I rode the merry-go-round for the first time in a while.
My main thought after getting off was less emotional and more practical: "Plastic is surprisingly hard." Quite different from me, Nina-chan was in high spirits, and I turned to her with a smile.
"How was it, Nina-chan?"
"It was fun!"
She replied with a bright smile, and that made me smile as well.
Nina-chan has started to smile a lot more.
Knowing her from a year ago makes me feel this even more strongly.
Back then, she had been rejected by Irena-san, moved to an unfamiliar country like Japan, and despite everything, she kept trying to beat me, just to earn Irena-san's recognition.
Seeing Nina-chan smile now fills me with warmth, so naturally, I smile too.
"What should we ride next?"
"Hmm, I want to try that spinning one."
Nina-chan pointed to the teacup ride.
