episode_0018

“Ha, Hanna Yeon, you, you, don’t be so, nervous.”

“… … might fall.”

“What, what, what are you talking about? Oh, safety bar, safety bar, isn’t it safe? Because it’s safety bar! It’s called safety bar! ”

“… I think I saw it on the news.”

She turns her head like a broken clockwork doll. Hannayeon is sitting very comfortably, as if she’s just out for a walk. Of course, I’m comfortable too. It’s so comfortable that I’m worried I might fall asleep.

“What, what…?”

“A person who fell because the safety bar was not closed.”

It’s not scary at all. I’m not even a kid, so what’s the point of being scared of roller coasters?

“That, that kind of thing, does that happen often? T-But still, should I get off just in case? Th, th-hey!”

Rattling, rattling!

I quickly turned around and saw the guide waving both hands excitedly.

No, I think the safety bar is a little loose.

The arm resting on the safety bar is shaking violently. It’s not because I’m scared, it’s because I’m anxious. That, that’s right. If Hanna Yeon falls, it’s a big problem.

“Chuchu will cast a flying spell! Let’s fly away!”

The train runs powerfully with the cute voice of Chuchu.

“If you feel something wrong with your body, please raise your hands high in the shape of an X!”

The train started uphill with a voice announcement coming from the speaker. Slowly, very slowly, the train went up. My arms filled with strength as I felt my entire body being pushed back.

All the people walking down the rails turn into dots. It was a bright spring day with cotton candy-like clouds floating around. As I watched the sun getting closer, I felt my stomach churn.

Do I have a sun allergy? I should keep my eyes closed because it might be dangerous.

“Leeharu.”

“Why, why! Han Na-yeon, are you scared? Should I raise my hand instead?”

It’s dangerous to take your hands off the safety bar, but I can do it for Hannah Yeon. Just make an X for a moment and get off.

“Open your eyes.”

“Huh, huh?”

I opened my eyes without realizing it at the sound of Hanna Yeon’s soft voice. At the same time, my vision flipped upside down. People who had been dots suddenly got closer, and things like trees and stores suddenly covered me.

“Hggyaaah!!! Euaaaahh …

The train, which was falling almost at a right angle, stopped, and I was left gasping for breath, hanging on to the safety bar.

I feel like I’ve woken up from a terrible nightmare. Even the dark memories of my childhood, which I can no longer remember, vaguely come back to me.

this….

I rubbed my groin just in case, but thankfully I didn’t feel any moisture. Next time, I absolutely must not scream. I will slowly go up again, so I have plenty of time to gather my composure.

With that determination firmly established, I glared at Hanna Yeon, who was sitting calmly.

“Hanna Yeon… .”

“This day, look ahead.”

“… Why?”

Another cliff unfolding. Once you’ve fallen, there’s nowhere else to fall, right?

“Uh, uh… .”

But that was a huge mistake. The dark hole visible below. The train was rushing towards it once again.

“Ugh, ugh… Aaaah …

* * *

“Ugh… .”

The ground still spins. I remember Hanna Yeon supporting me, but I don’t know how I got here.

It fell to the ground, rose to the ground, kept rising, and fell to the ground again.

What kind of roller coaster is this? As I was glancing at the disgusting roller coaster with that thought, Hanna Yeon, who had gone out to buy drinks, came back.

“Drink.”

Hannah Yeon brought a milk shake and an Americano on a cup tray. In her other hand, she was holding two churros.

“Oh, thank you… .”

I first got the milk shake and slurped it down.

The rich milky aroma spreads down my throat, and the sweet taste of sugar lingers on the tip of my tongue. I feel my rumbling stomach gradually calming down.

As expected, a milk shake was the answer. Honestly, I don’t know what an Americano tastes like.

I asked Hanna Yeon, swallowing the words, “Are you a masochist, paying for water that is just for drinking?” along with my milk shake.

“What flavor of churros would you like?”

There are two churros in Hannah Yeon’s hands. One is a chocolate churro with chocolate syrup on the outside, and the other is a regular churro with sugar sprinkled on it.

“… Choco.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly right.”

For the bitter Americano, a sweet chocolate churro. For the sweet milk shake, a less sweet regular churro. Maybe Hanna Yeon bought them as a set.

“Mmm, it’s delicious. It’s crunchy.”

We sat side by side and started eating churros.

In addition to the subtle cinnamon scent, there was a crunchy texture. Usually, churros from amusement parks are soggy and mushy, but these were freshly fried, so the texture was alive.

As I sat there quietly, half-eating my churros, my gaze naturally turned towards Hanna Yeon.

Why did Hanna Yeon buy churros in different flavors? Could it be because she wanted to try different flavors?

Yeah, that’s definitely true. It’s definitely not because I’m craving chocolate.

“Hanna Yeon, is the chocolate delicious?”

“… Yeah.”

“Oh, really? Aren’t you curious about the regular flavor too?”

Hanna Yeon stared at me intently. Then she smiled and handed me her churros.

“I’ll give you some too! Just one bite. Let’s share just one bite each.”

I bit into Hanna Yeon’s churros without thinking.

