Chapter 21: I Don’t Want to Queue

“The weather today—is pretty nice.”

Raising a hand to slightly block the glaring sunlight, Yuuma Tsugumu looked up at the clear, cloudless sky, and his mood improved.

Today was the day Akiba Sakura and Yuuma Tsugumu had agreed to go to the amusement park together.

So, early in the morning, the two had already taken the subway together and arrived at the entrance of the city’s largest and most bustling amusement park.

‘Want to recapture the taste of childhood?’

Remembering the words Akiba Sakura had said that day at the coffee shop, Yuuma’s smile gradually calmed.

‘That phrase… could it be true, what she said?’

At the time, Yuuma had also wanted to ask that question, but Akiba Sakura was in a hurry to go ‘arrest’ Momoka Aoi, so in the end, he didn’t bother asking.

‘But, to be honest, it seems like she and I didn’t really go to amusement parks much in our childhood?’

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Tsuguo-kun~”

Just then, Akiba Sakura’s voice interrupted Yuuma’s thoughts.

Today, Akiba Sakura was wearing a bright-colored short T-shirt and a pair of denim shorts, revealing her slender waist and navel.

She looked so youthful and beautiful.

“This is for you~”

Akiba Sakura handed Yuuma an ice cream, giving him a sweet smile.

“Thanks.”

Yuuma didn’t refuse, reaching out to take the strawberry ice cream she offered.

“Mhm mhm, you’re welcome~”

Akiba Sakura nodded with a smile, then began licking her own vanilla ice cream.

“Mmm, so blissful~”

Even from the subway entrance outside, the hysterical screams of people riding the roller coaster inside the Sunday amusement park could be heard.

However, that also meant the park was absolutely packed today.

One ride might involve all sorts of queuing.

“…”

Thinking of this, Yuuma’s originally decent mood became somewhat gloomy.

After all, no one likes waiting in line.

Just as he snapped back to reality and wanted to taste the ice cream, he noticed Akiba Sakura seemed to be glancing at him intentionally or unintentionally.

He also noticed something seemed to be smudged at the corner of her mouth, looking like red cream.

“W-why are you looking at me like that, Tsuguo-kun?”

Akiba Sakura seemed a bit flustered now, but Yuuma didn’t suspect anything, just kindly reminded her:

“Look at your face, you’ve got ice cream on it.”

“Huh? Oh!”

Hearing this, Akiba Sakura hurriedly reached into her pants pocket, pulled out a tissue, and wiped the cream off her face.

“Hehe… thank you, Tsuguo-kun. But eat quickly! The ice cream will melt in this hot weather!”

“Okay.”

Yuuma nodded, then stuck out his tongue to taste the ice cream—

‘So sweet. It’s strawberry flavored. Tastes pretty good.’

The icy sensation of the strawberry ice cream instantly made Yuuma fall in love with the feeling.

Eating an ice cream on such a stuffy, hot day felt almost addictive.

“Mommy, look! That big sister gave the big brother the ice cream she already tasted!”

Just as Yuuma was about to take a big lick of the ice cream, a little girl’s childish voice from not far away made his whole body freeze.

He sharply looked at Akiba Sakura, wanting confirmation from her eyes.

“Heh! Exposed~”

Akiba Sakura playfully stuck out her tongue, tilting her head cutely and tapping it.

“Tsuguo-kun, I was the one who ran over to buy the ice cream. So, wanting to taste both of them isn’t too much, right~?”

“…”

‘I really want to strangle the person in front of me!’

The light vanished from Yuuma’s eyes.

“…”

“…”

“What should we go on first?”

After some dawdling, Yuuma and Akiba Sakura finally arrived at the amusement park’s central plaza.

Looking at the wide variety of amusement rides around, Akiba Sakura pretended to be at a loss choosing the first attraction, but in her heart, she had already formulated a strategic plan for this ‘date.’

Centered around the main theme of ‘focus on thrilling experiences in the morning, leisurely adjustment at noon, romantic immersion in the afternoon, and atmospheric finale at night,’ she had already decided on today’s amusement park itinerary—

“The first ride after entering the park naturally has to be the thrilling roller coaster. Next, head to the haunted house, with its maximum horror atmosphere, to set up some classic novel-like scenarios. Take a short break in between, then go play bumper cars. After that…“

“…”

‘…”

Looking at the time on her phone screen, seeing that an hour and a half had already passed, Akiba Sakura felt a bit like life wasn’t worth living anymore.

Akiba Sakura had been deceived.

She had been utterly deceived by that single queue line outside the roller coaster’s waiting area.

At first, after Akiba Sakura and Yuuma decided their first stop would be the roller coaster, Akiba Sakura saw there was only one queue line.

Even if they had to wait, it wouldn’t take too long.

So, she happily dragged Yuuma over to queue, completely failing to consider that the actual waiting area was inside the ride’s small building, and this outside part—was just the tail of the snake.

Akiba Sakura came to the amusement park not just to ‘conquer’ Yuuma.

What she told Yuuma that day about wanting to recapture the feeling of childhood was also true.

Having finally come to an amusement park, she naturally wanted to properly enjoy popular rides like roller coasters and pirate ships.

She desperately wanted to feel again the sensations from her childhood in her previous life, never expecting to be hit with a reality check right from the start.

“We’ve already queued up to this point. If we leave halfway…”

Although Yuuma also didn’t want to endure the boredom of this queue, he actually also wanted to experience the thrill of the roller coaster.

So, when he turned around and saw the already numb Akiba Sakura, afraid she might throw a tantrum and not want to continue, he quickly spoke up.

“I… of course I know that!”

Akiba Sakura replied weakly.

She looked at Yuuma in front of her, then at the slowly moving queue, then gave Yuuma an extremely helpless smile—

“Tsuguo-kun, why didn’t you tell me it would be like this?”

“How could I possibly know?! I’m just as much a first-timer here as you are! And wasn’t it you who suggested coming to the amusement park?”

“…”

Akiba Sakura said in a hoarse voice, like an old granny:

“Regret it… I regret it… I feel like I’m kinda dying.”

“…”

“…”

Another hour and a half later, Yuuma, supporting the soul-departed Akiba Sakura, slowly walked out of the roller coaster’s rear exit.

After enduring the long queue and the baptism of the roller coaster ride, the last bit of life Akiba Sakura had been clinging to was completely drained—

Yuuma guided the listless Akiba Sakura to a bench and helped her sit down.

The latter then flopped onto the bench like a salted fish that had lost its dreams, not moving a muscle.

“Hey, hey, don’t die on me. Still alive?”

Yuuma looked at Akiba Sakura in front of him, almost laughing in exasperation.

“I can’t… I can’t do it no more.”

Akiba Sakura struggled to leave her “last words,” then her head tilted to the side, and she collapsed on the spot—becoming instantly “trending” in the moment.

Akiba Sakura dies—The End of This Book—

“…”

“…”

“So, next…”

Yuuma looked at the time on his phone and frowned.

“It’s mealtime.”

“?”

Akiba Sakura, as if startled from her deathbed, sat up abruptly, looking at Yuuma with disbelief.

“It’s mealtime?”

“Yeah, it’s already 12 o’clock.”

“????”

‘You mean this entire morning is basically going to pass with me having accomplished nothing?!’