Tough Luck

We ended up buying another plate of skewers, and by we, I mean me, despite Chihara's retaliation. But that wasn't the only thing. Of course, no day off would be complete without boba. After grabbing the usual, we stopped by the takoyaki stall, where Kanon was still cooking.

"Hey, Aizawa-Senpai!" Chihara exclaimed as she skipped up.

"Ah~ If it isn't my cute kouhai, alongside..."—Kanon raised a brow, staring at me with disgust—"Err... That thing."

"What the..." I mumbled. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Pfft, I'm kidding. Anyway, as much as I'd love to talk, we can't hold up the line. What'll it be?"

"One plate of eight, please."

"Coming right up."

As Kanon got to work, Chihara nudged my arm.

"What is it?" I asked.

"How long have you known Aizawa-Senpai? You two seem really close."

"We met in our first-year chemistry class, along with Haruto. If I'm remembering correctly, it was... for a group project. Kanon was the brains, Haruto did nothing, and I was somewhere in between."

"Yoshida-Senpai... did nothing? That's hard to believe."

"It was his own fault for being involved in so many student organizations. To his credit, he was a flawless presenter. But yeah, since then, we've seen plenty of sides of each other that we never would've known about, and in doing so, we became inseparable."

"That's nice. I hope my relationships turn out like that, too."

I was just about to reply until I realized what she'd meant. Granted, I don't actually know if she meant us, but... A part of me wouldn't stop thinking about it.

It didn't take long for Kanon to come back with a tray of fresh takoyaki.

"Here we are," she said. "Eight takoyaki."

"Thanks, Kanon," I replied

I reached for my wallet, only to notice that Chihara was doing the same thing. For a second, we both stared at each other, almost scowling.

"No," I said.

"W-wha... You already paid for the yakitori and the boba. Let me pay for this."

"I refuse."

"Stop being so stubborn, Kinoshita."

Kanon, who'd been watching the whole time, snickered while shaking her head.

"You two aren't even going out yet, and you're already bickering like an old married couple," she said. "It's kind of cute."

"What..." I mumbled.

"G-going out...?" Chihara chittered.

Our eyes connected again, but this time, we looked away.

"Pfft... Here, just take the damn plate," Kanon chuckled. "It's on me."

"Ah... A-are you sure?" Chihara asked.

"Hell yeah. Any more than this, and everyone behind you is gonna start getting impatient. I'd rather not deal with shitty customers, so get out of here already."

Hesitant, Chihara took the plate from her hand, and we were off once again. Compared to before, when we were yapping nonstop, there was complete silence between us as we walked. Thanks to Kanon's offhand remark, the atmosphere was so damn awkward.

"Um... Kinoshita?"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Did you want any?"

"Oh. Yeah, let me—"

I glanced down to see only three octopus balls on the plate.

Three. Out of the eight that I ordered.

With a deep breath, I turned away to keep her from seeing my face.

"H-hey! You're laughing at me, aren't you!"

"...No..." I coughed.

"Liar. Let me see your face."

I pray to whatever god exists to give me strength just for this moment.

And so, I turned around, but the moment I saw her trying to glare at me angrily, it came out faster than I thought.

"Kinoshita!" she chided.

"I'm... s-sorry," I said in between laughs. "I didn't mean to..."

"Tch. Keep laughing. You're not getting any takoyaki."

"Wha—?! Hey! I was just kidding."

She scowled at me again.

I had to muster every muscle in my face to keep it in. It was probably the most focused I've ever been in my life. Not even my past final exams ever came close.

"See?" I said. "Not laughing."

"You were, though."

"But not anymore."

She didn't seem convinced in the slightest, but she gave me the plate anyway.

"Thanks," I said.

"Hmph."

Her pout didn't last long, as her eyes locked onto something behind me. I follow her gaze to find a massive wheel, sectioned into tiny pieces like a poorly sliced pizza. The prizes ranged from small accessories to massive stuffed animals.

"Feeling lucky?" I asked.

"I'm a gambling god, I'll have you know," she smirked. "I'm always lucky."

"Hah. You gamble? I never would've guessed."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Kinoshita."

"Well... I'm willing to learn."

Her smile grew wider as she looked away.

"Let's go," she said.

While nibbling on a takoyaki, I followed Chihara as she giddily made her way over to the wheel.

"Welcome!" said the girl manning the stall. "Are you looking to spin the wheel?"

"Yep!" Chihara replied.

"It'll be one thousand yen per spin. Keep in mind, it is entirely luck-based, so there will be no refunds after you spin."

"Got it,"

She pulled out her wallet, then abruptly stopped. Slowly, her head twisted around to see me reaching for my back pocket.

"Fine, fine," I sighed.

"Hehe~ Thanks anyway, Kinoshita."

After handing the necessary amount to the girl, Chihara stepped up to the wheel and took a deep breath.

"Don't miss," I said, munching on another takoyaki. 

"Not to worry, Kinoshita. Watch how it's done."

With a small shove, Chihara sent the wheel flying. Each time it hit the pointer at the top was followed by an audible click, increasing anticipation.

At last, it landed on...

"Spin again!" said the girl.

"Oh! Okay!" Chihara exclaimed before spinning it again.

Once more, it landed on...

"No freaking way," I chuckled.

"H-hold on now. I still have a chance!"

And the wheel was spinning again. Only this time, it landed on...

"Ah... No prizes," the girl said.

For a few seconds, Chihara remained perfectly still. She whirled around, sluggishly walking at me while her drooping hair covered her face. When she made it back, she lightly pushed her forehead against my chest.

"Kinoshita..." she sulked. "I lost..."

"...Hah. Well, you were right about one thing. You really are lucky, Chihara. Just not lucky in the way that you'd want."

She muttered something I couldn't hear. Probably degrading, probably aimed at me.

"Here," I said. "Let me give it a try."

I tossed the last takoyaki into my mouth and threw away the plate. Then, after paying for a spin, I braced myself for what could either become the coolest moment of my life or the most embarrassing.

Deep breath.

In.

Out.

Let it ride.

I pushed as hard as I could, sending the wheel spinning far faster than Chihara's attempt. As it gradually slowed down, clicking from slot to slot, my heartbeat accelerated.

Finally...

"Oh... Um..." the girl gulped nervously. "N-no prizes..."

And there it is. I can't say I was expecting anything different, but at least a small accessory prize would've been nice.

"...Well damn," I mumbled. "Sorry, Chihara. I—"

"Pfft... Hahaha! What was that, Kinoshita? I thought you were about to do something cool, but you failed even more miserably than I did."

I froze, and I knew why, but it was difficult for me to rationalize it.

Chihara is cute. I've always thought so. From the way she talks to the way she treats the people around her — even the way she is now laughing so carelessly, unbothered by how she may appear — somehow makes her cuter than she already is.

If Haruto or Kanon were to ask me why I think she's cute, I don't think I'd have an answer that made sense. I just know that every little thing she does somehow finds a place in me and stays there.

To me... She might not be perfect, but she is closer to perfect than anyone I've ever met.

"Kinoshita?"

"Ah... Sorry. I was just... lost in thought."

"Well, snap out of it,"—she suddenly grabbed my hand—"We've still got a long day ahead of us."

The next hour went by in a blur. We stopped at a bunch of games, even the fishing one where Haruto was stationed. He hooked us up with the grand prize even though we came nowhere close to it.

As for the snacks, Chihara couldn't hold back every time we passed one. Candied strawberries, taiytaki, dango — almost nothing was left out.

I've never been to a festival before. Never saw the appeal. But if it's with her... I think I'd come back.