Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Sulking Like a Pro
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Probably back in elementary school.
May 3rd. Yeah, I clearly remember it was two days before Children's Day, so May 3rd.
The day before that, I'd gone on a field trip with Chaewon's family, and we ended up at the amusement park on May 3rd.
An amusement park. Just the name alone gets your heart racing.
Even for someone as even-tempered as me, I was pretty excited, but Chaewon was literally bouncing off the walls, clutching my hand tightly from the entrance and thinking only about dashing everywhere.
That was over ten years ago already.
"This is insane, totally insane. We have to ride that one...!"
And somehow, this brat hasn't changed a bit.
Chaewon was practically dragging me along by the hand.
The ride she was pointing at with sparkling eyes was the massive gyro swing that loomed into view the moment we stepped outside—towering to the height of a 14-story apartment building with a max tilt of 96 degrees.
"Whoa, just looking at it drains my energy."
"What're you saying, Kang Yumin? Are you chickening out right now?"
"Chickening out? Can you handle that thing?"
"Min-ah, I'm so pumped right now. See? Can you see my super excited smile?"
To anyone watching from the side, this had to be the lamest pride battle ever.
We traded the most pointless banter—straight out of self-delusion central—and lined up.
Thanks to our priority Magic Pass tickets, Chaewon and I got to wait in the express line and were up next in no time...
Right on cue, the gyro swing started moving.
Once, twice. It gathered momentum swinging side to side with increasing force until it rocketed up high enough to draw screams.
Whoosh, whoosh— The sharp wind from the ride's motion battered and shattered against our bodies.
"...Whoa, hold up."
Her earlier nonchalance was nowhere to be found—replaced by a stiff, frozen expression.
She's scared.
"Getting cold feet now that it's time to actually ride?"
"......"
"If you admit you're too scared right now, I'll coolly ride something else with you. You're such a scaredy-cat, Han Chaewon."
I tossed in about half a joke, but it was out of genuine concern.
I still vividly remember her strutting off to ride a roller coaster all confident, only to burst into tears at the first drop.
That's right.
Chaewon loves amusement parks, but she's a total wimp when it comes to the rides. Anyone who's seen Ever's selfcams or her appearances on shows knows she's a notorious scaredy-cat.
No matter how much time passes, she's still the same coward, so out of worry, I brought it up first...
"Stubborn girl special. No take-backs once I say it."
Instead, this brat scoffed and puffed up her chest.
The key here was that she'd glanced at the people around us watching and psyched herself up.
What, you think you're in a boy band putting on a show?
"Once it starts, you can't get off. Don't come crying to me later if you regret it."
"R-Regret? Why would I regret it...? I'm not scared, okay...?!"
"Then let's get on."
"......"
Just then, the previous group finished their ride and started disembarking.
Most looked thrilled, grumbling it was too short and suggesting one more go since the line was short...
"...Min-ah, this thing looks pretty scary. Those people's faces are all hollowed out."
Worried eyes see only worry—just like the saying goes. In Chaewon's anxious gaze, only the souls half-drained from their bodies stood out.
"Chaewon, you sure you can handle it?"
"...I-I can, okay? I'm your noona. Your noona."
My final check felt like babying her, apparently, because she furrowed her brow a bit and headed off to stash her headband and valuables in the lockers.
That damn competitive streak of hers.
I shook my head, stowed my own loose items that might fly off, and we sat side by side in the seats with the cameras set up.
As the last ones in, the staff slammed down the safety bar hard for the final check.
"Been a while—I'm looking forward to this."
Last time was a high school field trip with classmates—five years ago.
On a day like today, even nearby Seokchon Lake had to look gorgeous, so my heart started pounding faster as that anticipated moment approached.
"Min-ah."
"Yeah?"
"Can you... hold my hand...?"
In this situation where just being seen together could spark dating rumors, she suddenly asks me to hold her hand?
I whipped my head around, wondering if this brat really wanted to go public.
And that's when I saw it.
"I-I'm actually scared..."
Tiny hands desperately gripping the safety bar.
Her face, pale as I'd turned, had no trace of fun left—brows pinched tight, lips frozen stiff.
And those eyes, already welling up like a single poke would send tears spilling.
Chaewon had finally realized it.
Oh right, I got so hyped I forgot I suck at rides.
The absurdity drew a dry laugh from me, but right then the ride jolted into motion.
"Ahh, what do I do?! It's already scary...?!"
"Gripping the safety bar instead of my hand is way—"
"Min-ah's hand!! Hold my hand!!"
Her voice was so frantic it was like a cry for help, so I grabbed her hand—which was already reaching for me—and holy crap, I was shocked.
Is this a hand or a waterlogged sponge?
"Aaaahhh, hnnngh—!"
I couldn't see Chaewon's face the whole ride.
"Hnnngh, hrrk...!"
After the infamous gyro swing, on a nearby bench.
Two minutes off the ride, but way too short for Chaewon's flood of scared tears to dry—this coward was in full meltdown.
"Min-aaaah...!!"
"Yeah, yeah. It was scarier than you thought, huh?"
"Yeah... It was so scary...!"
Forget the cameras—she buried herself in my arms and sobbed her heart out.
