“Wow… So even someone like you is interested in a place like this, Azuri… Well, if you say it’s normal, I guess it’s normal.” Seigo spoke as if he were talking to himself.
Azuri brushed back her neatly trimmed bangs with one hand and asked, “So what do you think of me?”
“Hmm? That you look older than your age,” he answered frankly.
Azuri looked at him as if he’d just said something unexpected.
“Uh, no,” he added. “Don’t misunderstand. I meant the impression you give off. You seem older than the others. There’s a part of you that seems strangely insightful, you know.”
“Oh, really? One child and one servant. Oh, my mistake. One adult,” Azuri told the woman at the ticket window.
“…Servant… Now, where did you learn a word like that…?” Seigo wondered, scratching his cheek.
“Right now you’re hanging out with me, right? I’ll keep that little ‘thing’ a secret for you.” Without fear or hesitation, Azuri took the two passes she received from the ticket seller and handed one to Seigo.
“All right, all right… Certainly, my princess.” Seigo made an exaggerated bow, like some European nobleman.
“As long as you understand.” Azuri held the upper hand, Seigo could only reply with a painfully forced smile.
The two of them were at a theme park, with costumed characters as the park mascots. Upon entering, a hamster character welcomed the two of them.
“………”
Azuri ignored the costumed hamster, which was greeting her with a flourish, and walked on by. For an instant, it seemed as if the hamster had turned to stone.
A normal kid would have been delighted and would have immediately run to the costumed character. This was what the mascot had expected, so he had welcomed Azuri, but he’d been ignored instead.
Well, to be accurate, she hadn’t actually “ignored” him. She’d given him a “who the hell are you?” look as she’d passed by.
That poor guy. Seigo thought. This was a good example of what Seigo called “Azuri-ness.”
This place was normal for other girls her age, but not for Azuri. Her being there made the contrast even more apparent.
“Seigo-kun, what are you doing?” the girl asked, turning around.
“Oh, sorry.” He’d been lost in thought, so he had ended up wandering a bit away from her. Azuri approached him at a rapid pace.
“There, we’re riding that,” said Azuri as she grabbed Seigo’s arm and started running.
“H-hey! You’re going to trip if you rush like that… and drag me down with you!”
The girl ignored him and pulled at his arm even harder as he scrambled to maintain his footing on the wet pavement.
“H-hey! Are you sure? Okay, you’re going to trip! I’m going to trip and fall! Oh, we’re gonna fall splat on our asses, and even the clowns will laugh at us… Hey, hey! Listen to me! Please, listen!”
There was no doubt as to who was the absolute leader. Even Seigo recognized it completely. He knew it, but he still made a big fuss about being henpecked, just like every other guy does.
Now if Azuri had heard what he was mumbling to himself, she probably would have spat out something like, “I don’t get it!”
They were approaching the coffee cup ride, and Seigo hesitated at the sight of it.
“…Uh,” he said. “I…”
“What?” Azuri shot him a look that seemed to say, You’re not going to complain now, are you?
“No… it’s nothing,” he answered.
“…Aggghhhh… I’m getting sick…”
In truth, Seigo got sick easily on carnival rides. They were currently riding in an unusually large—not to mention fast-spinning—coffee cup, and of course he got queasy in no time.
“……”
Valiantly, he struggled to hold back his vomit. “…How embarrassing… and… disgusting…”
Next he endured cold stares from bystanders as he clutched at the neck of the white stallion on the merry-go-round. Of course, the up-and-down motion multiplied his nausea.
Seemingly oblivious to his suffering, Azuri mercilessly dragged Seigo to all the attractions and rides. While waiting in lines, Azuri never spoke a word. On the other hand, Seigo desperately tried to make small talk. The mood darkened considerably.
Finally, the two arrived at the Ferris wheel.
Perhaps out of consideration for the exhausted Seigo or on a whim, Azuri declared, “This is the last one we’ll ride.”
She pointed at the Ferris wheel.
The word “last,” which Azuri had meant in a good way, didn’t exactly sit well with Seigo. His already pale face grew even paler. As they waited for the ride, his white face turned to blue. In a short amount of time, he appeared to have become worn thin.
Finally, it was their turn.
A female attendant opened the door for them, saying, “Oh, you’re on a date with your onii-san? How nice to have such a cool-looking onii-san like him.”
To which Azuri responded, “He’s my servant.”
She shuffled past the shocked woman and into the Ferris wheel carriage. “What are you doing, Seigo-kun? Hurry up and get in.”
Seigo was hesitating again, but he quickly made up his mind with those words. “…Yes, ma’am.”
Looking like he was about to burst into tears, he slowly and carefully boarded the Ferris wheel. Taking great care not to shake the compartment, he sat down on the seat opposite Azuri.
Gradually, the Ferris wheel began to move, and their altitude increased. The entire time, Azuri stared at the scenery outside the window. The sun had already set, and the lights of the park reflected beautifully against the snowy landscape.
By now, Seigo was reduced to a cowering little ball and was careful not to move a muscle. Suddenly, without warning and for no reason at all, Azuri stood up, grabbed the window sill, and began shaking the compartment.
“Nwaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!” Seigo wailed loudly. “Ah, Azuri! Stop it, stop it!”
She wouldn’t stop.
“A-Azuriiiii! Stop it. Please, stop it! Please! I’m begging! I’m sorry! I won’t do it again!”