Gemotions

The constant hum of the arcade was grating on Leo’s nerves. He hadn’t been able to win a single game, and the flashing lights and tinny music were making him feel… weighed down. He glanced at his phone again, another message from the woman he was seeing, Chloe. She was late, and he was secretly relieved.

He decided to distract himself with the claw machine, a game he usually despised, but today, he felt compelled to play. As he fumbled with the joystick, a girl next to him, with bright purple streaks in her hair, let out a frustrated sigh. “He’s always late,” she muttered, glancing at her own phone.

Leo turned, his heart beginning to hammer in his chest. “Mark?” he asked, his voice cracking. She nodded, her face etched with a familiar mixture of annoyance and… something else. They exchanged a look, a silent understanding passing between them. The brightly colored arcade faded into the background.