75 Chapter 13: Date II [7]
After walking a little further, we then arrived bumper car booth. The number of people present was drastically lower compared to the other rides available in the park.
But it was not to the point where one could say that there are only a 'few' people present here. It is still quite the number from a standard perspective.
'After all, the most who use these rides are people that accompany children and such...or those who want to reminisce their childhood, or either they are just curious about it since they haven't tried it yet'
Rei thought so and he was no doubt on the spot about it.
For the trio's situation right now, the latter statement would fit best.
Rei himself, in his previous life, knows enough about how things operate here and there within an amusement park and its rides for example. However, he didn't savor it back then in his childhood, considering what his circumstances were. And not gonna lie, he was quite interested in it, not that he would say it out loud, however.
Tohka and Tenka on the other hand were also the same as him, though slightly different in some parts. Taking into account that they weren't 'humans' in the first place, but Spirits.
That's why going to a place like this would surely bring forth their interests, be it good or bad. This was something that is 'new' to them after all.
After a few more minutes, they immediately stood in line, waiting for their turn, and just in time, driving over the fence was started.
"Start! Drivers, drive safely!"
At the same time as the employee's departure signal was announced, the sound of joyful music was heard, and at the same time, the bumper carts began to move.
Thud! thud!
For some reason, it was somewhat relaxing to see the people bumping around and laughing happily, Tohka thought to herself.
Her eyes wandered, and she especially noticed a young girl driving the car.
The child was turning the steering wheel back and forth with a broad smile, and even though the bumper car was not moving properly, the young girl had a really happy expression on her face.
Rei for a moment just looked at them with an indescribable expression. Whether it is something good or not, he immediately changed it out and glanced at Tohka.
"Tohka?" He then called out, not before taking a look over what her eyes were locked at. "They are enjoying this, don't they? Especially, that young girl over there, what do you think?"
"...umu. She is..." Before finishing up her reply, she first giggled. "...well, cute? Adorable? Don't you think so as well, sis?"
As Tohka shot a question to Tenka, the answer she received couldn't be described as anything but short.
Tenka shrugged. "Slightly"
"Will it hurt you, to be honest, and give a compliment?"
"Hmph." Tenka turned her face away from them, causing both Rei and Tohka to giggle. "But I tell no lies about what I said, so shut up"
"Okay okay," Rei said in a surrendering tone. "Well, it seems that our turn will be in a few minutes more huh"
"It seems so," Tohka sighed but recovered soon after. "But I can wait! Don't worry!"
"Sometimes, I wonder where is <Fraxinus>'s support when you need it..." Rei mumbled softly, not really complaining or anything.
"Hm? Did you say something?"
"It's nothing"
"If you say so...."
Time passed by, and in a few minutes more it would be their turn already. It was worth the wait if you were to ask Tohka. Furthermore, she had noticed... something off about Rei. Tenka didn't seem to notice as she just closed her eyes most of the time. Back to Rei...
'...why are you looking at them like that?' Tohka wondered.
At that time, while watching people in bumper cars and chatting with each other, Tohka glanced at Rei and spoke to him.
"...Do you like children?"
"Huh?"
The such question fell, which in turn brought to silence as a result for a while until Rei himself gave his answer.
——
[Tohka PoV]
There was nothing behind those words rather than pure curiosity. Tohka was a very curious individual.
Normally, if it was before, she wouldn't waste her time filling up her curiosities because the only ones that greet her in her wake upon this world were enemies, but that wasn't entirely the case now, wasn't it?
Now that she thought of it, it has been quite some time already before those Mecha Mecha groups—or the AST as Rei and those from <Fraxinus> would like to call them, haven't really been after her lately. Of course, she was glad about such development, which in turn opened up many doors and opportunities in her life.
Before, humans are considered enemies—or at least, foreign unknowns for Tohka who could anytime be a threat to her life.
"...children, huh?" Rei repeated. Slightly wincing back as if he remembered some memories that were better left unsaid. "Well, I can say that I don't dislike them at the very least"
"Hm? Really?"
"Yeah"
It's the first time Rei heard that Tohka likes children. And before anybody could misunderstand, Tohka merely asked the question out of pure curiosity and wonder.
Even if it's just for a brief moment, she saw how Rei looked at the scene. If she were to put it into words, he looked kind of hurt in some way.
For all the time she had spent living with him, Tohka sees Rei in many ways.
