Sweet Churros and Secret Longings
At a small bench in the center of Toyland, I took a hearty bite of the churro in my hand. The pleasant sweetness spread through my mouth, followed by a subtle hint of cinnamon. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten one. There was something uniquely special about churros at an amusement park. Maybe the lively, bustling atmosphere added to the flavor.
After another bite, I glanced at the girl sitting beside me.
“….”
Min Soyeon chewed with a faint smile on her lips. Seeing her eat so obediently, it seemed her mood had improved.
I sipped the drink we’d bought together and asked her.
“Any good?”
She turned her head slightly and met my eyes. Her gaze was gentle, completely free of venom.
“...It’s not bad.”
That was her way of saying it tasted good. I gave her a satisfied smile, finished the churro in my hand, and considered our next move.
Toyland’s biggest draw was its world-renowned tall roller coaster. But its popularity meant far larger crowds than any other ride. The wait would be long, and standing in line that long would naturally lead to quick exhaustion. Unless Soyeon really wanted to ride it, it was smarter to avoid the long queues.
Something moderately fun with quick rotations... Bumper cars seemed like a safe starting point. They weren’t far, so Soyeon wouldn’t have to walk much. After that, we could try something with a decent sense of speed. The flume ride was the next most popular after the roller coaster? Hmm... Soyeon had dressed up nicely today. A ride that splashed water didn’t seem ideal. I’d focus on fun attractions that wouldn’t get us wet.
Having decided, I immediately asked Min Soyeon if she wanted to try the bumper cars. After a brief moment of thought, she readily accepted my suggestion.
As we headed over, something caught our attention.
“Huh? That’s someone from our class.”
We witnessed a rather surprising scene. A male classmate was walking hand-in-hand with a female student, radiating that fresh, youthful energy. They must have just started dating; both looked slightly nervous. For some reason, it reminded me of my wife and me back in the day, and a warm smile unconsciously formed on my lips.
After walking a little farther, we reached the bumper car booth. We joined the queue right away and waited our turn. Just then, the ride was beginning beyond the fence.
“Start! Drivers, please drive safely!”
Along with the staff’s signal, cheerful music rang out, and the bumper cars began moving all at once.
Bump! Crash!
People laughing joyfully as they collided looked like they were having the time of their lives. Among them, the sight of a very young girl driving one of the cars caught my eye. She wore a huge grin while spinning the wheel left and right. Even though her car wasn’t moving properly, her face glowed with pure happiness.
Soyeon must have had moments like that too. I wondered if she still remembered.
“Soyeon, look over there. That really little kid is driving. Isn’t she adorable?”
“...She is cute.”
Min Soyeon seemed to find the child endearing as well; a faint smile touched her lips.
While we watched the riders and chatted about random things, Min Soyeon glanced at me and spoke.
“...Do you like babies?”
“I do.”
“...I like them too.”
Was that true? It was the first time I’d heard Soyeon say she liked children. If we’d had Soyul, she would have loved her so much... A small pang of regret hit me.
Leaving my friends who had gone off to enjoy the rides, I sat alone on the bench, staring at my phone. That last message from Miju unnie kept weighing on my mind. She’d said she couldn’t send any more because she was boarding her flight, yet the words carried a strange, lingering wistfulness—like something someone might say before disappearing forever.
...She’ll contact me once she lands, right….
With a short sigh, I quietly slipped my phone back into my pocket. Leaning back against the bench, I slowly scanned my surroundings.
The amusement park was packed with people. Being near the central plaza meant a truly diverse crowd. Families playing with their children, couples lost in open affection regardless of who was watching, and groups of students laughing and chattering loudly with friends.
Everyone was in the same place for the same reason, yet unlike me, they all looked genuinely happy.
“….”
It made me a little envious. As I gazed around, steeped in that envy, my eyes stopped on two people approaching.
A man and woman walking while sharing an intimate conversation, both wearing satisfied expressions.
It was Yu Jihwan and Min Soyeon.
