Chapter 85: Amusement park date with two beautiful girls

“Wow~ It’s been a really long time since I’ve been to this amusement park. Right, Oppa?”

“……”

—Squeeze!

Gaeun strongly pulled my right arm into her embrace.

“Shin Oppa… This is my first time in a place like this, so I might get lost. You can’t let go of my hand…”

“……”

—Cling!

Emilia wedged my remaining left arm between her soft breasts, holding it firmly.

“Haha, hey, kids? If you hold onto my arms like this, I won’t be able to walk well, will I? Won’t you let go now?”

“No!”

“No…”

‘You two were fighting the whole way here, so why do you suddenly agree now?’

Honestly, I was talking with a smile, but with both of them pulling from opposite sides, I really felt like I was going to be torn in half and die.

I felt like my life was going to end as a mere mortal, split in half!

‘In Solomon’s wise judgment, the woman who didn’t want the child split in half was the true mother who loved the baby. But Gaeun and Emilia seem to have no regard for wise judgments or anything, they just want to split me in half…’

The sound of children’s laughter and the fragrant smell of buttered popcorn filled the air.

Even amidst the music that lifted people’s spirits and the welcoming greetings of the staff, I couldn’t simply smile.

‘How can I smile when my arms are being pulled taut from both sides!’

Emilia and Han Gaeun, the two girls, were still locked in a subtle war of nerves.

From arguing about who would sit in the passenger seat when we got in the car, to still fighting like this even after arriving at the amusement park.

‘I’m starting to doubt if Gaeun and Emilia are truly the guild’s core elites.’

Gaeun, who possesses outstanding activity and skill in combat and investigation against urban legends.

And Emilia, who I don’t know much about, but is said to be a genius researcher.

Why do these two girls act like spoiled children in front of me?

‘If I knew that, I’d already be a fortune teller.’

For now, we have no choice but to spend the whole day together.

Emilia’s job was to stick with me from the start, and Gaeun’s dad specifically asked me to stay with her for just one day.

“I’ve explained it a few times on the way here, but we have to stick together for the whole day anyway. But if this keeps up… I’ll have no choice but to take action.”

“Wh-What kind of action?”

“Hehehe… It’s an extraordinary measure, indeed.”

I first looked at Gaeun, who was tightly gripping my right arm.

“Gaeun, as I said before, I have to be with Emilia today. It’s the day I’m being observed to see if I’m suitable as a guardian for the urban legend. This was a prior appointment, and you came in later. So what should you do?”

“Oppa, I know because you explained it step by step, but since it’s been a long time, I wanted to be alone with you. Oppa… I waited for this day while I was overseas. I thought the time I’d endlessly waited for, just you and me, had finally come… but then a girl I don’t know suddenly popped up, and I got jealous. You’re a fool, Oppa, you wouldn’t know how I feel…”

Gaeun’s sunset-colored eyes welled up slightly, and soon transparent tears began to fall.

“Hiccup…! Oppa, you’re a fool…! A fool, a fool…!!”

‘Oh, for crying out loud. There’s no need to cry about it.’

—Pat.

I placed my right hand, which had been held in Gaeun’s embrace, directly onto her light pink hair.

“Why wouldn’t I know how you feel? And I told you I’d take an extraordinary measure. You should at least hear that first.”

“Sniff…! You didn’t mean you were going to abandon us, did you?”

“Even so, do you think I’d abandon you and Emilia?”

“Then what’s this extraordinary measure…?”

“If you get along well with Emilia today without fighting, I’ll give you a [Sihyun One-Day Pass] as a gift.”

“Oh, oh, Oppa’s One-Day Pass…?”

“Yes, it’s an all-access pass. So you can’t fight anymore. Got it?”

As soon as Gaeun heard “One-Day Pass,” she gave a sly smile and mumbled something to herself, then nodded her head, promising not to fight with Emilia.

Honestly, I was a little worried because I couldn’t guess where Gaeun would use the ‘One-Day Pass,’ but it was an unavoidable choice.

‘This is Yookchamgoldan. The military strategy of giving up flesh to gain bone.’

