Friends? (2)
***
The call from Hong Si-yeon came a few hours after I sent Han Yu-na on her way.
“Oh. Thanks for your hard work. How was the business trip?”
“Thank you. But, um…”
“I’ve been meaning to say this for a while, but being called ‘sir’ feels a bit burdensome.”
The Confucian dragon inside me refused to let someone older than me—and technically my employer—call me teacher. What else could I do?
Hong Si-yeon spoke in her usual cheerful tone. It was a relief that she was so easy to talk to.
“By the way, you mentioned a present?”
“Oh. Thank you.”
I’d already received a gift from Han Yu-na, but more clothes were always welcome.
Sunday? Other than streaming, I didn’t have any particular plans.
“What did you have in mind?”
When she put it like that, what could I say? It didn’t sound like anything burdensome, so I simply agreed.
And so, Sunday arrived. After making plans with Han Yu-na to hang out the following week and agreeing to run the first raid together on Thursday—the day the raid reset—Hong Si-yeon’s car stopped in front of me.
“Hop in~!”
“Yep.”
I climbed into the passenger seat, and she started driving with relaxed ease. But where were we going?
“Where are we headed?”
“It’s a secret~!”
I briefly considered peeking at her past and future, but I’d find out soon enough anyway. I decided to just go with it.
“Try some of these. I had them during my trip and they were delicious.”
“Isn’t it a bit much to eat crumbly snacks like this in the car?”
“I’ll just get it washed~.”
When the car owner herself said that, what could I possibly say? I picked up one of the small cookies sitting beside the passenger seat. Were these nune-ttine?
“They’re called Spoliatine Glassate. In Korea, they’re more famous as nune-ttine, right?”
“They had such a long name?”
“Ahaha. That’s what they’re called overseas. They’re originally an Italian cookie.”
“Weren’t you on a business trip to China?”
“A master craftsman who was invited to China made them. Go on, try one.”
The car stopped at a red light. I took a bite of the spol… nune-ttine from the container.
“Whoa…”
“Good, right? Good, right?”
It really was about twice as good as the usual ones.
“Yeah. It’s seriously delicious.”
“Ehehe~. I thought you’d like them. I bought plenty, so I’ll give you the rest when I drop you off later.”
All I could do was be grateful. Just then, the light changed.
“Have some too. Here.”
I held out the cookie. Hong Si-yeon looked momentarily flustered. Then she opened her mouth.
No, I just meant for her to take it. Back at the orphanage, the director used to take them with one hand when I offered, so…
“…It’s good. As expected.”
Hong Si-yeon, who had accepted the cookie I gave her, flashed a charming, radiant smile. She really was a beautiful woman. The red hair suited her perfectly, too.
“During this business trip, you see~.”
After taking a bite of the cookie, she began telling stories. They were surprisingly entertaining as I listened.
“And then? And then?”
After chattering for a while, instead of continuing, she simply opened her mouth again. What now?
“Aah~.”
She even made a slightly pouty sound. Ah, she wanted me to feed her. I slipped the cookie into her mouth. She chewed contentedly and continued her story without missing a beat.
“The way that angry public security officer slid right across the floor… Ahaha!”
“Haha. That must’ve been satisfying.”
Hong Si-yeon was vividly recounting how the officer who had tried to pick a fight after not receiving a bribe had struck a dramatic pose only to slip and fall flat on his face. Then she opened her mouth again. When I moved to feed her another cookie, she shook her head.
“Not the cookie.”
“Then?”
“Should we grab some coffee from over there before we go?”
“Sure, let’s do that.”
There happened to be a takeout café right by the road. I ordered a sweet café latte for myself and an iced Americano for Hong Si-yeon.
“Then let’s go!!”
“Wouldn’t it be better to rest here for a bit?”
“Huh?”
“Weren’t you thirsty?”
“Well… I was, but…”
She leaned forward slightly, looking up at me with a mischievous smile.
“If we drink in the car, you’ll keep feeding me, won’t you, Noah~!”
I couldn’t possibly turn away from that playful grin.
. . .
After chatting like that and feeding her cookies and coffee like a mother bird feeding her chick, we finally arrived in Gwacheon. Our destination was…
“Ta-da~! Welcome to the land of dreams and hope~!”
It was Lotte World. Wait, why Lotte World all of a sudden?
“I wanted to go to an amusement park.”
“Ah…”
“Actually, the person who really wanted to meet you today is the one in charge of Lotte World.”
In charge of Lotte World? Knowing Hong Si-yeon, the person she was introducing me to wouldn’t be some ordinary manager…
“Is it the president of Lotte World?”
“Yes.”
She walked with light, graceful steps. A beautiful red-haired woman entering the land of dreams and hope. People stared, but she didn’t seem to care in the slightest.
“He said he absolutely had to meet you, Noah.”
“Hmm…”
“Oh. Did you not want to?”
“It’s not that. I’m just curious why someone like him would want to meet me.”
“Who knows? Maybe he wants to talk about something related to Lotte World’s operations?”
She tilted her head cutely. The gesture seemed almost calculated, but when a beautiful woman did it, it was simply adorable.
