Work Text:
It had started as another visit to Joe's restaurant —— a surprise quality check was the excuse Reki had used this time around, unable to keep the smirk off his face as he slid into what he’s begun to claim as his seat. Langa had sat in the chair beside him, so unapologetically brazen in the way he grabs the knife and fork, that Reki was positive Joe must’ve already caught on to their ulterior motives by now.
He spares them only a glance before returning to the dishes in front of him. They weren't going to wash themselves, after all.
“ A quality check that takes place after the restaurant closes? “
“ We’re just getting you ready for tomorrow! " Reki quips back, shooting a quick look at Langa to check he was nodding along.
“ So then, wouldn’t you be passing by tomorrow before we open? “ Joe could never make this easy for them, could he?
“ We can’t. “ Langa comments, absentmindedly playing with the edge of a napkin. “ We have school. “
“We have school! “ Reki mimics, “ So it has to be now. It’s for the good of your customers, after all! “
And maybe it was because of how ridiculously sad their attempt was. Or maybe it was because Joe knew they wouldn’t be all that keen to leave before he offered them some kind of scraps. Or maybe he just had a soft spot for the two boys sitting there, who reminded him just a little bit of how he used to be. Of how he and Kaoru used to be.
“ Don’t you two have parents who feed you? “ Is all Joe really says after a beat of silence, but he’s still turning away to face the stove — the telltale sign that something was going to be made for them. And that was enough of a victory for Reki to call it a successful win, careful not to be caught when sneaking a thumbs up to Langa.
Not that being sneaky helped them much, when a voice suddenly spoke up behind them, nearly scaring Reki out of his chair.
“ If you continue to make them food whenever they pass by, you’ll never get rid of strays. “ And while Reki and Langa could’ve maybe had talked Joe into bending, there was no way they’d stand a chance against Cherry. Both boys turn to look at the unreadable face of the adult behind them ( you can tell when he’s annoyed , Joe had told them once, because his eyebrow does a little twitch ) and sure enough, Reki noticed — there was, in fact, a twitch.
Probably not a good sign.
But thankfully, Joe stepped in before Cherry could continue scolding Reki and Langa for taking advantage of the wonders of having a very talented chef for a friend. “ Like you didn’t use to hound me for free food when we were their age. “ He says without ever taking the attention away from the bolognese, but all three of them didn’t need to see to know Joe had a smile in place. It could easily be heard in his tone.
It caused Cherry to bristle, sharpening the insult on the tip of his tongue to ensure maximum damage — though the laugh that left Joe had him pausing.
“ Besides, contrary to what those two think, " and now Joe does shift, turns to glance over his shoulder ( Reki isn't too sure he likes that look in his eyes ) to look at Reki and Langa, " None of this has been free. They've racked up quite the bill. "
A pause. And then another.
" HUH?! "
Both boys shot from their seats as if burned — though where Reki was distressed at the fact that Joe had absolutely intentionally kept this bit of information from them, Langa was horrified at the thought of the amount of money they would somehow have to scrounge up and pay.
Behind them, Cherry nods in approval.
( and so distracted Reki and Langa were with the notion of having to suddenly pay for all their past meals, that it didn't even dawn on them to wonder just where Cherry had come from. The bell above the front door hadn't rung to signify any new arrival, after all.. )
" C'mon Joe! You're not.. You're not serious , are you? " Reki was almost too scared to know the answer, wondering if maybe this was just some prank or scare tactic ( weren't adults supposed to be super mature and shit? ) set up by the older males.
" Am I? Are you sure? " And as the two plates of bolognese were placed before them, Reki realized : he wasn't sure. It made him hesitate in eating, wondering if maybe he and Langa should take their losses and settle for some ice cream somewhere elsewhere.
Except Langa had already begun to eat the meal, seemingly forgetting about the debt they'll have to pay. Reki could kill him. He really could.
Or he could settle on eating the food before it got too cold and deal with this later.
That sounded like a better option.
But he wasn't even three bites in before the bell on the front door did actually ring, though it was quickly covered by Shadow's signature yelling, announcing his arrival.
“ Can you shut up? You don’t have to scream every time you enter a room. “ Miya hisses from behind him, nudging the man aside to quickly make his way inside. Anything to put distance between himself and Shadow, lest anyone wandering outside were to see them together. That would just be too embarrassing. “ Of course I have to scream! How else will the people in the room know to look and gawk at my presence? “
“ Your clown makeup does enough. “ Is all Cherry has to say to end that conversation, leaving Shadow to huff from the seat he has chosen to sit in. Which works perfectly, because he turns to give Joe a not too pleased glare. “ And you. How many more people are you going to let waltz into your restaurant? Ever heard of locking your doors? “
“ Relax, pinkie. Shadow sent a message letting me know he was coming. But since you’re so scared of strays coming in, why not lock the door yourself? “
“ Strays have already come in, meathead. “
" In that case, you were the first stray to show up. "
" You know, " Miya interrupts, already tired of seeing Joe and Cherry begin flirting so shamelessly in front of them, " As much as we all love hearing you two go at it, there's actually a reason why I asked Shadow to drive me here. "
( " Reki, can I have some of yours? " )
" A reason that couldn't wait until tomorrow evening, at S? " And maybe there was some curiosity lightly sprinkled in the way Joe asked the question. Shadow and Cherry would be liars if they said they weren't at least a little intrigued — and Cherry would vehemently swear that he couldn't care less. Joe would be quick to call him out, though.
