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“So this is where you grew up? You must show me around,” Zenyatta said to Genji as the omnic looked on the streets of Hanamura.
Genji, who was nervous about stepping foot into his old home, slowly let the tension ease from his shoulders. His master always knew how to placate his worries. Merely his presence was enough.
"I don't know where to start," Genji confessed, "I have many memories in every corner of this place." Good ones, bad ones, some that were too embarrassing to think of. Hanamura was once his home, but he did not feel at home anymore.
Zenyatta let out a thoughtful hum. He then pointed his metal finger at the arcade sign. "What do you call this, Genji?” Zenyatta asked in interest.
A grin cracked under his helmet. "Geesen! I spent many an hour of my misspent youth here," Genji said wistfully. He would come down to the arcade to escape from his ninja training. Everyone saw him so often, they would greet him as soon as he entered.
"I can picture you here," Zenyatta commented, then a sly tone, "my cute student, surrounded in his natural habitat."
Genji sputtered, not expecting him to speak in such a mischievous way. He coughed and gestured to the building, "It has been a long time since I stepped foot here. I wonder if anything has changed."
"There is only one way to know," Zenyatta said and grabbed Genji's hand in his. "Come, show me these games."
It was a bit of a funny sight, seeing a floating omnic dragging a cyborg into a game parlor. Surprisingly, nothing much had changed. A few people littered around and hung around in groups. There was the obvious paint job and addition of new games (what’s Vivi's Adventure even about?), but the atmosphere was like a comforting, old friend.
It was embarrassing, now that he thought about it, how much time and money he spent here. If he closed his eyes, he could almost transport back to his rebel days. Ugh, he wondered how Zenyatta would have reacted if he met his younger self.
He's going to block out any pickup lines that might have surfaced his thoughts.
Instead he was going to focus on how Zenyatta was taking in the sights. It was like the omnic was trying to remember every detail. Genji was sure that he heard him muttering "How lovely!". They were getting some attention, mostly aimed towards him. Nothing that he wasn't used to, but something that made him self-conscious.
His mood picked up once he spotted an old game. Still hand in hand, Genji ushered them towards it. "This was my favorite game in this whole arcade."
"Fighters of the Storm," Zenyatta read aloud, "Sounds most intriguing. What is it about?”
“It’s a one-on-one fighting game. Two players exchange blows until one player wins two matches,” Genji explained, looking on the two fighters hitting each other with series of punches and kicks. The memories of beating others players brought a fond smile to his face. No one could win against him.
“Hm,” Zenyatta let out a noise before facing Genji, “I would like to play.”
“Are you sure? It is a childish game with no real gain,” Genji insisted.
“These games were once your main outlet,” Zenyatta expressed, “I would like to partake in any activity that you had an interest. Perhaps I may enjoy it as well.”
Genji’s smile could not be shown, but his stance shifted from nervousness to one of certainty. “Wait here, I will get us some tokens.”
After retrieving and inserting two tokens, Genji proceeded to explain the controls to Zenyatta. There were simply enough, but there were strategies to this game. He even teased to his master about how the roles were switched.
“Even the teacher can learn from his student,” Zenyatta told him sagely, then innocently, “let us see who will come out on top.”
Genji did hold himself back during the first few rounds. It wouldn’t be fair to go all out on someone who did not have the years of experience like he did.
It was bittersweet. More than a decade has passed since he played a videogame. Once he laid his hands on the joystick and buttons, it was all muscle memory for him. He was still rusty, but the familiar rush of controlling Tychus guided him to victory. He had forgotten how fun it was to play.
Zenyatta seemed to be enjoying himself. He would often congratulate Genji on a particularly executed play (“Well done, Genji!”). He even mumbled encouraging words to his character, Tyrael. It was very endearing, the kind that was just so Zenyatta.
Just as Genji was regressing back to familiar groove, Zenyatta won a match.
He brushed it off and congratulated his master on his first win. Beginner’s luck. Genji was out of practice. It was only a matter of time before the omnic would win a round.
But Zenyatta won the next round as well. Then the next one.
Soon Zenyatta kept winning every match. Genji was forced to change tactics just to keep up with him. Not that it did any good. By the time he gained the upper hand, Zenyatta swiftly tore him down. It was unbelievable!
“How are you defeating me so easily?!” Genji cried out, gesturing his hand towards the screen in exasperation.
A mechanical chuckle came from the omnic, “The master still has a few tricks up his sleeves.” He even held out the peace sign, teasing Genji mercilessly.
If he still behaved like his younger self, Genji would be a sore loser. He was a little perturbed, don’t get him wrong, but how could he be in sour mood when Zenyatta was enjoying himself?
A little blow to his pride, he figured, was a fair trade.
This went on for an hour until they ran out of tokens. Feeling more relaxed, Genji was in a better mood and continued to show Zenyatta around Hanamura. He lamented about his favorite ramen shop, Rikimaru (he would have loved a bowl of Miso ramen). They idly passed by shops and hidden gems that only Genji knew of. Genji began to remanence his days of youth, and Zenyatta listened patiently. He rarely spoke of his past, but Genji trusted Zenyatta more than anyone. It was Zenyatta who recognized the internal war within him and offered peace-- to which Genji wholeheartedly accepted.
“Thank you for showing me your home,” Zenyatta expressed his gratitude. It was nearly late in the day, the colors of twilight peeking through the clouds. They sat side by side underneath a sakura tree, their hands intertwined.
“You did insisted,” Genji quipped lightly, smiling when he heard Zenyatta chuckle.
“Curiosity is the engine of achievement,” Zenyatta recited, though Genji could hear amusement in the omnic’s tone.
A comfortable silence settled between them. Genji would be meditating, taking advantage of the moment, but he was too busy remembering how much he had fun with Zenyatta. To think that his doubts almost ruined his day. A gentle push from Zenyatta was exactly what he needed.
“Soon, I will like to have a rematch, master,” Genji spoke mischievously.
A chuckle.
“I am looking forward to it.”