#when the horse race actually pops off bc horse races in ososan are insane......... good lord

[standbowed]

So casual…! So easy breezy…!

Despite her nerves, Hachi finds herself awestruck in the face of Osomatsu's lighthearted attitude (tipping a little with the friendly jostle to her shoulder). She's sure she's never in her life felt as confident as he looks to be in this moment. She watches, wide-eyed and trailing behind as he ambles forward with a grin, an easy step, and what seems to be an even easier string of remarks (brushing right past the fact that it is indeed illegal--illegal!! for her to place a bet--as if that doesn't even matter at all! As if the very act of noting aloud that no real people working the booths means they won't get caught doesn't immediately seal their fate of getting caught with an immediate and decisive swiftness--which is so the obvious outcome here just narratively speaking; punished for their hubris like Icarus flying too close to the sun!). No, Hachi knows the score here--knows the right answer, even if it kills her a little to look his gift-horse (har, har) of betting money in the mouth. As he puts in his own bet with practised ease (Is he a regular...?), she tries to steel her exceedingly nervous expression into something more firm and put-together, opens her mouth to kindly but firmly refuse--

--and gets whisked swiftly off-topic by the way he notes her name, but not the qualifiers she's put around it to course-correct! Aaagh, Osomatsu-saaaaan! Please listen to everything properlyyyy...!!

"No, no--like I said, my luck isn't anything special…!" Hachi says in a breathless rush, moving her hands a little more frantically this time as if the force of the gesture was the missing piece needed to make him understand. "I mean, one year in junior high, my classmates started patting the top of my head for good luck in the week leading up to the sports festival--er, before my sister told me they were just making fun of me and I should tell them to stop--" This last little aside is spoken in a bit more of a mumble, sheepish. "But it didn't actually do anything--I mean, we won a few of the games that year, but that's just because of everyone's best efforts, really...! And I've never drawn a 'Great Blessing' fortune slip even once in my life, you know? It's usually a 'Half-Blessing' if I get a decent fortune at all, I'm serious!"

Whew, that ought to be clear enough now, right...? Maybe too clear. She feels like she's said some unnecessary things, actually... Well, too late now--more importantly, she needs to properly refuse his offer next! So, snapping into as straight a posture as she can muster, Hachi dips her head in formal apology, holds the money previously given to her out to him, and very seriously says: "For the sake of both our futures as free citizens, I'll just watch and not bet… It's not illegal for me to just watch, right?"

Here she raises her head to study his expression, uncertainty written clear across her ever-expressive features. Her attention is temporarily diverted when she hears the person behind her clear their throat pointedly (right! she's in the way of the people behind her who are actually here to place a bet) and hurriedly shuffles off to the side and out of the line with a hasty apology that goes mostly ignored. With this done, her attention returns to Osomatsu. "And instead I'll just, er--just earnestly root for the horses with all my heart (or something)...? Sorry."

Osomatsu's idea of a fun day out wasn't something most others would consider 'proper'. Showing people around or introducing someone new to their new neighbors would probably be the correct way to go here -- but the eldest Matsuno son wasn't most others. No, he was CRAZY irresponsible -- and honestly, showing Hachi around after she'd moved into Akatsuka alley hadn't even occurred to him. The first thing that DID occur was to bring her somewhere she might have fun, she seemed like such a nervous and strange kid -- she just needs to loosen up!

But instead of offering to go to a theme park, or just lunch or something, he'd settled on dragging her along to horse racing. ( Hey, at least it wasn't pachinko, right? ) It was something that he enjoyed, and maybe she would too -- teenagers love illegal betting, right? He knows he sure did when he was her age! And as long as she used the anonymous booth, it probably wouldn't be an issue. Not really the smartest thing to do, or the best first impression to make, though, is it? Oh, well. If she didn't wanna gamble a little, then that's fine -- she'd probably still like to watch the horses, too.

As they waited in line, he'd figured that she would have known what they were here for-- but as it turns out, that simply wasn't the case. It'd taken her til they were already in line for a betting ticket booth for her to even ask what was going on, and with how frightened she sounded, he could only turn and look at her, confused. One eyebrow raised at her, a kind of blank stare -- but he does answer question, albeit in a very casual manner.

"Uh, yeah. Wasn't that obvious? I thought for sure you knew what was going on... Why're you so surprised?" A cheeky grin, lighthearted laugh -- he gives her a little jostle with his left hand, while his right rubs under his nose. "Oh, cmon now! Relaaaax!! You're DEFINITELY not old enough to be betting, but you can be here cause I'm an adult! I just brought you along because I figured you'd wanna bet! Or, maybe you'd just like to watch horses or something."

He turns back to face the ticketbooth, a measley amount of yen in his hands as he steps forward. Just two more people before him -- and on his heel, he swivels around and hands Hachi a few dollars of money to bet on too. That grin of his only widened, eyes closing as he smiled so wide -- a carefree, happy smile.

"Since there's no real people working these booths, you can bet anonymously if you really want to! If you don't, though , then uh -- use that money to get something to eat, or something." He just kind of waves her off, making the motion with his hands -- then turns on his heel when he sees the last person shuffle forward.

"You know," he says, as he inputs his betting information into the booth. He didn't even have to look at the buttons as he input information, clearly having done this MANY, MANY times, "I didn't even realize your name meant lucky til ya brought it up! That's pretty awesome! But, I wonder if that means you might actually BE good luck... Guess we'll see, haha!"

..... did .... he completely ignore her saying she's just normal? Uh, yeah, he did -- or seems like it might've just gone in one ear and out the other. Still, when he finishes, he makes room for her to step up to the booth if she so desired.

"You wanna bet? I can totally cover for you if you do! Don't wooooorrry, you won't get in any trouble or anything -- I promise!" He waggles the betting ticket in the air, as if to emphasize it's existence. He's waiting for you, Hachi! Give em an answer!