I Just Want a Single Ending [224] [40 PS]
Kamigawa Saku couldn't help but respond to Nyamu's teasing with a deadpan retort.
"And also, don't call me by weird nicknames."
"But I think it sounds great!"
To strengthen her case, Nyamu turned to Nagasaki Soyo and Wakaba Mutsumi, asking for their opinions.
"What do you two think?"
"I think it's best not to impose a nickname on someone if they don't like it."
Soyo replied with a calm smile, though her gaze at Nyamu held a trace of irritation.
To use such a personal nickname for Kamigawa Saku… Wasn't that a bit much for a stranger who just happened to cross paths with him?
Mutsumi remained silent, choosing not to weigh in.
"Sorry, I was just trying to joke around."
Nyamu immediately sensed Soyo's slight displeasure and quickly apologized.
She had called him "Saku-yo" in the spirit of teasing him, as they often joked around when alone.
But their dynamic shifted when others were present. Her playful nickname, meant for just the two of them, could come off as bullying in the eyes of others.
So it made sense that Soyo, as Kamigawa's friend, would feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Even though Wakaba Mutsumi hadn't expressed disapproval, she also hadn't shown any approval.
Nyamu decided not to push the topic further to avoid leaving a bad impression.
Seeing how fast she apologized, Kamigawa Saku felt a bit disappointed.
He'd been thinking of firing back with a nickname like "Nyamu-chan" or even "Nya-chan" to get even.
But now, that plan was out the window.
"Oh, I see. Guess I was overreacting."
Soyo said, but inwardly, she was feeling even more irritated with Nyamu.
It was simple, really: if Nyamu could joke around with Kamigawa Saku so freely, it meant they had a reasonably close relationship. Otherwise, who would joke so casually?
When Nyamu had called him "Saku," Soyo had noticed but hadn't thought too much of it; after all, many girls called him by his first name.
But now it was clear their friendship was closer than she'd initially assumed.
"Alright, back to the main event! Let's get to the prize draw," Nyamu quickly suggested, hoping to lift the mood.
"Speaking of which, who should do the extra 100,000 yen prize draw?" Kamigawa Saku played along, shifting the conversation as well.
Then, recalling how Nyamu had specifically mentioned the extra draw when they'd agreed to pool their purchases, he looked to her. "Nyamu, want to go for it?"
"It wouldn't be fair if I did it, would it? We pooled our money as a group of four."
Nyamu wasn't really interested in the draw; it had just been a way to spend time with them.
And who drew the prize didn't matter to her.
She was deferring here to offset any negativity from her earlier joke at Saku's expense.
"If we go that route, then none of us would be the right person to draw," Nagasaki Soyo pointed out.
Just as Nyamu could use that excuse, so could everyone else. If everyone declined, they wouldn't be able to do the draw at all.
Wakaba Mutsumi stayed silent, looking on quietly, indifferent to the prize draw.
"How about Saku does it, then?" Nyamu suggested after a brief pause, redirecting it back to him.
"How about this instead: since the extra draw supposedly has a higher chance of winning a big prize, why don't we let whoever has the best luck today draw?" Kamigawa Saku proposed.
"Who knows? We might even get lucky and win something big."
"So, who's the lucky one here?"
Soyo glanced around at the three of them.
"Just saying—I don't think my luck is great today," Saku said, taking the initiative.
He judged his luck based on the game system's random rewards.
The options he'd triggered today only granted him three attribute points, suggesting it wasn't a lucky day.
On his lucky days, the system's rewards would usually be much higher, even offering rare abilities and cards.
"If you say that, then any of us could claim we're unlucky," Nyamu joked.
She didn't understand why everyone else was suddenly reluctant to draw.
This was supposed to be fun; it wasn't like anyone would get punished for not winning.
"True enough."
Kamigawa Saku couldn't argue with that.
It's not like he could bring up the system to explain his reasoning.
"How about we settle this with rock-paper-scissors?" Soyo suggested. "Whoever has the best luck will win."
"No problem."
With her idea on the table, both Nyamu and Kamigawa Saku agreed.
Mutsumi gave a slight nod as well.
And so, the four of them formed a small circle and began their game of rock-paper-scissors to decide who would do the prize draw.
One round was all it took to settle things.
Wakaba Mutsumi won.
The others had all thrown "paper," while she alone chose "scissors."
"Well, it's decided then—Mutsumi, you can do the extra draw!" Soyo beamed, adding warmly, "And don't worry, it's just for fun; it doesn't matter if you don't win anything."
"Mm."
Mutsumi nodded softly.
Both Nyamu and Saku had no objections.
"Just curious—why didn't you want to draw?" Nyamu asked, lowering her voice as she turned to Kamigawa Saku.
"It's not like anyone would blame you if you didn't win anything."
"That's true, but then, why didn't you want to draw?" he countered.
"Because I wanted to let one of you do it," she answered, a smile on her face.
"Funny, I thought the same thing," Saku replied with a knowing grin.
As if he didn't see right through her.
