3:20 PM.
The school dismissal bell rang on time.
Sora packed his schoolbag, stood up, and prepared to leave the classroom.
"Sora, wait for me, wait for me~"
Anna followed with brisk steps, holding her backpack with both hands. Her smile was bright and radiant:
"It feels like it's been a long time since I went to an amusement park. I'm so looking forward to it."
Hearing this, Sora glanced over: "If I remember correctly, you went to an amusement park with your friends during spring break, right?"
"Eh?"
A sly gleam flashed in Anna's eyes. She made a fist with her right hand, placed it by her mouth, coughed lightly twice, and switched to a serious expression:
"I apologize. I'd like to retract what I just said and say it again."
"Say what?"
"Well..."
Anna put her hands behind her back, suddenly closed her right eye in a wink, stood on her tiptoes, leaned close to Sora's ear, and whispered:
"It's been a long time since I went to an amusement park to play with Sora. I'm so looking forward to it."
"..."
Before Sora could speak, the girl's cute, pleasant laughter chimed in first:
"Hey, hey, did Sora's heart just beat faster?"
Sora: "..."
Returning from the Golden Week trip, the gluttonous girl's combat power has clearly leveled up.
Sora turned his head away. "I've been to the amusement park many times. I'm not really looking forward to it."
"Liar." Anna gave a smug, light snort, her nasal tone coquettish and cute.
"When Sora lies, he always averts his gaze first."
Sora: "..."
Prank Operation: Major Success.
The corners of Anna's pink, moist lips curled up happily. Her steps became even lighter, her fluffy blue hair gently fluttering in the air.
Today, while reflecting in the classroom, Anna had grasped another truth:
To strike iron, one must be strong oneself.
I can't pin all my hopes on the Losing Heroine Diary. If I want to protect Sora and keep him from being snatched away by others, I must turn passive into active.
If I just think about silently staying by Sora's side, it's highly likely I'll become a losing heroine. But if I actively take the offensive, that might not be the case.
I seem to be a very cute girl too. Sora has no reason to refuse, right?
Moreover, the rival is the super-cute Angel-sama. I must actively take the offensive to rewrite the losing heroine future!
So... next, I'm going to buy the complete manga collection of 'Teasing Master Takagi-san' to take home, and start my conquest by playing pranks on Sora!
Chatting along the way, the two quickly arrived at the school gate.
In the corner, a girl with long, straight black hair was already waiting expectantly.
"Ruri-chan."
Anna happily waved hello, her voice crisp:
"We're here!"
"Good afternoon..." Ruri looked up and responded softly.
"Sorry to trouble you guys today."
"It's no trouble at all." Anna put her hands on her hips. She took a chocolate stick from her backpack and handed it to Kuroneko.
"Actually, we really wanted to go to the amusement park too... Here, does Ruri want a bite?"
Ruri: "..."
Who shares a snack by just offering the other person a single bite!
After chatting for a bit, Angel-sama, who seemed to radiate a holy light, walked out of the academy with fluttering steps, holding her schoolbag with both hands.
"I'm sorry to have kept everyone waiting."
Mahiru apologized softly.
"We just came out too." Sora put his phone away.
"Since everyone is here, shall we get going?"
"Let's go, let's go!"
"..."
Half an hour later.
"Amusement park, here we come!"
Stepping off the train and looking at the slowly turning Ferris wheel in the distance, Anna raised her fists above her head, her eyes sparkling.
That kiss on the Ferris wheel is mine!
Even if the Losing Heroine Diary doesn't have magical effects, I can still actively take the offensive... Anyway, the advantage is mine!
The group quickly walked to the amusement park entrance. Because it was a weekday and already afternoon, there was no congestion or queuing at the entrance. Sora and the three girls bought student tickets together and entered the amusement park.
"So this is an amusement park..."
Mahiru pursed her beautiful lips, her beautiful eyes looking around curiously.
Anna was a frequent visitor to the amusement park, and Ruri had been here with her parents and sisters. Only Mahiru was stepping foot into an amusement park for the first time in her life, so everything looked novel to her.
