Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/1177354054895375647/episodes/1177354054918326482
After lunch, we went our separate ways.
By the way, lunch was curry rice called white whale curry. It was cute that the white rice was shaped like a whale, but I was disappointed that the white whale itself was a roller coaster and did not have a good image.
Also, I got a little tipsy from the steel dragon.
The group was divided into two groups: the scary group of Shizuku san and Harushita san, and the ladylike group of me and Mirei.
The first group seemed to be going on a roller coaster ride and other similarly exciting attractions, and were eager to get going.
“What are we going to do?”
And Team Relaxation, as the name implies, has not even decided where to go yet.
We were meeting with a map of the amusement park spread out on top of the restaurant.
“Do you want a simple roller coaster around here? Something a little younger.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m an adult.”
Yes, that’s right. That’s all from the field.
No, not that.
“You were so freaked out by the steel dragons earlier.”
“Hmm. Hmm. I-I don’t know.”
As she says this, she’s remembering the scene again, but she’s about two steps weaker.
She’s hunched over, and her legs are trembling.
“Hey, Because the ones that don’t go as fast are more fun.”
“W-well, If R-Rin says so, I can’t help it. I’ll go out with you.”
Mirei’s strength to the utmost was kind of cheeky. She is a child. She is a competitive person.
But if I pointed that out further, it might make her angry and put her in a bad mood, so I kept my mouth shut.
“Okay, let’s try this ‘Corkscrew’ next”
“Yeah.”
We decide on a destination and get out of our seats.
Being alone together like this, it feels like a date, but for me, it’s more like a parent-child relationship. Of course, Mirei is the child.
“Hey, get me some churros over there.”
“You’re such a good eater.”
“I’m hungry.”
I knew She was still a child, I thought, but I was somewhat nervous about the hand that was being held.
＊
“What about them?”
“What do you mean?”
This time we are waiting by the “storm,” and as I look at Nagishiro san and Mirei, who are walking together in the distance, I turn to Suzune san.
She has the dexterity to think about the next roller coaster ride while waiting for the attraction she is waiting for. I guess she likes it so much.
She reacts to my words by looking at the map.
“Look, are they dating or something?~”
“Aah”
When I supplemented, she finally seemed to get the meaning and lowered her map to think about it.
Suzune san is a good person who thinks carefully even in such unimportant chit-chat. I think she’s a little, or rather a lot, on the “S” side, though.
“No, I don’t think so.”
“You mean they’re not together?”
“I mean, Mizuno san doesn’t think they are dating either, does she?”
“Well, you know. But looking at that, I don’t know.”
The two people I pointed to were holding hands and chatting amiably.
I wonder if it is my imagination that the two of them seem to be closer than when they came to the amusement park. I think It’s not my imagination.
“Are you jealous?”
“That’s of course. I’m not sure how much I like amusement parks, but if she keeps Nagishiro san all to herself that much, I’m going to feel bad.”
When I said it matter-of-factly, Suzune san seemed surprised and blinked her eyes.
“Hnnn ? Did I say something wrong?”
“No, it’s not that. ……”
Indeed, her eyes do not seem to be condemning, but rather favorable.
“I’ve never seen anyone so open about themselves.”
“Is that so~?”
“I don’t think I could, at least not by myself.”
When you said that, I felt like I was doing something embarrassing.
But still, that’s no reason not to say it.
“Because if you say it like this, it will also be a restraint, won’t it?”
“Restraint… me?”
I can’t help but laugh at Suzune san’s shocked expression.
It makes me feel strangely relieved to think that even someone as star-studded as Suzune san makes this kind of face, though, so I guess I’m not quite at that level yet.
“What, did I say something funny?”
“No, no, no. I didn’t think you’d react that way.”
“I don’t even like Nagishiro san.”
“I’m sure you don’t.”
“Then why do you need to keep me in check?”
I really didn’t seem to understand.
