She flicked the joystick and quickly pressed the crane button.
Wei-yiiiing!
As the crane machine rotated, it carefully moved to grab the doll. The dolls it caught weren’t small or medium-sized but large.
The crane device carefully lifted the doll and carried it.
‘You say you can do this in one try…?’
Before that question could fully form in my mind, the crane suddenly let go of the doll.
Seeing this, Tsubasa nodded and said, “I see. The grip strength set for the crane device is about a C, while the average weight of the doll is around a B… This is going to be difficult to pull out.”
“…Is there such a rule, Hoshizora-senpai?”
“Of course. Kim-kun, you don’t know the mechanics of crane machines, do you?”
“Huh?”
I wasn’t entirely sure. Even though I enjoyed fighting games, shooting games, and RPGs, I had never played crane machines before.
“If you look closely, you might think the dolls are designed to be difficult to grab, but that’s not quite right. Let me explain… The machine adjusts its difficulty based on the weight of the doll and the grip strength of the crane.”
“I get that, but did you really figure it out just by looking at it once?”
“Of course. My eyesight has never failed me.”
“Really?”
I took a coin from my purse and inserted it into the claw machine.
This was the same machine Tsubasa had failed at.
Tsubasa looked at me with a puzzled expression and said, “Kim-kun, didn’t I just tell you? This game is designed to be unwinnable…”
“If it doesn’t work, I’ll just quit.”
Despite Tsubasa’s concerns, I didn’t back down. Instead, I carefully mimicked his movements, following his actions step by step.
I quickly shook the joystick, adding a spin to the crane’s movement. At the right moment, I pressed the button.
Wheein…
Once again, the crane machine moved.
The crane’s grip on the doll wasn’t strong, but thanks to the spin I had applied, it managed to hook onto the doll’s tag—something that hadn’t been pulled out before—and successfully grabbed it.
Tsubasa, who had been watching, covered his mouth with his hand in surprise.
“Oh… Did that actually work?”
“Did I succeed?”
“Yeah. The tag got caught thanks to the crane’s rotation. This wasn’t about grip strength; it was all about technique… That’s amazing, Kim-kun.”
“Ahaha…”
The doll Tsubasa had been aiming for was a plush called a Resting Bear—a teddy bear with a relaxed expression as its highlight.
After listening to her talk about it, I learned that the doll I had won could actually be sold at an online auction for about 50,000 yen.
A large, bulky plush too big to hold with just one hand rolled out from the prize slot.
“Resting Bear…”
Tsubasa muttered to herself as she looked at the doll that had just fallen from the machine.
Ah, come to think of it… Tsubasa really liked Resting Bears.
I recalled how obsessed she was with them. It wasn’t just because they were soft and fluffy when held—she had also said they looked incredibly cute and relaxed.
Noticing how her eyes remained fixed on the giant Resting Bear, I teasingly asked, “Hoshizora-senpai.”
“W-What is it, Kim-kun?”
Tsubasa licked her lips slightly, looking a little hesitant.
As expected, she wanted it.
Yeah, yeah. I knew. I should just give it to her.
Originally, I had planned to give this to Amelia, but I could always try to win another one for her.
“It looks like you want it. Take it.”
“…I-I never said I wanted it.”
She pouted slightly and turned her head away.
Yeah, right. Stop pretending, Tsubasa. You obviously want it.
“I was planning to get another one anyway, so go ahead and take it, senpai.”
“…You don’t actually think I’m going to accept that so easily, do you, Kim-kun?”
“What are you talking about? Just take it. No need to overthink it.”
“Alright… Then, I’ll accept it. Thanks.”
Tsubasa carefully took the giant Resting Bear from the machine, cradling it in her arms.
While I could hold it with one hand at my side, it seemed a bit difficult for her to lift.
After spending about 2,000 yen from my coin purse, I managed to win another huge Resting Bear.
“Let’s go, senpai. Thanks for hanging out.”
“…This thing is really heavy.”
“I have no intention of carrying it for you.”
“Who asked you to?!”
Tsubasa grumbled, but since she was holding the plush in her arms, I couldn’t see her expression.
“Don’t fall for me just because I got you a plush, okay?”
“W-What?! What are you saying, Kim-kun?! Do you even realize what you’re talking about…?!”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. Just kidding. Don’t take it so seriously, Hoshizora-senpai. Well, I’m heading off now.”
“…Alright. Get home safely.”
Somehow, I felt like Tsubasa’s voice trailed off at the end.
I had no idea what kind of expression she was making behind the plush.
Now that I had also won a gift for Amelia, it was time to head home.
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