Walking out of the haunted house, Sirin's gaze was empty, as if her soul had left her body.
Van couldn't help but laugh, gently patting her back as he asked with concern, "Are you okay?"
Hearing this, Miss Pufferfish came online again, immediately forcing herself to sound tough, "To be honest, the haunted house wasn't scary at all!"
Van rubbed her hair and smiled. "Right, not scary at all."
"That's right!" Sirin's face flushed as she continued to act tough. "Those ghosts were all fake anyway~"
Of course, that was what she said.
But when Sirin recalled those terrifying, hideous monsters inside the haunted house, she instinctively leaned a little closer to Van.
———
"Van, try my ice cream!"
During a short break, Sirin suddenly held her strawberry ice cream up to Van's mouth, her eyes full of anticipation.
Van subconsciously took a bite, the cold sweetness melting in his mouth.
Before he could react, Sirin darted forward and took a huge bite from his ice cream in return, only to shiver from the cold, scrunching up her little face and shaking her head. "Mmm… so cold!"
Looking at the girl shaking her head like that, looking so adorably flustered, Van couldn't help but laugh.
After a simple rest, the two started wandering around the amusement park again.
When they passed by a small stall, they were instantly drawn in by the exquisite prizes displayed.
"Mystery grand prize, try your luck!" the stall owner greeted enthusiastically. "Hey, handsome, want to give it a try? Win a big prize for your girlfriend~"
Before Van could say anything, Sirin, face flushed red, quickly explained, "Boss, he's not my…"
The owner's face showed clear confusion.
Just earlier, he'd seen this pair sharing ice cream so intimately on the bench. That didn't look like something strangers would do.
'Could it be… and affair?!' The owner muttered this in his heart.
But being an experienced stall owner, he quickly regained his composure, his expression returning to normal as he continued his pitch.
"Would you like to give it a try?" he said, placing six delicate redwood boxes on a velvet cloth. "As for what you pick, well, that's up to your luck~"
"Van, you pick one~" Sirin looked at him with expectant, sparkling eyes. "I remember your luck has always been really good!"
Van thought for a moment, then chose box number five. When he opened it, there was only a slip of paper inside with "Thank you for participating" written on it.
"What a pity~" the boss sighed with mock regret. "The grand prize was in the sixth box! Just a tiny bit off!"
Sirin wanted to try again but was told she only had one chance, so she reluctantly walked away.
After leaving the stall, the sun had already begun to set.
Looking at the amusement park gradually cloaked in neon, Sirin suddenly suggested they take a walk by the beach.
The cool sea breeze brushed against their cheeks, Sirin's purple hair swaying gently in the wind.
They sat side by side on the soft sand, watching the distant horizon slowly painted orange by the setting sun.
'The sea is so beautiful…'
Van sighed from the heart. But when he turned his head, he noticed that while Sirin's lips were curved in a smile, her eyes held an inexplicable look.
"What's wrong?" Van asked softly. "Something on your mind?"
Hearing that, Sirin quickly shook her head. "No way, getting to go out and have fun with you… I'm really happy."
Van wanted to say something more, but Sirin suddenly stood up, running toward the shoreline with playful mischief as she splashed a handful of seawater at him.
"Van, take this!"
The cold seawater splashed onto his face, and Van froze for a moment before breaking into laughter.
He stood up too, retaliating with a splash of water.
"Ambushing an old comrade like me, that's not very nice~"
The water droplets shimmered under the setting sun, and the sound of their cheerful laughter drifted with the sea breeze.
When night fell, the Ferris wheel's colorful lights lit up one by one, decorating the night sky like a dream.
As their cabin slowly rose to the highest point, the starry sky felt close enough to touch.
Sirin gazed at the dazzling night view outside the window, her voice trembling slightly as she said, "Today… is the happiest day of my life."
Van gently ruffled her hair and said warmly, "There will be many more days like this in the future."
Sirin suddenly turned toward him, her golden eyes reflecting countless stars, carrying a hint of urgency and uncertainty. "Really? Van, promise?"
"I promise."
Later that night, after walking Sirin back to her hotel room, Van returned alone to his own.
The moment he stepped into his room, an overwhelming wave of exhaustion swept over him like a tide.
Van practically collapsed onto the bed and instantly fell into deep sleep.
In a haze, he heard fragmented voices.
"I've thought about it for a long time… I want to end this…"
"Are you sure? You know opportunities like this don't come often~"
"I…"
"Didn't you say there were still so many things you wanted to do with him? Besides, if you just stop now, he'll definitely notice the anomaly from today~"
"…"
"You wouldn't want him to find out that you're a girl who would do whatever it takes to achieve her goals, right…"
———
"Yaaawn~"
When Van woke up, it was already nine in the morning.
Sunlight streamed warmly through the window, but he still felt exhausted all over.
Recalling what happened last night, Van instinctively rubbed his throbbing temples, thinking that he really shouldn't drink that much alcohol again.
After washing up, he opened the door and immediately heard Kiana's energetic voice in the hallway,
"Mei~ We have to try that waterslide today! I heard it's super exciting!"
Followed by Raiden Mei's gentle yet doting response, "Okay, whatever you want."
The two, holding hands, walked past Van's door. When Kiana saw him, she cheerfully waved and called out,
"Morning, Van! Mei and I are going to the beach for some two-person fun today, so we won't be bringing you along~"
Van froze at her words, a strange sense of déjà vu washing over him.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.