Oh well~ if I don’t know, well, I don’t have the obligation to tell
“Look, we’re almost there!”
“Just a minute?”
“Come on, come on, come on. We’re running out of time.”
“Come on! You can try to fool me, but it won’t work! I’ll ask you when we get off.”
“Okay, okay.”
When I pushed Suzune san’s back and urged her to move forward, she seemed to give up, deciding to ask me later.
Well, I’m not going to tell you.
–It’s just too much for me. To tell her that the best match for Nagishiro san is Suzune san, no matter how I look at it.
And because I thought it was unfair that the person responsible wasn’t in love.
Someday, when Suzune san falls in love with Nagishiro san, I will tell her.
I decided so and put it in my heart. I wonder when the seal will be broken. Maybe it won’t come. It might be better if it doesn’t come. My rivals are already strong opponents.
But strangely enough, I could easily imagine a future where Suzune san would be a love interest.
Oh, by the way, after getting off the attraction, Suzune san firmly seemed to have forgotten what we had talked about and talked at length about her impressions of the attraction.
I knew she wasn’t interested in men.
＊
“How was it? Did you have fun there?
“Rather, did you have fun on the roller coaster ride?”
“No, it was a lot of fun. right suzune san?”
“I’ve only been on the white whale twice. ……”
Harushita san was extremely sad, but it was already around 6:00 p.m., so she had to give up on the roller coaster ride.
I mean, how much do you like it, this person?
“Then let’s all take a ride on the Ferris wheel at the end.”
So I suggest a ride on the Ferris wheel.
What I can tell you is that the Ferris wheel is my favorite part of the amusement park.
“Well it’s nice~”
“Okay.”
“U~……White whale……”
Only one person was lamenting like a child ……, but, well, maybe there is something about this amusement park that regresses us into toddlers.
Then, hey, could it be that the most mature person is Shizuku san? No, she’s a little bit younger than she used to be, so yeah, I guess not.
“Well, everyone looks good, so let’s go.”
With Harushita san nodding reluctantly, the four of us headed for the “Giant Ferris Wheel Aurora.”
The Ferris Wheel Aurora was the most conspicuous attraction in Nagashima, as seen from the bus on the way to the hotel.
When the four of us went to the Ferris wheel and tried to ride it together, we were met with some strange looks.
It was true that it is not usual for one boy and three girls to come to a Ferris wheel. Don’t worry, attendant. We’re all just friends. So please don’t look at me like I’m the worst kind of guy.
After overcoming such hardships, we boarded the Ferris wheel.
I am sitting next to Shizuku san, with Mirei in front of me and Harushita san on the diagonal.
It is a little, or rather quite small, and there is almost no distance between me and Shizuku san next to me.
I manage to get the soft touch of the girl on my right hand and manage to drive it out of my head so that I am not conscious of it.
Mirei in front of me was also so close that our legs would have touched if I had not been so close.
Mirei’s supple legs looked so entrancing that I hurried to look out.
I was still in the middle of the dance.
“Hmm, there’s some kind of black cloud~”
“Maybe it’s just a passing shower.”
There are thick pitch black clouds in the distance.
I just hope it doesn’t rain while I am in the open-air bath.
“Hey, look down there. There are so many cars.”
“It’s like people are trash.”
“Mirei, what do you have against people?”
The Ferris wheel slowly spun around as we talked about trivial things.
It was completely dusk. Behind a group of black clouds, the orange-burned western sun was waiting for us.
“Haaa, that was a fun day~”
Shizuku san dropped a mumble into the silence.
As if in retrospect of today’s events.
“I haven’t been here in a while, so I might have overstretched my wings.”
“No, no. Me, too.”
Shizuku san and Harushita san look satisfied.
Both of them may have always liked this kind of leisure land, but they were probably too busy with their work to have a chance to come.
“How was Mirei?”
Shizuku san talks to Mirei. She looks a little worried.
