The aquarium's security personnel arrived a few minutes too late to witness the scuffle, but just in time for the tense aftermath. They stepped in to mediate on the spot, their faces professional masks that slowly cracked as they understood the sequence of events.
After quietly listening to both sides—though the story was largely told by the surrounding onlookers and Kani Nayuta's calm, damning summary—they couldn't help but let expressions of open disgust flicker across their features when they looked at Takasaki Nana. This kind of psychologically twisted, bullying, malicious girl was universally detestable.
Under the combined weight of public scorn, her boyfriend's silent, humiliated disappointment, the stinging pain in her cheek, and the sheer pressure of the moment, Takasaki Nana's defiant facade finally shattered. Her shoulders slumped. With a choked sob, she gave a stiff, shallow bow in Kani Nayuta's general direction, muttered a barely audible "Gomen…", and then turned and fled, clutching her swollen face as she disappeared into the dimly lit corridors, her crying echoing faintly.
With her departure, the remaining trio had no reason to stay. Kobayashi Tetsuya, avoiding everyone's eyes, pushed himself up with a final, futile glare at Kasumigaoka Touji before slinking away with his friends. The spectacle was over. Seeing the situation resolve itself, the security personnel gave a curt nod and melted back into the aquarium's background.
Kasumigaoka Touji had no desire to remain the center of attention, gawked at like an exhibit. He gently tightened his grip on Kani Nayuta's hand.
"Let's get out of here," he murmured, and led her away from the lingering stares, moving towards a quieter, less populated section of the aquarium.
"..."
They walked in silence for a minute, the only sounds the gentle hum of water filtration and their own footsteps. Then, Kani Nayuta's voice, soft and a little distant, broke the quiet.
"Last year… a boy in our class who was very popular confessed to me."
Kasumigaoka Touji stopped walking and turned to face her, his expression softening from its previous sternness to one of attentive concern. "The Yayu you mentioned earlier?"
"Hai." Kani Nayuta gave a small, gentle nod. She looked up at him, a flicker of anxiety in her blue eyes, as if worried he might misunderstand. "I… I hardly ever talked to him before that. We weren't friends. One afternoon, he just… called me over after class and said it."
The cool, blue-tinged lighting of the jellyfish exhibit they'd wandered near cast a shimmering, ethereal glow on her delicate face, highlighting the tired, troubled shadows in her expression.
"He was the type who always needed to be the center of attention. A bit full of himself, very loud… I didn't like him. So I refused him right then and there."
She took a slow breath. "A few days later, Takasaki-san confessed to him… and he turned her down. And then… he even told her that he 'only liked me.' That's what she said later."
Kasumigaoka Touji's brow furrowed deeply.
What the hell was that Yayu thinking? Was it supposed to be some grand gesture of devotion? It felt disgustingly performative, like he was using Kani Nayuta as a prop in his own self-important drama. And more importantly, wasn't he painting a giant target on her back by saying that to a jealous rival? What kind of idiot thought that was an acceptable way to "like" someone?
"After that… I became Takasaki-san's target." Kani Nayuta's voice dropped. She lowered her head, her silvery bangs falling like a curtain, casting a shadow that hid her eyes. "They would… hide my indoor shoes. Scribble nasty things on my desk. Stuff trash into it. They'd get other girls to stop talking to me, to ignore me completely. They'd make these loud, 'whispered' comments whenever I walked by. On rainy days… my umbrella would go missing."
Her voice grew softer, beginning to tremble at the edges. Kani Nayuta's slender frame started to shake lightly, a full-body tremor that spoke of a deep-seated trauma. Even after more than a year, simply recounting the litany of petty cruelties was enough to shatter her composure.
"..."
She listed them, one after another—each incident a small, sharp needle of malice that, together, had created an unbearable atmosphere of persecution.
Kasumigaoka Touji couldn't fully inhabit the fear and isolation she must have felt then, but just hearing the clinical list was enough to make a cold, hard knot of fury form in his chest. Beneath the anger was a sharp, protective ache. Without a word, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a firm, secure embrace.
"…I went way too easy on her just now," he said, his voice a low rumble near her ear. His hand moved in slow, soothing circles on her back. "Not knocking out a few of her teeth was letting her off the hook. I should have."