For Tohka, he was the one who reached out his hand for her to give her hope. He was the one that guided her to see and enjoy so many things in life that she couldn't imagine having if everything remained the same a few months ago.
Nonetheless, for Tohka, he was also a fool. Her fool, the person who acts stupidly in a few moments, be it for good or bad reasons alike. But that's fine, flaws like that are something to be expected from any living being, and nobody was an exception.
Despite those flaws, for Tohka, he was someone special. So special that she couldn't afford to live without him by her side.
And once more, for Tohka, he was her hero. Though she knew that Rei would dislike being called like that for some reason, that fact wouldn't change. If she wasn't her hero, then what?
Tohka could give more in words, but she refrained from doing so any further. After all, it's only a matter of time before it's finally their turn to have their rides.
Nodding ever so slightly, she smiled. Tohka knows, she knows that Rei would want to avoid delving into the topic any further.
"Ah! It's finally our turn!" Tohka chirped in joy diverting the previous topic away.
Tenka hummed as she finally opened her eyes to see. "...It seems so"
"Let's enjoy ourselves then, shall we?" Rei said with a smile, and both received nods from two.
***
It was wonderful! Being on so many rides with both Rei and Tenka was something that Tohka would cherish in her memories! The excitement, the thrill, and many other emotions filled her very being within those very moments.
Starting with the bumper cars, merry-go-rounds ship rides, spinning fair rides, roller coasters, and many more!
She even felt a little dizzy at the end of some particular rides much to her dismay, which in turn was the same for Tenka. Rei however looked well, and even smug about it which both made Tenka grumbled as she even tried to give him a slap, which he easily dodged in the process.
And so, after a few more rides here and there, they decided to take a break.
Rei said about taking care of some matters and slipped into a nearby bathroom and left them. He also told them to rest on the nearby bench...which Tohka and Tenka didn't do for some reason.
While Rei was away, Tohka suddenly looked around and rummaged through her bag. Taking out her lipstick and hand mirror, she hurriedly applied the lipstick to her lips, then looked at the hand mirror and repeated strange actions.
Tilt your head left and right, stick your lips out, and open them slightly...
It looked like she was practicing kissing.
"...what are you doing?"
Tenka questioned who was beside her as they stand.
"You want to apply some lipstick as well, sis?"
"I don't..." Tenka then tilted her head slightly, observing Tohka a little more. She was kind of interested. "...hm. Maybe just a little"
"Okay~" Tohka hummed as she began to work on Tenka.
At that moment, the voices of a couple passing by from behind were heard.
"Dear~ Let's go see the fountain show"
"Already? Can't we just see it in the evening?"
"You should have known why most people here wanted to go there at 4 o'clock!"
"...Why? Is there something special or something?"
The man asked the woman as if he did not understand, and the woman patted the man's shoulder and said.
"Hmph. How clueless," The woman sighed. "If you kiss in front of the fountain show at 4 o'clock, they say you will eventually get married in the future!"
"...eh, get married... Aren't we going a little too fast?" The man said, but after seeing the woman growl at him, he flinched and changed his statement. "Ah, I take back what I said. That's good... I guess"
"Right~?"
"Kiss... marriage..."
The words of the couple, who disappeared while joking around, kept ringing in Tohka's ears. Tenka who heard the same as well looked at Tohka blankly.
"What are you thinking of right now?"
"Hehe~ Just something interesting! Of course, you would be involved as well!" Tohka answered as she finished applying lipstick on Tenka. "Oh! Finished! You look, great sis!"
"We have the same looks after all," Tenka commented as she let out a laugh as she checked her face in the mirror handed by Tohka.
"Now~ Want to listen about the little ploy that I will do, sis~?"
——
[Rei PoV]
As Rei got out of the bathroom and went back to Tohka and Tenka, he felt a faint wave of Reiryoku spread out from somewhere.
"Where is it...?"
Rei looked around slowly, but he didn't see anything special.
'I felt that...'
If he spreads his area perception in form of Reiryoku widely, he can roughly estimate the location as to where it possibly originated. And Rei did so and the results it brought him only made his mind confused.
The range of the wave of Reiryoku that he felt had practically covered almost the entirety of the amusement park. He needs a little more time to pinpoint the very focus of it, which probably is a Spirit, but he can't be too sure unless he confirms it with 100% certainty.
