The two didn't waste time and went to the living room to meet up with Mortis, starting today's trip just like that.
This morning's destination was in Shibuya, an amusement park with pretty good reviews.
Maybe not as famous as big IPs like Sanrio or Disneyland, but although small, it had everything, complete rides and affordable prices. Visitors all gave it high praise.
By the time they arrived via train, the place was packed.
Since it was Sunday, couples and close-knit families of three were everywhere.
They queued outside for about half an hour before finally buying tickets and entering.
Inside the park was even livelier: the carousel spinning with music, the roller coaster shooting toward the sky, a crepe stall giving off a sweet scent, and not far away, staff in fluffy mascot suits bending down to hand balloons to children.
"Is there anything you want to play?", Kaito never forgot his duty as a companion.
"I want to eat that!", It was Mortis's first time in such a lively and bustling place. She pointed at the crepe stand nearby, looking excited.
He looked to the side at Mutsumi, the meaning simple, 'Want one?'
Mutsumi gently shook her head. She wasn't very interested in overly sweet things. High in calories, easy to get sick of.
Kaito didn't insist. He walked to the stall and ordered a crepe from the owner.
This was a snack from France. After spreading out the thin crepe, cream was smeared on, then sliced bananas and strawberries were added, a bit of chocolate sauce squeezed on, and finally it was rolled into an ice cream cone shape, done.
The vendor was generous with ingredients. Lots of fruit and cream, not expensive either, only 480 yen per serving. Mortis had to use both hands to hold it.
She took a small bite. The rich cream flavor and chocolate sauce melted in her mouth, lighting up sparkles in the girl's eyes.
"Tasty!", Mortis mumbled unclearly, holding the crepe to his mouth, "Onii-chan, try it too!"
The crepe with a bite taken out of it was clearly missing a chunk. Some unknown residue sparkled in the sunlight. Kaito paused for two seconds, but still didn't refuse. He took a bite from the side she hadn't eaten, then nodded slightly.
"Pretty good."
"Hehe~"
Maybe this crepe had sparked her appetite. Mortis lost interest in the rides and instead focused on all the snacks along the road. From ice cream to tricolor dango to takoyaki, what was supposed to be an amusement park trip mysteriously became a food-hunting activity.
But since going to the amusement park had been Mortis' request anyway, whether she came to play or eat didn't matter. Kaito didn't want to ruin her mood and just accompanied her around, almost sampling every snack in the park.
Mutsumi had no objection to this, since her brother would be accompanying her to the aquarium in the afternoon, that would be her main stage.
Once Mortis was full, she finally remembered the main mission.
Carousel, bumper cars, fairy tale park... after trying out a round of these types of rides, she was still unsatisfied. Fun, yes, but too tame, not exciting enough.
Her gaze turned toward the distant roller coaster. Hearing the screams from that direction, the girl looked eager, she seemed to have found her next target.
"Want to ride the roller coaster?", Following her gaze, Kaito thought for a moment and still gave a reminder, "It might be really scary. Are you sure you're okay with that?"
"Isn't that just perfect?", Mortis rubbed her hands excitedly, full of confidence like most visitors who had never been punished before, not afraid at all.
Seeing her so full of conviction, Kaito didn't stop her. Experiencing something new was also a good thing. A way to broaden one's horizons.
After all, with him there, she wouldn't be in danger.
He asked Mutsumi too. She hesitated at first and planned to refuse, but then seemed to think of something and changed her mind, gently nodding.
The roller coaster sat two people per row, but there was a single separate seat at the very front, the least popular seat, a huge challenge for the heart.
This setup wasn't ideal for three people. One row could only sit two, meaning one person would have to be separated.
Before Kaito could decide how to solve the issue, Mortis volunteered to take the front lone seat, and said naturally, "Since I'm going for excitement, of course I have to go all the way!"
Kaito paused for two seconds, acknowledged her logic, and pulled Mutsumi to sit behind her, the second row.
With faint iron rail grinding sounds, the coaster slowly started. At first the speed was slow, then gradually accelerated, wind roaring in their faces.
