Chapter 153: Amusement Park (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 153: Amusement Park (2)
I headed toward the churro stand with Ha Seo-rim.
When I asked the others if they wanted anything, they declined. Apparently, they were still too full from lunch.
I pulled my wallet from my pocket and asked her, "Can you finish a whole churro by yourself? They’re pretty long."
"How long are they?"
"About... this much?"
I spread my hands to estimate the size. Based on what I’d seen other people carrying, they looked to be about 30 centimeters long.
"Yes, I can eat that much," Ha Seo-rim said with a firm nod.
— “I was actually getting a bit hungry... It looks delicious.”
The Mini-Me on her shoulder licked its lips.
Maybe she’d already digested lunch from all the walking we’d been doing. She seemed genuinely happy that I was buying her a treat; I could even hear her faintly humming a tune under her breath.
Since there was no line, we walked straight to the counter.
"Excuse me, two churros—"
"Senior, wait a second."
Ha Seo-rim suddenly tapped my shoulder.
"...Let's just order one."
"Huh?"
She had suddenly changed her mind.
"Well... on second thought, I don't think I can finish a whole one. They're big, so let's just share."
That’s what she said, but her eyes were fixed upward, staring intently at the menu board.
— “What is with these prices...? Just like lunch earlier, why is the food here so expensive?”
Her Mini-Me let out a gasp of horror.
So that was it; she was worried about the cost. Since I was the one paying, she could have just enjoyed it, but she was being frugal. While her consideration was admirable, I didn't want to be stingy on a day like today.
"...I don't think one will be enough for both of us," I said, making up an excuse as I pulled out my card.
"Oh, then..."
"Let's just get two. If you get full, you can leave some."
"What?"
"Two churros, please."
I hurried to place the order before she could protest further.
— “Ah...!”
The Mini-Me started jumping up and down in excitement. It hopped over onto my shoulder and began playfully slapping my back.
"..."
Ha Seo-rim’s lips twitched as she looked at me. It seemed like she had a lot to say but was holding it back. However, her Mini-Me was pouring those thoughts out to me regardless. Something about "rational consumption" and so on... the nagging was quite impressive.
"Here you go!"
I took the two churros. I could feel the warmth of the freshly fried dough through the thin paper wrapping.
"Here."
"...I'll enjoy it."
Ha Seo-rim took the churro with a reluctant expression, then took a tiny bite with her small lips. She chewed slowly.
— “...It really does taste good.”
The Mini-Me’s expression softened. Though there was still a bit of tension in its eyes, the corners of its mouth slowly curled up.
— Munch.
She took a few more bites. Watching her, I also took a big bite of mine. It was great—exactly the taste I expected: crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Maybe it was because it was freshly made, but churros really do taste best at an amusement park.
As we finished our snacks and headed back to the group, I noticed something wrong.
Lee Sol was crouching on the ground, and two people were hovering around her with flustered expressions. Seeing this, I quickened my pace.
"What's wrong? Are you sick?"
"Ah... well, I think Sol has motion sickness," Shin A-young answered for Sol, who seemed to find it difficult to speak.
"Let me see."
I crouched down to eye level to check on her.
— “Uuugh.”
The Mini-Me’s complexion was terrible. It was a literal shade of blue.
"Is it really bad?"
"I'm... fi... uuuugh..."
Lee Sol tried to speak but stopped to take slow, steady breaths. She clearly couldn't bring herself to say she was okay. Even at a glance, she looked awful.
This wouldn't do. She definitely wasn't in any condition to keep walking around.
"You should get some rest."
I looked around for a place to sit—somewhere she could lie down.
"Then I'll stay with Sol. You guys go ahead and play," Ji Nuri suddenly stepped forward. She stood next to Lee Sol, volunteering to take care of her. "It's a waste of the ticket price if we all stay here."
Her stance was clear: those who wanted to stay should stay, and those who wanted to play should go. Ji Nuri cleared her throat, then approached me and whispered softly.
"...We can't let Seo-rim play by herself. Or were you going to leave those two alone?"
Ji Nuri pointed to Shin A-young and Ha Seo-rim standing behind us. If you had to define their relationship, they were "acquaintances of an acquaintance." They got along fine when the whole group was together, but the atmosphere would become incredibly awkward if they were left alone.
"..."
She wasn't wrong. They would be very uncomfortable.
— “Besides me, the only one Seo-rim is close to is Seung-ho.”
That was true, but...
"Then you can play with her, Nuri. I'll look after Sol."
To put it the other way, couldn't Ji Nuri just play with Ha Seo-rim? I’d already ridden enough rides, and I didn't mind just hanging around. In fact, I preferred walking through the less crowded areas. Besides, didn't Ji Nuri like the rides more? I’d seen the long list of things she wanted to ride today.
"No, well..."
