“You didn’t go either.”

On the last day of the contract with Yu Kwon, he said he would give a gift to Da Eun who had worked hard, and Da Eun said she wanted to go to an amusement park.

He had readily agreed, but didn’t show up even after five hours passed.

There wasn’t even a message apologizing. The next day, only a message came saying not to contact him again. She had planned to confess her feelings, but was rejected before she could even do so.

“Yes, well…”

Da Eun threw her gaze out the window and gave a vague answer.

Just as the atmosphere was about to become awkward, fortunately they arrived at the amusement park.

“Wow, it’s the amusement park.”

Da Eun murmured in an excited voice, unable to hide her excitement.

In middle school, Geum Suk, Da Hyun, and Da Eun, the three of them, had gone to an amusement park. It was before Geum Suk injured her leg.

While Da Hyun and Da Eun rode the rides, Geum Suk stood in front and took pictures with a disposable camera.

In the evening, they bought sausages and turkey legs and ate them at a table in front of the performance stage.

Geum Suk ordered a glass of beer and sipped it, which Da Eun had envied.

The spring breeze mixed with flower scents, the sky dyed orange, the sweet voice of the female singer who would have been Da Eun’s current age – it all felt vivid before her eyes.

“I must drink beer while watching the performance. And eat sausages too…”

“…Was that your purpose?”

“Yes!”

Da Eun answered proudly. Even without riding the rides, the bustling amusement park was exciting, overwhelming, and fun.

Forgetting the purpose of today’s appointment and just feeling elated, Da Eun chattered on and on the entire way there.

Getting out of the car, Da Eun was puzzled to see an empty parking lot. It was strange that there were no people on a weekend.

Is it because it’s evening? Da Eun, following behind Yu Kwon, realized for sure that something was strange.

Because there were no people at the entrance or inside. There were employees in the booths, but not a single visitor.

“But why are there no people? Did you rent it?”

“…Something like that.”

Rent an amusement park? Da Eun’s mouth fell open in surprise. Is this the scale of the wealthy?

“…You teased that a chaebol wouldn’t just rent a food stall, so you did this. Though it’s nice with lots of people too.”

“You remember.”

“…I don’t remember.”

“The kiss you gave too?”

“I didn’t do that!”

Da Eun snapped back but immediately regretted it. It was as good as saying with her own mouth that she clearly remembered that day.

Yu Kwon burst out laughing. Da Eun stared blankly at that face rarely seen, then shook her head.

Anyway, what a fox. You need to keep your wits about you from now on, Song Da Eun.

“But how much does it cost to rent such a big amusement park? It must be extremely expensive.”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

“…How can you not know.”

As Da Eun tilted her head strangely, Yu Kwon spoke with an unconcerned expression.

“Because I received it as a gift from my grandfather 8 years ago.”

Not rented, but emptied. Because the amusement park was his.

“Suddenly I feel a distance. An enormous one at that.”

Yu Kwon chuckled at Da Eun’s sulky words. As if she hadn’t particularly thought of him as close before.

“Wow, churros.”

Da Eun, muttering like a child, grabbed Yu Kwon’s wrist. Then she let go with a start, in a way that was annoyingly cute.

“Just have one, Da Eun.”

Whether close or far.

Yu Kwon took her hand. At his arrogant and haughty expression as if to say ‘what are you going to do about it’, Da Eun was exasperated. Still, she didn’t let go.

Soon Yu Kwon placed a churro in Da Eun’s other hand.

An awkward, uncomfortable, tense feeling, yet not entirely unpleasant. Like the night before a field trip.

Infinitely excited yet anxious it might rain, exactly that feeling. Or perhaps like a field trip day that ended up canceled due to rain.

It was always like that with Yu Kwon. Getting her hopes up alone, then being endlessly disappointed.

No matter how much she tried to steel her heart, Yu Kwon always made Da Eun go back to 8 years ago. She struggled to gather her composure.

“Let’s ride that.”

Da Eun, who had demolished the churro in an instant, pointed at the carousel. Yu Kwon shook his head as if horrified at the thought of riding it himself.

“Why did you come to an amusement park if you’re not going to ride anything?”

A dejected Da Eun grumbled.

“Because you like it.”

Yu Kwon reached out and wiped the sugar powder from the corner of Da Eun’s mouth.

“I also felt bad about not keeping that promise back then.”

Yu Kwon’s long fingers slowly fell from her mouth. At the same time, Da Eun, who had been holding her breath again, made a dejected expression. Despite knowing full well that she always got nervous like this. She felt annoyed at him for no reason.

“Then I’ll ride alone, so please take a picture.”

Da Eun went inside without waiting in line and climbed onto a horse.

‘It’s nice to enter right away without lining up. As expected of capitalism.’

Da Eun suddenly realized how smart Yu Kwon was.

To give such certainty to her decision like this.

