Imperfect Desires

"Rubbing salt?" Xiu's brow quirked up. "I'm just speaking the truth."

Dylan pinched her arm as he whispered, "But your truth is hurtful."

Xiu stared at his face for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Okay." She patted his shoulder reassuring him. "I'll zip my lips now. I won't disturb you or Cali. You can pretend I'm not even here."

"Your presence is brighter than my love life, I can't help noticing you," replied Dylan and Xiu ended up laughing.

She playfully hit his arm saying, "Aww, you don't have to flatter me so much now."

Dylan's face twitched seeing her acting like this but he didn't say anything. He turned to Cali instead to ask, "Let's go to the food court?" Cali also nodded since they had been at the arcade for 2 hours now. It was past lunchtime and she was feeling hungry.

But on their way out, she saw a claw machine and ended up clutching Dylan's arm while pointing at it. "I want to play that."

"You like stuffed animals?" 

The question came from both Xiu and Dylan simultaneously. And they both sounded surprised. Because those cute animals in the claw machine didn't really go along with Cali's personality.

"What's wrong with it?" Cali questioned seeing their faces and both of them shook their heads indicating that nothing was wrong.

Dylan used the coin to play while Xiu scoffed at him once again, "Old school kid..." Saying that she used her phone to scan the QR code and started maneuvering the control. Xiu's eyes were on that adorable little Pikachu but the claw machine wasn't working with her. She played five times and didn't get even one toy.

"I didn't know you're so good at it," she heard Cali's voice and looked over to see Cali holding four stuffed toys while Dylan was passing her another one. And this was the identical Pikachu that she was after. 

Dylan looked at Xiu's empty hands and laughed out, "I finally saw a dumbass."

Xiu scoffed, "Why? Did you finally look in the mirror?"

Although Dylan was irked by her words, he decided to play it calmly. "Sore loser. Since you couldn't even get one toy, you're getting all worked up on me. How petty!"

"Sore loser?" repeated Xiu. "Are you sure you aren't talking about yourself?"

Dylan squinted his eyes at her. He really wished he had bet over claw machine with her. If he knew she was so bad it, he would have definitely done it. Aiyo! He lost such a golden chance to win for once!

But it was already satisfying enough to know that Xiu was bad at it. Very bad it! 

Seeing the smile on Cali's face, Xiu added, "No wonder you love Dylan. Now, I get it. You like cute things like him."

Dylan glared at her hateful, "I'm not cute. I'm handsome!"

Xiu pointed at Cali, "Tell that to her. I know you're anything but cute. She is delusional to think that you're cute."

Dylan looked back at Cali who pursed her lips. "I don't mind being cute than." 

Xiu feigned a cough, "Brown-noser!"

"And you're a busybody!" retorted Dylan.

"Didi, did I tell you that I have a black belt?" 

Dylan stepped back as he asked, "In karate?" Xiu shook her head. "Taekwando?" She shook her head again. "Aikido?" She shook it again. "Jujutsu?"

Xiu shook her head and glared at him. "No idiot! I have a black belt from Gucci." She pointed at her belt and Dylan's face twitched while she went on, "I don't mind beating you with it."

"Thug!"

Cali had been half amused and half worried about these two. She had heard from Darren about their bickering but seeing was truly believing. Every time she found them at the same place, they'd be arguing about something. It was like a never-ending saga.

However, how was it so that she found this very special? Why did it seem like these two were a lot closer than they seemed? Perhaps, this bickering of theirs made their relationship very special. They weren't afraid to say or share anything with each other. It was weird but the comfort level between Xiu and Dylan felt surreal.

Later at the food court, the three of them sat down and ordered according to their own preferences. Xiu's eyes were however still at the Pikachu in Cali's possession. 

"How about you give me the Pikachu? You already have the other four," she tried to negotiate her terms. 

"Take your eyes off of my girlfriend's stuff," warned Dylan.

"Don't be so stingy. I just like Pikachu. Can't you give it to me?" Cali was more than willing to give it but Dylan wasn't. 

"Not happening. If you want it, ask your own boyfriend."

Xiu narrowed her eyes at him, "You think my Baobei can't get it for me?"

"If he can, you should ask him. Don't covet other's things."

Xiu stared at him agape before nodding her head. She texted someone and within a minute, Dylan's phone rang. Xiu gave him an evil smile when he looked at the caller id and stepped away to take the call.

"What did you do?" asked Cali.

Xiu slurped on her shake and replied innocently, "Nothing. I just told my Baobei that his best friend is bullying me behind his back."

Cali shook her head at Xiu, "You mean Regan is busy scolding Dylan now?"

"Maybe..." That was her reply but Xiu certainly knew what Dylan was going through. Who told him to deny one thing she asked for? And she would have let it go if he hadn't incited her by talking about her boyfriend. Didn't he know it was wrong to bring up her boyfriend's name right now?

Did he really think she was having a good time right now being a lightbulb between him and Cali? Yes, she acted like it but that didn't mean she didn't wish it was her and Darren instead. Especially because they had never come to play out like this.

After fifteen minutes, Dylan came back to the table and looked at Xiu with a complicated gaze. He took a french fry from the tray and said, "Nora and Ah-Si are on a date?"

"How do you know that?" asked Xiu.

Dylan shrugged his shoulders, "I just saw them. They are a floor below us eating ice cream." Xiu jumped up to her feet and went over to take a look.