novelWinning Conditions / Good at High Places
| ← Ch.267 | Ch.269 → |
Translator: Ranzan
Editor: ryunakama
「She got us. 」
Thud, Akiha said as she sat down in the seat again.
She had her arms crossed as she gazed out at Aoba with a smile. That smile was at that 「something」that Taiyou had felt between Aoba and her, Taiyou thought.
「This, isn't your work...I guess. 」
「Yeah, I was surprised too. But maybe Kohaku is involved in this, I guess. 」
「Yeah. 」
Akiha nodded, and shuffled over to the opposite side of the car, facing me.
Aoba was watching Taiyou as he got farther away, waving her hand, as Akiha sat across from him.
「How long does this take to go around?」
「Maybe 20 minutes. That's what the sign said. 」
「Okay. 」
「Did you have fun today?」
「Is that why you invited me?」
「A question to my question?」
Taiyou laughed.
Thinking about the girls' relationships now, he knew that he wouldn't get an answer, so he answered about them both.
「Why...I guess I don't know now. 」
「What does that mean?」
「But, I can say that it was fun. 」
「You're just flattering me. 」
「No?」
Taiyou opened his eyes and said with a surprised appearance.
「Really, it was fun. I mean...it's almost like I'm thankful. 」
「Thankful? Are you being sarcastic?」
「No, just thankful. Because of you, Aoba had a great time today at the park. For that alone I'm really thankful. 」
「So you used me as a pretext for Aoba to have fun?」
「I guess so. 」
「Well, whatever. 」
Akiha looked away out the other side of the car.
A gondola with glass covering its upper half. As you were taken up, you could see more and more around you.
After only seconds the huge attractions in the park seemed to glide away, becoming smaller and smaller.
What came bigger was the real diorama around them.
「A ferris wheel...」
「Hm?」
「A ferris wheels the most normal out of all the rides, at every park...not even just parks, but sometimes on department store buildings. 」
「Yeah. 」
「Looking at everything around you, I guess you know why. 」
「Yeah, you do. 」
Taiyou nodded, and pointed to where he was looking out the right side.
「You can see the rail of the train over there. 」
「Yeah, I can. That must mean, Oritachi is over there?」
「No, the opposite way, I think here. From here you can see the ocean is way over there, right? So I guess this way is north. 」
「I see. 」
The two said, and watched the scenery below them open up.
Finally, the car reached its highest point, and began to fall.
The opposite of the way up, everything got farther while below became bigger, as Taiyou watched.
Just then.
CLUNK, and the gondola shook.
He lost his balance and grabbed for something close to steady him.
「What the?」
「It...it stopped?!」
Akiha had noticed quicker.
She looked out the ceiling of the car and said.
「It stopped?」
Taiyou looked out the gondola.
They simply sat and looked for five seconds.
「It is stopped. 」
「Yeah, you're right. 」
They both nodded to each other.
The scenery didn't change, nor did the positions of the other cars.
The ferris wheel had clearly stopped.
「Everyone, something has arisen in the operation of the ferris wheel, and we need to stop it briefly. We're sorry, but...」
The announcement came from the car's speaker, as the attendant's voice continued.
「What's the reason, I wonder. 」
「Who knows?」
Taiyou shrugged with his hands up.
Even though he tried to look calm, his heart was pounding.
That 「maybe something happened」feeling you have, that makes your heart beat quickly.
「Huh?」
Akiha seemed to jump up from her seat. She had noticed something, and was staring out the car window.
「What is it?」
「Huh?」
He looked in the direction Akiha was pointing.
The gondola ahead of them, just a bit lower than Taiyou's gondola.
The one where only the children were riding.
「Ah, that one ahead...」
「Isn't that dangerous?」
「Yeah, it's shaking way too much. 」
They looked closely at the gondola.
Just as their parents had said, they had stayed seated looking outward from the gondola, but now that it had stopped, they were stumbling around in panic.
Because of that, only that gondola was shaking far more than the others.
Taiyou and Akiha had no idea how much a car like that could take. However, it was dangerous as far as they could see, and it was a sight that made you worry.
「...this opens, right?」
Akiha touched the roof and said.
Just like the sunroof of a real car, it was made that you could flip open the ceiling.
「Wait, what are you doing?」
「...hup!」
Akiha moved without answering.
She opened the ceiling, and her light body moved outside the gondola.
As soon as she was out, he long and beautiful hair was carried by the wind.
It was wind strong enough to knock you off balance.
「You're not thinking of jumping over there?」
「I am. 」
「Wait, stop! If you fall, you're going to die with a splat!」
「It's okay, I'm good at high places. 」
「No, wait...」
Akiha went to jump, and Taiyou went to grab her, but...he stepped back just before he did.
If he could totally grab her, he would, but if he just only able to grip her clothes with his fingers as she jumped...then...
Imagining that, he experienced a mixture of his crotch getting hard with a fear that she would fall if he did such a thing.
That moment of indecision led him to step back.
And in the moment, she jumped from off of the ceiling.
| ← Ch. 267 | Ch. 269 → |