Chapter 131: Belonging
"So, Kita, did you have fun today?"
After playing all morning, Ishikawa Hayato and Kita sat in a restaurant inside the amusement park, eating lunch together.
Hearing what he said, Kita lightly bit her spoon and smiled, but quickly her face fell again, and she complained, "Ishikawa-kun must have had the most fun, taking so many strange photos of me."
All morning, Ishikawa Hayato's phone was filled with various photos of Kita.
Most were joint photos of the two, followed by beautiful photos Kita asked him to take, and finally, photos of Kita in various undignified poses.
Although Kita hadn't seen them, she could imagine the classic 'boyfriend photos' on his phone.
She feigned anger, but quickly revealed her true intentions, saying, "If you delete them, I'll give you a perfect score."
As she spoke, she seemed to envision her victory and laughed happily.
Clearly, she thought that Ishikawa Hayato would indulge her today.
But a single sentence from Ishikawa Hayato made her expression freeze.
"No!"
Ishikawa Hayato didn't budge an inch.
He repeated himself, saying with a long-winded tone, as if looking into the distant future, "If my children don't have pocket money in the future, I'll have them take these precious materials I've collected and go to Kita to get pocket money!"
"That's too mean!"
Kita complained with a laugh.
She didn't know why she could still laugh after being teased like this.
After they finished eating, seeing that there weren't many customers in the shop, they weren't in a hurry to leave.
They ordered another drink and enjoyed the air conditioning in the eatery.
"Ishikawa-kun, what's the plan for the afternoon?" Kita asked, still holding the straw in her mouth, her voice slightly muffled.
Ishikawa Hayato watched her lean forward slightly, resting her hands on the table, slowly sipping her drink with her head down, her vibrant gaze looking up at him.
He confirmed as if discussing, "There's a play in half an hour, an animal show an hour later, and then shall we go to the water park?"
He wondered if it was his imagination, but Kita seemed to be getting more and more relaxed around him.
"Mm, that sounds good." Kita nodded in satisfaction. She also didn't want to continue with thrilling rides after lunch.
Not long after, the two left the restaurant.
Outside the restaurant, Kita's excitement after lunch had subsided considerably.
She didn't immediately link arms with Ishikawa Hayato as she had in the morning.
Instead, they walked hand in hand towards the theater.
After a few steps, Ishikawa Hayato took out his phone to check the time.
There was still plenty of time before the play.
If they were to go straight there, they'd be sitting around doing nothing until then.
He looked around and saw an arcade not far away.
Just as he was about to ask Kita to go with him, he noticed Kita looking elsewhere.
He followed Kita's gaze.
On the side wall of the place they had just exited, a tall, cute sticker was now pasted, and a staff member was energetically calling out, "Come join the event! We have a discount event in our store, come join us..."
There was no such event before when they went in.
It seemed to have started while they were eating inside.
Ishikawa Hayato took a look.
The event was probably about high-kicking.
Whatever height you could kick to, you'd get a corresponding reward.
The rewards mostly consisted of discounts, various dishes, and amusement park souvenirs.
It didn't have much to do with them, as they had already eaten and left.
He glanced at Kita again, looking at her in her skirt, and asked,
"What, is there something Kita wants?"
"Ah... mm."
Kita, hearing his question, looked at Ishikawa Hayato, bewildered, then quickly turned back to scan the reward list.
"Hideru! The Hideru plushie for second place... I really want it. Ah, but I'm wearing a skirt, so never mind."
She spoke without thinking, but stopped halfway.
"Hmph hmph." Ishikawa Hayato proudly tilted his head back and patted his chest. "Call your boyfriend's name, and I'll get it for you."
Kita looked at his showy demeanor and smiled.
"But... this event looks quite difficult. Second place requires kicking to a height of 1.9 meters. Ishikawa-kun, don't make me call you and then not be able to do it."
Ishikawa Hayato couldn't stand being questioned like that.
He immediately took Kita's hand and walked over.
"Let me show you my strength!"
Watching Ishikawa Hayato walk ahead, pulling her, Kita quickened her steps to catch up.
She teased, "If you can do it, I'll grant you one wish."
"Really?" Ishikawa Hayato turned around, surprised, to confirm with her.
Seeing his high spirits, Kita didn't deny what she had impulsively said.
She said with a bright smile, "Mm! But I won't agree to any lewd requests."
Looking at her cute expression, Ishikawa Hayato let out a light breath. He swept his bangs back and pressed them down.
"From this moment, the highest throne belongs to me."
Kita watched Ishikawa Hayato, who was having one of his intermittent episodes, helplessly.
Walking up to the staff member, Ishikawa Hayato asked directly, "Excuse me, can people who just dined here participate in the event?"
Finally seeing someone address her, the staff member breathed a sigh of relief.
She smiled and gave an affirmative answer.
Seeing Ishikawa Hayato's eager expression, she briefly explained the rules.
Ishikawa Hayato warmed up with small jumps in place, listening attentively to her.
After she finished speaking, he confirmed, "Can I start now?"
"Yes, go ahead."
As soon as the staff member finished speaking, Ishikawa Hayato walked over to the sticker and jumped up from the spot with a fluid and explosive motion.
"Ah, dah!"
He let out a strange cry, and under the stunned gazes of Kita and the staff, he jumped all the way to the very top of the game's height marker.
He even switched legs mid-air, stepping onto a spot near the second floor and leaving a shoe print there.
Only after what felt like an impossibly long hang time did he land lightly.
Clapping his hands, he wore an expression that said it was nothing special, raising his hand grandly as he spoke.
"Miss Staff, give me the second-place prize!"
"Well..."
The staff member stared dumbfounded at the footprint on the wall, in a place that seemed impossible to reach. Her words became clumsy, and she stammered,
"C-customer... the rules say you can't jump..."
Ishikawa Hayato feigned shock as he looked at her, then glanced at the rules sign nearby. After confirming it, he covered his face in mock despair.
He turned his head in desperation, looking at Kita.
Kita, seeing his foolish look, couldn't help but laugh.
A moment later, Ishikawa Hayato lifted his leg high, placing his heel against the sticker, but he covered his face and wailed,
"This pose is so lame..."
Both Kita and the staff member beside him were amused by his antics.
"Hayato-kun, do your best~"
Kita cheered him on playfully.
Soon, the staff member nearby confirmed that Ishikawa Hayato's challenge was successful.
"Customer, that's enough."
Covering his mouth with a laugh, he took the prize from a nearby box and handed it to him.
Ishikawa Hayato immediately passed it to Kita.
Afterwards, the two of them happily took a commemorative photo together here, capturing the moment with Kita standing beside Ishikawa Hayato, joyfully holding the newly won Hideru plushie.
As people gradually began to gather, attracted by the activity, the two quickly left and headed to the arcade.
Inside, Kita witnessed Ishikawa Hayato's skills firsthand.
He dominated from left to right, front to back, unmatched and unrivaled.
In the end, they got so engrossed in playing that they almost forgot about the theatrical performance later.
They didn't even bother collecting their prizes, instead complaining to each other and laughing as they sprinted all the way to the theater.
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