Carlo's heart felt heavy with a mixture of emotions as he left the main building after witnessing Honey's triumphant painting. Lost in his thoughts, Carlo absentmindedly wandered to a nearby table, his eyes widened with sheer joy and excitement as he stumbled upon a bunch of Hamadayama Lottery Tickets spread out on the table.
It was as if the heavens had answered his prayers. With a child-like glee, he felt the urge to kneel on the floor and thank the universe for this unexpected gift. "Thank you, God!" he whispered, unable to contain his delight.
Just as Carlo was about to reach for the tickets, a sudden gust of wind blew through him. In walked Edward, his eyes burning with determination, and without a moment's hesitation, he snatched the lottery tickets from the table.
"I'll take these tickets," Edward declared, his voice filled with a mischievous air. Carlo's heart sank in disappointment as if he had just witnessed a cruel prank orchestrated by fate.
"He's a devil..." Carlo muttered under his breath, feeling both exasperated and amused by Edward's antics.
With a sly grin, Edward turned to Carlo, holding the lottery tickets tightly in his grasp. "You snooze, you lose, my friend," he teased, knowing he had successfully stolen Carlo's moment of happiness.
"You're impossible," Carlo said while shaking his head in mock defeat.
☘
Evie continued to cry heavily in her pottery room, her heart weighed down by the hurtful words Max had said to her earlier. The pain was raw, and she couldn't shake off the feeling of rejection. As she sobbed, Edward unexpectedly entered the room with his usual mischievous grin.
"Even if you cry, I won't forgive you," Edward proclaimed in his typical teasing manner. Evie sniffled, trying to regain some composure, but her heartache was still evident.
"Why are you here?" Evie asked, her voice shaky.
"As punishment, you will have to come to the raffle. I'll crush your old man right in front of your face," Edward declared with a sense of confidence.
Evie shook her head, feeling too vulnerable to face such a challenge. "I'll pass," she said softly, her voice breaking.
Edward, undeterred, moved closer and said, "Between us, there aren't any rules like passing."
She looked up at him with a mixture of confusion and despair. "It's impossible," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Edward, ever persistent, leaned against a nearby table and smiled at her. "What's impossible?" he asked, his eyes locking with hers.
Evie hesitated, unsure of how to express her feelings. "I can't face Max anymore," she admitted, her vulnerability laid bare before him.
Unfazed, Edward straightened himself and stood tall. "It's okay. You don't have to look at his face. Just look at my dependable back or something," he offered with a lighthearted tone, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
His words seemed to strike a chord in Evie's heart. She wiped away her tears, feeling a mix of emotions inside her. Edward had always been an enigma, but in moments like these, he showed a side of himself that made her realize he cared about his friends.
"You're really weird, you know that?" Evie said, half teasing and half grateful.
Edward grinned mischievously. "Yeah, I've been told," he replied playfully.
As Evie looked at him, she felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe she didn't have to face everything alone. Edward's unexpected presence and support made her feel like she wasn't completely lost in her pain.
With a newfound determination, she nodded. "Fine, I'll go to the raffle," she agreed, feeling a small sense of relief.
Edward's grin widened, and he patted her shoulder. "That's the spirit! Just take it one step at a time," he encouraged.
In that moment, Evie realized that even amid her struggles, she had a friend who cared. It might not be an instant fix to her heartache, but knowing she had someone like Edward by her side gave her the strength to face the challenges ahead.
☘
The sun shone brightly in the sky as the five of them marched towards the plaza, their steps synchronized like a band ready to take on the world. Evie, Edward, Carlo, Max, and Honey faced Evie's father and the elders with determination in their eyes, prepared for whatever challenge lay ahead.
As they approached, Evie's father and Edward locked gazes, the air tense with unspoken rivalry. The elders looked on, curious to see what would unfold between the two spirited individuals.
Suddenly, the sound of a revving engine caught their attention, and they turned to see a blue car, the grand prize of the shopping market, being driven by none other than Romaya himself. The unexpected sight left Max, Edward, and Carlo dumbfounded, their jaws dropping in disbelief. Romaya waved to them with a confident smirk, as if he had just conquered the world.
"That's unbelievable..." Max muttered, unable to comprehend how Romaya managed to win the special prize two years in a row.
Carlo shook his head in amazement. "Getting the special prize again? He's on another level," he said, admiring and envious of Romaya's extraordinary luck.
