Date The CEO.com

Chapter 218: Well, Shoot!

The stall keeper gestured to two free toy rifles, explaining the rules. 

"You each get five bullets. The game has three levels. You are free to choose depending on what kind of prize you want. Knock down three of those tiny plastic figurines and you get a bag of candy. Knock down three moving targets and you'll receive a medium prize. Knock over a tower of cans and you'll have the big prize. Everything clear?"

Ambryan nodded. Then, he pointed to a large plushie. "What level is that white cat?"

"Ah, that's a big prize. It's 20 inches."

"How about that chocolate bar?" Mikael bent down and lifted Eri off his shoulders. 

"That's a medium. It costs way less than the cat."

He rolled them for a bit of stretching. Personally, he thought moving targets would be a third level kind of hard but they were merely on a conveyor belt rolling in one direction. The question left was the speed.

"I'll give it a shot," Ambryan declared, taking out his wallet to pay.

Mikael raised his hand up. "Me too."

"Alrighty!" The stall keeper checked on the toy rifles, making sure they had the right amount of bullets. He handed them over to each gentleman. "Here you go."

"Um, can I also play?" Eve interrupted with a shy smile. Her skills in shooting lacked but she wouldn't feel right to ask either of them to try for her. Besides, she also didn't want to be left out. Hopefully, she wouldn't be the only one to miss. 

"Sure, milady."

She thanked the store keeper and found the rest looking at her. Throwing her hands in the air, she said, "What? Can't a woman get her own prize?"

"That's because you said that you're not good at this," Ede recalled. 

Eri nodded in agreement. "We've also seen it with our own eyes."

"Thank you for the encouragement, my lovely sisters."

"Here's yours, milady."

"Thank you."

Eve and Mikael positioned themselves in front of the moving targets. It took up the center of the booth with a total of five rows. Each metallic cutout had a red circle in the middle, helping the players aim. The stall keeper flicked a switch and the conveyor belts began to move.

A meter down the line, Ambryan regarded the tower of cans. They didn't seem anything special but, considering how tiny and lightweight the bullets were, this would need careful planning. Each shot at the bottom cans would only nudge them a little.

He took a deep breath and lifted the toy rifle near his cheek.

The bullet went flying for the rightmost can. It grazed the surface but the one on top of it wobbled. He cursed under his breath. If it had fallen, it could have saved him a bullet. He cocked the toy rifle and calculated his next step.

"Well, well, well, looks like someone already started." Mikael whistled. He assessed the moving targets, hoisting his toy rifle. He chose the row that matched his eye level. The cutouts varied in sizes. His best bet seemed to be the taller ones.

He finger pulled the trigger.

Two bullets whizzed through the air and hit the same red circle. 

The cutout fell over to the other side.

"Wha"

"We aimed for the same thing," Eve groaned, laughter threatening to flow out of her lips. It happened too fast. Her bullet probably didn't even hit anything. She opened her mouth to let him have the score.

Mikael glared playfully in her direction. "You stole my target."

"Hey! It wasn't on purpose!" She defended.

"I'll give you both an extra bullet. Let's not count it." The stall keeper stepped in. He took their toy rifles and added them inside. "Instead of the middle, try to aim on your side."

Mikael shuffled his feet to the left. "Try not to steal my score again, Eve."

"You're being childish!" She snorted, getting ready to try again. The taller ones gave the advantage of wide spacing. The downside was they moved faster. The short ones, on the other hand, looked crowded because they were compressed. But their speed was a fraction slower.

Eve took her chances with the short targets.

Her chances to hit something were higher there.

And so, her next bullet went over their height. She cried inside. It wasn't even close. It was a complete miss! Mikael hit a tall cutout. He smirked softly. Eve picked up the noise and glared at him through the corner of her eyes. He didn't have to rub it in!

"So the first one was luck," Eri commented behind them.

"I don't think she even got it. Only Mikael did," Ede shared.

