When Kamikawa Ren Starts Catching Dolls Again
Finally, Ren, spurred on by Fumino, ended the game just before reaching the end of the third level.
"What a shame. I feel like Kamikawa could have beaten a few more levels." Regretted Fumino as she watched the game end on the screen.
"It's okay, that's enough." Ren said nonchalantly.
In fact, he deliberately lost the match to avoid standing out.
Besides, if he really wanted to play, he could continue playing.
This zombie fighting game was not difficult for him at all.
Moreover, Fumino had been watching him play all this time, making him feel slightly uncomfortable, so he took the initiative to end the game.
After thinking about it, Ren asked her, "Do you want to continue?"
"No, let's find something else." Fumino shook her head. "I still don't like games with this style."
After all, she was also a girl, and games like this with horror elements and zombies didn't fit her gaming aesthetics.
It's okay to try it once in a while, but she couldn't do it all the time.
"Alright."
So Ren followed Fumino around the arcade.
"Let's play this! How about the loser treats the other to juice?"
Sitting in front of the arcade fighting game machine, Fumino suggested.
"Sure." Ren added, "but I haven't played this game before."
"No problem, I haven't played much either." Fumino said casually. "Our levels should be almost the same."
The reason she chose to play this was because she thought it would be more interesting, like the storyline in a comic book.
As for treating the other to juice if they lost, that was just a small bonus.
It was also to enhance the fun of the game.
"I won't show any mercy."
After inserting coins into the game console, Fumino started talking tough.
"Yeah."
After randomly selecting three characters, Ren replied.
After Fumino chose three characters she wanted to play, the battle began.
······
"Thanks."
Taking the juice from her hand, Ren thanked her.
"You're welcome."
Fumino angrily gulped down her own glass of juice before she managed to calm her increasingly angry mood.
In the fighting game battle earlier, she almost won.
At first, Ren didn't know how to play, so she basically button mashed and won.
But halfway through, he had mastered his skills and played around.
In the final stage, she was no match for him and was defeated by him.
Then, when he only had a little health left, she took a brief chance and used a series of combos to defeat Ren until he couldn't even get a drop of health.
Just when Fumino thought she would successfully counterattack, Ren finally knocked her out with a light punch.
Her mood could be said to have fluctuated in less than a second.
Especially if she only had a few seconds left to successfully counterattack and complete the comeback.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
"What should we play next?"
While sipping the juice he won, Ren asked again.
"Let's go there and see."
Putting aside the fact that they almost made a comeback, the two of them continued to roam the Game Center.
After trying most of the game consoles, Ren and Fumino arrived at their final destination in their Game Center trip—the claw machine area.
"It's 10:30 in the morning now. Let's grab two dolls and go for lunch."
Fumino looked at the time and made a plan.
"Sure." Ren agreed without hesitation. "Which one do you want me to catch for you?"
"Let me see..."
Seeing his confident appearance, Fumino slowly began to choose.
"Is this okay?"
She quickly found her favorite doll, a small rabbit doll about fifteen centimeters tall holding a star.
"Sure."
After observing the doll, Ren confidently agreed.
"Good luck!"
Fumino cheered him on.
Just as she was about to watch him catch the doll, she suddenly noticed a very strange phenomenon.
Meaning, since they came to the doll catching area, the number of store employees seemed to have increased, and many store employees were walking around near them.
(What's happening here?)
Counting the number of wandering store guards around them, Fumino estimated there were about ten, and there were signs of even more.
Seeing with her own eyes, the staff responsible for the Game Center came here.
Before she could think of a reason, Ren had already inserted game coins into the machine, tightly grasped the joystick, and manipulated the claw to grab the doll.
As he pressed the grab button, his claw successfully snagged the doll.
"He caught it, amazing, done in one go..."
Before Fumino could finish speaking, the doll that was originally caught by the hook fell again.
"It's okay, I'll definitely do it next time."
This time it was caught in mid-air, couldn't it be caught directly next time?
"Um."
Then for the second time, his claw missed the doll even without touching it.
"Eh? Is this a mistake?"
Thinking about what Ren had said to herself earlier, Fumino took the initiative to help him think of an explanation.
"It's a mistake."
"It's okay, don't worry, there's still plenty of time."
Saying this, Fumino looked at the number of game coins in the box, and there were still about half a box.
With so many game coins left, there's no need to worry that Ren won't be able to catch it.
The third time the hook and claw still failed to catch it, but this time it was much better than the last time, at least this time it touched the doll.
The fourth time the doll was lifted into the air and fell.
The fifth time, Ren tried to catch two, but failed to catch any.
The sixth time, the seventh time... the tenth time, the twentieth time...
"Is there something wrong with this machine?"
Seeing the game coin box almost reaching its lowest point, Fumino slowly realized that something was wrong.
"There's nothing wrong with the machine. I'll catch it soon. Wait for me here for a moment, and I'll exchange it for coins."
So Ren walked towards the front desk.
"Okay."
For some reason, Fumino had an inexplicable feeling in her heart.
As she was thinking wildly, two store employees suddenly approached her, carrying a stool and placing it in front of her.
Seeing this scene, Fumino asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"