( " Wh— hey! Can you at least wait for me to tell you when I don't want anymore? " )
But there was something in the way Miya stood, with his fingers tugging at the material of his jacket’s sleeve / glaring eyes and furrowed brows aimed at a particular spot on the floor / tips of his ears a shade pinker than normal.. It was almost like he was —
“ You look like you have a stomach ache. Or like you have to use the bathroom reeeally badly. “
The balled up napkin gets thrown square at Reki's face with such a speed that nobody really saw Miya grab it off the nearest table, only hearing the ‘ GWUA ‘ that left Reki when it did make contact.
“ Who asked you! Go back to stuffing your face, slime! “
“ I thought I was a golem! “
“ You’ve been demoted! “
And while Reki was not currently aware of how his passing comment had shaken the nerves off of Miya's shoulders, it was a detail that didn’t go unnoticed by the adults in the room. So it was with a chuckle that Joe reclaimed the attention, arms crossed over his chest and a wry smile in place. “ Go easy on my napkins, kid. They didn’t do anything to you. Besides, you had something you wanted to say? “
The circle back to the original topic had Miya returning to a sheepish stance, though notably more comfortable than before. When he stood there with flushed cheeks and pouting lips, it was almost as if everyone remembered that the confident kid with a tongue as sharp as Cherry’s was exactly that —— a kid. A kid just fresh into his teenage years, just beginning to step into the new world of adolescence. A kid who still struggled at being honest with his feelings, though that particular trait can’t be faulted by anyone in the room as they all weren’t exactly role models when it came to honesty.
Well.. Maybe Langa was. But his honesty banked more on the side of being painfully straightforward, to the point of accidentally getting himself in trouble. So actually, there really was no good role model for honesty.
“ Well... I overheard some kids in my class talking about this theme park a few towns over. Apparently, there’s a discount for tickets going on right now. “ Miya keeps his gaze locked on the lines of the wooden flooring, feeling the heat on his features grow hotter with every spoken word. The idea of just bailing on the topic entirely was becoming very appealing, but he’s come this far already.. “ You can get a discount if you go with a group of five or more.. And since we’re a group of five or more... I thought, maybe.. You know.. “ The confidence had begun to fizzle out just like the volume of his voice until there was nothing but silence in the room.
The silence never tends to last long when everyone’s together like this, however.
“ A theme park! “ Both Reki and Langa were quick to jump to their feet at the idea, already lost in thought at the endless things that could be done.
“ Think of the rides! “
“ Think of the food! “
Reki has to give him an elbow to the side at that, laughing at how ridiculously Langa that response had been. But theme park food was one of the perks of the whole thing, so Reki can’t really blame him! Instead he aims a smile at Miya, who seemed more at ease now that there were people agreeing to the idea.
( though if anyone in their little ragtag group of friends would be excited to go to an amusement park, it was most likely going to be Reki and Langa. )
“ Now that you mention it.. Koyomi mentioned the same thing yesterday! About a theme park with a good discount if you go with a big group! “ And so it was Reki's turn to tag in, turning to Joe and Cherry with a grin that just got bigger with every passing minute. “ We have to go! It’s apparently a good discount, we’d be stupid to pass on it! “ He motions for Miya, who catches on quickly and looks to Cherry with pleading eyes. He even has a little pout in place. Reki has to admit, the kid is great at selling those puppy dog eyes.. But he had to be, to try and convince Cherry. “ And Miya came all the way here to ask you guys... “
Joe couldn’t help chuckling at their attempts to win them over, but Cherry's cool expression never wavered, not even when Reki joined in with the pleading puppy dog look. He simply stared, unimpressed — and then looked at Langa. As if asking are you also going to beg?
Langa matched the collective expression, though there was no hiding the excited little gleam to his eyes. “ I haven’t been to an amusement park in Japan yet. “
Cherry groans ; These kids were going to be what drives him to start greying early.
“ So then, “ Joe says, picking up the boy's forgotten dishes, “ When would we be going? “
Correction — these kids and that idiot were going to be what drives Cherry to start greying early.
“ Hey! “ And now it’s Shadow’s turn to stand to his feet, staring at the others with a look of indignation. “ And what about me? Aren’t you going to beg and plead with me to go along? What if I don't even want to go? “
“ You don’t want to go? “ Miya asks as if he already knew the answer.
