The Amusement Park

“Hey…”

It was several days after Miyako’s birthday party. Itsuki was working at his computer; Haruto was goofing around by his kotatsu.

“Yeah?” Itsuki asked, eyes still fixed on his notebook.

“Do you remember what I said at that diner in Akihabara?”

Itsuki thought for a moment. “…Like, about how my novels are so much better than yours?”

“No, nothing serious like that. Something sillier, more spur-of- the-moment…”

“…Oh, about how you have a thing for Miyako?”

“Yeah, that.” Haruto nodded, face reddening a bit. “Didn’t you say that you’d…help out a bit?”

“…Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t…”

“Well, you did… And I’m kind of counting on that a little, okay?”

“Counting on me?”

“Remember that birthday party? I was hoping you might’ve assisted me a little more back there…”

“…Were you?”

“Yeah.”

“……Well, to be honest, I forgot,” Itsuki admitted.

“I knew it!” Haruto shouted.

“Well, I mean, Miyako and Nayu kinda started lezzing out for a bit…which was, like, really exciting for me, but…”

“…Me too.”

Simply recalling Miyako and Nayuta embracing each other made Itsuki’s cheeks burn red. “…But it was Kanikou who organized that party. What kind of support was I supposed to give you?”

“…Fair enough. Well, when we get another opportunity, give me some support then, all right?”

“Heh. Sure,” said Itsuki, nodding gregariously. “…So exactly how am I supposed to support you guys getting together?”

“Uh…”

Haruto was at a loss for how to answer. He may have looked like a handsome, dashing young man, but he had only begun taking care of his looks in college. Before then, he was just another light novel, video game, and anime addict of an otaku. Plus, despite his attempts at reinventing himself for his university life, the RPG group he joined was such a disaster thanks to all the love drama that he didn’t have a single good memory from it. Ever since he won the new-writers competition and began making regular income as a professional, he had started being free to buy all the porn games and doujinshi he wanted—as “research material” for his job, of course—which made him even less of a prime catch to the average girl.

He did have a little sister, as well as conversational skills honed by his experience gamemastering for tabletop RPGs. He wouldn’t completely lose his composure in front of a woman. But when it came to romance, he was a total amateur.

“Well…for example…maybe create a situation where it’s just the two of us together, when we’re out drinking or something…?”

The idea came straight from all the fiction he had read and watched. He didn’t sound too confident about it.

“Hmm…”

Itsuki thought in silence for a while before reaching a new idea. “I got it!” He shot up, shouting. “In that case, let’s go to the amusement park!”

“Th-the amusement park…?!”

“It’ll be you, me, and Miyako…and maybe I’ll invite Kanikou, too, just to tag along. I have my hero and heroine going on a date in my WIP right now, so I was thinking about visiting one for inspiration.”

“Oh… A double date at the amusement park, huh?”

“It’s not a date! I’m just there for inspiration!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Haruto said, smiling weakly at the wholly abashed Itsuki. “But you’re right. It’d be easy for us to get separated. I like it. There was a scene like that in My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, too.”

“Ooh, there was, wasn’t there? Well, that proves it works, then. That series is true to life, after all.”

“Great! Let’s do it!”

Itsuki wasted no time texting an invite to Miyako.

“Hyahh?!”

Miyako audibly yelped at her phone’s sudden vibration while she was rereading a printout of Nayuta’s present to her.

Wanna go to the amusement park tomorrow?

The amusement park? Together…?

She had read Nayuta’s novel several times over the past few days, and she was right in the midst of one of those scenes right now. It filled her mind with all sorts of pink-tinged delusional fantasies. He… He doesn’t want to do something sexy with me, does he? Like in the novel?!

Like Miyako and Ikki in the novel…on the Ferris wheel, in the haunted house, riding the merry-go-round, on the teacups, on the roller coaster, on the free-fall, on every possible attraction, engaging in every type of play possible…?

…Probably not, huh…?

Brushing off the crazed flights of fancy, Miyako sent a confirmation to Itsuki. As she expected, it wasn’t a date, but a trip out for some novel research—and Haruto and Nayuta were joining them, even.

“…Haah…should’ve known.”

She sighed a sigh mixed with relief and disappointment as she sent her OK.

The next day, all four of them arrived at an amusement park within the city.

