"What are you doing, Daddy? Hurry up and come in!"
The place my daughter dragged me to was none other than a costume shop.
"How's this, Daddy? Doesn't this school uniform look great on me?"
Mina was excitedly picking out clothes and holding them up to herself.
"Uh... it does look good... but... sorry, sweetie, what kind of place is this? Daddy's just not sure."
"Come on, Daddy, you don't even know about this? It's a rental shop for clothes you wear while playing at the amusement park!"
Oh...
So that's why she just threw on whatever to come here... and told me to do the same...
She wanted us to rent outfits here?
I looked around.
There was a problem.
There were no clothes for me to wear.
Everything here was for young people.
Nothing suited a guy in his forties like me.
I do look young for my age, that's true.
Even though I'm well over forty, if I don't speak, people usually take me for early to mid-thirties.
But compared to Mina, it wouldn't work.
The age gap was obvious to anyone.
"Mina... you seem to have plenty for yourself, but there's nothing for Daddy."
"Just wear whatever I pick out for you, Daddy!"
"No, that's not it... Mina... Daddy's..."
Suddenly, my daughter marched right up to me.
"I got into Korea University, right? Now I'm alumni with you, Daddy!"
"Yeah... Daddy's so proud."
"So since I made you happy, you have to grant my wish, okay?"
"...Uh... y-yeah."
"Daddy."
"..."
Mina stared straight at me.
This was the scariest look of all.
Righteousness.
Logic.
Justification.
It was the face she made when she had all of those perfectly lined up.
"My wish is to go on a school uniform date with you here at the amusement park."
"...Okay, sweetie."
It was a game I couldn't win.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
What Mina picked out after a long time was a Japanese-style girls' school uniform.
A sailor suit.
And do I know what mine was?
A Japanese-style boys' school uniform.
A gakuran.
It felt awkward.
No, it was insanely embarrassing.
Wearing a school uniform at my age...
"See? Clean designs suit you perfectly, Daddy!"
Mina, of course, looked stunning. No need to even say it.
But I was the problem.
An aged dad wearing the same uniform as his barely-adult daughter...
My face burned hot.
"Thank you. Please make sure to check the return policy. Have a great time!"
"Yes! Thanks for the cute outfits!"
Mina hooked her arm through mine and brightly greeted the shop owner.
The owner's face was... odd.
How to put it?
Like he'd seen something he shouldn't have?
He seemed to be mistaking us for some kind of compensated date or something.
"Daddy, didn't that owner look at us weird? It creeped me out. Right?"
"Hmm... I think it's because Daddy's wearing clothes that don't match his age."
"No way! You look great! You seem so young, it's no problem at all! At most, people might think there's a twenty-year gap, that's it?!"
"...Still..."
I glanced around.
Everyone seemed to be staring at us.
Those looks...
They pressed down on me with real pressure.
"Daddy!"
Mina unlinked her arm and stood in front of me.
"Why are you embarrassed?"
"No... it's just..."
"Am I embarrassing you?"
Mina was the daughter I cherished and boasted about more than anyone.
I could brag to the world that she was my girl.
"No!! Why would I be embarrassed about my daughter? She's perfect! It's just that Daddy's lacking..."
Whoosh.
Mina hung around my neck.
Our faces aligned on a diagonal.
"I'm not embarrassed by you, Daddy."
"...B-but..."
"You're the proudest dad of all."
"...Mina."
"Those bold eyes and nose. That sturdy build and tall frame... Having such a cool guy as my dad makes me so proud, but it hurts my heart too."
It hurts my heart?
What did that mean?
"Sweetie... what do you..."
"But I've changed my mind."
Squeeze.
My daughter hugged my neck tight.
"Think about it, Daddy. You've always been mine."
I was a bit confused.
What was she saying?
"Sweetie... so... that means..."
"So, Daddy. Have some confidence. You're the man I chose."
Poof.
Her soft, fluffy daughter hugged me.
"If anyone says anything about us... I won't let them get away with it. Never."
This felt weird.
What was my daughter saying right now?
It felt disconnected from our normal conversation so far.
"S-sweetie... so... that..."
Smack.
Mina's lips touched my cheek.
"Daddy! Be confident! I approve! You and I match perfectly!"
Ah... I see.
My daughter... Mina was just trying to boost my confidence so I wouldn't feel intimidated.
"Who cares what they say? There are tons of worse couples out there! We're top-tier! Just watch, Daddy! I'll prove it!"
Don't mind the stares and just enjoy the amusement park together.
That's what she meant.
Mina grabbed my arm and pulled me along.
"I'll show you, Daddy. That I'm right!"
"O-okay, sweetie. Slow down a bit... ow... that hurts."
Where does she get this strength?