“ Of course I want to go! “
“ So all that’s left is to figure out when we’d be going! “ Reki was already mentally flipping through his schedule for the week, liking the way he had nothing planned for the weekend. He didn’t have to ask Langa to know the same could be said for his weekend ( but Reki still turns to look at him, just in case. And when he sees that the glint has yet to disappear from those blue eyes, he knows his hunch had been on the mark. )
“ I don’t remember where I agreed to go along with this. “ Cherry finally speaks up, still looking incredibly not pleased about how things were moving along without his approval. “ With Shadow, you have five. There’s no point in me wasting my day. “
“ Aw, but Cherry! You have to come! “ With the way Reki was so adamant in having everyone tag along, you’d assume the theme park had been his idea. “ If it’s just us five, we’ll have uneven numbers when we go on rides! Then someone’s going to be forced to ride alone.. “ He gives an apologetic look to Shadow, who immediately starts yelling at the suggestion that he would be the one who ends alone.
“ He has a point. “ And of course Joe is in agreement with the whole plan, smiling as if he knew Cherry arguing against this would just prove to be ineffective. “ We can’t have uneven numbers. Besides, with how often you frequent the restaurant, I know you’re not busy. “
“ The only thing you know is how to run your mouth and fool around with women. “
“ If you two are done flirting, “ Miya starts, hoping to put a stop to the fight before it gets out of hand. And it works — both adults in question opting to ignore the thrown around insults to make their own noises of disgruntlement. “ We still have to decide when we’d be going. “
“ This weekend. “ The way Langa says it ( less of a suggestion, more like a command ) has only Reki laughing, has Reki moving to throw an arm around his shoulders. “ Works for me! We’ll do our homework early to leave the weekend clear. “ And even though it had been Reki's suggestion, he still makes a face at the idea. A face Langa mimics. Neither one of them were very keen on it.. But it would no doubt be the most surefire way to get their mothers to agree.
“ The weekend works for me. I can close for the day. “ Joe says with a content smile, placing the now clean plates back where they belong before turning back to the group. “ We can go on saturday. “ And because Joe loved to poke the easily irritable bear that is Cherry, he turns to him with his smile turning devilish. “ You’re not busy on saturday. You use Saturdays to laze around. So Saturday works for you, too. “
“ Are you done? Have you finished? “ The angry aura radiating off Cherry was enough to scare off just about anyone — but good thing Joe wasn’t just anyone. So he just keeps on smiling that impish smile, an unspoken challenge in the gleam of his eyes ; just you wait until everyone leaves.
“ So then, it’s settled. This weekend — or rather, this Saturday, we’re going to an amusement park! “ And Miya couldn’t help the way his voice raised an octane in excitement or the smile that was now in place / innocent in its elation. With the date set, Miya turns around and starts heading to the door. “ That's all I really came here to talk about, so I’ll see you guys later. “ He barely stops to give Shadow a glance and a tug on the arm. “ C’mon, old man. I have school tomorrow. “
“ I'm not old! And hey, when did I become your private chauffeur, huh? How come nobody asked me if I was free this weekend?! “
His yelling was still heard even after the door closed behind them. Which only left four remaining in the restaurant, but with the way Reki and Langa were picking up their discarded bags and boards, that number would be dropping very soon.
“ An amusement park.. We’re going to an amusement park, Reki! “ It was near impossible to not be charmed by the smile Langa sent his way, practically bursting with anticipation but in a very composed, Langa - like way. “ Have you gone to the one we’re going to? Do you know what it’s going to be like? “
Whereas Reki was the complete opposite, proudly wearing his enthusiasm with pride. “ I know! A whole day at a theme park.. If it’s the one I’m thinking of, then I’ve gone! But it’s been so long that I can barely remember much. “ He shoots a quick wave of goodbye to the last two standing inside before catching up to where Langa waits for him by the door.
“ Do you want to sleep over on Friday, Langa? We can have breakfast and then head out together! Besides, there’s this channel on YouTube I found a couple days ago that I’ve been meani — “ Conversation grows faint as the front door closes behind them and Cherry doesn’t waste any time in properly locking the door, just in case anyone else decided that they actually did want to spend more time over, grumbling to himself that next time he’ll lock the doors the second the restaurant closes.
Joe can only laugh, because they both knew he wouldn’t.
Saturday arrived with a blue sky, accompanied by the occasional breeze to help cool off the heat from the warm weather ; the picture definition of a perfect day! Shadow had been the one to drive the minors ( after they had passed the flower shop the day before with pleading eyes and innocent expressions ) to the train station, reassured by Joe that he and cherry would meet them there.
When they do arrive, the younger boys can’t help but notice that they both came via Joe's motorcycle... Which was very interesting, considering Cherry was very capable of driving himself. But when Cherry catches them whispering, that had marked the end of the gossip.. For the time being.
An early arrival meant there was plenty of time to ensure everyone had everything they needed before it was time to depart. Snacks were bought / messages to possibly worried parental figures were sent / and when the train finally arrived, everyone clambered aboard with ever growing excitement, diving into groups of two.
