An amusement park isn't all about thrill rides like roller coasters, pirate ships, and drop towers. Among our group, Kayoko seemed to prefer more static attractions, and Nagisa also favored a calmer atmosphere.
Of course, I was happy to see her trying all sorts of rides to fit in with the rest of us, but watching her suffer was, well, painful. Mostly for my heart… and my eardrums.
One ride that fit the bill was a dark ride. It's the kind of attraction anyone can enjoy, where you board a car or boat and follow an indoor track through a themed course. My last memory of one was the "It's a Small World" equivalent at some other park. When a dark ride with a Halloween castle theme was suggested, Nagisa's face lit up, so none of the other girls objected. The ride lasted nearly ten minutes, and by the end of the gentle journey, Nagisa seemed to have regained her peace of mind, which was a relief.
…Come to think of it, I saw her hand trembling earlier. Surely it wasn't tea withdrawal, right?
After that, we tried alternating between thrill rides and relatively tame ones, like switching between sweet and salty snacks, but surprisingly, no one was a fan of that approach. Nagisa felt like she was being tortured, while the other girls complained it broke the flow.
The last attraction we visited was the Ferris wheel. It's a classic ride for enjoying a panoramic view of the park, usually popular with couples and families…
"The guide mentioned that even Magic Pass holders have to buy a separate ticket and wait in line for the Ferris wheel… You guys knew that, right?"
"Huh, really?"
"…You didn't read it properly."
According to Kayoko, this was the one ride the Magic Pass couldn't conquer. It was a measure to minimize the sense of unfairness for other customers, given the ride's extremely low turnover rate. While I understood the logic, I couldn't help but feel a little let down as someone who had paid for the privilege.
Since it operated on a separate ticketing system, this was our first time waiting in a real line, aside from the one at the entrance. I know it's the normal way of doing things, but after getting used to instantly boarding rides with the power of money, it felt like a bit of a letdown.
"Aww… but the line isn't that long. I think waiting a little bit wouldn't be so bad…!"
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."
"To be honest… I'd want to ride it no matter how long the line was."
Fortunately, despite the slow turnover, the wait seemed to be only about thirty minutes, so our group agreed to stick it out. It was painfully obvious why Nagisa wanted to ride it, so I was prepared to suggest splitting up if Problem Solver 68 felt differently.
Come to think of it, I didn't really need to worry about them running off. All I'd have to do is mention putting a bounty on them to Hina, and their bank accounts would be frozen instantly. They wouldn't risk that. And if they decided to bolt anyway? I'd just have to pay a visit to their suspected client. A little prodding and he'd spill everything he knew…
Ah, scratch that. We're bound to run into him at the summer festival anyway, so there's no need for me to go out of my way.
Just as I was half-solidifying a future where I rhythmically smacked the head of a certain handsome but air-headed Gehenna student, the Problem Solver girls surprisingly voiced their approval.
"If I can ride with Angel-chan, then Mutsuki-chan is all for it~! Kufufu♡"
"W-Wait a minute! Director Mutsuki, that means you want to ride separately from us!"
"Ehh? But Aru-chan, it's not often we get to hang out with new people, right? So it's perfect if we mix and match! What do you think? I think it's a great idea!"
For the record, each Ferris wheel car had a capacity of six. I honestly expected Nagisa to insist on riding alone with me while the others grouped up, but she surprisingly agreed to splitting our party in half.
Why, though? Am I missing something?
"Unfortunately, that won't be possible, Ms. Asagi. You and Mika-san will have to be in different cars."
"Ehh~? Jealousy Angel-chan, why do you get to decide that? I'm not really interested in the Ferris wheel unless I'm with Angel-chan. You're not trying to ride alone with her now, are you? Right?"
"…Jealousy Angel?"
"Why, doesn't it suit you? The tragic heroine who fell for someone way out of her league and now sees rivals everywhere she looks… Kya-ha! You don't seem to like it, so I'll just call you Angel-san♪"
"Honestly, your incessant chatter reminds me of how Mika-san used to be. Hah…"
Hmm… Is she right? I guess we are both pretty noisy. Anyway, it looked like Nagisa was trying to fill one car with the two girls who hadn't shown any overt affection toward me. Does that mean she's sending Azusa and Mutsuki to the other car?
"Well, the details don't matter. Ms. Asagi, you will sit in the same car as me. You too, Azusa-san. It would have been perfect if Mika-san could join us, but that would be unfair to Hifumi-san, so I will reluctantly give up on that."
"Oh? I-I don't really mind, though…"
"No, Hifumi-san. I don't want to trouble you with our issues."
"…Kyahah, I see~! In that case, fine! This looks like fun, so I'll play along just this once, Jealousy Angel-chan… Oops, my mistake. I was going to call you Angel-san, wasn't I? Kufufu."
Huh? She wants to ride separately from me?
Nagisa must have her reasons for making that decision, but hearing her say she wanted to sit apart from me stung a little.