Now that Gaeun has been appeased with the ‘One-Day Pass,’ it’s time to soothe the small, cute girl clinging tightly to my left arm.

—Stare.

Her emotionless coral-colored eyes were still staring intently at my face.

‘Actually, I need to talk to Emilia alone sometime.’

Why she sticks to me so much.

Why she calls me ‘Shin Oppa’ instead of Sihyun.

Honestly, it’s all a mystery from beginning to end.

‘Well, that’s not the immediate problem, so let’s move on for now.’

I met Emilia’s gaze, who was hanging onto my left arm.

At that moment.

“Shin Oppa… You don’t have to give me anything. As long as you don’t let go of my hand… I won’t fight with Pink Hair.”

Emilia preempted me, as if she had read my mind.

As expected, is it because she’s a genius girl? She seems quite quick-witted.

‘A girl who considers a man’s feelings first like this… Is Emilia an angel?’

I felt pleased by Emilia’s words, as she asked for nothing but to hold her hand.

‘A girl who promises to be well-behaved first like this deserves a reward.’

Since Emilia considered my feelings first, this time I had to reciprocate the girl’s feelings.

—Stroke.

I gently placed my left arm, which Emilia had been hugging, onto the girl’s head and stroked it lightly.

‘Emilia is like a small, cute little animal, so I feel like I shouldn’t just go “wah-rah-rah~~” and pet her.’

“You said you didn’t want anything, but I still want to give Emilia something, you know?”

“Is it because you have to be fair to Pink Hair…?”

“No, that’s not the reason.”

“……Then?”

“Because I want to. We already have various things to talk about, don’t we? So I’ll give Emilia a [One-Day Pass] too.”

“……!!”

“I’m giving it to you because Emilia is good and cute.”

Her coral eyes still seemed devoid of emotion, but I could tell.

That the girl was happy.

‘Reading the hidden emotions of an expressionless, emotionless girl is my specialty.’

It was I who noticed Luna’s lips, which were completely devoid of emotion, changing by nanometers!

Emilia is a piece of cake.

“Alright, so it’s settled now, right? For today, don’t fight and get along well.”

“Hehe, okay! If Oppa says so, I’ll try my best.”

“Since Shin Oppa requested it, I’ll try…”

“Good, then let’s start with something easy, like the merry-go-round—”

Having painful memories of roller coasters, I wanted to ride something slow that even kids could enjoy, but.

“Oppa! What grown-up rides a merry-go-round! The roller coaster here is really fun, so let’s ride that first!”

“Haha, Gaeun. D-Do you think I’m saying that because I’m scared? It’s all~~ for our Emilia, you know.”

“Shin Oppa… I’m good with scary rides. Don’t worry.”

“Eh?”

“Then since all three of us agree, let’s go for the roller coaster~!”

“Wa-Wait a mi———”

My plan to somehow make an excuse and escape was shattered by a single word from the pink-haired bulldozer girl and the expressionless genius girl.

****

And so, with Emilia and Gaeun, the two girls, we rode all the scary rides in the amusement park, starting with the roller coaster.

X-Express, Cyclone, Flying Dragon Express, and so on… Honestly, I don’t even know how I rode them.

When I came to my senses, several hours had already passed.

How much time had actually passed?

Two hours? Three hours?

No, maybe even four hours had passed.

‘Did someone use a time-deletion ability on me or something…?’

Exhausted from continuously riding attractions, I sat on a bench and watched Emilia and Gaeun play.

—Whoosh!

“Kyaaaah~ This is more fun than I thought! Right, Emilia?”

“Mhm… I like that you can feel weightlessness for a moment.”

Gaeun quickly became close with Emilia thanks to her unique sociability. Of course, I did ask her to try, but to get so close in such a short time.

‘As expected of Gaeun, who shines with MAX sociability stats. How does she get close to people so fast? It’s really amazing.’

I had been worried that they would continue to snarl at each other over me, but now it seemed I could put those fears aside.

‘Even though Emilia is quiet, she’s receptive to Gaeun. Perhaps they’re more compatible than I thought?’

