It's Not Like We're Blood-Related
It was only natural that I—a Korean before my possession—had never set foot in Disneyland. Yet even though Jin Yong-tae had grown up in Edogawa Ward, practically next door to Tokyo Disneyland, he had never visited it by the time he turned twenty.
When I combed through his memories, I found that there had been a high-school field trip to the park, but he had come down with a terrible case of gastroenteritis the night before. While everyone else was screaming with joy on the rides, he had been stuck at home riding the toilet instead. Strangely enough, the memory made me a little glad.
Taira Yukiko was watching me with a warm, gentle smile.
“You look like you’re expecting great things. First time at Disneyland?”
“Yes. There were a few chances, but for some reason I never ended up going.”
It had only been the once, but I had zero desire to bring up the diarrhea story, so I kept it vague. When in doubt, change the subject.
“Then when was the last time you went to Disneyland, Yukiko?”
“Me? I… went with Saburo back when I was in college…”
Oops. Did I just step on a landmine?
Taira Yukiko’s expression had turned a little gloomy. This was exactly the atmosphere I hadn’t wanted.
“I’ll make sure you enjoy today even more than you did back then.”
“You will?”
She gave me a forlorn little smile. At this rate I might actually have to tell the stomach-flu story.
“Actually, I did have the chance to go on a high-school field trip. My school was really close to the park.”
“Oh my, then why didn’t you go?”
The melancholy from a moment ago had vanished; Yukiko was now listening with sparkling eyes.
“The truth is… I ate something bad the day before and came down with gastroenteritis. I was afraid I might embarrass myself on the rides, so I stayed home.”
“Ah… Oh ho ho! So that’s why!”
“Yes. Which means you’ll have to be my excellent guide today, Yukiko.”
“Just leave it to me! I’ll only take you to the best spots.”
Her mood had brightened again. She chatted happily while she drove, and before long we arrived at Tokyo Disneyland.
I parked the car and we headed inside. The all-day pass was ten thousand yen each—for the two of us that came to about two hundred thousand won. Taira Yukiko paid with effortless grace while I simply noted the amount.
The first area we saw was the World Bazaar, a spacious plaza with a glass ceiling. For an entrance zone it was surprisingly quiet.
“This is where they sell souvenirs and desserts. It’s both the entrance and the exit, so it gets much busier right before closing.”
Ah, so it’s the souvenir shop on the way out. That explained why it was so empty now. We agreed to buy gifts on our way home and moved on into Adventure World.
“This one’s fun. Let’s ride it!”
What Yukiko pointed at was Pirates of the Caribbean, a dark ride where you board a boat and watch pirate antics set in the sixteenth-century Caribbean. It felt more realistic than I expected—perhaps because the era was a little later. The ghosts were done with holograms that made them fly around; that part was genuinely impressive.
Every time a ghost appeared, Yukiko let out a cute little “Kyaa!” and clung to me. I couldn’t tell if she was doing it on purpose or if she was really startled, but each time she pressed close I caught that sweet, signature scent of hers. Keeping my composure was harder than I expected, but since we weren’t the only ones on the boat I somehow endured.
Next we wandered into Western Street, an area built like an old frontier town. We stepped inside the Western Street Shooting Gallery, where you could win a sheriff’s badge by hitting targets. The all-day pass didn’t work here; each round cost five hundred yen.
“You go first, Yukiko.”
“All right. Five hundred yen, please.”
She took the long rifle that looked like something out of a Western film and began shooting with a surprisingly serious expression. Her accuracy was excellent. Did those two soft, full mounds on her chest help steady the recoil? Of course the guns here were just toys with no actual kick, but still.
After landing ten perfect shots, Yukiko accepted a shiny silver sheriff’s badge with a proud smile.
“You’re incredibly good at this, Yukiko.”
“I’ve been doing clay shooting as a hobby for a while, so I’m decent with firearms.”
Clay shooting as a hobby—that was new information.
I paid my own five hundred yen and took a turn. Thanks to my enhanced body I hit every target dead center. I even managed to nail the little mechanical rat that scurried across the middle, so the attendant gave me a gleaming gold badge.
“Wow! How do you get the gold one?”