Mortis, leading the way, began to feel nervous. Though she said she wasn't afraid, truly sitting dozens of meters high, the intense sense of weightlessness swept through her. The deep-seated fear of heights embedded in human DNA still kicked in uncontrollably. Damn, her legs felt weak.
As the speed increased, the screams rose and fell nonstop. The green-haired girl finally couldn't bear it. She subconsciously reached to grab her brother's hand, only to find empty air.
Only then did she remember: she had insisted on sitting in the very front, and the one beside Onii-chan now was Mutsumi.
Too bad there was no medicine for regret. Mortis wanted to cry without tears. If there were, she'd definitely buy eight big jars to keep at home.
Screams still echoed in her ears, but Kaito's expression barely changed. Roller coasters were thrilling rides for normal people, but for him? It was like a pro F1 racer suddenly entering a senior citizen wheelchair race, hard to feel anything.
'Feels like I can fly faster myself.'
The coaster reached the highest point. As it began to plunge downward, the passengers' screams hit a peak, almost hoarse from shouting.
In the howling wind, someone silently clutched his hand. He turned his head, only to see a small, tense face, even her breathing a little rapid.
'Mutsumi, is she afraid?'
Her fingertips had a thin layer of sweat, sticky to the touch, yet still soft.
Kaito thought for a moment, didn't shake her off. Instead, he gently held her hand back.
Such a small motion, yet its effect was immense.
The girl's breathing gradually steadied, like a tiny boat at sea finally finding a lighthouse, bringing incomparable peace of mind.
She gripped a bit tighter, like a wary kitten testing the waters.
Noticing that Onii-chan didn't resist, she finally built up courage, inching closer bit by bit.
Until their fingers interlaced.
Meanwhile, the green-haired girl in the front seat had a pale little face, didn't dare look below, eyes shut tight.
Unaware of everything happening behind her.
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Chapter 261: God in the Claw Machine Realm
"Fi-finally it's over..."
Two minutes, or to be stricter, one full ride on the roller coaster only lasted one minute and forty-five seconds.
But in Mortis's perception, this short one minute and forty-five seconds was as hard to endure as a whole past year.
Even after getting off the ride, her legs were still weak, her head spinning, her stomach churning. If one had to describe her expression now with a word, it could only be "life has no meaning."
And because of that, Mortis didn't notice a critical detail that should have raised her guard.
Mutsumi, without making a sound, quietly released the interlocked fingers with her brother.
Although still longing for that warmth, continuing further might risk exposure. So, it's best to stop here.
Only...
'This feeling of secretly holding Onii-chan's hand behind someone else's back. Somehow, it feels rather strange.'
Like guarding a secret only she knew in the whole world, worrying it might be discovered by others on one hand, while on the other hand, feeling a bit satisfied and secretly pleased, as if monopolizing a precious treasure.
Noticing Mutsumi's movement, Kaito didn't mind.
The girl had only grabbed his hand out of fear, now that the roller coaster ride was over, letting go was normal.
He glanced at Mortis, whose eyes were still lifeless. Seeing how the girl couldn't even stand steadily, he found it both amusing and helpless.
"I told you already, the roller coaster would be scary... Are you okay?"
"Of-of course I'm fine!", Being stubborn is part of the tsundere charm. One second she was listless, the next she straightened up, hands on hips, declaring with certainty, "Just two minutes! That's nothing! I could totally ride it a few more times."
"I see, looks like I underestimated you," Kaito nodded slightly, "Then let's ride it again. I happen to still want to experience it a few more times."
'That's not good at all!'
Mortis put on a serious face, "Actually I don't really mind, but this kind of intense ride might not be good for Mutsumi's heart. As a good sister, I can't do something that would hurt Mutsumi."
"It's okay," Kaito raised his eyebrows slightly, leisurely looking at her, "Let Mutsumi wait below for a bit, and the two of us can ride again."
"Tha-that's no good either!", Mortis stammered for a while, racking her brains, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "We came as three people, so of course we should play as three people! Right, Mutsumi!"
