Chapter 69
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 69
After we’d had our fun and left the ice rink, we sat down in a cafe. Only then did my body begin to react.
“Ughhh…”
A groan escaped through my clenched teeth. I had gotten so caught up in the moment, playing with the little brat, that my entire body was now screaming in protest.
Was my mind still stuck in its youth while my body had moved on? We had only been moving for a few hours, but I felt like I was knocking on death’s door.
“Geezer.”
Tch.
Her muttered word grated on my nerves yet again.
“You think this won’t happen to you?”
“A princess is a princess forever. Idiot.”
The sight of her sipping her hot chocolate with a smug little grin was utterly infuriating.
“Yeah, right. Just you wait ten years…!”
You’ll know exactly what I’m talking about then.
As I glared at her, she wrinkled her nose, made a gagging motion, and added, “Ugh… you reek of old age…”
Now she was just openly picking a fight.
Aargh, that little…
I knew I shouldn’t react, but the moment I heard the word “geezer,” it was like a trigger had been pulled, and my body responded before I could stop it.
I shot her a glare meant as a warning to cut it out, but the cunning little brat, having found my weak spot, was now reveling in her new source of amusement, teasing me relentlessly.
We had a brief staring contest before I suddenly felt a wave of futility wash over me. What was the point of all this? With a deep sigh, I gave up. Only then did Eun-ji speak.
“So, where to next?”
I looked over at her. She was trying to act nonchalant, but I could see the anticipation shining in her eyes.
“Well…”
Dokyun pulled out his smartphone to check the time.
It was now 4:30 PM.
He was surprised, first, that not much time had passed, and second, that his body was screaming after barely an hour of activity. His eyes widened for a moment before he let out another heavy sigh.
Honestly, all he wanted was to go home, but seeing the little brat practically bouncing with excitement, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Sigh, what can I do?
The adult has to make the sacrifice.
With that thought, Dokyun, who had been slumped over, straightened his back and forced a slight smile.
“How about an amusement park?”
“Huh?”
There was one in the middle of the city, so it was close. It was also indoors, so it wouldn’t be too physically draining. Judging by how much fun she’d just had, it seemed like a place that would be right up her alley. Plus, I probably wouldn’t have to ride the attractions with her, so all I had to worry about was walking.
After considering all the factors, I made the suggestion and looked at the little brat. Her cheeks were already flushed with excitement.
“Hmph! It’s not like I’m dying to go… but since you seem to want to, I, the princess, will graciously accompany you.”
Even as she said it, she was already getting ready to stand, her body buzzing with anticipation.
Honestly, this kid was incapable of saying a single nice thing.
In response, Dokyun said, “Oh, thank you sooo much!”
He got up to follow her.
The amusement park wasn’t far from where they were. It was only a ten-minute walk, so we decided to head over on foot to get some fresh air.
A short walk later, we arrived.
“Whoa…”
Eun-ji’s jaw dropped as she stared at the rides filling the space around us, letting out a gasp of awe.
It was the reaction of a child, through and through. A small smile escaped Dokyun’s lips as he watched her for a moment before speaking in a playful tone.
“What, you like it?”
Flinch. Eun-ji jumped at his words, then quickly composed herself into a prim expression, turning her head slightly as she answered.
“Well, it’s alright.”
She could at least try to control the corners of her mouth. I could see them twitching.
Swallowing the laugh that threatened to escape at Eun-ji’s obvious reaction, Dokyun took a breath and continued.
“So, what do you want to ride first?”
“Hmm…”
Eun-ji hummed thoughtfully at his question, looking around before pointing in one direction.
“That one! Let’s ride that one first.”
I followed her finger and saw, at the far end, a giant Viking ship swinging back and forth, wringing screams from its riders.
My body stiffened slightly. I turned my head with a creak to look at her and saw her bouncing on her feet, her eyes sparkling.
Her choice of rides was certainly dynamic. Letting out a small laugh, Dokyun nodded and walked with her to the line for the Viking ship.
“Have fun. I’ll wait for you down here.”
“Huh? You’re not riding with me?”
She must have assumed we’d ride together, as she tilted her head and looked at me.
Dokyun let out a chuckle and replied, “This old geezer’s body aches, so I’m going to rest.”
A preemptive strike was the only way to win.
He’d resorted to a self-deprecating attack before she could use “geezer” to taunt him. With this, she couldn’t provoke me by calling me old, right? That was his calculation.
“Hmm…”
The little brat narrowed her eyes, staring at me primly.
Then.
“Chicken?”
An insult I simply couldn’t ignore. Did I hear that right? Doubting my own ears, I stared at her blankly and asked back.
“What?”
“Chicken?”
I hadn’t misheard.
“Ha.”
A dry laugh escaped me.
Chicken? You think I’m scared? Me? Chae Dokyun? The ghost-catching Marine of the glorious 1181st class?
The absurdity of it made me laugh, and a rebuttal came out naturally.
“No? Of course not. I’m not chicken.”
“Then prove it.”
The taunt was delivered with a crooked smile. Feeling the heat rise to his head, Dokyun immediately stepped into the line.
A short time later, when it was our turn, Dokyun sat down on the Viking ship and finally felt his fingertips begin to tremble.
He glanced at Eun-ji, who was seated next to him, then forced a creaky smile, trying to hide his trembling as he spoke.
“Hey, now’s your last chance to get off. This thing is going to be super scary. I wonder if you’ll cry…?”
He wasn’t saying it out of concern for the brat.
