As the last note of the music faded, a shared sigh of relief passed between Tanaka Masao and Eriri Sawamura.
Masao slumped forward, hands on his knees, breathing heavily.
"It's just a game," he managed between gulps of air. "Why did they have to make it so intense?"
Eriri was in a similar state. The moment the tension broke, she simply collapsed onto the floor, lying on her back as she stared at the ceiling.
Her gaze drifted sideways toward Masao, and by chance, he looked over at her direction at the same time. Their eyes met, each seeing their own exhaustion mirrored in the other.
"You're not completely hopeless," Eriri offered, a faint smile touching her lips.
"You're not bad either," Masao replied.
A shared laugh broke the silence. It was funny how a bit of physical competition could bridge gaps without either of them even trying.
—
Thoroughly drained from their dance-off, they sought a more sedentary distraction: a coin-pusher machine.
They sat side-by-side, feeding tokens into the slot with a lazy rhythm, the clinking of coins providing a backdrop to their conversation.
"Hey, Masao," Eriri began, nudging him with her elbow. "What's the actual point of these things? You just pour money into a hole."
"Think of the thrill, though," Masao countered. "The chance that you drop in one token and a waterfall of a hundred comes pouring out. Isn't that exciting?"
"A hundred tokens? As if that would ever happen. Realistically, you'll pour a hundred in and be lucky to get one back."
"Ah, but think of the possibility," Masao insisted. "The 'what if.' That's where the fun is."
He was cut off by a sudden, celebratory fanfare erupting from Eriri's machine. A cascade of tokens clattered into the tray.
Her eyes went wide.
"Hahaha Jackpot! That's got to be twenty tokens at least! Lucky me!"
Watching her sudden change in attitude, Masao couldn't resist a jab. "I thought a hundred tokens wasn't exciting?"
"A hundred isn't," Eriri clarified, eagerly scooping up her winnings. "But I said nothing about twenty! Heheh… just you watch. I'm cleaning this place out today!"
She turned back to the machine with a newfound fervour, feeding token after token into the slot.
—
Over half an hour later, the final token from Eriri's cup disappeared into the machine. She stood up from the seat with a definitive and displeased "Hmph!"
"Let's go. This is a complete waste of time."
Masao bit back a comment. 'You weren't saying that twenty tokens ago.'
Needing an outlet for her frustration, Eriri marched them toward the shooting gallery.
She snatched up a plastic rifle, hefted it, and immediately opened fire on the screen full of pixelated enemies. There's a primal catharsis to shooting games, and Eriri leaned into it with gusto.
"Shine! Shine! (Die! Die!)" she yelled with each pull of the trigger.
As enemy after enemy exploded on the screen, a series of triumphant, slightly unsettling laughs escaped her.
"Hehehe... haha... AHAHAHA!"
Masao, who was manning the station beside her in cooperative mode, watched her descent into bloodlust with growing unease. He subtly edged his stool away.
'Thank goodness this isn't real life. I'd be worried she'd get carried away and turn the gun on me.'
—
The cathartic violence left Eriri purged of her earlier irritation. With a calm sigh, she declared their next destination, the claw machine aisle.
However, unlike a typical visitor who might gravitate toward soft, cuddly plushies, Eriri's eyes were drawn to another prize.
"Ooh, now this one has some… artistic value,"
She murmured, zeroing in on a detailed anime figurine of a famous busty anime heroine in a particularly revealing costume.
A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes.
"Yes, a very compelling subject for my next project." As she maneuvered the claw, a low, creepy chuckle escaped her. "Hehehe…"
"Damn! Almost!"
"It's too slick!"
"This machine is rigged!"
After several failed attempts, her patience snapped.
She whirled on Masao, who had been observing from a safe distance.
"Masao! You must have some experience with this. Help me out."
Masao pointed to himself, baffled.
"What makes you think that?"
"With a selection like this?" Eriri said, gesturing dramatically at the cabinet filled with anime figurines. "I bet you spend your weekends in places like here, cackling to yourself as you haul your 'prizes' back to your room for… appreciation."
Masao rolled his eyes so hard he feared they might stick.
"Give me a break. I've never done anything like that. And besides, the one making the 'hehehe' noises right now is you."
Eriri ignored his protest and shoved him toward the controls.
"No excuses! Just grab it. I'm not leaving without that figurine today."
Resigned, Masao took control. It's just a game of statistics. Enough attempts, and the claw's grip will align.
First attempt: Failure.
Second attempt: Failure.
Third attempt: The claw grasped the box, lifted it a few inches, then dropped it.
—
After nearly a dozen tries, the figurine still remained out of reach.
"Are you even trying?" Eriri complained, tapping her foot impatiently.
"You're the one who demanded I do this! Just… give me a second. I think I got the hang of it."
"It's up! It's coming over! Don't you dare drop it now!"
"Got it!"
With a final, careful maneuver, Masao guided the claw.
This time, it held. The box dropped into the chute with a satisfying thud. He let out a long breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"Finally… The box is just too smooth. That's the only reason it took so long." He reached for the prize, ready to inspect his hard-won trophy.
But Eriri was faster.
She snatched the figure box from the chute before his fingers could even touch it, clutching it to her chest with sparkling eyes.
Seeing her covet the fruit of his labour, Masao spoke up.
"Hey, Eriri. Let me see it for a second."
She eyed his outstretched hand with deep suspicion.
"What are your intentions toward my figurine?"
He sighed at her defensive posture.
"I won it. Don't I at least get a quick look?"
His logic was there. But Eriri hesitated, her internal conflict clear on her face. It was as if she was making a monumental concession.
"F-fine," she relented, her voice tight. "But only a quick look. Understood?"
"Heh, don't mind if I do," Masao said, taking the box. He turned it over in his hands. "The sculpting is quite detailed."
"Are you done?"
"Just examining the craftsmanship."
"Hey, that's enough! She's mine now!"
"What's the harm in looking?"
"I said no! Those… details are for my eyes only!"
Just as Masao's thumb brushed against a particular part of the figurine, Eriri snatched the figurine back with a gasp.
"Hands off!" she demanded, tucking it safely behind her back. "If you're that interested, go win your own!"
"But," Masao protested weakly, "this one was mine."
Eriri ignored him, already studying the box with a possessive, gleeful smile.
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