"Fi-finally it's over..."
Two minutes, or to be stricter, one full ride on the roller coaster only lasted one minute and forty-five seconds.
But in Mortis's perception, this short one minute and forty-five seconds was as hard to endure as a whole past year.
Even after getting off the ride, her legs were still weak, her head spinning, her stomach churning. If one had to describe her expression now with a word, it could only be "life has no meaning."
And because of that, Mortis didn't notice a critical detail that should have raised her guard.
Mutsumi, without making a sound, quietly released the interlocked fingers with her brother.
Although still longing for that warmth, continuing further might risk exposure. So, it's best to stop here.
Only...
'This feeling of secretly holding Onii-chan's hand behind someone else's back. Somehow, it feels rather strange.'
Like guarding a secret only she knew in the whole world, worrying it might be discovered by others on one hand, while on the other hand, feeling a bit satisfied and secretly pleased, as if monopolizing a precious treasure.
Noticing Mutsumi's movement, Kaito didn't mind.
The girl had only grabbed his hand out of fear, now that the roller coaster ride was over, letting go was normal.
He glanced at Mortis, whose eyes were still lifeless. Seeing how the girl couldn't even stand steadily, he found it both amusing and helpless.
"I told you already, the roller coaster would be scary... Are you okay?"
"Of-of course I'm fine!", Being stubborn is part of the tsundere charm. One second she was listless, the next she straightened up, hands on hips, declaring with certainty, "Just two minutes! That's nothing! I could totally ride it a few more times."
"I see, looks like I underestimated you," Kaito nodded slightly, "Then let's ride it again. I happen to still want to experience it a few more times."
'That's not good at all!'
Mortis put on a serious face, "Actually I don't really mind, but this kind of intense ride might not be good for Mutsumi's heart. As a good sister, I can't do something that would hurt Mutsumi."
"It's okay," Kaito raised his eyebrows slightly, leisurely looking at her, "Let Mutsumi wait below for a bit, and the two of us can ride again."
"Tha-that's no good either!", Mortis stammered for a while, racking her brains, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "We came as three people, so of course we should play as three people! Right, Mutsumi!"
"Actually, if it's just riding the roller coaster again...", Thinking of how she could openly use "being scared" as an excuse to interlock fingers with Onii-chan, and behind that dummy Mortis's back, Mutsumi tilted her head slightly, her soft green hair falling smoothly down like a shimmering river in the sunlight, "I don't mind."
'BUT I MIND!'
"A-anyway, since we're at an amusement park, we definitely should try a variety of attractions. Only playing one thing is boring... Ah! Look!", Mortis, still fumbling for an excuse, suddenly pointed to a spot not far away, her face full of delight.
'How to evaluate this... This girl's way of changing the subject is still as clumsy as ever.'
Oh well. Kaito didn't continue to tease her, if she blew up, it wouldn't be good, and instead looked in the direction of her fingertip.
There stood several operating claw machines. Even from a distance, you could see them packed with lots of fluffy and adorable plush toys.
Claw machines were quite common: shopping malls, amusement parks, cinemas, arcades... you could find them in many places.
Kaito wasn't particularly interested in plushies. After all, there was already a real cat at home, living ones felt better than dead ones when hugging.
But for young girls, the lethality of plush toys was still high. At least, Mortis couldn't resist them.
The girl grabbed the hem of his shirt while pointing at a rainbow pony-shaped plush inside the claw machine, expertly acting spoiled, "Onii-chan, I want that one!"
Not only that. Even the always calm and reserved Mutsumi rarely showed an expression of "wanting something," though the plush she had her eye on was a chubby little seal, looking adorably goofy.
Fulfilling the wishes of his younger sisters was also a brother's duty.
As a qualified Onii-chan, such a small task was a piece of cake. Kaito didn't refuse and stepped forward.
There weren't many people around. Just two girls who looked like JKs standing at one machine, one of them focused intently on the claw while gripping the joystick tightly, not even daring to breathe.
Just as the claw grabbed the plush they wanted and started lifting it slowly, both girls' faces lit up with excitement.
Unfortunately, the moment the plush reached the top, the claw seemed to lose all its strength and shook slightly.
With a "clack" sound, the plush dropped back down, all their effort, wasted.
"Ah! So close!"
"Why is it always just a little off!"
The overlapping groans of frustration made it obvious this wasn't their first failure.
In fact, most claw machines were rigged. Unless your technique was top-notch, for normal people playing these was no different than handing over free money.
Kaito had never tried claw machines before, but he'd seen some tips shared online, like the classic swing grab.
He lightly moved the joystick. Unfortunately, the claw was very steady, not wobbling even slightly.
Clearly, this amusement park played dirty, having long added anti-sway mechanisms to the machines to prevent shortcuts.
Mutsumi noticed this detail right away. She had played claw machines before and understood their difficulty.
After thinking for a moment, the girl pointed at a certain plush and casually said, "Onii-chan, can you help me get this one?"
Kaito looked at where she was pointing, it was a mini Kumamon. Not particularly cute, at least not the kind that usually appeals to girls. But its position was excellent, closest to the drop chute, no obstacles around it, highest chance of success.
'Was Mutsumi lowering the difficulty on purpose because she is worried I might fail?'
He shook his head slightly, "Let's go for the little seal instead. I saw you staring at it earlier, you must really want it, right?"
Mutsumi hesitated for a second but didn't say more. She simply held out her hand, palm quietly holding several coins.
"Two should be enough," Kaito didn't take more. One for Mutsumi's seal, one for Mortis's rainbow pony, just two plush toys, no more coins needed.
As for whether he might fail?
That thought never even crossed his mind.
[🎉September's here. First week(Sep 1–Sep 7), 25% off on Patreon. Grab the deal before it's gone! ✨]
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.