After buying two ice cream cones, Gabriel strolled back to the bench where Misha sat. As the teenager approached, he couldnโt help but throw a worried glance at the child, whose slouching posture made him look like an old, wilted tree. It was as if his small shoulders carried the weight of the world.
In a way, Gabriel felt like he wasnโt looking at a kid but rather at a young man who had experienced the ups and downs of life. This strange feeling put him ill at ease, and unconsciously, he slowed down the speed at which he walked to observe the child a little longer.
The moment he met him, Gabriel immediately knew something was off about the boy, but no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldnโt figure out what was bothering him. Even now, he still couldnโt say with confidence what put him on edge whenever he looked into those crystal clear blue eyes. They had the same color as Mashaโs, but they appeared so much more profound. It was like looking into an abyss.
As if sensing his gaze on him, the kid lifted his head, and when he saw Gabriel, his small face beamed with joy. He then said with a childish yet somewhat hopeful tone, looking at the ice cream cones in Gabrielโs hands as if they were a life-saving item, โI want the chocolate flavored one!โ
Instantly, the heavy atmosphere surrounding Misha broke, making Gabrielโs previous uneasiness look like a fleeting illusion.
Caught off guard, Gabriel raised his eyebrows, staring at the child with uncertainty. But he soon shook his head, determining that something was wrong with his eyes or maybe his brain. How could a boy of his age look so melancholic? It must have been his imagination.
Gabriel tossed the thought aside and walked up to the boy, handing over the ice cream cone he wanted before sitting beside him. For a moment, neither of them spoke, and only the sound of their tongues licking the ice cream could be heard.
They ate in silence. One was lost in thought while the other pondered what to do nextโthe โrun-awayโ plan was a huge failure, and sadly, Misha had no backup plan. Oh well, he just had to figure out his next move before finishing his ice cream cone. He had plenty of time.
After swallowing the last bite of his ice cream cone, Gabriel glanced at Misha, who was also almost done. Then, a light chuckle escaped his mouth. He put his fist before his lips to stifle his laughter, but it wasnโt very successful, and it didnโt escape Mishaโs sharp ears, earning him a glare.
Chocolate stained half of the boyโs face and his fingers, and even the tip of his nose had turned brown. He was currently frowning at his food as if wondering how to eat his ice cream cone without spilling it all over himselfโit was already too late for that, but Gabriel thought it was better not to point it out.
It was somewhat a cute sight, softening the teenagerโs heart slightly. Masha often bragged about her little brother, telling the world that he was the cutest boy on earth. And at that moment, Gabriel almost thought she was right, completely forgetting the ominous feeling the boy gave off a few minutes ago.
Ignoring the teenagerโs stare, Misha went back to battling with his ice cream cone. A childโs mouth and tongue were too small, and he couldnโt eat well, frustrating him to no end. How come it was so hard to eat an ice cream cone?! It was just ice cream! And biscuits! And a few candies!
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
What Misha wouldnโt admit, though, was that he had made it a habit to gobble up ice cream cones in two bites. Instinctively, he had tried to do that, only to end up with his nose buried in the ice cream. Misha quickly realized that biting the top of the ice cream wouldnโt work. Thus, he could only eat it the old-fashioned way, which involved licking the ice cream all over. Then, he dejectedly discovered that his small tongue wasnโt fast enough, and the ice cream soon started to melt, dripping onto his hands.
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Trying hard to restrain his laughter, Gabriel discreetly bit his tongue. He chose to be diplomatic and coaxed, โIโm sorry. I wonโt do it again. Letโs go to the bathroom to clean you up a little, okay?โ
For a moment, Misha almost blurted out that he knew how to eat cleanly and that he usually didnโt make such a mess, but it all seemed like excuses. So he decided to shut up and bottle up his anger before following the teenager to the washroom.
As Misha washed his hands and his face clean, a gloomy expression lingered on his face. He needed to quickly adjust his habits and mind to this young body of his. Otherwise, heโd keep on making a fool of himself; he just wanted to eat an ice cream cone, and the result was quite shameful. And earlier, he tried to run away, only to be caught in no time. Sigh.ย
Chasing away the depressing thoughts, Misha turned off the water and left the bathroom. He then met Gabriel, who was waiting outside beside the door.
โWhat do you want to do?โ Gabriel asked with a warm smile, his gentle eyes falling upon the boy.
โI want to do all the game booths!โ Misha grinned.
Gabriel choked slightly and repeated, โAll of them?โ
โYes! All of them!โ Misha confirmed, emphasizing the word โallโ as he stared at the teenage boy with sparkling eyes, making it impossible for Gabriel to refuse his request.
