Yamauchi Haruki's voice directly attracted the attention of everyone still shopping around them. After all, with such a loud commotion, who wouldn't hear it? And in a place like Keyaki Mall, no less.
It had to be said that if Yamauchi Haruki went to a circus, he could absolutely become the center of attention there.
Shikime Natsu looked at Yamauchi Haruki with some bafflement. Why did this guy come looking for trouble on his own initiative?
He really doesn't learn his lesson at all, does he? Has he forgotten the tennis imprint on his face so quickly?
At that time, he was knocked to the ground by a tennis ball, trembling in fear. It's only been a few days, and he has actually forgotten it completely.
Shikime Natsu felt he could praise Yamauchi Haruki's self-recovery ability—no, it should be called having thick skin.
After Yamauchi Haruki finished shouting that sentence, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka slowly put a little distance between himself and Yamauchi Haruki. Don't let his appearance fool you; he also wanted to enjoy his high school life properly.
Although Yamauchi Haruki's behavior was always unexpected, forcing Ayanokouji Kiyotaka to distance himself, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka currently only had this many "friends."
However, staying by Yamauchi Haruki's side carried too high a risk of social death.
Ike Kanji also opened his mouth wide, wearing an expression that said, "What the hell are you doing, you Big Idiot Haruki?"
He was certainly jealous of Shikime Natsu too, but jealousy was one thing; shouting like this in the middle of a shopping center under the public gaze was something he truly couldn't bring himself to do. Usually, discussing the size of girls' chests in class with Yamauchi Haruki was about the limit, as they were all acquaintances there, but it was different outside.
As for Sudou Ken, he had a blank look on his face. He looked at Yamauchi Haruki, then at the accused Shikime Natsu, clearly not understanding why things had turned out this way. weren't they just a few good buddies coming out to hang out today?
"Yamauchi-kun, is there... is there some kind of misunderstanding here?"
Kushida Kikyou was the first to react. Her face showed just the right amount of confusion and innocence as she spoke softly, attempting to quell the situation.
"That's right, Shikime-san is a good person..."
Mei-Yu Wang also followed up immediately. Although her voice wasn't loud, she still stepped forward.
The "Good Person Card" came so unexpectedly.
However, the defense from the two beautiful girls not only failed to calm Yamauchi Haruki down, but actually made him explode completely.
"He is deceiving your feelings! I saw it that day! He was with a woman, and they were very close! That person was definitely his girlfriend!"
Yamauchi Haruki's voice grew even louder, and the finger he pointed at Shikime Natsu was trembling with rage.
On what basis! On what basis could someone from Class A get along so happily with the Little Angel of Class D and the cute Mei-Yu Wang? He himself couldn't even enjoy the benefits of being in the same class!
Yamauchi Haruki was very unconvinced; he also wanted to become popular with girls! He felt that as long as he exposed Shikime Natsu's true colors, he could become the hero who saved the two young girls!
The more he thought about it, the more he felt he was overflowing with justice. So, he puffed out his chest and revealed what he thought was a handsome smile to Kushida and Mei-Yu Wang: "Don't date this guy anymore, date us instead! Hey? We absolutely wouldn't do something like two-timing!"
Yamauchi Haruki's voice wasn't small, and especially since it was the weekend, the foot traffic in the shopping center was at its peak.
His declaration immediately attracted the gaze of everyone around.
The onlookers stopped in their tracks one after another, casting their gazes over with great interest.
"..."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka once again silently and soundlessly opened up another half-step of distance.
"Yamauchi-kun, you're talking about Kamuro-san, right? Mei-chan and I know Kamuro-san too. They aren't in a romantic relationship, and... we actually aren't on a date either. We just wanted to ask Shikime-san to help us get a reference for some clothes."
Kushida Kikyou's face still wore a perfect smile, and her form of address shifted quite naturally from the earlier "Natsu" to "Shikime-san."
She knew very well that if she let this guy Yamauchi Haruki hear her intimate address for Shikime Natsu at a time like this, things would definitely become even more troublesome.
