After half an hour's rest, Eri and Yukiko recovered enough for the group to hit the park's McDonald's for lunch.
"Why's my head still spinning?" Yukiko grimaced. "Kinda nauseous."
"Me too," Eri eyed the burger sign. "No appetite."
"Eat something—beats feeling worse," Shuichi insisted, dragging the pair inside.
The girls nibbled; the other three chowed down.
"Onii-chan, afternoon plans?" Reiko sipped her shake.
"Eri and Yukiko look wiped—no more rides," Kogoro noted.
"Saw a circus poster by the haunted house," Shuichi recalled. "Show at two—let's catch that."
"Yay!" Reiko beamed.
The drained duo deferred; Kogoro agreed. They headed to the big top.
En route, past the haunted house, Shuichi glanced at the soda shop—the Phantom Lady still lounged, magazine in hand.
Catching his eye, she looked out.
Shuichi waved—flower shop sorted with her on it.
That jerk...
Inside, the purple-haired girl gnashed her teeth. A morning's brooding unsolved her slip-up—identity blown.
Seeing Shuichi's crew frolic while she staked out dimwit thieves? Balance tipped to envy.
Damn! He's a detective too—thief-catching's his gig! Why me stuck here, him carefree?
...
The group pressed to the circus, weaving vendor stalls.
Eri and Yukiko snagged trinkets; Reiko donned a blue cap with cat ears: "Onii-chan, look! Cool hat!"
"Haha, Reiko in that? Total boy vibe," Kogoro teased.
"Kogoro-niisan!" Reiko snatched an inflatable hammer from a nearby stall, bonking his head. "Die!"
Amused, Shuichi bought her the hammer.
Kogoro nabbed fireworks from a stand—home fun.
Shuichi skipped shopping, but paused at a mask vendor, grabbing a Taro Ultraman one.
Past life's childhood staple... This life's viewings lost the wonder.
Masked, whimsy struck—he mimed Ultraman's beam: "Biubiu..."
The quartet froze, stunned.
"Shuichi, you..."
Kogoro and Eri gawked, sharing shock.
Their steady childhood pal? Never this kid-like.
"Onii-chan, you... lost it?" Reiko gaped, mouth agape.
Reliable big bro—glitches aside—never this off-kilter.
Yukiko, short acquaintance, never imagined him aping tokusatsu.
"Shuichi, your age—still into special effects shows?"
Embarrassed under stares, mask spared his blush.
He coughed: "Circus starts soon—move."
No budge; they stared.
Irked: "Nostalgia's normal, right?"
"Others, sure—you? Weird," Eri shook her head.
"Same," Kogoro nodded. "When'd you watch Ultraman? Never mentioned."
"Stick to usual Onii-chan," Reiko huffed. "That version? Like annoying classmates."
"Nostalgia fine—but that act..." Yukiko burst laughing. "You, kid-like? Priceless."
"Fine, my bad," Shuichi grumbled, yanking off the mask to return.
"Keep it—bought now," Eri chuckled, tilting it jauntily on his head. "To the circus."
...
Post-show, 3:30 p.m.
"Ferris wheel—then head home."
All nodded—day's fun capped perfectly.
Queued briefly, they boarded a gondola.
As it climbed, Reiko peered out: "Onii-chan, morning bungee height like this?"
"Bungee was sixty meters," Shuichi estimated. "This peak? Two hundred-plus."
The four, spent, dozed in seats.
Reiko window-gawked: "Spot the bungee..."
Then, yanking his sleeve: "Onii-chan, haunted house—trouble? Folks bolting in panic!"
Haunted house?
Phantom Lady moving?
Shuichi peered down—chaos, tourists fleeing wildly.
"Haunted house not that scary?" Yukiko joined. "What's spooking 'em?"
"Fire?" Eri asked.
"Nah," Shuichi shook his head. "No smoke from here..."
*(End of Chapter)*Chapter 126: Reiko: Onii-chan, Look! Cool Hat!
After half an hour's rest, Eri and Yukiko perked up enough for the group to hit the park's McDonald's for lunch.
