Chapter 155: Amusement Park (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 155: Amusement Park (4)
"Found you."
I adjusted my hat as I stepped out of the Lost Child Center.
"……."
Lee Sol trailed behind me, unable to even lift her head.
— “Waaaaah…!”
Her Mini-Me was already on the verge of tears. I could practically see steam erupting from the top of its head.
"……Pfft."
"……."
It wasn't just Shin A-young; even Ji Nuri was biting her lip hard, struggling to keep a straight face. They were both on the brink of bursting into laughter.
— “…No, I shouldn’t laugh….”
Ha Seo-rim was the same.
— “…Think of something sad… something sad….”
Her eyebrows quivered. She was doing her absolute best to remain polite.
— “Uuuugh…!”
The more they reacted, the more Lee Sol’s Mini-Me writhed in sheer, agonizing embarrassment.
"But how did you even end up in there?" I asked.
At my question, Lee Sol’s entire body gave a violent flinch.
"That’s…."
Shin A-young started to answer for her. Seeing that, Lee Sol’s eyebrows shot up in panic.
— “A-Ah, no…!”
Lee Sol scurried over to Shin A-young and began frantically kneading her shoulders. It was a massage—a desperate, silent plea for her not to say another word.
— “Hmm.”
Shin A-young adopted a nonchalant expression as she received the massage. She let out a long, satisfied sigh.
— “I’ll let it slide just this once… If it weren’t for what happened during the school trip….”
Shin A-young gave a light shrug. "Anyway, something like that happened," she glossed over the details.
"…Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?" Ji Nuri looked puzzled by the vague answer.
Since they seemed to have settled it between themselves, I decided not to pry any further.
"Phew……."
Only after hearing Shin A-young’s response did Lee Sol finally breathe a sigh of relief. I took a closer look at her.
"How’s your stomach? Are you okay?"
"…Yeah, I feel better than before. I can walk fine now."
"Can you handle the rides?"
"Um……." Lee Sol fell into thought. "……I’m not sure. I probably shouldn't get on anything……."
Even if she felt okay right now, she likely had a feeling she’d get sick again the moment a ride actually started moving. In that case, it was better to skip them.
I checked the time on my phone. "……It’s a bit of an awkward time for dinner."
It was just past 5:00 PM. Since we had been snacking on various things throughout the day, we weren't hungry just yet. It felt like we had time for exactly one more attraction.
"Oh, then how about the Haunted House?" Ji Nuri suggested, holding out a pamphlet.
"…The Haunted House?"
"Yeah. You won't get motion sickness in there."
That was true enough. I took the pamphlet and scanned it. "Wait, isn't this the place rumored to be boring?"
I had done a bit of research before coming here. While the other rides had decent reviews, the Haunted House was the only one with particularly bad ratings. The general consensus was that they should just tear it down and build something else.
"No, that was a long time ago. I heard they remodeled it recently and it’s way more fun now."
"Really?"
If that was the case, it should be fine. I turned to the others. "What do you guys think? If you're not into it, we can go somewhere else."
"I’m down," Shin A-young cast her vote.
"……Me too," Lee Sol answered somewhat blankly. It seemed she still hadn't fully recovered from the shock of the Lost Child Center.
"What about you, Ha Seo-rim?"
"…Yes, I don't mind either," Ha Seo-rim gave a small nod.
— “It’ll be fine since we’re all going in together.”
Her Mini-Me crossed its arms. She seemed a bit scared, but her anticipation clearly outweighed the fear.
*
It didn't take long to reach the Haunted House. After waiting in a short line, it was finally our turn.
The bright sunlight vanished, replaced by a long, dark corridor stretching out before us.
— “Oh, this is a bit spooky….”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me stepped forward first. Since she was the one who suggested coming here, she looked quite relaxed.
Tap.
Just then, I felt a slender hand press against my shoulder.
"……What?" I glanced back.
Shin A-young was practically glued to my back.
"Are you scared?" I asked.
Shin A-young looked up at me, blinking her eyelashes with a fragile, vulnerable expression.
Scared? Yeah, right.
— “…As expected of a guy, he’s solid.”
Her slender fingers were pressing firmly into my shoulder.
"……."
Is she really going through puberty? She wasn't touching me overtly, but because of her Mini-Me, her intentions were crystal clear. I couldn't help but feel a bit strange.
"Hey, Lee Seung-ho, what are you doing? Stop dawdling and hurry up." Ji Nuri, who had been walking ahead, grumbled at me with dissatisfaction. "Ah…… are you scared, by any chance?"
Ji Nuri’s eyebrows shot up. She let out a smug, "Heh-heh" kind of laugh.
"What a total scaredy-cat."
— “I guess I’ll have to be the one to protect him.”
Her Mini-Me became even more triumphant. She led the way with a confident stride.
"……."
I didn't bother to reply. I just followed her with Shin A-young attached to my shoulder.
‘It’s atmospheric, but….’
Maybe if it were a horror movie, it would be different, but I hadn't been genuinely frightened by a haunted house in a long time. Even if I wanted to be scared, I couldn't. After all, a haunted house is basically just people in costumes jumping out.
— “…Ah, here they come.”
