing."
Why so bossy?
"Too late to back out now, but I've never sung this one."
"Whatever. Just sing."
Yes, ma'am. Better to obey the still-pouty Si-eun. Besides, if I didn't, half the song would be empty.
The music started.
Si-eun's voice behind mine, mine under hers—they overlapped.
Just that fact alone sent a soft, fuzzy feeling blooming in my chest.
But even for a song like this, I couldn't look at Si-eun's face. No, especially because it was like this, facing her felt impossible.
In the end, we both stared at the screen until the song finished.
A place this tense... how the hell do people use it to de-stress?