Ch.46Amusement Park (4)

Anyway, after Taiga and I had a good time together, we headed to the meeting point.

“Shota.”

“Yeah.”

“Shota.”

“Hmm.”

Taiga kept calling my name persistently while linking her arm with mine.

“Ehehe.”

Perhaps due to the joy of being paired with me, Taiga was beside herself.

We arrived at the park in the amusement grounds, our designated meeting spot.

“Wait. Taiga. Aren’t you sticking too close to him?”

Umi immediately stared at Taiga and me.

“It’s not like you’re officially dating him anyway, right? I’ve been approved too. As a girlfriend candidate.”

Taiga continued to cling to my arm while looking at Umi.

“Ah… Shota. So you ended up touching her after all.”

Sasitsu muttered with his eyes tightly shut. Well, as the club leader, his feelings must be complicated. It would be no laughing matter if the club collapsed due to a love triangle.

“Shota!! How can you be so nonchalant about this?!”

Umi immediately directed her anger at me.

“Well… given the atmosphere…”

That was all I could say in response.

“Grrrr! Seriously!!!”

However, as Taiga had pointed out, Umi wasn’t my official girlfriend. All she could do was stomp her feet in frustration.

“Anyway, please take care of me, senpai?”

Taiga smiled as she addressed Umi.

“I hope I won’t have to witness the unsightly scene of being overtaken by a junior.”

Then, Taiga added a provocative remark.

“Really… Shota. Be prepared for later.”

Umi said, looking at me.

*Shiver*

Her words sent a genuine chill down my spine. After we return from the amusement park… how much would I get chewed out? That thought terrified me.

“Let’s go eat first.”

Like the leader he was, Sasitsu made a safe suggestion. He was trying to cool down the atmosphere by changing the subject.

“What should we eat?”

I asked Sasitsu.

Well… I had glanced at the restaurants as we walked by, but honestly, they all looked expensive. It was an amusement park, so it couldn’t be helped… but it still felt like a rip-off.

“I heard there’s a dish called Green Jjamppong. It’s Korean-style jjamppong but green. That’s what I’m going to eat.”

Sasitsu said.

“Ugh… I don’t want to eat that.”

Umi immediately made a disgusted face.

“Just eat a normal rice bowl. Why bother?”

Taiga also expressed her reluctance.

Well, the idea of green jjamppong was quite bizarre. That dissonance made it hard to work up an appetite.

“They give you a stamp if you eat it. We have to eat it.”

However, Sasitsu showed no signs of backing down.

“Really… this stamp-obsessed bastard…”

I muttered under my breath. I had no idea he was this fixated on collecting stamps. I had thrown away the stamp sheet they gave us at the beginning.

“Let’s go.”

Sasitsu immediately led us away.

———

The Korean restaurant inside the amusement park was quite crowded, probably because it was dinner time. We managed to find a corner table. Getting those seats was honestly a struggle. Both Umi and Taiga were trying to sit next to me. In the end, to avoid all the conflict, I just sat next to Sasitsu.

Reliable!! Sasitsu!!

‘This is truly a cauldron of chaos…’

The moment I looked at the menu, I felt dizzy.

It was a Korean restaurant, but they sold jajangmyeon and jjamppong. They even had danmuji as a side dish, adding to the detail. These dishes would normally be sold in Chinese restaurants, but these Korean-style Chinese restaurants only existed in Korea. That’s why they appeared in a Korean restaurant.

“Jajangmyeon? This looks delicious?”

Taiga, who had surprisingly good taste, immediately set her eyes on the jajangmyeon.

“Well, jajangmyeon does seem to suit you, Taiga.”

I said without thinking.

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Taiga immediately frowned.

“No. It’s just a thing.”

I shook my head.

I was picturing ordering jajangmyeon at a pool hall. If someone picks a fight, you beat them with a pool cue.

“It feels like you’re making fun of me…”

Taiga looked at me with suspicious eyes.

“Hey, Shota. What about me? What suits me?”

Umi called out to me.

“Dumplings.”

“Why?”

Tch. I gave a casual answer, but she immediately asked for a reason.

“Umi’s chest… it’s white and big. Like dumplings.”

And they taste good too. But I didn’t say that out loud since it would be sexual harassment.

“Kyaa! Shota! You pervert!!”

Umi seemed delighted as she kicked my shins hard under the table. Wait. She’s happy about this?

“I’ve decided. Green Juice Jjamppong.”

Sasitsu pointed to a corner of the menu. He really was going to order it… There was a small note on the menu saying they’d give a stamp for it.

“You get one stamp per green juice menu item. If we all order green juice items, we can get four stamps.”

Sasitsu subtly pressured the party members.

“Nope. Not eating that.”

“You eat it yourself.”

However, Umi and Taiga finalized their orders with two jajangmyeon.

“Shota… I won’t force you. But trying new flavors isn’t a bad experience, right?”

Sasitsu exerted a strange pressure on me.

“Alright… I’ll eat it. Green food is no big deal.”