I heard the voice of a Mini-Me hiding nearby.
They’re about to appear.
How could I be scared when I knew exactly when and where they’d show up? It was no different from being bombarded with real-time spoilers.
"—!"
A staff member dressed as a ghost suddenly lunged out from the shadows.
Skitter!
They let out a shriek and moved their body in a grotesque, jerky fashion.
"“Kyaaa—!”"
The girls' screams rang out simultaneously. Ji Nuri was no exception. She spun around and came charging toward me.
"Haa, haaa…."
She hid behind me, her breath coming in short, excited gasps. There were even tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Then, our eyes met.
"……Ahem." Ji Nuri cleared her throat and stepped away.
When I gave her a mocking snort, her eyebrows furrowed deeply. She tried her best to hide her embarrassment.
"…Are you okay?" I checked on the others.
I wasn't worried about her, and as expected, Shin A-young was fine. Her eyes were just wide; her reaction was more surprise than fear.
"……."
On the other hand, Ha Seo-rim’s expression was grim. She looked almost angry, but her hands were gripping my padded jacket tightly.
— “---------”
Hearing the static-like noise in her thoughts, it seemed she had frozen solid from the shock. I guess she’s weak against things jumping out suddenly like that.
— “……Sigh.”
Lee Sol was still dazed. Haunted house or not, her mind was clearly elsewhere.
It was a total mess. Regardless, there was only one conclusion. I adjusted my hat and started moving.
"……Let’s go."
In the end, I had to be the one to lead the way.
*
Time flew by in a blur. Or perhaps Lee Sol was the only one who felt that way.
After the Haunted House, they had dinner, watched the parade, and finally rode the Ferris wheel. That was how they spent the rest of the evening.
However, she hadn't been able to properly enjoy any of it. The blunder she made today weighed too heavily on her.
"I’m heading out!"
On the way home, Ji Nuri was the first to get off the bus, waving her hand. "See you tomorrow—"
"Yeah," Lee Seung-ho gave her a brief nod.
"……."
Lee Sol waved back without a word. Then, she stared blankly out the window. Memories of her "dark history" kept flashing through her mind, making her want to curl up into a ball and disappear. She barely managed to endure the ride.
"Hey, Lee Sol."
"Huh? Oh, yeah??" Lee Sol jumped at the sudden call.
"We have to get off now."
"Ah. Right."
They were already there. Lee Sol got off the bus with Lee Seung-ho. Since they lived close to each other, they shared the same stop. She walked side-by-side with him, talking as they moved, though she couldn't quite remember a word she had said.
Before she knew it, Lee Sol had arrived in front of her house.
"See you tomorrow."
"Yeah…." Lee Sol gave a small wave.
"……."
Flump—
Lee Sol watched Lee Seung-ho walk away and then hunched over. Her legs lost their strength, and she crouched down on the pavement.
‘Why did I do that……!’
Lee Sol wiped her face with her palms. Seriously, why did she do that? No, even if she was going to get lost, she should have handled it better. If only her battery hadn't died, she wouldn't have ended up at the Lost Child Center……!
"Sigh…."
A sigh escaped her lips automatically. Would Lee Seung-ho think she was a total idiot? That was her biggest worry. Furthermore, how was she supposed to explain this to her mom?
"……?"
Lee Seung-ho, who had been walking away, suddenly turned back. He began walking toward her again. Startled, Lee Sol scrambled to her feet.
"W-What? Why?" Lee Sol’s voice went up an octave. She felt a surge of unnecessary tension, wondering what was going on.
"Oh, this."
Tap.
Lee Seung-ho lightly placed the hat he had been wearing onto Lee Sol’s head.
"……."
She could clearly feel its weight. Lee Sol blinked slowly.
"I bought this to give to you, but I forgot."
"…F-For me?"
She had seen this somewhere before. The sense of déjà vu made her fingertips twitch. Lee Sol gripped the hat with both hands, looking up at him with a dazed expression.
"You couldn't play much today because of the motion sickness. I stopped by and bought it while you were resting."
"……."
He had been thinking about her. A corner of her chest began to itch with a strange, warm sensation.
"I’m really going now," Lee Seung-ho turned around again, as if that was all he had to say.
"……."
Lee Sol watched Lee Seung-ho’s retreating back. Her eyes naturally followed his figure. The sky was painted with the colors of the sunset, and the weather was just the right amount of cool to feel pleasant. And with the hat he gave her sitting on her head… all of it stirred her emotions…….
Dash.
Lee Sol’s body moved. She chased after him. This was already the second time today she had moved impulsively, driven by her emotions.
Only, she didn't think she would regret this. This was an impulse she knew she wouldn't regret.
Oof—
Lee Sol wrapped her arms around his back, hugging him as tightly as she could. Lee Seung-ho’s body gave a visible flinch. Before he could turn his head, she spoke.
"……Thank you."
Lee Sol conveyed her feelings. Her voice was muffled against his padded jacket, making it sound like a soft mumble. But for now, that was enough. Besides, this was her limit.
Soon, Lee Sol released her grip and ran toward her house as if she were escaping.
"……."
Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead. Her face was probably so red that even the sunset couldn't hide it. She knew that much without even having to look.
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