Not long after, Dorothy jogged back with a handful of quarters, unting them in front of him with a shake.


    "Pick any plush you want, and I''ll win it for you!"


    Everett scanned the lineup seriously before pointing at a strawberry bear plush, "That one."


    "Got it!"


    Dorothy immediately started feeding quarters into the machine, sliding the joystick around while exining with focus, "I used to work at an arcade, you know. After closing, we''d y with the leftover quarters. There''s a knack to it, you gotta shake it a bit, then-then, ah!"


    She let out a yelp.


    It was because she had almost won the plush, only to watch it fall back down!


    "This machine''s definitely rigged! I would''ve had it otherwise! Let me try again."


    Everett nodded, quietly watching from the side.


    Before Dorothy could insert another quarter, the sound of a camera shutter caught her attention.


    She nced over to see two girls taking snapshots of Everett.


    Him being stealthily photographed wasn''t unusual, so Dorothy didn''t dwell on it, focusing instead on her next attempt.


    But after three unsessful tries, she felt a tad embarrassed.


    "Mind if I give it a shot?" Everett suggested gently.


    "Sure, your turn." Dorothy handed him the box of quarters and took over his milkshake, instructing, "Drop the coin here, then move this stick around to navigate. Easy." She was secretly hoping to watch him fail.


    But, to her surprise...


    He won the very plush Dorothy had been aiming for on his first try!


    11


    ...That''s just luck. The machine


    probably just happened to have stronger grip strength this time around," she reasoned, somewhat deted.


    Everett simply smiled, "Should I win another? It''ll be lonely by itself."


    "Fine, try if you can!"Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    She was skeptical.


    The good news was, Everett failed his second attempt.


    The bad news, however, was that he seeded on his third try!


    This made Dorothy''s "tutorial" seem utterly useless. As a "teacher," she hadn''t managed to win a single plush.


    "Let''s not y this anymore. There''s a w machine over there!"


    "Alright, lead the way."


    Everett followed her, not holding her hand but staying close. Whenever someone got too close, possibly bumping into her, he''d reach out to protect her.


    After roaming around, Dorothy ended the day empty-handed, all the gifts and plushies they had were won by Everett.


    So much for her wanting to tease him!


    "Done ying?"


    "Yeah." Dorothy finished thest sip of her milkshake, then realized Everett hadn''t touched his, "Don''t you like it?"


    "I do, but I''m happy to just share yours."


    "I thought you didn''t like strawberry


    vor." Dorothy said, effortlessly


    taking his milkshake and sipping it,"


    can make these, you know.


    work at a smoothie shop, and milkshakes were my least favorite to make! Crushing ice was such


    hassle. Juices and iced teas, on the other hand, were a breeze."


    Everett gently ruffled her hair, "Must''ve been tough back then."


    "Not really! You get used to it, you know? Just like you, being a CEO and all, must be busy every day?"