"Let's all take a group photo first, okay?"
Anna took a selfie stick out of her schoolbag, skillfully mounted her phone, and stood right next to Sora's left side.
As a selfie expert, it's perfectly normal to have a selfie stick in her schoolbag.
Faced with Anna's proposal, the girls naturally didn't refuse and gathered around Sora.
"Look at the phone."
Sora and the girls all looked up.
"Sora, smile." Anna complained.
"That's exactly where you fall short. You're always so unsmiling. That's probably why you're unpopular at school, right?"
Hearing this, Mahiru and Kuroneko simultaneously looked at Sora.
The two girls' gazes crossed in mid-air, and then they tacitly looked away.
"Sorry for being unpopular."
Sora complained while forcing a smile.
"Oh my, your smile is so stiff. Be more natural... That's about right. Ruri-chan, smile happier."
"Ah..."
"Don't worry. After we go back, I'll edit the photo. I guarantee I'll edit out your dark circles."
"..."
After taking the group photo, Anna put the selfie stick away in satisfaction. The amusement park tour officially began.
"The roller coaster is over there." Anna pointed, her tone expectant.
"Does everyone want to go challenge the roller coaster right now?"
"We'll talk about that later." Sora looked at Angel-sama. Since it was Mahiru's first time at an amusement park, of course he had to prioritize taking care of her.
"Let's start with some milder rides."
Mahiru looked up, her voice gentle:
"Thank you, Sora-kun."
Next, led by Anna, the group successively experienced the carousel, the teacups, the bumper cars, the pirate ship... and finally arrived at the roller coaster ride.
Listening to the piercing screams in mid-air, Ruri's pretty face turned slightly pale, and she involuntarily began to back out:
"M-Maybe we should just skip it?"
"Since we're already here, it'd be too much of a pity not to ride it." Anna uttered a famous golden rule, enthusiastically recommending it.
"Ruri-chan hasn't ridden a roller coaster before, right?"
"I haven't."
Ruri shook her head.
Although she was a chunibyo girl, her actual courage was quite small. Although she had brought her sisters to the amusement park, super dangerous rides like the roller coaster were something she only ever dared to watch from afar, never experiencing them.
"Since you haven't ridden it, you should experience it even more." Anna's expression turned serious, arguing plausibly.
"A life without experiencing a roller coaster is an incomplete life!"
Ruri: "..."
A life without experiencing a roller coaster is incomplete?
Then there are way too many incomplete lives in this world!
"Don't force yourself." Sora turned to look at Kuroneko and said softly.
"Ride it if you want to, it's okay if you don't. Roller coasters aren't for everyone."
"That's right." Mahiru's voice was gentle.
"Just do what's within your limits."
"Phew..."
Ruri took a deep breath, clenched her right fist, and her gaze quietly turned resolute:
"The Black Cat of the Dark Night will not fear a challenge... I-I want to experience it!"
What is my purpose for coming to the amusement park?
It's to clear my mind, change my mood, and avoid having another nightmare tonight.
It's just a roller coaster. Others can ride it. As a magical girl chosen by the world, I have even less reason to back down, right?
"Then experience it once, you might even end up liking it." Sora gave a light nod, then looked at Angel-sama.
"What does Mahiru say?"
Angel-sama rested her folded hands against her lower abdomen, her voice soft:
"I also want to experience it."
It's my first time playing at an amusement park in my life. Naturally, I can't miss out on the fun rides.
"Although I'm a bit nervous..." Mahiru pursed her pink, moist lips and looked up at Sora. Her gaze was clear and bright, without a trace of impurity.
"But with Sora-kun right beside me, I feel very safe."
Sora: "..."
Oh no.
It's the feeling of my heart skipping a beat.
Compared to Anna, whom he grew up with and was too familiar with, his heart definitely raced much more often when facing Angel-sama.
"Let's hurry up and go line up, shall we?" Anna swiftly interrupted the 'casting'.
"Popular rides like the roller coaster always have a lot of people in line. Hurry, let's go."