episode_0018

When families go out together, they don’t call it a date; they say they’re out for a picnic or just hanging out. Even if you stretch it a hundred times and jokingly call it a date between siblings, it doesn’t hold up as a joke between non-related males and females.

I shouldn’t have said that, but in my excitement, I ended up making an inappropriate remark to Yuhee.

“I can’t believe what I was thinking…”

It’s already hot, but it feels even hotter now. The sunlight is so intense that it almost feels like Yuhee’s skin might burn. Perhaps feeling a bit tired too, Yuhee guzzled down all the water I bought.

Feeling embarrassed about myself being awkward in this situation.

“…A date.”

“….”

“You said it was a date?”

“Yeah…”

I can sense the displeasure creeping in. Well… If I were Yuhee, I would’ve probably cursed right away if someone said that to me.

“Date… Date… Dat-♥”

“Yuhee?”

It’s too noisy to hear clearly, but she’s probably not asking me to listen.

After Yuhee sighed, she suddenly reached out her hand to me.

“……?”

As I tilted my head, Yuhee looked in the opposite direction and said,

“D-date…”

“Oh, I see…”

Let’s hold hands since it’s a date. Is that how it goes? Wait a minute, does that mean Yuhee also likes calling it a date?

Nah, that’s not it. It’s just because we rarely go out. She’s just trying to play off Dad’s slip of the tongue as a joke. Since she invited herself here, if things get awkward, our outing will be a waste. Ignoring Yuhee’s efforts would be rude, so I decided to go along with it.

“Yeah…!”

As I held Yuhee’s small hand, I could feel her soft skin and warmth. Both of us were nervous, our palms slightly sweaty, but I didn’t want to let go of her hand.

“…Where should we go now?”

It really feels like we’ve become a real couple.

My heart is pounding, but at the same time, I feel pathetic seeing my daughter as a romantic interest. Yuhee’s whimpering keeps playing in my mind, making it hard to calm down.

Quietly leading me, Yuhee brought me to a burger joint.

“Lunch…”

“Huh?”

“I’m hungry.”