At the same time, a blissful feeling that makes your head dizzy spreads through your mouth. It feels like your cheeks are melting. No matter how much sweetness there is, it is not too much.

“Okay, Hannahyeon. You eat too.”

“… I’m done.”

“Don’t do that. If you do that, it’ll feel like I stole it.”

“… … .”

As I shook the churros in front of Hanna Yeon’s lips, Hanna Yeon looked at me blankly and lowered her head slightly.

I run one hand through my side hair, open my lips slightly, and take a bite of the churro I was eating.

What I was eating… What I was eating… .

Is this perhaps an indirect kiss or something?

“Ha, sorry Hannayeon. I was too short-sighted… .”

“… What.”

I apologized hastily, thinking that she might have been offended, but Hanna Yeon chewed the churro as if nothing had happened and gulped it down.

I feel embarrassed that I bothered Hanna Yeon so much because of her indifferent reaction.

If you think about it, there was no need to attach any special meaning to the act of sharing churros with people of the same sex. Even if you’re close to someone of the opposite sex, you can share stew with them, right? It’s similar.

But once I became aware of it, it was hard to erase it, so I ate churros and milkshakes in a hurry to calm my burning face.

“Hanna Yeon, why do you like Chuchu so much?”

A question that came out unintentionally to ease the awkward atmosphere. But it was true that I was curious.

“Not really… .”

“Oh, I already found out. I’m asking because I’m really curious. Well, if it’s hard to answer, then don’t worry about it.”

He created a comfortable atmosphere by smiling brightly while letting go of his grudge. If you say that it doesn’t matter whether you do it or not, you will definitely want to do it.

And as expected, Hanna Yeon took a sip of her Americano and then took out her cell phone.

“The first gift Hanna Lin gave me. On my birthday.”

What Hanna Yeon showed me by holding out her cell phone was a small Chuchu stuffed animal sitting on the desk.

“Cute… .”

Those words came out unintentionally. Of course, the Chuchu doll was cute, but it was also because of Hanna Yeon, who was showing off the photo and smiling faintly.

“So you like it so far?”

“The more I look at it… .”

Hanna Yeon muttered as she put her phone back in. So, you’re saying that you became interested in Chuchu after your younger sister gave you a Chuchu doll, and that’s when you started liking Chuchu.

This all happened because they treasured the gift that Na-rin gave them. Both Hanna-yeon and Na-rin are quiet, so they may seem awkward on the outside, but they are actually children who keep their hearts warm even though they don’t say anything.

“What a good sister.”

As I said that and smiled softly, Hanna Yeon suddenly brought her hand to my lips.

“You’re too much of a jerk for a mom.”

The distance has become much closer. Below that, Hanna Yeon’s characteristically provocative smile can be seen. Hanna Yeon’s sharp eyes pierce me.

Moreover, the fingers were so soft that I felt like I had really kissed her, and my heart rate continued to rise without me even realizing the danger.

“Ugh… !”

I was so surprised that I fell down and licked my lips. On the other hand, Hanna Yeon leisurely licked the sugar she had taken from my lips.

A pretty, bright red snowy squirrel carrying the sugar that was my possession just a moment ago. What’s wrong with her? Is this even normal for women?

I don’t know. I had no way of knowing, having lived my life as a woman with a daughter and no friends.

Sure enough, Mirae had wiped my lips once. And Hannayeon didn’t seem to care at all, so I thought it would look strange if I was the first to care.

“I, I can tell you… .”

He muttered with his head bowed low. In a voice so small that Hanna Yeon might have heard it.

“You two came here? There are two of us, so do you want to play together?”

“Are you a younger sibling? Are you two sisters?”

As I was struggling alone and fighting against all kinds of thoughts, a man I didn’t know suddenly spoke to us.

Another hunt? Of course I’m going to refuse. It’s a rare opportunity to come to an amusement park with children and friends, so why bother picking on them?

“… … .”

“Oh, sorry. I have company.”

When Hanna Yeon glared at the men as if she was going to kill them, I quickly stepped forward and answered. If she got angry and hit me, it would be a big problem.

“Hey, don’t be so picky. It’s no fun if you two just hang out together. You won’t regret it if you come to your brothers, right?”

The men kept pestering me, whether they knew my worries or not. At the same time, Hanna Yeon grabbed my wrist and jumped up.

And then she strides forward with determined steps, brushing past the men.

“Don’t be like that. Do you guys have a lot of money? I’ll take you there after you have fun. Or should I go now?”

The men were quite persistent. They even reached out to me, even though I was being dragged around by Hanna Yeon.

“… Don’t touch.”

Han Na-yeon grabbed the man’s hand, and in an instant, the atmosphere became tense. Like a lit fuse. The air, which seemed ready to explode at any moment, suffocated me.

“Mom! Have you been waiting well? You didn’t do anything strange, did you?”

As I was expressing my discomfort in a difficult situation, a voice from the future was heard from afar.

“What the hell is Mom doing!”

She raised her hands high and shook them loudly at the appearance of the future that was so happy that she cried. Then she smiled at the men and said.

“Because I’m married. Then.”

Looking at the men standing there with empty eyes, I felt somehow relieved.