Transmigrated as the Side Top used as an Emotional Trash Can

I quickly went and got a cold wet wipe, then pressed it against Cha Gwonhyeok’s hand. Maybe he was embarrassed, because he looked a little dejected.

“…It’s hot.”

“Yeah, it’s hot. Really hot. From now on, when you touch it, be careful and only hold the top. Got it?”

“You handled it just fine.”

“I’m good at enduring it. Maybe my senses are a little dull.”

Cha Gwonhyeok caught the fingertips of my hand that was pressing the wipe against him and gently rubbed them with the tissue. I guess since I’d touched something hot too, he was trying to cool my hand down with the cold wipe. Rubbing our hands together like this with only a single tissue between them somehow felt ticklish.

“Gwonhyeok-ah, do you know escargot? Have you tried it?”

I changed the subject for no particular reason and asked Cha Gwonhyeok. He stared blankly for a moment, then came back to himself and answered.

“The snail dish? I’ve tried it.”

“I’ve never had it before.”

I let go of Cha Gwonhyeok’s hand, which had mostly cooled down, and picked up the rice bowl lid from the floor. Then I gave it a light shake.

“Teach me too when I eat it someday.”

Cha Gwonhyeok smiled along with me. Then he said I probably wouldn’t like it. Apparently, it was fishier and saltier than I’d expect.

“That’s because you haven’t been to a place that makes it well.”

“You said you’ve never eaten it-.”

After we ate, we left the restaurant and wandered around without any particular destination. Then I spotted an arcade and suggested it to him, and once again, he readily agreed.

Before entering the arcade, I stopped in front of the easiest-looking punch machine standing beside the entrance.

“Gwonhyeok-ah, have you ever thrown a punch?”

“I learned MMA for a little while in middle school.”

“Wow, you really are a cheat character.”

I was the only one of us carrying cash, so I exchanged my money for coins and put one into the punch machine. Cha Gwonhyeok said he’d transfer me the money, but I firmly refused.

“Don’t make things awkward by splitting every little thing. Let’s make it a bet. Loser buys dinner.”

“You’re planning to stay until dinner?”

“Isn’t it normal to spend the whole day together when you hang out with a friend?”

I immediately thought, oops, again, and added.

“If you’re busy, you can go. I’m already grateful enough that you came to cheer at the swimming competition today.”

I didn’t know what Cha Gwonhyeok usually did on weekends. We didn’t really contact each other privately, and I’d never pried into his daily life either. I was already grateful enough that he’d come out today to cheer for me….

Baaang-!

Something sounded like it exploded.

No, that was the sound of Cha Gwonhyeok driving his fist into the punch machine.

987 points. Almost a perfect score.

“Looks like you’ll be buying me dinner.”

Cha Gwonhyeok leisurely rolled his wrist once as he spoke. Proof that his huge build wasn’t just for show. It sparked my competitive spirit for no reason.

“Can I kick it?”

Competitive spirit was one thing, but how the hell was I supposed to beat 987 points? If I couldn’t win with strength, I had to cheat somehow.

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* * *

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“The punch machine was for dinner, and this racing game is for dessert. Got it?”

I said as I climbed onto one of the motorcycle seats for a racing game inside the arcade. In the end, I had suffered a glorious defeat at the punch machine. I insisted bets were best two out of three and challenged him several more times, but I never managed to break 950 points. Damn it.

Whether he knew how frustrated I was or not, Cha Gwonhyeok climbed onto the 2P motorcycle beside me and replied.

“I hope you win this time.”

It had been a while since I’d seen that smirking expression. Ever since the second semester started, whenever we faced each other, all I’d seen was either his stiff expression or his neat, proper smile. Seeing him like this made it feel like we’d gone back to the first semester.

“A baby without even a license should just follow hyung closely.”

I lost the first race and won the second. Then came a parade of third, fourth, and fifth games. Apparently, Cha Gwonhyeok had a competitive streak, because once we started competing, even the look in his eyes changed, and he kept insisting we continue playing.

“This is too unfair.”

In the end, Cha Gwonhyeok lost to me at the racing game. All that time I’d spent going to arcades with the guys in my class had finally paid off.

“That’s why you should’ve played around more.”

“I’ve been to arcades before, but I’ve never played the games.”

“Haha, are you making excuses now-?”

I laughed as I happily drank the apple juice I’d won from my bet with Cha Gwonhyeok. He’d been pouting about how unfair it was, but he quickly recovered and smiled back at me.

After we’d played to our hearts’ content, we were about to leave the arcade when I spotted a booth. I turned back and asked him.

“Want to take those before we go eat?”

He looked where I was pointing. It was an instant photo booth.

Like sparrows unable to pass by a mill, we fluttered straight over to the booth and started messing with the various props.

“Should I wear a wig? Or sunglasses?”

While I was debating between an afro wig and sunglasses with a mustache attached, Cha Gwonhyeok placed a red M*rio cap on my head.

“Hanrim-ah, I think this hat would look good on you too.”

“If I’m wearing this, then you have to wear this one.”

I put a green Lu*gi cap on his head. We took a mirror shot in front of the photo booth mirror, then went inside.

“You have to look at the lens over there for the picture to come out well, Gwonhyeok-ah. Not the screen.”

Cha Gwonhyeok didn’t seem to know where to look inside the booth and only stared intently at the screen. I grabbed his chin, tilted his head upward, and snapped a shot. He looked handsome even with his eyes lowered, but when taking a picture, it was still better to look at the lens.

“How can you squish my cheek like that, Hanrim-ah.”

His cheek had gotten slightly squished when I lifted his head, and maybe he felt wronged, because he grabbed my cheek and squished it too.

We took another shot with our cheeks squished by each other’s hands. Then one blurry shot where we were too busy laughing after letting go. One where I moved close to the lens until only my eyes peeked into view, while Cha Gwonhyeok watched me with a smile. The results were a mess, but that made it even more fun.