I had no choice but to let go of Yuhee’s hand, even if only briefly.

~~~

After a simple burger meal, drowsiness sets in. Maybe riding a couple more amusement park rides will help…

The excitement from earlier has faded, and honestly, I felt like lying down in the shade and resting. Time truly doesn’t lie.

“Pull yourself together!”

Shaking my head vigorously, I wake myself up. I need to overcome this to avoid becoming lazy. If Yuhee had held my hand again, I would have snapped out of it, but she didn’t, leaving me somewhat disappointed.

“Yuhee?”

Seems like there’s a next plan, but I hesitated to move. Is something hurting?

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“No… Let’s go.”

Following Yuhee led us to a famous spot here. Although I wanted to ride, the thought of waiting made me dizzy. As expected, there was a long line stretching along the wall, indicating at least a 2-hour wait.

“Here.”

“Huh?”

When I asked why we weren’t lining up and heading in the opposite direction, it seemed she had already made a reservation. I appreciated her thoughtfulness, even though she didn’t express it outwardly.

“Yuhee?”

Now, all we needed to do was confirm the tickets and enter, but Yuhee hesitated. She seemed to be contemplating whether to go a little further away.

‘Could it be… she can’t ride the roller coaster?’

Not being able to ride the roller coaster isn’t embarrassing. I couldn’t ride it until middle school either. The first time I rode one was in high school, at a different amusement park. Probably pushed by friends, I think.

Actually, I really want to ride it… But I can’t ride alone, and I can’t force someone who’s scared to ride.

“Yoohee, if you’re scared─”

“I’ll ride!”

“Okay….”

It seems like Yoohee herself wants to ride somehow… Is it okay even though she’s shaking like that…? What if she faints while riding… No, this is the time when a dad’s role is to give courage to his daughter.

And it’s a chance to hold hands again.

“Shall we go?”

“…!”

When Yoohee naturally put her hand on my shoulder so she wouldn’t shake, Yoohee was surprised. Still, she didn’t resist and could make it to the entrance.

“I’ll check your tickets~”

Yoohee took out her smartphone from her pocket and showed it to the attendant, who scanned the QR code for confirmation. The wooden path that used to look slightly worn out now appeared brand new. The thick rope mesh wall around was still there.

“Did they build a new path here?”

“Yes! We did some construction a few years ago~”

“Oh~”

“Is it your first visit in a long time?”

“Well, sort of….”

I almost said it had been 20 years, but I stopped myself. It would be a big deal if I looked like an old man…. Leaving that aside, isn’t talking to the staff something an old man would do… Did I make another mistake…

As if those words were spot-on, Yoohee pushed my shoulder and went in alone, step by step.

“Hmph.”

“Hey, Yoohee, wait a moment!”

I barely caught up and managed to get in line, but Yoohee still had a cold expression. I have no idea why, but maybe it’s because I talk to any woman. Perhaps it’s jealousy… Nah, that can’t be it.

With the door opening in that state, I and the reserved people entered first. Despite getting used to it, I still felt nervous after a long time.

“Phew….”

The coat Yoohee borrowed for the locker… Come to think of it, she hasn’t taken it off.

“Yoohee, aren’t you hot? You can take off your coat.”

“I’m not hot.”

She had wrapped her arms in the cardigan that was just hanging on her shoulders. Well, I can’t force her to take it off if she doesn’t want to.

“Please lower the safety bar~”

Two staff members walked around, lowering the safety bars at empty seats or pressing them again to ensure they were down properly. Even in this age of automation, such manual work is still necessary.

Seeing this, I think the era dominated by robots might not be far off. Unless you connect to some strange network and awaken like in the movies….

After the inspection, the guiding staff made a final check.

“Any guests who want to disembark at this point~?”

Fainting while riding a roller coaster is surprisingly common. Those are usually first-timers.

“….”

We haven’t even started yet, but Yoohee is gripping the safety bar tightly. It’s a strong will to ride somehow. It would be great if she overcame her fear of roller coasters now….

“If there are none~ we’ll start the ride. Have a good time~ Enjoy~”

Despite the cheerful voice, the roller coaster began to move heavily. I was so tense that I couldn’t pay attention to Yoohee.

‘Wow……’

As the angle gradually tilted upwards, we slowly ascended towards the peak. Many people find this moment of ascent the scariest. They say it feels similar to a death row inmate going up to the gallows.

Although I could see the view of the amusement park, there was no time to appreciate it due to the fear.

“Dad….”

“Yeah?”

At the word “dad,” my head automatically turned towards Yoohee. My face must have looked extremely frightened.

“H-hold… my hand….”

“Got it.”

There was no time to feel strange emotions here. I interlocked my fingers with Yoohee’s hand. In the meantime, the roller coaster reached the top──

“Ahhh!”

“Screaaaam!!!”

They raced down the rails at an incredible speed.

—

*Panting… panting….*

The longest three minutes in South Korea. Being on a roller coaster for that duration was enough to terrify anyone. Initially going down, then coming back up briefly for a rest, but after that, it was a non-stop rush that left us breathless.

“Ouch.”

Yuhee had gripped my hand so tightly that there were even marks on the back of it. I wasn’t particularly mad, but it stung a bit nonetheless.

“Yuhee, are you okay…?”

“Yeah…”

Feeling like we might need a break soon, we found a suitable spot to rest. Among the crowded dining spots, we entered a cafe with red parasols spread out.

After ordering our drinks and taking our seats, the cool breeze from the air conditioning greeted us. There were regular chairs as well, but there were also circular seating areas against the walls. With couches, it seemed like a good place to relax.

“I think we can rest here for a bit.”

“Yeah.”

Yuhee sipped her coffee through a straw. As she casually brushed her hair aside, her indifferent expression somehow seemed endearing.

“…?”

What is Yuhee looking at? She glanced over here with a questioning expression, causing me to reflexively turn my head. It wasn’t anything strange, but acting like this might make it seem like I’m thinking something odd…

“Dad.”

While observing people outside, Yuhee called out to me.

“Why do you ask?”

“…Do you have someone you’re seeing these days?”

“Seeing someone…?”

Seeing someone… there was someone, then there wasn’t. But telling Yuhee that would be hard for her to understand.

“No. I don’t.”

“Then, is there someone you want to meet?”

“Well… as long as I have you, Yuhee, that’s all I need.”

“…!”

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that… I’ll just wait for you to grow up and get married…”

Why am I stumbling over my words again… Act maturely, be mature.

*Cough.* After clearing my throat, I spoke again in my usual tone.

“Why did you ask that?”

“…Just curious.”

“Yeah?”

“Because… if you meet someone else… you might leave me behind.”

…!

In the past, I had Yuhee and then abandoned her. It was due to financial reasons, but regardless, I abandoned her.

And when I took Yuhee back, her expression was incredibly dark. Honestly, I didn’t feel worthy of raising Yuhee.

Still, I did my best to raise Yuhee. And she grew into a fine adult.

“I’m sorry, Yuhee.”

I’m trash.

I probably know why I couldn’t reject Suhyun.

Thinking that Yuhee would abandon me, outwardly pretending otherwise but inwardly desiring different connections.

So, I tried my best to set Yuhee free. That way, she wouldn’t be interfered with and could find new people. But it made Yuhee anxious.

Even though Yuhee never intended to abandon me from the start, I was the one considering abandoning her again.

“This time, I will never abandon you.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. I stake everything on it.”

I had always been curious, but today I understood why Yuhee brought me here. She wanted reassurance. She brought me here to confirm how I felt about her, fearing I might abandon her again.

“Because Dad loves Yuhee.”

“…Yeah.”

Without realizing it, we who had been sitting across from each other were now huddled together, embracing each other closely.