A Very Difficult Game of Ball
A very difficult game of ball. Oh my god. I never knew in my entire life that so many varieties of donuts existed. A massive array of donuts, boasting sweet aromas and vibrant, eye-catching colors, began to pile up in the center of the table. An endless procession of plates lined the tabletop.
"Whoa!" Rain gripped the edge of the table, kicking her legs in pure excitement. Her eyes refused to budge from a donut coated in strawberry chocolate.
Once the endless parade of plates finally settled, Ferman turned to Shine and me. "If it is not enough, you need only ask for more."
"Yes, sir!" Honestly, there was no way we would run out. Even if we were ability users with high metabolisms, devouring this many donuts in one sitting was a monumental task. Besides, hadn't we just finished eating a full meal?
With such delicious donuts laid out, I wonder when Amy will be back. She hadn't given us an exact time, so she probably wouldn't return until late this evening.
I reached out and grabbed a donut coated in dark chocolate. Shine, after staring intently at the spread, picked up the exact same kind. She brought it to her nose, sniffing it cautiously.
Watching Shine, I took a big bite. Instantly, the rich sweetness of the chocolate and the pillowy softness of the dough exploded in my mouth. Inside was a warm, gooey chocolate filling. My taste buds danced in pure bliss. Kicking my legs in excitement, I let out a silent scream of joy.
Chomp, chomp, chomp. Working my small mouth diligently, I devoured the entire donut in no time, only to spot a cup sitting right in front of me. It was a large, beautiful crystal glass filled with pure white milk. As expected, Ferman had impeccable taste. I flashed him a small smile and gulped down the milk. So good! So good!
Throughout this glorious snack time, a blissful smile never left my face. Completely ignoring the chocolate smudging my fingers, I grabbed and devoured one donut after another. Rain, her cheeks puffed so wide they looked ready to pop, was also moving at lightning speed. Even Victor's hands were a blur. Maintaining a perfectly stoic expression, he continuously shoveled donuts into his mouth. Honestly, Victor was faster than Rain. The moment a plate emptied, a fresh donut materialized to take its place.
"Jeff."
"Yeth?"
Ferman called my name just as I was stuffing my face. I answered with my head turned, my jaw still working furiously. It was only natural—I had to pack away as much as possible before Amy got back.
"Over there... that is to say, do you like your life in the place you have been staying?"
*Munch, chew, gulp.* I kept chewing as I pondered Ferman's question. The place I've been staying? Does he mean where I live with Amy? It wasn't without its minor inconveniences, but overall, it was incredibly comfortable. There was barely any hardship, and as long as I behaved myself, Amy rewarded me with delicious snacks. It was a thoroughly satisfying life. I nodded vigorously. "Yes, I do!"
"Hmm..." Ferman nodded, stroking his chin at my response. I lowered my gaze from his face to look at the table in front of him. A cup of steaming hot coffee sat before him. I stared at it, unconsciously licking my lips.
"No, Jeff. Amy said you aren't allowed to have coffee."
"I know."
Shine, instantly reading my craving, chided me. "Besides, if you drink coffee, you won't be able to sleep."
"Nuh-uh. I sleep just fine."
"You have to fall asleep before I do, Jeff."
"Why?"
"Just because."
I gave Shine a puzzled look. Meeting my gaze, she let out a cryptic smile, her eyes drifting down to the nape of my neck. I raised a hand and rubbed my neck. For some reason, the spot where a faint bug bite from a few days ago remained felt strangely hot.
"Jeff, try this one too." Shine smiled warmly, holding out a large donut. Caught off guard, I opened my mouth and took a bite. It was coated in banana-flavored chocolate.
"Jeff."
"Yeth?"
It was Ferman again. I turned my head, the donut still clamped between my teeth. "If... just hypothetically."
"Yes?"
"If you could live here, how would you feel about that?"
"Here?" I tilted my head. Living here? It sounded wonderful, honestly. Assuming every day was like this, of course. But Amy didn't seem to care for this place very much. I hadn't lived with her for long, but I could tell that much.
"Amy wouldn't like it."
"Ah..."
"And if Amy doesn't like it, I don't want to either."
"I see. I understand."
Ferman's shoulders slumped at my blunt response. I chewed slowly, watching him. Was I too harsh? Depending on how he took it, it might have sounded like I just hated the idea of staying here.
"B-but I'll come visit often!" I quickly added, thinking of Amy. She didn't particularly like this place, but she didn't outright hate it either. I couldn't quite grasp the complicated relationship she had with this place, but it was probably some kind of family issue. If so, maybe if I could get Amy to visit more often, we could resolve whatever it was.
"Really? Together with Amy?"
"Yes!" I blurted out, nodding vigorously. The moment the word left my mouth, I winced internally, but then I remembered that if I clung to Amy's leg and begged, she would usually give in to my unreasonable requests with a sigh. If I begged her like that, wouldn't we be able to visit often? As I offered an awkward laugh, Ferman's hopeful gaze shifted to Shine. She nodded in agreement. "If Jeff comes, I'll come too."
Ferman looked immensely pleased with Shine's response and nodded warmly. "Thank you, Jeff." He offered his gratitude, leaving me to offer another awkward smile, completely baffled as to why he was thanking me.
