"Whaaaaaaaa—!" Hina's loud scream echoed through the air, piercing through the chatter of the theme park. Her hands were tightly gripping the safety bar of the rollercoaster, her new white scarf fluttering wildly in the wind. Meanwhile, I sat beside her, my arms crossed, my expression as unchanging as ever, as if I were merely observing a classroom experiment.
"Why... Why are you so calm?!" she shouted over the roar of the ride, her eyes squeezed shut in terror.
I tilted my head slightly, gazing at her trembling figure. "Why should I be anything but calm? This contraption is surprisingly well-built. Look at those reinforced supports."
"Reinforced supports?!" she yelled, her voice cracking. "I'm about to die, and you're talking about engineering?! Hahahaha!!"
The rollercoaster dove into a steep descent, and she let out another ear-piercing scream. "Whaaaaaa—!" Her scarf flew up, momentarily blocking my face.
"Your scarf is obstructing my view," I muttered, brushing it aside casually.
The ride finally came to a halt, and Hina staggered off, clutching her chest, her scarf now properly set. She turned to glare at me, still panting. "Do you ever react to anything?!"
"Of course," I replied. "I was quite intrigued by the structural mechanics of that ride."
"Ugh, you're impossible," she groaned, rolling her eyes. But her frustration was short-lived as she spotted another ride. "Ohhh! Let's go on that one!"
It was one of those rides that shot up into the air and then plummeted straight down. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and despite my preference for peace and quiet, I followed her.
"Yahooooo!!" Hina exclaimed as the ride launched us into the sky, her arms thrown up in excitement. Meanwhile, I sat beside her with my arms crossed, watching the mechanics of the ride with curiosity. The sudden drop didn't faze me in the slightest.
"You're unbelievable," Hina said laughing as we walked out. She looked at me, shaking her head, but there was a playful smile on her face.
Next, we ventured into the ghost house. As soon as we stepped inside, Hina clung to my arm tightly, her fingers digging into my hoodie's sleeve. "I-I hate this already," she muttered, trembling.
"Then why did you choose it?" I asked, hands in my pockets.
She didn't answer, her grip tightening as we walked deeper into the dark, narrow hallways. Suddenly, a ghost jumped out in front of us, loudly.
Hina screamed and buried her face into my shoulder, but I merely stared at the ghost, unimpressed. The man in the costume froze mid-scare, staring back at me. His hands trembled, and he took a step back.
"Sigh... even the ghost is scared of you," Hina said as she peeked out from behind me, still holding onto my arm.
We exited the ghost house, with her clinging to me the entire time. "You really ruin the fun sometimes," she said, shaking her head but smiling faintly.
Later, we grabbed some snacks and wandered around the park. Hina was cheerful as ever, taking photos at every opportunity. She made me pose for a few pictures, and although I agreed to it, my expression remained neutral.
"Can't you at least smile for once?" she teased as she clicked another photo of me giving a peace sign.
"I thought this was sufficient," I replied.
"Good grief, Esther." She said, giggling.
We ended our park adventure with ice cream. Hina spun around, her arms stretched out as she took in the crisp winter air. "Ahhh— it feels so good!" she said, licking her ice cream. "What should we do next?"
"Whatever you like. It's your winter break anyway," I replied, savoring the creamy texture of the ice cream.
"Right! Let's go to the railing stand at the beach! We can catch the sunset there," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
I followed her without protest, though internally, I sighed. "I'd much rather go home and sleep," I thought to myself.
We arrived at the beach just in time to see the sun dip below the horizon. Standing by the railing with other visitors, we watched as the sky turned shades of orange and pink.
"It's so peaceful," Hina said softly, resting her arms on the railing.
"Hmm, indeed it is," I agreed, the calmness of the moment settling over us.
As night fell, the crowd thinned, leaving us alone by the ocean. The waves crashed gently against the rocks, and the moon cast a soft glow over the water. The air was cool, and the sound of the waves was soothing.
Suddenly, Hina frowned and tilted her head. "Since a while, I've been hearing that sound. Don't you think it's weird?" she asked.
"Which sound?" I asked, glancing at her.
"A faint singing... It's soothing," she said, placing her hands behind her ears to listen more carefully.
I strained my ears but couldn't hear anything. Her ears are sharp. I thought to myself.
Intrigued, Hina started walking towards the source of the sound. "Wait," I called out, but she didn't stop. I sighed and followed her, curious but cautious.
Her boots made soft thudding sounds against the sand as we descended onto the shore. And after a moment, I heard it too—a faint, melodic hum that seemed to blend with the sound of the waves. The sound grew clearer as we approached a cluster of large rocks. A vibrant blue aura radiated from behind the rocks, illuminating the surroundings with an ethereal glow.
Hina peeked around the rocks, and her eyes widened. "Wow..." she whispered.
Behind the rocks stood a woman, her figure silhouetted against the glow of the blue aura. She was humming softly, her voice melodic and enchanting. She moved gracefully, spinning and swaying to the rhythm of her song. Her long black dress flowed like water, and her bare feet barely seemed to touch the ground.
Her eyes were closed, and she appeared lost in her own world, her movements fluid and mesmerizing. The blue aura seemed to dance around her, moving in harmony with her melody until finally she came to the halt with a pose aiming towards the moon.
*Clap* *Clap* Hina, unable to contain herself, began clapping enthusiastically. "That was amazing!" she exclaimed.
The woman's eyes snapping open. She turned to face us, her cheeks flushing as she realized she had an audience.
"T-Thank you, thank you," she said, bowing slightly. A small, nervous smile graced her lips as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks were tinged with a faint blush.
Hina stepped forward, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "You were incredible! That voice, that dance... It was like magic!"
The woman's smile widened, though her blush deepened. "I'm glad you enjoyed it," she said softly, her voice as melodic as her song.
I stood a few steps behind, observing her silently. There was something otherworldly about her, something that piqued my curiosity. But for now, I chose to remain silent, letting Hina take the moment.
And so, under the moonlit sky, with the ocean waves crashing softly in the background, a new connection was formed—one that was undoubtedly going to lead us to more darkness waiting to be unraveled.