Chapter 122: Date (Part 3)
An amusement park about thirty minutes away by train.
It was the only amusement park in the urban area of the region where I lived, a go-to spot for families and couples on dates.
Of course, I was also quite familiar with it, having visited several times with my family and childhood friends when I was younger.
That said, it had been years since my last visit.
…The last time I came here was probably back in elementary school.
『Waaah! So this is an amusement park. It’s wonderful!』
Alicia let out an excited shout at the sight that came into view after we exited the station.
Right in front of the station stood the amusement park’s entrance gate, with giant attractions like a Ferris wheel and roller coaster towering behind it. Cheerful marching music played throughout the area.
『It’s so lively.』
We lined up behind the crowd of people gathered at the gate.
Since it was a Sunday in the middle of spring break, the place was packed with students, couples, and families with children.
Among them, I looked completely out of place, especially since I appeared to be here alone.
…Well, ever since I ended up with this appearance, there haven’t been many times when I blended into my surroundings.
I was used to getting stared at by strangers by now.
At the entrance, I bought a one-day pass that gave unlimited access to the main attractions and a fast pass to shorten waiting times.
…Excuse me, lady at the reception desk. I’m a high school student, alright? No guardian with me!
『Alright, let’s start with the Spiral Hurricane!』
Alicia said excitedly, pointing at one of the so-called thrill rides.
As its name suggested, it was a high-speed spinning attraction and one of the park’s main features.
「U-uh… sure…」
Honestly, I had never been good with these kinds of rides.
Every time I came here, I’d end up being dragged along by whoever I was with, reluctantly going on these rides, and to this day I still didn’t understand why people paid money to be put through that.
Even so, with Alicia looking forward to it, saying no wasn’t an option.
I steeled myself and got in line, and after about ten minutes, it was our turn.
We put our bags and hats into lockers and boarded the ride.
Clank
My vision spun.
「Hiiiiaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!?」
The world flipped upside down, my brain felt like it was being shaken up, and I screamed purely on instinct.
『That was so intense! It was really fun!』
Alicia exclaimed, still buzzing with excitement while I was struggling to recover.
『H-haha… I’m glad you enjoyed it…』
I replied, staggering as I tried to steady myself.
I was acutely aware of how comforting it felt just to have solid ground beneath my feet.
『Did you not enjoy it, Ikuto-san?』
『No, it’s not that… it’s just… my body couldn’t keep up with all the violent motion…』
『But I thought Ikuto-san used to do even crazier maneuvers than this when flying?』
Back in another world, blessed by the wind, I could fly using magic.
Like Alicia said, I had fought intense aerial battles against giant monsters like great eagles and even dived from hundreds of meters in the sky without a parachute.
But…
『Flying by my own will and being strapped into a machine that shakes you around are two completely different things.』
『Huh… so that’s how it is…』
Alicia tilted her head in curiosity as she listened to me.
Next up was the spinning swings.
A classic ride, where dozens of swings hung from a huge circular structure that looked like an oversized umbrella.
When the signal sounded, the umbrella started spinning, and the swings we sat in gradually picked up speed.
My long silver hair fluttered in the breeze, which felt nice and refreshing.
The centrifugal force made me feel like I was gently floating.
『Oooh, the ground is tilting—!』
『Feels good, doesn’t it—?』
This much was totally fine.
The wind was a little chilly, but not unbearably so.
…Though I couldn’t stop worrying about my fluttering dress.
I held down my knees with both hands, since I was carrying my hat and bag… but no one could see from below, right?
This time, we chose the Märchen Cup.
It’s another classic attraction—teacup-shaped rides spinning and gliding around like a ballroom dance.
I sat down in the teacup seat, holding down the back of my skirt with my hand.
…I feel like I’m being really stared at.
More than that—some people are even pointing their phones this way… That's basically voyeurism, isn’t it?
Not that I’m going to throw a fit about it or anything.
『Is it that unusual to be riding alone?』
Alicia murmured, puzzled by the people around us whispering and sneaking glances.
Sure enough, the rest of the riders were mostly couples and families. As far as I could see, we were the only ones riding alone.
『That might be part of it… but I think it’s more than just that.』
『Because we stand out…?』
『More like the opposite. I think it’s because we fit in too well.』
Right now, I looked like a silver-haired girl with distinctly un-Japanese features.
A girl like that, sitting alone on the Märchen Cup—it probably looked straight out of a fairy tale.
It doesn’t really bother me what others think, but the fact that I’ve created such an overly girly scene by myself… yeah, that part’s tough to swallow.
Even when the music started and the cups began to move, the awkwardness wouldn’t leave me.
I turned the handle in front of me, spinning the cup to blur my vision and distract myself.
Round and round, spin and spin.
『…What would happen if I spun this thing at full force using my enhanced physical abilities?』
『Don’t you dare.』
Alicia scolded me.
Next, we chose go-karts.
『So this lets you experience driving a car!』
『…Well, a tiny one, though.』
Still, the karts here are the real deal—they can go pretty fast. And since they’re low to the ground, they feel even faster than they are.
But…
『…Guess I can’t ride this in a skirt, huh…』
Hmm, maybe I made a bad outfit choice today.
Back when I was a guy, I never gave clothes a second thought.
But I really wanted to wear this outfit for the date…
Fashion for girls is tough.
『Oh! It looks like they have rental shorts over there!』
That’s a relief. Problem solved.
Feeling reassured, I immediately headed to the counter to sign up.
『Wahyaaah! S-Sooo faaasst!!』
It was Alicia’s first time in a kart, and she was squealing with delight as the scenery zoomed past.
I racked my memory to recall the course layout and maneuvered the kart, attacking the corners.