I'd burst out laughing at first when she started crying, but seeing her wail so pitifully, I couldn't tease her.
The last time she cried this hard was after losing ten rock-paper-scissors rounds in a row as kids, when I'd flick her forehead.
...What? Both reasons are ridiculously petty.
"Pffft..."
I had to hold it in.
If I laughed now, she'd cry even harder.
I gently patted her back while biting my lower lip hard to stifle the laughter.
Kang Yumin. Peak adulting: ultimate laugh suppression.
"Why do people even ride something that scary, hick...!!"
Sniffling nonstop, she vented her grievances.
It didn't feel like excuses born from camera-shy embarrassment around people—her tone and expression screamed genuine misery and injustice, so I nodded along, empathizing as best I could.
Of course, I wasn't empathizing at all—just found it hilarious.
"I'm never coming back to an amusement park...!!"
Now this era's scaredy-cat crybaby was declaring 'NO MORE AMUSEMENT PARKS.'
Even little kids aren't this bad, I thought, the urge to tease overwhelming me...
Don't forget, Kang Yumin.
The one crying right now is your childhood friend—and girlfriend.
This brat had shown insane grudges even back as childhood friends—what grudges would she hold as a girlfriend?
Grievances: Suppress early and hard.
"But hey, Chaewon. Riding that scary thing? That was a great choice."
I pondered the cleanest, most sensible comfort and opened cautiously.
"Hic...?! What...?!"
Her subsiding tears welled right back up.
Predictable backlash, so with a calming gesture, I pressed on.
"Hear me out. Idol history shows girl group members' tears are a guaranteed fan-maker."
"......Hic."
"Think about it—the queen of this, Girl's Day's Hyeri, right?"
"......Hic."
Even nine years later, searching Hyeri on YouTube still pops 'Eeeeng~' as the top related search—a legend etched in girl group history.
Chaewon, meme encyclopedia extraordinaire, had to know it...
"Chaewon. This is prime fan-making footage."
"...Fan-making?"
Have I ever seen a born idol like this?
One word about fans, and her torrent of tears halted, lips starting to curl up.
"...Was I cute?"
"Upload this vid? At least a hundred new fans guaranteed."
"......For real?"
"You were crying too hard to notice, but everyone passing by smiled all fond, saying how cute you were. What? Already twenty fans made?"
"......Hic."
Final sniffle, tears fully stopped.
Her bangs still a mess like her mind, but a smile crept in bit by bit.
She pulled tissues from her character bag and handed them over.
"Better now?"
"...Yeah."
"We did the thrilling one, so next up something fun? Bumper cars? Wanna do bumper cars?"
Gentle tone, like soothing a kid.
Amazed my voice could go this soft, but my eyes stayed on Chaewon, smiling...
"That one."
I followed her fingertip and turned.
"Atlantis...?"
There loomed Lotte World's top-ranked ride, boasting the longest line with regal pride.
No way—the girl who'd just been a pouty mess from gyro swing picks a roller coaster?
"...You serious?"
"...I'm stubborn, hic. If I say I'll do it, I can, hic."
Quit hiccuping and talking big.
Most amusement park lovers dig the rides too.
Right. Not everyone who loves amusement parks loves the rides.
In that sense, Han Chaewon?
Okay. I get it—you want the rides as much as the park itself.
"Hnnngh, hnnngh...!!"
But do you have to sob like this on the scary ones?
"I-I'm never, hic! Riding! Again...!!"
And now hiccups on top.
Forget fans—you'd never watch this vid yourself?
"Be honest. You rode again after hearing about fans, even though you're scared, right?"
Not once, but twice.
She'd gripe later, but the absurdity of it twice over had me ready to scold...
"Han Chaewon, you idiot...!!"
Oh, right. She's reflecting hard.
Face a mix of laugh and tears at her own ridiculousness—making her look even more pitiful as she cried.
Sulking like a pro, in expert terms.
"Hug me...!!"
Once more, the fan-making master dove into my arms.
Fresh tears soaked my shirt before the old ones dried.
"Yeah, that one was scarier than expected too, huh?"
"Yeah...! It was really scary...!"
"Next time, something chill like the carousel, okay?"
"Hic...! C-Carousel's the best...!"
Whoa, nearly cracked up at that staccato.
"Min-aaaah...!!"
Chaewon's tear glands showed no sign of quitting.
To save my shirt, I had to stem that faucet somehow—but no better comfort than "fan vid" came to mind.
What could possibly save my clothes? Brainstorming furiously—then a couple strolled by all lovey-dovey.
"Chaewon, wanna grab some churros?"
Solution found.
"...Churros?"
"Can't leave an amusement park without churros, right? Saw a famous spot on the way here. Their ice cream's good too."
Food talk perked her ears right up; she peeked up.
Listen up, guys wanting to comfort your girl but drawing blanks.
"After that, wanna get some candy?"
"...Yeah."
Nothing beats "let's get something yummy" for a food-loving girlfriend.
"...Min-ah, they got cake too?"
I chuckled at the glutton eyeing cake.
"Our little Han Chaewon kiddo gonna brush after all that, right?"
"...Yeah."
"Good. Let's check it out."
I fitted her couple-matching headband back on and wiped her tears.