Yet all he got was a cold response.
Yuuki had recently started to notice that Yui was, in fact, not like your typical high school girl. She had the outward appearance of one, but gave off different vibes.
“Why not?”
“Why would I pay money for something I can do for free with my phone? It’s four bucks, Yuuki. Four bucks. That’s a whole manga volume.”
“Thus proclaimed the selfie master.”
“Did you delete it?”
“No.”
“Do it. Right now.”
“I can’t. It’s impossible.”
“You say that like it’s some kind of quest item.” Yui complained, initiating some weird staring contest. Noticing Yuuki wasn’t about to give an inch, she abruptly tilted her head, smirking in signature Yui fashion. “I see, I see. Love that cute picture of me too much to delete it, hmm?”
“Oh yeah. In fact, let me set it as my wallpaper.”
“Anything but that please I beg you.”
1-0.
Yui, presumably wanting nothing to do with the topic anymore, did a one-eighty and walked off. Rio watched as she did with a strained face.
“You could’ve backed me up, you know.”
“Wh-Who says I want to take a picture with her?! I... I don’t.”
You do, I know you do, so why are you acting like this?
It was likely an issue of Yui building a certain image of Rio in her head over the course of their friendship.
“Sh-Shut up, okay? Watch my back.” She said as if going to rough someone up.
Rio balled her fists and lifted her head high, straddling after Yui. Yuuki followed her, turning up at the claw machine section.
Yui gazed inside one of the machines, her body pressed against its glass casing. She waved them over, with a smile.
They went up to the machine and peered inside, discovering a couple of palm sized plushies.
Yui pointed at the protruding jaw panda plush toy. “Isn’t he cute?”
“He is?”
“Uhh, yeah? Notice the raw sockability of that jaw.”
Setting aside whatever “sockability” was supposed to mean, Yuuki remembered seeing that plush before.
Mina had won a similar looking keychain from a vending machine at a nearby supermarket. She refused to give up until the panda dropped.
Mina also wanted the plush but she didn’t really like the arcade, stating it had too many monsters.
“Mina loves that thing.”
“That so? Guess I may as well bring her back a souvenir.”
“Can you?”
“Watch my god hand in action, son.” Yui licked her lips, inserting a dollar into the machine.
Willing to shell out cash for a claw machine but not a picture?
Yui bent over, determining the plushie’s exact location with an exaggerated gesture, and began operating the lever.
She then pushed the button next to it. The claw slowly lowered onto its target, grabbing it... or so it seemed, only for the claw to gently glide across its surface, grabbing air.
“Quite the soft touch you have there, god hand”
“Did you see that?! It went right through!”
Maybe you’re just bad at this, too.
Yui wasn’t a claw game expert by any means, but she did insert two more dollars and lost all the same.
Yuuki looked at her as the claw retracted, Yui looking back. “I can’t concentrate because of you.”
“Sure you can’t. What if you tried going for the ring instead of the body?”
“That’s a noobie trap. I’m aiming for the jaw this ti--”
“I-I’m good at these!” Rio abruptly interjected in the middle of Yui’s sentence.
She put a dollar into the machine and took an aggressive stance in front of it, stealing Yui’s position
They watched with bated breath as Rio operated the lever, eyes locked dead on target, smacking the button so hard it was almost a little startling. Her vigor appeared to have transferred to the claw as it violently snatched the panda’s jaw, reeling it in. The arm then opened, dropping it right into the hole.
“I did it!” Rio celebrated, quietly clapping to herself.
“Wow. In one go, as well.”
Yuuki glanced over to Yui.
“Woah. Way to go, girl...” She said, her face ever so slightly twisted, her fists balled.
The sore loser within Yui was awakening.
Rio, oblivious to the fact, gleefully inserted her hand into the mouth of the machine, handing the retrieved plush toy over to Yuuki. “Here, take it.”
“Oh, thanks. I’m sure Mina will love it.”
“G-Glad to hear.” Seeing Yuuki’s smile, Rio responded with a slightly awkward smile of her own.
“Why don’t you smile more? It suits you.”
“A-Are you implying I’m mad all the time?!”
“You’re not?”
Rio noticed, her cheeks flushing. “Hmph.” She hastily put on a serious face.
Yuuki then felt a gaze coming from his side.
He turned to face it, only to find Yui looking like she had something on her mind. “Yes?”
“No, nothing.” She averted her gaze.
Yui seemed a little upset about not being the one to win it. Even so, Rio couldn’t have done it without Yui discovering the plushie to begin with.
“Yui. Thank you too.”
“F-For what?”
“For trying.”
“N-No prob.” She mumbled, giving him the “I need to tell you something” eyes once again, only to remain silent.
“A shame I couldn’t see the god hand in action though.”
“Sure is! A real kick in the head, ain’t it!” She exclaimed, locking her eyes onto the plushie in Yuuki’s hands. “Watch where you’re pointing that thing!” She socked the panda square in the jaw.
Her high school girl energy is only dropping.
“Yeah, watch it!” Rio, for some truly inexplicable reason, socked it as well.
The panda must’ve been frightened by this hazing ritual.
Yuuki protectively covered it with both hands. “There, there. They’re just a bunch of meanies.” He said, petting it.