There was one more part to complete my brilliant plan.
I disappeared into a bathroom stall with all the prizes. Several minutes later, I stared down at myself.
It was a full sized bear mascot costume. I grinned inside the enormous head.
"Genius, Kaoru." Not only would Kazuha love it... It was really warm! Two problems solved at once! There was absolutely no flaw in this plan.
I stepped outside.
Immediately, a child screamed. "BEAR!"
"Huh?"
Three more children ran toward me. "BEAR! CAN WE TAKE A PICTURE?!"
"W-Wait—"
Within thirty seconds, I was surrounded. Parents pulled out their phones. Children hugged my legs. Someone asked me to pose. I had accidentally become an unofficial theme park employee.
"Okay! One picture!" I struck a pose, then another, and another. Five minutes passed, then ten.
My ankle began throbbing. The costume was hot. Breathing inside the giant head was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
Okay. Enough. I needed to find Kazuha.
I tried pushing through the crowd, but another group of children immediately surrounded me. "Bear! Bear!"
"Guys, please! The bear has somewhere to—" Someone suddenly grabbed my hand.
I nearly jumped.
Before I could strike another mascot pose, a familiar voice came from behind me. "Idiot!"
My body froze.
"We've been looking everywhere for you!"
I didn't even need to turn around as she pulled me through the crowd.
"W-Wait!" I shouted.
"What?"
"My merchandise!" I broke free long enough to grab the two massive bags I'd left nearby.
Kazuha stared at them, then at me, then at the bags again. "What did you do?"
"Long story!"
She sighed before taking one bag herself. Then, without another word, she grabbed my hand again.
My brain immediately stopped caring about the pain in my ankle.
Kazuha was holding my hand.
Well... Technically she was dragging an idiot away from a mob of children attack.
Eventually, we found a quieter corner of the park. I collapsed against a low wall, completely defeated. My ankle hurt much more now.
Neither of us spoke. That was the scary part.
I had become her favorite bear. I'd acquired enough merchandise to open my own store. I'd sacrificed my entire bank account. And yet...
She didn't look excited at all.
I cleared my throat. "H-Hey..."
She looked at me.
"How did you know it was me?"
Kazuha stared at the mascot costume, then at my injured leg. "Who else would be limping around inside a bear costume?"
Fair.
She sighed and started sitting beside me.
"W-Wait!"
Kazuha stopped.
"Your dress!" I frantically looked around. "The ground's dirty. Hold on, I'll find something—"
She sat down anyway.
I immediately shut my mouth.
For a moment, Kazuha didn't say anything. She simply sat beside me while I remained trapped inside the stupid bear costume.
The silence was painful.
Was she angry? But why? What did I do?
I nervously glanced at her. She certainly looked serious.
Okay, that was a dangerous question. I'd done approximately seventeen stupid things in the past hour alone. Still, I couldn't figure out which one had actually made her upset.
Then she suddenly reached toward me. Her hands grabbed the sides of the mascot head.
My heart jumped. "W-Wait!"
She pulled.
I immediately grabbed her wrists. "Don't!"
Kazuha frowned. "Why?"
"B-Because..." Because I'd been sweating inside this portable oven for twenty minutes! My face probably looked horrible! My hair was definitely destroyed! This was not how a romantic protagonist should reveal herself!
"Kaoru." Her voice became softer. "Are you okay?"
I stopped.
Kazuha was looking straight at me through the opening in the costume. There was genuine concern in her eyes.
My grip on her wrists slowly loosened.
Was I okay? Honestly... Maybe not.
My ankle hurt. I was exhausted. I'd spent every yen I had. I'd walked around dressed as a bear. Why? Just because I wanted Kazuha to smile?
The realization suddenly made everything feel embarrassing. Maybe I'd gone too far again. Maybe instead of making her happy, I'd only annoyed her. Worse, maybe I'd embarrassed her like I always seemed to do whenever I got too excited.
I lowered my head inside the stupid bear costume.
Then Kazuha spoke. "Thank you."
I froze.
She looked toward the bags beside us. "I know you did all this because of me."
My eyes widened.
"And..." She hesitated, then a small smile appeared. "I'm happy."
For several seconds, I couldn't speak. Those two words hit me harder than any roller coaster ever could. She was happy. Because of something I did.
My eyes suddenly burned.
Oh no. Don't cry. Cool protagonists don't cry while dressed as giant bears. That was probably written somewhere in the rules.
I hurriedly blinked. "Y-You're welcome." My voice cracked. Damn it!
Before I could recover, Kazuha moved closer, then her arms wrapped around me.
My entire body froze.
She was... Hugging me.
Kazuha was hugging me.
Actually hugging me.
My brain exploded. If this stupid costume weren't between us, I probably would've died on the spot from feeling her boobs pressed directly against mine!
Still... even through the ridiculous bear suit, I could feel the warmth of her embrace.
My heart started hammering.
Fireworks exploded across the sky.
BOOM! BANG!
Thousands of colorful lights illuminated the heavens while orchestral music played and angels descended to congratulate me—
Wait... That part was imaginary. There were no fireworks, no angels, no orchestra.
But the hug? That was real.
I slowly raised my arms.
For once, I didn't make a stupid joke. I didn't scream. I simply hugged her back as gently as I could.
After a moment, Kazuha quietly muttered against the ridiculous bear costume. "You really are an idiot."
I smiled. Normally, I would've defended myself. Today? I didn't care. Because somehow... This idiot had made her happy.
And as I sat there dressed like a bankrupt bear with a sprained ankle, two bags of useless merchandise beside me, and exactly six hundred twenty seven yen left in my bank account... I realized I'd still won something that day. Something much better than the grand prize.
For the first time... Kazuha had hugged me first.