Does gravity make me stronger?

"Hachiman...?"

Sure enough, after she finished speaking, Ai Yin gave her a questioning look, but her attention was quickly diverted by the other friends.

After school, Takamatsu Akari and Aine exchanged a few words before Takamatsu Akari came to Hachiman's side.

"Hachiman, let's go."

"Oh."

Not yet fully accepting being called by his name, Hachiman shyly scratched his cheek.

And the place they were going to today was naturally the small shopping mall next to Ginza, the CBD closest to Haneoka Academy, also known as "Little Wanda Plaza."

It's well known that prices in Tokyo are higher, especially in the upscale shopping malls in the CBD, where something that costs one dollar can be sold for five.

Although Gao Songdeng's family was not poor, they didn't have enough money to squander at the shopping mall.

As for Hachiman, he's a poor loser who has to be frugal even to buy an ice cream.

The two boarded the tram and arrived at the shopping mall. Come to think of it, this was the same place they had brought Komachi to last time.

What a coincidence!

Because it was Friday, the shopping center was busier, and Takamatsu Akari deliberately walked next to Hachiman, maintaining a relatively intimate distance.

Wait a minute, is this a date?

This is definitely a date!

Damn it, how come I didn't notice that?

"Where should we start? Do you know what the preferences of the people in the band are?" Hachiman asked.

"Aine-chan likes trendy little things, Riki likes pandas, Suze likes black tea, Ryuna-chan likes delicious candy, and Hachiman..."

When his name was mentioned, Hachiman perked up his ears curiously, eager to know what Takamatsu Akari thought he liked.

"I like girls with big breasts..."

"Pfft!" He almost fainted. "Wait a minute, how did you come to this conclusion?"

“Because…” Takamatsu Akari blushed and lowered her head, “I’ve been looking at Aine and Sose’s breasts all the time.”

You're lying, I didn't!

Hachiman turned his face away guiltily.

I wasn't looking at other people's chests, I was just checking if everyone's development was normal.

【Take this Dragon Claw Hand】

Feeling the inexplicable trembling in his chest, Hachiman shouted in his heart, "You're disgusting!"

---Cut line---

I'm having a colonoscopy/gastroscopy tomorrow, and I only have 4K available today and tomorrow. I took laxatives today, and I heard I'll have to have diarrhea dozens of times. I'm trembling with fear.

Chapter 116, Section 114: The Second Battle with the Claw Machine

The two strolled around, buying gifts for Aine, Kaname, and Riki. However, when it came to choosing a gift for Nagasaki Motoyo, they both had a bit of a headache.

Black tea is a very broad concept, encompassing many brands and varieties of tea.

A qualified tea connoisseur can surely select a suitable product from a dazzling array of tea varieties, making the giver happy and the receiver pleased.

However, these two people knew absolutely nothing about tea beverages, and couldn't even distinguish between black tea and white tea.

However, distinguishing green tea is much simpler (laughs).

"What should we do?"

Standing at the entrance of the tea shop, Gao Songdeng looked worried and muttered to himself.

"My suggestion is either to listen to the advice of the staff at the store, or to go to the coffee shop that Nagasaki frequents and ask the staff to pack some tea from there."

"what?"

Hachiman's outrageous suggestion surprised Takamatsu Akari. After thinking for a moment, she tentatively suggested, "How about giving a different gift?"

“That works too…” Hachiman nodded. “But I really don’t know what else to deliver. How about we go to the coffee shop instead?”

"No, no." Even Gao Songdeng didn't want to give such a bizarre gift.

"What should I do?"

"How about giving me a plush toy?"

Takamatsu tilted her head, thinking of the Mr. Pan doll that Hachiman had given her last month, and a smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.

"Yes, you can give me a plush toy."

"Nagasaki-kun probably prefers bears," Hachiman thought to himself.

Whether it was when I went to the zoo or when I had a study session at Nagasaki's house, I witnessed Nagasaki Motoyo's fondness for bears, so if you're choosing a plush toy, you can't go wrong with a bear.

"Let's go to the claw machine!" Once they had decided on their target, Takamatsu Akari immediately pulled Hachiman along to head to the claw machine.

"Wait a minute, who would use a plush toy from a claw machine as a gift?"

Hachiman was speechless; the girl in front of him had such a lack of common sense that it was unbelievable.

Takamatsu Akari was somewhat unconvinced, at least she thought it was better than Hachiman's suggestion. After discussing it, the two decided to go to a formal gift shop to choose dolls first.

"I'm sorry, I was too excited just now. We should go to a proper gift shop," Gao Songdeng apologized.

"But if you want to play the claw machine, I can go with you," Hachiman reassured him.

"I...I don't really want to go play..."

Takamatsu Akari shyly put her hands together, looking just like Komachi when she was a child.

"Well, actually I wanted to win a plush toy and send it to Komachi. Do you remember, my little sister?"

