It was sweltering outside due to the intense summer sun, but a little heat wasn’t enough to cancel the local carnival. If anything, it made it a better day than any to go to one. You had been begging Haru for weeks to take you to it and after lots of nagging on your end, he finally gave in.
The field was packed with various people, food, rides, and games. Your mouth watered at just the sight of all the sweets they had on display. Cotton candy, candied apples, lemonade; you wanted them all.
Even many of the rides were appealing to you, especially the ones that spun the rider in all directions – including upside down. You were tempted to ask Haru to take you on one of the rides until you noticed his fear stricken face at just the mere sight of it. You were already lucky enough that he agreed to go to a place as foreign to him as a carnival, there was no need to push your luck any further.
“Is there any ride you want to go on?” you asked him, clinging onto his arm as the two of you walked despite how warm it was.
Despite how much the two of you were sweating, he never minded when you clung to him. If anything, he found it absolutely adorable. After over a year of dating you, he knew all of your cute little quirks by now and dressed accordingly for it. An aqua blue tank top clung to his finely toned chest like a second skin and he wore his usual bathing suit despite the lack of water.
“Not really,” he replied, not even glancing at any of the rides.
“Oh, come on,” you whined, tugging on his arm to prevent him from walking any further. “If you had to pick one ride to go on, which would it be?”
He paused for a moment and finally scanned the abundance of rides available. His gaze completely avoided any of the scary ones much to your disappointment, but it wasn’t long until they finally landed upon one that he raised his hand and pointed towards.
Turning to it, you did your best to stifle a laugh once you realized exactly what it was Haru wanted to go on. It was a small train roller coaster intended for small kids, albeit there most likely wasn’t any rule prohibiting older riders from enjoying it. As anticlimactic as it appeared, you wanted him to enjoy the carnival just as much as you were.
“Let’s go!”
To say the least, the two of you rode the miniature train nearly ten times before Haru finally grew bored of it. It certainly wasn’t the most thrilling ride you’d ever experienced, but just witnessing the happy look on his face was enough to make it all worth it for you. Aside from the train, there weren’t many other rides that weren’t too extreme but also allowed older riders. In the end, that was the only ride he could and wanted to ride.
It wasn’t long before you spotted the games which immediately caught your interest. You ran up to the first game stand you saw, dragging a reluctant Haru directly behind you as you did so. It was one of those games that were present in most carnivals; the one where you were tasked with popping a balloon with a dart. You excitedly rocked on the balls of your feet at the possibility of being able to win a prize. You looked longingly at your boyfriend who merely shook his head.
“These games are a waste of money, [name].”
“I know, but they’re still fun!”
“I’m not going-”
His next few words trailed off the moment his gaze landed on one of the prizes on display. Hanging up all the way at the top was a giant, stuffed dolphin that was nearly as big as Haru’s entire body. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open ever so slightly at the sight of one the most beautiful things he’d ever seen – aside from yourself, of course.
“Haru…?” you questioned slowly, attempting to break him out of his trance.
His head snapped towards the game attendant who waited in his chair, looking bored out of his mind. “How much to play?”
“Two hundred yen for one dart, five hundred yen for three darts.”
Haru immediately grabbed his wallet and slammed five hundred yen down on the counter, ready to do whatever necessary to get that stuffed dolphin he had his sights set on.
Nearly three thousand yen later and the dolphin had still yet to be won. He only had a couple hundred more yen left and despite how desperately he yearned for the adorable plushie, he knew it was best to preserve what little money he had remaining.
Crestfallen with defeat, he wordlessly trudged into the nearby bathroom, leaving you standing by the game stand. As childish as it was, you knew how badly he wanted the dolphin and although winning it certainly wouldn’t be easy, you had your ways.
* * *
When Haru finally emerged from the bathroom, his eyes widened in a combination of surprise and utter glee when he spotted you standing there struggling to carry the oversized dolphin. At that moment, he couldn’t tell which he loved more; you, or that precious plushie.
“It’s all yours, babe,” you told him, holding it out for him.
Still in complete shock, he hesitantly took the toy from you and easily lugged it over his shoulder. Before you could even react, he leaned down and encaptured your lips in his for a quick, yet loving kiss.
“Thank you so much, [name],” he whispered softly after pulling away.
“Anything for you.”
You clung onto him once more as the two of you left the carnival grounds. It wasn’t until the both of you were driving home that he even remembered to ask the most important question of all.
“How did you win it anyway?”
“Apparently, I was pretty good.”
You were pretty good alright – pretty good at bribing the game attendant, that is.
Dolphin | Haruka Nanase x Reader
Published
Toad's Cave 