Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093083511177921/episodes/16818093084314610156
“What’s this, Hikarun onii chan?”
“Yeah, it’s called target practice.”
“Target practice?”
“It’s a game where you aim a cork gun at a prize and if you drop it, you get it. Do you want to try it, Sakine-chan?”
“I do!”
The store owner gave the money and received a cork gun and five bullets, and loaded the bullets for Sakine-chan to shoot.
The stand is too high for her, so I carry her and hold the heavy gun from behind with her.
“Okay, which one do you want to shoot?”
“I want that one!”
Sakine-chan pointed to a stuffed Hikarun doll, which I always put in my room.
It was the size of my one hand, smaller than other stuffed animals and easier to drop than others, but not something I would recommend to first-timers, but if Sakine-chan wanted it, I had no choice but to go for it.
For the first shot, I would just prop up the gun and let Sakine-chan do all the rest.
It may not be the best education for a young girl to have a gun in her hand, but I had no choice.
While Hina and I watched, Sakine-chan earnestly aimed at the stuffed animal and pulled the trigger.
There was a popping sound, and the bullet flew out and hit the red cloth behind it.
“Ah. No good”
Then, missed the shots, and Sakine-chan seemed to realize that she couldn’t do it on her own, so she called out to me.
“Hikarun onii chan, let’s do it together.”
I was asked to hold the gun and I covered Sakine-chan’s back as she held the gun up.
“Sakine-chan, when I say yes, shoot. Let’s go”
“Okay.”
The first shot hit the stuffed animal, and it moved back a little.
This makes it easier to drop with the next shot, and it turns out it’s not something designed to fall off.
“Okay.”
The last shot struck the stuffed animal cleanly through the right eye, and it fell off the platform, off balance.
A slight groan was heard from the surrounding customers who seemed to be watching.
The owner of the store had a smiling but subtly drawn face, and I cowered and accepted the prize I had won.
“Yay! Thanks, onii chan!”
I handed Sakine-chan the stuffed animal I had won, and she was happy as she hugged it tightly.
Seeing her like that made me feel a little relieved.
A child’s smile is the best reward of all.
But when I looked to the side, I saw Hina standing there with a slightly unhappy expression on her face.
“What’s wrong? Hina.”
When I called out to her, she averted her gaze and answered curtly.
“Nothing. I was also aiming for that prize, but I didn’t win it at all.”
It seems that Hina had been playing target practice while Sakine and I were doing it.
However, it seems that she couldn’t drop the ball even after shooting many times, and she seemed to be completely depressed.
“Is that what you wanted?”
I looked at Hina and saw that what she was after was a cat key chain. The keychain stands out from the other prizes and is certainly cute, but it seems to have a high degree of difficulty.
“Yeah,……, but that’s enough.”
Hina was upset, but she was also an adult and left the shooting parlor after realizing that she could not get the key ring.
But she still couldn’t give up, she turned her head to the stall and sighed again and again.
“I’m sorry, I forgot something at the shooting parlor.”
I said that, went back to the stall, paid the old man, received 5 bullets and a gun, and aimed at the cat’s hairpin next to the cat key chain that Hina wanted. dropped in one shot.
I gave the other four bullets to a boy nearby and hurried back to the girls.
“Sorry, sorry.”
“Did you forget something?”
“Yes, yes
“What did you forget?”
“This.”
I said, holding out the cat’s hairpin I had won, and Hina’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What’s this?”
“The keychain that Hina wanted was not going to come off, so I gave her the cat hairpin instead. I thought it would look good on Hina.”
For a moment, Hina stared at the cat hairpin I held out to her with a look of surprise and confusion on her face, but then she slowly reached out her hand and took it.
“Eh,…… really, for me?”
“Of course. I thought it would suit Hina.”
When I said that, Hina blushed a little in embarrassment.
“Thank you…but you went out of your way to come back and take it. You didn’t have to do that…”
“No, no, I took it because I wanted it. Besides, it doesn’t feel good to see Hina depressed, so I just wanted her to feel better.”
When I said that, Hina looked away for a moment in embarrassment, but then immediately looked up and smiled.
“Thank you, Hikaru. I’ll take good care of it.”
I felt a little relieved when she said that and clutched the cat’s hairpin tightly. I was glad that she seemed to be in a better mood.
When I proposed the idea to them, Sakine-chan and Hina happily began discussing their next game. Thus, the atmosphere that had been a bit disconcerting became harmonious again, and we were once again enveloped in a festive atmosphere.
I was a little relieved to see Hina’s smile return, and I knew we were going to have a good time again.
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