Water Park (1)
[Three unicorns...!] Aqua clenched her tiny fists as if she couldn't stand it any longer. Mandu, who had never seen a unicorn before, tilted his head curiously while observing the horned horses.
After agonizing for a while, Aqua whipped her head toward me and asked, [Which one looks the prettiest to your eyes?]
Taking her question seriously, I examined the tubes. They came in three colors: white, pink, and blue. Besides the hues, the blue unicorn had a tube mane, while the white one sported wings.
"The white one's the best. It has wings, and it suits you perfectly."
[I like the white one best too!] But despite her words, Aqua hesitated, still torn. There was something irresistible about shopping—knowing what you wanted but struggling to commit.
I'd love to buy all three if I could. But the tubes were pricier than expected. Besides, I wanted to watch her deliberate a bit longer.
[Uuum!] Aqua stared at them with the most solemn expression imaginable. She had clearly forgotten all about the Spirit King by now.
"Why don't you stand next to a tube? I'll snap some photos so you can pick the one that suits you best."
[Excellent idea!] Aqua swiftly materialized and clambered onto a tube. Made for adults, it was enormous—perfectly described as "climbing" for her size.
"Oh my!"
"It's a spirit!"
People gasped and murmured at her materialized form. Some even pulled out cameras.
Aqua really stirs up that urge to save photos. Smiling, I took shots of her on each of the three colors.
"Here, take a look."
I crouched down, and Aqua toddled over eagerly to peer at my phone.
[Mm! Mmm!] After scrutinizing the pictures intently, she finally made up her mind.
[The white one is supreme after all!]
Aqua chose the winged white unicorn tube.
"Great. Shall we go buy it?"
[I'll carry it myself!] She dashed back, hoisted the massive tube over her head, and dragged it along. The sight of her towing something bigger than herself was utterly adorable. Camera shutters clicked faster around us.
"Whoa..."
"That's heart-melting cute. What even is she?"
Grinning, I followed her to the checkout counter.
* * *
We changed into swimsuits in the locker room.
[Let's go!] As I locked my locker, Aqua beamed with excitement, balancing the unicorn tube on her head and toddling off.
We trailed after her at a leisurely pace. She paused at the water park entrance. I crouched beside her.
[Waaah...]
Aqua marveled at the water park's vista. By day, under the bright sun, it brimmed with life—families and couples milling about. Attractions idle last night now buzzed with shadows darting through, and the empty wave pool overflowed with people.
[So this is a water park!] Her eyes sparkled as she scanned left to right, over and over. Crowds filled every corner. Mandu flicked his tongue, gawking at the throngs—this was his first time in such a packed place.
Aqua hoisted her tube high again.
[All right! Let's dive in!] Her little legs pumped furiously as she charged across the water park.
Phoenix Resort drew plenty of spirit users on vacation. Spotting spirits here was commonplace.
But Aqua's special even among them. Bigger and cuter than most, with a tube twice her size dragging behind her—naturally, everyone stopped to stare.
"What's that? What kind of spirit is she?"
"Whoa... I want to take a pic. Total keeper material."
They looked bummed about the no-cameras rule.
Aqua halted at the lazy river—a looping current pool, popular for its chill vibes.
[This looks perfect!] Splash! She tossed the unicorn tube in, checked it floated, backed up five steps, then charged.
[Diving in!]
Her body hung midair before dropping toward the tube. But she overlooked the river's flow, missing her mark.
Splash! The tube flipped under the glancing blow.
[Eek!]
Sploosh!
"Ahahaha!" I burst out laughing, caught off guard.
A water spirit failing at a dive! Putting it into words made it funnier; I cracked up again.
While I laughed, Aqua righted the tube and scrambled atop it.
[Stop laughing!]
"Sorry. Heh heh."
A water spirit botching a dive. The thought kept bubbling up laughs.
Jang Gilsan and I followed her into the lazy river. It teemed with people, especially families with kids.
