Side Story 45. [BONUS STAGE] This is Love
In most arcades, the strength of a claw machine is deliberately weakened and only set to full power once every certain number of attempts.
But today was a special event for children with pediatric cancer.
That setting had been disabled, and the claw was always at full power.
As long as the claw was positioned properly, the dolls would be easily plucked out.
“Hahaha!”
“They’re coming out so easily!”
So, all the kids were happily snatching up doll after doll…
“Huff… huff…!”
Except for Salome, who was struggling alone.Each round had a five-minute time limit.
While the other kids were piling up mountains of dolls, Salome’s results were miserable.
Everyone in the chat was hyped up, teasing Salome relentlessly.
— Get up, Salome! Come on, get up!
— Your opponents are children! These are the kids who took your dolls!
— Uh… Normally, you go easy on children, you know?
— So you’re losing on purpose, right?
— Look at those vicious eyes. No way she’s throwing the game.
“I don’t need to go easy just because my opponents are kids.”
Salome wiped the sweat off her chin with the back of her hand and yanked off her horn-rimmed glasses.
“Because Salome is a baby too… goo goo gaga!”
— Ah…
— The long-awaited declaration…
— That’s right… Salome is a baby too…
— Ah, goo goo gaga
— Salome is just a lil’ baby… Babies should be treated gently…
— Regression is fine and all, but aren’t you gonna lose at this rate?
Three minutes left.
Salome’s score was far behind the kids who had already gone earlier, and compared to the kids currently clawing dolls from other machines, her situation was even more hopeless.
— Are you really gonna lose?
To a viewer’s question, Salome looked straight at the camera and grinned.
“I’ll win.”
She was seriously aiming for the grand prize—there was no way she’d fall here.
Salome quickly scanned her surroundings. The staff were focused on the other kids, cheering them on and matching their pace. Salome’s corner was being mostly ignored.
“Forgive me, everyone… I didn’t want to use this power!”
Pink energy swirled around Salome’s fingertips and was sucked into the claw machine.
And from that moment—
Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!
The dolls inside the machine began to get scooped up by the claw as if they were being magnetically pulled.
Salome immediately began catching up to the leading group of kids. But no matter how you looked at it, something suspicious—some kind of pink magical power—was raging inside the machine.
Viewers began to get suspicious.
— Huh?
— Salome suddenly got good?
— The streamer was secretly a claw master
— But didn’t something just flash?
— Things keep sparkling… What’s that pink gust of wind?
Just as the suspicion was about to boil over, Salome extended one hand toward the screen, formed a tiny heart, and shouted.
“Charming~ Beam!”
Fwaaah—!
— Ah~
— Guess it was just our imagination
— Nothing shady going on here (X)
— Turns out Salome’s actually good at claw machines! (O)
— Let’s stop doubting and being misled
— Let’s look at the world with love and light
— Happy happy ha~ppy
Thus, Salome’s doll count began to skyrocket, catching up in no time.
She overtook 5th, passed 4th, outpaced 3rd, and reached 2nd—!
‘I can win! Totally!’
Salome roared.
“The giant RetroAddict plushie is mine—!”
— Whoa, she might actually win?
— ‘Because I promised’
— She’s found the flow of the claw!
— The #10 horse Salome’s making a comeback for the ages?!
One minute remaining. Now the only one left ahead of her was the kid in first place.
“Uugh…”
She was a girl with a cap pulled tight over her closely cropped hair, clearly giving it her all.
“I’ll… be first…”
“…”
“I’m gonna get the doll… no matter what…!”
But maybe flustered by Salome’s relentless chase, her claw kept slipping.
Frantically working the stick, she bit her lip and teared up.
“I have to win… I must…!”
“…”
And while she kept making mistakes, Salome’s score had already overtaken hers.
— Salome, did you have to go this far…?
— Was it really necessary?
— Love is always merciless
— Let us walk the path of carnage… and cut down all distractions…
Salome closed her eyes, furrowing her brows in deep thought.
She groaned with a string of “Mmm, mmhhmm, mmmmm~” sounds, clearly tormented.
“Hhht…”
But when the girl looked like she was about to cry, Salome muttered, “Ah, screw it—” and flicked her fingers.
Snap!
Salome’s pink magic surged into the girl’s machine and began helping the claw hook onto dolls.
“Huh?”
Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack…
Each time the claw moved, three or four dolls came out in clusters. Her score surged back ahead in a flash.
Beep—!
When time ran out, the girl had the highest total score, even compared to the kids who played before her.
“Waaahhh!”
