The Amusement Park (part 1)

Rebecca stands in front of the entrance of an amusement park, waiting for Ken. A couple of days ago, he had asked her to go there together, showing her two tickets. He claimed that he didn't have anyone else to go with, although she didn't quite believe him. Initially, she had turned him down, but seeing Ken's puppy face, she accepted. When she sees Ken walking towards her, her face lights up.

"I arrived really early, sorry."

"No, I'm sorry for making you wait. Let's go now." Ken takes her hand and they head towards the ticket booth, where the attendants check their tickets, and they enter right away.

"Do you already know what you want to do, or should we take a stroll first?" Ken asks her.

"If there's something you want to try, we can do that. I don't have anything specific in mind."

"Alright, let's take a walk and if there's any attraction that interests you, let me know."

They continue walking hand in hand, not paying too much attention to their surroundings. It's still early afternoon, and the sun is high in the sky, not too hot but rather pleasant. There are few families, mostly a parent with their children, and many teenagers.

Rebecca can't help but look around, feeling a bit lost but excited, as she observes the happy expressions on the faces of others. Seeing so many children either on their fathers' shoulders or holding their parents' hands makes her hold onto Ken's hand tighter, getting closer to him and clutching his sleeve.

"Hm? Did you see something interesting?" He asks her. She quickly raises her gaze, looking around.

"Yes...that!" She points to the roller coaster.

"A classic! Excellent choice. But I must warn you, the line is always very long."

"Oh, alright. I have great stamina!" They get in line.

But she had lied. It's been about two hours now, and they're still in the middle of the line, but she can barely stand it anymore. Her legs are trembling, and her throat is dry. She doesn't want to lean on Ken too much to avoid showing her discomfort, but she's on the verge of giving in. Every now and then, she glances at him, as she does now, and it always seems like he doesn't mind the wait; in fact, the random droplets of sweat rolling down his face seem to enhance his appearance.

"Are you alright?" Ken finally notices her pained expression, amplified by her paleness.

"Bibi? Can you hear me?" Ken cups her face, placing a hand on her cheek and gently tilting her head.

"Huh? Yes..." She feels cold to the touch, and the sweat makes her skin sticky. He's not entirely sure, but it seems like she's starting to drool.

"St-stay here... I'll be right back." Ken continues to hold her while turning to an apparently nice elderly couple standing right behind them. "Please, keep an eye on her while I rush to the nearest snack bar." He speaks to Rebecca again immediately after.

"I'll be right back. Hang in there, okay?" She nods, but it's difficult for her to understand what he's saying.

"Excuse me." Ken leaves Rebecca's hands in the care of the elderly couple and runs as fast as he can to find a snack bar.

Once he returns, he opens the umbrella he bought at the souvenir shop and the elderly woman offers to hold it for her while Ken immediately makes her drink a few sips of water from a bottle. She can't help but lean against his chest.

"Do you want to continue? Or would you rather go home to recover?" He asks her, gently stroking her face while sensing that she's still sweating and feeling cold.

"S-sorry... I ruined everything..." She clings to his shirt, burying her face in his chest.

"Hey, it's not your fault. These things can happen, especially if you're not used to this kind of situation. Don't blame yourself, okay?" He lifts her face from his chest to prevent further overheating.

"Are you feeling better now? I also have an ice pack in case you have a headache."

"Mh." She responds weakly. He hands her the ice pack and holds her in a bridal carry while she rests it on her forehead.

"So? Do you want me to take you home?"

"No! I already feel better."

Ken takes the umbrella from the elderly couple, holding it in a way that covers her entire body, especially her head.

Ken's remedies seem to be working because once their turn comes up, Rebecca has fully recovered. They sit in the roller coaster seats and wait for the other seats to fill up so the ride can finally begin.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ken asks her one last time, just to make sure.

"I'm sure. I won't let my stubbornness ruin this day." Ken sighs at her contradicting statement.

Rebecca's smile returns to her face as the ride starts moving. The ride only lasts a couple of rounds, but they scream and laugh as if it were their last minutes on Earth. As soon as their feet touch the ground again, one of the attendants hands them a photo.

"No way! They take photos of people on the ride?!" She exclaims, looking at it while Ken holds it in his hand.

"Do you want it?" He offers it to her, and she scrutinizes the happy expressions on their faces, smiling herself.

"If you're satisfied, we can leave."

"No, I'm not satisfied! I want to try all the rides!"

"All of them? We won't be able to do it all in just one day."

"Oh..." Her expression saddens, but it quickly changes to a pleading one as she starts talking again. "Then we'll just have to come back another day!"

"Do you want to come back with me?"

"Yes!" Ken takes her hand again, pulling her along.

"Now let's try the go-karts. I think you'll enjoy them."

"If you say so!" She lets herself be dragged towards the go-kart track, where about ten people are already bumping into each other.

"Are you sure it will be fun?"

"If you don't enjoy it, we'll leave right away, but at least give it a try."

This time they don't have to wait in line for too long because it's much smoother, but in any case, Rebecca has fully recovered, thanks mainly to the umbrella and water bottle that Ken bought for her. An attendant explains to her how the go-karts work, and at first, she's hesitant to make complicated maneuvers, until Ken gently bumps into her from the front.

"Come on~ Do you need a little push?" He asks her.

"S-stop...! I still need to figure some things out!"

"Fine!" Ken reverses and moves away from her, turning his back. She takes the opportunity to bump into him in return.

"Was it a diversion?! You got me!"

"You just tasted my sweet revenge!"

Both of them laugh wholeheartedly.