"Yes, I remember!"

When Komachi's name was mentioned, Takamatsu Akari was visibly much happier, and she took out her phone to show her chat history with Komachi.

"I've been chatting with Komachi for the past month!"

"What?! How come I didn't know about something so important? Why did you guys talk about this for so long? These past few days, Komachi has only been giving me perfunctory answers!"

So even a cute girl like Komachi goes through a rebellious phase?

Onii-chan's heart is breaking—

On Line, Komachi and Takamatsu Akari chatted enthusiastically, showing none of the perfunctory or casual attitude she displayed when answering Hachiman's questions.

In addition, Gao Songdeng is also a cyber giant. He is usually a quiet person offline, but a keyboard warrior online.

Moreover, Takamatsu Akari especially likes to write long messages. Judging from the chat history, Takamatsu Akari often sends the rest of the message before Komachi has finished replying.

Therefore, the two will have a lot of irrelevant conversations.

Hachiman couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

Sudden.

His expression shifted, and he looked at Takamatsu Akira as if facing a formidable enemy, his eyes trembling.

Hey kid, I treat you like a little sister, you don't want to be my brother-in-law, do you?

Tell me, have you been eyeing our Komachi for a long time?

Damn, Komachi is heterosexual, and her favorite person is her older brother.

Hey, you're asking who her "onii-chan" is?

Of course it's me!

There's no need to answer your own question...

[Komachi must have suffered a lot these past ten years or so.]

Who are you?

Leaving aside the secret relationship between Takamatsu Akari and Komachi, after Hachiman and Takamatsu Akari confirmed their target, they went to the doll shop first.

Frankly, the plush toys in the toy store are outrageously expensive. A small, palm-sized plush kitten costs over a thousand yen, and a larger one costs tens of thousands of yen. It's clearly a money-grabbing scheme.

But girls just love this kind of thing.

Let's not even talk about Rena from a certain Disney [beep], but even the bears from the neighboring Celestial Empire [beep] can sell for a very high price. Damn it, I can't stand it, it's like a craze for plush toys.

Reincarnated as a plush toy!

Bro Bear: I'm crying! Finally, someone can share the burden of those cute girl's elbows with me!

Hmmmm, buddy, I was just kidding.

Xiong Bro: nmsl

Your wallet is a little loose, but the illusion of wealth makes up for it perfectly.

Stop messing around! I'm a high school boy with strong morals and good manners, don't give me this nonsense! (Husky pointing at someone!)

Due to limited funds, Takamatsu could only choose a small bear plush toy. The quality was good, but its size paled in comparison to Bro, the bear at Nagasaki Motoyo's house.

The only distinctive feature is the white crescent moon on the chest of the bear doll, which suggests it is a black bear.

Bro (Bear): A friendly reminder: Black bears are on the brown bear's diet.

Hachiman: You dare to try eating one?

After buying the plush toy, Takamatsu Akari followed Hachiman silently, her eyes always fixed on the claw machine.

This child has probably been holding back for a long time.

OK, go vent it out.

"...Let's go play the claw machine."

He took the initiative to suggest it, and Gao Songdeng nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Ok!"

...

Shopping malls have always been equipped with related amusement facilities to provide a place for tired shoppers to relax, or for those who come with their girlfriends to show off their boyfriend prowess.

This was his second visit to the shopping mall in a short period of time.

Unfortunately, things have changed drastically. Most of the equipment has been taken over by cosplayers of anime and mobile games. The original limited edition Mr. Pan claw machine has been replaced by a huge LED screen, which is now playing a promotional PV for a mobile game.

"Bouncy Bomb!"

I'll blow your head up! Give me back Mr. Pan!

Uncle, I'm really angry.

Before starting the claw machine, Hachiman carefully looked around to make sure no one was having fun before he put the token into the coin slot.

"Light, come here."

Hachiman gave up his seat, and under his guidance, Takamatsu Akari hurriedly grabbed the joystick, looking like a female driver who had just passed her driving test and was driving on the road for the first time.

Of course, Gao Songdeng is different from those XXNs; she clearly knows her own limitations.

"Hachiman, I'm not very good at it..."

"Don't rush, just make sure you're sure before you press the button. As long as you press the button before the time runs out, there won't be any problems."

As he spoke, Hachiman showed no intention of helping.

The flustered and cute lantern doesn't want to help her; she just wants to keep watching her anxious expression.

Hehehe!

A thought of teasing his younger sister welled up in his mind, but just as the countdown on the claw machine had begun, a golden light suddenly flashed in his peripheral vision.

[Flying Thunder God Technique, First Form: Golden Flash, Run!]

wrong!

Hachiman instantly became alert.

The same blond hair, the same work clothes, the same eyes—though they were of different genders, it still stirred up unpleasant memories for Hachiman.

The next second, he saw the other person walking anxiously towards him.