“Anyway, let’s have fun! We got free passes!”
“Alright, let’s do that.”
In truth, I had never been to an amusement park like Lotte World before. It wasn’t just because the orphanage director was a cheapskate. We simply never had the luxury.
“Mmm~ An amusement park on a Sunday afternoon~. No matter how many times I think about it, there really are a lot of people.”
“What can you do?”
“But we have passes!”
She proudly showed off the pass on her wrist. The first ride we headed to was the Viking.
“Have you ever ridden a Viking before?”
“Not this one… but once at Wolmido.”
I’d gone with the older boys from the orphanage. That time, I really saw my life flash before my eyes.
“Ahaha! This one will be on a completely different level!”
“Really? Well, I suppose a big corporation’s Viking would be different.”
“Then let’s go! Today’s goal: ride every single attraction here!”
That sounded exhausting.
. . .
“Ah~! That was so fun! What did you think, Noah?”
“A big corporation’s Viking really is on another level.”
Especially because the safety bar didn’t shake at all. Thinking back to how the one at Wolmido rattled still gave me chills.
“Right?! Then next~!”
Hong Si-yeon was thrilled. She even grabbed my arm tightly and dragged me toward the next ride she wanted to try. Maybe I should bring Han Yu-na here later. She’d probably love it.
“…Noah?”
The eyes of Hong Si-yeon, who had been pulling me along, narrowed.
“Yes?”
“Are you thinking about another woman right now?”
…It really felt like I wasn’t the only one who could see other people’s pasts and futures. Anyway, we had a great time. We genuinely rode every single attraction in the park and even watched the parade.
“Hoo~! That was amazing~!”
“It really was. I didn’t think we’d manage to ride everything. Do you come to amusement parks often, Si-yeon?”
“Me? Not really. And these days, people prefer Neverland over Lotte World.”
To say that after we’d just had so much fun. Still, I was curious about Neverland. Just how fun was it?
“It’s almost time for our appointment. Shall we go?”
I left Lotte World with Hong Si-yeon. After she made a call somewhere, we arrived at the Lotte Tower. Following an employee who looked like a secretary, we reached our destination: the office of the Executive Director of Lotte Group and President of Lotte World.
The man who had been waiting for us stepped forward.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Gu Gwan-sin.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Noah.”
“Wow. Even after hearing from CEO Hong, I found it hard to believe, but you really are young.”
“Haha. I only just turned twenty.”
“Anyway… I know you’re an incredibly talented person.”
“Pardon? How did you…”
“I watched the broadcast too.”
Ah. The broadcast. Then there was no helping it. Gu Gwan-sin didn’t seem to harbor even the slightest suspicion toward me. He let out a small sigh.
“I’ll be honest with you.”
He looked at me with serious eyes.
“Can our Lotte World beat Neverland?”
Neverland dominated in splendor, and Gyeongju World in thrill. The only consolation was that it was better than Seoul Land. Currently, Lotte World was falling behind its two rivals in many areas. Overcoming that was Gu Gwan-sin’s goal.
“I think there might be a misunderstanding… I’m not a consultant or anything like that.”
I just saw the future. Before he could say more, I took out a card. He carefully flipped it over.
“I can see you’re very worried about the roller coaster you’re planning to open soon.”
Interest flickered in his eyes.
“Its name is… Dragon Rider Evolution, correct?”
“Wow… You even got that right…”
Dragon Rider Evolution. It was the ambitious roller coaster that Lotte World had planned and prepared with great enthusiasm.
It was modeled after the attraction The Flying Dinosaur at Universal Studios Osaka—a roller coaster where riders hung beneath the track. They had introduced a nearly identical design. And when it opened, it performed well at first.
“At first, it will be a huge hit.”
For the first month after opening. Yes, during that month, Lotte World’s visitor numbers would surpass Neverland.
“…….”
Gu Gwan-sin’s expression brightened. Of course he’d be happy to hear he would achieve the goal he wanted. But I had no choice but to pour cold water on that face.
“The problem comes six months later.”
“…Pardon? A problem?”
“There will be an accident.”
His smile froze.
“Because so many people want to ride it, they’ll cut corners on maintenance and let it slide.”
The future unfolded before me. His face trembled like an aspen leaf. And in his hand, I saw the accident report.
The report was crystal clear. Poor maintenance. The phrase “It’s so popular, let’s just overlook a little instability” had led them to ignore the warning—and that had been the worst decision possible.
“The roller coaster will launch. At its highest speed and highest point.”
“What… are you saying…”
With an expression of disbelief, he asked in a strained voice.
“Have you ever heard of RollerCoaster Tycoon? It’s a game where you run an amusement park.”
Just like the scene the older boy at the orphanage had shown me while cackling. Due to a mechanical failure, the roller coaster that was supposed to be hanging would shoot straight into the sky. In a game, you could just laugh it off. But this was reality.
“Every single rider will die. And many of the people below will be killed or injured as well. The result…”
I looked him straight in the eyes and said,
“Lotte World will shut down. Along with all its dreams and hopes.”