172 - The Triple Date Begins

RAW

Haruto and the others were waiting at the amusement park’s entrance gate, sitting on a leisure sheet.

As opening time drew near, the crowd around them grew rapidly.

"Should we put the sheet away now?"

"Yeah."

Haruto stood up, suggesting it was time to pack up so they wouldn't be in the way. Ishikura followed suit, nodding as he stood.

Meanwhile, Tomoya let out a dopey “Whoa~” as he noticed the massive line that had formed behind them.

“Man, this is nuts. The people way in the back might not even get in right away.”

“Well, it’s Sunday. They might start limiting admission today.”

“As expected from the Magic Kingdom.”

As Tomoya and Saki chatted, Ayaka was putting a hat on Ryota and gave him a gentle warning.

“There are a lot of people today. So no wandering off alone, okay?”

“Okay! Let’s hold hands, Onee-chan! And Onii-chan too!”

Ryota grabbed Ayaka’s hand, then reached out his other hand to Haruto. Smiling, Haruto took his hand, and Ryota gleefully swung both their hands back and forth.

Seeing this heartwarming scene, Shizuku gave a thoughtful nod.

“From now on, those two should be called Haru-papa and Aya-mama.”

“If you tease them too much, they’re gonna snap again,” Ishikura warned dryly, seeing where this was going.

Just then, cheerful music began playing from within the park. Ryota’s eyes sparkled as he looked up at Haruto.

“Onii-chan, can we go in now!?”

“Yeah, it’s almost time.”

Right as Haruto answered, the park’s mascot characters appeared, waving from behind the gate. A cheer rose from the crowd.

The joyful atmosphere created by the growing excitement swept over Haruto and the group, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces.

“We’re heading straight for Giant Spark Mountain first, right?”

“Yeah. That and Aqua Mountain always have long wait times, so we should hit them early.”

Saki confirmed their first stop, and Ayaka replied, backing the plan.

Being a Sunday, the lines for popular attractions were bound to get long. Their strategy was to ride the high-demand attractions before the crowds built up.

“We’re skipping the parade, right, Ayaka-senpai?”

“Yeah. If we try to save spots for that, we won’t be able to move around. And wait times drop during the parade anyway, so it’s more efficient.”

“Got it.”

While the girls carefully went over their plan for navigating the park, the boys were huddled over the map, more focused on food.

“Hey Haru! Let’s get some chicken, man. It looks amazing.”

“Won’t there be a line for that too? It might take a while to buy.”

“Ohh, this place has baked cheesecake. I wonder what kind of cake they serve at theme parks like this.”

While Tomoya got excited about the park food, Haruto remained practical, pointing out the wait times. Meanwhile, Ishikura was seriously inspecting the dessert options offered by the park’s restaurants.

As the boys and girls buzzed about different things, the gates finally opened.

“Onii-chan! We can go in!”

“The park’s open. Alright, let’s head for the ride!”

“Yeah!!”

Haruto held Ryota’s hand firmly as they began moving with the flow of people.

Behind them, Saki watched the crowd and commented,

“Looks like everyone’s heading for either Giant Spark Mountain or Aqua Mountain.”

“Guess we all think alike.”

“Huh? What about those people going the other way?”

“They’re probably heading for Galaxy Mountain.”

“There sure are a lot of ‘Mountain’ rides, huh?”

Tomoya commented as he looked around. Shizuku tilted her head at the people walking in the opposite direction, and Ayaka answered. Ishikura stroked his chin thoughtfully, wondering if “Mountain” was just a convenient naming theme.

Everyone was hurrying toward their target attractions, trying to beat the crowd. Some even broke into a run, prompting park staff to call out, “No running, please!”

Ayaka, checking the surroundings, glanced at Haruto.

Receiving her look, Haruto nodded and looked down at Ryota.

“Hey Ryota, want a piggyback ride?”

“Really!?”

“Yup. Come on up.”