Reki gives Langa the window seat, though he spends the trip leaning over to look out the window himself, happy to talk about the scenery with Langa who was just as happy to listen to him. Miya claims the window seat behind their aisle, which was ideal for leaning forward to annoyingly poke at Reki whenever he appeared between the cracks of the seats. Shadow was just happy to use the trip to catch up on some sleep —— which wasn’t easy at first, with Joe and Cherry sitting behind their aisle. Thankfully any argument they had ( and trust Shadow when he says they were having quite a few ) quieted down to harsh whispering once the train began moving.
The time flies as they chat and laugh and sleep and argue —— and the trip passes in what felt like the blink of an eye. Soon they’re clambering off the train with the same excited energy they had when getting on, briefly pausing to figure out which route would be best to get to the park.
Reki takes the break to send Koyomi a selfie ; one of Langa, Miya, and himself all making silly faces while the adults can be seen in the background, apparently in a sort of debate over which course would prove fastest. In the end, they all take Carla's advice ( not surprising that Cherry had her even on his phone!) and Joe can’t help but make some grumbling remarks about it —— but when Cherry gives him a swift stomp on the foot, he quickly shuts up.
A short walk and another train ride later and there they were, just a few feet away from the ticket booth and entrance to the park.
“ There’s not a lot of people, even though it’s a weekend.. “ The words were mumbled more to himself than to the people around him, though that didn’t stop Reki from offering Langa his own hypothesis as to why that was. “ Maybe more people decided to go to the beach! It’s pretty hot today, so it makes sense. “
“ That works for us. Means less waiting in lines. “ And with that, Miya heads towards the ticket booth with the shortest line, impatient excitement all too evident in the little bounce in his steps.
Tickets bought and discount implemented, and suddenly there they were — past the gates and inside the expansive area of the park. Joyful music blasting through hidden speakers blended well with the smells of candy and popcorn / balloons and other brightly colored merchandise for sale in various stalls and stores / varying rides of shapes and sizes just waiting in the horizon.. They were finally here and the overwhelming number of things to do left everyone to sort of just stand in place.
But of course, the peaceful moments never tended to last all that long.
“ Look at the roller coaster over there! Oh man, that bad boy’s huge! We have to ride that right now, we have to! “
“ That food stall over there is selling pretzels... Huge pretzels! I want one.. “
“ It was my idea to come here, I should be the one who picks what we do. I want to see what other rides there are.. Should we get a map? “
“ Bwahaha! Who gets a map! You should follow that burning passion wherever it leads you if you’re a man! “
“ Shadow, what does that mean. “
“ If you four are done, “ Joe interrupts with a chuckle, pointing down the main road that funnels into the rest of the park, “ There’s plenty of time to do all of that and more. We’ll go down this way and that’ll take us to that rollercoaster, Reki. Langa can get his pretzel and while we wait for him, Miya can get his map. Happy? “
No complaints were voiced at the suggestion so Langa drifts off to buy himself his desired snack and Miya turns the opposite way to go grab a map from the ticket booths. Which left Joe turning to see what the only other person in the group had to say ( because Cherry always had something to say ) only to find that Cherry was not in the spot he had previously been at. Instead, Joe saw him in the midst of a souvenir store, buying what looked like… A little handheld fan.
" Oh.. Now wait, that's actually a smart idea.. "
" Hm? Is Cherry buying souvenirs already? Oh — I should see what kinda souvenirs they have! I gotta buy something for my sisters! " Is all the heads up Reki offers before he's sprinting over to the same store, leaving Joe and Shadow alone while they wait.
“ At least we don’t have to worry about them running out of energy, huh? “ Joe says with a laugh, turning to glance at Miya as he returns to their little spot with a map in his arms and a button on his shirt that says ‘ first time visiting. ‘
“ Is it really your first time visiting? “
“ No. “ He answers with a boyish grin, opening the map to see what’s nearby. “ But you get special attention from workers if they think it’s your first time. “
But any other comment that could’ve been made about Miya and his nefarious ways was left for later, as Cherry and Reki had chosen that moment to return, with Reki running over with a gleeful smile in place.
“ Uh oh, “ Shadow says with a click of his tongue, “ I don’t like that look in your eye. “
“ I have no idea what you’re talking about. But look, i\I bought us all headbands! Souvenir headbands! “
And sure enough, inside the bag in his hands were a bunch of different headbands to wear ; in colors of green and orange and blue and red. Reki reaches in, takes out a red one with decorative ears, and wastes no time in putting it on. “ If you're in a theme park, you have to wear the souvenir headbands! C’mon, there’s one for everyone! Don’t be shy, everyone’s wearing them! “ w\Whether it was because of how blindingly bright Reki's smile was as he held the bands out for everyone to take or just how he absolutely refused to budge on the subject, the others had little choice but to pick a headband to wear.