'And now I thought that this date would end peacefully... Well, I certainly hope it will be so but that wave already pulled out some flags for something to happen.' Rei thought to himself as he sighed.
Rei glanced around once again, and immediately approached Tohka and Tenka who he had left for a while, saying he was back.
Tohka, unaware that Rei was approaching, was mumbling something on her lips and kept repeating unknown movements, or gestures to Tenka. Tenka who was accompanying her shows a deadpan expression at Tohka as if saying "Are you serious?" or something like that.
As Rei shortened the distance between them, Tenka noticed him as her eyes locked with his. Tohka's back was facing him as she continues saying something to Tenka unaware of his presence, up until Tenka sighed and pointed her finger at him.
"That's why sis, you—Eh?"
"Hmph. I already warned you"
Rei pretended to be surprised and approached Tohka, and then she turned her head back in recoil. Tenka on the other hand sighed once more as she held her temple while shaking her head.
"Hm? Why are you two still standing here? Aren't you supposed to be resting for a while?"
Tohka looked like a kid caught doing something bad. Her expression tells it all. While Tenka on the other hand remained impassive as ever in such a situation and just observed.
"We forgot," Tenka said as Rei gave them a deadpan look. "And Tohka here wants to wait for you..." Tenka paused as she let out an amused smile at Tohka. "But you see, it seems that Tohka wants to do something—"
However, before Tenka could continue any further, she was cut by Tohka as she waved her hands over there sporting a pleading look. "S-sis?! You can already stop there, right? Right?"
Tenka shrugged but accepted. "If that's what you wish"
"Really?"
"Yes, really"
That caught his attention and decided to walk the two to the nearest bench.
Rei pretended not to know anything, sat down next to her, and talked to her.
"What were you two planning on doing?"
"...We didn't do anything, nor we are planning..."
Seeing that she seems to have it as a surprise or something, Rei thought it would be better not to ask deeply. After all, he also has a surprise for them in hand at the end of this date.
Naturally, he took out his phone and checked the time, and informed Tohka and Tenka that it would be 3 o'clock soon.
"...So, shall we go to the square now? I think the fountain show will start soon, right?"
Square Fountain Show.
There are only two performances that will be shown on this day, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
It was a place that Tohka insisted she wanted to visit a while ago, and she said that she wanted to take a picture there.
"Let's hurry then, bastard"
"Umu!"
With Tenka's strangely urging words, we moved towards the fountain in the square.
"There are so many people. More than what I had expected..." Deja Vu hits him again as he relays those words.
It's not as much as the 8 o'clock performance that was usually described as the hotspot for many people to gather, but because the square fountain show is so famous, quite a lot of people gathered in the central square.
When Rei was wandering around looking around for suitable seats available, Tenka, who was following behind him, pulled his collar tight.
"Let's go over there"
Instead of Tenka, it was Tohka who pointed at the center of the fountain. It was, after all, the most crowded place.
You can take pictures in the center of the fountain since this place was practically on the top when taking prettier pictures than other places in the park. It's placed on the central part for a reason.
"Then, shall we go over there?"
As they moved forward, the closer they got to the center, the more people gathered and it became difficult to break through the road.
Well, he can just maneuver some things to his advantage. Tweaking a few of his powers, he created an invisible barrier that led them smoothly to the line without bumping into anybody in particular.
After thinking about it for a while, Rei gently reached out to Tohka's and Tenka's hands.
"Well, may I have both of your hands?"
Tohka smiled as she responds. "Gladly~!"
"Ho?" Tenka on the other hand seemed to notice the change and as for what he did.
Tohka and Tenka stared at each other first, then extended and grabbed his hands, and Rei grabbed their hands in return as they slowly moved forward through the crowd.
Finally, they reached the center of the fountain.
Spectators lined up behind the colorfully dressed staff.
There are a lot of people here, and it seems that they set up a zone and manage it separately to make the order.
They went through the crowd again and stood in the waiting line, and Rei gently released Tohka's and Tenka's hands and checked the long line.
"By the way, isn't this a bit long? Can we even take a picture of this?" Rei wondered out loud and left unsaid words in his mind. 'Really, where are they when you need their support'
As for who he was pointing to, it was obvious. However, as far as he knew, they would immediately offer such help in situations like these...unless something urgent happened.
It was then that Tohka calmly spoke as if not to worry.