After riding the carousel excitedly like a child, Da Eun quickly stuck close to Yu Kwon’s side.

“Did you take a picture?”

As Da Eun reached for the phone in Yu Kwon’s hand, he quickly raised it up.

“No.”

“I knew it. Where should we talk?”

Da Eun, recalling the purpose of today, asked casually.

“Let’s go eat first.”

“Okay.”

Da Eun nodded with an expectant expression.

As they climbed the hill, the food village appeared. Small castles that looked like they came out of a fairy tale were gathered. It was just like it used to be. It felt like her heart was about to burst.

As Da Eun and Yu Kwon sat at a table, food soon began to come out in succession, and the band that had been standing on stage began to play as if they had been waiting.

“May I indulge in the luxury of having a glass of beer?”

Da Eun licked her lips as she looked at the beer placed in front of her. Yu Kwon nodded, telling her to gladly indulge.

Da Eun, who had downed half the beer, let out a “Keu” sound.

She ate the meat Yu Kwon cut for her and listened to the music. Whether it was because of the alcohol, the evening glow, or the person sitting across from her, she felt like she was floating on clouds.

Da Eun stared blankly at Yu Kwon’s hair, dyed in warm colors and swaying slightly, and suddenly imagined.

Wearing cute headbands together, holding hands tightly while waiting in line for rides, buying hot dogs to share, begging to ride scary rides, and bickering – she imagined sharing such ordinarily happy moments with Yu Kwon.

Was it because of this ridiculously elating atmosphere that she was having such strange imaginings?

It was laughable to think of ordinary daily life with someone who could never be ordinary.

“Have you never come here with friends?”

“No.”

“Me neither. I used to come with my mom and brother.”

Yu Kwon rested his chin on his hand and gazed at her as if to listen intently to Da Eun’s story.

Da Eun emptied her beer without leaving a drop. To finally fulfill a childhood dream now. It wasn’t even that grand of a thing. Da Eun let out a hollow laugh.

Drinking beer in the same place naturally made her think of Geum Suk.

It must have been Geum Suk’s only time to rest after constantly looking after the children, yet even then she was busy picking turkey meat to feed Da Eun and Da Hyun.

A mother who worked six days and rested one, using that rest day for her children. A mother who couldn’t sleep in her room when Da Eun came home late, always waiting in the living room and ending up falling asleep on the sofa.

All that was left for such a mother was guilt.

Da Eun stared blankly at the refilled beer glass and opened her mouth.

“In middle school, when I found out my dad who was said to be dead was actually alive, I went to find him without thinking.”

Yu Kwon raised an eyebrow at the unexpected topic.

“When I went to the address written on the paper, there was a pretty two-story house. It was exactly like the house I once said I wanted to live in while watching TV. I climbed on top of the trash can and peeked over the fence.”

“…Mm.”

“I recognized him at a glance. That this person was my dad.”

“Did you meet him?”

“No, I just peeked. It was summer when sweat dripped even if you stood still. I had walked all the way there, so my whole body was drenched in sweat, all grimy…”

“You went all that way, you should have at least met him.”

Da Eun chuckled and shook her head.

“Dad was already another child’s father. He was living happily in a house with a pretty garden, raising a big dog.”

A summer breeze with the same scent as back then brushed past Da Eun’s hair. Da Eun fixed her disheveled hair and continued speaking.

“I went home with a hollow feeling, and at home Hee Ju and Da Hyun were crying. They said mom had been in a traffic accident.”

Da Eun’s eyes trembled slightly as she spoke calmly.

“If only I hadn’t fought with my brother and run out saying I’d go see dad, if only I hadn’t gotten angry and left, mom wouldn’t have been hit by a car while looking for me.”

Words she had never spoken to anyone. Even Geum Suk had never once mentioned the incident from that time.

Yu Kwon was listening with a face as calm as Da Eun’s to the stories she had hidden in the deepest, darkest part of her heart.

“The fight wasn’t even about anything important. There was a used hamburger wrapper in the trash can. I cried and made a fuss again saying she only bought it for my brother, even though I knew full well that my brother was smaller and weaker than his peers.”

Da Eun stopped speaking there.

It seemed as if she was desperately holding back something that was about to pour out from inside her. Yu Kwon went to her side and put an arm around her shoulders.

Da Eun neither cried nor trembled, but just silently stared straight ahead. As if she considered even crying freely to be unacceptable behavior.

He felt sorry for her, who must have lived with guilt all this time since then. On the other hand, he found himself despicable for feeling sorry. After all, he had tried to use Da Eun’s family to possess her.

Da Eun smiled brightly as if nothing had happened.

“Did I tell too dark a story? After coming to this expensive amusement park and eating this expensive meal.”

Da Eun let out a long, shaky breath. As if exhaling all the gloomy emotions left inside her.

“So what I want to say is…”