Chapter 38 – Episode 38 – Interlude
“Can I help you order?”
“Ah, please.”
“Are you a regular size?”
In front of the café, Nayu was busy making coffee while taking people’s orders.
Because it was a small café, she had to take care of both ordering and making coffee by herself, but she was used to doing both.
She takes the order, makes the coffee, and serves it…
It’s a familiar movement that doesn’t look like a part-time worker who’s been working for a few days.
“Can I help you order?”
“Iced Americano without the ice, please.”
“… Huh? Take the ice out of the iced Americano?”
“Yes.”
Of course, she was doing personality training that she didn’t want to do while working part-time.
Nayu glared at her partner for a moment, but her partner paid no attention to the gaze and was busy using her cell phone.
It was a young man whose hoodie and grumpy attitude I didn’t like very much.
“Sir, you want a warm Americano, right?”
“No, it’s iced Americano.”
The guest finally looks up at Nayu.
He was looking at Nayu with strange eyes.
“… You’re talking iced Americano, right?”
“That’s right~ How many times do I have to ask…”
Wow, such a person really existed.
Of course, it was a mistake made because I was distracted, but at the point where I get irritated with the employee, I’m out.
I slowly approached him.
“Over there.”
“Who are you?”
Uncle… Thanks to him saying that, my conscience completely disappeared.
“Hey, isn’t that yours?”
“Huh? What… Uh, uh…!”
I pointed towards the road with my finger.
There was a truck there, and the truck slowly started to drive away, carrying a bag.
That bag was the one that this man had just left loosely on an outdoor table at a café.
“Stop! Stop the truck!”
The man hurriedly ran towards the truck, but the truck was already running.
When the blue light turns on, the truck doesn’t seem to stop.
Just like that, the truck and the man disappeared into the distance.
“Now, one truth has been resolved.”
“Kkeuk, what should I do if you do something like that?”
“Not so good?”
“No, you did well.”
Nayu giggled when she saw that.
“Welcome. When did you come?”
“Just now? I was watching Nayu work for a moment.”
“If you came, say you came.”
“Because Nayu’s work is pretty~”
“Hmph.”
As Nayu snorted, she laughed at me.
I tried to be cute despite being embarrassed, but it breaks my heart when you reject me like that.
“Wait. I’ll leave now.”
“Huh? Isn’t there anyone else? The boss hasn’t arrived yet, right?”
“You don’t have to wait for your shift. The boss told me to close it when I get off work.”
Nayu enters the store with those words.
I stood and awkwardly waited for her to come out.
“Come on, let’s go.”
Nayu quickly cleaned up the store and came out.
She handed me the cookie she was holding in her hand.
“Huh? Why cookies?”
“You should eat.”
While saying that, Nayu holds my remaining hand.
“Let’s go, Junseok.”
After all, it’s good to be cute.
Even if you’re not used to it.
I smiled and left her store with her.
***
On the way back, Nayu’s steps slowed down as she passed the arcade.
When I followed her gaze and moved my field of vision, I saw a claw machine at the end.
Doll claw machine…
“Is there a doll you want?”
“No.”
Nayu answers coolly and immediately.
I am at a loss for words.
Wasn’t it an event where couples picked out dolls while dating?
“Let me pick some. Is there a doll you want?”
No, was it a station?
At those words, I looked inside the claw machine.
It was full of dolls that weren’t very attractive.
“Hmm… I’m not craving anything.”
“Really? Still, this kind of thing feels like being picked. Just take it.”
After saying that, Nayu took out 1,000 won from her pocket and put it straight into the machine.
It looks like you were bored.
I quietly watched her operate her machine.
“First, let’s pick that bear.”
“Uh.”
She confidently predicts that she will pull out and moves her machine.
And indeed, she plucked the bear.
After moving to the correct location, the tag attached to the teddy bear was picked up with the tip of the hook.
“Wow…”
It’s no joke.
Nayu took out a teddy bear, placed it in my arms, and designated the next target.
“Next is that dog.”
While saying that, Nayu moves the hook again.
… At least say puppy, but it has a strange tone when you simply say ‘dog’.
“Okay, gotcha.”
Nayu picked the dog nicely and handed it to me.
Then, Nayu thinks about what to choose for the last time.
I said, pointing to the cat doll in her corner.
“What about that cat?”
“Cat? Cats aren’t very…”
“You look like Nayu.”
“What?”
Nayu looks at me and the cat doll alternately at my words.
It’s an expression that wants to say, “We don’t look alike at all.”
But that black cat has cold eyes and looks more haughty than anything else, so it resembles you.
“Good…”
Although Nayu was reluctant, she moved her hook toward her doll.
And then she successfully selected the third doll.
“Oh. That’s really amazing. I picked three out of three.”
“100% success rate.”
Nayu smiles at my words.
It was a smile that would go well with a V-shape with your hands.
“For a long time, when I was bored, I played claw machines. That’s why I’m pretty good at it.”
“Oh~ I guess you liked the doll?”
“No. If I pulled it out and sold it, I made 500 won.”
Ah…
When I hesitated, unable to find the words to reply, Nayu smiled and pulled me into the arcade.