“ I guess these are a little cute.. “ Miya mumbles, which was good enough of a win for Reki. Shadow grumbled the entire time he put his headband on, but what matters is that he didn’t take it off after a couple of minutes. Joe and Cherry, however…
" I'm not wearing that. "
" C'mon, the kid went out and bought it for you. Won't kill you to humor him. "
" Nobody told him to. He wasted his own money because he wanted to. I'm not wearing it. "
“ You’re not gonna wear it, huh.. Okay. Then I’m not returning this. “ And in Joe’s hand was the portable fan Cherry had just bought.
“ You — !? When did you take that? “
“ Does it matter? I have it now. “ He’s smirking so shamelessly. “ If you wear the headband, I'll give it back. “
“ Petty thievery and manipulation? How immature of you. “ Cherry had a scowl to perfectly match Joe’s smirk.
“ We’re in a theme park. I don’t have to be mature. “ He holds the pink band out, feeling incredibly victorious in the moment. “ Besides, it’ll blend in with your hair so nobody’s even going to notice you wearing it. “
So Cherry weighed his options. On one hand, he didn’t sink down to Kojiro’s childish levels and didn’t wear the headband. The day would continue like expected, except the muscles for brain over there would continue to flaunt the fact that he had Kaoru’s fan. On the other hand, he wears it. Which, when you consider the grand scheme of things, wasn’t that bad. But the fact that it was what Kojiro wanted made it that bad. So Kaoru was truly stuck in quite the predicament.
It takes the arrival of Langa with his pretzel and the combined complaining from Reki and Miya that they should start moving into the park to get Cherry to break, snatching his fan and the headband away from Joe before he defiles them more than he already has.
Reki puts on Langa’s headband for him ( he also uses the closeness to take a bite out of the pretzel ) and just like that, they were ready to start the adventure.
“ C’mon! That roller coaster is calling my name! “
It was an imposing ride, growing taller the closer they got to it. A large hill that drops you into a series of loops and twists and turns, with speeds that promised a guaranteed adrenaline rush, and even a section that seemed to go backwards . It was a dream come true for any thrill seeker!
Shadow was the first to locate the lockers for the ride, which resulted in a chaotic bunch of hands and arms putting away a variety of things. Now that the ride was right there before them, nobody could really play off that composed ‘ I'm too mature for a theme park ‘ act anymore. Waiting in the line hadn’t been much of a problem either, with the time being spent making jokes at who would scream the loudest and watching the trains fly down the tracks. Each one seemed to hold two rows of three, which balanced perfectly.
( “ see? “ Joe had teased Cherry “ aren’t you glad you came? we have a whole train to ourselves. “
“ Sorry, my selective hearing kicked in. Did you say something? “ )
With the teens getting the front row ( Miya gleefully squished between Langa and Reki ) and the adults in the back ( Cherry had demanded Shadow sit in the middle ) the whoops and hollers lasted from the second the train began to move all the way until they finally came to a complete stop. Hair in complete disarray, voices cracking from both yells and laughter, stumbling from the jelly feeling in their legs — and that was only their first ride!
“ Look.. The ride took pictures! “ Langa was the one to notice the little stand to the side of the exit with an array of monitors flickering between pictures, all different and yet fairly similar. In a flash, they move to try and find themselves, which doesn’t take long with how striking some of their hair colors were.
Reki looked as if he had been in the middle of a laugh ; mouth open in a grin, eyes closed, and arms dangerously not in the moving vehicle, having chosen instead to throw them up in the air. Miya was an almost perfect copy of him, with the only difference being the way his hands were gripping the chest supports. Langa had his eyes open but was looking off ahead, expression a mix of amazement and wonder ( his hands were on the supports too, but not holding on as tight as Miya. )
But the real gem was the backseat. Shadow had thrown his arms up too, picture having captured him in the middle of one of his signature screams. It was pretty funny on it’s own, but then the attention moved to cherry and joe.. And the entire thing became hilarious. With Shadow's arms fully outstretched and having been forced in the middle meant that he was trespassing in the personal space of the other two — which probably explained why Cherry and Joe were not looking forward in the picture, but instead at Shadow. Both wore annoyed expressions, like they had been in the midst of telling Shadow to get out of their bubble. Mix that with their hair whipping all over their faces and the dramatic effects of the picture... Well, it was no surprise Miya decided to buy a copy for himself.
But now with a ride done and barely an hour spent in the park, they eagerly huddled around the map to decide which would be the next stop.
“ Man, that ride was sick! Hey, if we have enough time later on, can we ride it again at night? I bet it’s totally scary at night! “
“ If you want to ride something scary, there’s a haunted house over in this area. “
“ Miya, that’s not funny. “ The smirk on Miya’s face begged to differ.
“ A haunted house.. Sounds fun. “
“ Langa, not you too! “
“ This one looks interesting. We should try it. “
“ The drop tower? So those are the kind of rides that Cherry likes... “
“ Well, I say we should ride the log plume at some point. “
“ Absolutely not. “
Here they go again.
