Chapter 366: Hey, Let’s Kiss

The amusement park edged into dusk, its lights flickering on.

Not far away, the Ferris Wheel glittered with dazzling light displays.

“Next, that one?”

“Yeah.”

Along the path to the Ferris Wheel, various human-sized mascot characters crowded the way.

It was a souvenir photo activity, hugely popular forever.

Standing against the massive Ferris Wheel backdrop, taking pictures with favorite mascots.

Or rather, with the one you love.

“Emmmm……”

Nanami’s steps paused almost unnoticed for a second.

The mascots were experts at their jobs. Just one girl stopping briefly instantly signaled a new customer.

Two cartoon-bear mascots trotted playfully toward the pair.

One blue, one red—clearly an opposite-gender couple by design.

The bear couple gestured wildly at Himekoji and Nanami, seemingly selling themselves passionately.

Since mascots couldn’t talk, they used big body movements instead.

“Do you want to take our picture?”

Nanami guessed.

The bears nodded energetically—though their bent waists made the gesture look more like bowing…

“Aoyama even understands bear language?”

As Himekoji marveled, the bear couple suddenly struck a kissing pose.

“Eh?”

Himekoji and Nanami froze. Then Mr. Bear pointed across the street. Finally, they understood.

Opposite, a real couple was taking a photo locked in an overly sweet kiss…

Mrs. Bear whipped out a camera, urging Himekoji and Nanami to copy the pose.

“N-No, we’re not a couple!”

Panic exploded between them. Nanami, bright red, anxiously waved her left hand—completely forgetting her right hand was still tightly holding Himekoji’s.

“You’ve got it wrong!”

Himekoji didn’t flail, but clearly felt overwhelmed as he quickly clarified.

Mrs. Bear covered her mouth, shaking her head—not buying it. She teasingly gestured, “Don’t be shy~”

Mr. Bear pointed straight at their clasped hands. Solid proof.

Still holding hands and denying they’re a couple?

Both belatedly realized it. Faces burning, they instantly dropped hands.

“W-We’re really not!”

Only after much explanation did the bears finally let them go.

But as they left, Mr. Bear gave Himekoji’s shoulder a meaningful pat.

“Was that… ‘Hang in there, buddy’? Or just my imagination?”

Himekoji felt slight pressure, uneasily shaking his shoulder.

…

The Ferris Wheel queue stretched far longer than the haunted house’s.

Probably the amusement park’s star attraction, right?

Up close, seen from below, the Ferris Wheel appeared even more massive.

Its lights kept changing colors—beautiful yet dizzying.

“You know? Ferris Wheels exist so people in love can cross the sky together.”

Reciting her line, Nanami gazed up at the pairs filling the cabins above.

“Yeah. They say for every full turn a Ferris Wheel makes, another couple kisses down on Earth.”

Himekoji also looked up. He’d practiced this so much the reply came instantly.

“One turn just happened… Who’s kissing now?”

Nanami spoke softly, stealing a glance at Himekoji before quickly looking down.

This wasn’t acting.

“Yeah… Who indeed?”

Himekoji echoed quietly.

Nearly every Ferris Wheel rider was a couple. Most chatted casually as the line crawled forward, just like them.

Finally, it was Himekoji and Nanami’s turn.

“Congratulations! Great luck—you got the Lucky Cabin~~”

The attending staff grinned happily.

Their cabin was purple.

With red, yellow, and blue cabins plentiful but only one purple, Himekoji and Nanami had truly lucked out.

“Please enter.”

The worker welcomed them aboard.

…

Seated facing each other, just two people inside a cabin meant for eight felt unnervingly empty.

Unused to all that space, both stayed silent at first. Unsure what to say, they watched the ground slowly shrink below.

Himekoji, unable to bear the strange quiet, cracked first:

“So… what’s the Lucky Cabin?”

“Ah! That! They say couples who ride it get super blessed. It’s a one-in-sixty chance, so extremely rare!”

As Nanami explained, the cabin rose past thirty meters high.

Below, the night view amazed them: gorgeous city lights and stars twinkling over long queues of hand-holding, snuggled-up couples. Streets sparkled colorfully like a painted canvas stretched across the entire view.

“It’s even more stunning than I imagined…”

Pressed against the window, Nanami breathed out sincerely.

“Yeah, no doubt… just scarier than I expected too. This height’s insane…”

The great height meant great views, but it also made him feel light-headed to look down. Zero security.

He’d thought Ferris Wheels were elegant, romantic places—nothing scary. Clearly not. You couldn’t bail midway, you stayed hanging forever… honestly, for some riders, this might be worse than the extreme rides.

But maybe that fear was part of the fun.

Sharing that whisper, This is scary, while floating across the sky together.

…

The climb continued.

Timewise, they’d just passed the ten-o’clock position.

“Can I sit next to you?”

This moment in the Ferris Wheel was key in their script.

Nanami slipped into character, standing before Himekoji could answer.

Himekoji snapped awake too.

Today’s whole reason for being here was practice.

“Hey, I didn’t say yes?”

His line came automatically after countless rehearsals.

“Actually, I didn’t need your permission at all.”

“Why?”

“The spot beside you… is rightfully mine.”

“Can’t argue that…”

Over sixty meters high, world noises faded. Only their voices existed here now.

Nanami’s deep commitment blurred Himekoji’s line between script and reality.

She sat close, resting her head lightly against his shoulder.

He knew this was just practice… yet confusion grew anyway.

Not wanting to mess up Nanami’s scene, Himekoji tried grasping his character’s emotions sincerely.

But the more he tried to understand, the more chaos spread inside. His emotions trembled sharply.

He was utterly lost.

Was this turmoil something he’d created to match the role… or was it pure Himekoji Tadashi?

“Hey… let’s kiss.”

So when Nanami’s murmuring voice asked this, Himekoji flinched, heart pounding.

For one solid second… he thought she meant it.

……