Chapter 385
Yannis pulled out a whole bucket of tokens, ready for a fun session at the claw machine. He asked, “Which plushie do you want to try for?”
Zinnia glanced around, and her eyes landed on a claw machine ahead filled with bear plushies. She said, “I want that bear plushie.”
“Alright, let’s go for that one,” Yannis said, and the two of them walked over together.
Yannis handed Zinnia some tokens with a gentle smile. “Give it a try,” he encouraged.
Zinnia said, “I’ve heard these plushies are hard to grab.” She picked up two tokens and popped them into the slot.
During her first few days back home, Zinnia had been too busy indulging in all the local delicacies to try out these games. So now, she was genuinely bubbling with excitement.
Yannis said gently, “We’ve got a whole bucket of tokens. We can take our time. If you get tired or don’t feel like playing anymore, I’ll take you for some delicious food.”
Zinnia looked down at a bear plushie inside the claw machine, her expression serious. She carefully maneuvered the claw above a plushie that seemed easiest to grab and pressed the button. The claw descended and grabbed the plushie.
Zinnia’s eyes sparkled with excitement as the plushie was being lifted, but just as the claw started moving, the plushie slipped out of its grip. She exclaimed, “Oh no, it fell!”
“It’s okay. Let’s try again,” Yannis said gently, handing her some tokens.
Undeterred, Zinnia grabbed two more tokens and popped them into the slot.
Yannis stood by her side, his gaze never once leaving her.
Zinnia lowered her head, slightly bent over, her brows knitted in concentration.
The soft light overhead illuminated them both, casting their intertwined shadows on the floor.
Suddenly, Zinnia exclaimed, “Got it!” Her eyes were fixed on the plushie as it dropped into the prize slot. She bent down to retrieve the plushie, gave its soft fur a gentle squeeze, then affectionately nuzzled it against her cheek.
“You did amazing,” Yannis said. His eyes were fixed on her beaming smile, unable and unwilling to hide the admiration in his gaze.
Zinnia smiled and said, “Don’t praise me. I can’t handle compliments. It’ll go straight to my head!”
As if by magic, Yannis suddenly produced a giant lollipop. He said, “Go ahead, be proud. You are amazing.”
Zinnia looked at him in surprise. She asked, “Where did you get this?”
Yannis handed her the lollipop and said, “Your reward.”
Zinnia laughed and said, “I’m not a little kid anymore, you know.”
Yannis replied with a gentle smile, “You don’t have to be a kid to get a reward.”
Zinnia’s eyes sparkled as she smiled. “Thank you,” she said warmly.
With a lollipop in her left hand and a plushie in her right, Zinnia realized she had no free hands left to keep playing.
Yannis reached out with a gentle smile. He offered, “Let me hold the plushie for you.”
Caught up in the thrill of the game, Zinnia promptly shoved the plushie into Yannis’s arms, eager to try again. She announced, “I want to try for the hamburger plushie!”
With that, she made a beeline for the claw machine stocked with hamburgers, fries, and egg tart plushies.
Yannis followed close behind, game tokens in his left hand and the plushie tucked under his right arm. His eyes mirrored her joyful silhouette, while something deeper, something like longing, shimmered in their depths.
Zinnia failed twice in a row and ran out of tokens. She darted to Yannis’s side and urged, “Quick! Give me some tokens. I’m so close to getting it.”
Yannis handed her the tokens he was holding.
Zinnia grabbed two and fed them into the machine. She was now trying for a five–patty burger plushie. It was huge, as big as two of her heads put together, and looked irresistibly soft and squishy. She adored it.
The bigger the plushies were, the harder they were to grab. But Zinnia didn’t let that get her down.
She inserted four tokens into the machine, her hands trembling as she nervously maneuvered the claw and pressed the button. But the claw missed. She hung her head and sighed, “Missed it.”