“Let’s go play some games while we’re here.”
If you don’t have anything to answer, you have to at least move your body.
I nodded and followed her into her.
***
The game I played with Nayu was miserable.
First of all, a steel fist.
In the past, we even had a tag tournament, and there was also a tag tournament 2, so we were excited and went up against Nayu, but ended up losing.
That’s right, total defeat.
“Oh!”
I try to hit her with the power of her conversion, but she easily blocks it and counters right away.
〈17 hit combo!〉
Half of my character’s blood is gone along with the red combo message.
If you change characters by tagging in a hurry, the moment you change, 1/4 of the blood is lost from the opponent’s strike.
Still, I tried to resist somehow, such as standing up and counterattacking…
〈YOU LOSE〉
A defeat message appears clearly.
The phrase ‘6 consecutive wins’ is clearly visible above Nayu’s character name.
“Huh… Nayu is perfect at it. Now, slowly…”
“Why am I so bad at games?”
“… I have to play one more round.”
Saying you can’t play doesn’t mean you can tolerate it.
So I challenged Nayu a few more times, and ended up losing 10 times in a row.
***
“No, kekekeuk, what if I use a special move there? I’m hit too!”
“You have to avoid it~!”
The next game was a classic belt scrolling game.
It was a game where you had to choose characters that looked like something out of a Hollywood movie, and then move forward and kill all the enemies you see.
It was a classic game where you catch local bullies, poachers, and even dinosaurs…
The special feature of this game is that team kills are possible between allies!
Therefore, it was also a famous game that destroys friendship…
“Wait, wait!”
I was beaten by Nayu in that game too.
“You did it on purpose!?”
“Ah, I’m using a special move, so don’t stay next to me~”
“You can’t use special moves when you’re next to me!”
“Then what if I die?”
“Aye…!”
Nayu was also pretty good at this game.
But the problem was that he played without paying any attention to his allies.
“You don’t know how to work as a team!?”
“Yes. I always wake up by myself.”
“Hey, really, wait a minute… Here, just the two of us can catch the boss by just throwing fire bottles…”
“The shotgun’s performance is killer~!”
No, the two of you just have to throw the firebrand at the fallen boss.
If you shoot the shotgun at the boss there, the boss will wake up right away!
After that, the games I played with Nayu were a mess.
“Nayu, save me!”
Even though she cried out for help as she was dying, Nayu survived alone.
“No, wait a minute, I should leave some food for myself…”
He dominated the stamina recovery items.
“Don’t hit me when I’m bitten! Then I’ll bleed too!”
Even though I was taken hostage, I didn’t care and attacked the boss.
So the two of us, or rather Nayu and I, ended up playing a one-on-one versus many games…
When I cleared the game, the number of continues was 0 for Nayu and 7 for me.
***
“Ha, it’s been a while since I’m relieved of stress.”
When I came out after playing the game for a while, it was already getting dark outside.
“You’re good at games.”
“Yes. I’ve mastered almost everything.”
“It’s awesome…”
“You can’t do it.”
“No, I was good at it too!”
“Yes, next 10 consecutive losses.”
“Ugh…”
I have nothing to say because I lost every game.
I’m angry, but I can’t help it.
I took it apart and then burst into laughter.
“Tsk…”
“After losing so badly, did your head hurt from the shock?”
Haha, no, I just think it’s the first time I’ve seen you having fun like this.”
“Hmm…”
I smiled and held Nayu’s hand.
She held my hand without rejecting it.
The two of us walked the streets at night like that.
“… It’s so amazing.”
“What?”
“When I hear people ignoring me like that, I get angry, but I’m not that way now.”
“I’m not ignoring it. It’s just that.”
“Yes, I know. And if it’s you, it doesn’t matter.”
Nayu smiles at me while saying that.
“You know what?”
“What?”
“I keep liking you.”
For a moment, I had no answer to those words.
“Oh, my face turned red.”
“Isn’t it because you suddenly confess…”
“Why do you have to worry so much now?”
Nayu says that and stabs my side.
“It’s amazing. The more I look at it, the better it gets.”
“Me too.”
“It’s so comfortable, it feels good to be together… Is this what family is like?”
“Uh…”
Are we already getting married!
Oh, wait a minute, just imagining this…
“You and Gahye are both so happy.”
But my imagination stopped at Nayu’s words.
When I saw her smiling face, reality surpassed my imagination.
“Yes, I really like both of them too.”
“Hehe, that’s a good thing.”
We looked at each other and laughed like that.
I was very grateful to Nayu, who responded that she was glad to hear that both of them were very good.
So I gave strength to her hand that was holding her.
She also held my hand tightly.
“There you are.”
“Huh?”
After looking around her for a moment, I brought my mouth close to Nayu.
After making sure no one was there, I kissed her mouth.
“… Yeah… Ugh…”
And her tongue mixed for a moment.
An impulsive action due to her smile.
But she also accepted my kiss well.
“… I love you.”
“Me too.”
Nayu also smiled and answered what I said.
We stopped and looked at each other, then walked home again holding hands.
With a slightly faster gait than before.
