Miss Hina's fan meeting?
Isn't Miss Hina virtual? How can there be an offline meeting?
Feng Yi asked in confusion, noticing Arataki Itto, who had just drawn a lucky card, and beckoned him over to inquire.
"Boss Feng Yi, what a coincidence! Are you also a fan of Miss Hina?"
Arataki Itto's eyes lit up when he saw Feng Yi waving at him and quickly walked over.
"Uh... I guess so. What's going on here? Is Miss Hina holding a fan meeting?"
Feng Yi followed Arataki Itto's lead.
"Boss Feng Yi, as a fan of Miss Hina, you don't even know about such an important event? In 'Occasional Monthly' released yesterday, Miss Hina announced that she will be holding a fan meeting in three days, right here at Yae Publishing House.
And to get Miss Hina's autograph, you need to obtain a lucky card hidden within the novels from Yae Publishing House in advance..."
Arataki Itto took out the newspaper clipping he had carefully cut out and showed Boss Feng Yi the notice.
"It's said that the lucky cards hidden in the novels are extremely rare, with less than 30 in total, making them priceless. This great me, with my heaven-defying luck, bought only 50 books and got one lucky card. This must be fate's guidance, hahahahahahahaha..."
As he spoke, Arataki Itto took out the lucky card from the brocade pouch at his waist, wrapped it meticulously with the most precious fine cloth, circled it three times left and three times right, dangled it in his hand, and showed it off to Boss Feng Yi.
The lucky card, with its golden patterns, shone brilliantly and dazzlingly under the sunlight, attracting everyone's attention.
"By the way, Itto, where did you get so much Mora? Buying 50 novels at once isn't a small sum."
Feng Yi wasn't particularly envious, but rather curious about Arataki Itto's source of funds.
Even the cheapest novel sold at Yae Publishing House costs 6000 Mora, with some even exceeding ten thousand.
If Arataki Itto bought 50 of the cheapest novels, that would still be 300,000 Mora, which is not a small amount.
Given Arataki Itto's living standard, he couldn't afford such extravagant spending.
"This is a long story. I'll make it short. I returned from Seirai Island today and collected the merchant's commission reward, totaling 50,000 Mora. Then I borrowed 30,000 Mora each from Gentai, Ako, and Mamoru. Finally, after a lot of effort, I signed a series of unfair treaties with Kuki Shinobu, and managed to borrow 150,000 Mora..."
Arataki Itto sighed with emotion. He had been diligently taking on outsourced commissions from the Tenryou Commission just to earn more Mora and support the adorable Miss Hina more closely.
Now, it seemed, it was all worth it.
Didn't everyone present look at him with envy and jealousy?
Arataki Itto reveled in this feeling, his vanity greatly satisfied. He unconsciously held the lucky card higher, trying to let more people see his good fortune.
"So... out of the 300,000 Mora for the novels, you only contributed ten thousand Mora?"
Feng Yi was stunned. He had underestimated Arataki Itto's audacity.
Perhaps only the members of the Arataki Gang and Kuki Shinobu would indulge Arataki Itto's whims so indulgently.
"Of course! I'm just a little short on cash. When I earn money from work in the future, I'll pay them back with interest. This is clearly benefiting them!"
Arataki Itto was unfazed. He hadn't said he wouldn't repay the money.
Not repaying debts was not the act of a true man!
Even though he was poor, he was still a proud pauper!
"Ah! No! My lucky card!"
"Lucky card, don't go! What will I do without you!"
Arataki Itto was too carried away with his boasting. As a result, he slipped, and the lucky card was blown away by the wind, falling into a nearby storm drain and drifting away.
Arataki Itto cried tears of sorrow, chasing after it, attracting the attention of passersby.
Gurgle...
Arataki Itto was half a step too late. The lucky card with golden patterns, following the current, gurgled and disappeared into the storm drain.
"No! How could this happen!"
Arataki Itto fell to his knees by the storm drain and wailed loudly.
In a trance, he seemed to hear a mournful song in his ears, and snowflakes fell from the sky.
'True feelings are as vast as the prairie, unable to be blocked by layers of wind and rain.'
'There will always be times when the clouds part and the sun shines, illuminating you and me.'
'The snow flutters, the north wind howls, the world is vast and desolate...'
Arataki Itto regretted it deeply. He shouldn't have been so smug, leading to the loss of the lucky card he had obtained.
He could have accepted not drawing a lucky card, but he had once possessed one...
At this moment, Arataki Itto seemed to have lost all his strength, wilting like a frosted eggplant.
"Itto, this is fate. It seems you and Miss Hina are destined to be apart."
Feng Yi walked to Arataki Itto's side and comforted him softly.
"No! I never believe in fate! My destiny is mine to control, not heaven's! I will retrieve my lucky card!"
Arataki Itto trembled all over, scrambled to his feet, glanced in the direction of the storm drain, and prepared to make a desperate attempt.
Feng Yi: What a fickle man. You weren't saying that just now...
"Itto, where are you going?"
Feng Yi asked in confusion as Arataki Itto took off running.
"I'm going to wait at the storm drain exit. As long as I don't give up, I'll definitely get my lucky card back."
Arataki Itto was full of fighting spirit, preparing to wait at the storm drain exit for a day and a night.
"Forget it, Itto. Let's just buy another one."
Feng Yi called out to him. Once the lucky card was completely soaked, it would likely sink to the bottom and get stuck in some debris in the storm drain.
Waiting for the lucky card at the storm drain exit was no different from waiting for a rabbit to run into a stump.
In comparison, buying another one was more reliable.
"But all my savings have been invested..."
Arataki Itto sighed deeply. If only he had more Mora.
"Wait, all your savings are only ten thousand Mora?"
Feng Yi was taken aback. The salary he had given Arataki Itto, and the payment for Arataki Itto at the Delusion Factory, were not that much.
"I still have 5,000 Mora, but that's not enough to buy even the cheapest novel."
Arataki Itto scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly. That little bit of Mora was not enough to last.
After buying some essential living supplies, he had only bought 100 lollipops, and his Mora was already running low.
Although one of them was a super lollipop worth ten thousand Mora...