However, Yamauchi Haruki's brain clearly couldn't process such complex information. He only heard the words "reference for clothes."
"What the heck! I can do that kind of small thing too! His taste must be terrible! Let me help you choose! Not to mention other things, but back in middle school and elementary school, the clothes I wore for Halloween were the ones everyone liked the most! Look at my current outfit, it's handsome, right? To be honest, on the way here, quite a few girls asked me for my contact information."
He patted his chest and glanced at Shikime Natsu with a look of disdain.
As soon as these words came out, a few stifled sneers could even be heard from the surrounding crowd of onlookers.
Why did these words sound less and less like human speech the more one listened? And to think this guy could say such offensive things so easily.
Especially when everyone's gazes swept back and forth between Shikime Natsu and Yamauchi Haruki. comparing the "character models" of the two, it was clear at a glance who was superior and who was inferior. Combined with what Kushida Kikyou had just said, this guy was just jealous.
"Haruki, how about... we just let it go?"
Ike Kanji finally couldn't withstand the gazes around them that looked at them like they were idiots. He tugged at the corner of Yamauchi Haruki's clothes, so embarrassed that his toes were about to carve out a Barbie Dreamhouse inside his shoes.
"What are you saying, Kanji! This is a great time to invite Kushida and Wang on a date! Don't you always want to find a girlfriend too?"
Yamauchi Haruki completely failed to get his good friend's embarrassment; instead, he started shouting loudly.
"..."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka opened up distance for the third time. This time, he had almost retreated to the edge of the crowd.
Damn, this is too abstract. Shikime Natsu felt that even he, who liked to play abstract games, had to bow down in defeat. He was completely not Yamauchi Haruki's opponent. Yamauchi had even attracted the surrounding people to watch his clown performance. Impressive, truly impressive.
"Yamauchi, personally, I feel that if you want to invite girls, it should be done by displaying your own sincerity and charm, rather than demeaning others like you are doing now. Such behavior won't be liked by girls. Pardon my bluntness, but Yamauchi, your current appearance looks like a monkey after a failed courtship."
If this were the rooftop, Shikime Natsu could guarantee that Yamauchi Haruki's end would be countless times more miserable than Ryuuen Kakeru's. But right now, with so many people watching, Shikime Natsu still had quite an idol burden to maintain. He could only use [Master of Disguise] later to help Yamauchi Haruki put on "The Emperor's New Clothes."
Shikime Natsu's metaphor was quite vivid and evocative. The laughter from the surrounding crowd grew louder; clearly, they all agreed with Shikime Natsu's words.
Yamauchi Haruki's face instantly turned the color of pig liver.
"You... You guy! What charm? Are you saying you have more charm than me? Do you dare to compete with me?"
Yamauchi Haruki pointed at Shikime Natsu and shouted loudly. The people around looked at Yamauchi Haruki with even more bafflement.
Charm? Do you really think you have more charm than Shikime Natsu?
Just based on the character model alone, Shikime Natsu has left you behind by who knows how many streets. And listening to the words spoken, no matter how one looks at it, Yamauchi Haruki is just a clown desperately trying to attract attention.
If it weren't for Yamauchi Haruki, it is estimated that most people wouldn't have stopped here to watch the drama.
"What do you intend to compete in?"
Shikime Natsu raised an eyebrow. If Yamauchi Haruki intended to make a fool of himself further, Shikime Natsu wasn't opposed to satisfying him.
"Compete in that!"
Yamauchi Haruki pointed to the claw machines in the entertainment zone not far away.
"We'll use that to decide the victor! Each person gets five chances. Whoever catches more dolls wins! The winner gains the right to date Kushida and Wang!"
If his luck was good and he could catch one, he would surely win. Even if he lost, Shikime Natsu definitely wouldn't be able to catch one either. It would be a draw then, and his reputation would be preserved.
"I refuse."
Shikime Natsu rejected it directly without even thinking.
"Ha! You're scared after all! You coward!"
