Chapter 119
Chapter 119
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Why Are You All Coming Out From There...?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This time, we had dinner together at the restaurant Chae-yoon unnie recommended.
We patted our full bellies and stepped out of the building.
It was the place Chae-yoon unnie had gone to treat her parents to celebrate her first payout.
A fine dining-style Korean restaurant with limited courses—it was incredibly delicious.
However, if there's a bit of lingering awkwardness...
Rine-chan had stepped out for a quick bathroom break.
And without me knowing, she'd already paid the bill.
Being treated when I was the one who invited her made me feel so awkward.
Plus, that place wasn't cheap by any means.
No, if it were the old me, I couldn't even have imagined spending that much.
It was on the level of the fancy omakase spots the President occasionally takes us to.
Of course, I knew Rine-chan earns way more than I do.
Still, I felt so bad.
O-Oh, really.
I never imagined Rine-chan had heard about my orphanage donation.
The director must have spread the word far and wide.
Hearing the praise right to my face made me a little embarrassed.
I scratched my head sheepishly with an "ehehe."
Babies—probably meaning her plushies.
I'd heard Rine-chan was into collecting them, so I had a vague idea.
That's why I'd picked this spot as our last date course for the day.
I pointed to the claw machine shop nearby.
Rine-chan's eyes sparkled, she grabbed my hand, and off we bolted.
She must like plushies even more than I'd thought.
The moment we entered the claw machine shop.
What caught Rine-chan's interest wasn't the machines themselves.
It was the big sticker photo booth tucked in the corner.
Rine-chan stared at the machine for a moment.
Then she glanced at me sidelong.
She probably felt awkward suggesting it after seeing me get shy about photos earlier.
No need to hold back like that.
Just stashing them lovingly in a drawer would be plenty.
That feels almost like a photo with a girlfriend.
Anyway, we stepped into the booth to take pics with Rine-chan.
And I was a little startled by how flashy the machine looked.
S-Sticker photo booths are usually this glitzy?
I figured we'd just pose face-to-face and snap.
But there were so many controls.
F-First, insert money?
I pulled a bill from my wallet, smoothed it out, and fed it in.
Cheaper than I expected.
Beep- Beep-
Two people...
Filters not too heavy.
Background whatever Rine-chan wants.
- Once you've thought of your favorite pose, press the shutter!
The cute voice from the machine piped up.
I hit the shutter right away.
A 5-second countdown began.
Suddenly—
"Nyaaat...?!"
Rine-chan hugged me from behind while I sat alone on the stool.
Caught off guard by the unannounced pose, I let out a cat-like yelp.
Click-
The shutter snapped, capturing my startled face perfectly.
Luckily, we had three more shots left.
But I turned on Rine-chan with a shriek for scaring me.
Uuu, what is this.
I look like a freaked-out cat.
Rine-chan came out so pretty, though.
Then Rine-chan proposed a deal and grabbed a prop cushion from the side.
A huge heart-shaped one.
Bigger than my upper body—my face would barely peek over if I put it on my lap.
I'm not hoping it'll be cute or anything.
But it's a rare chance to make memories with Rine-chan.
Can't refuse a little request like this.
So I placed the heart cushion on my lap as she asked.
Hugged it tight with both arms.
And shot the camera a mildly sulky look.
...No matter how I look at it, it's weird.
But she wanted it, so oh well.
Suddenly—
Rine-chan hugged me from the side.
It kinda made a sulky little sister and comforting big sis vibe.
Click-
To me, it looks weird...
But if Rine-chan's happy, that's good enough.
"......"
By now, I'd given up and gone along with it.
I let Rine-chan, who'd grabbed animal-ear headbands from the props, put one on me.
We threw up peace signs together.
My eyes look a bit dead, but.
This is all Rine-chan's fault, okay.
For the finale, we each made half a heart.
Cheek-to-cheek, perfect idol pose.
