Chapter 18
Lucky 18
"Just wait sir, we will prepare the package for you."
Kimberly, the woman, sweetly and slowly said, she was still trying to seduce Calix. The man nodded and understood her, he appreciated her work.
"Um, how long do I have to wait?"
Calix looked around and found that people were starting to fill the Game Center. It seemed like a lot of people wanted to spend time playing arcade games.
"Oh, not long sir. It will take around five to ten minutes."
Kimberly replied as she adjusted her eyeglasses while glancing at him.
"Okay."
The woman bowed her head and went to another room to find the battle suit and phone. She wanted to take a camera, paper, and pen too. She wanted to have his number and have a selfie with him. Apparently, the winners of the raffle had to take a picture so she was just doing her job. Although she wanted to have her own picture with him. She didn't know why but she felt excited right now like a girl who saw her crush.
"Is this what they call love at first sight?"
She touched her chest as she asked herself. If this was love at first sight then she would cherish these feelings because it felt good. She didn't know that she could actually feel this kind of emotion.
She thought love at first sight was bullshit but now that she experienced it herself, she learned that this is real.
………
……
…
Calix looked around the place. He already knew every nook and cranny of the Game Center but he was still intrigued looking at every section.
Right close to him was a line of claw machines(Claw Crane/Toy Crane). The prizes of each claw machine were different. He saw toys and even food, although the most things that caught his attentions were the claw machines that had prizes of a whole piece of cake, a whole box of pizza, and the brand new phone. (These types of cranes are common in Japan.)
Calix was happy to try them.
"Since the cashier said that it will be five to ten minutes, why don't I try the claw machine?"
He said to himself.
Every day, Calix would try using his luck but nothing happened so he didn't think highly of claw machines. He would always lose his money at this kind of game. But recently, he felt like something good was going on about his life. Everything around him was going into pieces, making his heart beat faster. Calix felt like he already knew the answer why...
gulped
Especially the gazes he received. Calix was not completely stupid. If these things kept happening even though a day already passed, this meant that the idea that was hiding in his mind might be true. Perhaps he unknowingly deciphered his power, the Luck Term Attribute. The unknown power that he worked so hard to get, he spent three years just to decipher it. Maybe he awakened it without him knowing.
"… Let's do this, let's fucking do this."
He was not confident but he wanted to make sure. His heart was pounding so hard as he walked towards the claw machines. He looked around and decided to use the claw machines that had prizes of ice cream cones. He was already old to be excited about toys so he went for the things that he could use, such as food. He was hungry anyway, he didn't have breakfast because his fridge was empty.
He read the instructions, he had to pay 1 dollar for three tries. Calix had money in his wallet, his father sent him money monthly… Although sometimes he would lose them or someone stole them. Anyway, this month Calix's financial status was in fine shape. On top of that, he found 100 dollars yesterday.
"I have to be frugal because I have to buy groceries later. But if I get food here, perhaps I don't have to anymore."
He said. He tried to justify that he could spend his money on other things if he got some prizes. His mindset may look good but it was stupid. Healthy food is the best but it seemed like this man forgot the teachings his father said to him. Food that you created yourself is healthy and more delicious than the food you can find in any store or restaurant. Calix didn't abide by this teaching anymore since he experienced the life of eating carbs food. It was tiring cooking so he didn't like it. The other reason why he didn't like cooking more certain foods was because of the "accidents" he got in the kitchen.
And what will he gonna do with ice cream anyway? This cone of sugar is unhealthy! Especially if you ate it frequently!
Calix didn't listen to any of this narrator's tsukomi and just continue with his play. He put the money in and the digital screen stated that he had three tries. Calix looked at the bunch of ice cream cones stacked together. He was finding the easiest cone that he could get.
"There…"
He saw one that was slightly standing and could easily capture by the claw. He touched the controller and the timer started beeping. He moved the claw carefully. Now, the claw was right up the cone. He pressed the button and the claw started going down to get the ice cream. Calix was half expectant, but his other half was cold as a block of ice because he experienced failures many times.
But at this moment, a miracle happened. The claw grabbed the ice cream but out of his expectation, the ice cream was stuck together with two other ice cream. He was dumbfounded as he watched THREE GODDAMN ICE CREAM CONES slowly being grabbed by the claw. He witnessed how the ice cream triplets go down the box and baam! He got three in just one shot, what kind of luck is that! [This is a stupid scenario that is impossible to replicate!!]
Calix was shocked that he paused for a second before he could regain his focus. He bent his knees and pulled the three ice creams out of the container. His skin felt a scalding sensation but he was too numb to realize it. He just stared at the ice creams and claw machine back in forth.
Then after a sudden realization. He opened his mouth and said.
"Horree Sheet!!"
Yup, he said it in a long exaggerated way. He looked around and found that there was an abandoned pushcart in the sideway. Calix used the cart and put his first prize. He was too absorbed as he moved the cart close to the claw machine.
"Now, I still have two tries."
He cracked his knuckles as his eyes had a fierce glare. He would murder this claw machine!
In short, he earned three ice creams in one try.