Ignoring her sisters, Eve decided to wing it. She predicted that she'd lose anyway. Maybe actually not aiming would make a difference. Three bullets flew out of her toy rifle. An audible gasp came out of her mouth.

She hit two out of three!

"Somehow, I'm not surprised by your luck," Mikael said. 

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." He aimed for his next targets. It took no time for him to reach the goal. The stall keeper congratulated him, awarding him the chocolate bar. He turned around and bent his knees. "Here's your chocolate, Eri. Remember to share it with your sisters."

"I will!" She squealed as she jumped up and down. Hopping on her toes, she kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Mikael. Would you like some too?"

Ambryan had three bullets left. He took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. At this point, he realized why this was a third level. His target was still the same can. He pulled the trigger three times for this round.

Two cans toppled over. 

But the base stayed intact.

He pulled out another bill and waved it at the stall keeper. "I just need to knock over the tower, right? It doesn't mean I can only use five bullets to do it."

"That's right! Would you like another five?"

"Yes, please."

Eve turned towards him and opened her mouth to protest. "You don't have to"

"Have one bullet left, right?" Mikael whispered beside her, causing her to jump. "Are you going to fire it any time soon or not? Maybe you would like some help perhaps?"

"Help?" Eve scrunched her eyebrows. "Like what? Switch players? I don't think that's allowed."

"Maybe but I can still assist you."

Mikael guided her back towards the moving targets. He stood behind her and raised the toy rifle in her hands. His head hovered closely to hers so he could see where the nozzle pointed at. Eve lost her ability to feel her limbs. It seemed like she was a puppet.

"You're aiming for the short ones, right? Keep your weapon steady. Then, you wait," he explained. "The cutouts are almost touching. You would only need to aim for that narrow space in between them. By the time you release the bullet, it will hit the coming cutout. Got it?"

Eve nodded her head and blinked out of her daze. The toy rifle was in its position. All they needed to do was wait for the appropriate time. She watched the cutouts carefully, imagining when to pull the trigger.

Then, she did.

"I got it," Eve breathed out. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. She dropped the toy rifle and pumped her fists into the air. "OMG, we got it! We got it! Thanks, Mikael!"

He handed the toy back to the stall keeper. A closed-toothed smile spread across his face. "No problem. Always happy to help."

Cans crashed after receiving five rapid bullets. The tower was no more. Ambryan straightened his posture and his necktie. He reached for the cat plushie near him, making eye-contact with the stall keeper. The latter gave a nod and he passed the stuffed animal to Ede.

"Thank you, Mr. Hathaway. Do you mind if I name her as Kiri too?"

He smiled and patted her head. "Not at all."

"Wow, Sir Hathaway! You did it! That's amazing!" Eve praised. She stared at the missing can tower with her jaw slightly open. "I wish I could have seen that. How much do I owe you?"

He flicked her forehead and crossed his arms over his chest. "Nothing, Eve. I know it's for your sisters but I'm sure Mikael would agree that we volunteered to do it."

"That's true," the male modded confirmed. He spotted Jordan from the corner of his eye. The latter gestured for him to come over. "Will you excuse me? I think there's been an update on the ad campaign. I'll be right back."

Ambryan leaned against the counter. "So you and Mikael, huh?"

"What about me and Mikael?" Eve asked. Something clicked in her head after a second. Oh, hell no"You're not about to bring that up again, are you?"

"Bring up what?" 

She scoffed, waving her hand to brush it off. Her ears had a hint of pink. "If you think I will say that out loud here, you are wrong."

"I heard the two of you did well for his scene in 'Define Love'. He put a ring on your finger in one of the takes if I remember right," Ambryan thought out loud. His gaze flickered up to the sky while he rubbed his chin. "I've been told it seemed like a way to announce your relationship."

Then, he pushed himself off the counter and stalked towards her. "Now, you're doing an ad together. What does that imply to you?"