I had been indebted to Sasitsu before, and I wanted to go along with him. I immediately ordered a green juice jajangmyeon. Honestly, I wanted to try jjamppong too, but I could always steal some soup from whoever ordered it. That’s the unwritten rule of Chinese restaurants, isn’t it?

——–

Soon after, our food arrived.

Green Juice Jajangmyeon.

It was jajangmyeon, but green. Plump, oily, green noodles. Even the chunks were all green.

‘I really don’t want to eat this…’

Honestly, I felt a physiological aversion.

But it was better compared to the jjamppong. Sasitsu had a bowl of what looked like a witch’s poison soup in front of him.

Slurp! Slurp!!

Umi and Taiga had ordered normal jajangmyeon and were eating with great enthusiasm. They even ordered mini sweet and sour pork, fully enjoying the Korean Chinese restaurant experience.

‘I’m jealous…’

Meanwhile, I had to battle with green slime.

“……….”

Even Sasitsu, whose goal was the stamp, wasn’t some weirdo who enjoyed bizarre food. His expression was slightly stiff.

Despite being at the same table, the dining atmosphere was so different.

In the end, I had to break the ice.

“Ready, Sasitsu?”

I looked straight at Sasitsu.

“Of course, Shota.”

Only then did Sasitsu regain his usual bravado.

After taking a deep breath, we began to slaughter the green slime in front of us.

But surprisingly, the taste was ordinary. It was just jajangmyeon, only green. Sasitsu was also eating it without much trouble. However, he kept his eyes closed to concentrate, not wanting to see the grotesque green appearance.

——–

After the meal, I was supposed to hang out with Umi as promised.

It was gradually becoming evening, and people were starting to leave.

As the sun began to set, the night view beautifully… no, not really. It was too dark for an amusement park. There weren’t many places with lights on. It was truly an amusement park with no money. Really.

“Hey, Shota. Want to… ride the Ferris wheel?”

Umi asked, pressing her body against mine.

“Ferris wheel? Sure, why not.”

Honestly, I had already ridden it once with Taiga, but I couldn’t mention that.

We headed straight for the Ferris wheel.

Ironically, the Ferris wheel car that Umi and I boarded was the same one I had ridden with Taiga.

‘Number 29’

Even the number on the car was the same.

“Wait.”

And just as Umi was about to sit down, I instinctively grabbed her.

“There’s something on that seat.”

I knew that Taiga’s bottom had suffered a water attack earlier, so I stopped Umi.

“Oh my. You’re right. Thank you.”

Umi smiled sweetly.

But her expression quickly hardened.

“But you know what? It’s dark here with no lights… how did you know?”

Umi immediately interrogated me.

“My keen eye… I guess?”

I tried to brush it off. Heh. I expected this much.

“But Shota. You know what?”

Umi continued to stare at me with an expressionless face.

“This seat doesn’t have any water on it. Maybe the staff cleaned it. Look. It’s completely dry.”

Umi brushed the seat.

“Oh crap…!!!”

The words escaped my mouth involuntarily. I tried to be considerate and ended up getting caught.

Come to think of it… Umi had said, “Oh my. You’re right. Thank you.” Was that a bluff?!! Our Umi… has become smart!!! Her intelligence has skyrocketed!!!

“Hehehe. ‘Oh crap’ indeed.”

After that, Umi immediately grabbed my collar.

“How did you know? You’ve been here with someone… right? It’s Taiga, isn’t it?”

Umi asked.

“Yes!”

I answered politely, desperate to survive.

“Shota… weren’t you a hikikomori in middle school? Isn’t this your first amusement park? Then… that means the Ferris wheel with Taiga was your first time? Wow. That was your first Ferris wheel date with a girl. Congratulations.”

Umi dragged me to the window of the Ferris wheel car.

Why are you like this? Seriously. I’m scared…!

“I… lost Shota’s first Ferris wheel experience.”

Umi muttered, looking out the window.

“What does it matter if it’s the first time or not? Isn’t the first time with Umi… what’s important?”

I tried to smile as I spoke.

“No. First times are important. Honestly, I was also unhappy about having my first experience in a threesome with Eri. I’ve always had my firsts stolen.”

Umi said, gently stroking my cheek.

But that moment of letting my guard down was brief; Umi immediately tried to open the door of the Ferris wheel car.

“Umi!! Wait!! That’s dangerous!! What are you doing?!!”

“Eeeeeeek!!! But the chance for a first suicide jump with Shota is still available!!! Let’s experience our first time together!!! If we’re lucky, we’ll survive!! Let’s spend a happy eight weeks in the hospital together!! Hospital room date, let’s go!!!!”

Umi, having completely lost her mind, engaged in a fierce struggle with me.

“Stop it!!! You crazy woman!!!!!”

No. Umi!! You weren’t originally this insane! Your character has changed too much!!!!

“Eeeeeeek!!!”

Umi was screaming like some kind of pterodactyl.

Well, after struggling like this and that, Umi and I ended up engaging in intimate skinship, which eventually led to a kiss.

That calmed Umi down. The power of physical satisfaction was terrifying. It could make people reconcile even in the middle of a fight.

Anyway, my eventful second Ferris wheel date came to an end.