Chapter 24: The 'King' and the Crane

A week.

It has been one week.

One week of hell.

My phone is a warzone.

DaikiJerk: Yo. I'm hungry.

DaikiJerk: What's the homework for... school? I forgot how school works.

DaikiJerk: (He's not in our school! He's older!)

DaikiJerk: I saw a new fighting game. It sucks.

DaikiJerk: You're not answering.

DaikiJerk: That's cute.

I have not answered once.

And Fuji.

Fuji has somehow found out.

He knows I met Daiki.

He is not happy.

He has stopped his 'Nurse' texts.

And started his 'Academic Terror' texts.

FujiKenJerk: The History midterm is next week. I hope you are studying.

FujiKenJerk: I found a flaw in your Calculus homework.

FujiKenJerk: Stop looking at your phone. And study.

My head hurts.

Saturday.

Bzzzt.

DaikiJerk: I'm hungry. Buy me lunch.

Me: WHY. WOULD I. DO. THAT.

DaikiJerk: Whoa. She speaks.

DaikiJerk: I won. You lost. Loser buys the winner lunch. It's the law.

Me: That is NOT a law.

DaikiJerk: It is now.

DaikiJerk: Meet me at the arcade. 1 PM.

DaikiJerk: I wanna rematch.

A rematch.

My pride perks up.

He knows I'm good. He wants a rematch.

No.

It's a trap.

But what if I could win?

Ugh.

I go.

I tell myself it's only for the rematch.

I get to the arcade.

I stomp to the Pro-Zone.

He's not there.

My stupid 'Out of Order' machine is still broken.

Where is he?

I hear a loud groan.

From the kiddie floor.

No.

I walk over.

And there he is.

Daiki Hanata. "Deception." The "King."

Kicking a crane machine.

"URGH! This thing is RIGGED!" he groans.

He is surrounded by failed attempts.

Dozens of plushies that almost made it.

I just stand there.

My arms are crossed.

"The 'King' of the arcade," I say, smirking.

My turn.

"Defeated by a plushie."

Daiki jumps. He spins around.

"T-Twilight-chan!" he squeaks.

He squeaked.

"You came!"

"Don't call me that."

He blushes.

He actually blushes.

"I... I need this," he mutters, pointing at the glass.

At a giant, ugly-cute cat plushie.

"Why?"

"It's... uh... for my cat," he mumbles. "He's lonely."

A pro-gamer superstar is blushing over a plushie for his cat.

This is pathetic.

It's also kinda cute.

No! Not cute. Pathetic.

"You're doing it wrong," I sigh.

"What?"

"You're aiming for the head. It's too heavy. You have to go for the center of gravity. Right under the armpit where the tag is."

"I... I... what?"

Ugh.

I push him out of the way.

I put in one coin.

I maneuver the claw.

Exactly where I said.

It drops.

It grabs.

It lifts.

It drops the plushie right in the chute.

First try.

I pull it out.

I shove the giant cat plushie into his chest.

He is staring at me.

His stupid smirk is gone.

His bored eyes are wide.

He looks dazzled.

"Whoa..." he breathes.

"You're amazing."

My stupid face.

It's hot. Again.

"Whatever," I snap, turning to leave. "It's just physics. Now stop bothering me."

"WAIT!" he yells.

He grabs my wrist.

Oh, no.

Not this again.

His hand is warm.

"Lunch!" he says, his voice bright. "You still owe me lunch!"

"I paid my debt," I say, gesturing at the cat.

"No... but... I'll pay!" he rushes to say. "Because... you're so cool! Please? I'm starving."

I look at him.

He's holding this stupid plushie.

He's pouting.

Like a big kid.

He's nothing like Fuji.

Fuji is calculated. Cold. A Prince.

This guy.

Is a disaster.

Ugh.

I am also hungry.

"...Fine," I sigh. "But you are paying."

His face lights up.

"YES!"

What have I gotten myself into?