Edward chimed in, still in awe. "He definitely is a legendary person," he said, acknowledging Romaya's seemingly unstoppable streak of good fortune.
The elders, impressed by Romaya's feat, clapped in admiration, as if acknowledging his prowess in the lottery game.
As they stood there, witnessing Romaya's triumph, the five of them couldn't help but feel a mixture of surprise, envy, and amusement. Romaya's charismatic presence and uncanny luck were both impressive and exasperating, and they couldn't deny the legend that seemed to surround him.
Carlo's eyes sparkled with longing as he gazed at the Flat Screen Television, the coveted 2nd prize of the lottery. He couldn't help but imagine how perfect it would look in his room, and the thought of winning it made him eager to take a turn at the wheel.
Turning back to his friends, Carlo proposed an idea, "Uh, this is just a suggestion, but... Since we have five turns, how about we each take a chance, and whoever wins the television gets to keep it?" He couldn't hide his desire to win the prize, hoping his friends would agree to his plan.
However, his enthusiasm was met with immediate rejection. Max shook his head firmly, "Denied." Evie followed suit, "Denied," though she couldn't help but smile at Carlo's determination. Honey paused for a moment, her eyes gleaming with amusement, and then chimed in, "Denied," her smile still radiant.
"Even you, Honey..."
Carlo let out a disappointed sigh, unable to sway any of them to accept his idea. Just as he was about to give up hope, Max pointed out, "More like, Edward is already turning it." Carlo's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Edward taking his 4th turn at the wheel. To his dismay, the white marble was released once again, indicating no win.
Edward, now annoyed, turned to Evie's father and exclaimed, "Does this wheel even have a 'win' slot?" The elders chuckled at Edward's misfortune, teasing him for his lack of luck. Edward retorted, "It's ridiculous! I've spun it so many times, and nothing!"
Evie's father, not one to back down, responded angrily, "Don't blame your bad luck on the lottery!" His temper flared as he grabbed Edward's collar, ready to escalate the situation.
Before things could get out of hand, Evie rushed to intervene, trying to stop the brewing conflict. The elders also stepped in to prevent any further escalation. "Stop it already, you two!" Evie pleaded, her voice tinged with frustration. "Look, you're scaring the kids!" she added, gesturing to the crying children who were witnessing the commotion.
Edward and Evie's father paused, realizing the impact of their actions on the children. They reluctantly let go of their anger, both feeling a bit embarrassed by their behavior.
Edward pushes Evie's father, and the elders quickly catch him before things escalate further. Carlo rushes to Edward, saying, "Hey, Edward! Wait a minute!" He pulls Edward back and holds his arm firmly, trying to calm him down. "Edward! There's one spin left in the raffle. It can't be you, okay?" Carlo pleads.
Edward grunts in frustration, realizing he had used up most of the lottery tickets. "Isn't there anyone else who might have a chance to win?" he asks, looking around.
Max joins the conversation, saying, "It's the same odds for everyone, Edward."
Edward, still feeling competitive, says with confidence, "Next time, I'll definitely win. Leave it to me."
But Evie suddenly notices that Honey is about to take the last spin. "Guys, look!" she exclaims, pointing towards Honey, who is already standing in front of the wheel. The others turn their attention to Honey just in time to see her spin the wheel.
Honey smiles mischievously and says, "In Crescendo, if you space out like that, someone else is going to take your turn for the lottery."
Honey spun the wheel while the others wanted to stop her but they were too late. A golden marble comes out, and the four of them are left in shock.
Carlo's jaw drops, and he exclaims, "It came out!"
Max can't believe it and asks, "Seriously?"
Edward, still reeling from the surprise, mutters, "She's a genius."
Evie can't help but smile, saying, "Honey, you're amazing!"
Evie's father rings the bell, announcing, "We have a winner!" The other people in the market cheer and applaud, congratulating Honey on her win. Evie's father then announces, "Fifth prize: a swimming tube set!" As they bring out a golden floatable buoy, golden flippers, and golden snorkeling gear, the five friends look annoyed and disappointed, having hoped for the grand prize.
"Wait! Why is it a swimming tube set?" Carlo voiced his complaint, trying to make sense of the peculiar prize.
Evie's father let out a sigh and held up the prize, presenting it to Carlo. "Look carefully. It's gold, isn't it? The flippers are gold, and the snorkel is gold, isn't it?" he said, clearly reveling in the silliness of the situation.
