* * *
I gaped. They rented out this place? During peak season?
As someone who had been concerned about just paying for two tickets, this scale was hard to comprehend.
‘Why go that far…?’
I was baffled. How much did they spend just because I suggested we visit a theme park together?
I didn’t even dare ask, fearing the answer would be too much to handle.
As I stood there, unable to even form words, Elliot and the other two Espers were as nonchalant as could be.
It was clear from their attitudes that this was no big deal.
“Why that face? Heewoon, we’re famous. If we came here normally, we wouldn’t be able to do anything. People would swarm us for autographs and photos, and it would be all over the internet. Do you think you could handle that?”
“Oh…”
He had a point.
Though Eunsoo was a minor and hadn’t had his face or name directly exposed in media, the internet was a scary place.
His face was already known to some extent, so for his privacy, avoiding crowded places was definitely a good idea.
Who knows what could happen?
There were fans of Jake who might even try to cause trouble…
That sort of thing did happen occasionally in the original story.
“Aside from convenience, this was necessary. If we Espers lose control, it’s hard to manage, especially as S-class. We can’t stay in crowded places for too long. It’s even a recommendation from the administration.”
“Right… I see.”
Espers with such immense power had many restrictions on their behavior.
Especially the A-Team Espers—since I’m still lacking, they might face even more limitations because of me.
At this point, I started to wonder if it was wrong of me to have invited them without thinking things through.
Could we really justify monopolizing such a huge and popular space during peak season?
It was a situation I never imagined, and it left me feeling flustered.
As I was lost in thought, Cha Joonseong gently patted my head.
“Don’t worry too much. The administration will also use this as a chance for safety checks and training, so it’s not all about us. They’ve been postponing it, but now seemed like a good time.”
“There would be other people here. We sent buses for the students and kids our foundation supports. They should arrive around lunchtime.”
“Oh, that’s a relief!”
So it wasn’t just us.
I had wondered why the schedule seemed to accommodate more than just their own plans.
The Espers had thought of everything!
I smiled, feeling relieved.
Elliot pouted slightly at my reaction.
“You really are a peculiar character. Though, I suppose that’s one of your better traits.”
His long, pale fingers lightly tapped my forehead.
I wasn’t sure if it was a compliment or a scolding, but it felt strange either way.
As I rubbed my forehead, Rex suddenly raised his voice.
“Wait a second! So I’m the only one here just to have fun?”
“You’ve got me and Eunsoo.”
“Still… Ugh, I feel like I’m falling behind compared to these guys…”
“You’re not falling behind at all. We’re all in this together.”
“Hmm… well… I’ll just have to try harder in other areas.”
As Rex muttered something I couldn’t quite understand, I turned my attention back to Eunsoo.
Eunsoo had been expecting a simple, quiet date with just the two of us, and now not only had I invited three extra people, but one of them had rented out the entire theme park.
Our plans had gone from ordinary to anything but.
What if Eunsoo wasn’t enjoying himself?
Worried, I studied his expression. But Eunsoo, arms crossed and chin lifted in a nonchalant manner, said coolly:
“Why are you looking at me like that? It’s not bad. At least we won’t waste time standing in lines. Turns out those guys aren’t completely useless.”
I couldn’t help but marvel at Eunsoo’s response.
As expected of the protagonist! Our main character was truly bold and big-hearted.
‘Honestly… I’m so relieved we’ve got Polwel backing us…’
The fact that Eunsoo accepted even a rented-out theme park so calmly—it just reminded me how out of reach he was for someone on my salary alone.
Especially since, with Huimang’s medical bills taken care of, I was now a full-time salaried employee without any extra gig work.
With Eunsoo’s approval, I felt like a weight had been lifted, and we entered the theme park.
The place was already fascinating from the outside, with massive rides and towering castles, but inside, it was even more breathtaking.
As I stood there, entranced by the wondrous scene of my first-ever theme park, I felt a small, soft hand grab mine tightly.
It was Eunsoo’s hand.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Since I forgave you for bringing those people along, promise me just one thing. Today, this hand is mine. You can’t allow anyone else to touch it, okay?”
Eunsoo, claiming ownership of my hand, is adorable.