“Sure is crowded…,” Itsuki groaned as he saw the line in front of the ticket counter.

“Well, it’s Golden Week,” Miyako observed. “That’s how it always is.”

“Is it?” a surprised-looking Itsuki asked.

“What do you mean, ‘is it?’ Didn’t you know?”

“I totally forgot.”

“…So did I,” Nayuta chimed in.

Haruto laughed. “Geez, guys, at least remember when Golden Week is… I tend to forget most of the three-day weekends, but still…”

Full-time writers are free to use their time pretty much any way they want, as long as they stick to their deadlines. They can work twelve hours a day, through weekends and holidays, or they can just take off all week and sleep in bed. This makes it easy to lose track of what day it is.

Haruto could recall the day of the week well enough—thanks to memorizing anime broadcast schedules and what day Shonen Jump came out—but even he was losing track of government holidays. Itsuki and Nayuta, on the other hand, were vague about everything.

“Talk about easygoing…,” Miyako groaned. The three writers with her had no defense.

Soon enough, they were inside the park, entry tickets and passes for certain attractions in hand. Nayuta immediately began gasping at all the sights around her.

“Wow. This is an amusement park? Wow…”

“Is this your first time visiting one, Nayu?”

“I went to one with my family as a kid, but I don’t remember too much. I’m really looking forward to this.”

“Neat… How about you pick what we ride first, Nayu?”

Itsuki and Haruto had no objection to this.

“Thank you, Myaa. In that case…”

Nayuta’s first choice was a giant roller coaster, the main attraction in this park.

“…Umm, could you maybe think this over, Kanikou?”

At the entrance to the coaster, Itsuki’s expression was extremely tense. As the long, high rails (easily visible from outside the park) loomed closer and closer, the sight became enough to overwhelm him. The idea of falling from a height like that struck him as insane. He heard continual bouts of powerful, forceful metallic clangs, followed by scores of screaming passengers. It only added to his intense fear.

“What is with this roller coaster…? Why’s it clanging so much…?”

“Hmm? Not a fan of roller coasters, Itsukiii?”

The intent behind Nayuta’s question was clearly sinister.

“I dunno about ‘not a fan…’ I’ve never been on one before. I was too short to ride them when I came here as a kid, and when we went to another amusement park for a class field trip, I just stuck to the video arcade…,” he protested moodily.

Nayuta seemed positively gleeful. “Wow, really?! Then how about we both experience our first time together?!”

“I—I-I’m fine with trying this out, but why do we have to go on the one going clang-clang-clang first?!”

“I’m the type of person who starts playing a game at the hardest difficulty then bumps it down if it’s just too impossible for me. I beat Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels before I even tried the first one, too.”

“That’s a game! This is reality!”

“I know the difference, Itsuki. But at least you’re guaranteed to make it to the end with this. It’s way easier than a video game.”

“Ngh…”

Itsuki turned to Haruto and Miyako for help.

“…Well,” Miyako said, “I’m not a big fan of these thrill rides, either, but Nayu’s heart is set on it.”

“Give it up, Itsuki.”

“Geh… Whatever!”

So he got in line, throwing everything he cared about by the wayside.

After half an hour, their turn came up. The light had already left Itsuki’s eyes as he boarded the car, Nayuta eagerly hopping on next to him.

“Hee-hee-hee! Pretty exciting, huh?”

“…I’m ready to die. Just kill me.”

Haruto and Miyako, meanwhile, were right behind them.

“…I’m starting to get a little nervous, too.”

“…Ha-ha! So am I…in more ways than one.”

The safety bar dropped down, and the cars began to roll.

“Ngh…!”

Hanging on to the bar with all his might, Itsuki slammed his eyelids shut. With a series of ominous clatters, the car began to slowly rise up…then suddenly, he was attacked by a feeling of weightlessness.

“Ee…!!”

Just as he was about to scream—

“Nh…?!”

He opened his eyes.

If anything, his first overwhelming sense of zero gravity was kind of comfy. The air whipping at his face, the view changing at incredible, dizzying speed, the jostling every which way, the centrifugal force ready to send him flying—it was exhilarating.

“Nnh?! Oh?! Oh?! Ohhhhhhhhh?!”

A smile naturally spread across his face as he let out yelps of delight.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Hyaaaaah! Nyaaaaahh!”

