04 | Ducks

                                    

                                          
Running through a colourful theme park with your best friend's hand in yours was a nice feeling. Especially when you knew you were heading towards game booths and not a haunted house with your rival captain in there dressed as a pirate. Daichi couldn't wait to beat up the mentioned rival in the name of volleyball as soon as possible.
Before that would happen, he was more than ready to rebuild his ego with the carnival games. He eyed the booths, looking for one which would put a certain friend in awe if Daichi was to win. Maybe something that required physical strength and tactics, or perhaps something risky and flashy...
"Daichi!! Daichi look, how cute!"
Daichi's jaw dropped. Sugawara was pointing at the most hideous, loathsome, obnoxious stuffed animal the captain had ever seen in his life. He wasn't even sure if it was an animal. A monster seemed more fitting. Or a colorful, disturbing blob. And heck, was it big! How had they gotten it on the top shelf?
Daichi lowered his gaze to the actual game under the prize shelves, and let out a huffed breath. Under the plushie monster was a shallow watered pool, where dozens of vibrant little rubber ducks were floating. Next to the pool stood a table with a couple of short fishing rods waiting on it.
A childish game based completely on luck!
"Yeah?" Sugawara beamed, clearly missing the disappointed tone in Daichi's huff. "It's so cute and looks so soft, I want to cuddle it..."
The vice-captain pouted his lips, giving himself a miserably adorable look as he stared up to the toy. He turned towards Daichi, grey hairs whipping the the other in the face.
"You'll win it for me, right?"
Sugawara swayed on his tiptoes, head tilted slightly to the side. The biggest toothy grin stretched his cheeks, while he fluttered his lashes at Daichi.
"Please?"
Daichi didn't even have to think about his possible answer. Still he spent a second or two gazing into the brown puppy eyes, before another huff left his mouth and he looked down at the ground.
"Fine, I'll try." Daichi placed his hands on his hips. Sugawara's eyes shut close as he cheered, quickly making his way closer to the game booth with light hops.
"But I'm not carrying it!"
-----
Some minutes later, Daichi was having an intense staring contest with a bright green rubber duck. Its small, round black eyes bored into Daichi's, as the volleyball player sorted through his thoughts.
He already had one duck that had gotten him 50 points. He still needed two of the same kind. Any less wouldn't do. He needed 150 points for the ugly plushie. 150 points to get Suga's respect.
Watching other players, along with Sugawara try the game, he had understood the coloring of the ducks meant nothing. A yellow duck could have been 10 points, 20, 30, 40 or 50 and so could've the green duck. There wasn't a time limit so the only thing limiting his game was his more and more impatient getting vice-captain.
"Come on, you can do it!" Sugawara cheered, shaking a packet of plastic dino toys he got with 60 points. "Then we can go to the carousels!"
Carousels didn't sound too bad, and Daichi's nerves went down a little. He just had to win the ugly creature for Sugawara. He'd be fine.
Deep breath.
Daichi lowered the rod. The magnet in the end of the fishing line brushed the green duck's beak, before clicking into the other magnet on its head. This was it. If the duck was worth anything less than 50 points, the game was over. For the ugly plushie, at least.