I came to the Amusement park around 5 pm. We didn't have a designated time.
However, I had a hunch she would be coming around at that time—I was right, I found her just coming down from a bus.
She was engrossed on her phone, muttering something.
"Yo."
"Hey Eiya, how are you doing?" she grinned.
"I'm good, what about you?"
"Oh me? I'm super excited."
"So, what was the urgent thing you wanted to talk about?"
"Let's finish the date first."
Don't tell me she just wanted to have a date and needed a reason to get me here.
"Heugh," I sighed because that was a very big possibility.
I suppose it's fine because I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing Aiya.
The amusement park was alive with energy. Bright lights blinked rhythmically, music drifted through the cool evening air, and the excited chatter of students and even some staff blended into an almost magical atmosphere.
As we stopped through the gates, I glanced over at Aiya. She was already grinning, her eyes darting from one ride to the next like a kid at a candy store.
"This place is huge," she said, brushing a strand of her hair out of her face. "Where should we start?"
"You're the one who wanted to come, you decide," I shrugged.
"How about…the rollercoaster." she grinned.
"Sure."
The line for the rollercoaster snarked around metal barriers, the sounds of the ride roaring overhead.
Aiya's excitement was contagious, even if I wasn't particularly moved by the sight of the towering steel tracks.
"You're not nervous, right? She teased, leaning in with a sly smile.
"Why would I be?" I replied calmly.
"Good," she said. "Because this is going to be intense."
When it was finally our turn, she practically dragged me into the front seat.
The safety bar clicked into place, and the ride began its slow ascent.
Aiya leaned forward, her hands gripping the bar, her pink hair in the wind. "Look at this view!!!"
"Yeah," I said, glancing down. The height didn't faze me—I haven't really been afraid for a long time—since I was seven.
As the rollercoaster plunged, I let out a carefully timed yell, just enough to blend in with the screams around us.
Aiya's laughter rang out beside me, pure and unrestrained, as the ride twisted and turned through loops and drops.
When we finally stumbled off, she turned to me, her eyes shining. "That was incredible! You screamed so loud!"
"Did I now? I have no memory of that," I said, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't even try to deny it," she said, poking my arm. "I heard you."
I smirked; it seemed I had fooled her.
After the rollercoaster, Aiya insisted on grabbing snacks. We found a food stall selling churros and hot chocolate, the smell of cinnamon and sugar wafting through the air.
"Here," Aiya said, handing me a churro. "Don't just stand there, try it."
I really like trying all this new food, before now I have only seen them eat this. They were kind enough to tell me the name of the snack—churros.
I took a bite, the warm sweetness filling my mouth. "Not bad."
"Not bad?" She repeated, her eyes narrowing. "It's amazing, admit it."
She must really love churros. It's good but I would still prefer ice cream, preferably a popsicle, to this.
I guess they were wrong at one thing, churros aren't the best snacks in the world.
Well, it was probably hyperbole but still I wonder how many things they were wrong at.
"Alright, it's good." I said flatly.
She laughed, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "Relax, you're too serious."
"I hear you."
Next up was the haunted house, a dimly lit maze filled with actors dressed as ghosts, zombies, and various other horrors.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Aiya asked, her tone playful.
"Are you?" I countered, holding the door for her.
The first scare came almost immediately—a bloodied zombie lurching out from the shadows.
Aiya screamed, clutching my arm, but her laughter followed just as quickly.
"That was so fake!" she said, though her grip on my sleeve didn't loosen.
"Pretty obvious," I agreed, though I kept my expression neutral.
I don't really like horror though it's not necessarily because it's scary.
I just don't like the idea of intentionally making myself scared, it's kinda stupid.
As we moved through the maze, Aiya alternated between screaming at jump scares and laughing at herself for being startled.
I played along, flinching when appropriate, though nothing in the house was remotely frightening.
By the end, Aiya was grinning from ear to ear. "That was so much fun!"
"Glad you enjoyed it."
She raised an eyebrow. "You didn't get scared at all, did you?"
"Of course I did." I said, keeping my voice light.
"Liar."
It seems I have been caught.
The night was winding down when we reached the Ferris wheel, its colorful lights reflecting off the nearby water.
Before coming here, I didn't think I would be able to do any of this—it feels so surreal.
It seems I've reached my goal; I have friends and even a girlfriend who loves me. I can even have fun.
