Yukino seemed quite displeased with Hoshimi's interaction with the young woman earlier, and continued to throw subtle jabs at him from different angles.
It wasn't until the waitress brought over the desserts and drinks that Yukino finally stopped.
She sipped her coconut water and asked, "Hoshimi, your card should still be an FP card, right? What attraction is it for?"
"Let me see..." Hoshimi took out his FP card and checked. "It's called... Buzz Lightyear's Space Adventure. Does that mean we're just going to sit in a 'little cart' and enjoy the scenery again?"
Yukino: "Although there are slight differences, that's basically it."
"Ah~~" Hoshimi leaned weakly on the table, his arms flailing aimlessly in the air. "It's that kind of ride again~ I don't want to sit in a 'little cart' anymore. Are there any more exciting attractions?"
Looking at Hoshimi acting like a child, a slight smile unconsciously crept up on Yukino's face. She picked up a macaron and offered it to Hoshimi.
"Ah~" Hoshimi opened his mouth and, as he bit into the macaron, he couldn't resist licking Yukino's delicate fingers.
"..." Yukino felt a twinge in her heart and playfully pinched Hoshimi's cheek.
"Hoshimi..." Yukino leaned closer, staring into his crimson eyes.
"Hmm?" Hoshimi raised his eyes and met Yukino's gaze.
"After we finish eating, let's go to the ocean section. There should be more thrilling attractions there."
"Really?" Hoshimi's eyes lit up, the red in his irises shimmering slightly.
"Yes, I remember there are roller coasters, volcano rides, and bumper boats over there. You should like those, right?" Yukino's eyes curved into a smile, with a subtle hint of mischief hidden within.
"..." Hoshimi blinked.
Volcano ride and bumper boats sound fun, but roller coasters... aren't those basically just another version of a thrill ride?
As a human, it's better to keep your feet on the ground—no need to keep flying around in the air.
"Finish your food quickly. Once we're done, we'll head over. We don't have FP cards for those attractions, and waiting in line will take up a lot of time." With that, Yukino picked up another macaron and fed it to Hoshimi.
Scratching his head, Hoshimi sat up and drank a few sips of coconut water.
Just hearing about waiting in line made him less eager to go...
But since Yukino brought it up, it would be rude to decline. Maybe the lines won't be too long after all.
While contemplating, Hoshimi picked up the pace with his food.
Not long after, the two finished their meal and held hands as they headed towards the ocean section.
"Huh?"
On the way, a familiar black-and-white figure appeared in the corner of Yukino's vision, and she instinctively turned her head to look.
"What's wrong?" Hoshimi asked.
"..." Yukino couldn't take her eyes off a life-sized, slightly menacing panda plush not far away.
Is that... Panda Pan-san?!
A panda this big?! I really want to take it home...
Seeing Yukino's eyes glued to the life-sized panda plush, Hoshimi also looked over with interest.
At first glance, the black-and-white panda plush didn't seem all that different from a typical panda toy, but upon closer inspection, there was something special about this 'Pan-san.'
The most striking difference was the 'black circles' around Pan-san's eyes. The right one was a regular black circle, but the left one was shaped like a star. Both eyes were slightly shifted to the left, and paired with its sharp white claws, the panda gave off a unique vibe.
That mix of cuteness with a hint of menace made it irresistibly eye-catching.
After a few glances, Hoshimi asked, "Yukino, do you like this plush?"
"Mm..." Yukino didn't answer, but her inability to look away said it all.
Hoshimi chuckled silently and led Yukino towards the life-sized panda plush.
The panda plush was displayed outside a shop, placed on a delicate wooden rack, clearly meant to attract the attention of passersby.
Generally, kids find it hard to resist such oversized plushies. Once they spot one, they can't help but drag their parents over for a closer look.
It seemed the shop's strategy was working.
At the moment, the giant panda plush had not only caught the attention of some kids but also the affection-starved Miss Yukinoshita.
As they got closer, Hoshimi noticed a small wooden sign next to the panda plush, written in cutesy font.
"Disneyland Exclusive Giant Pan-san!! Now part of a raffle game! For just 666 yen, you have a chance to win it!"
Hoshimi raised an eyebrow. A raffle? 666 yen per ticket isn't too expensive, roughly the same as the cost of a typical prize draw.
But what are the odds? This giant Pan-san must be the grand prize, right? How many tickets are there in total? What are the chances of hitting the grand prize?
How much would it cost to buy up all the tickets?
"Dad~~ I want this~~ Let's do a few tries~~ Maybe... five, no, ten tries!"
"...Alright, let's give it a go."
"Yay! Dad, you're the best!"
"...Good girl~ Let's go inside and see where we can buy the tickets."
Listening to the conversation between the father and daughter next to him, Hoshimi's expression became somewhat odd.
He glanced at Yukino's side profile and asked, "Yukino, should we try as well? We might get lucky and win it."
Yukino turned her head, her cheeks slightly flushed, and softly replied, "Mm... let's try."
Hoshimi's expression grew more playful as he looked at Yukino's profile. Lowering his voice, he teased, "Good girl, let's go."
"Huh?!" Yukino's ears perked up, and she quickly turned her head to glare at Hoshimi. "What did you just say?"
"Ahem~" Hoshimi cleared his throat, took Yukino's hand, and started walking towards the shop. "Yukino, let's go, before someone else wins it."
"..."
Staring at Hoshimi's back, Yukino let out a faint hum.
Give him a little sunshine, and he'll brighten right up. Give him a bit of water, and he'll flood the place. Hoshimi really can't be spoiled too much.
He just softened a little, and now he's trying to take advantage of me.
"Huh? They have claw machines too?"
Once inside, Hoshimi noticed something unique about this store.
It wasn't your typical shop—it specialized in claw machines, capsule toys, and prize draws.
The store was filled with all kinds of plushies, ranging from Disneyland exclusives to toys from outside brands.
"Yukino, Yukino, look! This claw machine is full of 'Pan-san' plushies!"
Hoshimi, having made the discovery by chance, pulled Yukino over to a claw machine filled with 'Pan-san' characters.
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[30 Bonus Chapters: https://www.patreon.com/cherryblooming]