Our glorious feast was finally drawing to a close. Rain lay sprawled on the sofa, rubbing her round, bloated belly. Shine, also stuffed, had lost all interest in the donuts. Instead, she was busy poking Rain's protruding tummy. Even Victor wore a rare, satisfied smile, wiping his mouth as he finished his fifth cup of coffee.
"Jeff."
"Yes?"
"Shine."
"Yeah."
"Now that you have eaten your fill, it is time to move, is it not?" Ferman said, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
I buried myself deeper into the sofa, hugging a cushion to cover my face. Honestly, my stomach was so full that the mere thought of moving made me lazy. Since Amy wasn't around to scold me, I just wanted to take a nap.
Ferman stood up and gestured to the staff. At his signal, attendants moved in perfect, silent unison, clearing the table in the blink of an eye. "I heard from Victor that you two are quite fond of playing with balls."
A ball? I poked my head up to look at Ferman. Before I knew it, a bright red rubber ball had appeared in his hand. A ball! A real ball! My hips wiggled instinctively as I sat up. I absolutely loved playing with balls. When a ball flew through the air, hit an obstacle, and bounced away, its trajectory became completely unpredictable. I loved that chaotic, irregular movement. A faint memory drifted through my mind, recalling a quote I'd heard once: No one knows which side of the net a clipped tennis ball will fall on.
"Ball!"
"Indeed. Let us play a game of ball."
Bounce, bounce. The ball leaped from Ferman's hand. The bright red sphere, resembling a glossy apple, began to tempt me. As if possessed, I scrambled off the sofa and reached out. With a soft *thud*, the tossed ball landed perfectly in my hands.
"Whoa..." It was incredibly glossy. It was so shiny I could see my own reflection on its surface. It was squishy yet firm, feeling exactly like Shine's cheeks. Shine had also gotten up and was now standing right beside me. "Let me hold it too." She loved balls just as much as I did. Perhaps it was because playing ball was the very first game we had learned after escaping the laboratory. Even during breaks in our grueling training sessions, she could often be found playing with one.
"Lord Ferman... surely you don't mean..." Victor's voice cut in. He was staring at us with an expression of sheer disbelief.
"Shh, Victor. Be quiet."
"Yes, sir..."
"Well, what do you say, Jeff? Shine? Would you like to play a game of ball with this old grandfather?"
Shine and I exchanged glances. A small, knowing smile played on her lips. I nodded back, my face full of confidence. "We'd love to!"
"It would be boring to play without any stakes. We must have a prize."
"A prize?"
"Yes. If you two can manage to separate this ball from my body... yes, I shall give you the company that made these donuts."
"Huh...?"
I stared at Ferman, completely dumbfounded by what I had just heard. Give us the company...? Is he serious? No, is that even possible? As I stared at him in sheer disbelief, Ferman offered a subtle, amused smile. "Is that not enough?"
"No! No, it's not that! It's just..." Honestly, I suspected he was just teasing us. But then again, considering his unfathomable wealth—and the fact that he was Amy's father—it was probably well within his power.
"If we own the donut company, does that mean we can eat as many donuts as we want every single day?" Shine asked.
"Indeed. Every single donut produced by that company will belong to you girls."
"Deal. I'm in," Shine said, stepping in front of me. She looked dead serious about winning this bet.
"Shine...?"
"Think about it, Jeff. Those delicious donuts will be ours. Not bought for us by Amy, but our very own donuts."
I gulped. It was... an incredibly beautiful dream. I could already picture filling an entire room with donuts and swimming in them. "I-I'll do it too!" I declared, taking a bold step forward.
"A bet must be fair, of course. Jeff, Shine, what will you give me if you lose?"
"What we'll give you..." I racked my brain, mentally cataloging my meager possessions. There was Lucy's magic hat and blanket, and then Whitey and Big Whitey. But Big Whitey was a gift from Ferman himself, so betting it felt wrong. I groaned, agonizing over my treasures. Every single one of them was too precious to risk. My stone dinosaurs, Lucy's magic wand, my dinosaur pajamas, and my dinosaur backpack... I couldn't bear to lose any of them.
"I shall make a proposal, then."
"A proposal?"
"Yes. If you lose the bet, you must have dinner with this old grandfather every single day until you return home."
"Dinner...? Are you really okay with just that?"
"Yes. No matter what happens, you must have dinner with me." Ferman nodded, his expression completely serious.
Shine and I looked at each other. A silent agreement passed between us, and we both nodded. "Deal!"
I shouted excitedly and tossed the ball back to Ferman. With a soft chuckle, he caught it effortlessly with one hand. Then, he performed an absolutely mind-boggling trick. As he began to slip off his outer suit jacket, the ball resting on his hand didn't budge a single millimeter. His sense of balance was unreal. He wasn't even gripping it; the ball was simply resting on his open palm, yet it remained perfectly, impossibly still. Shine and I stared at him, completely mesmerized.
"Shall we?" Ferman said, rolling up his dress shirt sleeves now that his jacket was off. Even during this motion, the ball remained utterly motionless. For some reason, he looked incredibly excited. Watching his retreating back as he led the way out of the room, I slowly turned my head toward Victor.
"Um, Victor... you know something about this, don't you?"
"The keep-away game," Victor muttered. "I played it until I was sick of it back in the day."
I swallowed hard and asked, "How many times did you manage to steal the ball from him?"
"Once."
"Once...?"
"I mean, not even once."
I silently squeezed Shine's hand as hard as I could.