Yamauchi Haruki froze for a moment, then was overjoyed. He straightened his body, seeming to tell everyone that Shikime Natsu was a coward, but he was not.
"No, I refuse because I won't treat girls as betting chips or prizes. They are living people with their own thoughts and will. As trophies, no."
Shikime Natsu shook his head.
These words instantly made the eyes of the surrounding girls watching light up when they looked at Shikime Natsu.
Even Kushida Kikyou couldn't help but look sideways at this moment. This pervert could actually say such words? No, this guy was definitely just saying polite platitudes.
Kushida Kikyou recalled that night; if she hadn't pulled Shikime Natsu's hand away, he probably wouldn't have let go of the hand resting on her pudding.
"However... since Yamauchi-kun wants to determine a winner so badly, it's not like I can't keep you company. Only, we have to change the stakes."
Shikime Natsu changed the subject.
"Change to what?"
"Points. How about using points as the prize for the match?"
Shikime Natsu held up one finger. Originally, he wanted to make the other party bark like a dog or something, but... this was a bet in public. Moreover, just that wouldn't cause any damage to Yamauchi Haruki at all, since what he was doing right now was far more shameful than barking like a dog.
"No problem!"
Yamauchi Haruki felt it made no difference. In his view, as long as he could defeat Shikime Natsu here with overwhelming strength, Kushida Kikyou and Mei-Yu Wang would definitely be conquered by his charm!
When that happened, wouldn't a date be easy to get?
"Haruki, is this really okay?"
Ike Kanji leaned over and whispered worriedly.
"It won't... it won't be like the tennis match last time, getting beaten 6-0, right?"
"Relax! Catching dolls is my forte! I'll bet my entire fortune! Six thousand points!"
Yamauchi Haruki patted his chest with full confidence and spoke loudly.
After speaking, he looked at Shikime Natsu triumphantly, as if this were a huge sum of money. Shikime Natsu almost laughed out loud. Six thousand points? Those who didn't know would think it was sixty million.
"Too little."
He shook his head and extended five fingers.
"The stakes are too small to pique my interest. How about this: we bet fifty thousand points."
To be honest, Shikime Natsu felt that whether Class D could produce fifty thousand Personal Points next month was still an unknown. Also, Shikime Natsu remembered that a few days ago, the combined points of Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji didn't even amount to thirty thousand.
"Fi... Fifty thousand!?"
Yamauchi Haruki was directly stunned. He couldn't produce fifty thousand Personal Points right now; it would take at least until next month.
But, looking at the crowd gathering more and more around them, and especially seeing that Kushida Kikyou and Mei-Yu Wang were both watching him, if he chickened out here, he would truly become the laughingstock of the whole school today.
"Bet it is!"
He gritted his teeth and went for broke. Then, he immediately turned around and started doing what he was best at—being shameless.
"Kanji, Ken, Ayanokouji, please, please, lend me points! When I win, I'll treat you to a big meal!"
Under Yamauchi Haruki's relentless pestering offensive, he finally succeeded in scraping together the points from Ike Kanji, Sudou Ken, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Among them, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka contributed the most, because Ike Kanji and Sudou Ken didn't have many points left either.
Looking at the balance on his phone, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was expressionless. Can these points even be recovered?
Just as Yamauchi Haruki gathered the fifty thousand points and prepared to go all out, Shikime Natsu unhurriedly took a contract out of his pocket. This kind of thing was quite useful, and the school recognized it too, so Shikime Natsu basically carried one with him.
"To avoid trouble later, it's better if we sign a paper."
"Huh? We have to sign a contract?"
Yamauchi Haruki was dumbfounded. It's just catching a doll; is this necessary? Besides, it's not like he couldn't afford to pay!
"Sign then! Who's afraid of whom!"
The contract was established, and the gamble officially began.
The group arrived in front of a claw machine filled with cute Shiba Inu plushies.
"I'll go first!"
Yamauchi Haruki couldn't wait to insert the game tokens and grabbed the joystick.
Beyond everyone's expectations, including his own, a miracle occurred.