"You can only take one picture at a time, so we don't have to wait for too long! It's pretty organized here...or so they said in what I read! So we don't need to worry!"
"...For real?"
"Umu!"
Tohka seems like she wanted to take a picture here, and it looks like she had searched for information much deeper than what he did.
While waiting for their turn, an announcement came from somewhere.
[Notice to the audience. From now on, the central square fountain show will begin. The audience...]
The fountain show was about to begin.
Shortly after the announcement was over...
"♫~♪~♩~♬~"
...Soothing music rang out as if you were in a concert hall, and water began to spurt out of the fountain.
"Wow..."
It was the first fountain show that he had seen personally in his current life. Though he really shouldn't be surprised by this already, it was still a wonderful performance that left his heart enthralled.
As Rei watched the performance recalling some memories he had in his past life, he slowly turned his head to look at the two girls on each of his sides.
"Oh! Look, sis! Amazing, isn't it!" Exclaimed Tohka in excitement as her eyes sparkled in delight at what was happening right before her.
Tenka then replied, showing a small smile as she nodded. "It's...hm. Entertaining"
"I told you so!"
Both ladies seemed to like it, too, and soon both of them stared blankly at the fountain show with their mouths slightly opened.
Seeing the dazzling expressions of the two, Rei smiled satisfied, and quietly waited for their turn to come.
"♪~♫~♩~♬~"
As the performance progressed, their turn drew closer, and the young couple standing in front of them arrived.
"Give this employee your cell phone! All you have to do is stand in the white area and take a pose!"
Hearing the voice of the staff stating instructions mechanically, Tohka takes out her cell phone and prepares the camera.
The young couple ahead of them quickly posed as if they had prepared it in advance and looked at each other.
The couple was lightly hugging each other and making eye contact.
The moment their lips met, a click was heard.
'Ah, so that's what this surprise is about...'
Rei's thoughts were cut short as the staff made her announcement swiftly after the couple's picture was taken.
"The next group in line, please stand here right away!"
And the staff quickly shouted as if there was nothing to check and put us ahead.
Tohka handed the cell phone to the employee, "Let's go!"
"Alright..." Tenka said back as she moved to his other side.
Tohka and Tenka both grabbed one of his arms and led Rei to the white tile.
Rei thought at first that they were just standing next to each other and taking pictures but both didn't say anything.
"Ah..."
Both Tohka and Tenka, whether they have the posture they had in mind in advance, leaned on my side, glanced at him, and whispered their messages in his ears.
"Do you like it Rei? Both beauties on your side~?" Tenka whispered in a sultry tone which is rare for her.
"Be sure to savor the next fleeting moments, bastard," Tenka whispered as well, but with a more blunt tone. Nevertheless, he also noticed the hint of amusement and expectance from it.
An unfamiliar feeling of euphoria surged within his chest.
"Let's shoot at three!"
Time seemed to slow down in his eyes.
Hearing the words of the staff shouting at them, Rei looked at Tohka first, then Tenka next. The former looked determined and happy, while the latter, even not sporting the same looks as the former, at least looked satisfied with what should happen next.
"One...!"
Both leaned even closer, slowly as they both held on to his arms tighter as if not letting him escape from their grasp. Their eyes sparkled like amethyst jewels emitting a brilliance that would put those who look at them in a trance because of how captivating it is.
"Two...!"
Just as the second command was about to come out of the employee's mouth...
'Huh?'
...It was then, that gritty feeling was felt by Rei again. This time, was more prominent and stronger compared to earlier. The difference was clear as if the one he previously felt earlier was like a breeze compared to this which was like a blast right at this very moment.
"Three—!"
And the moment the last command was given by the staff. A snapping sound from the phone signifies that a picture was shot.
Both girls smiled as everything had gone smoothly in their minds, and gave off amused giggles looking at how slightly red Rei's face is.
At the very next moment, however, the trio's attention sharpened as they all heard a deafening noise...
UUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu—
——
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[A/N: Yez! I'm alive and here's the chapter!
Back to longer chaps...! Though it's been like 15 days..uh, 16 I guess since the last update?
...
Anyways, thanks to those who are reading this chapter right now guys!
Also, special thanks to APOCALYPSE for rereading the novel and pointing out some errors here and there! Much appreciated!
This is all of it that I should say now in this AN I guess. We are finally reaching the end of this arc in a few more chapters! Stay tuned, be safe, and with all that said guys, ciao~]
