PART 4

The group reunited at the table after several minutes.

"Was it fun?" Mike asked as he stood up.

"Oh, definitely! Too bad you missed it," Oscar replied excitedly.

"How long have you all known each other?" Anna asked, noticing the closeness between Andrew's friends and Micaela. "You seem really tight."

"I mean, I was talking to Andrew. It’s a shame he missed it," Oscar corrected himself, scratching his face.

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe next time," Andrew added, slapping his friend on the back with an exaggeratedly wide but forced smile.

"Where should we go now?" Anna asked the group.

"I have an idea," Emily raised her hand.

Moments later, the whole group gathered in front of a booth where the goal was to knock down all the balls placed in two columns using a rifle. Despite multiple tries, both Emily and Anna, playing together, only managed to hit three of them, giving up after the third attempt.

"They say that in the hands of wealthy women, a gun is useless," Johnny commented with a half-smile.

"More like in the hands of women in general," Oscar reformulated, trying to sound knowledgeable.

"Do you think you’ll do much better than us?" Emily shot back, glaring at them.

"Ha! Just watch and learn," Oscar said as he brushed past Emily, placing a patronizing hand on her shoulder as he headed for the rifle, Johnny following close behind.

After several attempts, both Johnny and Oscar only managed to knock down half of the rows, much to their embarrassment. With their heads hanging low, they returned to their friends, who greeted them with jeers and playful taunts.

"What was that about women? Care to repeat it, Agents 007?" Anna teased them with a mocking tone.

"Leave them alone. One only knows how to use the weapon between his legs, and the other’s eyesight is failing, though he compensates with rhetoric that leaves much to be desired in reality," Emily scoffed at them. "Although seriously, it’s a shame. I really wanted that stuffed animal."

"Do you like it that much?" Diana asked, looking at Emily, who nodded in response.

"When I was little, my parents and I used to come here on weekends. My dad would play with me just to win a stuffed animal like that. We eventually got one, but I lost it..." Emily said, staring longingly at the giant bear.

Diana knew Emily very well, and although she might appear to be a spoiled girl with little regard for others, she was really just a child starved for love.

Especially when it came to her parents, it was a very sensitive topic for Emily. If she was so fixated on a simple object like that, even though she could get anything she wanted, Diana knew it must be very important to her friend.

Carefully, so as not to be noticed, Diana reached into her pocket to check how much money she had.

"I don’t have much left. But just this once, it’s okay," she whispered to herself before dashing over to the booth. "How many balls do I need to knock down to win that stuffed animal?"

"Three columns, so that would be about twenty-four balls," the fairground attendant replied.

"I’ll take twenty-four shots, then," Diana said, placing the money on the counter.

"You seem pretty confident," Oscar remarked, trying to provoke her.

But Diana was already fully immersed, completely focused on her goal.

"Don’t distract me," she replied, not looking at them as she took off her jacket and tied up her hair.

The aura Diana radiated was so intense you could almost touch the tension with your hand. Her friends were so intrigued that they couldn’t utter a single word.

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And as if it were being recorded in slow motion, her friends watched as Diana picked up a ball, loaded the rifle confidently, and fired straight at the target. Twenty-four shots, twenty-four hits. One after another, without hesitation, without flinching... It was as if Diana had been swapped out for someone else earlier in the day.

When she finished, she untied her hair, put her jacket back on as if nothing had happened, and, after receiving the giant bear from the attendant, she walked over to Emily with a huge smile.

"Here you go."

"Thank you, Diana. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had," Emily said, throwing her arms around her friend as Anna, trying to hide her expression, watched them with jealousy.

Meanwhile, the boys, who were lined up side by side, stood with their mouths agape.

"Am I the only one who found that super hot?" Johnny asked, when all of them, even Mike disguised as Micaela, shook their heads in unison, denying it.

"So, where to next?" Oscar asked the group, just as the sound of a carriage scraping against the rails reached their ears.

They all turned simultaneously, and upon seeing the roller coaster, they knew exactly where they were heading. Each pair sat in a two-seater carriage; Emily with Andrew, Oscar with Johnny, Mike with Andrew, and finally, Anna with Diana.