He just shook the joystick casually and pressed the button estimating the position. That three-pronged claw wobbled as it descended, yet it grabbed the plushie's head with precision, lifted it steadily, and amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, dropped it into the exit with a thud.
Success on the first try!?
For a normal person catching dolls, one could basically say they return empty-handed. Succeeding on the first try was a scene that only appeared in anime.
A small cry of surprise erupted from the surroundings.
Yamauchi Haruki himself was stunned. He looked at the Shiba Inu plushie in the exit, then looked at his own hand. Could it be... I am a legendary doll-catching genius?
Ike Kanji patted his shoulder excitedly.
"Haruki! Amazing!"
Under everyone's gaze, Yamauchi Haruki inserted tokens again. This time, he was more confident, and his operation was much smoother.
Then, the second doll was also successfully obtained.
The crowd's exclamations grew louder.
When Yamauchi Haruki easily pulled out a doll for the third time, he had completely let it go to his head. He felt he was the King of Claw Machines!
"How about it! Shiki, it's not too late to admit defeat now!"
He hugged the three Shiba Inu plushies and looked at Shikime Natsu triumphantly.
"If you aren't willing to admit defeat, do you dare to bet a little bigger and increase it to one hundred thousand points?"
Five chances, and he caught three. How could anyone agree to raise the stakes? Unless that person was a fool.
"Okay."
Shikime Natsu answered lightly, instantly causing quite a few people to freeze.
Mei-Yu Wang immediately clenched the hem of her clothes nervously, looking at Shikime Natsu with great worry. Is it really okay?
While Kushida Kikyou wore a look of concern on the surface, deep within those beautiful eyes, a light of excitement flickered.
It would be best if Shikime Natsu lost; what a pretender! If she could see his expression when he eats crow, Kushida Kikyou felt she would wake up laughing from her sleep.
"Shiki, since that's the case... I... I also want to join the bet. I bet on Yamauchi winning, and I'll also wager one hundred thousand points. How about it?"
Ike Kanji rolled his eyes, walked up to Shikime Natsu, and laughed.
Yamauchi Haruki had already caught three; no matter how you thought about it, he wouldn't lose, right? If Ike Kanji did it himself, he estimated he would miss all five times. Yamauchi Haruki was truly a god descending to earth!
"Okay."
Now the stakes reached two hundred thousand points. It could be said to be quite terrifying, fully equal to two months of living expenses.
"Ken! Ayanokouji! This is a chance to get free money! Come join together!"
Yamauchi Haruki shouted excitedly. He wanted to take his good brothers to make money; from now on, this would be the Yamauchi Group, and they all had to listen to him.
Sudou Ken hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, on the other hand, refused even more decisively. His line of sight had been locked onto Shikime Natsu's face all along. From the start of the gamble until now, this man's expression hadn't changed in the slightest; there wasn't a hint of nervousness.
This was very strange. When things go against the norm, there must be something fishy.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade them, Yamauchi Haruki didn't pay them any more mind. With explosive confidence, he began his fourth attempt.
The claw descended, grabbed, lifted, moved... Success!
The fourth doll was in hand!
The sounds of amazement from the surroundings had already turned into cheers. This guy really had some skill.
Yamauchi Haruki felt he was standing at the peak of his life! The Goddess of Luck was smiling upon him today! Yamauchi Haruki knew he actually didn't know how to catch dolls at all. Besides, catching dolls was originally a matter of luck. If Shikime Natsu had bad luck, there was nothing he could do if he lost.
He took a deep breath and began the fifth time.
This time, after the claw lifted the doll, it shook in mid-air, and the doll slipped from the claws.
Failed.
Despite this, five attempts and four successes—this was already an astonishing success rate of eighty percent!
He was sure to win this duel!
"Two hundred thousand, ah, two hundred thousand..."
Beside him, Ike Kanji had already started counting on his fingers how extravagant his life would be next month, a silly smile hanging on his face.
Yamauchi Haruki stuffed the dolls into Ike Kanji's arms, then lifted his chin at Shikime Natsu.
"Your turn."
____
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