5

After school.

Once Sharo senpai and Kushinada senpai arrived at our cla.s.sroom, Kunisaki suddenly said this,

“Anyone here go to the game center yet?”

There is a Game Center in the downtown area of Minami ward.

“……no.”

However, ever since I was injured, I stopped looking for Kushinada Himeko. I don’t really have a reason to, though.

“Right……”

“Yeah, never been there before……”

Both Maria and Sharo senpai replies with disinterest.

But, Kunisaki is not giving up.

“Now, now. We can’t find Himeko chan even if we go looking for the entire island, right? On the other hand, if we set up a net, she might appear herself.”

“Still nothing to do with game center.”

“You still don’t get it. Where can you kill times other than game center?”

The number one reason a delinquent skip school for is, according to him is to kill some time.

This is from Kunisaki personal experience, but somewhat, it sounds convincing.

Kushinada Himeko disappearance is due to her running away from home. That is the a.s.sumption that he has come to and his reasoning is that the girl wants some time for herself……but I guess Kushinada senpai might rather be pleased with that reasoning.

“I see……that may be what happened. Don’t mind me, this is a good time for everyone to take a breather. There is likely chance that Himeko might appear, just like Kunisaki san has said.”

“If Kushinada senpai said so……”

“Great! Now, let’s go!”

Kunisaki took his bag and enthusiastically walk outside.

“Kunisaki is a scatter brain like usual~”

Ruirui is somewhat amazed with his antics.

However, Tenka laughed.

“Really? I think Kunisaki kun is properly watching after everyone.”

“He——y, everyone, quickly come too——”

Kunisaki looks back and urges us to get up and going.

His bright personality, whether if he was trying to cheer everyone up, that is still up

to debate.

Oh well, better this compared to being invited to peep.

“……!”

I noticed myself laughing unconsciously.

Truly, even the tightest person will soften if they spend time with Kunisaki.

“Don’t walk too far ahead, Kunisaki kun.”

Saying that, I chased after his back.

There are several game centres in Minami ward.

Among them, we choose the place which is nearest to the school.

“This is so fu——n!”

Kunisaki is battling against Ruirui in a racing game.

Even though this might be Ruirui first time playing, she appears to dominate the game.

“Hey Maria, let’s take a photo at the photobooth together~”

“Sure.”

Looks like both Maria and Tenka is enjoying themselves too.

Now, what should I do now……

“……”

I cannot think of anything.

From what I remember, when I was a child, I used to play with sister, but I have never come to a place like this.

When I was a trainee, I think I don’t need to elaborate further.

With that said, I don’t have any idea how to play any of these.

“Is there anything that Sharo senpai is interested in?”

“Eh?”

Now that I am at a loose end, I turned to Sharo senpai who seems to be free herself.

She told us that she never went to any game centre before.

She is in the same boat as me somewhat.

“Umm, I don’t know anything that I’m personally interested in.”

“Then, would you like to go around with me for a while?”

I give her a suggestion.

Then, her face broke into a smile.

“Yeah.”

She nodded.

We both walk in the game center.

Anyway, the sound is super loud in here.

Electronic speech and sound effects overflow, it sounds so foreign that my body is not used to it.

It was the same with Sharo senpai. When our eyes met, she laughed, troubled.

“~~~~~~~~~hey.”

Although she said something, I cannot hear well over the

the surrounding sounds.

“Sorry. What did you say?”

In order to listen to her better, I bring my face near to hers.

“Mwahh……that, I said, it’s really loud and noisy in this place, right?”

“Oh, you are very right.”

Sharo senpai face reddened. I wonder if she was affected by the noisy sounds in the surrounding.

Just like that, we continue to wander around in this premise.

Once we entered the crane games corner, Sharo senpai suddenly halted her feet.

“That, I think it’s cute.”

Sharo senpai points out to it. It is one of the crane game prizes.

That, I think it is a kind of a deformed stuffed cat?

I don’t know if it is too deformed.

“Then, would you like to play this one?”

“Yeah!”

Anyway, since Sharo senpai has took a liking to this game, I will challenge it quickly.

After I paid it with my credit, the game start.

“Then, Sharo senpai can play it first.”

“Eh, but isn’t that Raika kun’s credit?”

“I don’t mind.”

I leave the s.p.a.ce for Sharo senpai.

