"Milk tea, coming right up! Are you ready, customer?"
Feng Yi emerged with ten bowls of milk tea on a tray.
"Hey, stop calling me customer. I don't want you to lose and then not even know who you lost to. Listen up:
'Arataki the Unrivaled, Arataki the Sumo Oni King, Arataki the Pride of the Oni Clan, Arataki the Rhinoceros Beetle Gladiator, Arataki the King of Kings in Card Games, Arataki the Man Who Can Lose But Never Yield, the Worthy Arataki!'
These are all names I often use. Pick whichever you like and call me whatever you want, don't be shy, hahahahahaha... *cough cough*..."
Arataki Itto said, smoothing his hair with a flourish.
"Alright Arataki Itto, no problem Arataki Itto. The milk tea is ready. We'll turn around, and the shopkeeper will place one Mora coin into one of the bowls. Then we'll each shuffle the order of the bowls. Do you have any objections to this procedure?"
Feng Yi found the chuunibyo names too embarrassing to utter.
"A fair method! This great master approves!"
Arataki Itto nodded and turned around with Feng Yi. Yae Miko seized the opportunity to quietly place a Mora coin into a milk tea bowl.
"Done!"
Yae Miko clapped her hands, signaling for them to turn back.
Arataki Itto twitched his ears, trying to pinpoint the general location of the Mora by the sound of it falling into the bowl. However, the shopkeeper's movements were too silent, leaving his plan to gain an advantage thwarted.
Since he couldn't discern the location by sound, this contest would be decided by true, raw power!
Before it even began, Arataki Itto felt a surge of excitement.
Feng Yi rapidly rearranged the milk tea bowls, leaving Arataki Itto a bit dazzled.
"Arataki Itto, do you know which bowl the Mora is in?" Feng Yi asked, noticing Itto's eyes fixed intently on one or two of the bowls.
"Nope!"
"Then why are you staring at those two bowls?"
"When waiting, one must find something to do, right?"
Arataki Itto's answer was so reasonable that Feng Yi was left speechless.
"Your turn then!"
Feng Yi stepped back, yielding the stage to Arataki Itto for him to rearrange the milk tea order.
"With this great master's discerning eye, this one should go here, like so... and then like this..."
It wasn't clear what criteria Arataki Itto used, but he rearranged the milk tea order once more.
"We can begin!"
Arataki Itto excitedly rubbed his hands together. This novel game was his first time playing.
"Hold on a moment, before we start, I'm going to wear a bell for good luck. Any objections?"
Saying this, Feng Yi took out a golden bell said to bring good fortune to its wearer and hung it on his waist.
"Hahahaha... As you wish, as you wish. I didn't expect you to believe such lies. Uh, wait, I think I'm a demon... If you want to wear it, go ahead. This great master is invincible; even ten bells wouldn't help!"
Arataki Itto considered Feng Yi's actions as a futile struggle. His luck was destined by the heavens; he was invincible!
Yae Miko saw Feng Yi put on the golden bell and knew Feng Yi had this round in the bag! She had personally experienced the miraculous effect of golden items. Since Feng Yi said the golden bell brought good luck, it surely would! Yae Miko eagerly awaited to see Arataki Itto lose the competition and fall into despair. How dare he eat and drink for free and then bully her? Didn't he know she was the proprietress of this establishment?
"Arataki Itto, to prevent the match from ending too quickly, I'll let you go first!" Feng Yi spread his hands. He worried that if he went first, Arataki Itto would have no chance.
"Hahahaha... *cough cough*... Courageous, indeed! But I, Arataki the Milk Tea Game King of Kings, am not to be trifled with! Watch as this master decides the outcome with one move! You'll be surrendering with a white flag!"
Arataki Itto dismissed Feng Yi's boldness as a bluff. He closed his eyes, resembling a meditating monk, as if sensing something. The followers of the Arataki Gang by his side placed their fingers to their lips, signaling everyone to be silent and support their boss. It actually looked quite interesting.
"It's this one! This great master is undefeated!"
Arataki Itto suddenly opened his eyes and picked up a bowl of milk tea, gulping it down.
Unfortunately, he chose incorrectly. The bowl did not contain the Mora.
"Cough, cough. This great master thinks this game is quite interesting. I plan to play with you for a while longer, so I deliberately chose incorrectly. Otherwise, with this master's skill, I would have already..."
Arataki Itto was stubborn to the end, making excuses.
"Your turn, Boss Feng Yi! Give it your all! Don't hold back like this master did. Your skill is no match for mine; the waters here are too deep for you to handle!"
Arataki Itto elegantly adjusted his messy hair, speaking with a composed expression.
Feng Yi ignored the obstinate Arataki Itto and casually reached for one of the milk tea bowls. He picked it up, drank it, and spat out the Mora. His actions were fluid, without a hint of hesitation. Arataki Itto's eyes widened into perfect circles. He picked the right one so casually? Why, when he had tried so hard to sense it, had he found nothing?
Arataki Itto: Please, just pretend to struggle for a bit! It makes me look so pathetic when you pick it so easily!
"As agreed, the loser pays the bill. Ten bowls of milk tea, a total of 1500 Mora. Thank you for patronizing my humble shop!"
Feng Yi handed the bill to Arataki Itto.
"How about I round it down for you? Just 150 Mora?"
Having won the match with a golden bell, Feng Yi felt he had somewhat bullied Arataki Itto, even though Itto had agreed to the terms. He decided to waive most of the charges, only asking for the price of the one bowl Itto had drunk.
"What do you mean, Boss Feng Yi? Does this great master, the leader of the Arataki Gang, lack such a small amount of money? A bet is a bet. Not a single bit of this 1500 Mora will be missed!"
Arataki Itto felt Feng Yi was looking down on him. As the leader of a gang, how could he be short of money?
"If this great master is paying, does that mean these milk teas belong to me?" Arataki Itto pointed to the remaining eight bowls on the table.
"Of course!"
Feng Yi nodded. He truly admired Arataki Itto's quality of accepting defeat and taking responsibility.
"Then pack them up! Brothers, tonight, the Arataki Gang is having a milk tea party!"
Arataki Itto intended to take the milk tea back for Granny Oni to try. Granny Oni had worked hard to earn Mora, all of which had been spent on him, and she had lived a life of hardship, often going hungry. Therefore, when Arataki Itto got something good, his first thought was of the Granny Oni who had always been kind to him.