Hiro returned to the alleyway the following evening, his heart still pounding from the events of the day. He carried with him an envelope, filled with crisp banknotes that made his bag feel heavier than it had any right to. As he turned the corner, he spotted Yuki and Mika waiting by the vending machine, their expressions lighting up when they saw him approaching.
"Well, well, look who's here!" Mika said, a teasing grin on her face. "So? How did it go?"
Hiro couldn't help but smile, holding up the envelope triumphantly. "It went even better than I thought. He offered me five million yen for the necklace. Five million! I swear, we hit the jackpot with this thing."
Yuki's eyes widened, and even Mika's grin faded, replaced with a look of astonishment. "Five million? Are you serious, Hiro?" Mika asked, her voice filled with awe.
Hiro nodded, his excitement bubbling over. "Yeah, can you believe it? We can do so much with this money—buy better stuff, invest, or even hit up the machine again. We're onto something huge here!"
But Yuki didn't look as thrilled. Her brow furrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest, her expression growing serious. "This seems too easy. Did he just give you that much money? That's not normal, is it?"
At her words, they all stopped. Mika also felt it seemed too easy and suspicious, and she looked at Hiro for an answer.
Hiro blinked, the smile faltering on his face. "Well… I did lie a little bit; I mean, I couldn't just say the truth, could I? So I told him I was trying to raise money for disaster relief."
While his words made sense, it felt wrong; Yuki hadn't liked this from the start; finding interesting snacks was one thing, but expensive jewelry was another thing altogether, and now they were lying as well.
Yuki's expression darkened, and she let out a frustrated sigh. "You lied to him? You told him you were raising money for the Tokyo attack victims, and now we're just keeping all the cash? Hiro, that's wrong! People actually need help, and you used that as an excuse."
Hiro frowned, his excitement fading as Yuki's words hit him. "Come on, Yuki. It was just a story to get a better price. Besides, it's not like we owe anyone anything. We found this machine, we took the risk, and now we're reaping the reward. Why do we have to feel guilty about that?"
Yuki shook her head, her voice firm. "Because it's not right, Hiro. You used people's suffering as leverage to make a profit. That's not something we can just brush off. If we're going to keep this money, we should at least do something to help. We should donate part of it—half, at least—to the relief efforts."
"Half?!" Hiro's voice rose, his frustration clear. "Yuki, do you realize how much money we're talking about here? That's two and a half million yen! We worked for this—we went to that vending machine day after day, took the risks. And now you want to just give away half of it?"
Mika stood between them, her eyes darting back and forth as the argument escalated. "Alright, alright, let's calm down, both of you," she said, raising her hands. "I get where you're both coming from. Yuki, I understand why you feel this way. And Hiro, I get it—you want to keep what we've earned. But maybe we can find a middle ground here."
Yuki and Hiro both turned to look at her, the tension between them still palpable. Mika took a deep breath before continuing. "How about this—we donate half of the money, like Yuki suggested. But we also give away some of the stuff we got from the vending machine that we can't really sell for much. You know, the clothes, the games, the snacks—all the random stuff. That way, we're not only donating cash, but we're also giving away things that might make people's lives a little better. It's a win-win."
Yuki's expression softened slightly, and she nodded slowly. "That… actually makes sense. It would still be helping people, and we wouldn't be holding onto things we don't need."
Hiro sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked at Mika, then at Yuki, his shoulders slumping. "Fine. We can do that. We'll donate half the money and the stuff we can't use. But after that, we're being smarter about this, okay? No more making promises or lies we can't back up."
Yuki smiled, the tension in her shoulders easing. "Deal. As long as we're doing some good, I'm okay with that."
Mika grinned, giving both of them a playful nudge. "See? We're a team, remember? We can figure this out together."
The following week was a whirlwind of activity. Hiro, Yuki, and Mika decided to divide their tasks to make the most out of what they had. They each took different valuables, agreeing not to sell anything to the same shop again, to avoid raising suspicions. They also made a list of all the items they had that they could donate—clothes, games, snacks, and trinkets that, while fascinating, didn't have much market value.
Hiro went to a high-end pawn shop across town, carrying with him a set of earrings and a bracelet from the vending machine. This time, he used the same story, but he meant it—he really was going to donate half of the money.
The jeweler was impressed with the quality, commenting on the uniqueness of the items, and offered Hiro 1.8 million yen for both pieces. Hiro accepted, feeling a sense of satisfaction mixed with lingering unease.
Yuki, on the other hand, found herself at a small electronics store, trying to sell some of the tech they had gotten—strange gadgets that seemed advanced, yet unfamiliar. The shopkeeper, an older man with a keen eye, examined each item carefully, eventually agreeing to pay her 1.2 million yen for a handheld gaming device and a sleek, unbranded tablet.
Yuki made sure to mention that part of the proceeds would be donated to help the victims of the Tokyo attack, and the shopkeeper nodded approvingly, adding a little extra to the payment as his own contribution.
Mika took some of the less valuable items—silk scarves, dresses, and small trinkets—and visited a local flea market. She managed to sell a few of the items, but more importantly, she also spoke to one of the vendors who worked with a local charity.
The vendor agreed to take a large box of clothes, games, and snacks to distribute to those in need. Mika felt a warmth in her chest as she watched the box being loaded up, knowing that these items would bring some comfort to people who had lost so much.
That evening, the three of them gathered back at Yuki's apartment. The atmosphere was different now—less tense, more hopeful. They laid out the cash they had earned on the table, a sizable stack of yen that felt almost surreal.
"So," Mika said, her voice light, "we made a pretty good haul today. And we've got donations lined up, too. I think we did good, guys."
Yuki nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Yeah. It feels… right. We're still making money, but at least we're doing something good with it."
Hiro sighed, looking at the cash, then at his friends. "I guess you were right, Yuki. It does feel better this way. I mean, we're still making a profit, but we're also helping people. I can live with that."
Mika grinned, nudging Hiro playfully. "See? I told you, it's all about balance. We get to be adventurous, make some money, and do some good. It's the best of all worlds."
Hiro rolled his eyes but smiled. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't let it get to your head, Mika."
They all laughed, the tension from before finally dissipating. They knew they were treading a fine line—dabbling in something strange and potentially dangerous. But as long as they stuck together, they felt they could handle whatever came their way.
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Though as they slowly started to make money for themselves and for those in need, they also drew attention onto them.
Some of that attention was good; they had even been featured on TV, and their display of doing something for those who needed help was used to inspire others to do the same. Causing some people to truly sell off their jewelry.
Yet, that wasn't the only type of attention they gathered; after all, the amount of stuff they were selling wasn't small, and some of the things were impossibly rare; large pink diamonds weren't common, so a bracelet with them drew attention.
One group in particular was always ready to step in at the slightest hint of something strange going on. It didn't take long before someone from the SCP Foundation was dispatched to figure out if anything strange was going on.