"All of them?!"
Yui Yuigahama was completely stunned. Just moments ago, she had been thinking that 300 yen for a single capsule toy was far too expensive, so she had only planned to buy one and give it to Yuka after returning.
But she never expected that although only one capsule came out, this special golden capsule would allow her to take all the capsules inside the machine at once!
Yui finally understood why there was a paper bag placed beside the machine.
Although the chance of getting a golden capsule was extremely low, what if someone really got lucky? That was why Harugamo Inn had placed a paper bag next to the machine—to make it convenient for whoever drew the golden capsule to carry away all the capsules.
Clatter, clatter.
At that moment, the capsules inside the machine began to roll out one after another.
"Is it really okay to take all of these for just 300 yen?" Yui murmured blankly. Faced with the situation, she genuinely couldn't process what was happening.
She had actually won? And it was the grand prize?!
Yui had always felt that luck had nothing to do with her. Whenever she went shopping at department stores or shopping streets, she would exchange her receipts for chances at lottery draws—but every time, what she got from the hand-cranked lottery machine was nothing more than a consolation prize: a pack of tissues.
"Luck is also a kind of strength. Being able to draw the Golden Bread of Happiness means you're amazing, Yui-neechan. So taking all the capsules is only natural. Big sister, use the paper bag beside you to pack them up and take them away."
Holding a small basket in her hands, Yuki smiled brightly as she spoke.
"I guess you're right. But this time, getting the golden capsule wasn't because I'm amazing—it was thanks to Kotomi's birthday, Megumi's suggested number, and your advice," Yui shook her head. Even when she succeeded at something, she never believed it was due to her own ability.
Rather than modesty, it was closer to insecurity.
The inferiority and lack of confidence that had followed her since childhood made it so she never believed she could accomplish anything on her own.
As she picked up the paper bag and began placing the rolling capsules inside, Yui could hear the envious voices of children around her.
"Hey, hey, what is the Golden Bread of Happiness?"
"Didn't you watch the Anpanman capsule preview before? They say if you draw the Golden Bread of Happiness from the Anpanman-themed machine, not only will you receive Anpanman's blessing and become happy, but you can also get all the capsules in the machine for free!"
"That's so nice... I want all the capsules too."
"Ugh—Mom is taking so long. She said she'd buy me an Anpanman capsule toy, but she didn't bring money and went back to the room to get it, telling me to wait here alone. It's been fifteen minutes and she still hasn't come back. Now the one I wanted most—the Cream Bun Little Brother—is gone, and all the other characters are gone too. Mom must be arguing with Dad again in the room... They argue about divorce all the time at home too. I thought coming on a trip might make their relationship better..."
"I'm so jealous of that big sister. She only spent 300 yen and got everything."
"Are there other capsule machines in the hotel? Maybe we should try them too. Maybe we can get the Golden Bread of Happiness."
"There are a few others, but there's only one Anpanman-themed machine."
Listening to the children's envious voices, Yui suddenly recalled something about Yuka.
She remembered it clearly—it happened half a year after her father's death.
After her father's passing, the family's financial situation suddenly lost its pillar. Fortunately, their savings allowed them to hold on, preventing everything from collapsing completely.
Every bit of money had to be carefully calculated. They wished they could split even a single yen coin in half to spend it.
One time, Yui held Yuka's small hand in one hand and carried a lunchbox in the other as she went to deliver food to their mother, who was busy at the dumpling cake shop. On the way, they happened to pass by a toy store.
In the display window was a princess dress-up toy that Yuka had wanted for a long time.
It included a princess dress, a tiara, a bouquet of roses, and even dreamy wings like those of a fairy.
Though it was made from ordinary materials, in a child's eyes, these were magical items that could transform them into a beautiful princess from a fairy tale.
For any little girl who dreamed of being a princess, it was impossible not to want such a set.
When Yuka saw the toy she had long desired in the display window, she couldn't help but stop, staring at it for a long time.
"Yuka..."
Seeing her younger sister stop in front of the toy store, Yui glanced down, sighed helplessly, and began thinking about how to persuade her to leave—and how to gently explain that, given their current financial situation, they simply couldn't afford something so expensive.
Especially after noticing the price of the full set—19,000 yen—Yui felt her palms grow slightly sweaty. All she wanted was to pull Yuka away as quickly as possible, afraid that if they stayed even a second longer, Yuka would refuse to leave and insist on buying it.
Before their father's death, Yuka had been spoiled, willful, and disobedient. Whenever she saw something she wanted, she had to have it.
Every time they went to or passed by a toy store, if she saw a toy she liked, she would insist on buying it. If they refused, she would hug the toy and cry loudly on the spot, even lying on the ground throwing a tantrum. Or when their parents or Yui tried to pull her away, she would deliberately drop her weight, puff up her cheeks in anger, and refuse to move no matter how hard they tugged.
Just as Yui was thinking about how to coax her away, Yuka lowered her head and took small steps on her own, slowly moving away from the toy store.
Yui was surprised. She hadn't expected Yuka to leave on her own. Before she could fully process it, the voices of a mother and daughter came from nearby.
"Mom! Hurry, hurry!" A little girl dressed in gorgeous clothes ran to the front of the toy store.
"Kikumi, slow down—the toys aren't going anywhere," said a well-dressed middle-aged woman, slightly out of breath as she followed.