โFine, fine, letโs do them all.โ
At these words, a smile bloomed on Mishaโs face, curving his eyes into crescent moons. Although he looked cheerful and candid, he was thinking of depleting the teenagerโs bank account. He hadnโt forgotten, nor had he abandoned this idea, and visiting each game booth seemed to be the easiest and fastest way to do so.
โSo, which one do you want to do first?โ
Misha looked around the alley packed with game booths and food stalls before rushing to a colorful balloon dart game booth.
โLetโs start with this one!โ
Thus, they went to the booth, and Gabriel paid for the first round. Surprisingly, after throwing the first dart, Misha swiftly and dexterously popped all the balloons one after another.
Seconds went by, and Misha didnโt notice Gabrielโs or the employeeโs amazed gaze, too concentrated on the task at hand. Luckily, it appeared that he hadnโt lost all of his skills while transmigrating into his younger self, though he still needed to focus on his every move. This game was harder to play in his current state, and he had to adjust the angle and the strength at which he threw the dart every time. However, his success rate was still satisfying, almost perfect.
When Misha started going out to bars in his past life, he often patronized the small, quiet ones that offered many kinds of gamesโhe had never been a club lover since he didnโt like crowded places and loud music. At the time, he also started to play dart and billiard games with other customers, betting a beer or two in the process. Over the years, he honed his skills, and no one could beat him in a dart game.
Misha was used to targeting a dartboard, so the balloons were relatively easy to aim at since they were bigger and closer. He only had to be careful of the angle since this body was a lot smaller, and his arms didnโt have the same reach.
Soon enough, Misha threw the last dart, popped a balloon, and won a big prize. When the staff asked him what he wanted, he didnโt hesitate before pointing at the big, pink teddy bear. Of course, he wasnโt planning on keeping it. No, he thought of giving it to his sister as a birthday present.
Because Misha was now only a kid, he didnโt have any pocket money, and he couldnโt buy anything. But although he didnโt pay for this gift, he won it by himself, and he was sure his sister would like it very much. She had always loved cute stuff and such.
With a wide, foolish smile, Misha took the teddy bear, which was almost as tall as him, and shoved it into Gabrielโs hands before dashing to another game booth.
They ran from one game booth to another all morning as Misha kept winning prizes. When he couldnโt win, he sulked and pouted, glancing at Gabriel from the corner of his eyes until the teenager paid another round or won the game in his stead.
At some point, Misha even forgot that he wanted to ditch Gabriel, too engrossed in playing the different games and winning prizes for his sister.
When lunchtime came around, they left the game area to meet with the rest of the group. From where they sat, the teenage girls and Gulnas thus saw a tall mountain of colorful plushies approaching them. Then, they noticed a smiling boy holding a big, pink teddy bear walking beside the said mountain.
Mini theater
MC: Letโs play Russian roulette! Gaby, youโre the assistant.
ML: You know, I donโt really like the idea of you throwing darts at me while my arms and legs are tied to a spinning roulette.
MC: Who talked about darts? Of course, Russian roulette is played with daggers!
ML:…
MC: What? Donโt you trust me?
ML: Ergh…
Chapter revised on 2022-04-23
Edited by Clozed! โฅ
Hehe canโt wait for the next update!!! Btw what is your update schedule author?
For now, it’s daily, but I don’t post the chapters at a specific time. It depends on how many things I have to do in the day! TuT
Also, I’m revising the first volume, so the update will be once a week on Friday when I’m done with that. There are still more than 50 chapters to go, though (the first volume has 67 chapters + an epilogue).
Thank you for reading and commenting! ๐
how cute! I rarely win at carnival games lol
thanks for the chapter <3
I think I only won once…?
Thanks for reading! /o/
Thanks โค๏ธ
Thanks for reading! โฅ
i- isn’t russian roulette played with a gun..? i think my facts are wrong :<
There are actually different ways of playing it. The most common one is with the gun, I think? But at first, I think Russian roulette was played like this, with daggers and a real roulette. In any case, it’s also called Russian roulette x’D
Thanks for reading! ~
oh~~~ okay!!
Omg the game booths and the prizes, cute!
Why not try with a gun too? ๐
’cause daggers are more awesome ~
Lend me your skills for once Misha !!! I pop only 2-3 balloons every time I try !!! ๐ข๐ญ
You’re lucky! I’m glad when I manage to pop one balloon! 8’D
Thank you for reading! โฅ
Triumphant, the mighty hunter returns to lay his kill at the feet of his sister, faithful servant by his side..