December 22
"Hey host, those tickets, don't tell me you have forgotten about it? You have four, means you have tickets to waste until you get the item you want. Do you want to use it now?" Luca met the hopeful eyes of the system and can't help but feel a little guilty.
Today is December 22 of the 21th cycle, and Luca still refused to step out of his house. He can't even remember what date it was today. After going through this time loop many times, Luca's sense of time was already lost.
Everyday looks the same. Whether if it's December 18 or December 25, the sky is dim and the clouds shrouded the sun. Snow falls covering the the city little of what it can covered.
Luca stayed inside his house like a NEET, and he almost finished most movies and series on Netflix.
Still, if not for the system reminding him, Luca would almost forgotten about those tickets. And now that he was reminded, Luca even recalled why he wanted this tickets in the first place.
He wanted to get that
Though, he didn't know why, but maybe Luca was just feeling guilty or he just wanted to free his conscience...finding that man and to know how his life is, Luca was definitely thankful to the system for giving this opportunity.
He always wanted to find that person. It's been more than a decade, Luca didn't even know if that person still remembers him. Or maybe he did, and greatly despise him.
After all, if not crippled, that person won't be able to run or walk properly since that car accident.
"Yeah. So, how do I use this?" Feeling the softness of the tickets in his fingers, Luca looked at the gingerbread man that was brimming with light as it finally made Luca compromised with it for the very first time.
Well, that additional task didn't count, since this one didn't have a reward. And this really made the system excited.
"Just hold one ticket for each use, host. When the roulette appear, the ticket will transform into a marble. You know host, that marble they often used in casinos." As the system explain, the roulette appeared. Luca held on ticket and it did transform into a marble, that looks like a candy.
"This seems like your candy cane that was crumbled into a ball." Luca murmur as he observed the marble in his palm.
Meanwhile, when the system heard what Luca had said, somehow, it tightens it hold of its own candy cane.
"Let's start, host." As it said that, the roulette begins to move, like a carousel going round and round. Luca then, dropped the marble casually without even hesitating.
The marble spin around, as the roulette did the same. Until it lost it momentum, the marble went and rest towards a certain red pocket.
When it come to this kinds of game, where player would bet on their luck. Luca wasn't expecting anything. He is one of those people that would bet into every numbers except for one number, yet that one number he didn't bet on turns out to be the winning number.
That's why Luca hated gambling, he always loses.
However, this time surprises him. He went to looked at where the marble went into and can't believe this incredible luck.
He looked at the system. "You're very suspicious. What do you want?"
The system stared back at Luca without batting it's eyes. It eyes sparkles looking happy and excited. 'It didn't even tried to pretend!' Luca cursed inwardly.
"Host, how about we go and take a walk outside. It's been a while since you step out of your house. You could use some fresh air." Seeing Luca being unresponsive, system 1225 can't help but shrugged it's shoulders and thought more excuses. This man is really stubborn as hell. The system was really helpless. "Come on, you already have the locator. How about we use it outside? You know staying inside your house is unhealthy."
Luca hesitated for a moment, but he still agreed in the end. He get up and turned off the TV, and went to get his coat. Luca glanced at the locator in his hand that looks like a simple iPod. Then he carefully placed it inside his pocket.
Walking towards the door, Luca looked back at the gingerbread man. "you're not coming?"
Startled, the system panicked and answered hasty. "I, I am! You, you go first." Ignoring the system's weirdness, Luca went out first time in a while.
Heaving a heavy sigh, the system couldn't help but wipe an imaginary sweat in its forehead. Then it twisted it's body to look at the thing beside it.
It was a digital clock.
Smiling, the system chuckled and then it flew off riding it's snow flake.
Finally gone, the time reading in the digital clock just turned 9:20.