After spending hours at the arcade, Sam and Mahiru finally stepped outside, the cool evening air hitting them as they walked down the street. The sky had begun to turn a warm shade of orange, signaling the start of a peaceful night.
Mahiru stretched her arms with a satisfied sigh. "That was so much fun! I didn't think I'd enjoy arcade games this much."
Sam chuckled. "You were surprisingly good at them, especially the claw machine."
Mahiru held up the small bunny plush she had won earlier, hugging it close. "It's all thanks to my secret skills." She grinned.
Sam shook his head with a smirk. "Right, secret skills."
As they continued walking, Mahiru suddenly gasped and grabbed Sam's sleeve.
"Sam! Ice cream!" She pointed ahead excitedly.
He followed her gaze to a small, cozy-looking ice cream parlor on the corner of the street. Its soft, glowing lights and colorful sign made it look warm and inviting.
Sam raised an eyebrow. "You still have room for ice cream after all the snacks we ate?"
Mahiru pouted. "There's always room for ice cream! Come on, let's go!"
Before Sam could protest, she was already pulling him toward the shop.
—
Inside, the parlor had a nostalgic, vintage feel. The walls were lined with pastel colors, and the air smelled of freshly made waffle cones. There weren't many customers, which made it even cozier.
Mahiru eagerly walked up to the glass display, scanning the endless rows of flavors. Her eyes sparkled. "There are so many choices…"
Sam stood beside her, hands in his pockets. "Just don't take forever to decide."
Mahiru shot him a playful glare. "Choosing the perfect ice cream is a serious decision, Sam."
Sam sighed. "Alright, alright. Take your time, Your Majesty."
She giggled and finally pointed at a flavor. "I'll have the strawberry cheesecake one!"
The staff nodded and turned to Sam. "And for you?"
Sam glanced at the flavors and quickly picked one. "Chocolate fudge."
Mahiru gasped dramatically. "Boring."
Sam frowned. "How is chocolate boring?"
She shook her head. "You need to be more adventurous, Sam."
He rolled his eyes. "And you need to stop judging my ice cream choices."
---
After getting their cones, they found a small booth near the window and sat down.
Mahiru took her first bite and let out a satisfied hum. "Mmm, this is so good."
Sam took a bite of his own and nodded. "Yeah, not bad."
They sat there, enjoying their treats in comfortable silence. Occasionally, Mahiru would swing her feet lightly under the table, clearly enjoying herself.
Then, out of nowhere, Mahiru suddenly leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "Hey, Sam."
He looked at her warily. "What?"
Before he could react, she reached over and smeared a little bit of her ice cream on his nose.
Sam froze. "Did you just—?"
Mahiru giggled. "Oops."
He stared at her for a second before setting down his cone. "Oh, so that's how it is?"
Mahiru's eyes widened. "Wait, Sam, let's talk about this—"
But before she could escape, Sam dabbed his finger in his own ice cream and lightly tapped her cheek, leaving behind a cold smudge.
She let out a dramatic gasp. "You did not just do that."
Sam smirked. "Consider it payback. Can't let you win that easily."
Mahiru pouted, crossing her arms. "You're so mean."
He chuckled, handing her a napkin. "And you started it."
She huffed but took the napkin, laughing softly as she wiped her cheek.
The little moment felt so natural—so effortlessly warm.
As the night continued, they finished their ice cream and just sat there, talking about random things—school, favorite movies, funny childhood stories. It was simple, but Sam found himself feeling… happy.
Mahiru, too, seemed completely at ease, her smile never fading.
After a while, Mahiru leaned her head against the booth and sighed. "This was such a good day."
Sam glanced at her, then back out the window. "…Yeah. It was."
---