Chapter 11 - All's well that ends well.
My special day is already turning into a mess before it even really started...
Yuu: "Alright, we're finally here."
Hikari: "Y-yeah... finally."
We'd already had a minor disaster on the train and ended up killing time at a family restaurant.
By the time we finally reached the bustling amusement park, it was already afternoon.
My nerves, embarrassment, and nonstop regret had me feeling like I'd already used up all my energy for the day.
Yuu: "So, what should we do first? Anywhere you've got in mind, Hikari?"
Hikari: "Hmm, let's see..."
[ Haru: How about getting cozy in the haunted house? ]
[ Yuki: Confess your feelings on the merry-go-round! ]
...And right there, my friends start bombarding me with helpful (??) advice again, almost as if they're listening in on our conversation.
[ Yuki: Confessing on the Ferris wheel is classic, right? ]
[ Haru: But that means waiting till evening! ]
[ Yuki: Exactly! Just picture it. Yuu and Hikari, with the sunset as their backdrop! ]
[ Ayami: Wait, Yuu? Huh? Isn't Hikari's boyfriend Ta~kun? ]
[ Haru: Aya, have you even been listening?! ]
[ Yuki: Admit it, Ayachin, you don't care about Hikari's love life at all, do you? ]
Yuu: "... You're getting a ton of notifications. Aren't you going to check them?"
Hikari: "... Nah, I'm good."
Honestly, I don't have the energy to keep getting tossed around by their advice... or really, to even consider it anymore.
Hikari: "Alright then, let's start with the roller coaster! Ta~kun!"
I turn off my phone and tuck it safely away in my bag.
Now, for better or worse, I'm on my own. No more help.
I'll just have to make it through this with my own strength.
...No, honestly, this is how it was meant to be from the start, wasn't it?
............
............
Hikari: "Looking at it now, it's kinda lame, huh?"
Yuu: "...Kind of a weird thing to say before getting on."
The rickety roller coaster at this unimpressive local amusement park doesn't have much height or steep drops to brag about.
Most of the people in line are families with little kids. There are barely any other people our age here.
Hikari: "When we were in elementary school, though, we'd both be freaking out before we even got on, like, How scary is this thing gonna be?"
Yuu: "Huh? Did we actually go on this together? I don't remember that..."
Hikari: "Nope, we never got to ride it."
Yuu: "Huh? But you just..."
Hikari: "You didn't meet the height requirement, Ta~kun..."
Yuu: "...Oh."
The first, and only, time we came to this park together was in early elementary school.
It wasn't just because the park was meant for younger kids...
It was also because that one memory we shared together just wasn't that special to the two of us.
I was all excited to ride a roller coaster for the first time. But even though he was in the exact same situation as me, he looked like he was about to cry.
But before we got on, the ride operator stopped us...
Yuu: "...Oh yeah, I was the only one who didn't meet the height requirement!"
Hikari: "Yup. Back then, I was taller than you."
Yuu: "Wait, but didn't you still get to ride, Hikari?"
Hikari: "Well, my mom said it'd be unfair if I got to enjoy it while you couldn't..."
Yuu: "Ohhh, now I remember! And then you got into this huge fight with your mom about it..."
Hikari: "The whole vibe turned horrible."
Yuu: "You remember the worst stuff, Hikari..."
Yeah, for him, that was probably an unpleasant memory.
Knowing he was the reason no one got to ride that roller coaster.
And how that ended up ruining our fun time together.
So...
Hikari: "This time, let's make up for it!"
Yuu: "...Yeah, let's do it."
............
............
Yuu: "As expected, that was so underwhelming."
Hikari: "Seriously! Especially after going to Fuji-Q with my friends last month. This just doesn't compare."
Yuu: "...I wish we'd gone to Fuji-Q too."
Hikari: "Haha, sorryyy!"
It was fun to grumble and poke fun like this.
Yuu: "Hey, hey, let's go to the haunted house next!"
Hikari: "Oh, speaking of which, last time you were bawling your eyes out in there, Ta~kun."
Yuu: "Shut up! Only because... well, because you kept charging ahead and left me behind... that's why I was crying..."
Hikari: "Huh?"
The things that used to seem scary, amazing, or even grown-up to us back then...
Now, they just feel kind of lame, childish, and disappointing. Complaining about them together is so much fun.
Yuu: "Guess it wasn't scary at all, huh!"
Hikari: "I actually started laughing halfway through!"
Yuu: "Hey, hey, let's ride everything we rode before and see how much more disappointing it is now!"
Hikari: "You're terrible, Ta~kun..."
This is something only the two of us can do... our own little date, with memories that are just ours.
............
............
Yuu: "Wow, that was actually more fun than I expected!"
Hikari: "Though, I feel like maybe we were having fun in a totally different way than intended..."
Just like that, this dreamlike time we shared slipped by in an instant.
Even in this small amusement park with its few rides, by the time we'd covered almost everything, quite a bit of time had passed...
Before I knew it, the sun had dipped low in the west.
That sunset was signaling the end of my time with him.
Hikari: "Hey, Ta~kun, for our last ride..."
I didn't need to say it out loud, I'd already decided.
The Ferris wheel, with the sunset spilling in, was the perfect spot to end it all.
In that tiny space, just the two of us in the midst of all this bustle... that's where I'd complete my final mission.
Yuu: "Oh, before that, here. Take this."
Hikari: "A... medal?"
Yuu: "Yep, a souvenir medal from this park."
But Ta~kun, whether he sensed the moment or completely missed it, handed me a cheap little medal, with the park's illustration and date engraved on it.
Hikari: "This is..."
Yuu: "A little something from today... actually, a long-overdue thank-you."
Hikari: "Huh?"
Yuu: "For, well... back then. I'm sorry, for losing it..."
Hikari: "Ah..."
The first and only time we'd come to this amusement park together was back in early elementary school.
Despite the ups and downs, we'd managed to have fun. At the end, our parents had bought each of us a souvenir medal to remember the day.
But just as we were leaving the park, he realized his medal was missing.
Going back to get another would mean re-entering and paying for a ticket again.
So, our parents told him to let it go. But instead of shrugging it off, he started to get upset... and then burst into tears.
Back then, I had said to him:
"You can have mine. I don't need it anyway."
Hikari: "You... remembered..."
Yuu: "It all came back to me today, being here, running around together."
Hikari: "..."
I'm such an idiot...
All this worrying about whether it's too much or too little, too embarrassing or too late.
None of that matters anymore.
We've long since passed that point, haven't we?
Hikari: "Oh no! Shoot!"
Yuu: "Huh? What is it, Hikari?"
Hikari: "I made us lunch! Totally forgot about it until now!"
Yuu: "Wh-what?! That's super important! Why didn't you say so sooner?"
Hikari: "Hey, Ta~kun, you're hungry by now, right? We've been running around all day."
Yuu: "Of course I am! Let's eat it now before it goes bad!"
............
............
I'm Shirasaka Hikari, sixteen years old......
......and I couldn't confess, but I've fallen for him even more than before.
Prev Chapter | Next Chapter