The ride began, and everyone enjoyed each twist and turn of the furious yet entertaining attraction. However, during one sharp curve, Diana’s ankle collided with the edge of the poorly secured vehicle. The impact was so strong that the young woman didn’t even realize it. At the same time, the necklace she always wore beneath her shirt slipped out due to the continuous, jerky movements, causing the knot holding it together to start unraveling.

After the ride ended, as they walked through the park, Diana’s necklace slipped down her body and fell to the ground without her noticing. Anna, who was walking behind her, picked it up, intending to return it, but when she saw Diana was already far ahead, she tucked it into her bag instead.

"Want to shoot some hoops?" Oscar suggested as they wandered aimlessly.

"I’ve got a better idea!" Emily said, clapping her right fist into her palm and jumping forward excitedly. "This summer, I want to go to the Michi Islands. We could all go together."

"Sounds good to me, but where’s this coming from?" Johnny replied, scratching his head.

"We could play some hoops. Whoever scores the lowest has to pay for everyone’s trip—the tickets and the lodging," Emily clarified.

"I can play, but I won’t participate. I can’t afford a ticket, let alone everyone else’s," Diana said, her ankle slightly sore.

"Don’t worry about the money. If you lose, I’ll be happy to pay for your ticket," Anna offered in a tone that tried to sound friendly.

"It’s not that..." Diana looked down.

"Sorry, but since I’m just a guest and won’t be going on the trip... I could help Diana out," Mike offered, raising a hand.

"You’re so kind, Micaela," Andrew praised, wrapping an arm around his friend’s waist.

"If you want to keep your precious parts intact, don’t push it this time..." Mike warned through gritted teeth, causing Andrew to let go immediately.

Mike then noticed Diana was watching him. She’d looked at him many times before, but this time it was different; her eyes were shining with an intensity, a feeling he didn’t recognize. Despite this, he couldn’t stop his cheeks from flushing, or the fluttering in his stomach.

"Shall we, guys?" Mike shouted excitedly, turning his back to them to hide his state and began to bounce joyfully towards the arcade games.

"Your girlfriend’s a bit intense, don’t you think?" Emily asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yeah... well..." Andrew stammered, not knowing what to say.

"What’s up with him?" Johnny asked Oscar, referring to Mike.

"I think having a double identity has scrambled his brains," Oscar whispered back, just as puzzled as everyone else.

When they reached the basketball machines, each person took their place in front of one, except for Mike, who stood by Diana, and Andrew, who acted as the referee.

"Everything comes down to numbers," Oscar said, adjusting his glasses and staring determinedly at the hoop.

"This is child’s play," Johnny said, rubbing his chin before cracking his knuckles.

"I can’t lose," Emily declared, stretching every part of her body and giving Mike a death glare.

"I can’t lose to Diana," Anna thought to herself, nodding firmly.

"Why are you all taking this so seriously?" Andrew asked, looking at everyone in disbelief.

"It’s ironic, but everything I’m good at in volleyball, I lose in basketball," Diana said to Mike, eyeing the balls locked in place.

"Did you forget that I’m one of the best at basketball?" Mike whispered in her ear.

"Thanks for helping me," she replied, feeling a shiver run down her spine as Mike’s lips subtly brushed against her earlobe.

"No need to thank me."

"Ready!" Andrew called out, raising his arm. "Insert your coins!"

As they inserted their coins, the participants started shooting hoops, raising their scores bit by bit, racing against the clock. However, one person, no matter how hard she tried, couldn’t stop missing every shot she took—Diana.

Mike couldn’t believe someone could be this bad at basketball, correction, at an arcade basketball game where even a five-year-old could sink at least three baskets. Seeing how nervous she was getting, he knew he had to step in. And without realizing what he was doing, he moved closer to her, placing his hands on her hips. He slowly traced his slender fingers up the curve of her pelvis to her waist, pressing his torso against hers until their bodies were touching. Diana felt a warmth spread through her entire body as he whispered in her ear.

"Relax your body and let me guide you."