I felt a wave of nostalgia remembering how Souta and I used to get obsessed with beating each other’s times.
“Phew… Yeah, not bad.”
I took off my helmet and checked the time displayed on the electronic board.
For someone out of practice, I posted a decent time and even managed to squeak onto the lower end of the daily rankings.
The looks of admiration from the boys waiting their turn felt pretty nice.
…Heh. You kids can’t compete with my years of experience.
And finally, we came to the star of all thrill rides.
The theme park’s main attraction—a jet coaster with a steep, sudden drop.
『…You don’t have to go on it, you know?』
『I’ll be fine. Something like this is no big deal!』
Every time I came to an amusement park, Yuna would drag me on every single thrill ride. I never got used to it… but I did get good at enduring them.
…Probably.
『Ah…』
Alicia let out a small noise as she read the attraction’s safety notice.
『It says you have to be at least 140 cm tall to ride…』
She must’ve assumed she didn’t meet the height requirement.
—But there’s no problem.
『It’s okay. I meet that standard now!』
At my last health check, I had finally passed the 140 cm mark. Long live puberty!
『…So you really are growing.』
『Heh heh~♪』
I puffed out my chest proudly.
…No comment on the part that hasn’t grown at all.
『Well then, since there are no issues, let’s do this with full enthusiasm!』
『Eh… Ah, yeah…』
My excitement evaporated in an instant.
The seatbelt came down, and the staff went around to check that everything was secure.
…It felt like there was way more room than when I rode this before, but it should be fine, right?
After a buzzer sounded, the car started to move with a clattering noise.
It slowly climbed the steeply inclined track.
『This is so exciting, Ikuto-san! Ah—look, the view’s beautiful!』
According to the pamphlet, this ride supposedly offered the best view after the Ferris wheel.
From this height, you could see the entire park in one sweeping glance.
You could even look beyond it—to the majestic mountain ranges encircling the area.
—Why am I on this thing again?
Then I remembered.
The last time I rode it, I regretted it just as much. I swore to myself I’d never ride it again.
This time, I really mean it. I swear—never again—
“PiiiyaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”
That was the last thing I remembered clearly.
After that, all I could do was endure the sheer violence of speed, completely at its mercy.
I just kept praying for it to end as soon as possible.
Since the timing was just right and we wanted a break after the thrill rides, we decided to go into a restaurant.
『Actually… there’s something I’ve always wanted to try from the menu. Would that be alright…?』
While I was flipping through the menu so Alicia could see, she quietly asked me that.
『Of course!』
I had planned from the start to let Alicia choose whatever she wanted, so I answered without hesitation.
But the item she told me caught me completely off guard.
“I-I’d like the kids’ meal… please…”
“Y-Yes. One kids’ meal… Will that be all?”
“Y-Yes…”
The young waitress responded professionally, without so much as a flicker of surprise in her expression.
『I’m sorry… It just shows up in so many stories and media, I couldn’t help but be curious…』
Alicia said apologetically after the waitress walked away, noticing how I had frozen stiff.
『I-It’s totally fine…! It’s just… been a while, and I kinda got nervous, that’s all!』
I never imagined I’d be ordering a kids’ meal as a high schooler.
When was the last time I even had one…? Don’t they usually have age limits for this kind of thing?
Or maybe… I just looked young enough that it didn’t seem out of place?
“One kids’ meal~. Please choose one toy from this box.”
“H-Hahii!?”
The unexpected voice startled me into letting out a weird sound.
The waitress smiled gently at me and placed a big box of toys in front of us before walking away.
To distract myself, I leaned over and peered inside the box she brought.
『Which one do you want, Alicia…?』
I started picking through the toys absentmindedly.
There were cars and airplanes for boys.
Beaded crafts, accessories, and dolls for girls.
『Ikuto-san, I’d like that tiara, please.』
For a second, I wasn’t sure which one she meant, but then I noticed a hair ornament at the bottom and picked it up.
『This one…?』
『Yes!』
After taking out the tiara, I started by putting away the rest of the toys.
Then, I stared at the tiara for a moment.
It was a cheap plastic toy with a silver coating that looked exactly as fake as it was. The cardboard attached to the sealed bag proudly read: “From Today, You're a Princess! Princess Tiara.”
I didn’t really understand why Alicia wanted something like this… but, well, whatever.
I pulled the tiara out of the plastic bag and placed it on my head.
…I don’t know, it just felt like that’s what Alicia wanted me to do.
I took out my phone and turned on the front camera to check my reflection.
『Fufu… So cute… Thank you, Ikuto-san.』
Seeing Alicia’s reaction, I felt satisfied.
Might as well snap a photo while I’m at it.
—Click.
“One kids’ meal, coming through!”
“H-Hahiiiii!?”
Startled, I let out a weird yelp, but the waitress didn’t miss a beat as she set the tray down in front of me.
Stay calm. Stay calm, Ikuto…!
“…It really suits you.”
“Th-thank you very muhuhuch…”
Gyaaah.
“I’ll go ahead and clean up the extra toys then. Please enjoy your meal.”
Even after the waitress walked away, I was still frozen in place, unable to recover from the blow.
『Waaah~! It’s so cute!』
Served in a fancy tray, the menu was as colorful as it was nostalgic. Bite-sized fried chicken, a hamburger steak, an octopus-shaped sausage, jelly, and a ketchup-drenched omurice topped with a tiny Union Jack flag. In the cup was orange juice.
No doubt about it—this was a full-fledged kids’ meal.
I picked up the adorably sized fork and spoon and started to eat.
『It’s delicious, Ikuto-san!』
Alicia said with a beaming smile.
And hearing her voice—made everything else melt away.
—The kids’ meal I hadn’t had in ages tasted strangely nostalgic.
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