He genuinely wished he could turn back time and give that girl the thorough thrashing her past actions deserved.
"Winter-sensei… if you'd knocked her teeth out, it would have become a much bigger incident." Snuggled safely in his arms, hearing his voice vibrate with indignation on her behalf, Kani Nayuta found her own emotions slowly stabilizing. The worst of it was out now. She hugged his waist tightly, her voice muffled against his chest.
"It's okay. It's over."
"I'm not afraid of her causing a scene. She started it. Worst case, I pay some medical bills." He had the money. The chance to truly mete out justice would have been worth the cost.
Then his thoughts turned to the origin of it all.
"That guy… Yayu. What did he do while all this was happening?" Kasumigaoka Touji's tone turned icy. He wouldn't forget him. That arrogant fool was the catalyst, the spark. He bore at least half the responsibility for what happened to Nayuta. Thinking more cynically, perhaps Yagyu had even enjoyed the drama, watching from the sidelines.
"Nothing, really. He'd just say a few vague, meaningless things." Kani Nayuta inhaled deeply, the familiar, comforting scent of his mint-and-vanilla shower gel grounding her. "I think… I think he wanted me to go to him for help. He hinted at it a few times. But after a while… I just stopped going to school altogether."
"That disgusting?" Kasumigaoka Touji was momentarily stunned by the sheer, calculated pettiness of it. That guy was even more despicable than Takasaki Nana. At least her malice was straightforward. His was a passive, manipulative poison.
"..."
They stood like that for several minutes in a quiet corner near a tank of drifting moon jellies—a silent, embracing island amidst the gentle flow of other visitors. They drew a few curious glances, but neither cared.
Eventually, they pulled apart and tried to resume their tour of the aquarium. But the magic was gone. The earlier sense of wonder and shared discovery had been irrevocably tainted by the ugly confrontation. The vibrant fish and serene tanks now felt like a beautiful backdrop to a lingering bad dream.
Seeing Kani Nayuta's subdued expression, the forced quality of her attention, Kasumigaoka Touji knew they needed a hard reset.
"Let's change the scenery. We need to shake off this mood," he suggested, squeezing her hand.
She turned to him, trying valiantly to muster a smile. It was a wobbly, fragile thing. "Mm. Where should we go?"
The thought of their first official date being permanently stained by this incident was devastating. She felt like she might cry herself to sleep later just from the frustration of it.
"Let's head downstairs and look around?" Kasumigaoka Touji thought for a moment. The complex housing the aquarium was a multi-story commercial building. The first four floors were a large shopping mall with all kinds of food, shops, and entertainment. He distinctly remembered seeing signs on the elevator lobby walls: '3F – Arcade & Games.'
"I think there's an arcade on the third floor. How about we go play some UFO catchers?" He proposed. Claw machines, in his experience, were fantastic for stress relief. The focused tension, the strategic maneuvering, and the pure, childish triumph of a successful grab were a perfect antidote to negativity.
Plus, girls usually liked plush toys, right? He'd seen several cute ones nestled among the manga and figures in her bedroom during their video calls.
"UFO catchers? Sure." Kani Nayuta looked at him with a flicker of surprised interest, then nodded readily. A hint of her usual spark returned to her eyes. "Let's go now… By the way, how are Winter-sensei's UFO catcher skills?"
"If I were to brag, I'd call myself a meijin—a true master of the craft," he declared with mock-grandeur.
"What kind of answer is that?" she asked, a genuine, if small, smile finally touching her lips.
"Alright, without bragging… I'm still a meijin. At the very least, I can guarantee we won't leave empty-handed." He grinned back at her.
"Being able to get one prize makes you a master? Then I'm a master too!" she challenged, her spirit visibly lifting.
"Oh? Is that so? Then how about a little competition?" Kasumigaoka Touji seized the opportunity, leaning into the playful challenge. "We'll see who's the real meijin."
"Okay, it's a deal!" Kani Nayuta agreed, her blue eyes beginning to twinkle with their familiar light.
"And the winner… gets to decide what we do tonight!" she added, raising the stakes with a sudden, bold flourish.
"Decide what?" Kasumigaoka Touji looked at her, feigning innocent confusion. "What kind of 'initiative' are we talking about?"
