Noll couldn't deny Mai was childish.
She was gazing with wide, innocent eyes at the booth crowded with large, overstuffed animals. Tugging on Noll's sleeve, Mai pointed.
"Please, Naru!"
He sighed, "Mai, you're better off buying one than playing to win."
"But it would be fun!"
Fun? Noll almost snorted.
"And it would make a nice memory!" She turned her head back and smiled at Noll.
A memory…
Noll set his eyes on the girl at his side, contemplating what she had said. His gaze wandered to the booth as Mai continued to beg him to play.
"Alright," Noll said. Observing Mai's gleeful expression, Noll inhaled. Something about the way she was looking at him… Noll genuinely liked it. It made him feel...something. What that something was, Noll couldn't describe, but it wasn't a feeling he detested in the least.
Mai ran, her grip tight on Noll's wrist, towards the booth. She chatted with the attendant as Noll fully regained his senses.
"It's five hundred yen a play," the attendant told Mai while pointing to a sign overhead.
After sliding his hand from Mai's grasp, Noll reached into his pocket. He paid.
Both Noll and Mai were presented with three baseballs each.
Mai didn't hesitate in using all her might to throw each ball at the concrete bottles behind the booth. She managed to knock the top in the stack of three down with her first shot. Her second and third shot, however, bounced off the remaining two bottles.
Huffing, Mai crossed her arms.
Noll frowned.
"Nice try, sweetheart. Let's see if your boyfriend can do better."
Eyeing the balls, and then then the bottles, Noll smirked.
He intentionally missed the first shot. The attendant laughed.
Noll's second shot hit the bottom left bottle, but all three remained upright.
"Come on Naru! You've got to get it!" Mai cheered.
And get it he would.
Noll took his time with his final thow. His focus on the bottles was staunch.
Drawing his arm back, Noll held his sights on the bottles. After releasing the ball, Noll calmly exhaled through his nose.
As the ball came into contact with the center of the pyramid the bottles flew from their spot behind the booth with immense speed.
They clattered against the backdrop of the booth, leaving the attendant stunned and Mai ecstatic.
The smile on her face… It awakened that same, indescribable feeling in Noll's chest.
"Well, that was impressive," stated the booth attendant, "Go ahead and pick your prize…"
Noll looked to Mai, "Whatever you'd like."
Squalling happily, Mai pointed to the stuffed gorilla that was easily half her height.
"Why a gorilla?" Noll asked as Mai settled the large plush on her shoulders.
"Because it reminds me of you." Mai beamed.
Noll rolled his eyes, though he couldn't hide his amused grin.