“ And why not? Is the princess afraid of getting a little wet? “
“ Only you would be okay with the idea of walking around an amusement park drenched in water. If you're so dehydrated, go buy yourself a drink. “
“ I’m sure there’s a few ladies in this park who wouldn’t mind the show. “
“ Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot that the only thing that inhabits that pea - sized brain of yours was thoughts of women, you gorilla. “
“ Coming from someone who’s only female interaction is with a fancy computer? Ouch, what an insult. “
“ Okay! “ Shadow speaks up, already tired of their constant flirting — and it wasn’t even midday yet! “ If you two are done engaging in your love language, we decided we’re just going to walk around and ride the rides we see along the way. “
“ In our what— “
“ Our love langu— ”
But Shadow was already heading to catch with Reki, Miya, and Langa, who had decided in the middle of that whole ordeal to start heading towards the closest ride on the map and continue from there.
“ It’s your fault they think we’re flirting. You make it too obvious. “
“ Do you ever shut up? “
“ Why don’t you make me? “
“ Wait until this trip is over and I will. “
Riding whatever ride appeared as they walked along proved to be either hit or miss, with some being surprisingly entertaining and others being a complete snoozefest ( though by the second time they had accidently ended up watching a show instead of riding a ride, the boys became quick at spotting the difference! )
The walk - through haunted house had gone exactly as expected ; with Reki tripping over a myriad of excuses as to why he just couldn't ride this ride.. All of which mysteriously disappeared the moment Langa grabbed his hand ( fingers interlocked and everything! ) and said with a laugh, " If you're scared, I'll hold your hand. " And how was Reki supposed to say no? How do you say no to your handsome best friend who's looking at you with such a pretty smile and is already leading you to the entrance? So Reki had no choice but let himself be led inside — though his screams could be heard even from the outside. Miya and Joe couldn’t help snickering the entire time they went through, unable to find anything scary when the echoes of Reki's yells were bouncing around the dark lit halls. When Shadow and Cherry had exited and everyone had been reunited, they all took a few minutes to playfully poke at how someone who rode that rollercoaster at the start could be so scared of cheap jumpscares and bad makeup.
( nobody commented on how Reki kept his hand in Langa’s / or how the little space they usually left between one another had absolutely diminished / or how there was a bit more of a red hue to both of their cheeks that most definitely was not the result of the sunshine. nobody commented but everyone noticed. )
Not surprisingly, the teacups had been an absolute disaster in the best kind of way. The group of boys had all rushed to clamber into what they had deemed the best teacup on the ride and had left the adults to slowly make their way into whichever cup was closest and unoccupied. Once the music began and the cups started to move, it was as if Reki, Langa, and Mira had unanimously decided they would do their best to send their cup flying from how fast it could be spun. Faster and faster and faster until the force was too much for them and all three were thrown back into their seats, laughs mixing with excitable whoops as they spun around and around. One of them ( most likely Reki ) takes notice of the pathetically slow speed of the adults cup and can't help but make a comment.
" Hey, you geezers! Careful with how fast you're going before you end up breaking it! "
And maybe it was because of how competitive they all were deep down / how they all shared the inability to let something as simple as harmless taunting go by without rising to the challenge. So maybe it shouldn’t be too surprising when Joe, Shadow, and Cherry all reached for the center spinning wheel — Reki was worried they might end up breaking it? Then they better put some legitimacy to those concerns. So they spun and spun and spun until the force had them falling back into the seats, zooming by the boys and their ( now slow in comparison ) cup with their own shouts of laughter. Which only worked to motivate the boys to spin faster, desperate to catch up to the speed of their rivals.
But the actual challenge proved itself to be getting off the ride when the world continued to keep spinning. Hands reached out to find stability in each other — which was pretty funny, considering how they were all fairly dizzy from the twirls — and bodies couldn’t help but bump into one another. But the laugh never falters between each collision of shoulders and arms / between the accidental grabbing and dragging of a stray hand, and by the time they finally find a spot to sit down and recover, the laughter has yet to stop.
The log plume had been a hilarious nightmare, with Reki and Miya sitting in the front row which was promised to be the area where most people get drenched. Shadow and Langa sat two rows behind them and behind them were Cherry and Joe, the four of them not exactly as excited as the two boys up front at the idea of getting soaked. But when the boat goes down the first of smaller drops and the water laps not at the front of the boat but near the third row —— it’s already too late.
The picture would be another keeper ; with Reki once again with his arms dangerously in the air, unafraid of the possibility of falling out when there was such a rush of adrenaline pumping through his veins. Miya had ended up right beside him, arms wrapped around the older boy’s middle but his face betrayed the glee he was feeling. Shadow had been a little more hesitant to raise both hands on this ride, most likely due to the not all that secure seat belt system — he only had one arm raised. Poor Langa had come out looking a little shaken, his wide eyes and expression unsure at the sheer angle of the drop before them, hands gripping the row in front for support.
