Keychain Gacha
After Noona and I enjoyed some chocolate cake and smoothies at the dessert shop, we stepped out of the mall together.
Before we knew it, after messing around without noticing the time, the sky had grown dark. As Noona and I walked home side by side, I suddenly spotted a gacha shop by the roadside and pointed at it.
"Noona, want to stop by here?"
"Yesss! Let's do it!"
Noona answered, bouncing excitedly in place. Once we stepped inside the gacha shop, it was packed wall-to-wall with countless machines.
Noona's eyes widened as she stared in fascination at the mountain of different gacha machines. It really seemed like her first time in a place like this.
She even stood on her tiptoes to peer at the ones taller than her, mouth hanging open in awe as she took them all in.
The sight reminded me of a silly penguin, and it was incredibly cute. I laughed to myself and asked her.
"Noona, anything in particular you want to pull for?"
"Yess! Those Sanrio figures!"
Noona pointed at one of the machines filled with Sanrio character keychains, her eyes sparkling.
She dashed straight to the coin exchange, bought a gacha coin, and immediately shoved it into the machine.
"...Anything specific you're hoping for?"
"Obviously my favorite, Cinnamoroll! Heehee..."
Noona licked her lips in anticipation and spun the lever with eager tugs. Soon a capsule rolled out from inside and dropped into the slot with a soft thunk.
"...Darn it... It's My Melody..."
Noona muttered in a disappointed voice, turning the capsule over in her hands. I chuckled and stroked her hair.
"That's just how gacha is. Want to keep going?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'll keep going until I get it."
With a determined shout, Noona clenched her fist and marched back to exchange for five coins this time.
"Then here I go again!"
With a big yell, she dropped the coin in and spun the lever hard. But once again, the character she wanted didn't appear.
"Ugh...! This stupid thing...."
"Hehe.... Looks like Cinnamoroll doesn't like you, Noona."
"Shut up. This time I'm really getting it... Hoo, here goes."
Noona already had the third coin in. She clasped her hands together in a desperate prayer, then turned the lever with focused twists. Yet another random character came out.
I watched from the side as her face crumpled into a pout and she grumbled away, laughing quietly to myself.
Honestly, sometimes the way she acted made her seem less like Noona and more like a spoiled little sister.
Noona gritted her teeth and fed the fourth coin in, then the fifth. Every single one failed.
By now her eyes were glistening with tears. She bit her lip hard, seething with frustration.
"Huuuugh....! Uggghhh....!"
"Aigoo... Noona, hand me the rest of the coins. I'll give it a shot."
"...Tsk, you definitely won't get it either. This machine is rigged, I'm telling you!"
"Pfft, you think so? Want to bet on it?"
"Hmph, go ahead and try then."
I smiled as I slipped the coin in and turned the lever. The capsule that rolled out contained the exact Cinnamoroll keychain Noona had wanted so badly.
Noona stared back and forth between me and the keychain in shock, then finally shook her head in utter disbelief.
"....No way.... This is total bullshit...."
"Hehe, see? I won, right?"
"...Hng... Must be nice..."
Noona muttered enviously while gazing at the Cinnamoroll keychain in my hand. I chuckled and held it out to her.
"You take it, Noona. I don't need it."
"...R-really?"
"What would I even do with something like this? I pulled it for you."
I handed her the keychain with a gentle smile. At that, Noona finally broke into a bright grin. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around mine and rubbing her cheek against me.
Then she shoved all the keychains she had pulled earlier into my hands and shouted cheerfully.
"Namhyuk-ssu, I'll give you all of these! Take them all! Heehee..."
"Hey, I don't need any of this stuff... Don't just dump them on me..."
"Yep, they're all yours now~ Heehee."
After that, as if afraid I might change my mind, Noona snatched the Cinnamoroll keychain I had given her and scampered off.
I watched her retreating figure with a smile, then suddenly remembered that I had just won our little bet.
...Well, even if I had wanted to lose, it wasn't exactly up to me. I had let her win so many times already, so winning once was fine.
Hmm, since I actually won for once, what wish should I ask for...? Yeah, this should work.
I deliberately lowered my voice and said.
"Wait a second, Noona. Since I won, you have to grant me one wish."
"Ugh, that's right.... What is it?"
Noona let out a heavy sigh and answered gloomily. I smiled, pulled out my phone, and told her.
"....Let me take a photo of you."
"Y-you want to take my photo...?"
"Yeah, that's my wish. Ready?"
When I casually lifted the camera, Noona's face flushed bright red. She waved her hands frantically and cried out.
"Hey, hey...! W-wait, hold on..!"
She quickly smoothed her bangs with her fingers, checked her makeup in the tiny mirror from her cosmetics case, and only then looked back at me, murmuring softly.
"O... Okay, you can take it now...."
