48 Hours a Day

Zhang Heng didn’t know if he had been mistaken. Just when he stood up from the bench and wanted to investigate, Hayase Asuka and the guy had come out from the haunted house.

“I was so scared! A face appeared out of nowhere when I was walking around just now. The creature even stuck out its tongue to scare me! My only thought after that was to get out of this haunted house as fast as possible. I should have just listened to you about not getting in. You are the smartest one here!”

Zhang Heng then glanced at the guy beside her. He simply shrugged, looking somewhat disappointed. Visiting the haunted house was actually a good idea for a guy where usually, a girl would typically stay closer to him when she got scared. Hayase Asuka, however, was no ordinary girl, running as fast as her legs could take her when she was spooked. In the end, the guy had to go after her, and there was nothing very romantic about it.

Zhang Heng gave up the idea of going after the mysterious person after the two of them interrupted him. The good thing was, he did not dwell on it. There were a lot of people that looked similar to each other in this world. After getting only a quick glance, the person he saw could have been anyone.

“What are we going to play next?” asked Zhang Heng.

“Do I get to pick?!” asked Hayase Asuka while pointing at the big teddy bear not far away from her.

“Can I have that teddy bear?”

Offering various types of games, these were a bunch of arcade booths managed by the amusement park itself. Soon, the three approached one of the staff in a Santa suit. The employee told them that the teddy bear was the prize for the mini-games.

“Let me give it a try then,” said the guy.

Since he was interested in Hayase Asuka, he aspired to prove himself in front of her. He then turned around and took a look at his options. In the end, he landed his attention on a shooting game. It was common for most guys to play FPS games. Shooting was a subject that they were definitely familiar with.

After observing others play and reading the rules, he decided to give it a go. The guy tossed a token into the machine and picked up the laser gun. He then took a deep breath before pushing the ‘start’ button.

The game itself was pretty simple, where all he needed to do was to hit as many balloons on the screen as possible. Different colors carried different scores. The player was given two minutes to collect as many points as possible. In the beginning, it was relatively simple, where the guy landed all his shots on the balloons that carried the most points. He even had the time to shoot the red and yellow balloons that carried lesser points. Soon, his score accumulated really fast. At the rate he was going, he would be able to claim the teddy bear in less than two minutes.

As time passed, the balloons fell faster and faster, and black balloons started to pop up as well. The scores would be deducted if the player shot black balloons. The game was getting harder by the second. When the time was almost over, he started to panic and inadvertently hit another black balloon right before the time ended. In the end, his only reward was a sticker saying Merry Christmas.

This pathetic result had deeply embarrassed him. So, he decided to go for another round. Perhaps it was due to his nervousness or his desperation for better results, he fared worse in this second round. This time, he accidentally hit a total of four black balloons. The people behind him were literally laughing at him. Judging by their buff physique and attire, they were most likely students from a university nearby here. Though the guy was very unhappy that they were laughing at him, there was nothing he could do about it.

A fight almost broke out when one of them called him a ‘weak-ass.’ Though the person simply muttered it out, it was clear enough for the people around him to hear everything. In the end, they laughed at him even harder. Hayase Asuka could not understand the conversation, but she could sense that something was not right. So, she quickly told the guy that she did not want the teddy bear anymore. It was better for them to look for fun elsewhere.

Zhang Heng was fine with that. When the guy saw that the group of boys who laughed at him were strong and muscular and that there were only three of them, he knew that things could take a worse turn for them if he decided to confront them. None the wiser, he decided to swallow all the frustration that was burning within him.

The three of them ignored the rowdy gang and proceeded to the dart-throwing booth next door. On the other hand, the group of guys that laughed at him tried the shooting game. Hayase Asuka was overloaded with luck tonight.

Although she had never undergone professional training, she still managed to hit the bullseye thrice! Though her last dart missed the target, she still managed to get the fourth prize. The attendee then handed her a mug, which instantly lightened up her mood. Her admirer standing beside her was clearly distracted. He still had his attention focussed on the group of guys that laughed at him earlier. After playing two rounds, they only managed to win a consolation prize.

“I thought you guys are supposed to be really good,” the guy jeered at the group sarcastically.

One of the boys that looked like a basketball player overheard what he said. He turned around and looked at him with a smile.

“Hey! It’s you guys again. Why are you still here? Come play one round with me then.”

He did not expect his soft whisper to be heard by them. Nevertheless, the was forced to accept the challenge knowing that this was the worst time for him to act like a coward.

“What do you want to play?”

“Let’s all play a round of the shooting game then since we all look down on each other. I’m not going to make your life difficult, don’t worry. All you need to do is call yourself a weak-ass if you lose.”

The guy was furious when he heard the degrading slur again. As he looked at their score, he felt that he should be able to beat his opponent if he played carefully this time.

“Fine! Let’s do it then!”

The group guys were clearly excited when he accepted their challenge. All of them started to look at him as if he was a clown that was ready to perform in front of them.

“Wang Bin, you are so mean! Why are you bullying a retard?” asked one of the group members while blowing a whistle.

“I have to do it. He is calling us weak. He wants to teach us a lesson and brag in front of his girlfriend,” said Wang Bin with both hands wide open.

“You first or us first?” asked the guy who spoke Japanese.

Suddenly, he felt that something was not right. Their shooting was not as good, but they acted really confident in front of him. Was that simply mind games?

Although he knew in his heart that it probably was, he still couldn’t muster up enough courage to face them confidently. He even started to regret accepting the challenge.

Truth be told, Hayase Asuka did not actually understand the word ‘weak-ass’, and he was the one who was feeling embarrassed. In one way or another, Wang Bin was right about him. Without a doubt, he did have the intention to show-off in front of Hayase Asuka.