Chapter 458
Chapter 458
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 458
Chapter Title: Trip (7)
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Si-woo, one more time.
Si-woo, let me ride one more time.
Si-woo, I feel like I get it now.
Si-woo, one last time...
A carousel probably isn't all that thrilling of a ride.
For couples, it's a romantic event. For kids, it's a playground of innocence. For parents, it's a safe, easy attraction to enjoy with their children.
Amelia seemed to really take a liking to this carousel.
Every time the ride ended, she'd trot back to the end of the line with Si-woo.
And so, Amelia pulled off the feat of riding the carousel five times in a row.
At first, she was all shy, hunching over like a shrimp. But by the final ride, she sat tall like she was riding a horse, completing the course with elegant poise.
Then, she brushed off her dress hem and stood beside Si-woo, acting as if nothing had happened, utterly composed.
"It's nothing special."
She said it so casually, brushing it off.
If not for her flushed cheeks from excitement or the lingering sparkle in her eyes, he might have... well, no, he wouldn't have been fooled.
She loved it so much it was suspicious—almost baffling.
"I think I get why modern people enjoy thrills now."
"It's been a popular ride since way back."
"I feel like I could conquer the others too."
Buoyed with confidence, Amelia clenched her fist and declared it.
Did she really need to push through the rides just to conquer them? But she was cute, so he'd let it slide.
"Alright then. Shall we check out some other spots? I'll escort you."
Amelia stared at the hand Si-woo offered, then broke into a soft smile.
Like a lady accepting a gentleman's invitation to dance, she gently placed her hand on his.
"I'd like that."
The two set off, hands clasped warmly, weaving through the amusement park.
And so began Si-woo and Amelia's wild conquest of the rides.
Before long, Amelia would realize something.
The carousel was just the absolute basics.
A little while later.
"A-Are you okay?"
"......"
Amelia had boldly set out to conquer every ride.
Now, she sat on a bench, pale-faced and dazed.
And for good reason. The second ride she'd chosen was the roller coaster that had been zipping through the indoor space.
Even though Si-woo had sensed something off and tried to dissuade her several times, she'd insisted on waiting in line and boarding.
Now she was paying the price for her recklessness.
It wasn't set up in an open lot but threaded precariously through the tight indoor space—that was likely a key factor in its enduring popularity...
But for Amelia's heart, it had been utterly disastrous.
When she finally stepped off, she looked so drained that everything around her seemed grayscale.
Si-woo grabbed a carbonated water from a nearby vending machine, twisted it open, and handed it to her. She barely managed to sip it.
Was it that scary?
Honestly, Si-woo had expected as much.
Whether from his experiences crossing limbs countless times or his superhuman abilities far beyond normal humans, it had felt no more intense than riding a bike.
He figured since she was a witch with combat experience, she'd be fine, so he hadn't pushed too hard to stop her.
"Was it that tough?"
As soon as Si-woo approached, Amelia grabbed his arm and sleeve like a reflex.
She looked just like a puppy burrowing into its mother's embrace during a thunderstorm.
"I-I had no idea it would... spin like that... Isn't spinning not allowed? It's a hunk of metal, right? That's dangerous!"
Ah, that part.
Si-woo got it now.
The highlight of the roller coaster: the 360-degree loop.
But this one had an extra twist, thanks to being indoors. Right in the center of the looping track was a bridge-cum-passageway piercing through.
Even Si-woo had flinched a bit there, so he could understand why Amelia was freaking out.
"How about we head back now?"
The roller coaster versus Amelia showdown had ended in her crushing defeat anyway. Dragging her around in this state didn't seem worthwhile, so he suggested it.
She wasn't the hyper, infinite-energy type like twins to begin with, and now she looked utterly spent.
Amelia shot to her feet, shaking her head vigorously.
"I can keep going."
"You want to ride more?"
"No!"
A firm denial. Good—she didn't seem like the Don Quixote type charging back into battle.
She shuffled closer, shyly, and took Si-woo's hand.
"I want to walk around more..."
She added, in a tiny whisper almost too quiet to hear, "...with Si-woo."