The kids all cheered and rushed over to congratulate her on the final, dramatic comeback.
Meanwhile, Salome, who had clawed her way up only to get nothing in the last minute, collapsed flat on the floor.
She stared blankly at the ceiling and muttered.
“This is just how my succubus life goes…”
The prize—a giant RetroAddict plushie—was awarded to the girl.
When the RetroAddict himself handed it over, she said, “Thank you!” and struggled to lift the massive doll.
Then, without hesitation, she scurried off to the side…
“Big bro!”
And handed it to a boy—his first viewer—who would soon be discharged from the hospital.
“Take this!”
“Huh? Me?”
The boy, bewildered, accepted the plushie.
“You’re giving this to me?”
“Yeah. You said you liked that RetroAddict guy.”
The girl lowered her gaze, cheeks blushing as she mumbled.
“So… I worked really hard to win it, because I wanted to give it to you…”
Ooooooh…!
The crowd buzzed in excitement. The chat exploded.
— What what what’s with the mood?
— Something’s going down! Something’s going down! Something’s going down!
— Did lil bro just get a confession???
— Even kids are dating, but our Salome…
— Don’t talk about love, we’re all single too
— ‘Like streamer, like viewer’
— Aaaah stop! Emotional splash damage incoming!
From her hands to his, the large plushie was passed.
The boy hugged the plush tightly and smiled brightly. Seeing that, the girl’s face lit up too, as if relieved.
“You’ll still come visit after you’re discharged, right? You won’t forget me?”
“Of course not. I’ll come see you a lot. And once you’re all better, let’s hang out together.”
“Really? Promise?”
“Yeah. Promise!”
Their pinkies hooked together.
The people on site squealed and clapped in delight. Even RetroAddict applauded with a moved expression.
“Phew…”
Watching the whole scene from a shadowy corner of the venue, Salome sat crouched, looking utterly defeated.
“If I’d known it was for that, I wouldn’t have let her win…”
— Everyone’s celebrating except the host lol
— Is she a pufferfish? Look at her face
— That pouty face is legendary
— She mad ‘cause the kids are dating…?
— But what else can she do but sulk in a corner lol solo wreck
— Stop the area-wide friendly fire! You’re gonna wipe us all!
The awards ceremony continued.
Based on the total game results, each child was given a prize. A bunch of small, cute gifts were handed out.
To wrap up, RetroAddict thanked all the kids for coming and gave each of them a handheld game console.
“Ahh. Behold.”
Among all the smiling faces, Salome alone looked up at the sky and muttered bitterly.
“A world where no one gets hurt… is complete…”
— LOL
— What is she even saying hahaha
— Props to the host too
— Thanks for the fun stream
— As long as the kids are happy, it’s all good~
Everyone gathered together to take a commemorative photo.
RetroAddict and Salome gave their closing remarks.
And with that, the event—and the stream—came to an end.
After finishing all the cleanup, they had dinner with the team. Once the staff had gone their separate ways…
RetroAddict offered to give Salome a ride home in his car.
It was an old, secondhand vehicle, and RetroAddict looked a little embarrassed about it, but Salome didn’t seem to care at all.
They drove in silence for a while. Eventually, RetroAddict hesitated before speaking.
“You worked hard today.”
Salome looked at him. He gave her an awkward smile.
“And thanks.”
“…”
“If you hadn’t been there, the stream would’ve been way duller. Because of you, the donation drive went great, and the stream really took off.”
But Salome didn’t respond with her usual teasing or playful antics. She was unusually quiet, withdrawn.
That made RetroAddict nervous.
“What’s wrong? Something bothering you?”
“…The plushie.”
“Huh?”
“The prize for the claw machine. The RetroAddict plushie. I really wanted it…”
It seemed she was genuinely upset about missing out on it.
Salome sighed, serious for once, and RetroAddict let out a chuckle.
“You’re seriously something else. You wanted a doll of me that badly?”
“Of course I did! You need to start mass-producing your merch. I’m going to collect every last bit of it!”
After a short pause…
RetroAddict spoke in a more serious tone.
“Salome.”
“Yes?”
“Why do you like me this much?”
When Salome looked at him, he let out a quiet sigh.
“The way you act, and how much you helped today—it’s obvious you really like me. But… I just don’t get why.”
“…”
“Be honest. You even knew about my wish. So… is it that you…”
Salome swallowed hard.
Had he figured it out? That she came from another world? That she was actually a succubus?
Of course, RetroAddict was thinking within the frame of Earth—specifically, South Korea’s reality.
“You’ve just been too immersed in my streams, right?”