“You have to shoot the rat that runs around in the middle.”
“I want to try again!”
Yukiko eagerly paid another five hundred yen and returned to the range. She really did have quite the competitive streak.
She came back shortly afterward, beaming as she showed off her new gold badge.
“Now we have matching couple badges.”
“Oh, you…!”
She gave my forearm a light smack, but there was no strength behind it at all. It didn’t hurt in the slightest.
After the shooting gallery we headed for Big Thunder Mountain—a thrill ride where you raced through a cursed abandoned mine on a runaway train with no engineer. It was one of the few real roller-coaster-style attractions in the park.
“Kyaaaa! This is amazing!”
Contrary to what I expected, Yukiko wasn’t scared at all. She screamed with pure delight. I wasn’t particularly frightened either and simply enjoyed the wild ride through the gold mine. The days when something like this could scare me were long gone. After all, I had already fought through a park filled with flying bullets.
“Next is this one~!”
It was a relief to see that her earlier melancholy had completely disappeared. Yukiko took my hand and pulled me toward Splash Mountain, a flume ride that existed only in Tokyo Disneyland.
Apparently the ride had once been in every Disney park, but it was based on the old film Song of the South, which was heavily criticized for its portrayal of Black characters. The attraction had been removed everywhere else. Only Tokyo kept it, largely because the park wasn’t wholly owned by Disney but operated as a licensed franchise by the Japanese railway company Keisei Electric Railway.
In short, Tokyo Disneyland was more like a high-end franchise outlet than a true Disney property.
“It’s okay if we get a little wet, right?”
“Yes, but… are you all right with getting wet, Yukiko?”
“I’m fine.”
Flume rides always soaked you, and the white blouse she wore beneath her cardigan would become completely see-through. I didn’t mind the view personally, but I hated the idea of other men seeing her like that.
“I can just cover myself with the cardigan.”
She spoke as if she understood my concern perfectly. If she said it was fine, who was I to argue?
We waited in line and boarded. The ride combined gentle drifting through water with a classic high drop at the end. When the final plunge came—splash!—far more water poured over us than I expected.
I glanced at Yukiko. Just as I feared, her white blouse was soaked through, revealing the soft lines beneath. Thankfully she had chosen white underwear to match, so it wasn’t overly revealing.
We got off and decided to sit on a nearby bench until our clothes dried. Since many people ended up wet after Splash Mountain, there were plenty of seats. We found one easily.
“You must be getting hungry. Should I get some churros?”
“It is past lunchtime. I am feeling a little peckish.”
“Wait here a moment.”
I walked over to the nearest Fantasyland section and bought Mickey-shaped waffles, churros, and drinks, then returned. In the short time I was gone, two men had tried to hit on Yukiko.
What the hell are they doing in Disneyland?
One was a sleazy-looking guy with slicked-back hair and a thin mustache. The other was a tanned playboy with cheap-looking gold-dyed hair—the type who looked like he’d shout “Uhyo~! Gotcha!”
“Come hang out with us…”
“We’ll show you a really good time~!”
“My boyfriend will be here any second, so please leave.”
Oho. She called me her boyfriend…
Yukiko was only in her early thirties, but with the kind of high-end care that surpassed most celebrities, she easily looked like she was in her early-to-mid twenties. Still, saying “my son will be here soon” would have sounded strange to strangers.
“Excuse me. Do you gentlemen have some business with my girlfriend?”
“Huh? Ah, sorry!”
“She really does have a boyfriend… Our apologies.”
When I spoke with clear killing intent, both men went pale and backed away, bowing and apologizing repeatedly until they disappeared into the crowd.
Once they were gone I smiled and sat down beside Yukiko.
“Here. Your boyfriend has arrived.”
“I thought they wouldn’t believe me if I said I was waiting for my son…”
Her face had turned bright red. She stared at the ground, fidgeting with her fingers.
“Here, have a churro.”
When I brought one to her lips, she glanced up at me shyly before taking small, careful bites. I ate one too. The cinnamon sugar was perfectly sweet and delicious.
Yukiko must have been quite hungry; she finished the churros quickly. We then shared the Mickey Mouse–shaped waffle drizzled with maple syrup. It was sweetly satisfying.