Chapter 75
Chapter 75
Date? Date! - 2
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Neverland, South Korea’s largest and best amusement park.
Even though the world was in danger due to dungeons, monsters, and villains, it wasn't so bleak that it lacked an amusement park.
Just as love blossoms even in wartime, culture and entertainment continued to thrive amidst the crisis.
Thanks to this, with my wrist firmly in her grasp…
“Tae-jin! That one, that one! Let’s ride the horses!”
“Huh? O-okay!”
We started romantically with the carousel.
“Wow! That one looks fun!”
“Ugh?!”
We sped around lightly on the bumper cars.
“Kyaa~! I really wanted to ride that ship-shaped one!”
“Huh? Ugh?!”
We warmed up a bit on the Viking ship.
“Wow! That, that one! The Twister I’ve only heard about—!”
“Wait a minute?! Ugh!?”
We thoroughly churned our insides on the Rolling Twister.
“Kyaa, this is so much fun! I’m going to build an amusement park in Drogfia too!”
“Let’s… rest for a bit…”
“Oh?! Th-that’s Neverland’s most popular roller coaster, the S Express?!”
“No, ugh?!”
After properly scrambling our already churned insides on the [S Express], known as the scariest roller coaster in the country,
“Wow, it’s so high…! It’s completely different from looking at it from below! Right?!”
“….”
Now, Renia and I were sitting alone on the Gyro Drop, as if we had rented out the entire ride.
At a dizzying height.
I was experiencing firsthand that being a Hunter didn’t make you immune to acrophobia.
Would it feel like this standing on top of [Titan], the colossal boss monster of an S-rank dungeon?
It seemed perfect for courage training.
‘Seriously.’
Just before the vertical drop, the Gyro Drop paused, giving us a moment to appreciate the view. Renia, excitedly bouncing in her seat, asked me,
“Haa…! This is thrilling! Oh! Tae-jin! Are you okay?!”
‘…Oh, you’re really asking me now?’
My insides felt like they had been thoroughly mixed with chili paste and sesame oil, ready to be devoured, but seeing Renia’s happy face was enough.
Renia was even more beautiful when she smiled.
Even though it was Renia's face right now.
Come to think of it, in a world teeming with monsters, was it really that strange to have horns and a tail?
I had read articles about Hunters and Holders whose bodies had been altered due to paranormal phenomena.
Of course, Renia was beautiful, but I suddenly felt a pang of sadness that the world didn't know how beautiful Renia truly was in her original form.
Well, I also felt a selfish desire to keep that sight only for myself.
Anyway, hoping for the day I could reveal Renia’s true form to the world, I forced a smile.
“I’m fine. We’re going to get hamburgers after this, right?”
“Yeah! After hamburgers, we’ll go on whatever rides you want to ride!”
“Okay. That’s all that matters.”
-Click!
-Whooooosh!
‘All.Of.It.’
-AAAAAHHH—!!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Whew~!”
“Haa!”
Finally(?), I sat down at a hamburger restaurant with Renia, who was wearing bunny ears and had stickers on her cheeks.
My thoroughly mixed insides weren’t exactly rumbling with hunger, but I needed to satisfy Renia’s appetite and settle my own churning stomach.
Carbonation.
I desperately needed a carbonated beverage transfusion.
I felt like injecting it directly into my veins with a syringe.
“Hmm~ Hum~”
Renia hummed a tune, swaying from side to side with her hands clasped between her thighs and the chair.
Maybe she was swaying her body because she didn’t have a tail to wag.
Smiling with pride at having given her what seemed like the happiest day of her life since being summoned, I asked,
“Was it that much fun?”
“Yes! It was! It was my first time riding all those things. Amusement parks are as amazing as I expected!”
“Huh?”
Her words caught me off guard.
She had been summoned to Earth multiple times, yet she had never been to an amusement park, a place she clearly loved so much?
A place that held a prominent spot on her [Likes] list?
Renia, reading my expression instantly, pouted.
It seemed we could now communicate through facial expressions alone.
“Ah, well, this is my first time at an amusement park…”
And then, I noticed it too.
….the fleeting sadness in her eyes at the word “first.”
There was a lot behind it.
The Renia of the past, who had been summoned to Earth five times.
She probably wanted to come but couldn't ask.
Because that's what a summon was supposed to be.