“…”
“And you ended up thinking you liked me because of that.”
It was a rational deduction on his part. And in a way, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
The real problem was that Salome had no way to refute it. She fidgeted with her lips.
How could she get her true feelings across?
“It’s just a misunderstanding. Think about it. You’ve got no real reason to like me.”
“…”
“You’re young and pretty. You should stop wasting time on some old guy like me and focus on your own life.”
No… If we’re talking real age, Salome was way older. But no matter how you looked at it, she seemed like the younger one, so he kept speaking to her formally.
Of course, Salome didn’t say anything about that. Instead, she fell into deep thought.
Looking back…
Ever since she arrived in this world, she’d only expressed one-sided affection toward RetroAddict. From his point of view, all she’d done was offer inexplicable kindness.
She had never actually shown him how she truly felt.
“…”
Taking a slow breath…
Salome finally spoke.
“I’ve lived most of my life not really knowing what ‘feelings’ are.”
Her tone was serious, and while RetroAddict didn’t respond, he listened carefully.
“I just mimicked other people’s behavior, pretending to feel their emotions. I didn’t know what joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure really were. I couldn’t understand what love was. I was always empty inside.”
“…”
“I longed for love more than anyone, but I lived on without even knowing what it truly was.”
A faint smile touched Salome’s lips.
“Then, by chance, I saw you. More precisely, your little wish.”
To tell a child lying unconscious in a hospital bed to stay strong.
That absurdly small wish.
A sincere desire strong enough to make you willing to fight the whole world for it.
“Small, modest, and selfless. Not for yourself, but for a child you barely even knew. A child you only happened to cross paths with.”
“…”
“You might not believe me… but that little, insignificant, yet genuine wish you held in your heart—”
The car stopped at a red light, and the two of them looked at each other.
Salome whispered with conviction.
“—saved an entire world.”
RetroAddict would never know.
What had happened in that other world.
What kind of butterfly effect his simple kindness had triggered, and how it had changed an entire world.
He could never know.
“But even if you don’t, that heart of yours… it saved me too.”
Hoping her sincerity would reach him, Salome continued.
“Because of your wish, I learned what emotion is… what it means for one person to love another.”
Salome, who once only imitated emotions like a mimicry spirit, now truly understood what it meant to feel.
She had come to know love.
And in doing so, she had finally become a real person.
“That’s why I came to give back the love you showed me.”
“…”
“You might not be able to believe it, but I really did…”
Salome gave a bright smile.
“I came to this world so I could love you.”
The light turned green.
RetroAddict slowly began driving again, saying nothing. Salome didn’t speak anymore either.
He didn’t speak again until they arrived in front of her house.
“I’m not sure I completely understand what you’re saying, but…”
He stopped the car and let out a sigh.
“Alright. I get it’s not just some misunderstanding.”
“Right? I told you, I’m always one hundred percent sincere.”
RetroAddict stared at Salome’s cheerful smile for a long moment.
“Still… dating’s probably pushing it.”
He waved his hand like it was out of the question.
Salome’s face fell a little, and he quickly added more.
“So for now, let’s start as friends.”
“Huh? Weren’t we already friends?”
“I mean, like… you know, girl-friend and boy-friend. Just a tiny bit above regular friends.”
Salome’s eyes went wide.
“Wait, does that mean we’re like… kinda dating now?”
“Well…”
RetroAddict awkwardly scratched his chin.
“I guess we’re at the ‘getting to know each other slowly’ phase…”
At that moment, Salome suddenly leaned in and brushed her lips softly against his cheek.
The warm, gentle sensation imprinted itself clearly, then scattered like a spring breeze.
RetroAddict froze, staring straight out the windshield, as Salome giggled, opened the passenger door, and hopped out.
“Thanks for the ride! Let me know when you get home, okay? I’ll text you!”
“Uh, no, I mean, uh…”
“Heehee, I’m so excited~ We’re a thing~ A thiiing~”
She waved her hands enthusiastically, humming a tune as she skipped toward her house.
“Hey, RetroAddict!”
She popped her head back out and pointed a finger at him, declaring proudly—
“You’re mine!”
She stuck her tongue out at him, made a silly face, then disappeared inside again.
“…”
RetroAddict stared blankly after her, then shook his head and started the car.
“Man… I don’t know if I can handle this.”
And yet, even as he said it, a faint smile played at the corners of his lips.
The day when the Streamer of Light, RetroAddict, and the Streamer of Darkness, Salome…
…would finally do a “Marriage Stream” event together—
was now just 100 days away.
–TL Notes–
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