"What's wrong?" Noa asked again, clutching Hana's hand tighter. "Do you know them?"
Hearing this, Hana snapped out of her daze.
"No," she said, just a little too loudly. "I don't know them."
Despite her words, Hana seemed shaken, as if she had seen a ghost, her lips filled with emotions Noa couldn't recognize.
"You are lying," he said, narrowing his eyes.
"No, I am not." She refused to change her stance and urged Noa to move.
He, however, stood firm like a rock, unmoved by Hana's meager strength. "Yes, you are." Noa didn't back down. "I can see through you."
The little girl blinked.
At first, her face flashed red in embarrassment.
Then came the frustration. It seemed like she was angry because she got caught.
But instead of saying it directly, she lowered her head. "I-I don't know. I am sorry, brother." Her voice was low—the lowest Noa had ever heard her speak.
Noa smacked her forehead softly. "You stupid girl," he spoke harshly, then knelt down to her level as his voice lightened. "Why are you apologizing to your brother?"
Hana locked eyes with him, not sure how to answer him.
"Alright, I know what to do," Noa said after patting her head. "Let's forget these stinky brats and have some fun. We came here for that, right? We can talk about this later, and don't forget, I am on your side."
"Sure," Hana nodded.
Her mood improved in an instant.
She no longer looked hesitant, and though her first steps towards the closest bright machine were slow, her eyes sparked quickly after locating the claw machine.
Soon, even her laughter returned.
Noa, meanwhile, glanced at the group of girls, remembering their faces.
He could read Hana's emotions better than anyone else, so he knew her reaction wasn't like her usual self. That's why he gritted his teeth, promising himself to protect his little sister no matter the cost, even if it meant burning the entire city to the ground.
After that, the siblings jumped from one game to another.
Sometimes they won.
Sometimes they lost miserably, and if it weren't for the staff member's kindness, he might never have caught anything in the claw machine.
Be it racing simulators, shooting ranges, or a hammer strength test, they tried everything.
Noa wasn't stingy with his credits either.
Each time Hana laughed, jumped, or clapped with happiness, the emptiness in his heart felt fuller.
The dance machine was particularly hilarious to her.
Why?
Because Noa was stomping his legs like it was his first time dancing. He even slipped once, earning him a "Failed" achievement in the game.
Seeing this, she couldn't stop giggling.
Tears of laughter wet her adorable cheeks, making Noa feel guilty for not bringing her here sooner.
On the other hand, Hana turned out to be an amazing dancer.
She had a good sense of rhythm and hand-eye coordination, almost breaking records on her first try.
At the basketball hoops, it was Noa's turn to show off.
The girls Hana recognized were nowhere to be seen, allowing the siblings to hit some shots as well. Seeing Noa's aim and his successful shots, the few kids nearby cheered.
Hana had a smug expression on her face. It was like she was boasting about how amazing her big bro was.
Between the games, they ate some snacks as well.
Hana's bottomless stomach was quickly filled with cotton candy, popcorn, and cookies. Every time she tried a new flavor, her smile widened, bringing joy to Noa's face.
No matter what they did, the exhaustion didn't seem to catch up with them.
The final machine they had to experience was a claw machine. But it differed from the ones they had tried before.
This one had special figurines from One Piece, and the crowd seemed to be cheering for the contestants.
"Brother," Hana whispered the moment she noticed the people surrounding the machine. It had more spectators than people actually giving it a try.
The reason was simple.
One attempt cost $10, and no one was foolish enough to spend hundreds of dollars on a toy.
But Noa wasn't fazed.
He watched how adults and kids groaned after countless failed attempts. And knowing how much Hana wanted to win this stupid game, there was no way he would betray her expectations.
'I will take this Perona figurine even if I have to spend 2 grand on it,' Noa decided.
Then he slid token after token in, calmly observing the claw's strengths and weaknesses, learning its angles and correct timing.
Whispers quickly spread around him.
"No way!"
"That guy has already spent at least $100, and he is still going."
"He is just wasting money."
Noa ignored them all. The only opinion he cared about was on his side, and seeing how excited Hana looked every time he got close to catching the box gave him motivation to keep going.
Just then—
System notifications appeared out of nowhere.
[New quest available]
[Take the Perona figurine home to make your sister happy. The bigger the reaction you get from the crowd, the bigger the reward will be.]
Noa snorted after quickly skimming through the message.
His and the system's plans had aligned for once without the other side demanding something from him.
So he tried harder… but failed every time.
Despite that, the crowd didn't lose interest in his attempts.
The longer he stayed, the more money he wasted chasing the prize. And people liked that.
Finally, on his hundredth-and-something try, the claw hooked under the box and dragged it slowly to the hole.
The crowd leaned in.
The anticipation grew as the claw jerked, almost slipping the item.
Thankfully, it was dropped right into the prize bin. "YES!" Hana exclaimed at the sound of the machine beeping.
People around them also cheered.
Some genuinely congratulated Noa for winning something no other person had managed to pull off this entire time.
Yet some of them watched him with jealousy.
Hana took the box and hugged it, her voice shaking with happiness. "You are the best!"
Noa smirked, feeling good inside.
This one victory made him feel like he was actually winning in life. But then, his grin faded the moment he noticed a particular trio among the crowd, their eyes clearly locked on Hana.