"Not going to strike a pose?"
When I asked, laughing inside, Noona thought hard before shyly raising an awkward peace sign, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"Wow.... Noona, you really do seem like you've never dated anyone."
"...Ugh.... I, I haven't taken many photos before, so I don't really know any poses..."
"Hehe, then I'll take it now?"
By then the full sunset had painted the entire world in deep red.
Against that beautiful evening glow, I snapped a photo of Noona standing there with an awkward smile and her peace sign held high.
...The Noona in the photo was so pure and beautiful it took my breath away.
Pretty.
I should set it as my phone wallpaper.
I secretly smiled with satisfaction and saved the photo.
"I-is that enough pictures? Let's go already."
Noona ran over with her face still burning red and tugged on my hand.
I smiled, slipped my phone back into my pocket, and walked home with her.
...That aside, what should I do with these other keychains? I don't use them, but throwing them away feels wrong...
Oh, right. Come to think of it, Hyejung liked this character, didn't she? I could give them to her.
I took the keychains out, snapped a quick photo with my phone, and sent a casual text to Hyejung.
"...Hyejung! What are you doing!"
"Ah, yes..."
Hyejung had been resting her chin in her hand, blankly watching people walk by, and only snapped out of it when the manager shouted.
She sighed and rose from the counter. The perpetually irritated female manager scanned her with clear displeasure, tapped the sink sharply, and said.
"If you have nothing to do, wipe up the water here. Customers will notice if mold starts growing."
"Yeees..."
"Actually, it's not like you have nothing to do. What about packaging the cake for customer 481? Is it finished?"
"Ah, I'm handling that, Manager!"
From behind her, Hyejung's male junior answered in his usual cheerful, diligent tone while busily wrapping the cake. The manager narrowed her eyes at him, then whipped her head back toward Hyejung, snapped at her, and stormed off.
"Anyway, stop spacing out and find something useful to do. And don't stare at your phone so much. You know we're the only place around here that pays above minimum wage, right?"
"Yeees."
Hyejung answered lifelessly and watched with half-lidded eyes as the manager huffed angrily, got into her car, and drove off for the day.
...Throwing that minimum wage crap around when she only pays five hundred won more, that bitch...
Sigh, do all single women end up with such nasty tempers?
...I hope I don't turn out like that living this way... I really should start dating someone...
Just then, her male junior slid up beside her with that trademark bright smile of his.
"Senior Hyejung, are you okay?"
Hyejung glanced at Jeongin as he leaned against the counter beside her, grinning ear to ear. This brazen junior's name was Jeongin. Coincidentally, he was also a junior in the same department.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Finished packaging?"
"Yes, of course. Customer four-eight-one!"
After handing the cake to the customer, Jeongin let out a long yawn and stretched both arms wide.
He then subtly lowered his arm in front of her and added.
"...No matter how I look at it, the manager seems to pick on you way more than anyone else, sunbae. I think it's because you're too pretty. Hehe."
...Well, it was true the manager seemed especially harsh toward her. It was almost funny that a woman fifteen years older would be jealous of a younger girl.
Hyejung shrugged indifferently and turned to start cleaning the sink as ordered. Jeongin immediately rushed over and snatched the rag from her hands.
"I'll do it, sunbae. Go rest."
"What are you talking about? It's fine. I'll do it, so hand it over."
"It's really okay. The manager already left, so relax as much as you want."
Jeongin smiled brightly, showing all his teeth. Hyejung frowned and shot him a look.
Why is this guy acting like this...? What does he even get out of sucking up to me? He should be sucking up to the manager instead...
Finally Hyejung shook her head and turned away.
"...Fine, then you do it."
Jeongin beamed and gave a playful salute before attacking the sink with energetic wipes. Hyejung leaned against the counter again and stared at her phone in boredom.
Then a notification suddenly chimed.
It was a text from Namhyuk. Hyejung quickly grabbed her phone and examined the picture he had sent.
It was the cute My Melody keychain she liked.
What the... He actually remembered that I like this character...
Hyejung's cheeks warmed for a moment as quiet joy bloomed inside her, but the next second her face creased into a slight frown.
...Namhyuk doesn't have a cute hobby like pulling gacha for dolls. Who did he go with...?
Just then, Jeongin finished cleaning the sink and hurried back over. He leaned against the counter beside her again, breathing hard.
"...Huff, huff.... All done, sunbae."
"Yeah... Thanks."
"...Um, sunbae. If you're free after work today, would you like to grab a drink together...?"
"Ah, sorry. I have CrossFit tomorrow morning. Hey, there are no customers anyway. Let's slowly close up the floor and head out too."
"Ah, yes, yessir... I'll wipe down the tables."
"Yep, go ahead."
Hyejung began the closing cleanup with a deeply troubled expression, her brows furrowed tightly.
