Chapter 42
Chapter 42
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Field Trip (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dreamland hadn't changed much from before.
At most, a few more attractions had been added, but it wasn't anything exciting. Back when we were kids, we'd pretty much only visited the zoo inside Dreamland anyway.
Sure, we'd ridden a few rides in the afternoon that time, but neither Seol nor I had bothered with any.
I didn't like rides much, and neither did she.
So this time, I decided to ask Seol what she wanted to do.
"Seol-ah."
"Yeah?"
"What do you want to do today? Ride any attractions?"
The reason I asked if she wanted to ride was simple.
I figured she wouldn't.
Today, we were basically free to enjoy the park however we wanted. The teacher had straight-up told us, "Just have fun on your own."
It felt less like an official field trip and more like a group outing to Dreamland, but both the teachers and the kids preferred it that way.
The teachers wanted some freedom to enjoy the place, and the kids wanted to have fun in their own way.
So I'd asked Seol if she'd wander around like usual instead of riding attractions, or if she wanted to try some rides.
"Ummm..."
Seol pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Yeah, let's ride some."
It was an unexpected answer.
I'd thought she wouldn't want to, but here she was, more eager than I'd imagined.
"What do you want to ride?"
At my question, Seol tilted her head, then looked up at me.
"...Let's ride whatever Haneul wants."
"You sure?"
-Nod nod-
Seol nodded without a hint of hesitation.
Then, as if realizing something, she cautiously added,
"...But what if there's a height restriction?"
Her words made me burst out laughing as I shook my head.
"Nah, you're over 150cm. No problem."
Just like she said, Seol was 151cm tall now. I wasn't sure on the details, but most amusement park rides had a 150cm limit. Over that, and you could ride everything.
So her worry wasn't a big deal.
But then Seol dropped another surprise.
"...I'm not 150 yet."
"Huh?"
"...Not yet. 150."
Seol was staring at me, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"...You passed 150 back in first year."
"Almost...!"
Apparently, her height had been stuck at 149cm for a while.
A mix of emotions hit me at once, but the biggest thought was...
"...It happens."
That's all. It really could.
"You're not mad...?"
"Nah. Not really."
I actually think guys exaggerate their height more.
Take me—I used to claim 175cm in my past life, even though I wasn't quite there.
Height's hard to measure precisely, so fudging it a bit is basically standard.
Calling 149cm over 150? That's just cute fibbing. No big deal at all.
Just 1 or 2cm. I'd lied by a full 3cm myself.
Seol let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew... Good..."
"Good that what?"
"...That Haneul forgives me."
Her quiet words were so cute—and touching.
It hit me how much she valued me.
"Seol-ah. For now, let's pick something we want to ride first. Okay?"
"But let's ride what Haneul wants...?"
"I don't even know what's here. So let's choose together."
Seol finally nodded at that.
"Yeah... Let's do that..."
She looked a bit brighter than before.
*
A little more time passed, and we stood at the park entrance.
About 200 students from our school were there, making for quite the sight.
In the crowd, Seol carefully placed her hand in mine.
"Seol-ah?"
"......"
Seol just stared at me silently.
A swirl of emotions flickered in her eyes.
I decided to hold her hand gently.
There were plenty of reasons, but if this was what she wanted, I was happy to oblige.
Plus, after hearing about her height, I worried I might actually lose her in the crowd if I let go.
Of course, unlike when we were kids, she'd call me right away if we got separated and tell me her location.
We're older now. But even so, I wanted to hold on tight.
I just felt like it.
A bit later, we entered through the ticket booth with wristbands on.
Seol beamed at hers, and I glanced at mine much the same.
Not grinning like an idiot for no reason, though—just casually.
The teacher, seeing we'd all entered, immediately shouted,
"Kids~ Let's have fun today~ Got it~?"
"“Yes~!”"
"But! You know to play safe too, right!?"
"“Yesss!!”"
"Alright! Go! Scatter! S-Express first no matter what!!"
The boys bolted for S-Express at her playful yell. I watched their silly, excited rush, then headed back to the booth for a guide pamphlet.
Back with Seol.
"Seol-ah, what should we ride now?"
"Yeah! Let's see!"
She hugged my arm tight as we looked together.
The pamphlet listed tons of rides, including one that clearly caught her eye.
"Seol-ah, wanna do this one?"
-Nod nod nod nod-
Seol nodded vigorously, and I was already heading that way with her.
The ride was called 'World Boat Voyage'—a peaceful boat trip through doll villages themed after countries around the globe.
Even her ride choices were this cute and calm. Seol really was adorable.
*
We hopped right on 'World Boat Voyage' with no wait.
Maybe because it was so mellow—no one from our school was there, just families.
We could relax without worrying about eyes on us.
"Haneul-ah, let's ride!"
"Yeah. Let's."
We boarded the boat together to enjoy it...
"Alright, departing~ Please don't stand during the ride. If there's an issue, we'll handle it right away, so just relax~ Off we go into the world~"
Following the cast member's words, our boat glided into the dark tunnel.
After a short passage, we saw rows of dolls lined up.
"Wowww...!"
"Judging by the outfits... Oh, Italy?"
Not just outfits—the Leaning Tower of Pisa in back gave it away.
"This is France!"
"Yeah, France."
Eiffel Tower, noble vibe—definitely France.
Next up...
"China."
"China. Pretty cool here too..."
China it was.
Then more countries in a row.
Britain, America, Brazil, Australia, Russia, Japan.
Japan especially lit Seol up.
"Cherry blossoms...!"
She loved them, after all.
Funny thing—her name came from "snow Seol," yet her favorite flower was cherry blossoms.
Made sense, though.
Born into harsh winters, the first flowers after were always cherry blossoms. Inevitable, really.
But her biggest reaction was to the very last country.
"Korea...!"
"Yeah, Korea."
She grinned wide at the bride and groom dolls welcoming guests.
"Korea's your favorite, huh."
"Yeah, prettiest, coolest... It's our country, after all?"
Our Seol, such a patriot.
For the record, Korea's my favorite too. It's home.
That wrapped our boat tour of the world...
"Haneul-ah, where next?"
"Gotta check the pamphlet."
We started picking our next stop.
Our hands stayed clasped the whole time.
No awkwardness or discomfort at all.