“Whoaaah~~ That was fun. But Oppa, what are you thinking so hard about?”

“Shin Oppa… You were lonely being by yourself, weren’t you…? I’ll hold your hand…”

“Ah, Emilia, that’s unfair! We agreed to do things like this together!”

Did they make some kind of agreement when I wasn’t around? They had apparently promised to do skinship together.

It’s a bit uncomfortable when they cling from both sides, but…

—Soft.

‘It really feels good when their chests touch me… I guess I should just shut up and accept it. Heheheh.’

“Ah, Oppa, that sly smile again! What are you thinking?”

“Shin Oppa, are you… thinking perverted thoughts?”

“Hahaha, of course not! I was thinking I should buy snacks for Emilia and Gaeun since you’re getting along so well. I absolutely did not think about how good it felt for your chests to touch me!”

“……Oppa is a pervert.”

“I… It’s okay if Shin Oppa is a pervert…”

“Ahem…! Anyway, I bought snacks earlier, so I’ll take them out of the basket for you.”

I handed the churros to Gaeun, and the cotton candy to Emilia.

“Gaeun, since you like cinnamon, I bought you churros, and Emilia, I thought you’d like something sweet and fluffy, so I bought you cotton candy.”

“Hehet, Oppa really knows my taste! I’ll eat well!”

—Nom!

Gaeun smiled brightly and took a big bite of her churro.

“Haha, eat slowly. If you want more, I’ll buy it for you again.”

“Mhm! Thank you, Oppa!”

“Emilia, is the cotton candy okay? Do you like it?”

“Mhm… Shin Oppa, how did you know I like cotton candy…?”

“Hmm, I wonder? It just came to mind. The image of Emilia eating cotton candy with a bright smile.”

“……I see.”

Emilia gazed at me with slightly wistful eyes, then took a bite of cotton candy with her small mouth.

—Om nom nom.

Perhaps pleased by the sweetness that melted away, Emilia immediately took another bite.

The moment I saw the girl’s coral eyes sparkling ever so faintly like sunlit soap bubbles, I knew Emilia was happy.

“Emilia, is it delicious?”

“Mhm… Thank you. Shin Oppa…”

“Haha, you’re welcome.”

Gaeun eating churros and Emilia munching on cotton candy with her small mouth were uniquely beautiful, standing out even in the amusement park.

‘To be on a date with such beautiful girls…! Is my life only going to be rosy from now on?’

As the three of us shared snacks and spent a peaceful afternoon, a broadcast suddenly came from the speakers.

—Ding-dong-daeng-dong!

[Missing Child Announcement]

[Seeking a 5-year-old boy. He is 110cm tall, wearing a sky-blue t-shirt and pants, and was lost near the merry-go-round. If anyone sees this child, please contact the management office.]

A missing child announcement echoed throughout the entire amusement park. It seemed the parents had lost their child.

“Oppa, we were going to go to the merry-go-round later, weren’t we? Should we go now and look for him?”

Gaeun, like a hero who receives media attention, wanted to find the missing child.

However, I took Gaeun’s hand and shook my head.

“Gaeun, listen carefully.”

“W-Why are you suddenly speaking so seriously?”

“I used to work part-time here. Do you know what I was told during training?”

“Wh-What is it…?”

“This amusement park doesn’t make announcements even if a child goes missing. That’s because it might make other families anxious.”

In other words, the missing child announcement currently playing was absolutely not being made by a human.

“This is definitely an urban le─”

At that moment, as if confirming my suspicion, the missing child announcement played again.

—Ding-dong-daeng-dong!

[Missing Child Announcement]

[Seeking a 5-year-old boy. Seeking a boy with soft skin, eyes as sweet as candy.]

[Seeking a 7-year-old girl. Seeking a girl with silky hair, and plump fingers like sausages.]

[Those looking for them, please contact the slaughterhouse.]

When they heard the voice and broadcast message, completely different and horrifying from before, everyone in the amusement park realized.

That a cruel and bizarre urban legend had swallowed this place whole.