Edward's jaw dropped as he realized the ridiculousness of the prizes. "Is that even possible?!" he exclaimed in disbelief.
Max joined in, pointing to the 1st prize, the meat, with his finger. "What about the meat?" he asked, seeking an explanation.
Evie's father responded matter-of-factly, "That's meat, and the meat is a red and white-striped ball."
Edward, unable to hold back his frustration, suddenly snapped, "This is a con! A fraud!" He leaped over the table, grabbing Evie's father's collar in anger. Evie and Max rushed to restrain Edward, while the elders intervened to pacify Evie's father. The ordeal drew the attention of onlookers, and the children around them began to cry.
Amidst the chaos, Carlo couldn't bear to see Honey looking so despondent. He called out to his friends, "Guys!" But his voice was drowned out by the commotion, and nobody seemed to hear him.
Frustrated by the lack of attention, Carlo raised his voice again, shouting, "Guys!!!" This time, his friends halted their quarrel and turned to look at him.
With a warm smile, Carlo suggested, "Why don't we all go to the ocean together?" The response from Evie, Max, and Edward was a puzzled "huh?!" They couldn't fathom the sudden change of topic.
Carlo's gaze fell on Honey, and he continued, "We just won a swimming tube, so why don't we go to the ocean? Remember, Honey? You mentioned earlier that you wanted to see the ocean. So, why don't we all go together? It'll be fun!" His words brought a surprised expression to Honey's face as she recalled mentioning her desire to see the ocean to Carlo earlier.
Honey's heart skips a beat as she recalls sharing that small, heartfelt desire with Carlo earlier. She nods with a bright smile, feeling touched by his thoughtfulness. "Yeah, that sounds amazing!" she replies.
☘
The sun shone brightly as the group gathered around Romaya's blue car, which was now their chosen vessel for their trip to the ocean. Max stood there, admiring the car, while Edward excitedly ran circles around it, as if it were a prized possession.
Carlo, ever helpful, assisted Honey in loading their belongings into the back of the car. As Honey handed him another bag, Carlo's eyes couldn't help but notice the beautiful blue sapphire ring adorning her finger. The sight filled him with happiness, knowing that she cherished the gift he had given her.
Amidst the preparations, Edward called out to Carlo, "Carlo, you hit shotgun. I'll sit in the back between the pretty girls."
Carlo agreed with a simple "Okay."
However, Evie had a different plan in mind. "I'll never go with that," she protested, putting the bags in the car.
Edward, undeterred, turned to Evie, teasingly saying, "Then, Evelyn Madison, you have the shotgun." He playfully held her arms and pulled her into the passenger seat, to her initial embarrassment.
Evie felt shy with Max beside her, and though their eyes briefly met, they quickly looked away, a hint of awkwardness in the air. Meanwhile, Edward had claimed the middle seat, but Evie wasn't about to let him get away with that.
"Carlo, you're in the middle," she declared, getting her revenge on Edward.
Carlo played along, saying, "Okay," and closed the back door of the car.
Edward grumbled, insisting, "Eh? I like the middle!"
Evie couldn't resist teasing him, saying, "Of course you can't sit next to Honey."
Edward was taken aback, exclaiming, "Huh?!"
Carlo decided to take charge and declared, "I'll sit in the middle," as he gently pushed Edward to the left side.
Edward protested, "What are you doing?" But it was too late; Carlo was determined to be a buffer between the two teasing friends.
As Honey approached the car, Edward couldn't help himself and called out to her, "Honey! You can sit on my lap if you want." His flirtatious smile was met with a firm "Denied" from Honey, causing everyone to burst into laughter, leaving Edward feeling slightly defeated.
"That little girl... I'll punish her one day!" he mumbled, though it was clear he was all in good spirits. With Honey comfortably seated, they were finally ready to set off.
Max, growing impatient with all the banter, started the car engine, exclaiming, "Ah, geez... You guys are so loud! We didn't even leave yet, so what's with this tension?"
Edward, being Edward, couldn't resist playfully putting his arm around Carlo and quipping, "This is what it means to go to the ocean together with everyone, right?"
Carlo nodded, grinning, and agreed, "That's right!"
With seatbelts secured, Max put the car into gear. Edward called out one final time, "All right, here we go!" and with that, they set off on their journey to the ocean.