"…Why me?"
Azusa asked, tugging lightly at the hem of my clothes and looking up at me with crestfallen eyes. Unable to ignore my little squirrel's sorrowful gaze, I was about to say we should ride together when I finally realized why Nagisa wanted to sit with these two.
To put it bluntly, she was taking them with her to declare, "She's mine, so don't even think about it." It was so… Nagisa. A surprisingly bold, head-on approach that caught even me off guard.
"Azusa-chan…"
It'd be a lie to say I didn't want to take Nagisa's side, but I couldn't. This was a matter Nagisa had no right to force, and she knew that as well as I did. If Azusa said no, we'd have to renegotiate.
Looking at Azusa's face, shadowed by the brim of her hat, I placed a hand on her head—over the hat, of course—and spoke slowly.
"It's okay to say no if you don't want to. Really. We're all here to have fun today. And even with our complicated circumstances, no one has the right to force someone else to do something they don't want to do."
"…Okay, I understand."
Azusa turned her gaze to Nagisa and, after a moment, nodded. It seemed she had made her decision.
"I'll ride with Nagisa. Avoiding it won't change anything."
"I see. I can't say I'll be cheering for you, but… yeah. Getting everything off your chest might help you sort out your feelings."
As I gently patted Azusa's shoulder, a sudden chill ran down my spine. I glanced over and saw Nagisa glaring daggers at me.
"…You know, Mika-san. I think I'm starting to understand what the problem is."
"Ahaha… really? I'm not sure what it is, but that sounds a little scary."
"Never mind. It's not something that can be fixed just by talking about it, and I happen to like that side of you anyway. The fault lies with those who keep falling for someone who's already taken… I suppose."
Right, Nagisa. But if the fault lies with them, why are you glaring at me? And technically, Haruna and the others were around before we even got together…
Hmm, when did Nagisa learn to read minds? I only thought it, but her stare intensified.
"Now that you mention it, Nagisa-chan, I think I get it too."
"Please don't pretend to understand when you clearly don't… If you had even an ounce of sense, Mika-san, you would have realized it yourself long ago."
"Hey, Nagisa-chan. Aren't you being a little harsh today?"
"What can I do if it's the truth?"
Nagisa's words left a dozen scratches on my not-so-tough heart, but with my own transgressions, I couldn't argue back. Nor could I just brush it off. To me, Nagisa was more precious than anything else here in Kivotos. The one time she ever caused trouble was for my sake. How could I not cherish her?
"You really are a sinful woman."
"Ahaha, I've started to realize that lately… wait a second. Kayoko-chan, why do you say that like you already knew? Huh?"
"You're with different people every day, and without fail, every single one of them has their eyes fixed on you. It'd be stranger not to notice."
Uh oh. My girls don't know that you all got caught stalking me. Are you sure you should be saying that? Thankfully, it seems Nagisa didn't hear, so that's a relief…
"…Section Chief Kayoko, what are you talking about? I thought she was just a normal person with a lot of friends?"
"Hah…"
Her own words, refuted by her boss not even a few seconds later. Kayoko let out a small sigh. She has a tough road ahead of her, but I suppose she's willing to endure it because she cares about those girls.
In a way, Kayoko, who's always making trouble for herself, might not be so different from me after all.
As we chatted, the line moved quickly. Soon, it was almost our turn, and we finalized the groups and order.
First, Aru, Haruka, Hifumi, and I would get into one of the arriving cars.
Then Nagisa, Azusa, Mutsuki, and Kayoko would wait a bit longer for the next one. It was a peculiar arrangement, to say the least.
"Are you really okay with this, Kayoko-san? It might be better if you joined the other group, even if it means splitting into three and five."
"…I appreciate the concern, but I don't really mind. If I have to, I can just listen to music."
"Heehee, Kayoko-chan is being dishonest again today. You're just worried about me, so you're staying with me~!"
"That's not it, so get off."
I was actually more worried about Nagisa than Mutsuki. It's almost certain she'll clash with Azusa and Mutsuki, and if a fight were to break out, Nagisa would be in the most vulnerable and dangerous position.
Thank goodness they all left their guns in the lockers. And they're not so senseless as to start a brawl inside a Ferris wheel car, so maybe I'm overthinking it.
Finally, we reached the front of the line and split up as planned. Standing next to Hifumi and seeing her beaming face, I couldn't help but think she would have been perfectly fine riding with the Problem Solver girls by herself.
"Tickets, please. How many in your party, ma'am?"
"Just the four of us."
"Alright, after I check your tickets, please wait a moment and then board the capsule once it has been sanitized."
After the Doberman staff member checked our tickets, we stepped inside the Ferris wheel car. Somehow, Aru and I ended up sitting next to each other, with Hifumi and Haruka across from us. At least with this arrangement, Haruka was unlikely to go berserk. That was a relief.
…Still, is that other car really going to be okay?