And there was Joe and Cherry. Joe, who was also reaching out to hold on to the row in front of him with one hand, had a look of complete and utter surprise on his face as he looked not to the drop in front of them but to the person by his side. The sudden shot of fear that came with any fall of this degree and height had struck Cherry, causing him to instinctively reach out and wrap his arms around Joe’s free arm though he never took his eyes off the drop. In the end, only Reki and Miya had been the ones who had come off the ride with only a few droplets here and there. A shame the same couldn’t be said about the others.
( Cherry had become so flustered at the sight of the picture that he couldn’t even find the ability to speak, unable to do anything but stand there and gawk until he realized he’d been staring for too long and then stomped away out of embarrassment. with his back turned to the stall, he completely missed seeing Joe buy a copy for himself. )
When the day began to seep a little deeper into the afternoon, there had been an unanimous agreement that the next ride would be — lunch! Once filed inside the closest fairy tale themed restaurant, everyone immediately began to divide the workload into ; who would be getting the food and who would be saving a table. A short but intense game of rock paper scissors later, and there stood Miya, Cherry, and Joe all waiting in line to order.
( in the midst of paying, the cast member behind the cashier had taken notice of Miya’s ‘ first time visiting ‘ button and had added on to his order, a free ice cream! it really does pay to lie, sometimes. )
“ I hope the others don’t pick a table that’s too far away. Having to carry Reki's food and my food sounds like a hassle. “ Miya does his best to mumble the last bit of the sentence more to himself but still the other two hear, earning a laugh from Joe and a grunt from Cherry.
“ Try carrying your food and Langa’s food before you start complaining. “
How Cherry managed to balance a tray in each hand ( especially when one had a concerning amount of food on it ) was something that would forever be unsolved in the history of their friendship. With the food delivered to the table — a large family table right next to a window looking out into the rest park! — and everyone in their seats, thanks were given for the food and the chow down began!
“ You know, “ Reki said despite the mouthful of burger, “ Considering the amount of things we’ve ridden today? I think we’ll have time to ride some rides again! “
Miya can’t help but nod in agreement. “ We don’t have much left, so we probably will. But don’t forget about the fireworks show that happens. We have to start looking for good spots to view them. “
“ That’s right, the fireworks! We can’t miss those! They’re a — Langa, Shadow is stealing your fries — they’re a staple for any theme park visit! “
“ Ending the night with a blast.. Can’t say I’m not a fan of that. “
The comment makes Cherry deliver a swift kick to Joe's shin. “ Can you at least pretend to be civilized? We’re in a public space. “
“ It was a fairly harmless comment, but glad to know you took it that way. “
Well — At least Joe and Cherry had their energy back!
“ When does the show start again? “ Langa asked for the umpteeth time, not even attempting to stop the yawn that leaves at the end of the sentence. While it wasn’t remotely late ( the sun had entirely disappeared from the horizon only two hours ) the thrill of adrenaline had finally begun to dissipate to make room for horrible fatigue. Not even the most intense beef had left LAnga as tired as he felt right now, lazily munching away at a churro. Reki had been so nice to sit beside him on the floor, offering his shoulder as a place for Langa to rest his head against. He had taken Reki's hand in his again, as a show of thanks. Also in case Langa accidentally fell asleep while waiting — Reki could give his hand a squeeze to wake him up. He was roughly... Twelve minutes from falling asleep.
“ The schedule on the map says it should start in ten minutes. “ Miya answers — sitting on Reki's other side with his head resting against his other shoulder. The only difference between Miya and Langa was that Miya kept his hands on his phone, using the incentive of beating this current level to stay awake. Even Reki was starting to show signs of exhaustion, yawning almost just as loudly as Langa had.
They were lucky enough to score a spot with no tree or building facade acting as an obstruction to the night sky, which meant they’d have a perfect viewing of the fireworks whenever they began. Shadow was left in charge of looking after the depleted boys while Cherry and Joe made a quick snack - and - water run to help pump at least a bit of fuel into them. Having to drag three bodies out of the park and back to the train station just sounded like too much hassle.
( “ And if push comes to shove, that gorilla can finally use those inflated muscles of his for something useful. “ )
It didn't take them too long to return and then there they were ; three boys sitting on the floor with three adults standing behind them, all waiting for the grand finale to an exhilirating day. “ I think today’s one of the funnest days we’ve ever had. If not the most funnest? Then it’s definitely up there on the list. “ Reki announces once the silence has stretched on for a bit too long ( he’s never really been the biggest fan of long periods of silence — they too often led his mind to start racing, and sometimes in unfortunate directions. )
“ It definitely beats the time we all went to that skate park. “ Miya says with a laugh. “ I can only watch you fall on your face so many times before it just stops being funny. “
“ Don’t remind me.. I’ll start feeling ghost pains. “
“ I think this was as fun as the beach trip. “ Langa mumbles, now moving on to play with a loose string on his shirt. Nobody could argue against him ; the beach had been one of their best trips... If you ignore the ending bit. That part was just downright terrifying.
“ Personally, I really enjoyed when we surprised Cherry at his event near downtown. “ The impish smile had lost some of the initial energy but there was still enough to cast a look to Cherry, who could only reply with a grumble and hitch of his shoulders.
