Kamikawa Ren Breaks the Record
"Kamikawa, did you misspeak the number? Fifty-five?"
Fumino held onto this hope and gave him a final confirmation.
"Yes, fifty-five boxes." Ren emphasized.
"Meaning, the last time you came here to catch a doll, it took fifty-five boxes to catch one?" Fumino said with a forced smile, her mouth slightly twitching.
"Yes."
Ren nodded.
After confirming multiple times, Fumino accepted the reality.
She finally understood why the staff here knew Ren, who had only been here once.
She also understood why there were more store attendants near the two of them, why there were store attendants who brought them a bench, and why the two store attendants had just smiled.
(Really, quickly apologize for calling him an 'expert'! How could someone say it took fifty-five boxes to catch a doll and become an expert in that?)
Seeing Ren busy catching the doll again, Fumino complained cruelly in her heart.
But because Ren wasn't the legendary figure who spent two hundred boxes to catch a doll, this could be considered a good thing, right?
Wait a minute, it seems that the possibility that person was Ren cannot be ruled out.
Besides, rumors could be exaggerated.
"I'll buy drinks. What do you want to drink?"
After thinking about it, Fumino got an idea.
"The same as before." Ren replied casually.
"Great."
After writing down their orders, Fumino walked towards the drink stand.
"A glass of orange juice and a glass of blueberry juice."
After ordering the juice, she took the opportunity to make juice and asked the responsible attendant at the guest reception area: "Hello, have you ever heard of the legend of catching dolls at the Game Center?"
"Of course."
The attendant glanced at her and replied.
As a staff member of a Game Center, he could say that he was very familiar with the legends born in this Game Center.
Especially today, he saw the news in the work group that the legendary figure came with his girlfriend.
"Then do you know who that person is?" Fumino asked.
"Isn't he your boyfriend?"
The attendant looked surprised that she asked this question.
"...I see."
Fumino knew who the store attendant was referring to as her boyfriend, but she didn't intend to refute it.
Now she was 100% sure that Ren was that legendary figure.
Then why was fifty-five boxes reported to be equivalent to two hundred boxes?
This is completely unimportant, because rumors will surely be exaggerated as they spread.
However, Ren's initial fifty-five boxes were quite exaggerated.
"Your juice."
Just as Fumino was thinking about how Ren managed to get one doll out of fifty-five boxes, the attendant handed over the freshly made juice.
"Um."
After taking the bag containing the drinks, Fumino was about to pay, but was stopped by the attendant.
"These two drinks are provided to both of you by our Game Center for free." The attendant said with a smile.
"Why?"
Fumino was stunned.
The attendant explained: "Because your boyfriend is a VIP customer at our Game Center, he is entitled to complimentary drinks."
"Then why weren't they free when we just came here to buy juice?"
Fumino still remembered her defeat and intended to pay for the juice.
"Is that so? Please wait a moment. I came here just to take over, so I'm not sure what's happening now."
After saying this, the attendant left his post and ran to the kitchen to inquire.
He didn't have to wait too long before the attendant appeared again in front of Fumino.
"Sorry, it's because both of you didn't show your VIP cards when buying drinks earlier, so the new employee didn't recognize you and your boyfriend, so he billed both of you. I'm sorry."
The attendant explained while operating the cash register.
"Can we refund the money to you now and give you an additional box of game coins as compensation?"
"It's better not to give game currency. It's because we didn't present the VIP card earlier."
Fumino could accept the refund, but not the compensation or anything like that.
If we're really talking about it, their ignorance caused the employee to make the mistake just now.
"No, please accept it."
So, the attendant placed the money and a box of game coins in front of her and said sincerely.
"It's okay."
Facing the almost pleading attitude of the attendant, Fumino still accepted the money and game coins.
The service attitude of this Game Center is very good to the point of being excessive.
No, this is clearly because of Ren!
His skill in catching dolls, and he will be welcomed enthusiastically by stores no matter which Game Center he visits.
"I'm back. Thanks to your VIP card, we drank juice here for free."
After complaining about Ren like this, Fumino returned.
"By the way, the Game Center also gave us an additional box of game coins..."
Before Fumino finished speaking, she found that the five boxes of game coins that Ren had just exchanged were almost depleted again.
Really, how could he keep missing the target?
Fumino was very curious about this question.
"Thank you."
Ren took the orange juice from her hand, inserted the straw, and drank it eagerly.
"No need to thank me, besides, I didn't spend any money."
Setting aside the compensation box of game coins, Fumino continued: "Hurry up and catch it. Try to catch it as soon as possible."
"Yes."
Ren set aside orange juice and continued to grab the doll for Fumino.
Fumino stood beside him, staring at his serious and focused face, listening to separate thoughts that had never been heard from his mouth before, and waiting without any anxiety at all.
······
Time passed minute by minute, and Ren also consumed game coins in box units.
"Caught it!"
As the hook was released, the rabbit doll holding the star fell from the hole.
"Here, Furuhashi, I caught the rabbit doll you wanted for you."
Ren handed her the doll and put it into Fumino's arms enthusiastically.
"Eh? Did you really catch it? Is that true?"
Seeing the rabbit doll in her arms, Fumino couldn't believe Ren really did it.
"That's right." Ren said proudly.
"How many boxes did you spend?"
Because she went several times, she couldn't remember the number anymore.
Ren answered very proudly: "Seventy-three boxes."