Shooting wrapped.
Whirr-
Rine-chan bounced around joyfully at the printed photos...
But I had no mental bandwidth left to look.
I was already wiped before even hitting the claw machines.
Sticker photos are way harder than they look.
No wonder they're an in-crowd thing.
Ooh, cool.
From what I knew, Rine-chan wasn't great at games.
Her viewers teased her about it often.
But she seems confident in claws.
While scanning machines for prizes.
Rine-chan urgently beckoned me over.
Inside: an Uparupa just like A-chan on my avatar.
Gasp, I kinda want that one.
Like a hero saving a princess from a demon king.
Rine-chan rolled up her sleeves with fierce determination and inserted money.
Whirr-
Skilled hands on the joystick.
Moved the claw over the Uparupa's head and hit the button.
No way it'd grab on the first try, right?
Clank- Whirr-
"Wha—?!"
That thought didn't last.
The claw gripped the plushie's body tight.
Lifted it up, to the chute, released.
And the Uparupa flopped weakly out.
First try, seriously.
Maybe Rine-chan's more hardcore about this than I thought.
The Uparupa from Rine-chan.
From today, A-chan No. 2 hugged to my chest.
I grinned without realizing.
Ehehe, so cute.
I'm not really into plushies.
But thinking of it as the real A-chan makes it adorable somehow.
Watching her, I got cocky too.
Headed to a nearby machine, shoved in a bill.
Ten thousand won—not gonna fail now!
Thud-
Thud-
Thud-
Drop-
Droop-
...Huh?
Wait, what's wrong?
Bug?
No, it's a machine, so broken maybe.
Otherwise, doesn't make sense.
I grabbed it properly!
How does it slip off right at the top?!
O-Okay, five more tries.
Sucks sinking 20k into claw machines.
But I have to gift Rine-chan!
N-Not because I'd feel like a loser if I quit now!
Thud-
Thud-
Thud-
Despite my bold retry.
The machine kept dropping my target relentlessly.
S-Stupid machine!
How can't you grab that one!
O-Of course, it was a bit far!
But it should've held!
Rine-chan tried to comfort my frustration.
But it didn't help much.
Ending like this is too pathetic.
"Um... is something wrong?"
I pouted at the offending machine.
A male staff member approached.
Probably noticed my gloomy vibe.
"Th-This thing ate my 20,000 won..."
"Pardon? It's not working?"
Like tattling to Dad, I whined and pointed.
He looked shocked.
Gasp.
Too upset, I misspoke.
"N-No! I just mean it won't grab the plushie."
"Haha, got it. Which one were you after?"
"Th-That black one over there with the spiky hair..."
"Kuroi?"
Kuroi? That's its name?
Dunno, but yeah—I nodded.
He said wait a sec, reached in.
Stacked some plushies by the chute for a little platform.
Placed my Kuroi on top.
"Try now?"
"Wow...! Th-Thank you."
Much easier now.
I gave it another go.
Whirr-
Grab it, grab it.
Please don't drop.
Thump-
My desperate wish worked?
Kuroi clamped in the claw, straight to the chute.
Dropped right into my arms.
Took staff help, but I won!
Yeah, victory!
"Congrats."
"Thank youuu...!"
With his little cheer, I offered Kuroi to Rine-chan.
Her joy made me proud too.
Even if she got four while I struggled for one.
Better not dwell or I'll get down.
Happy I gifted her... Huh?
"Didn't they say they were coming here?"
"Yeah, they should've been here ages ago..."
"Maybe they already left?"
"Should've checked the photo booth earlier."
While cheering Rine-chan on.
Four women approached from behind.
My eyes went wide.
Huh?
Isn't that our members?
Masks, scarves—faces half-hidden, but...
"Unnies? Yuna?"
"...Ah."
I called out tentatively.
They froze, staring at me.
That reaction confirms it—members.
Wait.
Why are the members here?