The moment I reflexively started to jump up and greet him...
...Ah....
I suddenly realized I was alone. If I’d been with friends it might have been different, but what would Jihwan think seeing me here by myself? Wouldn’t I look like some annoying woman who’d been waiting on purpose just to talk to him?
I was trying so hard, little by little, to get closer again. What if he wouldn’t even accept my greeting now...?
Of course I knew he wasn’t that kind of man. Kind, thoughtful Jihwan would always respond warmly. But the problem was my own heart. Once the negative thoughts took root, they multiplied endlessly, tearing my heart apart as if simply throwing myself into the mud wasn’t punishment enough.
If I faced him like this, the feelings I’d barely suppressed might come bursting out.
So that Jihwan wouldn’t notice me, I covered my head with my hands and hurriedly left the bench.
Hiding in a distant corner, I peeked out and secretly watched where he was.
But….
By some twist of fate, he sat down in the exact spot I had just vacated. If I hadn’t moved, we would have come face to face….
Praising myself for dodging that, I held my breath and continued stealing glances at him.
I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Min Soyeon’s face suddenly flushed red. Jihwan looked at her with a somewhat troubled expression.
“….”
Fortunately, it still didn’t seem like Jihwan liked Min Soyeon.
After glancing around as if avoiding her eyes, he said something brief to her and abruptly stood up, leaving the bench. I wondered where he was going, but he disappeared straight into the nearby restroom.
While Jihwan was gone, Min Soyeon suddenly looked around urgently and began rummaging through her bag. She pulled out lipstick and a hand mirror, hastily applying color to her lips. Then she started repeating strange motions while staring into the mirror—tilting her head side to side, puckering her lips, then parting them slightly… It looked exactly like she was practicing a kiss.
...What is she doing…?
Just then, I overheard a couple walking behind me.
“Oppa, let’s go see the fountain show.”
“Now? Can’t we just watch the evening one?”
“They say you have to see the 3 o’clock show!”
“...Do we really have to?”
The man asked as if he couldn’t understand. The woman patted his shoulder and replied,
“They say if you kiss in front of the 3 o’clock fountain show, you’re guaranteed to get married!”
“...M-marriage… Th-that sounds nice…”
Kiss… Marriage….
The couple’s giggling words lingered in my ears as they walked away.
And then there were Min Soyeon’s inexplicable actions.
...No way….
On my way out of the restroom and back to Soyeon, I sensed a faint flow of mana from somewhere. It felt extremely foreign and prickly.
“….”
I slowly looked around, but nothing unusual stood out. I had definitely felt it….
If I spread my mana widely, I could get a rough idea of its location. But my mana capacity wasn’t enough to cover an area this large, and since nothing seemed to be happening, there was no need to get involved.
After another quick scan of the surroundings, I dismissed it as needless worry and walked back to Soyeon.
But….
...What was this? Min Soyeon was still repeating those strange lip movements, completely unaware that I had returned.
“Ahem!”
I deliberately made a sound as I approached. She flinched and whipped her head toward me.
“...Y-you’re back?”
She looked exactly like a child caught doing something bad.
What on earth….
Pretending I hadn’t seen anything, I sat down beside her and asked,
“What were you doing?”
“...I wasn’t doing anything.”
Seeing her deny it even though I had clearly witnessed everything, I decided not to press the matter.
Naturally pulling out my phone to check the time, I told her it was almost three o’clock.
“...Then shall we head to the plaza? The fountain show should be starting soon.”
The plaza fountain show was a performance held only twice a day—at 3 PM and 8 PM. It was a place Min Soyeon had strongly insisted on visiting, saying she particularly wanted to take pictures there.
Whether by coincidence or because their tastes were similar, my wife and I had taken a photo in front of that same fountain long ago. It was a picture with the spectacular spraying water as the background. I wondered if it was still in the album somewhere.
“...Let’s go quickly.”
With Min Soyeon’s strangely insistent words, we set off toward the fountain in the plaza.