She met his gaze, the last shadows of her past troubles seeming to recede as a more familiar, mischievous heat took their place. "Exactly the kind of 'initiative' you're thinking about."
"..."
Talking about such… suggestive stakes certainly had a remarkable effect on one's mood. Even before they had found the exit and stepped into the elevator, the gloomy atmosphere had completely evaporated. Kasumigaoka Touji and Kani Nayuta walked with a renewed, competitive spring in their steps, both now fiercely determined to claim victory—and the tantalizing prize of "tonight's initiative" that came with it.
The third-floor arcade was a vibrant cacophony of digital sounds, flashing lights, and the excited chatter of players. Rows of colorful machines beckoned, from rhythm games to shooting galleries, but their target was clear: the gleaming rows of UFO catchers, or claw machines, standing like treasure-filled sentinels.
"Let's make it fifty tokens each to start," Kasumigaoka Touji declared, grabbing two small plastic baskets from a stack. He walked up to the brightly lit counter and handed the staff a crisp ten-thousand-yen note.
"Eh? That's… that's a bit much, isn't it?" Kani Nayuta couldn't help but blurt out, her eyes widening slightly. Each token cost 100 yen, which meant one play. In her past, frugal outings, she'd buy maybe five or ten tokens at most, savoring each attempt. Even for a competition, twenty each seemed more than enough. Fifty was downright extravagant!
"Since we're already here, let's make it a proper battle! No holding back!" Kasumigaoka Touji handed her one of the heavy, token-filled baskets with a confident grin. "Let's go scout the territory. See if you find a prize worth conquering."
Seeing his determined, almost princely disregard for the cost, Kani Nayuta swallowed her protest. A warm, giddy feeling replaced it.
He really wants to make this fun for me.
he accepted the basket, its weight a promise of many chances. "Okay! Let the best meijin win!"
With that, she immediately turned and began weaving through the rows of machines, her eyes scanning the piles of plushies, keychains, and figure boxes encased in glass. Kasumigaoka Touji followed at her shoulder, his own gaze appraising the potential targets, when he suddenly heard her let out a small, delighted gasp.
"Kore wa… Pan-san?"
He turned to see Kani Nayuta standing perfectly still in front of a particular machine, her face lit up with pure, childlike excitement. Inside the glass case was a collection of oddly charming panda plushies. They had a distinct design: their right eyes were normal black circles, but their left eyes were sharp, menacing black stars. Their expressions were comically fierce, and each one clutched a vibrant green bamboo shoot in its mouth.
"Pan-san…?"
The name and the distinctive image triggered a wave of familiarity in Kasumigaoka Touji's mind. Wait a minute… isn't that…?
Yukino Yukinoshita's signature plushie? Does that mean Yukinoshita exists in this world, too?
"Winter-sensei, you know Pan-san?" Hearing his murmured recognition, Kani Nayuta turned to him, her enthusiasm infectious.
Someone was currently playing at that very machine, so they'd have to wait their turn if they wanted a shot.
"I know pandas," Kasumigaoka Touji said, keeping his other thoughts to himself for now.
"This is a secondary creation based on the panda! It's the official mascot of Dizney Land," Kani Nayuta explained, her eyes still glued to the plushies. "But it's really surprising to find it in a claw machine here…"
Her expression shifted to one of slight suspicion. If these were bootlegs, wasn't the arcade taking a huge risk? Japan was notoriously strict about copyright, and the "Mouse House" was famously litigious.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
"Shop clerk! Shop clerk!"
Their observation was interrupted by the frustrated shout of the current player. The rare "bamboo-shoot-holding" Pan-san plushie, which had been tantalizingly lifted by the claw, had just slipped free and tumbled back into the pile. The girl operating the machine, who was wearing a beautiful, traditional kimono, clenched her small pink fists in exasperation and called out for a staff member.
Her outburst drew the attention of Kasumigaoka Touji, Kani Nayuta, and a nearby clerk in a blue vest, who hurried over with a polite smile.
"Irasshaimase! Is there something I can help you with?" the clerk asked, bowing slightly.
The kimono-clad girl pointed an accusing finger at the machine, her pretty face dark with frustration. "…Your store's claw is way too loose, don't you think? I've never seen one this pathetic! I've tried over ten times and haven't gotten a single one!"
She sounded genuinely broken.