Hearing someone laugh next to him, he turned to find Nayuta grinning ear to ear, hair flapping around in the air.

—Whoa. This is really fun.

He smiled at Nayuta, admitting defeat.

“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!”

“Nya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaa!”

They surrendered themselves to the speed and sheer euphoria for a while longer, before the car decelerated and made its way back to the loading platform. They exited the ride, still in a state of reverie. Haruto was right behind them.

“…It’s—it’s finally over… What was that…? I can’t even…,” he whispered, dejected.

The fear was still scrawled over his face, his gait uneven and staggering. And what was worse, Miyako was in tears next to him.

“Ooh… That was so scary… No way, no more, I thought I was gonna dieeee…”

Nayuta and Itsuki, meanwhile, were the exact opposite, practically dancing around as they walked.

“Haaaa! That was so much fun, Itsuki! It was like clang and then whooooosh, and it was amazing! I thought it was great!”

“Hell yeah…! I had no idea roller coasters were so much fun!”

“Which scream machine should we ride next?”

“Any one is fine by me. Might as well do ’em all!”

“Yaaaaay! Now you’re speaking my language, Itsuki!”

“Ha-ha-ha-ha!”

“…How can you guys be so happy right now…?”

Haruto couldn’t believe what he was watching. Itsuki and Nayuta gave him bemused stares.

“What’s wrong, Haruto? Let’s go on the next one.”

“H-hang on. Let’s take a break…”

“My head is killing me… I don’t want any more of those thrill rides…”

“Awww,” the other two intoned in unison.

“Sorry, Nayu,” Miyako said with a weak smile.

Then a thought struck Haruto. This is it, isn’t it? His chance to be all alone with Miyako for a while. He motioned with his eyes toward Itsuki.

“…? What’s up?”

Dammit. He’s not getting the message. He calls this support? Ah, well. Let’s spell it out for him.

“…Hey, so I think me and Miyako are gonna sit down for a second, so why don’t you go tour around the roller coasters for a little while?”

He worked hard to make it sound as casual as possible, gauging Miyako’s reaction the whole way. Miyako didn’t seem to notice.

“Yeah… Why don’t you go hang out with Itsuki for a while, Nayu?”

Nayuta looked at Miyako, then Itsuki. “Alone with Itsuki…?! I’m not gonna say no to that chance!” Her face flushed red as she turned toward him.

Itsuki went a little red himself. “…All right… Man, you guys are wusses for giving up on the first ride…,” he grumbled.

“Yaaaay!” Nayuta cheered as she grabbed him by the hand. “See you later, Myaa!”

“Yep. See ya.”

Miyako smiled and waved as Nayuta forcibly dragged Itsuki forward. Itsuki pretended to resist but didn’t make much of an effort as he walked.

Once they were far off enough, Miyako stopped waving.

And then she remarked:

“Boy… They’re a perfect match for each other, Itsuki and Nayu. They should really just make it official already.”

“Y—”

Yeah, Haruto tried to say. Then he walked it back.

As Miyako watched them in the distance, her eyes looked far too lonely to agree with her.

Oh, Haruto finally realized. So that’s what’s going on…

Itsuki and Nayuta were lucky enough to hit all the park’s major coasters before time ran out, having another run on that first big one as the grand finale. Haruto and Miyako, for their part, went to the arcade, the haunted house, and a couple of other light “scare” attractions—but there was always something a little vacant behind their smiles.

It was sunset by the time they headed back. Itsuki, savoring the end of a glorious day, decided to whisper the question to Haruto.

“…So, any progress?”

“…!”

It made Haruto unconsciously clench his fists then slowly unclench them.

“Ha-ha… Nothing.”

“C’mon, ya wimp.”

“Ha-ha…,” Haruto replied, attempting to laugh it off. “…Well, I’ll just try to keep things going at my own pace… Don’t worry about trying to support me anymore.”

The idea of Itsuki helping him score brownie points with Miyako turned out to be one of the cruelest things they could’ve ever done to her.

“…No? You sure?”

Itsuki looked puzzled, but he didn’t pursue the question any further.

“…Anyway, Itsuki, weren’t you doing research today, too? You sure riding nothing but roller coasters all day got you what you needed?”

“…Ah! Ahhhhhhhh!!!”

Haruto’s observation made Itsuki scream.