As they passed through the main gate, the atmosphere of the amusement park welcomed them. Cheerful music could be heard from the speakers, though the volume was low and sounded rather "flat." Several colorful balloons lined the poles along the main street, while food stalls waited patiently even though visitors could be counted on one hand.
Chitoge walked a little slowly, glancing left and right with a hesitant look. "Hmm… I really think I picked the wrong place, Raku. It's so empty…"
Raku gave a faint smile. "Isn't it great? It feels like we rented the whole park for ourselves."
Chitoge quickly turned, her face blushing. "D-don't say things like that so easily! Idiot!" But she couldn't hold back the small smile that followed.
They walked toward the park's main road. From a distance, the typical lively sound of a small clown could be heard, and soon a mascot with large mouse ears jumped toward them in an exaggerated manner.
"WELCOOOOME, new visitors!! I'm Moffle, the cutest mascot of Amagi Brilliant Park!!" shouted the figure, waving at them.
Raku was slightly surprised but bowed politely. "Ah, hello."
Chitoge just stared, confused. "Cute…? More like creepy."
"Oi oi oi!" Moffle instantly flailed, in his usual easily-triggered style. "What did you say?! Don't underestimate the cuteness of MOFFLE!!"
Chitoge was about to retort, but Raku quickly patted her shoulder gently. "Let it go. I think he's just trying to welcome us."
"Mmgh…" Chitoge snorted but eventually fell silent.
Moffle then struck a dramatic pose before running toward another group of visitors—a small family with children. His overly serious act made Raku and Chitoge exchange glances and chuckle.
They walked further until they reached a carousel ride. Soft pastel lights glowed, though only one or two children were riding the horses.
Chitoge looked at Raku with a questioning glance. "Ride this?"
Raku shrugged. "If you want to, why not?"
"Isn't this ride more for kids?"
"Yeah, but…" Raku glanced at the wooden horse spinning slowly. "Sometimes simple things can be more fun than they seem."
Chitoge paused for a moment, then gave a faint smile. "Alright, let's try it."
They sat on two horses next to each other. Soft music played, and the carousel started moving. The wind gently blew Chitoge's blonde hair, making her look calm despite her face still holding a hint of awkwardness. Raku looked at her for a moment, then shifted his gaze to the blue sky above.
"Peaceful, huh?" he said softly.
Chitoge turned, smiling slightly. "Yeah… it's kind of weird, but calming."
Time passed, and they tried several rides. From a colorful flower greenhouse to small boats on a quiet pond. At one of the shooting game booths, Chitoge tried her luck.
"Just watch, I can totally hit that target!" she said confidently.
Raku waited with a faint smile. But her shots kept missing, making her frown.
"What the heck?!"
Raku then gave it a try, and calmly shot the target. The booth attendant dropped a small plush prize.
Chitoge stared at the plush, then turned with a blushing face. "Don't tell me you're going to give that to me."
"So what if I am?" Raku held out the plush to her.
Chitoge stared at it for a while before quickly grabbing the plush. "B-but don't get the wrong idea! I'm only taking it because you already won it, not because I'm happy!"
Raku held back a laugh. "Yeah, yeah."
They continued walking, now toward a small stage in the center of the park. There, a few staff in brightly colored fairy costumes were singing and dancing, even though there were only a few people watching. Chitoge stood still for a moment, then whispered, "They keep smiling even with such a small audience…"
Raku looked at the stage calmly. "That takes courage too. Working hard even when the results don't show yet. For some reason… I respect that."
Chitoge turned to him, slightly surprised by those words.
For a moment, the silence between them wasn't awkward—but more like a quiet realization that something was slowly growing that day, in a place as simple as this.
The park gradually became livelier as time passed, though it still couldn't be called crowded. Raku and Chitoge finally stopped in front of a large wooden sign with golden letters:
"Thrill Coaster – Feel the Wind of Freedom!"
Long winding rails loomed high, creaking every time a train shot by. In the distance, screams from riders mixed with laughter and fear.
Chitoge stared at the sign, then turned to Raku with sparkling eyes full of excitement. "Let's try this, Raku!"
