Chapter 32: {A Group Date}

(Dowoon's perspective)

<I'm happy we have Dowoon's perspective in this chapter, he took a backseat for a bit, but now it's his time to (potentially) shine>

We all came to this large game cafe and rented a room for like 30 usd (for all of us!) to try out the new Joystation 6 for a couple hours.

"There's only 4 games. What's here... Desire For Tires, Kyokuniku 3, Circuitry Horizon: Meltdown, and Cross Mechanica." I said while looking at what they had. I mean the console just came out a month ago so it makes sense that there's not a ton of games yet.

"So Kyokuniku, Desire For Tires, and Cross Mechanica are the only games that more than one person can play." Jugyeong said.

"Yep."

I was really nervous today. Mostly because Xochitl is gonna be coming. I've liked her for a while.

"Hello." Xochitl's phone says.

It was a lumberjack or something this time. It felt weird...

We all started chatting and deciding what to play first. We decided on Kyokuniku 3 just because it's a fighter and you can swap players easy. I play this game competitively so I feel embarrassed.

"Dowoon I'm kicking your butt!" Xochitl "said". Her and I were up first.

I pick Juliana and Fatima. A common beatdown team in Kyokuniku 2.

She picks what I was hoping she wouldn't, Mikaela and Juliana.

Like most fighting games, most of the good characters are women.

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She absolutely demolishes me.

Juliana is a character that never uses meter. Which allows characters like Fatima and Mikaela to abuse meter. Mikaela also has an auto switch combo. Fatima just has the best meter move in the game. An easy character to abuse>broken meter move.

"Good game, you'd make a good competitive player." I say to her.

"You too."

"I am one."

"Makes sense. I play on PC, not used to this controller. Win was a surprise." she said.

"You cornered me exploiting the fact that Fatima sucks without meter and started comboing me like crazy."

"That cheap KO begs to differ."

"Pfff."

She starts silently laughing. It's cute.

"Do I have something on my face?" she asks me.

"No."

The others played some rounds for a bit and we talked for a bit while waiting.

She joined in a few times as well, cutting off whatever we were talking about.

She dazzles in this dark room.

Man I'm an idiot.

She strays away from me while the others are playing and were acting lovey-dovey if they were dating.

I come in a few rounds too, but then they play Desire For Tires and I'm absolute trash at racing games.

Xochitl is all up in that game.

I was pretty sure this group date was intentionally made to get us together. But we remain far apart.

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I get kinda sad. But then, she asks me to play with her.

I get absolutely bodied. Like this girl has some serious attention when it comes to this stuff.

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The two hours come up.

We all decide to go get something to eat. Since it's a large group and half of us are straight up broke.

The only option was Ferrari's since pizza seemed like the most filling thing that wasn't like 10 bucks a meal.

We sat at a booth.

They (of course) have Xochitl and I sit next to each other.

Jugyeong and Hyun are being lovey-dovey as always.

Sangah and Suho seem like they're still figuring each other out.

And then Xochitl and I are just sitting there.

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I'm just looking at her.

Like an absolute idiot.

She gets up to go to the restroom and leaves her phone. With the text messages on.

I just stare at my phone.

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And use my lazy eye to an advantage.

I "overlook" the texts. I know it's wrong. I'm just curious.

The most recent she said was,

"I'm right next to a guy that probably likes me. I only came to try out the new JS6 to see if I should sell for an upgrade. He's so awkward!"

Absolutely crushed by seeing that. I lose all will to try to throw verbal darts. None of them have landed, and it's pretty obvious that the bull's-eye is a nanometer in diameter.

I looked something up on the internet once:

That ugly and attractive people do the best when it comes to finding love, because those that are ugly, might have one aspect that's attractive to someone else i.e weight, height, tattoos, piercings, etc. I guess it's true. Hyun and Suho were both able to at least land a date. Hyun is already in a committal relationship, and Suho is in a casual one. Regular ol' Dowoon ain't gonna date jack.

She comes back, and it's crickets between the two of us.

I text the group (besides Sangah and Xochitl),

"Why did y'all invite her? She doesn't like me. I just feel even more single now. She left her phone out with texts and she doesn't like me!"

"It was Jugyeong." Suho sold her out fast.

"Well I asked her who she liked and she described someone that's EXACTLY like you. I thought for sure she liked you." she replies.

"So you took a chance with that huh?" I reply.

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"It's okay..."

I will never find love...