Isn’t it like how kids say, ‘Dad is mine,’ or ‘I’ll marry you when I grow up’?
Right now, fresh out in the world, I may seem like everything to him as his guardian, but once he starts school and begins working as a guide, his feelings will surely change.
“Sure. Your left hand is all yours.”
I should savor Eunsoo’s affection for me while I still can.
When he gets a bit older, he might not even glance my way, let alone hold my hand, too busy hanging out with friends or a significant other to even have a proper conversation.
I wanted to shower his pouty cheeks with kisses, but I held back, not wanting to look overly sentimental in front of the three espers.
Besides, I shouldn’t cross the line and make things awkward if he ends up feeling suffocated by my affection.
Hearing my response, Eunsoo smiled with satisfaction.
“You’re so sweet. I like it.”
‘Sweet?’
What’s with that tone?
It feels like the roles of adult and child have been reversed.
Though I was momentarily caught off guard, Eunsoo dashed ahead before I had time to comment.
Despite boldly claiming he had rented my left hand for the day, Eunsoo didn’t continue holding onto it.
“I want to ride that spinning one over there! But it’s a bit too wild for you, so wait here.”
“Okay.”
He started enjoying the empty amusement park at 500% capacity.
He was riding everything that looked even slightly thrilling, almost as if he was checking off every challenge one by one.
Seeing him have so much fun made me feel a little guilty for bringing him here so late.
But the fact that we had the park to ourselves wasn’t all good.
Sure, not having to wait for rides was amazing, but most of the things Eunsoo showed interest in were extreme.
Rides like these aren’t much fun alone, after all.
Even if I’m not thrilled, you need someone beside you screaming along to really enjoy it.
Still, joining him wasn’t an option for me—both physically and mentally.
Luckily, Rex seemed to share a similar taste in rides and joined him for several rounds.
“How about we see who can last longer without holding onto the handles?”
“Deal. But don’t expect me to take responsibility if you get hurt.”
“Don’t worry about that. But if I win, you have to disappear for three days. And don’t try anything with Uncle.”
“Ha! And if I win, you disappear for three days?”
“If you don’t see me for three days, Uncle, you’ll be the one crying.”
“…Damn it, that’s annoyingly true. So, what’s your endgame?”
“You actually want to win against a 19-year-old? How childish.”
“What the hell! You only act 19 when it’s convenient! You’ve got the world’s thickest skin for shamelessness.”
It seemed like they were having some odd competition… but, well, I guess it’s good they found some common ground.
Though what they were doing looked slightly dangerous… I reminded myself that these two are much stronger than the average person, and they’ll likely handle even more dangerous situations in the future.
No need to worry unnecessarily.
At first, the staff looked unsure if they should allow this, but the two were so fired up that the staff caught their enthusiasm and lost control, letting them run wild.
‘Wow, they’re actually holding on…’
Even so, it didn’t seem to pose any real threat to either of them.
After all, S-ranks are just built differently.
If I were in their shoes, I’d be in trouble within three seconds. I decided to just cheer from a distance.
“Heewon, call me when you’re going to the safari. I’ve got some work to do.”
“Sure, see you later.”
Elliot, who had been fiddling with. His device all day, finally left, looking like.
His workload was bigger than expected.
He was probably going to help welcome the kids who were arriving soon.
It seemed like they needed more hands since some of the children had mobility issues.
I thought about helping, but Elliot had firmly told me not to, so I decided to just send my thoughts.
…Come to think of it, considering I’d just recently seen the boundary of life and death, it wasn’t really appropriate for me to be helping anyone right now.
“Are you sure you don’t need to go, Junseong?”
Despite Elliot heading off for work, Junseong, the legendary workaholic, was still by my side.
Judging by the constant phone calls and the fact that he hadn’t put down his device, he clearly had plenty to do.
I guess he thinks there’s some “business” with me that he needs to tend to as well.
Though today, it seems more like personal business than anything professional.
“Heewon, about what happened earlier…”
* * *
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Thanks for the update
Thanks for update
Thanks!
i hope rex and eunsoo sort of have a friendly rivalry relationship, i see the potential in them being platonic