chapter 32 Amagi brilliant park 2 (meet moffle)
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Words counted-- 1700
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Both went inside another room to take a picture with the so-called Moffle. As they entered, Aki and Runa glanced around, noticing the old, faded pictures hanging on the walls. The images showed people posing with Moffle in what looked like happier times, but now the atmosphere felt eerie and nostalgic.
"Are these the people who used to come here?" Runa wondered aloud, her voice filled with a mix of curiosity.
Aki sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can clearly see a pattern here. This place was probably thriving at some point, but now..."
Their conversation was interrupted by a creaking sound. They both turned to see Moffle, the mascot of the park, standing there motionless. The large, cartoonish rat, wearing a hat and an oversized bowtie, stared back at them with its unblinking eyes. The room fell into an awkward silence as Aki found himself locked in an unexpected staring contest with the mascot.
Aki stood there, glaring at Moffle for a whole minute, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he were trying to figure something out. The two continued to stand there, locked in a bizarre, silent battle of wills. Runa, sensing the growing tension, decided to intervene.
"Um, is there anything wrong, Shijo-kun?" she asked, placing a gentle hand on his arm to break his focus.
"Why is he getting on my nerves?" Aki thought to himself, still staring at the oversized rat. Something about Moffle's expression—or lack thereof—was really bothering him, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why.
With no other choice, Runa sighed and decided to speak up, hoping to diffuse the awkward atmosphere. "Can we have a picture, Mr. Moffle-san?"
"Mof..." Moffle responded with a nod, slowly lifting the camera with its oversized hands to prepare for the photo.
Aki finally broke his gaze, shaking his head slightly to clear his thoughts. "Right, a picture. Let's get this over with," he muttered, though a small smile crept onto his face as he looked at Runa. He wanted to make sure she was still enjoying herself, despite the strange situation.
They stood side by side, posing for the camera as Moffle adjusted the lens. As the camera clicked, Aki noticed something off.
"Wait, why aren't you in the picture with us?" Aki complained, his irritation evident. He had imagined that Moffle would simply take the photo, leaving Runa with a nice memory from this strange day, but instead, Moffle had simply toke a shot for them.
Moffle responded with a dismissive, "Tuii," almost as if he were spitting in response to Aki's complaint.
"Hah! What's with your attitude? We're guests here! Is this how you treat your customers? I bet that's why your amusement park sucks!" Aki's patience snapped. He was done with this park and its creepy mascot. Grabbing Runa's hand, he turned to leave. "Let's go, Runa. We're leaving, and we're never coming back to this junkyard."
As Aki and Runa started to walk away, Moffle, hearing Aki's harsh words, couldn't hold back any longer. He threw the camera straight at Aki in a fit of anger.
Feeling a gust of wind behind him, Aki turned just in time to see the camera flying toward him. Instinctively, he waved his hand, effortlessly deflecting the camera to the side. But something in him snapped. Gone was the cool, collected demeanor. The frustration that had been bubbling under the surface finally exploded.
*Tic*. Aki's patience was gone. "I'm going to kill whoever's inside this damn costume!" he growled, his eyes narrowing as he launched a powerful kick at Moffle, treating the mascot like a football.
Moffle, sensing the danger, dodged Aki's kick. But Aki wasn't done. The same kick that Moffle had barely avoided bent mid-air, striking Moffle square in the face with a sickening thud.
*Bang!*
Moffle raised his arms to guard against the blow, but the force of Aki's kick still sent him flying across the room, crashing into the wall with a loud impact. Despite the hit, Moffle got back on his feet, showing no signs of pain, his plastic face still set in its permanent, eerie grin.
As Moffle approached Aki again, ready for round two, Aki's eyes gleamed with a twisted mix of surprise and excitement. He hadn't expected the person inside the mascot to be a decent fighter, much less someone who could take a hit like that and still stand. But what intrigued Aki even more was Moffle's apparent resilience.
A creeping smile formed on Aki's face, one that Runa didn't notice but Moffle caught. It was a smile that promised nothing good—a smile that signaled that Aki had just found a new way to vent all his pent-up frustration.
"Wow... I didn't expect you to have such high defense for a mascot," Aki sneered, his voice laced with sarcasm. "But sorry to break it to you—you're going to be my punching bag for a while, at least until I've released all this frustration."