But Mirei, looking unfaithful, replied in a whisper.
“…… wasn’t too bad.”
Seeing this, I bit back a smile. It was like Mirei not to say, “Good,” but apparently Mirei was also enjoying herself to her satisfaction.
“But I hate roller coasters. I hope they die.”
“They don’t have to die, you don’t have to …… ride them. ……”
She started to say something disturbing, so I stopped her from going any further.
If the people at the amusement park heard that, they would cry.
“How was it, Nagishiro san?”
Then, unexpectedly, Harushita san asked me a question.
Pure eyes, straight and calm.
I felt like I had to answer seriously, so I took it seriously before answering.
“I had a good time, too. I have been here before while I was a college student, but it was more fun than that time.”
Maybe it was because I was following the flow at the time.
But at the time, I had a somewhat narrow-minded view of things, and when I saw other people getting excited at the attractions, I looked down on them as “children”.
That’s why I couldn’t honestly enjoy myself even though I had come to such an interesting place.
“I wonder why.”
Why had my thinking changed since then? I didn’t have an answer for that, even through the day.
I don’t think I even cared much about it.
And the answer was held by someone else, not me.
“I think it’s because Nagishiro san started working.”
“Work?”
Harushita san said so with satisfaction.
Harushita san is not the only one. Shizuku san and Mirei also nodded their heads, apparently thinking the same thing.
I was the only one who didn’t know the answer.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s simple. You used to come here to kill time, right? You had nothing to do, so you decided to have some fun. That’s what you were doing, wasn’t it?”
Yes, it was summer vacation at that time, but I had no plans, so I went out to play as if to fill up my schedule.
“But not this time. You forced yourself to clear your schedule and make that appointment to come here.”
I made a schedule to come. The words seem to be stating the obvious, but they are not as obvious as you might think.
It was not to fill the schedule.
“Isn’t the occasional playtime exceptional when you’re short on time?”
With those words, I knew why I was the only one who didn’t know the answer.
Simply put, I had always been a man of leisure, but the girls had always been busy.
“But this time it felt fun. right?”
In other words. Harushita san seemed proud of herself.
“Welcome, Nagishiro kun.”
“What does that mean?”
But the two who took the last word were the ones who had been looking for an opportunity all along.
“Oh, hey! Don’t take people’s words out of their mouths.”
“I’ve been doing this longer than you.”
“Shut up, amateur.”
Three people arguing amicably. These three may have become somewhat closer to each other after working together at this amusement park.
“Um, so what does that mean?”
But I was not following the conversation, so I asked again.
Then Harushita san answered, this time with her heart pounding.
“It means you’re finally one of us.”
Harushita san said, lying on her eyes, as if borrowing someone else’s words.
The gulf that had existed between me and the girls. Harushita san told me that the gap between us had been filled.
“It’s only been a month. Is it that easy to close the gap?”
Even as I ask the question, I am happy. I was happy because I felt like I was being acknowledged somehow, which is why I was skeptical. That’s how I felt.
“No, what are you talking about? The difference hasn’t narrowed, has it?”
But she tells it as if to say, what a stupid thing to do.
Oh, that’s funny. I thought they said I was supposed to be one of them or something. I’m starting to feel like crying.
But Harushita san, perhaps satisfied with my quizzical look, offers an explanation.
“We are finally on the same stage.”
The same stage. For some reason, that word made me think of that scene in Makuhari.
Was I able to go to that place, or was I able to see the same scenery as these guys?
“It’s kind of a bummer.”
Despite saying so, I feel a definite sense of excitement and elation.
Is it because I want to see that view again?
Whatever it is.
“I’ve got to work harder.”
I am not yet competent and time is not enough.
These women have walked longer than I have. They have been living in that hellish world for a long time.
“That’s what I mean.”
Harushita san chuckled like a teacher after class and shifted her gaze outward again.
The Ferris wheel had reached its peak.
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