2.
Having tasted the heat of battle, Amelia steered clear of the rides entirely, content to wander the park's nooks and crannies.
"It's like cotton."
"That's why it's called cotton candy."
"Hmm... but it tastes like sugar."
"It's made purely from sugar."
"It's amazing... but my hands are sticky now."
"Yeah, that's the downside."
He treated her to cotton candy—an innovative dessert from her perspective.
Normally, no one paid it much mind; it wasn't even that tasty, and as Amelia said, it left your hands sticky.
Yet there was something about it that made couples carry it around at amusement parks or zoos.
Even Si-woo had been drawn in and bought some.
Was this cultural brainwashing?
"This is..."
"A sticker photo booth. You can edit and decorate right after taking the shots."
"Si-woo's eyes look bigger."
"Hmm... the beautification filter is a bit heavy-handed."
They even hopped into a sticker photo booth for a couple selfie.
It was his first time ever, and the filters were so intense that Amelia's already big eyes looked practically doll-like.
"Isn't this something kids do?"
"Look around—everyone's doing it."
"Still..."
"Come on, don't be like that. It'll suit you—try it on."
"Just for today..."
They bought cheap plastic headbands from a souvenir shop.
For reference, Si-woo's had a bear plush on top, while Amelia's had two hearts sticking up like ears.
She'd been embarrassed and reluctant at first, but she couldn't resist Si-woo's coaxing and awkwardly put it on.
In hindsight, the order was a bit regrettable.
They should have bought these first and then taken the photos.
It suited Amelia—who'd never wear something like this normally—so perfectly.
Wandering aimlessly, taking in the sights, closing time approached before they knew it.
Si-woo pointed to a ride drifting lazily across the dome ceiling, wrapped in lights.
"Lady Amelia, how about that one?"
Headband on her head, clutching Si-woo's hand, glancing around as she savored the moment—Amelia's expression froze.
"I-I'm done exploring modern thrills now..."
The roller coaster had apparently left her with quite the trauma about rides.
Understanding that, the attraction Si-woo had in mind wasn't the speed-and-thrill variety.
"It's fine. It's not scary."
"...Really?"
She gripped his hand tighter, asking like a child trusting her parents.
And truthfully, Amelia's delicate heart wasn't much different from a young girl's.
"Of course."
"Then I'll ride."
"You won't be disappointed."
Their final ride: the hot air balloon gondolas floating across the dome ceiling.
More like cable cars—steel wires linking the ceiling track to balloon-shaped cars.
A horizontal Ferris wheel, maybe?
The perfect way to take in the vast indoor park at a leisurely pace, all in one view.
No line, so Si-woo and Amelia boarded alone.
A brief jolt, and the mechanism pulled the gondola up.
As the ride's vibrations made her shoulders tense, Si-woo naturally wrapped an arm around her.
"Ah..."
When the balloon lifted off the floor, dangling high in the air.
Even Amelia, who prided herself on not being fazed anymore, let out a soft gasp of awe.
Si-woo was just as amazed.
He'd hopped on thinking night views from high up were prettier, and the park from above would be nice.
He hadn't expected it to be this spectacular.
With the sun fully set, the amusement park lit up like it had changed seasons, bursting with vibrant lights everywhere.
Dreamy neon signs glowing along the roller coaster track.
The carousel Amelia had loved most sparkled like a jeweled music box. The Christmas tree lights, still up and unremoved, shone in every color.
The ice rink visible in the open central space, people skating joyfully inside.
The park's theme was a fantasy world.
To Amelia, an actual resident of the fantasy world Gehenna, the theming wouldn't be perfect.
The cliffs decorating the opposite wall were just spray-painted Styrofoam. Look closely at the pointy-roofed castles or houses, and the awkwardness seeped through.
Yet Amelia stared without blinking, holding her breath as if to etch every scene into her heart, gazing down below.
Her profile, sparkling like she was dreaming, reflected the lights.
She gripped Si-woo's hand ever tighter, as if vowing to remember this moment until her dying day.
Silently, for a long while.