Ji Nuri shifted awkwardly, looking increasingly anxious.
— “That's exactly why I'm staying...!”
The Mini-Me looked back and forth between Lee Sol and me with a strange glint in its eyes.
"..."
As Ji Nuri struggled to find the right words, her eyes darting around...
"Um, then you three go play. I'll stay with Sol," Shin A-young spoke up, shifting her bag to the front.
— “I really want to play with Seung-ho more... but looking at the situation, he's definitely going to stay here if I don't.”
The Mini-Me had read the room perfectly.
"Here."
Shin A-young pulled out a water bottle and handed it to Lee Sol.
"I wanted to take a break anyway."
"...Are you sure you're okay with that?"
"I'm fine."
Shin A-young nodded calmly.
"I'll join you guys as soon as Sol feels better."
It seemed like if I stayed, the others would feel obligated to stay as well.
"..."
I glanced at Ha Seo-rim. It was obvious she didn't know what to do, torn between worrying about Sol and wanting to go play. The situation had become quite peculiar.
"Alright, I understand."
I had no choice but to nod and lead the others away.
* * *
When the motion sickness first hit, Lee Sol felt it was incredibly unfair. Why did it have to happen at this exact moment?
Given her condition, she wouldn't be able to go on any more rides. If she rode anything that even wobbled, the contents of her stomach would likely make a reappearance.
Her second thought, however, was that this was an opportunity. It felt a bit wrong to take advantage of Lee Seung-ho’s kindness, but opportunities to be alone with him were rare.
However...
‘...How mean.’
Lee Sol looked at Shin A-young beside her with a surge of resentment. It was supposed to be a chance to be alone with Seung-ho, but they had ruined it. She was grateful for the care, but at the same time, she found it incredibly annoying.
"Try some of this. They say lemon is good for motion sickness."
Shin A-young held out a plastic cup of lemon juice. She had stepped away for a moment and bought it from a nearby stall.
"...Thanks, I'll drink it."
Sol took a sip.
"Heeugh."
It was incredibly sour. Her eyes squeezed shut automatically. Wherever A-young had bought it, it certainly woke her up. It was so sour she wondered if it was even meant to be a drink.
"I told them my friend had motion sickness and asked them to put in extra lemon."
"...Ugh."
Lee Sol’s lips trembled.
"How do you feel now?"
"...Better than before."
Strangely, the lemon juice was effective. Sitting in the fresh air had also helped. The nausea hadn't completely vanished, but her churning stomach felt more settled.
"What about the rides?"
"...I don't think I can do that yet."
She shook her head. She wasn't energetic enough for that, and her head was still a bit foggy.
"Then do you want to walk for a bit?"
"..."
Lee Sol nodded. She stood up from the bench and walked slowly, the cold winter wind brushing against her face.
By the way...
"I didn't expect you to stay, A-young."
She had assumed that if anyone stayed, it would be Lee Seung-ho or Ji Nuri.
"...Umm."
Shin A-young just stood there awkwardly without answering.
She really shows no mercy.
Even though they were friends, Sol was reminded once again that they were also rivals. It was disappointing. Ji Nuri, who went off to play with Lee Seung-ho while her friend was sick, was one thing, but the whole situation was just upsetting.
— “Do everything you can.”
Her mother’s words suddenly came to mind. She’d told her not to just stand still and regret it later.
"..."
Lee Sol quietly watched Shin A-young’s back as she walked ahead. If it were anyone else, maybe she wouldn't, but she still had a score to settle with Shin A-young. The memory of the school trip—where A-young had promised to help but ended up interfering—was still vivid.
"...I think I feel much better now," Lee Sol spoke up softly.
Shin A-young’s face brightened. "Really? Then do you want to go join the others?"
"...Where are they now?"
"I'll ask."
Shin A-young made a call. "...He's not picking up."
"They must be on a ride."
"Then I'll send a text."
She sent a message, though it would likely take some time to get a reply.
"While we wait, let's go on that."
Lee Sol pointed to the Ferris wheel right in front of them.
"...Just the two of us?"
"There's no line, and I don't think that one will make me sick. It's a test to see if I'm really okay before we join the others."
"Hmm... okay."
Shin A-young nodded, albeit a bit reluctantly. Lee Sol stood at the end of the line for the Ferris wheel. The wait was short, and it was soon their turn.
"Please watch your step as you board~"
Following the staff's guidance, Shin A-young stepped on first.
And just as Lee Sol was about to follow...
She slowed down.
She intentionally lagged behind.
"Huh?"
Seeing that Sol wasn't following, Shin A-young tried to step back out, but the Ferris wheel cabin moved before she could. It was too late to get off. She had already drifted away, trapped in the rising gondola.
"...Sorry."
Lee Sol muttered as she turned and walked away from the platform.
In exchange, she’d consider the school trip incident forgotten.
Let's call it even.
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