276 JEmily - See Into the Future

Emily wandered around the second floor, searching for the kid's section. Most of the art pieces and displays belonged to ancient times. She wondered if it would even be on the same floor. Nothing hinted her a clue about its whereabouts.

She also couldn't imagine a kid's section for history.

Her legs dived deeper into the hallway, following where her instincts led her. Faint noises flowed into her ears. A colorful and an interactive exhibit loomed at the end of the ball.

Upon reaching the archway, her eyes widened at the competitive display.

Jae struggled to maintain his balance on the snowboard. It had been built for people half his height, including his shoe size. It became hard to control because of this variation. He had raised his arms for support and they shook every time he made a steep turn.

Emily could compare him to a flapping chicken.

On the other hand, the kid moved less. His raised arms remained steady. Only his legs and feet did the work. The simulation didn't require difficult movement—such as dipping sideways too low. He had done this route many times. He knew it like the back of his hand.

Emily crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her shoulder against the archway. She checked the map, finding their respective red and blue dots. It let her know how much distance was left. 

"Keep up, dude!" The kid wailed. "Don't overdo it. These boards change direction at the slightest pressure. No need for exhibition moves."

His avatar flew over a cliff. Pulling his feet apart, he crouched low and prepared for the landing. If he wasn't careful, his avatar would topple over and he'd be pushed back by a hundred meters.

"Don't you want to win?" Jae scowled. He knew the kid's intentions but… his difficulties came from his weight. The board did move accordingly at the smallest amount of force.

Unfortunately, it wasn't easy to hit it right.

His weight usually overdid the tilts and that led different types of results—'topping over' and hitting a tree' to name a few. He'd reverse it halfway through but it would often be too late. He gritted his teeth, thinking of a better solution.

"I do! But if you do too bad, you'd become a sore loser and refuse to play again. Then, I'd be left alone," the kid explained with a shake of his head. He often found himself around younger kids who whine a lot when they didn't win. 

All his mom would say was that he needed to be patient and let the children be, not insisting them for a rematch.

"Aw…" Emily cooed. She pressed a hand on her chest, really feeling the kid's vibes. She had been in the same boat since she often won. It 'ruined' the game for others as they liked to say.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah! So go and do better, you big oaf!"

Emily cackled without a sound. Only her breathing indicated that she was having a laugh. She doubled over and bent her arm against the wall. Flashbacks replayed in her mind. She never related to a kid so much. 

She peeked at Jae's expression. He stared at the kid with wide eyes. Had she ever used that nickname out loud around him? If so, this made the whole thing funnier.

"You got it, kid." Jae nodded once. He turned back to the LED screen and re-assessed his footwork. There had to be something he could do. His gaze glanced down, noting how his feet barely hang on the board.

Maybe he could… shift his feet until they pointed forward? His eyes flickered towards the railings on either side of him. Since he'd face forward, he'd be able to use them for balance.

'Yeah, that could work.'

He set the plan in motion.

Emily recovered from her fit. By the time she went back to watching the boys, Jae did much better than before. His hands clenched the railings and his legs crossed because of his footing. With his weight equally distributed, he gained a good advantage and used his arms to control the tilts.

She could see how his muscles bulged as he lifted himself off the board slightly, bearing some of the weight.

A little eye candy was always welcome.

Soon, the slope reached its end. The snowy ground became 

"Wow, you caught up good!" The kid complimented Jae. Their gap used to be wider but it now narrowed by more than half. His eyes shined brightly. "Want to go again?"

Jae checked his phone. 

Then, he looked around the room.

Emily hid behind the archway. She wanted to see how Jae would do this second round. Would he let the kid win or not? Would the kid take it or ask for a third round? Surely, he'd see through Jae's scheme if that happened. 

Then, give Jae another lecture about it.

"Sure. One more game. After that, I need to go," she heard him say. 

"Deal!" 

The audio of the game restarted. She sneaked a glance, checking if Jae focused on the screen. She stood directly behind them though a bit far since there were other displays on either side of the round space. She was lucky that this spot showed her theirs without hindrance.

Emily moved back to her previous position and watched. Her head tilted sideways, resting it on the wall. This time progressed quietly as the two boys sped down the hill, neck to neck. They cut it too close.

The finish line materialized in the screen.

Their ranks flashed.

The kid frowned at the result. He hopped off the board and marched over to Jae's side. "Be honest with me. Did you let me win?"

"Nah, dude," Jae denied, bumping his fist against the kid's arm. "You won fair and square. It's some sick skills. Ever been snowboarding in real life?"

He climbed off the board and stretched his arms. They had cramped from enduring the position for so long. In addition, he massaged his upper arms and hoped it would help.

'Again,' Emily thought as she observed how the muscles move.  'A little eye candy is always welcome.'

She'd have to be crazy to say that Jae wasn't in good shape. 

Now whether she found him attractive or not was a different story. 

"No." The kid sighed. His foot kicked the floor. "Mom says we can't afford it."

"Hey, don't give up. You never know what the future would bring. Do you skateboard?" Jae asked, changing the subject. He refused to believe that this kid stayed down. There had to be something else he enjoyed.

"Not yet but I am saving up for one!"

He raised his hand for a high-five. "Awesome!"

The kid jumped up to reach it. When he landed, his eyes flickered towards the archway. Cobalt eyes returned his gaze. Plump pink lips smiled at him. 

He tapped Jae's arm multiple times and pointed in her direction. "Dude, there's a pretty girl staring at you."

"Where?" Jae crouched low until they had the same eye level. His eyes followed to where the finger pointed at. "Oh, that's my girlfriend."

Emily glared at his words, hearing them clearly 

"I think you're lying."

She shifted her attention towards the kid and gave him thumbs up, adding a wink. 

"Sorry," Jae said and corrected himself. "For a second there, I travelled to the future and spoke as if it already happened."

Emily rolled her eyes. That was the poorest excuse she ever heard. No one in their right mind would fall for it. 

The kid frowned at Jae's face, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why would she want to be with you instead of me?"

Jae straightened his legs and mimicked the same pose. His blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And why would she pick you?" 

"I did beat you in that game. Twice."

"You have a point…" he nodded, pretending to consider it. "But can you treat her to a free meal?"

The kid thought for a while. He looked at the ceiling as if the answers would be there. Then, he snapped his fingers and said, "I can with the money I saved up for my skateboard."

"Woah, stop right there, buddy," Jae protested. He raised his hands to emphasize his point. "No matter how drop dead gorgeous a girl is, don't let her get all of your money before you treat yourself to something. Remember this. Self-love is not only for females."

"I can buy myself a burrito before buying her one. Then, we can eat together."

"..."

Emily snickered quietly. She peeled herself off the wall and walked over to the two. Using her finger, she booped the kid's nose. "Tell you what. The next time we see each other, let's eat out."

"Really?!"

"Really?" Jae questioned. Skepticism was evident in his tone. His eyes also said the same.

"Yeah, totally!" Emily assured the kid, ignoring the taller one. She put her hands on her knees and pointed a thumb towards the other person in the room.

"Right now though, this big oaf owes me a meal and I need him to pay up. Mind if I take him off your hands?"