[-] Don't you know that a strong networking ability is a strength? I know someone who's an expert at this.
[Chiori Mikami] An expert? Who?
[player] Kana Fujita, a girl who conquered these machines in the arcade before becoming an idol.
[Staff] Huh? Are you sure you don't want to just redeem a plushie directly?
[-] Just as we are about to leave the counter, the staff asks me again. I look at Kana Fujita's contact information on my mobile phone and smile confidently at the staff.
[player] Sorry, maybe later.
[Kana Fujita] ...Y-You want me to play on a claw crane with you right now?
[player] Yes... is this a bad time? Now that I think about it, there are a lot of tourists here... It's perfectly okay if you can't come over right now.
[-] When I hear the surprise in Kana Fujita's voice over the phone, I suddenly realize that there are quite a lot of tourists around us, and I start to worry that it might have been a little rash of me to ask a popular high school idol like her to come here.
[Kana Fujita] ...Umm, how should I put it... I guess it is kind of a bad time... but...
[-] While she speaks, I suddenly feel someone poking my shoulder gently.
[player] Huh?
[Kana Fujita] Hehe, I'm already here.
[player] Huh?
[-] To my surprise, Kana Fujita suddenly appears next to us, wearing a hat and mask that perfectly covers her face.
[Chiori Mikami] ...This outfit... It's that really skilled person from before!
[Riu Kujou] Oh, it's the expert who grabbed quite a few plushies from that machine over there in a short period of time!
[Kana Fujita] Huh? You saw that? It's a good thing I stopped in time... I want to keep playing... but it's possible that someone will recognize me if I stand out too much. Sigh, this is the most troubling thing about being an idol.
[player] ...Wait a minute, don't tell me you sneaked out here behind your manager's back again...
[Kana Fujita] Of course not, ahem... I just didn't tell her that I would come to a place with so many people... Don't worry, I've been extremely careful. Nobody will recognize me.
[player] You've made similar guarantees before too... I'm still skeptical.
[Kana Fujita] Anyway, let's not worry about it until it happens. What's the problem? I'm not going to pretend to be humble. I'm also the best when it comes to grabbing plushies!
[player] Okay, I know you're trying to change the subject, but I agree with you about dealing with the matter at hand first.
[Kana Fujita] Well, tell me which you want, then watch me grab it.
[Chiori Mikami] That one.
[-] We look in the direction Chiori Mikami is pointing and see a cute little bear sitting among a bunch of plushies.
[Kana Fujita] Ah, its shape will make it easy to grab. Watch this.
[-] After choosing a claw crane with the same bear in it, Kana Fujita glances briefly at the structure and style of the machine before observing it from all sides, then she confidently inserts a token into the slot.
[Kana Fujita] With this claw, you need to do this... and this... After that, look at where the plushie is. When it gets to here, use the power of the swaying claw to give it a good swing... Done!
[-] The button makes a clacking sound as Kana Fujita presses the button confidently. After receiving her command, the claw quickly reaches out at the bear plushie under it, scratching its head lightly before grabbing air and missing.
[Kana Fujita] ...Ahen, this is normal. People rarely manage to grab a plushie in their first attempt. This machine's claw is a little weaker, so I'll need to move it bit by bit. I'll definitely grab it after a few more attempts!
[Chiori Mikami] You're so professional!
[Riu Kujou] I've learned something new!
[Kana Fujita] Okay, time for a second attempt!
[Riu Kujou] Yeah!
[Kana Fujita] ...Umm, this is just the third attempt!
[Chiori Mikami] You can do it!
[Kana Fujita] ...The ninth attempt!
[Riu Kujou] You've got this...
[Kana Fujita] I-It's the twenty-third time. You can do it, Kana!
[-] After looking at the confident and serious look on Kana Fujita's face, I feel her emotions rubbing off on me and start to convince myself by telling myself this is part of her strategy. Maybe the plushie will fall out on its own if she tries enough times to remove all the air from the machine...
[-] This isn't possible!
[player] Kana, do you want to take a break...?
[Chiori Mikami] Riu and I also feel the same way... It doesn't really matter whether you grab the plushie.
[Kana Fujita] That's not necessary. Don't worry, I often practice dozens of times to learn certain moves. This is just a claw crane, and I've never encountered a claw crane that I can't conquer!
[-] Her strange desire to conquer things has appeared again!
[player] Okay then... Take it easy. There's no rush.
[Kana Fujita] The... Hmm?
[-] After yet another failure, Kana Fujita grits her teeth and reaches for a token in the basket, but comes up empty-handed.
[player] Ah, we're out of tokens.
[Kana Fujita] !
[Kana Fujita] Huh... How can this be...? This has never happened to me before... Oh, I know!
[Kana Fujita] THIS MACHINE MUST BE BROKEN!
[player] Umm... Wait! Kana, you're not allowed to smash this machine!
[-] After I finally manage to protect the amusement park's property, Kana Fujita leaves without looking back.
[player] Where are you going?
[Kana Fujita] To the service counter!
[Staff] Huh? Are you saying there's something wrong with that claw crane? Okay then, I'll report this issue. However, honestly speaking, many tourists mistakenly think the claw cranes are broken when the truth is that they just aren't skilled enough to get anything.
[Kana Fujita] No, I can guarantee that there is something wrong with the machine!
[Staff] ...This voice sounds familiar... Oh my, is that you, Kana? Are you Kana Fujita?
[Staff] AHHHHHHH! It's Kana Fujita--
[-] It's too late by the time we rush to the counter. The staff has already recognized Kana Fujita.
[Tourist A] Kana Fujita?
[Where is she?] Where is she?
[Tourist C] Ah! It really is her!
[Kana Fujita] ...Oh no.
[player] ...I knew this would happen today. Don't just stand there. Run!
[-] Seeing more and more tourists gathering around us, the four of us quickly leave the scene before we're completely overwhelmed by the overly enthusiastic crowd...
[Osamu Saitou] Your feedback is very helpful. The soft opening of this amusement park is more meaningful now.
[-] That night, I was a little surprised to receive a call from Osamu Saitou himself.
[Osamu Saitou] We tested that claw crane and identified some parameter errors. We've already removed it for maintenance and will inspect all the claw cranes in the amusement park.
[player] Haha, I didn't think that they would disturb you over something this minor. This was just an accidental discovery, and Kana Fujita is the one who discovered the problem with the claw crane.
[Osamu Saitou] Haha... that's not the only feedback I'm referring to.
[player] Hmm?
[-] I suddenly have a bad feeling.
[Osamu Saitou] The chaos caused by the tourists in the amusement park after they realized a popular idol was among them truly tested our security capabilities. Thanks to you, I've decided to strengthen security by another thirty percent when the amusement park operates officially.
[player] Ahaha... I see... That's a good thing, right? Haha...
[-] A chill runs down my back, and I'm still not sure if Osamu Saitou's compliment is sincere or not when I hang up the phone.
[-] However, I'm not really in the mood to think about this right now. All I want to do is collapse into bed and sleep. After all, I had to run everywhere in the amusement park today, looking for places to hide with Kana Fujita, Riu Kujou, and Chiori Mikami to avoid Kana's fans and curious onlookers. In the end, I didn't manage to take things easy today...
