Val let out a quiet sigh, shaking her head. She walked up to the machine, dropped a single token into the slot, flicked the joystick once, and pressed the button.
Click. The claw dropped, scooped the cat plushie by its torso, and deposited it neatly into the prize chute on the very first try.
Val picked up the plushie and handed it straight to Yerin. She knew all too well that if Yerin didn’t get the toy, she’d stay in front of that machine until sunset, causing chaos.
"VALERIE! YOU ARE MY HERO!" Yerin squealed in delight, hugging the giant cat plushie before throwing her arms around Val’s neck and clinging to her like a needy girlfriend. "You’re my knight in shining armor!"
Yerin turned to me, sticking her tongue out. "See, Seth? It’s a man’s job to shower his lady with gifts, but Val is doing your work for you! You should be ashamed!"
My lips twitched. I glanced at the machine, then back at Yerin’s smug expression.
’Alright, Paige. Time to cheat,’ I thought.
[Pfft! Host, using god-like reality-warping powers just to win a plushie and flex on your cousin?] Paige giggled in my head. [That is so petty. I love it. Let’s do it.]
I stepped up to the machine, dropped in a token, and grabbed the joystick. With a subtle nudge from Paige, the claw dropped and effortlessly picked up the rarest, largest teddy bear in the machine before depositing it squarely into the chute.
Around us, a few onlookers gasped.
"Whoa! He got the mega-size on the first try?!" a girl nearby exclaimed.
"No way... he actually got it..."
"He’s good with his fingers..."
"He’s kinda handsome too," another girl murmured, sneaking another glance my way.
"Maybe we should ask him to win one for us..."
"That’s crazy! That machine’s been rigged all day!" another girl added.
Within seconds, a small group of teenage girls walked over, smiling brightly as they looked at me with undisguised admiration.
"Hey, you’re really good at this!" one of them said, stepping closer with a sweet smile. "Are you going to keep that teddy bear? Or could you maybe give it to me? You’re really handsome, you know."
Another girl leaned in slightly, giving me a flirtatious wink. "Yeah, if you give it to me, maybe I could show you a good time tonight. I wouldn’t mind a handsome guy like you."
Before I could even open my mouth to politely decline, Yerin stepped between us, shoving her way in with her hands on her hips.
"Back off, ladies!" Yerin declared, her voice sharp and loud enough to draw attention. "He belongs to me, and his tastes are way too high to settle for cheap pickup lines! Move along!"
The girls blinked in shock, visibly annoyed by the sudden interruption. But after noticing Val’s intimidating figure standing right behind Yerin, they clicked their tongues and quickly walked away.
I raised an eyebrow at Yerin as the crowd dispersed. "Belong to you, huh?"
Yerin shrugged, hugging her cat plushie a little tighter. "I’m just protecting my cousin from random predators. You should be thanking me."
I chuckled, glancing around the walkways. "Right. Speaking of attention, have you noticed how many people are staring at us?"
Most of the attention was on Val and Yerin. Even in casual clothes and a face mask, their stunning figures, beautiful hair, and refined aura made them stand out like sore thumbs. Yet not a single one had approached them.
What I didn’t tell them was that the moment we entered the park, I’d quietly instructed Paige to passively deflect any unwanted attention away from Val and Yerin, ensuring we wouldn’t be bothered by random creeps.
Yerin looked at the giant teddy bear in my hands, her eyes sparkling as she reached out for it. "Alright, hand it over! You won it for me, right?"
"Nope," I said with a smirk, pulling the teddy bear back out of her reach. "You already have your cat. This one is for Val."
I turned and offered the giant teddy bear to Val.
Val blinked in surprise, looking from the bear to me. "Young Master, that is not necessary. I am on duty—"
"Take it, Val," I said, meeting her eyes with a sincere smile. "You’ve been carrying the team all day. Consider it a thank you."
Val stared at me for a moment, the slight stiffness in her shoulders easing as she reached out and accepted the giant plushie into her arms. "Thank you, Seth."
"HEY!" Yerin stomped a foot on the pavement, glaring at Val in mock betrayal. "Valerie! Are you really going to take his side?! Give that to me!"
"No," Val replied instantly, hugging the bear firmly to her chest. "It was given to me. It’s mine."
Yerin harrumphed dramatically, crossing her arms. "Fine! I’m only letting this go because you’re my knight!"
I laughed at her dramatic reaction, stepped back up to the machine, and easily won a second giant teddy bear on the next try. Then I tossed it straight into Yerin’s arms.
"YES!" Yerin squealed, her mood instantly flipping to pure joy as she hugged her new prize.
Val took both plushies from us and handed them to a tall man in a suit who suddenly seemed to materialise out of the crowd.
The man bowed deeply to Val, took the giant plushies, and disappeared back into the crowd as quickly as he’d appeared.
I blinked at the empty space where the man had just been standing. "Where did he go? Who was that?"
"Park security," Val explained calmly. "The Fernando Group owns this entire amusement park. Technically, the security director here reports directly to me. I told them to handle our winnings so we wouldn’t have to carry everything around."
I stood there speechless. ’They own the amusement park too?! Just how rich is my family?’
Shaking my head at the Fernando family’s absurd, seemingly limitless wealth, I looked over at Yerin, who was adjusting her hoodie. "Alright, what’s next on the list?"
Yerin looked at me with a mischievous, almost bloodthirsty grin behind her mask. "Next... we fight each other."
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter
