15: Prototype Relationship part 2

“Y-You don’t have to tell me that,” Drino became shy and flustered.

“I know,” she smirked. “Obviously. It's not like you'll start having feelings for me. I want to clarify this before it's too late, just to be certain. Now that we understand each other, we're ready for another prototype date.”

“Our next date would be your Mall Hangout,” he noted, looking forward to it.

“That would be in the largest mall in this country.”

“How modern. We’re here in a historical place and will visit a modern place for our second date.”

“A little bit of everything can be a good mixture.”

“Let’s talk about our available weekend schedule for the next date.”

“Sure,” she affirmed.

***

Ashmille took a jeepney and a bus ride from her house to the mall. They will be having a Mall Hangout chosen by her.

I’ll be at Flaming Crust

Ashmille texted him. Drino was 13 minutes early when he arrived at the storefront of Flaming Crust. While it took him 10 minutes to wait for Ashmille. He wore a simple dark green long-sleeved polo and white pants, paired with dark gray sneakers.

“Hey,” he called her when they met.

She catches her breath. “What a crowd.”

“Yeah, there seems to be an event over there. I saw organizers and people flocking in a long line, waiting. I’ve no idea what it was, but they sound excited.”

“This mall is so huge, I almost got lost. Flaming Crust is the only landmark I know, but I was still confused.”

“It will be quite a journey when we explore this place to do the stuff we want. Are you ready to tire your feet from walking?”

“10,000 steps, I presume. I’ll bet my new sneakers on this.”

He looked at her new shoes. “They’re cute. You seem prepared for this,” he commended her, looking at her dark brown corduroy pants, black sando top with a thin, light brown ¾ sleeves relaxed jacket, black backpack, and light pink cross-trainers.

“Alright, I won’t lose to you.” Drino jogged in place before they started strolling the mall.

“What do you usually do at the mall?”

“The usuals. Shopping, window shopping, eating, walking, getting my hair done, gym, entertainment.”

“Entertainment. Let’s do what high school couples do at the mall.”

“Where are we going?”

“Follow me”

After 12 minutes of walking, they reached an entertainment spot perfect for dating, per Ashmille.

“Oh, an arcade,” he muttered.

“Yes, we’re free to roam here and play a bunch of games.”

“Off we go!” he expressed enthusiastically.

They entered the Arcade Zone. There were mostly children with their parents and groups of teens spending their time in this entertainment section.

They went to the cashier to get Ashmille’s Arcade Zone card loaded. They began playing the racing game, taking their places in the car seats. Ashmille swiped her card to initiate the race. After choosing their competitors, a map, and a car model, they accelerated onto the virtual track. Drino effortlessly won the races.

“Gotcha”

“I’ll make up for my loss through that,” she whispered, staring at their next game.

“Karaoke, huh”

They stepped into the compact karaoke room, which was just big enough for two, and each of them sang three songs.

“I didn’t know you’re into original local music,” Drino commented.

“You never asked, and I never mentioned.”

“Yeah, I’m familiar with the song you sang first.”

“Then you should’ve joined me. We can have a duet.”

“How about we sing a last song that we both know?”

“Okay. Sounds like you’re into foreign songs. I know this band, these singers, and some of their songs.”

They agreed on one song to sing, and they finished the song with laughter as Drino sang out of tune.

They went next for the claw machines.

“Which plushie do you like?” Drino asked her.

“The blue in the left corner.”

Ashmille tapped her card to the claw machine beside Drino’s and tried the game, too. It took them four tries each, but they failed to win even one prize.

“These machines have tricks on them, but they don’t seem to work. Mostly, they’re programmed to function like this, or else they’ll lose money,” she explained.

“Really. I've never had any luck winning in these kinds of games.”

“Me too. It’s a waste of money.”

“Only if I could grab one,” he pouted.

“It’s not worth it. We can check the other games out.” She cheered him up by drawing his attention to the other games.

She didn’t expect that Drino wanted the stuffed toy. It can be petty to other people, but he wants it as a form of victory due to his competitiveness. He found himself constantly thinking about what Ashmille told her at the Walled City. He couldn’t ask her more about it because it seemed like a straight up rejection, like how the claw machine rejected him to claim a small stuffed toy. It’s hard to act like nothing happened after she warned him not to fall in love with her.

He composed himself and they rushed into the bowling area when they spotted a vacant.

“You’re good at this, too,” she observed.

“Nah, I was playing this since I was a kid.”

“A hobby or as a sport?”

“Just a hobby of mine. We tend to lounge a lot with Terryl at a bowling alley before college.”

“Then college happened.”

“Then college happened, and we hung out less than when we were in senior high school.”

Ashmille was struggling slightly to clear all the pins.

“Here,” he gave him the red bowling ball. “You should have the smaller bowling ball because it’s lighter and you’ll get a better grip. Swing the ball back and forth, then let it go super smoothly when your arm gets down to your ankle. Aim for that sweet spot between the 1 and 3 pins. Focus on those arrows on the lane and swing," he instructed her with a demonstration.

Drino’s tutorial had her score higher, but he still won on this one again. He’s confident that he can show off his athletic skills to her.