For the first time in days, they weren’t talking about weird happenings, mysteries, or missing people. No digging through files. No weird conversations about their old high school potentially being haunted. Just… a break.

They decided the previous night, over text, that they would meet up on Saturday to play video games (with their parents’ permission). Seeing them outside of the clothes they usually wear to school was new for all of them, but they made no comment on it.

Sen was wearing a silly cartoon shirt with baggy pants and plain tennis shoes.

Hakari was wearing a tan shirt with brown arm warmers and a green skirt layered over baggy jeans with her slip-on shoes barely poking out.

Luke was wearing a simple light blue sweater over a white polo and jeans with tennis shoes.

Yen was wearing an over stylized outfit. His hair was filled with hair clips, there were stickers on his face, he had an anime shirt on with an overwhelming amount of details. He had tons of bracelets on, each varying in color. His belt was checkered, multiple accessories clipped onto it. His pants were stitched with some sort of rainbow thread, giving them color as well.

They were an odd-looking friend group.

Hakari stretched her arms over her head as they walked, grinning. “I told you guys we needed this.”

Sen, ever the first to jump on an excuse to slack off, nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, I was this close to going insane.” He pinched his fingers together for emphasis.

Luke sighed, hands in his pockets. “You already are.”

Sen gasped dramatically. “How dare you!”

Hakari nudged him with her elbow, chuckling. “He’s not wrong.”

Yen, who had tagged along at Luke’s insistence, let out a quiet chuckle. “This is normal for you guys, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Luke muttered.

The group had settled on an old arcade not too far from the school. It wasn’t as packed as it used to be, probably because most people play games at home. The place was dimly lit, neon lights casting a soft glow over rows of retro cabinets and claw machines.

Hakari cracked her knuckles. “Alright, boys. Let’s game.”

Hakari dragged them straight to the fighting games. She didn’t care which one—just picked the first cabinet she saw and forced Luke to play against her.

“I don’t even play these,” he complained.

“That’s what makes it fair,” she shot back, already mashing buttons.

Sen, meanwhile, hopped between different machines like an excited kid, trying everything and failing spectacularly. At one point, he spent all his tokens on a claw machine and still didn’t win anything.

Hakari glanced over. “Dude. Seriously?”

Sen sighed dramatically. “I have the worst luck in the universe.”

Rolling her eyes, Hakari tossed a couple of her own tokens at him. “Here. Consider it an investment.”

Sen gasped, holding them like they were sacred. “I won’t let you down.”

He immediately let her down.

Meanwhile, Luke had gotten sucked into a strategy game in the back corner, completely zoning out while Yen watched over his shoulder. Yen wasn’t much of a gamer, but watching Luke methodically dismantle an entire digital army was kind of impressive.

“So,” Yen said after a while, “you do have fun.”

Luke blinked, as if realizing where he was. “What?”

“You’re smiling,” Yen pointed out.

Luke’s expression flattened instantly. “No, I’m not.”

“Uh-huh.” Yen smirked.

Hakari, having overheard, smacked Luke on the back. “See? I knew you could loosen up!”

Luke didn’t deny it.

After an hour of pure nonsense, Hakari winning too many games, Sen losing too many games, and Luke being ‘forced’ to have fun, the group finally decided to leave. Luke, without comment, handed out snacks he had bought from a nearby vending machine.

Hakari grinned. “Look at you, being generous.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Just take it.”

Sen accepted his like it was a rare gift. Yen gave Luke a knowing look but said nothing. As they stepped outside, the cool evening air hit them. The arcade’s neon sign flickered slightly, buzzing softly. A few feet away, a street light dimmed, then brightened again. No one said anything, but there was a small moment of quiet. A reminder.

Then Sen slung an arm around Hakari’s shoulder. “Welp, that was great. Now, let’s never work again.”

Luke sighed. “That’s not how this works.”

Hakari smirked. “But it could be.”

Yen just shook his head as the three of them continued bickering. The moment passed, the tension eased, and for now, everything felt normal.