I was being dragged along like a ragdoll, passing the amusement park entrance with Mina leading the way.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
-Ready? Look at the camera up there~! One, two, three!-
Click.
-One more time~!-
Click.
Click.
The place Mina led me by the hand was a sticker photo booth.
Not a regular photo studio—what do kids call it these days?
Purikura? Life in Four Cuts?
Back in my day, it was just like taking three-minute ID photos, but now it was totally different.
Cameras in front and overhead, letting you take shots from all angles.
"Here come the photos, Daddy!"
"O-okay."
It all felt so hectic.
A world I didn't know.
In a flash, Mina pulled me into poses, and the pictures snapped.
No way I was in my right mind.
-Photos are ready.-
Pop.
The machine spat out the prints.
"Look, Daddy."
"Uh... huh?"
In the photos, me and Mina...
We actually looked good together.
Better than I thought.
"See? I told you."
Her voice brimmed with confidence.
And she was right.
Maybe I'd been underselling myself.
We looked surprisingly well-matched in those pictures.
If you didn't know we were father and daughter, no one would guess.
Just like a couple with a bit of an age difference.
"Sorry I didn't trust you, sweetie."
"No, I'm grateful to you, Daddy."
Mina carefully slipped the photos into her little crossbody bag.
"Thanks to you, I got such a precious memory."
Once more, she grabbed my arm and pulled.
"Daddy! Let's hit the roller coaster next! I really, really want to try it!!"
Seemed like the whole time at the amusement park with my daughter would be a whirlwind.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Roller coasters were popular even back in my day, and they still were.
The park was quiet on a weekday evening, but this ride still had a 30-minute line.
"Wooow, I'm so excited!! It's my first roller coaster ever!!"
No wonder.
That nightmare at age six.
We hadn't been back to an amusement park since.
Not even the school trip ones for Mina.
She was working hard now to shake off that unavoidable trauma.
"Have you ridden one before, Daddy?"
"Huh?? Uh..."
Honest confession time.
I... was scared of roller coasters and had never ridden one.
But how could I say that in front of my daughter?
"Of course."
"Scared?"
"N-nope? Not at all."
Thud.
Mina hugged me.
"Then if I'm scared, I'll rely on you, Daddy! You have to help me if I get freaked out, okay?"
"S-sure!"
And so we boarded the roller coaster...
"H-hiiiiaaaah!"
"Kyaaaa~~!! This is so funnnn~~~~!!"
I was the one gripping her hand tight.
"Ahahaha!! Didn't you say you've ridden before, Daddy? Why are you so scared? Such a wuss!"
"It's... been so long, that's why..."
"This is my first time! How can you be more scared than the newbie?"
"Well... I didn't expect it to zip between buildings that fast. Especially that bridge loop with the 360-degree spin... whew..."
Mina grinned like she'd found perfect teasing material.
"From now on, your nickname is Wuss Daddy."
"Sweetie... cut me some slack... Calling your dad a wuss... I'm so brave otherwise."
"You're a wuss~~ Daddy's a big wuss~~~."
"I'm not a wuss...! You rode too rough!!"
"Then ride that one."
What Mina pointed to was a pirate ship.
The kind that swings high and drops fast.
At least it wasn't constantly speeding like the coaster, so it'd be fine, right?
And that prediction was way off.
"Huh? It drops from here???"
The ship slowly climbed high, letting you take in the view with gentle waves for a bit.
But... this was higher than it looked.
"Not scared, Daddy?"
"N-nope! Not scared at all!"
"You look scared though?"
"N-no way... ha... hahahaaaaah!!!"
In an instant, my whole body slammed toward the ground.
In that dizzying moment, I reflexively grabbed my daughter's waist hard—she was sitting in front of me.
Splash!!
Water sprayed into the boat, but not as much as I'd feared.
The short hell ended.
Just before getting off, Mina whispered in my ear.
"Daddy... you're so strong."
"H-huh?"
"Nothing."
And so the hellish ride was over.
"Daddy, wait here. I need to use the bathroom quick."
"Okay, go ahead."
Whew.
I sighed and sat on a bench.
The nighttime amusement park was beautiful.
Even better with hardly any people on a weekday.
This was fun.
My honest take: it was fun.
I'd come feeling like I had to do some charity service.
But no... I was enjoying it, and so was she.
Glad we came.
Even the embarrassing uniform... after seeing the photos, it didn't seem so bad.
"This is happiness... nothing more to want."
"Daddy! I'm back!"
She returned faster than expected.
With something in one hand.
"Huh? What's that?"
"A memory for you and me!"
What she held out to my face... was a slushie.
A yellow pineapple-flavored one.
That's right.
She hadn't forgotten the pineapple slushie I'd bought her at age six and got one just like it.