Haruto squatted and gestured for Ryota to climb on. Once Ryota was on his shoulders, he stood up firmly.

“Alright! Time to head to our destination at top speed. Hold on tight!”

“Hahaha! Onii-chan Express, let’s gooo!”

Ryota pointed forward in excitement, and Haruto began moving at a fast-paced walk—just shy of running.

Trailing behind, Ishikura chuckled at all the speed-walking going on around them.

“Feels like a competitive walking tournament.”

“Tempted to destroy the Magic Kingdom yet? Is the demon king blood in you stirring?”

Shizuku asked with a blank expression, having clearly heard Ishikura’s muttering.

“I don’t have any demon king blood, alright? And look where you’re going or you’ll get separated.”

“With Kaz-senpai’s menacing aura, no one could possibly lose sight of him.”

“You little...”

While chatting like usual, they reached the entrance to their first ride: *Giant Spark Mountain*.

“Alright, Ryota. We’re here!”

“Arrived~! Onii-chan Express was so fast!”

Ryota laughed happily as he climbed down from Haruto’s shoulders. Ayaka checked the sign at the attraction’s entrance.

“Perfect! Only a 20-minute wait!”

Catching her breath from the brisk walk, Ayaka smiled. Meanwhile, Tomoya blinked in disbelief at the sign.

“Twenty minutes is considered short?”

“Yeah,” Ayaka replied, tilting her head as if it was obvious. Saki stepped in to explain.

“In this Magic Kingdom, anything under 60 minutes is basically no wait at all.”

“That’s not no wait! That’s a whole hour!”

“Tomoya-senpai. This is the Magic Kingdom. Time flows differently here.”

“…This place is a madhouse.”

Tomoya grimaced at how naturally Shizuku said it.

The *Giant Spark Mountain* ride was a jet coaster styled like a mining cart dashing through a thunderous mountain range said to be home to giants.

As the coaster roared by, passengers’ screams trailing behind it, Haruto looked down at Ryota.

“Are you okay, Ryota? Not scared?”

“I’m fine. Not scared.”

After watching the speeding coaster, Ryota gave a firm nod.

Seeing that, Ishikura knelt beside him with a smile.

“You’re really brave, Ryota.”

“Uh, well… is Brownii-chan scared?”

“Me? I’m excited. Let’s enjoy it together.”

“O-Okay.”

Ryota was a bit intimidated by Ishikura’s rugged smile, but he didn’t back away. The delicious brownie from last time and Ikue’s teaching—‘judge people with your own eyes’—were still fresh in his mind.

Haruto gently patted Ryota’s head.

Suddenly, another hand quietly grasped his. Turning, he saw Ayaka smiling shyly.

“Isn’t this exciting?”

Her smile mirrored Ryota’s so closely that Haruto couldn’t help but smile too.

“Yeah.”

He squeezed her hand back, continuing to hold Ryota’s with his other as they slowly advanced in line, blending in with the cheerful energy of the park.

Just behind them, Tomoya laced his fingers behind his head and whispered to Saki with a grin.

“He looks like a happy dad surrounded by his beloved family.”

“And Ayaka totally looks like the newlywed wife who adores her husband.”

“I can practically see the words ‘I’m so happy right now!’ written across Ayaka’s face.”

Saki chuckled and nodded before glancing at Shizuku and Ishikura.

“Kaz-senpai… What’s with that evil grin?”

“Hehe… I had a real conversation with Ryota.”

“…You look exactly like a villain before committing a crime.”

“Shut up!”

Watching the usual banter unfold, Saki whispered back to Tomoya with a wry smile.

“Those two are trickier. They’ll take more time.”

“They’ve both got some quirks… but maybe that’s what makes them suit each other.”

As they exchanged thoughts and laughter, the triple date at the Magic Kingdom began—filled with joy, normalcy, and subtle observations.

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My screen broke, so for this chapter (and maybe some future ones), I had to use my phone. If you notice anything strange, please let me know and I will change it when I get a new screen.