What else was there to say? Dokyun couldn’t handle amusement park rides. To be precise, he had a fear of heights and couldn’t go up high places.
Why did I do it? Why couldn’t I just swallow my pride? Why did I have to let it get this far?
A brief moment of regret flashed through his mind.
“You talk a lot,” the little brat replied.
I turned my head to look at her and saw her smirking at me with a crooked smile.
“They say dogs that are scared bark the loudest… could it be?”
Another provocation. In response, Dokyun said, “Hah, what kind of nonsense is that?”
He put up his useless pride once again.
“Really? Good, then.”
Her reply was dripping with dismissal. My grip on the safety bar tightened, but honestly, my heart was pounding so hard I thought I might die.
Once our conversation ended, my heart rate began to climb, and my whole body tensed up. I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed for my safety.
For a moment, I prayed to gods I had never sought in my life and entertained all sorts of thoughts, like hoping someone would burn my phone if I died.
Clank—!
The Viking ship began to move.
Krrrrk—.
The sound of machinery whirred to life, and the ship’s movements grew more intense.
What followed was nothing short of a miserable symphony of screams.
Whoosh—!
The ship swung backward, and for a moment, I felt my body lift slightly from the seat.
Whoosh—!
As the ship plunged downward in an instant, a pathetic scream erupted from Dokyun’s mouth.
“Kkieeeeeeeek!!!”
“Kyaaaaaaaaah!!!”
It was a stark contrast to the face right next to me, which was beaming with a bright smile and letting out a shriek of joy. If this moment were captured in a photograph, the dramatic difference in our expressions would be worthy of a Pulitzer.
The screaming continued for a while, and as the Viking ship plunged down once more…
“Kkieeeeeeeek!!!”
“Kyaaaaaaaaah!!!”
Another round of screams.
After being tossed up and plunged down several more times, Dokyun, having confirmed the surprising durability of his vocal cords, stumbled off the ride with trembling legs.
With every step, his legs wobbled. His heart was still pounding, racing wildly.
I was thankful to be alive and full of regret for ever getting on that thing. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment.
“Hey, servant! Let’s ride that one next!”
Her voice cut through. I looked at her and saw that she wasn’t even trying to hide her excitement anymore, her face lit up with a brilliant smile as she spoke.
I followed her pointing finger and saw it.
[Aaaaaaaahhh!!!]
The thing I hated most in the world, the thing I considered a blight upon this earth.
“A roller coaster?”
“Yeah, that! The roller coaster!”
She nodded enthusiastically.
Can’t she see the state I’m in? Can’t she ask me if I’m chicken again? This time, I’m confident I could beg her to go alone, get on my knees and plead with my hands clasped together.
But this damn brat, completely oblivious to my condition, had her eyes fixed on the distant roller coaster as it plummeted, looking at me with sparkling eyes.
Ah, how could I refuse? I wracked my brain, but my pride wouldn’t let me be the first to admit I was scared. I answered in a trembling voice.
“S-Sure, let’s go, I guess…”
Lord. Please…
Just let me live through this.
*
The time of pain and humiliation passed.
The roller coaster wasn’t the end. As soon as we got off, we rode the Gyro Drop, and the moment that finished, we were on the Twist. It was a relentless gauntlet of rides.
I felt nauseous. My head was spinning, and my heart was pounding.
Fucking hell, I’m gonna die…
I squeezed my eyes shut. I wanted to find my past self, the one whose pointless bravado had caused this mess, and beat him to a pulp.
I was bent over, panting, for a moment.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Eun-ji asked.
Dokyun looked up at her and saw a hint of worry on her face.
Maybe she wasn’t so vicious after all. The sight of her looking at me with a bit of concern was kind of funny, and I managed a small smile as I replied.
“I’m old. My body just can’t keep up.”
At my answer, her expression brightened a little. Then she quickly put on a prim face, crossed her arms, and retorted.
“This is why geezers are…”
Tch.
Why did that word coming from her mouth make me so angry? I thought about it, but no clear answer came to mind.
I really want to flick her on the head.
Not vicious, my ass. Pushing aside the thought I’d just had, Dokyun glared at her for a moment before sitting down on a bench.
“I’m just going to sit here for a bit. Are you going to ride more?”
“Huh?”
I was sorry, but this was really my limit. The fear was one thing, but my back hurt so much I could die.
The fatigue from walking around all day, combined with the exhaustion from overdoing it the night before, made my body feel incredibly heavy.
As Dokyun assessed his condition and spoke, Eun-ji, who had been listening, thought for a moment with a “Hmm…” before nodding.
“Alright, then the princess will go over there.”
She pointed, and I saw a haunted house with a spooky sign.
Oh, thank god.
A shiver ran down my spine. It was a miracle we hadn’t gone there first.
Dokyun shivered slightly and nodded, his relief palpable. She beamed, waved at me, and went into the haunted house.
She’s got some nerve.
How could anyone enjoy going into a place like that? Was that little brat actually a masochist? The question popped into my head, and realizing what I was thinking, I let out a dry laugh. Sitting on the bench, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the peace.
After a moment.
Maybe I should use this time to go to the bathroom.
While she was gone, I figured I should take care of my own business. Dokyun pushed himself up.
And I’ll grab some drinks on the way back.
After walking around all day, I was incredibly thirsty. I should probably get a coffee for myself and some kind of sweet drink that the little brat would like.
With that plan in mind, Dokyun looked around, spotted the restroom, and started walking toward it.
“Ughh…”
A groan escaped his lips. Even as he walked, he could feel a dull ache in his back.
He felt so stiff he could die.