"Wow, Lin, look at that pink doll!"
Lin looked up. On the highest shelf of the prize cabinet sat a dragon doll nearly twice the size of a person. Such a massive size and exquisite craftsmanship were rare.
And it was actually pink? Lin couldn't see the color, but from Elysia excited expression, he knew it was her favorite.
It was a balloon-popping stall. The owner clearly had a lot of confidence, occupying the most bustling spot in the night market. There was a wide variety of guns, and the quantity and quality of the prizes were top-notch.
"Step right up, don't miss out! Global limited edition Pink Bella doll! You only need to hit one hundred pink balloons in a row to take it home!"
The owner, seeing the stunningly beautiful Elysia under the curtain of night lights, amplified his voice. He smiled at Lin, who was standing next to the eager Elysia. "Young man, why not try to get a big gift for your beautiful girlfriend?"
Lin silently looked down at Elysia, whose eyes were sparkling. He sighed and nodded to the owner.
"We'll play."
"Right away!"
After paying, they each picked a gun that felt right and began shooting.
In games like this—shooting targets or bottles—the owner usually tampered with the guns beforehand. The pellets would deviate from the aim. Combined with wind and gravity, a perfect score was practically impossible. hitting one out of five was considered good.
Of course, this was often discovered, but the owner had written in tiny print at the bottom of the price list that the toy guns' accuracy was insufficient. Paying was considered consent to this premise.
Business, after all, couldn't be a losing venture.
But the owner hadn't expected to encounter a "hard case" today—a super hard case he had personally invited.
Lin first two shots missed, just like everyone else's, as if he were aiming with a third eye. The owner watched with a smirk. However, following that, a continuous crackling of balloons popping, like firecrackers, filled the air.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Under the stunned gaze of the onlookers and the owner, the man skillfully cocked the gun and fired. He didn't even need extra time to aim; row after row of balloons burst under his trigger finger as if they had lined up to explode in order.
After finishing one magazine of plastic pellets, he swapped in another and continued popping balloons one by one.
After clearing an entire wall of balloons, Lin set down the gun and reached out, saying in a steady voice to the owner, "The prize."
Over on the other side, Elysia was still huffing and puffing as she tried to figure out the gun's trajectory, only to find Lin had already finished the battle. She cheered, hugged Lin neck, and stared at the owner with him, signaling him to hand over the prize.
"Oh... oh, right." The owner finally snapped out of it. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and took an exquisitely crafted decorative sword from the second shelf. "Young man, you're incredible. Are you a professional soldier or something?"
Lin didn't care what the owner said. He looked at the decorative sword and spoke after a pause: "That's not what I want."
"Huh?"
"The dragon doll."
"Oh, that... you have to hit a hundred pink balloons consecutively without hitting any other colors."
The owner explained while sweating profusely. This condition was impossible for a normal person, but after seeing Lin marksmanship, he felt he was going to lose everything today. He regretted inviting them; he had wanted a beautiful girl to stay at his stall to attract customers, but the price was too high. That limited edition doll he'd held onto for a year was about to be gone.
However, after hearing the rules, Lin looked silently at the wall being refilled by staff. He didn't start the second round immediately.
Elysia had been looking at Lin profile happily, but after the long silence, she seemed to realize something. The smile on her face faded slightly.
After another moment, Lin picked up the gun again, turned his head, and asked softly, "Elysia, which ones are the pink balloons?"
Elysia smile vanished completely. She looked at Lin in a daze under the moonlight and the street lamps, staring into his deep black-green eyes.
...
Lin walked through the night market carrying the giant dragon doll, attracting many gazes.
Ultimately, with Elysia help, Lin successfully completed the hundred-pink-balloon challenge. Under the owner's tearful gaze, Lin quietly took out money and handed it to him.
"I'm buying it."
Both Lin and Elysia knew the value of the doll; it was a true treasure of the shop. Winning it like this was a significant loss for the owner.
The owner stared at the money in shock, then gritted his teeth and told his staff to hand the doll to Lin. "This is the prize you earned."
The owner didn't take the money. He stated that since he set the rules, he would follow them. He even asked if Lin needed help transporting it home—though there would be a delivery fee.
After refusing, Lin left with the doll and Elysia.
They strolled through the bustling night market. The bright lights illuminated the girl's beautiful face. Her pink hair danced gently in the evening breeze. Walking beside Lin, she lowered her head and remained silent.
Boom!
A firework exploded in the night sky, colorful blossoms blooming against the deep darkness.
"Lin, you have no sense of taste, do you?"
"..."
"The sundae I fed you earlier—you couldn't taste it." Elysia knuckles turned white from clenching her fists. "No color vision either. And your sense of touch..."
Even though Lin occasionally did strange things over the past two years, Elysia hadn't thought much of it. He seemed as normal as anyone else. But today, she discovered a certain... sorrow within him.
Recalling the eerie behaviors he had inadvertently exposed, she suddenly understood why.
"And, these aren't from birth."
People born without these senses are different from those who lose them later. The fact that Lin could cook so well proved that he originally possessed a sense of taste.
"Is it because of... the place you're going back to?"
"...Yes."
"Does it hurt?"
"I haven't felt it in a long time."
Thump!
The heartbeat grew louder, but this time, Lin didn't hear the powerful thumping from his own chest.
He turned his head and asked warmly, "Does it hurt?"
"...Yes."