"Actually, if it's just riding the roller coaster again...", Thinking of how she could openly use "being scared" as an excuse to interlock fingers with Onii-chan, and behind that dummy Mortis's back, Mutsumi tilted her head slightly, her soft green hair falling smoothly down like a shimmering river in the sunlight, "I don't mind."
'BUT I MIND!'
"A-anyway, since we're at an amusement park, we definitely should try a variety of attractions. Only playing one thing is boring... Ah! Look!", Mortis, still fumbling for an excuse, suddenly pointed to a spot not far away, her face full of delight.
'How to evaluate this... This girl's way of changing the subject is still as clumsy as ever.'
Oh well. Kaito didn't continue to tease her, if she blew up, it wouldn't be good, and instead looked in the direction of her fingertip.
There stood several operating claw machines. Even from a distance, you could see them packed with lots of fluffy and adorable plush toys.
Claw machines were quite common: shopping malls, amusement parks, cinemas, arcades... you could find them in many places.
Kaito wasn't particularly interested in plushies. After all, there was already a real cat at home, living ones felt better than dead ones when hugging.
But for young girls, the lethality of plush toys was still high. At least, Mortis couldn't resist them.
The girl grabbed the hem of his shirt while pointing at a rainbow pony-shaped plush inside the claw machine, expertly acting spoiled, "Onii-chan, I want that one!"
Not only that. Even the always calm and reserved Mutsumi rarely showed an expression of "wanting something," though the plush she had her eye on was a chubby little seal, looking adorably goofy.
Fulfilling the wishes of his younger sisters was also a brother's duty.
As a qualified Onii-chan, such a small task was a piece of cake. Kaito didn't refuse and stepped forward.
There weren't many people around. Just two girls who looked like JKs standing at one machine, one of them focused intently on the claw while gripping the joystick tightly, not even daring to breathe.
Just as the claw grabbed the plush they wanted and started lifting it slowly, both girls' faces lit up with excitement.
Unfortunately, the moment the plush reached the top, the claw seemed to lose all its strength and shook slightly.
With a "clack" sound, the plush dropped back down, all their effort, wasted.
"Ah! So close!"
"Why is it always just a little off!"
The overlapping groans of frustration made it obvious this wasn't their first failure.
In fact, most claw machines were rigged. Unless your technique was top-notch, for normal people playing these was no different than handing over free money.
Kaito had never tried claw machines before, but he'd seen some tips shared online, like the classic swing grab.
He lightly moved the joystick. Unfortunately, the claw was very steady, not wobbling even slightly.
Clearly, this amusement park played dirty, having long added anti-sway mechanisms to the machines to prevent shortcuts.
Mutsumi noticed this detail right away. She had played claw machines before and understood their difficulty.
After thinking for a moment, the girl pointed at a certain plush and casually said, "Onii-chan, can you help me get this one?"
Kaito looked at where she was pointing, it was a mini Kumamon. Not particularly cute, at least not the kind that usually appeals to girls. But its position was excellent, closest to the drop chute, no obstacles around it, highest chance of success.
'Was Mutsumi lowering the difficulty on purpose because she is worried I might fail?'
He shook his head slightly, "Let's go for the little seal instead. I saw you staring at it earlier, you must really want it, right?"
Mutsumi hesitated for a second but didn't say more. She simply held out her hand, palm quietly holding several coins.
"Two should be enough," Kaito didn't take more. One for Mutsumi's seal, one for Mortis's rainbow pony, just two plush toys, no more coins needed.
As for whether he might fail?
That thought never even crossed his mind.
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Chapter 262: Fortunately, My Skills Were Superior
Inserting a coin, the claw machine played a pleasant chime.
Kaito gently moved the joystick, the claw followed his motion and finally dropped slightly, precisely grabbing a chubby, adorable little seal from the mountain of stuffed toys.
Mortis looked tense, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of her skirt. Mutsumi also gently covered her chest, staring unblinkingly at the scene inside the transparent glass.
Even the two JK girls beside them, who had failed multiple times, were attracted by the commotion and instinctively turned their gazes.
Under the watchful eyes of several people, Kaito's expression remained unchanged, calmly operating the joystick.
As the claw began to rise under his control, every slight sway of the little seal plush would make everyone hold their breath a little more.