When they'd first pooled their money, she seemed keen on the prize draw, but now she wanted to let others do it? The whole thing didn't quite add up.
It was obvious she had another motive.
And what could that be?
Well, it was simple: she was interested in Wakaba Mutsumi.
Not that Saku needed to be told. He'd used similar tactics himself countless times, seizing any plausible excuse to get close to a "targetable character."
Only this time, he was on the receiving end.
How could he be so sure she was interested in Mutsumi?
The signs were unmistakable.
After all, Wakaba Mutsumi was the daughter of a celebrity.
Saku knew Nyamu's personality well, as their friendship had been built on similar give-and-take.
Plus, when he and Soyo had first entered the mall, Nyamu had only greeted them briefly and showed no interest in joining them.
That meant she hadn't been after Soyo's attention.
But the moment Mutsumi joined them, Nyamu reappeared, pushing her cart.
It was almost too convenient.
At first, Saku thought she was genuinely there to save some money and hit the 100,000 yen mark. But once she started refusing the draw, it clicked.
She was there to impress Wakaba Mutsumi, plain and simple.
So, he decided to play along.
Two could play at that game.
"…"
Nyamu was speechless.
Just as she was about to say something, Soyo spoke up.
"What are you two whispering about over there? Weren't we going to do the draw?"
"Mm."
With that, Nyamu and Kamigawa Saku followed Soyo and Wakaba Mutsumi over to the prize draw area.
---
"Tissues, of course."
After drawing twice, Kamigawa Saku held up his prizes—two packs of tissues—predictably.
"That's about what you'd expect," Nyamu said, inspecting her own pack of wet wipes. "Hoping to win something big from the regular draw is pointless. Let's leave it up to Mutsumi for the bonus draw."
"Don't pressure her," Soyo cautioned gently. "The bonus draw doesn't guarantee a big win, it just improves the odds."
Having also won wet wipes and tissues, she didn't want Mutsumi to feel like it was her fault if she didn't win anything.
"My bad."
Nyamu apologized swiftly, especially since Mutsumi was involved.
"Now it's Mutsumi's turn."
After their ten regular draws yielded no major prizes, the three of them eagerly gathered around as it was finally Mutsumi's turn for the extra draw.
Mutsumi reached into the large prize box and randomly selected a ball.
She twisted it open, revealing a silver slip.
"What did you win?" Kamigawa Saku asked, curious.
"Second prize."
Mutsumi's voice was calm as she read the words on the slip.
"Huh?"
Nyamu and Soyo gasped in unison.
"I can't believe we actually won a big prize!" Kamigawa Saku could hardly believe it.
"Wait, what's the second prize again?" Nyamu struggled to recall.
"Congratulations! You've won a family hot spring trip!" The staff member confirmed after inspecting the silver slip.
"A family hot spring trip?!"
---
In a nearby café, Kamigawa Saku and Nyamu sat across from Soyo and Mutsumi.
In the middle of the table lay a voucher for a family hot spring trip.
It was valid for up to four people.
Meaning, a whole family could enjoy a stay at the hot spring resort.
"So, let's get right to it. What should we do with this voucher?"
Once everyone had ordered their drinks, Kamigawa Saku was the first to speak.
Their original plan had been to finish shopping, then head back with Mutsumi.
But with the unexpected hot spring voucher win, they had to change course and figure out how to use it.
The problem was, giving it to any one of them didn't feel quite right.
Saku, for instance, had no parents to share it with.
Soyo's parents were divorced, and her mother was constantly busy and rarely around.
Mutsumi's parents, both being celebrities, had hectic schedules and rarely any time to spare.
And Nyamu was in college, living separately from her parents.
Simply put, whoever took the voucher would end up going alone.
Recognizing this dilemma, the four of them decided to sit down and discuss it.
"Honestly, giving the voucher to one of us would be easiest, but it seems none of us can really make full use of it," Nyamu mused, studying the others' expressions.
She already had an idea.
The voucher was valid for four people, and there just happened to be four of them.
Why not go together?
Sure, it was labeled a "family hot spring voucher," but that didn't mean it was restricted to biological families.
Even if it was, they could always say they were like siblings.
And her motive for going with them was simple.
This was a rare chance to bond with Wakaba Mutsumi, and she wasn't about to let it slip by.
It didn't matter that Saku was tagging along too.
It wasn't like she'd be alone with him; Soyo and Mutsumi would be there as well.
Besides, Saku had proven himself to be trustworthy during the times they'd spent together.
And as a bonus, it'd be a chance to raise her friendship level with him as well.
Her only hesitation was that this would be her first outing with Mutsumi.
Jumping straight to a hot spring trip might be a bit much.
"It does seem that way."
Soyo agreed.
Since it was a family voucher, it made sense for family members to go together.
Her mother was too busy to join, so she could go with Kamigawa Saku.
As siblings, they met the criteria.
The only problem was that the voucher wasn't hers alone.
It also belonged to Mutsumi and Nyamu, so their input was necessary.
This wasn't going to be easy.