Chapter 86: Water Park (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 86: Water Park (2)
*
We reunited with Lee Seung-ah.
Ji Nuri scrolled through her phone and asked, "We’re heading into the wave pool. Is that okay with you?"
"It’s just a wave pool."
Lee Seung-ah shrugged. It was her way of acting like she wasn't intimidated by something so basic.
"Right?"
Relieved, Ji Nuri led the way into the water.
We waded in, the water splashing around our legs. It rose to our thighs, but we kept walking deeper.
— “Hmm?”
A question mark popped up over Lee Seung-ah’s head.
The water reached our waists. Ji Nuri didn't slow down, heading straight for the deep end.
— “Uh, wait a second...”
As the water reached her chest, Lee Seung-ah’s composure began to crumble.
She must have misunderstood the plan. She probably thought we’d just be floating leisurely near the edge where her feet could still touch the ground. But there was no way a thrill-seeker like Ji Nuri would settle for that.
— “I think we need to go a bit further...”
Just look at her.
Nuri licked her lips, clearly intending to go even deeper. Eventually, her feet left the floor entirely. Now, she was bobbing along solely on the buoyancy of her life jacket.
“...Don’t you dare push me down.”
I looked back. Lee Seung-ah was gripping my shoulders with a death-grip. She was practically clinging to me like a cicada.
“I-I’m just holding on for balance.”
“......”
She really is a coward.
“Hey, over here!”
On the other hand, Ji Nuri was in her element. Flailing her arms and legs, she paddled out toward the very end of the pool.
Soon, the atmosphere changed.
The waves began to swell, moving in an unusual, heavy rhythm. Sensing the shift, Ji Nuri shouted.
“It’s coming! It’s coming!”
I felt the sudden undertow as the water was pulled back. It was the telltale sign of an incoming artificial tsunami. Following the current, my body was dragged backward, and then—
Whoooooosh!
In an instant, the massive wave propelled us forward like we’d been shot from a cannon.
“!”
Lee Seung-ah’s face froze. She clamped her lips shut instinctively, terrified of swallowing a mouthful of pool water.
— “Waaaaaaagh!”
That didn't mean I couldn't hear her screaming. Halfway through the surge, her mental scream turned into pure, distorted noise.
And it wasn't just Lee Seung-ah. Mental noise erupted from every direction as people panicked and cheered.
Sssssss—
As we were pushed back toward the shallow shore, the waves finally calmed.
“...Phew, phew.”
Lee Seung-ah, having been washed up near the "beach" area, struggled to catch her breath.
“......”
Attractions are all well and good, but enduring the psychic noise is the hardest part for me.
‘Good thing I brought these in advance.’
I adjusted my disposable earplugs. If it weren't for these, the sensory overload would have been unbearable. I still don't quite understand the science behind it—maybe it’s just a psychological placebo—but they helped dampen the mental voices.
“Are you okay?” Ji Nuri asked, checking on Lee Seung-ah.
“It was nothing,” Lee Seung-ah replied, squaring her shoulders and putting up a front. I could see her thighs trembling from where I stood.
I gave her an incredulous look.
“Hmm...”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me flipped through its notes. It seemed she finally realized the wave pool was a no-go for Seung-ah.
— “Can’t do this, probably can’t do that either...”
Since Lee Seung-ah was scared of almost every high-intensity ride, Ji Nuri seemed lost in thought.
“Ummm...”
She was still agonizing over the itinerary.
“Then, how about the River Pool?” I suggested, pointing in another direction.
Ji Nuri looked up. “The River Pool?”
“That one.”
Just then, we saw people drifting lazily by on tubes. It was a slow-moving attraction where you just float along a path that flows like a gentle river. It was easy to enjoy and not the least bit scary.
“Oh... yeah, that looks okay.” Ji Nuri nodded.
Splash, splash—
We entered the River Pool. There were several entry points, allowing you to hop in or out whenever you liked.
“Haaa...”
A moment later, Lee Seung-ah was sprawled out lazily, floating on the water like a pampered sea otter.
— “...This is kind of boring.”
Ji Nuri’s eyes turned sullen. She was clearly bored by the aimless drifting.
“......”
I nodded inwardly. I guess this wasn't her style after all. We’d catch our breath here for a bit and then try to find a middle-ground ride.
“...?”
Tap, tap—
Cold droplets hit my face. Water was splashing.
When I turned my head, Ji Nuri was flicking her fingers at me. She had dipped her hand in the water and was sprinkling it on me with a mischievous grin.
“......”
Tap— tap, tap— tap, tap—
She wasn't drenching me; she was flicking it bit by bit, which was strangely irritating. I wasn't about to take this lying down, so I dipped my hand into the water.
— “Hehe.”
Ji Nuri didn't even wait for my retaliation; she immediately bolted, swimming away with surprising speed.
How predictable.
I quickly gave chase.
“Yawn...”
— “...They sure are having fun.”
Lee Seung-ah didn't seem to care what we were doing. She was just enjoying a sunbath on the surface of the water.
“Caught you.”
I quickly grabbed Ji Nuri’s wrist.
“Ack!”
Ji Nuri’s eyes widened. She looked genuinely surprised, as if she hadn't expected to be caught so soon.
‘She’s really slow.’
She seemed to be trying her best to swim, but... perhaps because of the water resistance and her small frame, she didn't get very far.
“Give me a pass just this once,” Ji Nuri said with a silly laugh.
“......”
I gave a faint, silent smile. Not a chance.
Splash!
I hooked her leg. Using my body weight, I mercilessly toppled her into the water. We both submerged at the same time.
———!