“Looks like you can operate this machine with these b.u.t.tons.”

“Umm……will this move according to the direction of this arrow?”

Sharo senpai pushes the b.u.t.ton as a test.

Next, the arm in the cha.s.sis began to move sideways.

“Waah! Waah!”

Sharo senpai pick it up by pressing the b.u.t.ton only for it to let it go.

Then, the arm stopped.

“H, huh?”

Senpai tried to press the b.u.t.ton again, but the arm neither make a *uun* nor *zuuun* sound.

“Apparently the movement stops once you let go of the b.u.t.tons.”

“Uuu~ just a little bit more and it’s in my grasp.”

“For now, how about moving it to the back?”

Encouraged, Sharosenpai operates another b.u.t.ton.

This time, she managed to stop the arm on top of her targeted stuffed animal, but as expected, the first mistake is affecting her, so she couldn’t

she couldn’t grasp it well.

“Aah~……”

Sharo senpai leaks out her disappointment while staring at the empty arm.

“This time Raika kun tries it.”

“Alright.”

I replaced place with Sharo senpai and stood in front of the crane arm.

As far as I can see, the arm’s clamping power seems to be pretty solid.

If that is the case, if I can put the arm neatly next to the stuffed toy, I will definitely be able to grasp it.

“Well, the timing to release the b.u.t.ton and to stop the arm is……”

I remember how senpai play it before and move the arm.

It took 0.1 second for the arm to stop after pressing the b.u.t.ton……although the arm’s position is a little off, it is still an expected error.

Afterwards if I let it go into the gap between the stuffed animals that Sharo senpai made a while ago……,

The arm stopped at the target’s position.

The arms descend and grabs the stuffed toys with its claws.

The arm starts to rise as it is, but it was caught by the surrounding stuffed animal a little.

“!”

I thought I have failed.

“Wow! Raika kun, amazing!”

Somehow, the arm crane caught the other stuff as well, and raised both stuffed toys together.

“……good!”

I made a small gut pose.

I noticed it and become a bit ashamed, but I’m fine with it since senpai is happy.

“Here. For you.”

I take the stuffed toys from the prize mouth and hand bothto her.

“Wow~ thank you!”

Sharo senpai hugged the stuffed animals tightly.

Seems like she has taken a liking to that cat (?).

While I think its fine if she took it both, suddenly she hands one of them to me.

“One is for Raika kun to decorate his room with.”

“Eh?”

I was slightly perplexed by her proposal.

“Err, then, I will gladly accept it.”

I got pushed bygot pushed by her smile and eventually receives it.

『——wo——w, that is quite a cute hobby you got there, Raika. 』

Shut up.

I quickly stop Bálor from commenting.

Well……now that I take a good look at it, this cat has a tasteful design……this is a cat, right?

Now, where should I put this……?

“Eeeeh, anywhere is fine.”

Sharo senpai said it happily.

Obviously, this stuffed cat doesn’t fit anywhere in my room, but I give up since she seems so pleased with it.

While I think about it, I stared at Sharo senpai.

“Raika san! Where are you!?”

I heard a voice calling for my name.

That voice belongs to Maria.

I also look for her silhouette and find her behind the crane machine.

“Maria!”

“Ah! Raika, san……!?”

Maria face brightened after she found me, but immediately afterwards her face become stone cold.

“Maria?”

She didn’t reply to my call.

The line of her sight is focused on me and Sharo senpai stuffed animals.

“R, Raika san. Those stuffed animals, what about them?”

“Un? No, this is the price from this game.”

“That’s not it. Why does Sharo senpai has the same one as yours?”

“I accidentally get two. So, I gave one to senpai as present.”

“Is, is that so?”

“?”

It’s strange for her to dig up for this information.

Besides, the way she is talking is too awkward.

“Present……matching……Raika senpai is……”

Maria is sputtering those words.

“Maria, do you want this stuffed animal?”

“Eh!?”

I asked her, and Maria looks surprised.

……don’t tell me she doesn’t realize that she is talking out loud?

Maria cheeks reddened.

“N, no, it’s okay! Ah, I will buy something to drink!”

She raised a loud voice and hastily went away.

I stared at the corner where her back disappeared,

“Did something happen?”

I asked and tilted my head.

“……”

Sharo senpai who watched our interactions from the side, didn’t comment anything while making a difficult face.