Hearing her complaint, Kasumigaoka Touji and Kani Nayuta exchanged a glance and then looked at the clerk with newfound suspicion.
Is this arcade really that rigged? The whole point was to have fun and relieve stress, not to descend into deeper despair.
"Masaka… Really?" The clerk put on an expression of sincere surprise. He knew the store's policy—the claws were calibrated to be challenging, sure, but not to the impossible degree the customer was claiming. If someone truly couldn't win anything after a dozen tries, it wasn't a rigged machine; it was an insult to the customers' intelligence.
Truthfully, he'd been vaguely aware of the commotion at this machine. He could only conclude… the young lady in the kimono was just spectacularly unlucky and unskilled. Her claw placement was often wildly off-mark, which clearly wasn't the machine's fault.
But of course, the customer was king. He wouldn't say that out loud. He cleared his throat diplomatically. "I am very sorry you've had such an unpleasant experience. However, I can assure you our claw tension is within standard parameters… But to make it up to you, which prize were you aiming for? I can adjust its position for you to give you a better chance."
"…This one." The kimono girl was silent for a moment, the wind taken out of her sails by his polite response. She pointed again at the coveted bamboo-shoot Pan-san, which was still a fair distance from the prize chute. Her anger seemed to deflate, replaced by a hopeful determination.
The clerk glanced at the plushie, smiled, and said, "Hai, Got it."
He produced a key, unlocked the front glass door of the machine, reached in, and carefully placed the specified Pan-san right next to the drop chute—so close that the slightest nudge would send it tumbling down. He relocked the door, stepped back, and made a gracious sweeping gesture. "Douzo, onegaishimasu! Please, give it another try!"
Not bad. Pretty decent customer service, Kasumigaoka Touji mused internally. The clerk could have just handed her the prize, but letting her experience the victory herself was a nice touch.
Reinvigorated, the kimono girl rolled up the sleeves of her kimono, revealing slender, fair arms. She gripped the joystick with renewed focus, her eyes locked on the prize. "Alright! This time, I'm definitely going to get you!"
With great ceremony, she pressed the start button, maneuvered the claw until it was hovering… somewhat near the plushie, and pressed the drop button.
Huh? Isn't your alignment still a bit off? Even Kasumigaoka Touji, who wasn't a claw machine veteran, could see the problem. The translucent plastic claw descended, closed its prongs on empty air, and retracted uselessly.
Kimono Girl: "..."
'See? I told you our machine isn't that bad!' The clerk's eyes seemed to telegraph the message directly to Kasumigaoka Touji and Kani Nayuta as he subtly glanced their way. The two of them surprisingly understood his silent plea perfectly.
"Damn it!…!" The kimono girl's fighting spirit diminished considerably. With clear reluctance, she fed another token into the slot and prepared for what seemed like another futile attempt.
The clerk was now internally debating whether to just open the machine and hand her the plushie if she failed again. The store manager did emphasize weekly about providing a "human touch" to retain customers.
"Oooh! Congrats!"
"Sugoi! I did it!"
As it turned out, the kimono girl's third attempt (with assistance) was the charm. Whether by a sudden burst of skill or sheer luck, the claw managed to nudge the strategically placed Pan-san just enough. It teetered on the edge of the chute and then tumbled down with a satisfying thump.
She was immediately ecstatic, bending down to retrieve her hard-won prize. The clerk couldn't help but clap politely, which made the girl beam with a proud, slightly tsundere "Hmph!" as she clutched the panda to her chest.
"..."
Kani Nayuta watched the entire scene play out, her eyes following the coveted Pan-san with unconcealed envy. As the victorious kimono girl moved away, cuddling her prize, Kani Nayuta stepped forward decisively. It was her turn now. Her turn to conquer the Pan-san claw machine!
Seeing the determined spark in her eyes, Kasumigaoka Touji chuckled.
"Good luck, Kani-meijin," he said, before his own gaze swept the arcade floor. He spotted another machine not too far away, filled with a different but equally appealing collection of prizes—a mix of anime character figures and cute animal plushies.
A competitive grin spread across his face. "I'll start my campaign over there. May the best claw win… and claim their reward."
With a wink, he turned and walked towards his chosen machine, his own basket of tokens clinking softly with promise. The battle for nighttime initiative had officially begun.