Chapter 328: We can do this all day!

For someone of Zoren Pierson’s caliber, Penny had a few guesses about where he might take her. A fancy dinner seemed inevitable, but she was unsure about what they might do beforehand. Perhaps a date on a yacht or a visit to a museum? Maybe a round of golf or a simple city outing?

Though Penny had never been on such a date before, she had her own ideas.

All her guesses, however, were wrong.

Standing in front of the wide gates of the biggest amusement park in Anteca, her mouth fell open.

"An amusement park?" she thought, staring at Zoren incredulously. "You chose an amusement park for our first date?"

"Is there something wrong with it?" he asked, tilting his head. "I have a few backup plans if this place isn’t to your liking."

"No, it’s not that," she laughed dryly, snapping her gaze back to the gates. "I just didn’t expect you, Mr. Pierson, to take me to an amusement park on our first date. I was imagining something a bit fancier."

He chuckled. "Do you prefer fancy?"

"I’d be lying if I said I don’t appreciate fancy things, but this choice..." Penny glanced up at the gates before a smile stretched across her face. "Zoren Pierson, our date might actually break whatever records you’ve been keeping."

His lips curved into a grin as he watched her look back at him. He couldn’t see her, but he could sense her excitement mingling with her aura. It told him he made the right decision.

"Shall we go in?" he asked, and she nodded. "Shall we?"

"Oh, right, you couldn’t see me nodding," she quipped. "I said, sure."

With squinted eyes, they both faced the amusement park and stepped inside, a strange anticipation bubbling in their hearts.

***

Six years ago, the biggest amusement park in Anteca was built, offering all kinds of rides and attractions that both adults and children could enjoy. Despite its magical allure, the entrance fee was affordable, even for those at the bottom of the social ladder if they saved up a little.

That’s why the park was so crowded, especially on a Sunday.

Penny and Zoren quickly chose the nearest attraction: a target shooting booth.

"If you hit five balloons, you can win a prize from this shelf..." the staff explained, motioning his hand to the shelf on the side, and Penny nodded enthusiastically. "Good luck, miss."

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, taking the toy gun and watching the staff explain the same to Zoren. He accepted the gun calmly.

’He can hit these targets, right?’ she wondered, eyeing the board full of small balloons. The board was so crowded that missing a shot seemed impossible. It felt like a bonus game where everyone could win, so Penny didn’t think Zoren would embarrass himself.

With that, Penny and Zoren stood in position, arms outstretched, toy guns in hand.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Five shots rang out from both Penny and Zoren. Each of Penny’s fake bullets popped a balloon, making her feel a surge of pride. Winning was no surprise, but it still gave her a sense of accomplishment.

Meanwhile, while Penny was beaming, Zoren’s expression remained stiff.

The staff, who had been watching Zoren closely, was surprised. Even a blind person could win this game — it was designed as a treat from the management to the guests. Losing wasn’t supposed to be an option. And yet...

"You... missed all five?" Penny blurted out, her smile replaced by shock. "Wow."

Both Penny and the staff looked at Zoren with mixed emotions. They didn’t know whether to be amused by how bad he was or shocked by his terrible aim.

Zoren shook his head. "Probably the wind," he muttered, turning to the staff. "I want to play another round."

"Uh..." The staff was speechless and glanced at Penny for approval.

Penny stared at Zoren. Seeing how determined he was to redeem his dignity, she nodded at the staff. As the staff handed Zoren another gun with five fake bullets, both Penny and the staff watched him with a mix of pity and hope.

BANG! BANG!

Penny and the staff held their breaths, searching the board for popped balloons.

BANG!

On the fifth shot, their breaths hitched.

Zoren carefully placed the gun on the counter and hung his head low. He hadn’t heard any balloons pop.

Penny and the staff looked at him, wide-eyed.

He missed all five again! How was that possible?!

Penny slowly covered her mouth, speechless. Even the staff pitied him and spoke up.

"It’s probably the wind!" the staff said, prompting Penny to nod vigorously. "Right, miss?"

"Yes! It’s a little windy today, isn’t it?" she laughed nervously, watching his dejected expression. Seeing that he wasn’t recovering, she cast a panicked look at the staff.

The staff, who was only tasked with overseeing the booth, suddenly felt like he had a new responsibility. He deeply pitied the man — they seemed like a lovely couple, and as a man, he didn’t want another man’s date to be ruined by such a pathetic game.

"Yes, it is a little windy! Haha!" the staff said loudly. "This happens a lot here! Don’t feel bad! It’s alright, right, miss?"

"Ye—yes!" Penny clapped and laughed. "The tokens are so cheap! We can do this all day!"

As Penny and the staff tried to cheer him up, Zoren slowly lifted his head. His face was darker than before, his eyes blazing.

"It’s not the wind," he said. "And yes, we have the whole day to impress my date."

As soon as those words left his mouth, he tossed another token onto the counter. "Again."

’Miss!’ the staff looked at Penny in panic, shaking his head as if to say, ’Stop your date! Impressing a lady should be done on the first try! It’s not impressive if you do it a hundred times! Don’t let him ruin it!!’

But Penny was too shocked to respond. She could only stare at her date, wide-eyed. "Want me to teach you?"