Shinomiya Kaguya was already used to the sight of the beautiful girl who flawlessly disguised herself as a handsome boy—Hayasaka Ai.
"Let's go," Hayasaka said coolly.
After taking the tickets, the group handed them out and walked toward the amusement park together.
Fortunately, it wasn't a holiday.
Even though Hoshino Ai's tour brought more tourists to Kanagawa, the timing was too tight for them to flock here.
The amusement park's crowd remained within the normal range.
"What should we play first? Obviously—it has to be the roller coaster!" Fujiwara Chika pointed excitedly at the towering ride not far away.
"Right from the start? That exciting!?" Yuigahama Yui blinked in surprise.
Iino Miko and Ishigami Yu, however, visibly shrank back.
"Well… I'm kind of hungry. Maybe we should buy a crepe first,"
Ishigami said, trying to escape.
"Eh? Ishigami-san, are you scared? But I guess that's expected—not everyone is as brave as me."Fujiwara declared proudly.
That hit Ishigami straight in the chest. He froze.
Man, how dare she say he can't do it!?
"Hah? Fujiwara-senpai, aside from cheating in games, what else are you good at?"Ishigami shot back.
"It's just a roller coaster. Who'd be scared? Seriously, you're overreacting. Come on." He said this, but when he stared up at the massive coaster…
Hmm. His legs suddenly felt weak.
Sixty meters wasn't that tall on paper, but standing right under it, staring up into the sky…It looked like it touched the clouds.
Taller than a super giant.
…Okay, that example made no sense, but the intimidation was real.
Still, the group headed toward the ride.
The roller coaster had three seats per row.
Shinomiya Kaguya glanced toward Haruto.
No matter what happened today—she had to sit with him.
Just as she planned before leaving.
This kind of attraction was perfect for triggering the suspension bridge effect.
Whether Haruto was affected like a normal person or not… she wanted to try.
Haruto waited calmly for everyone to choose their seats.
In the end, the first row went to Fujiwara Chika and Iino Miko—dragged there by Fujiwara.
"President Kaguya…"
Iino looked back at Kaguya with pleading, teary eyes.
Only the perfect and reliable student council president could give her a sense of safety.
Well… Haruto too, actually.
But sitting next to Haruto would be too shameless.
What if she accidentally hugged him on the drop!?
Kaguya's mind spun rapidly as she tried to figure out how to decline Iino politely.
Hayasaka Ai sighed under her breath.
She was ready to step forward and block the "enemy" for her lady. But before either could act—the battlefield was intercepted by a single man.
Ishigami Yu.
Even though he hadn't even boarded yet, his face was pale. But he gritted his teeth and—
Sat down in the first row.
"What are you doing here!?"
Iino snapped.
Ishigami rolled his eyes.
He totally misunderstood the situation.
At a critical moment like this, how could he drag down President Kaguya?
She would kill him.
And so, Kaguya and Haruto ended up together in the second row—just as she wished.
On Haruto's other side, Hayasaka Ai sat down naturally.
Kato Megumi wanted to sit beside Haruto too…
But the enthusiastic "Miss Dango" pulled her away.
Megumi could only sigh in quiet resignation.
Thus, the third row consisted of Kato Megumi, Yuigahama Yui, and Yukinoshita Yukino.
The roller coaster slowly began to move.
As it pulled away from the station and began its slow climb, the ground slipped farther and farther beneath them.
The ascent was slow—painfully slow.
But everyone's heartbeat was already quickening.
It hadn't even dropped yet.
Iino Miko clung tightly to Fujiwara.
Ishigami gripped the armrests as if his life depended on it.
Shinomiya Kaguya remained composed, but her fingers quietly inched toward Haruto's hand.
She wanted to hold hands… but was too shy to do it boldly.
Still, it was a roller coaster. Holding hands would make the heartbeat faster. Moreover, she was perfectly trained—no roller coaster could scare the Shinomiya heir.
Just as she convinced herself of this—
Haruto noticed her hesitant fingers.
Without hesitation, he reached over, gently took her pale hand, and interlaced their fingers.
The suddenness of it made Kaguya nearly let out a yelp.
Her cheeks instantly flushed red.
Her heartbeat skyrocketed.
As the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family, she had almost zero experience with physical contact from boys.
The warmth of his fingers intertwined with hers made her feel like her head was steaming.
At that moment—
The roller coaster reached the highest point.
While her thoughts were still on their joined hands—
Click.
It crossed the peak.
And then dove.
The slow climb instantly turned into a 120+ mile plunge.
A blast of wind slammed into their faces.
Kaguya: "…Huh?"
"AAAAAAHHHHH!"
The very first scream—came from Shinomiya Kaguya.
No one laughed.
They were all too busy reacting.
Fujiwara Chika screamed too, though hers leaned more toward excitement.
Iino Miko? Pure terror.
Ishigami didn't scream—
Because after the acceleration passed 100 mph, this "real man" simply fainted.
In the back row, Miss Dango also screamed—somewhere between Fujiwara's excitement and Iino's terror.
Yukinoshita and Kato Megumi were as calm as statues.
The two of them looked less like they were on a roller coaster and more like they were sitting in a classroom reading textbooks.
Originally, Shinomiya Kaguya should have been like them.
But because of the rapid heartbeat from before—
And the emotional shock of Haruto grabbing her hand—
Her mind was no longer stable.
Overwhelmed, she panicked, hugged Haruto's arm tight, and buried her face against him.
Haruto was surprised for a moment.
But seeing the frightened Kaguya, he pulled her closer and held her gently.
This panicked version of Shinomiya Kaguya… was a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
Beside them, Hayasaka Ai quickly took out her camera and snapped pictures at lightning speed.
When they got home, every single photo would be sent to Kaguya.
Hmph.
If Kaguya didn't cherish her, Hayasaka would make sure she regretted it.
Amidst all the screams, the roller coaster eventually slowed and rolled back into the station.
Ishigami Yu barely survived.
The moment the restraint lifted, he shot out of the ride like a gust of wind.
How could someone with legs that weak run that fast!?
From outside came a shout—
"That was amazing! Let's go again!"
Fujiwara Chika cheered with both hands raised.
"No! Absolutely not! My heart can't take it!"
Iino Miko screamed, shaking her head violently.
If she rode again, she'd probably end up unconscious like Ishigami.
Fujiwara turned to see her expression—but the moment she turned, a camera smacked into her face.
"Fujiwara-san, do you need a commemorative photo?"
Hayasaka asked in her low male disguise voice.
Meanwhile, on the side, Haruto and Shinomiya Kaguya were still quietly holding each other.