In an instant, the surrounding world went quiet. The scattered sunlight refracted through the surface, vividly illuminating the blue underwater scenery.
“Puh-ha!”
Ji Nuri surfaced a moment later. After coughing a few times, her mischievous expression returned.
“Heh...”
Her playfulness knew no bounds.
Splash, splash!
She started splashing water again. This time, a stray spray even hit the reclining Lee Seung-ah. Then, Nuri ran away without looking back.
“...Ha.”
I heard a faint laugh from beside me. Lee Seung-ah, who had been enjoying a pleasant nap, slowly sat up.
“......”
“......”
We briefly locked eyes. Without a word, we both dashed forward to hunt down Ji Nuri.
*
After playing for a long while, it was finally lunchtime. We returned to the sun loungers where our parents were waiting.
“Oh my,” Ma’am let out a soft laugh when she saw us. “You guys must have had a lot of fun.”
We looked at each other. Every one of us looked like a drowned rat. Strands of wet hair were plastered all over our faces.
“Everyone’s hungry, right? Let’s go get some food.”
We headed to the food court to settle our lunch. After a short wait, our buzzers went off and the food arrived.
I placed the bowls on the table. Lee Seung-ah and Ji Nuri helped me arrange them.
“That goes here.”
“Here?”
“Yeah.”
We moved the plates one by one.
‘I’m sure Dad and I had ramen, the pork cutlet was for Mister, Ma’am, and Seung-ah. And the udon was for Mom and Nuri...’
I recalled the orders everyone had placed. Maybe it was because of my part-time job, but memorizing things like this was easier than before. I moved the bowls to their respective owners.
‘Done.’
After handing out the utensils, I sat down.
‘Ramen is definitely the best after playing in the water.’
I took a large bite. Ramen eaten at a water park had a special quality; it hit differently than the kind you’d find at a highway rest stop.
“...”
Smack.
Just then, Lee Seung-ah smacked her lips. This was a scene I’d witnessed many times before.
“Give me a bite.”
“......”
I looked at her silently. She had her own food, yet she was still eyeing mine.
“...Fine. We can just trade.”
Lee Seung-ah moved a piece of her pork cutlet to her small side plate.
“Here.”
She held it out to me.
— “My precious pork cutlet...”
Even as she offered it, her inner thoughts were full of regret. I moved a portion of noodles equivalent to one piece of pork cutlet to her plate. I even poured some broth for her as a special service.
“Here.”
“Thanks.”
When I handed it over, Lee Seung-ah happily accepted the plate.
“......”
Ji Nuri watched this exchange quietly and then let out a thoughtful hum.
— “...I could just do that too, right?”
She looked back and forth between her plate and mine. Then, her chopsticks started moving busily.
“Give me a little bit too.”
Ji Nuri held out some of her udon. Did she want ramen too? Since my dad and I were the only ones who ordered it, I was the only one she could ask.
“No, well...”
“What?”
As I hesitated to exchange food, Ji Nuri gave me a wounded look. Her Mini-Me puffed out its cheeks, its eyes trembling with disappointment.
“......”
She didn't seem to realize the optics of what she was asking. She was asking for a bite of a male school friend’s food right in front of both sets of parents.
She probably didn't even think about it. She just couldn't see anything but the ramen right now.
“...Alright.”
I nodded. If I delayed any longer, she looked like she would go into a full pout. The food exchange followed immediately.
“...?”
I felt a gaze from somewhere, so I slowly shifted my eyes.
“......”
Ma’am’s Mini-Me was staring intently at us. More accurately, it was observing me.
— “...Are they closer than I thought?”
Ma’am’s Mini-Me muttered softly.
“......”
I knew this kind of reaction would happen. If there was one relief, it was that Mister was busy talking to my dad and wasn't paying attention to the kids' table.
— “Nuri doesn't seem to dislike it much either...”
No, Ma'am. You're overthinking it.
— “Ah, I should have just ordered ramen too...!”
She just really likes ramen.
“......”
Ma’am silently sliced her pork cutlet.
— “...Seung-ho. He’s quite affable and a good kid.”
I was grateful she saw me in a good light, at least.
— “I wonder if those two will end up together later.”
I wasn't so sure about that. Me and Ji Nuri?
I silently swallowed my ramen.
“......”
I found myself glancing at Ji Nuri.
“?”
Ji Nuri tilted her head, and our eyes happened to meet.
— “...What’s wrong?”
Ji Nuri blinked as she looked at me.
— “...Ah, you want more udon? He’s so shy... I would’ve given him some if he just asked.”
Ji Nuri twirled some udon noodles and put them on a plate. She held it out and asked with a bright smile.
“Trade?”
“......”
Seeing that made me let out a faint laugh. Ji Nuri was just Ji Nuri.
Twirl, twirl—
I put some more ramen on a plate and handed it to her. Ji Nuri ate it with a beaming, satisfied smile.
“......”
I watched her silently.
Hmm. No matter how much I thought about it, the answer was no. I think Ma’am’s prediction was off the mark. We were just in a comfortable relationship where we shared food without a second thought. I couldn't easily imagine us developing into that kind of romantic relationship.
.......
After finishing our meal, we headed to a cafe to rest for a bit.
“Oh, should we take a photo before we leave?”
While we were walking, Ma’am suddenly made the suggestion.
“...A photo?”
“Why not? It’s all about the memories. It’ll be fun to look back on later, right?”
It felt like a suggestion with some underlying intention, but I nodded regardless. I was in favor of capturing the moment.
“Then, I’ll take it for you.”
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(!Signboard!)
(Scroll down for AI illustrations!)
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(Splashing Nuri)
+ As compensation for the delay, here is a 'Tube Seung-ah' illustration...!