However…
I still feel the same way.
I have not grown at all; everything is still the same. I constantly have to delude myself just to even feel normal.
I'm sure if I give it my all, I can become normal, but would that be normalcy? No, it won't. It would just be me acting, nothing more.
"To be normal is to act as you were made," I read those lines in a book–it was an engineer talking to the robot he had made, trying to explain that authenticity equals normality.
That being yourself will eventually lead to normalcy.
However, I cannot be myself, because that person is not someone that can be considered normal.
I don't understand why I can't do it.
Is it that I haven't tried enough?
Am I unable to change?
Am I still tied to there?
Why can't I change?
Why?!
Despite what I do, I'm still that boy, that person. I cannot leave that cage—I suppose I'm stuck in that bastard institute.
I'm still the same—the same person from 6 years ago. The same Nakamura Eiya.
Despite every thing, I'm still—
"This is the perfect way to end the night," Aiya stopped my internal monologue, as we climbed into one of the cabins.
The wheel began its slow ascent, lifting us above the park. From the top, the entire amusement park stretched out below us, a dazzling mix of lights and motion.
Aiya leaned forward; her hands pressed against the glass. "It's beautiful."
"Yeah," I said, though I was watching her, not the view.
I have a feeling she still has something to tell me.
"Right," she said leaning back in her seat; noticing I was looking at her and not the view. "W-W-Wait you were talking about me?"
Aiya blushed at the realization, her cheeks being as red as raspberries.
I nodded, indicating that she was right.
"So, why'd you want to go on a date today?"
"Oh, that," her expression changed. "I want to break up," she looked outside the window.
What? Isn't that way too sudden?
"Why?"
"You're too boring, and—" Her voice was cold—too cold. Then, just as she turned away, she paused for a moment. "Never mind."
To be honest I've never heard her talk this way. She always sounds playful, so this is a shock, it almost sounds deceptive.
"Elaborate."
"You act like a textbook that you won't allow me to read."
"…"
"Moreover, I don't want to be in a relationship with a person like you."
What does that even mean? We were fine a minute ago, did I bore her?
"…"
"In conclusion, you're completely and utterly bland."
In an instant my relationship with Aiya ended–Ironic, how our relationship started and ended with the word "bland."
We sat in uncomfortable silence as the Ferris wheel completed its slow descent.
For a moment, the world felt distant, the noise of the park muted by the height.
Aiya silently left when the Ferris wheel came down before she was out of earshot; I spoke.
"See you tomorrow, Suzuki."
"…"
Now that we weren't dating, I didn't want to call her by her surname, so people wouldn't misunderstand and think that we were dating anymore.
The walk back to the dorms was peaceful, I enjoyed the cool breeze.
I saw a classmate—that same purple-haired girl I saw outside the window on the first day, in the bushes, apparently her name was Yumemiya Aikawa.
I went to see what was up, the thing is if I was caught, I couldn't really explain what I was doing.
"Aiya has done her part. What's left is to get my class's student records."
I wonder who she's talking to, I doubt she's talking to herself.
"Good work, I trust you'll be able to handle everything," an unknown voice replied—the voice was using some kind of voice changer.
This person is very cautious.
"Yup, trust in me," Yumemiya giggled.
She was about to leave, so I went to my room. I spent some time in the night thinking about what I had witnessed.
Well, I wasn't sad or anything. I was just surprised as all, though I planned to get an answer out on Aiya on the next day.
I walked to school the same way I always did but today was a little different when I walked into class–there was no Ito or Aiya, just myself.
However, on my way to school my classmates gave me nasty stares.
Almost like I had done something unforgivable, like stealing a girl's underwear.
It felt honestly weird. When I arrived in class the stares intensified with murmurs going around.
What's going on?
When I reached my seat, Aiya was crying so I went to try and calm her down until—
Yoshida slapped my hand away before I could touch Aiya.
"How dare you try to touch her after what you did?"
What I did? What is she talking about?
The murmur in the class only grew more and more until Ito walked up to me, his eyes looked wary, he gulped then spoke.
"Nakamura, did you try to rape Aiya?"
What?
***
Author's Note:
Eh?!!! What the hell is going on? Who knows? Seems like there is only one more chapter left for volume 2, let's see what happens next.
Anyway, remember to comment, share, and leave a review. Thanks for reading the chapter and see you in the next one.