Keita Imaizumi didn't get discouraged. He inserted a few more tokens and tried several times in a row.
Each time, he failed at the last moment.
Watching the tokens in his hand dwindle, Shio Lemon couldn't help but pat his arm.
"Alright, alright, Kei-chan, you go rest on the side for a bit. Let me try!"
She took the remaining tokens from Keita Imaizumi's hand, flexed her wrist with a determined look.
"Let me show you my real skills!"
However, reality was cruel.
Shio Lemon also tried several times, but the results were the same as Keita Imaizumi's - failure.
"Damn it! Why won't it come up!"
She slapped the glass of the crane game in frustration, her face full of annoyance.
Keita Imaizumi looked at her like this, teased Shio a bit, then went to exchange for a few more tokens and stuffed them into Shio Lemon's hand.
"Don't lose heart. Give it another try."
Keita Imaizumi encouraged Shio Lemon relaxedly, "Even though I didn't get it either, I remember watching a tutorial video on techniques."
"It said that grabbing dolls sometimes depends more on skill and observation, brute force alone isn't enough."
As he spoke, he pointed to the small cat keychain that was pressed underneath next to the Shiba Inu doll.
"Look, you can try using one attempt to push the one next to it first, to slightly shift the Shiba Inu's position. I think it'll be easier to grab then."
"Huh? You can do that?"
Shio Lemon inserted the token into the slot and began operating again according to Keita's instructions.
This time, she didn't directly aim for the Shiba Inu. Instead, she used the claw to gently push the cat keychain beside it.
Sure enough, after the keychain was pushed aside, the position of the Shiba Inu doll changed, revealing an angle that was easier for the claw to grip.
Shio Lemon's eyes lit up, and she immediately seized this opportunity.
The claw descended, firmly grabbing the Shiba Inu's body, then steadily rose, moved, and finally dropped into the chute.
"Wahhhhhh! I got it! I got it!"
Shio Lemon let out an excited scream, immediately bending down to pull the long-desired Shiba Inu doll from the chute.
Holding the soft plushie, she happily spun around on the spot, her face filled with undisguised joy.
Keita Imaizumi looked at her like this and also turned his head, smiling along.
Almost at the same time, Keita Imaizumi grabbed a Shiba Inu doll of a different color from another machine.
"Here."
He held the doll out to a slightly dazed Shio Lemon.
Shio Lemon looked at the doll in his hand, then at the one in her arms, a blissful expression appearing on her face.
"Kei-chan! You're amazing too! You actually grabbed one as well!"
The two walked out of the Arcade holding their respective "spoils of war."
Shio Lemon hugged the Shiba Inu doll, walking beside Keita Imaizumi, the smile on her face never fading.
She tilted her head, remembering what Anna Yanami had said to her before.
Shift the time you used to spend on other things - to the club, or to a new hobby.
And, find one... or a few people you can trust to be with you, instead of forcing yourself to endure alone.
So... that's what she meant.
"Hey, Kei-chan."
Shio Lemon suddenly stopped walking and spoke softly.
"Hmm?"
"Thank you."
Shio Lemon looked at him, gratitude in her eyes.
"I feel... the method you suggested to me before... was actually quite helpful."
"Right now, I feel... I'm not that upset anymore."
Keita Imaizumi looked at her face, which had regained its sparkle, and felt genuinely happy for her.
He nodded, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"I'm glad you feel that way. That's the best possible outcome."
The two continued walking side by side. A shop specializing in purikura (sticker photo booths) caught Shio's attention.
The sign at the entrance was decorated with all sorts of cute and funny accessories and sample photos.
Shioyaki Lemon's footsteps stopped, her gaze falling on what looked like the latest model of a photo booth machine, her face full of eagerness.
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