Yannis handed her a few more tokens with an encouraging smile. He said, “Try again. This burger plushie is pretty big. It’s normal to need a few tries.”
Zinnia nodded as she slipped the tokens in, leaning forward intently over the machine.
Yannis mirrored her movement, bending down close beside her, their shoulders nearly touching.
Zinnia carefully adjusted the angle of the claw, tweaking it left and right, but nothing seemed quite right. A slight frown creased her brow.
As Zinnia pondered, a sudden warmth enveloped the back of her hand. Yannis’s hand gently covered hers. The cool scent of mint filled her senses. She turned and met his sharply defined, handsome features.
“Now’s good,” Yannis murmured.
Zinnia lowered her head just in time to see the claw descend and clamp tightly onto the burger plushie. A moment later, the burger plushie tumbled straight into the prize slot.
Zinnia looked up at Yannis. Her eyes were shining with surprise as she exclaimed, “You’re amazing!” She met his deep, narrow eyes, and in them, she saw only her reflection. For a moment, her heart skipped several beats.
Yannis had just been holding Zinnia, his broad arms wrapped protectively around her. With a calm, unhurried expression, he let go and picked up the burger plushie. He handed it to Zinnia and said, “Here you go.”
Zinnia hugged the burger plushie tightly with both hands. “Thank you,” she said.
Yannis gave the burger plushie a gentle squeeze. “Want to try for any other plushies?” he asked with a smile.
Zinnia nodded eagerly, eyes lighting up. She said, “Yes! There’s a capybara plushie on my right. I want that one.”
The arcade was filled with plushies of every kind. Zinnia even spotted several limited–edition collectibles. She felt the arcade looked magical. She could spend hours there.
“Let’s keep going. I’ll hold these for you,” Yannis offered.
Yannis helped by carrying the plushies, following closely behind Zinnia. Each time she won one, he’d take it from her and add it to his growing collection.
Zinnia bent down, popped two tokens into the machine, and then called excitedly, “Mr. Perkins, come quick! This plushie is adorable.”
Yannis pushed a cart overflowing with plushies, all won by Zinnia. He walked over and saw some super soft yellow ducklings inside the machine, each wearing a tiny, adorable red hat. He asked softly, “Want this one?”
Zinnia took a sip of orange juice and said, “Yeah, I want it, but I’ve tried three times at this claw machine and still couldn’t get it. Can you help me out? You are skilled at this.”
Yannis walked over to her side and said, “Let me get it for you.” He bent down to adjust the claw. He asked, “Which one do you want?”
Zinnia scanned the plushies, then pointed decisively. She said, “I want the one in the back right corner. That’s the cutest. I’ve tried so many times but just can’t get it. This claw machine is impossible.”
Though all the plushies looked the same, Zinnia was convinced that the one she pointed at was a little different.
“Okay,” Yannis replied. He expertly maneuvered the claw to the far corner and pressed the button.
The claw descended. It clamped firmly onto the duckling’s head and carried it steadily toward the prize chute.
Zinnia exclaimed, “You’re seriously amazing!” She bent down to retrieve the yellow duck from the prize chute, her face beaming with delight as she looked up at Yannis. The next moment, she froze.
Yannis was tall and broad–shouldered, his light blue shirt highlighting his slim waist and perfect physique. His whole figure exuded effortless charm.
His profile was striking, with fine, straight eyebrows and a high–bridged nose. His hair was swept back, fully revealing his handsome face.
With his eyes lowered and a gentle smile in his gaze as he looked at her, it felt as if he was sharing in her happiness. There was a tenderness and allure in his expression that was utterly captivating.
Without a doubt, Yannis was truly exceptional, both in looks and presence.
Staring at Yannis, a fleeting image flashed through Zinnia’s mind. She saw a girl lounging lazily on the sofa beside a claw machine, with a man standing quietly by her side. The overhead light enveloped them, their shadows intertwined on the floor.
She wondered, ‘Was that me and Yannis?’