Chapter 53: Doesn’t Hate Sweets
The lucky wheel had one hundred slots, each marked with a number. On the side, various prizes were displayed. The first prize was tied to number 25—a full year of free desserts from the city’s most famous patisserie.
The moment Joshua saw that reward, everything else vanished from his sight. His eyes practically sparkled with light.
The female staff member beside the booth smiled brightly. "All you have to do is spin the wheel! If it lands on a winning number, the prize is yours. Simple, right?"
Joshua nodded eagerly. The staff member added a polite warning, "Each spin costs 500 parallel, though we can’t guarantee you’ll win..."
Because the price was high and the odds low, many players had gotten frustrated—some even angry enough to make a scene.
Although the employee couldn’t see the young man’s face under his mask, something about him didn’t seem like the type to cause trouble. Still, she followed protocol and gave her standard warning.
Nine shouted in Joshua’s mind:
[That’s way too expensive! This is my first time seeing a "luck game" cost that much. Are they trying to rob people?! Joshua, think about it—500 parallel could buy so many things—]
Joshua cut him off, "Can’t buy a castle though."
Nine was about to argue, but Joshua said, "Or a sports car."
He stared at the "One Year of Free Desserts" card, his eyes burning with determination. "Five hundred parallel for the chance to eat cakes for a whole year—that’s absolutely worth it!"
Nine: [...] He was convinced—Joshua had turned into a full-blown gambler.
Even Luther, who had just walked up, frowned slightly when he heard the price. He was rich, yes, but he still knew the value of money. He expected Joshua to back off, yet the boy’s voice rang out clear and decisive: "Where do I pay?"
His tone was bright and unwavering.
Luther was momentarily speechless, watching Joshua thoughtfully. Judging by the apartment Joshua lived in, he didn’t seem poor. That could only mean one thing—Joshua must love gambling so much that he spent all his money on it!
The cheerful chime of the lucky wheel echoed in the air. Luther leaned back with his hands behind his head, narrowing his eyes in amusement.
"Ting! Ting!"
The wheel slowed to a stop. Luther could see with his naked eye the light in Joshua’s gaze dimming into disappointment.
"Congratulations, sir! You’ve won a prize!" the staff member announced cheerfully.
At that, she handed Joshua a small pink bunny keychain—its fluffy fur soft and puffy.
The plush bunny was about ten centimeters tall, with ears just as long that drooped softly down. It hung from a silver keychain, its glassy eyes sparkling while its tiny mouth curved into a pitiful pout—like it was begging for sympathy.
Joshua pouted at it. Watching from the side, Luther couldn’t help but find the sight amusing—right now, Joshua looked even more pitiful than the little bunny itself.
Meanwhile, Nine was screaming inside Joshua’s head:
[Stop playing already! These games are scams, all of them! You’ll never win the grand prize, can’t you see?!]
Joshua was just about to reply when he felt someone push his shoulder. Luther, looking overly pleased with himself, nudged Joshua aside. When Joshua turned to look, Luther lowered his sunglasses, shot him a wink, and drawled, "Let me show you what real luck looks like."
With that, he swiped his card. "Which prize do you want?" he asked.
Joshua blinked, momentarily dazed, then quickly answered, "First place."
Luther chuckled. "You’re greedy, Joshua."
Still, he spun the wheel. The colorful disk spun rapidly, the clicking sound sharp and rhythmic. Joshua held his breath, eyes fixed on it.
22... 23... 2...
As the wheel began to slow, Joshua started counting every number under his breath.
And then—
Ding ding!
A cheerful chime sounded. The female staff member looked stunned; she hadn’t expected anyone to win the grand prize!
For a moment, she froze, but then her professional smile returned, bright and genuine. "Congratulations, sir! You’ve won our top prize!"
Luther clapped Joshua on the back with a grin. "Breathe, Joshua."
Joshua stared at him, then at the prize card in his hand. Overwhelmed with joy, he threw his arms around Luther’s neck and shouted, "You really won! Luther, how did you do that? You’re amazing!"
Luther felt Joshua cling to him like a little koala. Supporting Joshua by the waist, he caught a faint sweetness in the air—Joshua’s scent. He’d always smelled subtly sweet, but now that Luther noticed it clearly, it reminded him of snow peaches: soft, calm, and irresistibly sweet...
And Joshua’s waist—why was it like this? Small and soft... he hadn’t noticed that before.
Luther felt something strange stir inside him, but Joshua had already let go. When he looked down again, he found Joshua staring up at him with bright, expectant eyes, cheeks flushed pink with excitement.
Unable to resist, Luther gently pinched one of those soft cheeks—and for once, Joshua didn’t swat him away or growl in protest.
Luther was absurdly pleased with himself. The last time he’d felt this triumphant was when, at five years old, he’d finally learned to shuffle cards properly.
"This prize is mine, you know," Luther said smugly. "Don’t look at me like that."
Joshua pressed his lips together and nodded. Fair enough, it was Luther’s spin. Still, a hint of regret flickered in his eyes as he rubbed the little bunny keychain in his hand.
Nine quickly chimed in:
[It’s fine. We’re rich now—we can buy one ourselves.]
Even though Nine was still dying inside over those lost 500 parallel, he had to admit—it was worth it if it got Joshua to stop.
But seeing Joshua’s downcast expression, Luther couldn’t help but tease, "You’re not gonna say anything else? Just giving up that easily?"
Joshua looked at him and said, "It’s not like you were planning to give it to me anyway."
When those words left his mouth, Luther reached out and flicked Joshua on the forehead!
Joshua quickly covered his forehead and took two steps back. It didn’t hurt, but Luther’s smug expression was irritating enough. Joshua lifted his hand, ready to retaliate, but before he could do anything, a card—the one-year free cake pass—was shoved into his arms.
Luther tilted his chin and said, "It was for you, idiot."
This time, Joshua didn’t even care that Luther had just called him an idiot.
He hugged the card tightly and lifted it up high—it felt brighter than the sun!
Clutching Luther’s arm, Joshua beamed. "Thank you, Luther! Come on, I’ll treat you to some cake!"
Luther stuck out his tongue, making a face of disgust. "You’re the only one who likes those overly sweet things."
Hearing that, Joshua turned to look at him. The smile still hadn’t left his face; dimples showed clearly, and his eyes were curved into happy crescents.
No—when Joshua had jumped at him earlier, his eyes really had closed from laughing, like a silly little koala.
Joshua chuckled. "You don’t like sweets?"
Luther narrowed his eyes at him. The faint scent of snow peach still lingered around Joshua, brushing against his senses. Luther’s lips curled slightly. "I don’t hate them."
"Then let’s go!" Joshua said, tugging at Luther’s hand. He pulled once, twice—but Luther didn’t budge an inch.
Joshua frowned and turned to glare at him, only for Luther to burst into laughter. Then, with a slight tug of his hand, he pulled Joshua straight into his arms.
He wrapped an arm around Joshua, resting his chin on the top of his head, and said softly, "But I’d rather stay here and play. What do we do about that?"
Joshua raised a hand to shield his head, his palm brushing against the sharp line of Luther’s jaw. Without much thought, he replied, "Then let’s play. What do you want to play?"