Chapter 62: Claw Machine
"Excuse me, I'm Kouya's cousin. Nice to meet you all for the first time," Kobayashi greeted warmly, her tone polite yet casual, like a practiced office worker used to meeting new people.
"Hello, cousin," Vigne and the others replied quickly, bowing slightly in sync.
"Haha, Kouya must've given you all quite a bit of trouble, huh?" Kobayashi continued, laughing as if she already knew the answer.
"..."
"Are you all his classmates?" she asked again, tilting her head curiously.
"..."
"Actually, Kouya's a good kid. You should all get along well with him, okay—"
Enough already!
What's with that tone, like you're pitching a product on a commercial!
And stop staring at me like that! What's with that face saying, 'this is as much help as your cousin can offer'? Give me a break!
Kobayashi smiled, completely ignoring Kouya's internal screaming. "It's almost noon. How about we all grab lunch together? There's a great restaurant nearby."
"No, no, that's fine!" Vigne waved her hands nervously, her polite smile stiff. The thought of eating lunch with an unfamiliar adult was clearly making her tense.
Tohru, however, looked ready to cheer. "Lunch with Kobayashi-sama sounds like paradise!"
Kobayashi opened her mouth to respond, but her phone suddenly rang. She sighed and pulled it out, answering. "Hello? Oh—what? But I already took the day off today… Yes, I understand… fine."
Her brows furrowed, and she hung up, looking drained. "That was my supervisor. Apparently, something urgent came up and they want me to come in for overtime."
"How could they!" Tohru's anguished cry echoed through the plaza like a wounded dragon. "I stayed up all night out of excitement for today's date with Kobayashi-sama!"
"D-date?!" Satania's eyes widened like saucers.
Even Gabriel and Vigne turned toward them, expressions mixed with disbelief and mild confusion.
Girls… can go on dates with each other?
Was that… even allowed?
"No mistake!" Tohru announced proudly, puffing up her chest like a knight making a vow. "I love Kobayashi-sama more than anyone! My greatest dream is to hold her in my arms every day and roll—ow!"
Kobayashi delivered a perfect karate chop to her head, her face expressionless. "Sorry, my boss is in a hurry."
"That cruel boss deserves to be burned alive!" Tohru declared dramatically, eyes glowing.
Kobayashi sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I promised to spend the day with you all, but it can't be helped. Kouya's here, so why don't you and Kanna go play with him, alright?"
She turned toward Kouya, her expression softening with a pleading look. "Kouya, I'm counting on you. Okay?"
"Got it," Kouya said simply.
"But I only want to be with Kobayashi-sama…" Tohru mumbled, her voice trembling like a sulking child.
"Then I'll leave it to you," Kobayashi said, ignoring her maid's tears entirely. "I'll head to the office now. You all enjoy yourselves, and I'll treat you to dinner next time."
"Kobayashi-sama, please be safe!" Tohru called out, tears glimmering in her eyes as she clutched her heart dramatically, watching her beloved Kobayashi walk away like a soldier heading to war.
When she finally disappeared from sight, the group exchanged awkward glances. The silence was heavy.
Clearly, dragons and demons didn't blend well together.
Finally, Vigne cleared her throat. "Kanna-chan, where do you want to go play?"
"There." Kanna blinked and pointed toward a cluster of claw machines gleaming under the neon lights.
Tohru sniffled, wiped her tears, and nodded. "Then let's go there. Kouya-sama?"
"Sure," Kouya said. "Let's move."
The group headed toward the claw machine area.
The plaza was alive with sound and color. Rows of small stands surrounded the space, filled with food stalls, souvenir booths, and colorful decorations. Music played faintly over the speakers, blending with laughter and chatter. Judging by the festive setup, there must have been a themed event happening that day.
The girls' eyes lit up immediately, curiosity sparkling like stars. Within seconds, they had melted into the crowd, scanning each booth with childlike wonder.
Girls and shopping—some things never changed. They didn't even need to buy anything; just browsing was enough. Meanwhile, Kouya observed them with a faint smirk, thinking about how men were wired so differently—straight to the goal, no detours, in and out in minutes.
Sometimes, it really did feel like men and women were two separate species.
Security guards patrolled nearby, ensuring order despite the crowds. Vendors shouted cheerfully, promoting everything from candied apples to handmade accessories. The air smelled of sweet syrup, fried dough, and fresh cotton candy. Prices were steep, but no one cared—everyone was there for fun.
Even if you didn't want to spend much, there were plenty of games where a bit of luck could win you something. And today, luck seemed to be calling.
Before long, the little angel-demon-dragon squad stood before a long row of glowing claw machines.
Claw machines were practically a national obsession in Japan. Some people spent hours mastering them, others blew through their wallets in minutes.
There were at least twenty machines lined up here—some filled with plushies, others holding drinks, stationery, tiny cakes, or sneakers. Each one flashed with colorful LED lights, accompanied by cheerful jingles and mechanical beeps.
But the busiest ones were, unsurprisingly, the figure machines—limited-edition anime figures worth bragging rights for whoever won them. The crowd around those was massive.
Kanna's attention, however, was drawn to a simpler machine—a classic model packed with adorable animal plushies: bears, cats, rabbits, and a few odd ones mixed in. Among them, some chubby green pigs and wide-eyed birds stood out.
"Kanna, which one do you want?" Tohru asked gently.
"That one." Kanna raised her hand and pointed at a particularly smug-looking green pig with round cheeks and a mocking smile.
You've got to be kidding me.
You've really got… unique taste.
What's so special about that green blob of fabric?!
As a man, Kouya instinctively felt uneasy around anything that was both green and pig-shaped.
"Leave it to me!" Tohru declared, cracking her knuckles dramatically. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing a pale, smooth arm, and inserted a 500-yen coin.
The claw descended.
Then missed.
Then missed again.
And again.
"Ahhhh! Why did it drop?!" Tohru yelled, stamping her foot. "One more time! I'll get it for sure this time!"
"Damn pig! You dare defy a dragon?!"
"Do you believe I won't breathe fire right now?!"
Her outburst drew a few glances from passing families. Clearly, claw machines required finesse, not brute force—and Tohru was the worst possible match for finesse.
After several dramatic declarations of 'one last try,' and after spending far more than she'd admit, she finally caught something.
Unfortunately, it wasn't Kanna's green pig—it was a fat, smirking husky plush.
The husky's slanted eyes and mocking grin perfectly captured the art of sarcasm.
"Damn it!!!" Tohru shouted, shaking the machine.
"Tohru-sama?" Kanna asked softly, blinking up at her.
Tohru froze mid-rant, her fury deflating instantly. She hugged the husky plush tightly and slumped beside the machine in defeat.
"Seems harder than it looks," Vigne murmured, her lips twitching, though her eyes shone with barely contained curiosity.
"It's a game of feel and timing," Kouya said. "Why not give it a try? You might surprise yourself."
Vigne hesitated, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Alright… I'll give it one go. Kanna's green pig still hasn't been caught, after all."
She inserted 500 yen. Three tries.
The claw moved. Dropped. Missed. Teetered. Fell.
After three tries, Vigne puffed her cheeks, biting her lip in frustration.
Kouya tried—really tried—not to laugh.
"Pfft—"
He failed.
Looks like your homemaking and cooking skills don't extend to gaming, huh?
You've got max level housework skills but zero claw-machine talent!
"Don't laugh!" Vigne snapped, blushing furiously, her hands clenching at her skirt.