As Aki advanced on Moffle, his anger simmering just beneath the surface, Runa stood back, conflicted. She could see the tension in Aki's stance, the way his fists clenched with every step. Despite her worry, she didn't blame Aki for this confrontation. The amusement park had been a disaster, and Moffle's attitude hadn't helped. But deep down, Runa just wanted this to end before things got worse.
Gathering her courage, Runa called out softly, "Shijo-kun, I think we should leave before the security comes."
Aki paused, her words cutting through his frustration. Part of him wanted to argue, to point out how ridiculous the idea of security at this run-down park was. But he caught himself, taking a deep breath to calm down. The last thing he wanted was to upset Runa more than this place already had.
He sighed deeply, glancing from Moffle to Runa, weighing his options. Finally, he muttered under his breath, "Sigh... let's go, before I rip this mascot apart..."
Then, with a more controlled tone, he added, "I think we should go to the zoo instead."
Runa nodded, relief washing over her as she moved closer to Aki, linking her arm with his. Together, they walked away, leaving strange mascot behind.
As they exited, Moffle stood frozen, not daring to make a move or utter a sound. Sweat trickled down his face as he watched them leave. Once Aki and Runa were out of sight, Moffle let out a long sigh of relief. "Mof... Who was he?" Moffle muttered to himself, his voice shaking slightly. "I sensed danger from him... If we had really fought, I would've been in trouble... Not that I would've lost, but... I need to warn the others about him."
Moffle took a deep breath, feeling the adrenaline still pumping through his veins. The encounter had shaken him, and he had a gut feeling that this won't be the last time he would see Aki.
With that unsettling thought in mind, he turned and shuffled back into the back door, his mind racing with the need to call and alerts the others about the dangerous guest who had just left.
Both Aki and Runa were sitting on a bench, sipping on some fruit juice they had managed to find at this rundown amusement park. Aki took a swig of his drink, then tossed the can onto the ground in frustration.
"At least there's some drink we can find here," Aki muttered, his irritation still simmering from the earlier incident. He watched as the can rolled a few feet away, not caring much where it landed.
"Shijo-kun..." Runa sighed at Aki's childish behavior. Instead of her being angry or disappointed, it was Aki who seemed more dissatisfied with how the day had turned out. She couldn't help but find his pouting endearing, and she felt a mix of amusement and affection.
She stood up and walked over to pick up the can Aki had thrown, but before she could bend down, a hand reached out and grabbed it first. Surprised, she looked up to see Aki standing there, holding the can.
"What's wrong?" she asked, puzzled.
"That's what I'm going to ask you," Aki replied, tossing the can into a nearby trash bin. He gently pulled Runa back to sit beside him on the bench. "Why were you doing that?"
"Doing what?" Runa asked, still confused.
"I mean, I intentionally threw the can on the ground," Aki sighed. "You didn't have to pick it up."
Runa smiled softly and answered, "Isn't it my job as your girlfriend to help correct your mistakes?"
Aki blinked in surprise at her words. She continued, "You threw that can out of anger, but it was improper. So I tried to pick it up for you."
Aki sighed deeply, feeling a mix of emotions. "Runa, are you shaming me now? I don't know whether to be ashamed or love you more for it."
Runa's eyes widened as she realized her words might have been misunderstood. She quickly stood up, flustered, and tried to bow in apology. "I-I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Shijo-kun. I'm so sorry!"
But Aki reached out and stopped her from bowing. "Apology accepted, but don't be so overdramatic," he laughed, gently ruffling her hair.
Runa blushed at the gesture, and the tension between them eased.
Aki then sighed again, this time more softly. "I'm also sorry..."
"Eh? Why?" Runa asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Because of me," Aki replied, looking a bit sheepish. "Bringing you to this trashy amusement park... our date got ruined. Seriously, what the hell is with this place? There's literally a teacup ride that spins faster than the roller coaster, and the attractions are worse than two girls one cup."
Runa giggled at his frustration, but then she furrowed her brows. "What's ' two girls one cup'?" she asked curiously.
Aki's eyes widened, realizing his slip. "Uh... forget about that," he stammered, quickly changing the subject. "Let's just not come to this place again. I'm sure this amusement park will be closed in a few days anyway."
** Bang**
Just as he finished speaking, a sudden loud bang echoed through the park. Instinctively, Aki grabbed Runa, pulling her down to the ground with him as they ducked for cover.
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