The Ferris Wheel Confession
Chae-yeon dragged me around like a dog on a leash, without a single moment to catch my breath.
People always say I have good stamina because I’ve loved exercising since I was a kid, but honestly, isn’t this a bit much?
I couldn’t keep up no matter what.
And the crazy part? Chae-yeon hasn’t even been working out lately. Meanwhile, I’ve been exercising for the sake of survival.
By all logic, I should be the one with better endurance…
“It’s hot out. How about that one?”
What Chae-yeon pointed at was the Jungle Adventure.
It was the most popular ride at Ramjwi Land. Normally, you’d have to wait at least an hour just to get on.
But we had free passes. Waiting times meant nothing to us.
“I saw online that it’s closing soon.” “Wait, seriously? Something this popular?” “It’s old, so they’re tearing it down. Good thing we get to ride it before it disappears.” “That’s a shame. Whenever we came here as kids, we always rode this first.” “Let’s ride it like it’s the last time and enjoy it to the fullest.”
The Jungle Adventure was a ride where six people boarded a boat, floated into a cave, and got splashed with water.
Even though we wanted to ride alone, we couldn’t, so four more people joined us in the boat.
At a glance, they were clearly two couples.
The two couples kept flirting nonstop.
In the past, I would’ve found that sight disgusting. But for some reason, I found myself watching them with a warm smile.
If I dated Chae-yeon… would we look like that?
“I always get nervous before riding something.” “You call that nervous? You look like you’re having the time of your life.” “Everyone gets tense right before starting something, don’t they?”
While we were talking, the boat started moving.
It swayed gently as it drifted along the water. Thankfully, since we were at the starting point, there was no sign of any big splashes yet.
After some time, a downward slope came into view.
This was where it really began.
The boat plunged downward, and water surged over the supposedly waterproof barriers.
“Kyaaaaa!! It’s so fast!!” “Whoa, this is awesome!!”
This was the one ride I could enjoy without any worries.
Every time the boat slammed into the walls, the impact made the waterproof barriers completely pointless.
“Looks like you really enjoyed this one, huh?” “Yeah, it was seriously fun.” “I’m glad. I really wanted you to have at least one ride you could fully enjoy.”
Every time we got on a ride, an unavoidable wave of anxiety hit me, so I honestly couldn’t enjoy them properly.
It must have bothered Chae-yeon.
“Oh no. You’re soaked here.” “Huh? Uh…”
The moment I tried to look where she was pointing, I sensed danger and quickly turned my gaze away.
Because I’d been hit directly by the flood of water, my entire outfit was drenched.
And through the wet t-shirt, something was clearly visible.
No, Jung-woo. I know exactly what you’re feeling right now, but you cannot look.
“Jung-woo?” “Oh, let’s dry your clothes. There’s plenty of sunlight, so they’ll dry fast.”
I somehow managed to get through the situation, and under the strong sunlight, the clothes dried quickly.
If Chae-yeon had noticed…
I probably wouldn’t be standing here right now.
“Alright, next destination!!” “You really do have insane stamina.” “I’ve been looking forward to today so much. The sun’s still blazing. We’ve got plenty of time left.” “So where exactly is our next stop?” “You’ll find out if you just follow me!!”
Her cheerful response filled my entire body with unease.
It couldn’t be. No way. She wouldn’t want to go there…
She did.
The haunted house greeted me with a bright, eerie welcome.
That was our next destination.
“Chae-yeon, this one costs extra. Free passes don’t work here.” “I know. I told you, I’m covering all the costs today.” “No, wait. Isn’t that a waste? The haunted house is expensive.” “What’s expensive about it? Come on, let’s go in.” “W-wait!!”
In the end, I was dragged inside by Chae-yeon.
Ramjwi Land’s haunted house was infamous even among haunted houses.
Not only was it ridiculously narrow, but it had incredibly high-quality ghost makeup and special effects.
I was definitely going to die of a heart attack today.
“C-Chae-yeon…” “Yeah? What?” “C-can’t we… go a little slower?” “I am going slow.” “N-no, this is way too fa—Hiiiik!!” “You scared me. What’s wrong?” “Something just grabbed my ankle.” “Aww, you’re imagining things. Just your imagination.”