"Because my little follower said this toy store has the new version of the princess dress-up set! But seriously, I didn't expect a place like this—just an ordinary shopping street, nothing fancy at all—to have the latest version."
"Didn't we just buy one not long ago?"
"Mom, you don't understand—this is the newest version!"
"Alright, alright, I'll listen—buy whatever you want, Kikumi. But hurry up and finish shopping so we can leave. Being in a tasteless shopping street like this makes even the air feel dirty."
The wealthy mother and daughter entered the toy store and bought the princess dress-up set from the display window.
After walking out, the little girl who had been excitedly admiring the toy suddenly changed expression and shouted:
"Ah! Mom! We bought the wrong one! This isn't the newest version at all! The newest one has seven-colored stars on it—this... this is clearly the old version!"
"Is that so? I told you, a toy store in such an ordinary shopping street couldn't possibly have the newest version you wanted. Even if they did, it would probably be a knockoff. The kind of children who come to buy toys here are obviously just low-class commoners.
Honestly, staying in a place full of commoners feels like an insult to the high-end brand clothes I'm wearing. Before we get in the car, I must spray more of that perfume I bought in Paris.
But Kikumi, since we've already bought it, we can't return it now. And your father is waiting at the entrance of the shopping street—we're going to have fine dining for lunch. If you don't like it, just throw it away. It's not worth anything anyway."
Hearing this, the girl named Kikumi raised the princess dress-up set—something Yuka had longed for for so long—high into the air, then slammed it hard onto the ground, stomping on it several times with her shoes. "Ugh, how annoying! I thought it was the newest version! That useless follower of mine—I'm never playing with her again starting tomorrow!"
After saying that, Kikumi kicked the toy to the side of a trash can, as if even picking it up and throwing it into the bin herself would tarnish her elegance.
After doing all this, the wealthy mother and daughter held hands and left.
Yui Yuigahama and Yuka, who had not yet left, witnessed everything that had just happened. In just a few short minutes, the princess dress-up set Yuka had longed for had gone from being displayed in the window, to being bought by Kikumi, then discovered to be unwanted, smashed onto the ground, stepped on, and finally kicked beside a trash can.
In only a few minutes, the toy Yuka had always wanted was left battered and discarded by the trash can. By the afternoon, it would probably be taken away by the garbage truck.
Holding Yuka's small hand, Yui could clearly feel it trembling uncontrollably.
Watching helplessly as something she loved was bought by someone else, then treated like trash and kicked aside—while she herself could do nothing and had no right to say a single word... that feeling was like countless sharp thorns piercing Yuka's heart.
Looking at Yuka, who had lowered her head, her small hands and shoulders trembling slightly, Yui hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking:
"Yuka... the toy probably isn't broken yet. How about we pick it up and take it?"
"I don't want it!!!"
Yuka, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly shouted. At the same time, tears that had long welled up in her eyes fell to the ground.
"I won't pick it up! I absolutely won't pick it up!"
Crying, Yuka repeated those words over and over.
It wasn't until they were almost at the cake shop that Yuka abruptly stopped crying.
It was so she could show a smile in front of their mother, so she wouldn't worry.
Even now, after so much time had passed, Yui still clearly remembered the longing in Yuka's eyes when she looked at the princess dress-up toy—and the complex, stubborn emotion hidden in her gaze as she cried.
Thinking of this, Yui first spoke to the little girl holding the small basket:
"Little sister, thanks to your suggestion, I was able to get this golden capsule. As thanks, you can pick whatever you like and take it."
"Thank you, big sister!" Yuki shook her head. "But I'm not in a hurry. Let the other children choose first. Didn't you also want to share them with everyone, Yui-neechan? You're so kind."
"I'm not as noble as you say. I just don't need this many capsules. Since that's the case, it's better to share some with the kids who didn't get any," Yui said with a soft smile.
"Hehe, then I'll wait until everyone else finishes choosing before I pick."
"Are you sure? You can pick your favorites first."
"It's fine, it's fine. I don't even know which one I like best yet. I'll watch them choose while deciding."
"Then... alright." Seeing how insistent she was, Yui nodded.
Yui turned around, gently placed the paper bag on the ground, and said to the children:
"Kids, if you want a capsule, take one properly from the bag, okay? One per person. Line up, don't rush. No grabbing, and no fighting. There are plenty in the bag—everyone will get one."
Hearing this, the children's eyes lit up.
"Really, big sister?"
"Of course. There are so many—I can't possibly carry them all back myself. It's better to share with everyone," Yui said with a smile.
"Wow! Thank you, big sister!"
"Big sister, you're so nice!"
Soon, each child took their favorite capsule from the bag. With happy smiles, they said goodbye to Yui and left.
"Everyone looks really happy," Yuki said cheerfully, holding her now-empty little basket as she watched the children leave.
"Little Yuki, it's your turn to choose now."
Although she had shared quite a few capsules with the children, there were still many left in the bag.
Yuki crouched beside the bag, looked inside, then tilted her head and asked:
"Yui-neechan, can I take two?"
"Of course. You can take as many as you want!"
"Two is enough~" Yuki smiled happily, reaching into the bag and taking out two capsules, placing them into her empty basket.
Rattle, rattle.
As the capsules rolled inside, the basket in Yuki's hands changed from empty to holding two capsules.
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven