Chapter 19: Rollercoaster

BADUM... BADUM... BADUM...

"You again," they both said subconsciously.

P’s eyes immediately locked in as he spotted a highly suspicious figure lurking far behind Hanabi’s position.

They’re already here. I didn’t expect them to be so fast... To be honest, I'm almost impressed by their efficiency, but... it’s highly disturbing, P thought, briefly getting lost in his own mind and forgetting the world around him.

Hanabi narrowed her eyes, glaring at P while he stood there spaced out.

"Hey...... Hey.... HEY!" Hanabi shouted.

Her loud voice instantly snapped P back to reality. He blinked, looking down at Hanabi’s face. She did not look happy at all—she was glaring up at him with pure anger.

"What do you want...?" Hanabi snapped.

She’s angry... P noted mentally.

"Does this scarf belong to you...?" P asked, holding up the fabric.

"Yes. Can I have it back?" Hanabi demanded.

He stretched out his left hand, offering the scarf. "Of course you can. It's yours," P said.

Hanabi stepped closer and snatched the scarf from his grip. While she adjusted it, P's eyes were actively scanning the surrounding streets, completely unbeknownst to her.

There are more of them than I initially thought. She is going to die today if she stays alone. Tsk... this woman... I really shouldn't involve myself with her. But just this once... P sighed mentally.

He looked down at her hand and noticed she was holding a cold glass bottle. "You drink...?" P asked.

"No, I don't. It's for a friend," Hanabi replied.

"A guy...?" P questioned.

"No... it's for my friend Yuki. She's a girl," Hanabi said.

"Yu--ki. Ahhhh... the girl with the coconut brain," P muttered.

"...And what are you even doing here anyway?!" Hanabi suddenly demanded, her anger flaring up again. "You just disappeared from my bedroom like a ghost after I spent hours cooking for you! There wasn't even a goodbye or a note to explain anything! You just left me completely blank after making a promise!"

"Honestly, I didn't know what happened. It was nature's call. And besides, I had to go out and hustle... I always pay my debts," P said with complete confidence.

"Nature's call... there's no such thing as a nature's call that makes you vanish for a whole day! And how did you even manage to get brand-new clothes? They look incredibly expensive," Hanabi said, her eyes narrowing in deep suspicion. "Did you..."

"Hey, listen to me," P interrupted, looking at her with an incredibly serious, righteous face. "Don't ever look down on me. I would never do something as cruel as harassing and beating people up just to steal their belongings, their clothes, or their hard-earned money. That is pure cruelty! I would rather die than stoop myself that low. Anyone found guilty of doing such things should honestly just go and die."

"Haarrrrh... whatever. I have to get going back to the girls before they start complaining," Hanabi said, turning on her heel to walk back toward the amusement park entrance.

As she walked away, she glanced back over her shoulder to see if P was following, but the sidewalk was empty. He had completely disappeared.

Suddenly, she felt a strange presence right beside her. She looked to her left, and her eyes went wide. P was already walking right next to her, matching her stride perfectly.

"What are you doing...?" Hanabi asked, startled.

"Following," P said simply.

"You aren't my boyfriend, so stop acting like one! Why are you following me?" Hanabi huffed.

"Hanabi, I know what I did this morning was wrong, and I feel kinda bad about it. I want to make up for it," P said.

STEP... STEP... STEP... STEP...

"So, I decided that I should spend some quality time with you tonight. Just you and me," P said.

"Qua---li-ti--" Hanabi stammered.

"Don't get the wrong idea. You're far too chubby anyway," P added bluntly.

"I ain't chubby...!" Hanabi snapped, yelling angrily at him. "You're the one who is big, fat, and has absolutely no brain!"

"Why is it that in your friend group, you seem to be the dumbest one?" P asked, completely unfazed.

"Okay, watch your mouth right there," Hanabi said seriously.

"Oh, I forgot... that spot belongs to... what's her name again? Ahhh, Yuki," P said with a smirk.

"She's not dumb! She's way better than you, which you already know!" Hanabi defended.

"Well, that doesn't matter. I just want to spend the night in the amusement park with just you. What do you say...?" P said.

He looked down at her, his dark gold eyes suddenly glittering with a warm, heart-melting charm.

I must not let her get anywhere near her friends. If those assassins spot them all together, the collateral damage will be a massive problem. It has to be just me and her, P calculated silently.

"Hmm... well..." Hanabi mumbled, struggling against her own thoughts. She looked away, her face flushing. "I'm still mad at you, but... fine."

"Great," P smiled.

"But this is absolutely not a date! Don't think anything funny, and don't even bother asking to follow me home later!" Hanabi warned, keeping her eyes locked onto the pavement to avoid his gaze.

STEP... STEP...

"I'm actually homeless," P said flatly.

"Oh... sorry about that..." Hanabi muttered awkwardly as they finally crossed the threshold into the amusement park.

The moment they stepped inside, the loud music, the bright neon lights, and the cheerful laughter of families immediately faded into a dark, cold background to P. His eyes locked in, and a familiar, dangerous sensation washed over him.

It was the feeling of a prey walking straight into a lion's den, with predators watching from the shadows.

Strange, calculating eyes were already tracking P and Hanabi. It could be anyone. They walked past the pink cotton candy stall where Hanabi had been sitting earlier. The vendor raised his head, his eyes tracking Hanabi closely as he scooped sugar. P noticed, but pretended to look completely oblivious.

It would take a miracle for a prey to survive after being surrounded by lions in their dark den. There is absolutely no guarantee of survival... You must be swift and clever.

Hmmm... what a pain. Swift and clever my ass, P thought with dull, dark eyes. How should I start...? Taking them out one by one while acting completely normal in front of her? Yeah, right. That's literally impossible. A cold smirk played on his lips.

WEEEEE! YEEEEEEE!

The riders on the rollercoaster screamed in high-speed excitement above them.

"Hanabi, how about we start our fun with the rollercoaster?" P suggested, offering a bright smile.

"Rollercoaster...?! No way! I am absolutely not getting on that thing!" Hanabi resisted, taking a step back.

"Are you actually scared of rollercoasters?" P asked, placing his right hand on his hip. His expression practically said: Are you serious?

"Yes, I am! And I am not going anywhere near that death trap! Let's try something else," Hanabi said, turning to walk away.

"Harrrh," P sighed.

STEP... STEP... STEP...

"Come here..." P muttered.

Before Hanabi could react, P scooped her up, throwing her effortlessly over his right shoulder, and began marching directly toward the rollercoaster boarding platform.

"What are you doing?! Put me down! I will never forgive you for this! Put me down... P! I will literally kill you, do you hear me?!" Hanabi screamed.

She swung her fists, trying to beat on his back, but she couldn't hit him hard enough to affect his fresh wound. She was completely powerless, left with nothing but her loud protests.

STEP... STEP... STEP...

P carried her up the metal stairs, Hanabi yelling the entire way.

"Put me down! Are you completely insane?!"

The female ride attendant at the gate raised an eyebrow at the sight. "Sir... she'll have to walk from here."

"Sorry about her. This one is incredibly stubborn," P said, flashing a charming, innocent smile.

The attendant’s expression softened instantly. "Row three," she instructed.

P slid into the plastic seat and dropped Hanabi right beside him. She immediately scrambled to get up. "I'm not riding this! Let me out—"

Before she could escape, the attendant pulled the heavy metal lap bar down with a solid, echoing:

CLACK.

Hanabi's face went completely pale.

"After all these years... my time has actually come," Hanabi sobbed, staring blankly ahead.

The coaster car started to roll forward slowly. Hanabi’s heart hammered against her ribs, her eyes stretching wide in sheer terror. But for a brief second, a sudden warmth made her freeze.

P had reached over, firmly grabbing her left hand. He glanced down at her, and for a quiet, breezy moment, they stared into each other's eyes.

"I'm scared too..." P whispered.

"Oh, please..." Hanabi rolled her eyes, but her grip on his hand tightened.

"If you ever get too scared, just hold my hand as tight as you can. I'm always right here for you," P said calmly, looking back toward the track.

Hanabi stared at his profile for a second, a soft smile finally tugging at the corners of her lips.

CHAK... CHAK... CHAK... CHAK...

The coaster began its steep climb up the massive hill.

CHAK! CHAK! CHAK!

YEEEEEEEEEEE!

A chorus of voices screamed as the train crested the peak, but none of them compared to the sheer, ungodly terror of Hanabi, who was squeezing P's hand with bone-crushing force.

"HEEEEERRRGGGG...!!!" Hanabi screeched at the top of her lungs.

The sound was so incredibly loud and distorted that it echoed across the entire park. Even P had to turn his head in pure bewilderment.

Is this woman literally choking to death right now? P thought subconsciously.

Nevermind. Where was I? Oh, yeah... since we are currently at the highest point of the park and moving at high speed, I should be able to spot their big shots. P's eyes turned icy cold as he scanned the surrounding rooftops.

"HEEEEERRRGGGG...!!!"

Hanabi's endless screech completely drowned out the screams of every other passenger on the train.

Meanwhile, on a dark rooftop overlooking the coaster tracks:

"I have eyes on the target... Ready to fire," an assassin whispered into his comm-link.

The sniper was perched on top of a high-rise building inside the amusement park. The roof was completely dark, and his black tactical gear acted as perfect camouflage against the night sky.

The assassin adjusted his black sniper rifle, tracking the fast-moving rollercoaster cars. His crosshairs locked onto Hanabi’s face as he zoomed in the high-powered scope.

"Aaaahhh... there she is," the assassin muttered, resting his finger on the trigger.

But just as he was about to squeeze, the sniper froze in complete shock.

Through the lens of his scope, he watched as P suddenly threw his own upper body directly in front of Hanabi, shielding her completely.

P didn't look panicked. Instead, he stared directly down the barrel of the sniper's scope, locked eyes with the assassin from hundreds of yards away, and flashed a deadly, terrifying grin.

I. Found. You.