"My head's still spinning," Yukiko griped, face sour. "Kinda nauseous."
"Me too," Eri eyed the burger menu. "No appetite."
"Eat something anyway—beats starving," Shuichi insisted, dragging the pair inside.
The girls nibbled; the rest scarfed full meals.
"Onii-chan, where to this afternoon?" Reiko slurped her shake.
"Eri and Yukiko look wiped—no big rides," Kogoro noted.
"Saw a circus poster by the haunted house," Shuichi recalled. "Show starts at two—let's catch that."
"Yay!" Reiko beamed.
The drained duo deferred to Shuichi; Kogoro shrugged. Off to the big top.
En route, past the haunted house, Shuichi glanced at the soda shop—the Phantom Lady still lounged in her corner, magazine in lap.
Catching his eye, the purple-haired girl looked up.
Shuichi waved cheerily. With her on it, flower shop woes? Handled.
That jerk...
In the shop, she gnashed her teeth. A morning's brooding yielded zilch—where'd she slip? Now, spotting Shuichi's crew frolicking while she staked out dimwits, envy twisted her gut.
Damn! He's a detective too—thief-chasing's his gig! Why's he carefree while I play bait?
...
The group pressed toward the circus, weaving past trinket vendors.
Eri and Yukiko snagged baubles; Reiko donned a blue cap with cat ears. "Onii-chan, look! Cool hat!"
"Haha, Reiko in that? Total boy vibe," Kogoro teased.
"Kogoro-niisan!" Reiko snatched an inflatable hammer from a nearby stall, bonking his head. "Die!"
Amused, Shuichi bought her the hammer.
Kogoro hit a fireworks stand, grabbing firecrackers for home fun.
Shuichi planned to skip shopping—until a mask stall halted him. He bought a Taro Ultraman one.
Childhood relic from last life... This one's watched, but the wonder's gone.
Mask on, whimsy struck—he struck Ultraman's beam pose: "Biubiu..."
The quartet froze, gobsmacked.
"Shuichi, you..."
Kogoro and Eri traded stunned glances.
Their steady childhood pal? Never this kid-silly.
"Onii-chan, you... lost it?" Reiko gaped, mouth agape.
Her reliable big bro—flaky at times, but adult-solid. This?
Yukiko, shorter acquaintance, blinked. "Shuichi, your age—still into tokusatsu?"
Embarrassed under stares (mask hid the flush), Shuichi coughed. "Show's starting—move."
A few steps, no follow. They gawked.
Irked, he snapped: "Nostalgia's normal, right?"
"Others, sure. You? Feels off," Eri shook her head.
"Same," Kogoro nodded. "When'd you watch Ultraman? Never mentioned."
"Better stick to usual Onii-chan," Reiko pouted. "That version? Like the annoying boys in class."
"Nostalgia's fine, but that..." Yukiko dissolved in laughs. "You, kid-like? Priceless."
"Fine, my bad," Shuichi grumbled, yanking off the mask to return.
"Keep it—bought now," Eri chuckled, tilting it jauntily on his head. "Circus awaits."
...
Post-show, 3:30 p.m.
"Ferris wheel, then home," Shuichi suggested.
Nods all around—day's thrills capped perfectly.
Queued briefly, into a gondola.
As it climbed, Reiko peered out, thrilled at shrinking crowds. "Onii-chan, morning bungee height, right?"
"Bungee's sixty meters," Shuichi gauged. "This peak? Two hundred-plus."
The four ride-weary ones dozed; Reiko window-hunted.
"Onii-chan's right—bungee over there..."
She yanked his sleeve, alarmed. "Onii-chan, haunted house—trouble? Folks bolting in panic!"
Haunted house? Phantom Lady moving?
Shuichi peered down—chaos confirmed: tourists fleeing helter-skelter.
"House that scary?" Yukiko leaned in. "What spooked 'em?"
"Fire?" Eri wondered.
"Nah," Shuichi shook his head. "No smoke from here..."
(End of Chapter)
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/TripleCrown07
If you guys wanna check it out.