To Byul (Omegaverse)-Chapter 42: We could always try the claw machine again

"That's childish." He let go of Kang-woo's now rumpled collar. "Just return it and..."

"Riiiip!" The ripping sound of a tape attracted their attention and they turned to discover Yun-tae had already ripped the tape off the carton.

"Ah," Yun-tae noticed they were staring at him and raised his head to find Chin-hwa staring with widened eyes of dismay and Kang-woo giving a secret thumbs up from behind Chin-hwa's head. "Did... did I interrupt you?" He innocently asked and nervously laughed. "Sorry bout that, carry... Carry one."

Yun-tae had no idea what they had been arguing about since he didn't pay any attention.

His eyes were on the plushies and how adorable they looked.

"Now, we have no choice but to keep them." Kang-woo said and Chin-hwa shot him a glare.

"This was your plan from the beginning, wasn't it?" He asked but Kang-woo darted his eyes away.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said. "But in any case, let's just keep them. You like plushies, don't you?"

"I do, but..."

"Mummy, look at that." A little girl pointed out. She held her mother's hand while staring with sparkly eyes at the 'now open' carton of plushies. "They have so many toys. I want one."

"It's theirs, baby. You can't have them."

Chin-hwa paused for a moment. Maybe that wasn't such a bad idea.

"Okay, let's do this." He said and placed a hand on Yun-tae's shoulder. "Let's give them out."

"What?! All of it?" Yun-tae exclaimed, shocked.

"No, not all of it." Chin-hwa said, shoving his hand in the carton. "We'll give out most of it."

"Hm, alright." Yun-tae accepted but he wasn't too happy about it.

Chin-hwa saw this and patted his head.

"Don't worry, I'll leave the best for you." He said and turned away, his face falling in sadness. The best of them happened to be the white kitty cat. And there was only one of them.

At the end of it, he knew only one of them could have it.

He took one of the plushies and went to the little girl, handing it over with a smile.

"Here you go." He said but the mother immediately said,

"Oh, I'm sorry. We're not buying it."

"It's alright. It's free."

Hearing it was free, no one would reject it. And so, they went around giving the plushies out to different people. Kids, lovers, people who looked alone, making sure to put a smile on their faces.

They all did it.

It was fun. It was worth it, putting smiles on other people's faces. And so, the money Kang-woo spent to buy them no longer mattered.

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

And then at the end of it, they were left with only one stuffed animal. The kitty cat.

They got so carried away that they did not realize they had given out almost all. They were supposed to have kept at least three so each of them could get one but it was too late to regret.

"We could always try the claw machine again." Kang-woo suggested.

"Did you forget we are out of coins? And even if we did have coins," Chin-hwa sadly shook his head. "You'll never win."

"In that case, should I go buy another carton of it?" Yun-tae suggested but Chin-hwa shuffled his hair.

"No need to use money." He said.

Kang-woo stared at the plushie and then at Chin-hwa. He knew how much Chin-hwa wanted it so he was going to suggest to give it to him.

"I think it should go to H-"

"Yun-tae," Chin-hwa interrupted him. "You can have it."

"What?!" They both exclaimed.

"Why me?" Yun-tae asked. "You also want it, don't you?"

"Well, not really." Chin-hwa said.

'You're lying.' Kang-woo's head rang.

"And I was the one who suggested giving the plushies away, that's why we can't all have one each."

"But it wasn't your fault. We also got carried away." Yun-tae said.

"Then, how's this? I have a bunch of them at home and Kang-woo doesn't care for this stuff a lot, so I think you should have it." He smiled. "Does that sound reasonable?"

Yun-tae pursed his lips.

"You think so too, don't you, Kang-woo?" Chin-hwa asked, turning to Kang-woo who had this defeated look on his face.

He wanted to get it for Chin-hwa so badly that he went ahead to buy the entire collection. But in the end, Chin-hwa didn't want to take it even if they liked it so much.

At this point, even if he refused what Chin-hwa had said, Hwa had already made up his mind,, so he would give it to Yun-tae regardless, and they would both be at odds.

"Yeah," he said reaching out for the kitty cat. "I think Yun-tae should have it." He picked it up and stared at the adorable thing. "It's adorable, just like him."

Hearing that, Yun-tae's eyes sparkled. Kang-woo thought he was adorable? How happy he felt.

But he had no idea that Kang-woo wanted to say those words to Chin-hwa instead of him. Well, none of them knew that and Chin-hwa smiled, even though his fists were tightly clenched, trying to calm his pounding heart.

Yun-tae took the kitty cat from Kang-woo and blushed.

"Thank, thank you. Both of you." He said.

"Then, should we get your name printed on it?" Chin-hwa suggested, pointing at the shop where Kang-woo had bought the collection. "If you get your name printed on it, it'll look even more adorable."

"Wah, there's such a thing?" Yun-tae beamed in excitement. "Then, let's go."

Chin-hwa watched as he hurried ahead in excitement. He chuckled and then saw Kang-woo stretching his hand to help him up.

For a moment, he wondered why Kang-woo was thinking, having that heavy smile on his face.

He did not take Kang-woo's hand and stood by himself.

"Really, you don't have to keep treating me like a kid." He said, laughing it off. "I can take care of myself, see."

He hopped around and Kang-woo watched him, his heart and soul heavy. He wanted to smile, but he was scared that his smile would not be able to mask the sadness in his heart completely, and he could give himself away.

"Right." Kang-woo said, clenching his fist and putting it in his coat pocket. "You can take care of yourself."