Raku, who had preferred calmer rides so far, could only sigh. "This looks pretty extreme… are you sure?"
"Of course! I'm not the type of girl scared of stuff like this." Chitoge crossed her arms confidently.
Not long after, they entered the queue. Since it was quiet, the line moved quickly. When seated, Chitoge fastened her safety belt swiftly, while Raku looked a bit stiff.
"Why do you look so tense?" Chitoge nudged his shoulder.
"For some reason, I feel like this is going to be more dangerous than it looks." Raku replied calmly, though his voice clearly sounded a bit uneasy.
Soon, the sound of creaking metal was heard. The train slowly climbed the steep track. The wind blew hard, Chitoge's blonde hair fluttering wildly. She glanced sideways—Raku stared ahead with a half-serious face.
"If you faint, I won't save you, you know!" Chitoge called out, half teasing.
Raku looked at her blankly. "If I faint, wouldn't you be the one troubled?"
Chitoge opened her mouth, but didn't get to reply.
Bang!
The train suddenly plunged downward.
"UWAAAAAAA!!" Chitoge screamed, instinctively grabbing Raku's arm and hugging it tightly. Her hair flew, her face turned red from a mix of panic and embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Raku stayed silent. His expression was blank, though his eyes squinted slightly from the strong wind.
"Huh, not as bad as I thought."
"WHAT?!" Chitoge screamed beside him, her voice drowned by the rushing wind.
The train twisted, plunged, and soared at high speed. Chitoge never let go of Raku's arm, though her face was half-lowered in embarrassment. Raku, realizing this, only muttered softly.
"…I don't mind, really."
Finally, after several minutes, the train stopped back at the station. Other passengers laughed in relief, some still screaming hysterically.
Chitoge quickly let go of his arm, her face bright red. "T-t-that was just a reflex, don't get the wrong idea!"
Raku looked at her calmly as he stood. "I know. But even if it wasn't a reflex, I wouldn't mind."
Chitoge froze for a moment, then quickly walked away. "Y-you idiot!"
Raku let out a small sigh, then followed her with relaxed steps.
After that thrilling experience, they walked toward a small hill at the side of the park—Sorcerer's Hill, a special area with a witch's castle theme. The path was lined with neatly arranged purple flowers, and at the top stood a small tower-like building with large glass windows overlooking the whole park.
Chitoge opened the wooden door and they entered a small fantasy-themed café. The walls were decorated with fake magic books, lanterns hung from the ceiling, and the aroma of warm soup mixed with baked bread filled the room.
They chose a table near the window, from where most of the park could be seen below. The sky was bright blue, colorful balloons drifting slowly through the air.
Chitoge opened the menu and looked at it enthusiastically. "Hey, there's a Sorcerer's special cream soup, said to be made with a secret recipe. I'll order that!"
Raku glanced at the menu for a moment. "In that case, I'll order the smoked meat sandwich. Faster that way."
Not long after, their orders arrived. Chitoge's cream soup steamed warmly, with the aroma of butter and herbs wafting. Raku calmly began eating his sandwich, while Chitoge blew on her soup and took a sip.
"Hmm! So good, Raku! You have to try it." She pushed the spoon toward him.
Raku paused. "I can order it myself if I want, you know."
"But this is faster!" Chitoge stared at him while offering the spoon, her face half-defiant.
Raku looked at the spoon, then slowly took it and tasted. The soup was smooth, savory, and warm, leaving a comforting flavor on his tongue.
"It really is good," he said calmly.
Chitoge smiled in satisfaction. "See, told you!"
They ate in a peaceful atmosphere. Occasionally, sounds of other visitors could be faintly heard, but at that table it was just the two of them. From the window, a soft breeze brought the scent of flowers from outside.
Raku set his sandwich down for a moment, gazing at the view of the park from Sorcerer's Hill. "For some reason… I feel at peace today. Not because of the rides, but more because… I'm with someone."
Chitoge, who had just lifted her spoon again, almost choked. She quickly looked down, her face red, trying to hide her expression.
"I-idiot… don't say things like that all of a sudden."
Raku just gave a faint smile, then quietly continued eating.