Chapter Text
Minho was nervous.
He took a deep breath as he stood outside Jisung’s door, clutching his car keys in one hand and feeling the faint tremor of nervousness prickling in his chest. Sure, he’d known Jisung for a while and they’d gotten pretty close, but this was their first real date. He wanted it to be memorable—and hopefully smooth. He mentally prepared himself, raising his hand to knock, only for the door to swing open after almost a minute, revealing an older male, who looked slightly taller than Minho.
The male observed Minho up and down, squinting his eyes at him. Minho stiffed when the other quietly stood there. Then there were footsteps heard behind the male, coming down the hallway.
“Who’s at the door, hyung?” Jisung appears, who looks about ready.
Minho’s heart jumped as Jisung appeared behind his brother, looking slightly flustered but excited, clearly finishing the last touches of getting ready. His gaze flicked between Minho and his brother, and Minho felt himself tense up under the older’s gaze.
“Oh, hey, Minho! You’re early,” Jisung greeted, stepping forward with a bright smile. His voice broke the silence and he nudged his brother aside gently. “Yah! You’re scaring him, hyung. Also, it’s rude to leave people standing there. Where’re your manners, hyung?”
Jisung’s brother gave a reluctant sigh, his gaze lingering on Minho before stepping back to let him in. “I was just making sure he’s decent,” he muttered, though Minho could tell he was just being protective.
Jisung gently takes Minho’s hand to pull him inside. “Hyung, this is Minho,” he introduced.
His brother nodded, his eyes still assessing Minho with a quiet intensity. “Nice to meet you, Minho,” he said, offering a brief, polite nod. “I’m Jaehyun, by the way. You better bring back Jisung safe by ten?”
Jisung mentally groaned as he knew his brother was just messing with Minho. Jaehyun was trying so hard to keep a straight face.
Minho, feeling a bit flustered under Jaehyun’s watchful gaze, nodded earnestly. “Of course, I will.”
Jisung tugged on Minho’s hand, breaking the slight tension. “Alright, we should get going before Jaehyun starts giving you the full interrogation,” he joked, shooting his brother an affectionate but exasperated look.
Jaehyun smirked, clearly amused by Jisung’s embarrassment. “You guys have fun,” he said, trying to sound serious but barely holding back a laugh.
Jisung rolled his eyes, tugging Minho toward the door. “Don’t mind him; he’s just pretending to be the ‘tough older brother’. Saying it's part of the sibling code.”
Minho chuckled, relaxing a bit as they stepped outside. “It’s fine, really,” he assured Jisung, glancing back to see Jaehyun watching them with a barely concealed grin. “I’d probably be the same way if I were him.”
“Trust me, he can be intimidating, but he’s harmless.” Jisung snorted. “Besides, my parents are worse.”
Minho raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Worse than that?” He teased, looking back toward the house as they walked to his car.
Jisung laughed, rolling his eyes. “Oh, you have no idea. They’re the ‘What are your intentions with our son?’ kind of parents. Luckily, they weren’t home when you arrived.”
Minho chuckled, unlocking the car. “I’ll have to brace myself for next time, then.”
—
The arcade was buzzing with energy, lights flashing and laughter echoing all around. Minho and Jisung stood before a car racing game, each gripping the steering wheel tightly. This was their first official date and the stakes were high. Though neither wanted to admit how nervous they were—but they hid it well beneath their playful competition.
“Think you can beat me at this?” Minho smirked, gesturing toward a car racing game.
Jisung grinned back. “Absolutely. Better buckle up, Min.”
The game started and they sped through the virtual track, weaving past obstacles, narrowly dodging other cars, and occasionally bumping into each other on the screen. Minho kept glancing over, sneaking little peeks at Jisung’s face, watching how his brow furrowed and his tongue poked out in concentration. It was hard not to smile.
Unbeknownst to Jisung, Minho occasionally went easy on him every now and then, letting him get ahead in some of the other games they’d played earlier. But this time, he couldn’t resist the thrill of the race and poured his all into catching up. Still, Jisung surprised him on the last lap, pulling ahead in the final seconds and taking the win.
“Han for the win!” Jisung cheered, throwing his arms up in triumph. “Guess I’m a natural racer.”
Minho tried to hide his grin, faking a pout as he looked over at Jisung. “Maybe I just need a rematch.”
“Oh, poor baby,” Jisung teased, then leaned over and gave Minho a quick peck on the cheek. Minho’s cheeks warmed, his heart racing in a way that had nothing to do with the game.
But Minho wasn’t ready to let Jisung have the last word. He led Jisung over to a claw machine filled with oversized plush toys and carefully maneuvered the claw. After a few tries and with Jisung cheering him on, he finally managed to nab a large, soft, white bunny plushie.
Jisung’s eyes lit up as he took it in his arms. “It looks like you! I’m naming him Mini Minho,” he declared proudly, hugging it to his chest. “Now I have two of you.”
Minho laughed, feeling the warmth spread through him as he watched Jisung grin at his new plushie. “Only two? I can win you a few more, you know.”
They spent the rest of the evening moving from game to game, laughing and teasing each other as they both won and lost. By the time they reached a game that involved throwing basketballs into a hoop, Minho couldn’t resist leaning over and stealing another quick kiss from Jisung’s lips as he was about to shoot.
Jisung froze, cheeks turning pink, and gave him a playful shove when the time ran out. “Hey, no distractions! That’s cheating!”
“You didn’t say anything about that,” Minho grinned, raising his hands in mock innocence.
The sun had already fallen as they left the arcade with Mini Minho tucked securely in Jisung’s arms, Minho couldn’t shake the smile from his face. Their first date was exactly what he’d hoped for.