Even with my reactions, Chae-yeon remained completely unfazed.
Her attitude somehow made the whole situation even more awkward.
I really didn’t want to do this, but I clung to her from behind like a stuffed doll you hug while sleeping and shuffled forward.
“Waaaaah!!” “Whoa, look at the quality. This is brutal.”
She didn’t even flinch at the special effects that kept popping out.
“Fuck!!!” “Oh, hello there. By the way, that was a really solid swear.”
She casually greeted the staff member in full special effects makeup.
At this point, I was starting to suspect she might actually be a machine.
“Chae-yeon. I want to get out of here fast.” “We’re almost there. Just hold on a little longer.” “No, I’m seriously going to die.”
She said she doesn’t even like horror movies!! So why is she so calm?
Chae-yeon looked like a total horror enthusiast.
Was she an explorer in a past life? Where does she get this insane pioneering spirit?
As I carefully took another step, I felt something under my foot.
“Chae-yeon, I think I just stepped on something.” “Really? Must be about to pop out.” “Don’t say it so casu—GYAAAAH!!”
It was a pressure plate for a trap. Right after stepping on it, something came crashing down from the ceiling.
I really almost died of a heart attack just now.
Finally, a bright light appeared at the end of the seemingly endless haunted house, and we stepped outside.
The moment we got out, I realized the position I was in and immediately let go of Chae-yeon.
“You okay?” “No, I’m not okay. I feel like I’m going to die.” “Aw, if only photography wasn’t banned, I would’ve recorded all your reactions.” “Don’t kill me twice.” “Aigoo, our poor Jung-woo. Did you have a hard time?”
Chae-yeon treated me like a little kid and gently stroked my head.
I didn’t like being babied, but her touch felt incredibly nice.
After that, we grabbed a quick snack and continued riding more attractions.
Chae-yeon was really squeezing every last drop out of those free passes.
Before long, the sun began to set. The parade must have been getting ready, because guide lines were being set up and the procession was forming.
“Oh, it’s starting!!”
The parade began right as Chae-yeon spoke.
It was pure splendor.
The Ramjwi Land characters riding on the parade floats waved at the people around them.
“It’s so beautiful. I really think parades are the perfect way to end a day at an amusement park.”
While watching the parade, my gaze naturally drifted toward Chae-yeon.
Among the brilliant lights, her face stood out more than ever.
Watching her smile so brightly at the parade made me smile the exact same way.
Maybe it was the atmosphere.
I carefully reached out and took her hand.
Chae-yeon flinched for a moment when she noticed, but she didn’t pull away at all.
We held hands in silence until the parade ended.
“The parade’s great, but it ends too quickly.” “It actually runs for a while, but time flies when you’re watching it.” “We’ll have to leave soon. Want to ride the Ferris wheel as our last ride?” “Let’s do it.”
Even while walking to the Ferris wheel, we didn’t let go of each other’s hands.
And we didn’t speak a single word.
My action had created this atmosphere. But it didn’t feel negative at all.
In an atmosphere like this…
Maybe I could confess?
Following the staff’s guidance, we boarded the Ferris wheel, and it immediately began to move.
“Jung-woo.” “Yeah?” “Why do people always ride the Ferris wheel last?” “Probably to reminisce?” “Reminisce?” “Yeah. We rode this first. Then we rode that. We ate over there. That kind of thing.” “Is that the only reason people ride it?” “You reminisce and reflect on how the day went.” “Then you go first. How was your day, Jung-woo?” “I…”
We’d made so many memories with Chae-yeon that it was hard to believe it was only one day.
It was the kind of day that washed away even the little bit of stress I had left.
Right now, riding together in this small gondola,
I was spending time that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.
“It was amazing. The kind of day that’ll stay with me forever. What about you, Chae-yeon?” “It was so fun and precious that if I could relive one day before I die, I’d choose today.” “That’s a really rich review.” “What kind of writer just says ‘it was good’?” “That’s why I said it’ll be a memory for life. Just like you said, today was precious to me too.”
The slowly moving Ferris wheel had reached its highest point.
The ride would be over soon.
And once it ended, there would be no more chances.
I thought this might be my last opportunity.
“Chae-yeon…” “Jung-woo.” “…Yeah?” “Let’s date.”