A summon had to prioritize their master's wishes over their own, enduring their dislikes and sacrificing themselves for their master.
Of course, the contractual relationship between Renia and me hadn't changed. Renia was still spending every day for me, only for me.
Well, today, she seemed to have let loose a little.
Which was a good thing.
I wanted her to enjoy herself without worrying about me.
Just how much had she wanted to come here, considering she knew Neverland had been temporarily closed?
The fact that she hadn’t said anything about it to me meant she was still cautious.
Even with a 99.9% Affection Level—or perhaps because of it—she was being careful.
Just like how it was difficult to even drink water in front of someone you liked.
Of course, I couldn’t be sure if a 99.9% Affection Level meant she adored me.
Maybe it had to reach 100% for her to truly feel “love.”
Anyway, the worried look in her eyes had long disappeared, replaced by the innocent excitement of a child.
It was incredibly heartwarming.
Wanting her to drop the subservient attitude of a summon, I had suggested we drop the honorifics, call each other by name when we were alone, and encouraged her to think and act for herself without asking me.
I wanted her to be a companion, not a summon who simply obeyed my commands.
A horizontal relationship instead of a vertical one.
And,
A personal relationship instead of a professional one.
I wanted Renia, who had come all the way from a distant planet to help me, to be comfortable and enjoy herself.
Thanks to these efforts, we were now close enough to be mistaken for a couple.
The cotton candy lady had even given us a free upgrade to a rainbow cotton candy, saying, “Aw~ You two are such a cute couple~ So pretty~”
We hadn't denied it then, but I wasn’t sure if it was just for the free upgrade.
Well…
For me, it wasn't just for the free upgrade.
And I hadn’t even joked around by using the [Go! Succubus!] skill, like I used to.
I didn’t want Renia to think of herself as a summon.
Even aside from the [Level Up as a Harem!] Hidden Piece, Renia had become that precious to me.
How could we not grow close after sharing a roof and meals?
Especially since she was a drop-dead gorgeous Succubus.
It would have been strange not to be captivated by Renia, who was perfect in personality, skill, and charm.
She suddenly smiled shyly and said,
“You know…”
“Yeah?”
“Well…”
Renia hesitated.
Seeing her shyly lower her gaze made it feel like we were on a real date(?).
No, today felt like a genuine date.
Holding hands, brushing against each other, smiling at each other, and playfully teasing each other.
A date where a single word could make my heart flutter, and a single gesture could make my heart race.
Perhaps it was because I had seen her Affection Level, but my feelings for Renia were steadily deepening.
It felt like someone was gently tickling my heart with their fingertips.
This warm, fuzzy feeling was something I had never experienced before, neither in my previous life nor in this one, and it made time seem to fly by.
Was this what it felt like to be on a date?
A date where we had confirmed each other’s feelings would be even more thrilling and sweet, wouldn’t it?
Finding her shyness endearing, I smiled warmly and urged her on.
“What is it? What were you going to say?”
“Ah… Well, um…”
“Ah-well-um?”
Her voice trailed off.
“So… you know…”
“Yeah, I’m right here.”
“….”
Renia looked at me with a shocked expression at my attempt at a dad joke to lighten the mood.
But then, she chuckled, as if she enjoyed(?) my dad joke.
And when her laughter subsided, the words she had been holding back finally came out.
“Even though it’s my first time at an amusement park, I’m so glad it’s with you.”
“…Ah.”
Renia’s shy confession.
Her confession that she was glad her first time was with me hit me right in the heart.
It was the most heartfelt confession I had ever heard.
It seemed today had truly been a special day for her.
“…D-did you… have fun today…?”
As I savored her sweet confession, which made my whole body tingle, Renia nervously looked at me, waiting for my answer.
Being someone’s “first” was truly special.
And making that “first” a wonderful memory was even more special.
Therefore,
“I enjoyed everything about today.”
“The beautiful weather.”
“The thrilling rides.”
“The delicious cotton candy.”
“And even this moment, waiting for our hamburgers.”
Renia’s face gradually brightened.
She smiled, relieved that her perfect day wasn't just a one-sided feeling.
And then,
“You too.”
My final, whispered words made her smile freeze in place.
Those two short words carried so much meaning.
It might have sounded a bit cheesy, like a line from a drama, but because of that cheesiness,
Our date-like day was finally becoming a real date.