Culprits...

“Your first name?”

“Yeah. It’s Mai. Simple, right?”

Ryota glanced at her.

Ever since elementary school, he never called Mai by her first name.

Not once.

“Okay,” he replied. “It’s a rather awkward situation...”

He paused for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts.

“I don’t know what to say...”

He took a deep breath and stared at her.

“I guess I should try it out,” he said. “Um... Mai.”

He looked away. He felt embarrassed.

She stared at him with a smile on her face, her cheeks slightly red.

“How’s that?” he asked.

“I like it,” she replied. “It sounds nice when you say it. But that wasn’t enough. One more time! Say it!”

“Um...”

“Ryota... Please?”

Her eyes gleamed with excitement, and her lips curved into a bright smile.

“Um... Mai...”

She giggled. “You don’t have to force yourself. You can drawl it.”

“Okay, okay... Mai...”

“Keep going.”

“Um...”

“...”

“...”

“Come on.”

“...”

“...”

“Okay, Mai, you’re the worst!” Ryota exclaimed, his face red. “Why are you making me say this?”

Mai laughed.

“The next train will arrive soon. Shall we?” she asked, getting up from her chair.

Ryota nodded, and the two of them walked towards the platform.

****

“I didn’t know this was here!”

They chose an amusement park in another prefecture for the date.

Ryota remembered visiting this place when he was a kid, but he didn’t know it still existed.

He looked at Mai, who was smiling as if she was happy about something.

“Why do you look so happy?” he asked.

“It’s just... I love amusement parks. Something about the thrill and the excitement gets to my soul.”

She walked over to the entrance and looked at the signs, reading them.

“Oh! Look at this one!” she said, pointing at a sign. “They have a roller coaster that goes upside down! We have to go on that one. Or should we ride some other attractions first?”

He glanced at the map, looking for something to do.

“Let’s start with the roller coaster. We can see how it goes before we decide to go on the other rides.”

“Good idea.”

She stared at him.

“What are you looking at?”

“Um... Nothing.”

She blushed slightly and looked away.

Ryota wasn’t sure what that meant, but he figured she had another plan in mind.

They walked towards the roller coaster and bought tickets. They went through the entrance and approached the gate, which was right next to the starting point of the ride.

The line was short, and they didn’t have to wait too long before they reached the gate.

A worker checked their tickets and opened the gate. They got in the line and waited for their turn.

A few seconds later, they reached the front.

The roller coaster differed from Ryota’s memories. It was longer, with wider seats and a smaller hill. It was also less crowded, with only two lines of people.

A few people were waiting in the back, and two or three were in the front.

Ryota and Mai took their seats and got ready for takeoff.

The worker took their tickets and locked the gate.

He walked away, and the ride began.

The engine roared, and the coaster started moving.

The steel cables made a loud noise as they went up and down, slowly gaining speed.

It took them a few seconds to reach the top.

The steel cables got tighter, and the coaster rose above the ground.

The hills were not that high, but the view from above was nice.

The young man could see the entire park, the unique attractions, and the rides.

Additionally...

Mai was right next to him.

She looked happy and excited.

She was smiling from ear to ear.

He could hear her laughing.

The ride went up and down, getting faster each time.

Ryota could hear the steel cables humming and the wheels rolling against the tracks.

Mai was laughing and screaming, having a blast.

He looked at her. He stared into her eyes.

She looked like an angel, with her beautiful smile.

His heart started beating fast. He didn’t know why.

He looked away, trying to calm himself down.

He tried to think about something else.

But there was nothing else he could think of.

He was at a loss for both action and words.

All he could hear was Mai’s laughter.

All he could see was her bright smile.

They continued to ride the coaster for another few minutes.

It ended, and the workers opened the gate, letting people get out.

Ryota and Mai followed the other guests and left the ride, heading towards the exit.

“That was amazing!” Mai said, wiping her forehead with a tissue. “I had a great time.”

Ryota was surprised by her excitement, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“N-nothing,” he replied. “It’s just... You looked cute when you were laughing.”

Her cheeks turned red, and she glanced at the floor.

“I am not cute.”

“You are.”

“...”

She continued to stare at the floor, unable to look at him.

“And, um...” he continued, trying to change the subject. “What else do you want to do?”

Mai thought about it for a moment. She looked around, trying to figure out what to do next.

“Um... there is a small Ferris wheel,” she said, pointing at the ride nearby. “Want to try it?”

“Sure.”

They walked over to the wheel and bought tickets.

Once again, the line was short, and they got into the seats quickly.

They took their seats and stared at the other attractions.

They were above the ground, and Ryota could see everything.

It was a delightful view.

He saw people, other attractions, and even the parking lot.

It was the perfect opportunity to talk.

“Ryota,” she whispered.

“Yes.”

“I don’t really know what to say right now.”

“About what?”

“Um... I’m trying to think of something. Give me a minute.”

Ryota chuckled, shaking his head.

She was acting just like him.

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “I think I found it. It’s about the letters.”

He looked at her and nodded.

“I think it’s time to talk about it.”

She looked away, staring at the park.

“I guess you’ve figured it out,” she said. “You’re pretty smart.”

“We’re both culprits.”