"Look, a spirit!"
"Whoa... an undine!"
"Those two behind her spirit users?"
"Built like awakeners."
We caught snippets about us too. Awakeners had superior physiques, scaling with rank.
[Hee hee hee!] Ignoring the stares, Aqua stroked the unicorn tube's neck vigorously.
[Giddyup!] She hugged it tight. On cue, I gave it a push from behind.
[Whoa!] Surprised by the speed, Aqua glanced back and grinned at me.
[Push harder!]
"You got it."
The shallow depth let me walk the bottom and shove. Aqua clung like a mast, reveling in the ride. Mandu perched on the unicorn's head.
I steered to dodge people.
[Boats beat cars any day!]
True to her water spirit nature, Aqua preferred waves to land.
"Not as fast as I'd like." I muttered while pushing. Water resistance slowed my legs.
I wanted to thrill her more, but it fell short.
"Hey, ride with Aqua." Jang Gilsan clapped my shoulder, reading my mind. "I'll push."
"Sweet, thanks!"
I hopped on quick. The tube was huge, and with Aqua at the neck, plenty of room for me to lie back.
"Ready... push!"
It surged forward with a mighty lurch.
[Eek!]
The sudden acceleration flung Aqua backward; she tumbled onto my belly, face-planting my chest.
Gilsan kept shoving relentlessly.
"Whoa, this is fast!"
[Incredible speed!]
Aqua righted herself, eyes sparkling anew as she savored it.
Gilsan, guild heir image aside, was A-rank. At that level, superhuman.
[This is thrilling!]
We soaked in the manpower boost. Gilsan pushed silently, maneuvering flawlessly at ten times normal speed without a single bump. Peak A-rank reflexes.
"Aqua, wanna crank it up?"
[How?]
I cast my spirit spell, Water Shield, coating the tube's underside. Friction near zero, it glided like ice.
"Whoa?!"
Gilsan yelped in surprise behind us. Sled-on-ice style, the tube broke free and rocketed ahead.
"Aqua! Steer!"
[Leave it to me!]
She manipulated the water path with spirit power, mastery enhanced. Her control was seamless—no collisions in the crowd, not even a splash. Onlookers gaped.
[Hee hee! Feels just like riding a real unicorn!]
[Look!]
[A unicorn!]
[Whoa there!]
Stimulated spirits joined the chase with their contractors.
[Oh?] Aqua smirked at a pursuing sylph, redirecting water.
Thump! The giant unicorn clipped the sylph's tiny tube.
[Eeeek!]
It spun and flipped.
[See ya!]
"Ahahaha!"
[Sisit!] Mandu wagged his tail aggressively.
As we laughed, our tube wobbled—a sylph behind manipulated air to flip us.
"Aqua!" I stretched out limbs for balance, adding weight.
[On it!]
She spun her hand; the tube whipped 180 degrees, now facing backward.
[Shaaa!] Mandu whooped at the drift.
Aqua finger-gunned the sylph.
[Bang!]
A water jet shot out. Not strong, but it blinded perfectly.
[Eeeek!]
Aqua raised her other hand; a water reef grounded the sylph's tube.
[Go drink more Spirit Realm water!]
"Aqua, you're awesome! Total sea sheriff!"
[Ahahaha! Naturally! None can best me on water!]
She spun the tube back for more racing.
But it didn't last.
Beep beep beeep!
The lifeguard halted us with his whistle.
"Hey, spirit user! Fun's fine, but too fast is dangerous!"
"Sorry!"
[Sorry!]
I knew we'd been a nuisance, immature as it was. But with Aqua, everything turned to joy.
[Kee hee hee!]
[Sisit!]
"Heh heh!"
We huddled, giggling softly. Gilsan, catching up, shook his head.
Aqua seemed to have forgotten Niagara entirely. Distractions from threats were fine in moderation—stiffness solved nothing, in my book.
We turned our gaze. The water park still brimmed with fun ahead.