Infinite Possibilities of Ice Cream 11
“Hmm…”
Chika groans while comparing the few remaining 100 yen coins in her hand and the stuffed animal beyond the acrylic glass.
It seems she herself has realized that it’s difficult to win a stuffed animal like this.
She looks serious when she sees the 100 yen coins and greedy when she sees the stuffed cat animal.
How many times has she repeated this?
Suddenly, she steps away from the claw machine and starts circling around the store.
Eventually, her attention is drawn to a claw machine containing dog stuffed animals, which are two sizes smaller than the cat ones.
She inserts all the remaining 100 yen coins into the machine without hesitation.
“Eh, wait!”
Miki couldn’t stop her in time.
Chika starts operating the claw with a serious expression, focusing on the dog stuffed animal.
The first attempt is a miss to gauge the timing.
On the second and third attempts, just like before, she lifts and drops the stuffed animal, utilizing the bounce to move it forward little by little.
Then comes the last four attempts.
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The arm firmly grasps the head of the stuffed animal, which was already over half out of the acquisition opening, and lifts it up with determination.
With a loud bounce, the deformed dog stuffed animal falls as if it’s being sucked into the hole.
——Thud.
The deformed dog stuffed animal appears from the retrieval opening, making a faint noise.
“Yayy! I did it!”
She proudly shows the dog stuffed animal she obtained to the others.
“I got it for the first time in my life! Isn’t it amazing? This is quite impressive, you know!”
She must be overjoyed. While holding the stuffed animal, she hops around Sōma.
“Indeed, it’s amazing. I would have never been able to do it. Chika, you might have a talent for this kind of thing.”
” …. “
Sōma genuinely praises her, while the black-haired girl, who still can’t grasp what just happened, continues to stare in astonishment at Chika.
“Fufufu, as the infamous claw machine master Chika, I might make a name for myself. I can see a future where I get all the stuffed animals from every claw machine!”
“It’s too early to get carried away. Besides, if you keep going like that, you might get banned.”
“Well, I know that. But, before that happens, I will definitely get that cat stuffed animal! When I try again, please come with me, Sōma-san.”
“If you’re okay with an unhelpful advisor.”
“It was reassuring to have Sōma-san by my side.”
Chika reaches out her hand for a high five.
When Sōma claps her hand, there’s a crisp sound.
“Oh, what should I do with this one? If I put it in my school bag, it’ll get squished and feel pitiful.”
Although smaller than her initial target, the obtained stuffed animal is still quite bulky.
“Tell the staff. They would give you a bag.”
“Is that so? I’ll go get one then!”
Sōma points to the service counter, and Chika goes there, hugging the recently acquired stuffed animal carefully.
“Well? Did something good happen?”
He shows a satisfied expression to the girl who has been silently watching the situation from behind.
“I’ve never seen Chika with that kind of expression…”
Miki looks a bit down, as if shocked.
“I guess so.”
Miki has always only given things to Chika.
With that, she can’t expect to see a smile filled with a sense of achievement and confidence.
“Why, though? Didn’t Chika want the cat stuffed animal? She never said she wanted that one, right?”
“Well, that’s a misunderstanding.”
Chika had said she wanted to ‘get the cat stuffed animal on her own.’
The primary goal was not the cat stuffed animal; it was to acquire it through her own efforts.
Of course, getting that big cat stuffed animal on her own would have been the best outcome because she really wanted that stuffed animal.
However, if she had relied on someone else’s help to get that big stuffed animal, her primary goal wouldn’t have been achieved.
“That person is more determined than you think. She’s someone who wants to do something on her own without relying on others.”
“But that girl has never said anything like that before.”
“Well, she’s kind, so…”
The girl named Chika hides a strong sense of independence.
But, even more so, she possesses a caring and kind heart, unconsciously taking on the role of a beloved mascot that Miki and the others desire.
The reason her consideration for Sōma isn’t as evident might be because he doesn’t want that kind of treatment or because she doesn’t care about him.
—I’d like to believe it’s not the latter.
“I’m sorry for the wait.”
Chika returns with a pink polybag with the game center logo prominently printed on it.
“What do we do after this? We’ve achieved our goal for now, right?”
When asked, Chika puts a finger on her cheek and strikes a thoughtful pose.
“Well, since we’ve come all this way, why don’t we do something else? Sōma-san, is there something you want to do?”
“Fighting game.”
“Rejected. With all those commands and using that lever. I don’t think I can do that. How about a rhythm game?”
“I reject that one. I’m really bad at it.”
She can only see a future where she clumsily flails about and gets laughed at by Chika.
While gazing at the signs beside the escalator, Chika suggests,
“Well… How about playing billiards? I’ve never done it before.”
“That’s fine, but I’ve never played billiards either, so I won’t be able to give you advice like I did for the claw machine.”
“It’s okay. If I try, I’ll definitely manage somehow.”
With that settled, Chika cheerfully rides the escalator and goes up to the upper floor.
Before following her, Sōma looks back at Miki.
“Wouldn’t you like to join us, Saito?”
“Well…”
Invited by Sōma, she hesitates as she watches Chika’s back as she goes up the escalator.