“ Speak for yourself. Seeing the five of you standing in the very front of the crowd had nearly ruined my work. “ But there was no bite to his words / the edge long having been worn off by tiredness.
“ I remember that day! “ Now Reki had begun to laugh at the memory, the shaking of his shoulders enough to have Langa and Miya both moving to sit up straight. “ Cherry broke character for the tiniest second when he saw us! But then he was back to wearing that mature and composed look. “
“ Naturally. I hadn’t expected to see any of you there. “ But the next bit was directed only to Joe. “ You should have told me beforehand you planned on bringing the kids. “
“ Carla, can you remind Kaoru the meaning of the word surprise? “
“ Carla, don’t respond to him. And you, don’t talk to her so casually as if you know her. “
But before they could begin another round of flirting, the nearby lights began to dim. Hidden speakers all strategically placed around the area began to play a magical sort of melody, an all too obvious indication that they show they’ve all been waiting for was about to begin. The boys ( who had been at the very brink of lethargy ) all sprang to their feets, eyes glued to the skies — and they weren’t the only ones! the crowd of people around were all looking up, waiting for that first string of light to go sailing across the sky, waiting for the beat of silence before ; an explosion.
Despite the cheers and chatter of the other people in the area, the thunderous boom was still loud enough to be felt in the very center of one’s chest. And then as suddenly as the first one had appeared, it was quickly followed by another / and another / and another / and another / until the sky was alight with flowers of colors all varying in designs, dancing to the music that continued to play. reds mixed with blues mixed with oranges, greens, pinks, yellows — a conglomerate of hues that despite the differences, all seemed to work in unison to create a masterpiece in the sky / a sight that was near impossible to look away from.
There was no story to be told in the show ( and if there was then it was a story nobody in their little group had noticed or paid attention to ) but even so, the combination of lights and song was more than enough to keep them rooted in place, heads tilted up and mouths stretched in smiles. It was nothing short of magic ; not only entrancing them all to continue watching the bursts, but even going so far as to enchant all six of the boys.
Miya had abandoned his phone once the lights started to dim, banishing it to the dungeon of his book bag to give his full attention to the fireworks in the sky. He never looked more boyish than in the light of the cascading lights, the grin that was practically glued onto his face being the only thing that was just a little brighter than the fireworks. The day had gone better than he had ever imagined it would — the effort it took to keep himself standing was just proof of how drained everything had left him / everyone had left him. Miya gives a quick glance beside him to where the others all stood and sends them a silent thank you for coming along / for agreeing / for providing friendships that won’t fade away, no matter what comes their way. His hand had found its way into Reki's hand ( the other one / the one that wasn’t being monopolized by Langa ) after one particularly loud explosion — but when Reki offered a squeeze of reassurance, Miya couldn’t find a reason why to let go. And so he didn’t.
Not that Reki minded that Miya had turned to him for solace. He's always enjoyed the younger boy’s presence, finding him almost like the younger brother he didn’t have ( don’t tell that to his sisters, or else he might never hear the end of it! ) Something about the wonder of everything surrounding them caused a shift / as if the warmth of the lights had melted away cold exteriors to have everyone acting just a little more honest. So when miya holds his hand, Reki doesn’t mind it. And when Shadow stands a little closer, as if fighting off the urge to pull them all in for a hug, Reki doesn’t mind it. And when Langa presses himself closer, moves so their shoulders touch / when he steps into his space and blends their personal bubbles together — Reki doesn’t mind it.
( but that one wasn’t too surprising. Reki doesn’t mind a lot of things Langa does. )
And Langa knew that Reki didn’t mind, because better than he knew himself — he knew Reki. Reki, who was standing so close that even with his eyes watching the dancing lights, Langa could still see him from the corner of his vision. Reki, who wore such a wide smile ( a smile Langa knows was one of pure elation / a smile Reki only breaks out when there’s nothing but thoughts of fun in his mind ) that the sight of it was enough to have his own smile widening. The thunderous displays of color couldn’t compare to the way his heart had been beating all day, louder than it ever has when racing. A particularly large firework explodes and paints them all in warm reds — and Langa can’t help but think that for as pretty as the lights in the sky were, none could compare to the way Reki shone. He would have to thank Miya for this trip once they returned home. And maybe ask if he knew if there would be a discount for a group of two.
Hiromi had been going in for a spur of the moment hug, getting swept up by the stirring of emotions this ending had him feeling. But that was something he had long gotten accustomed to ; getting swept into their hijinks / dragged along for whatever nonsensical plan they’d come up with / never really asked for his input but understood enough to know there was always the option to leave. What had begun as an annoyance stuck to his side became something so much more grandiose / a place of belonging. the menacing presence that was shadow — the antihero of the s community —— rendered softhearted by a group of kids and two adults who really needed to just announce they’ve been secretly dating for months ( honestly, it’s not like they knew how to be subtle! ) maybe Hiromi was yet not tender enough to act on the impulses of the hug, but he’s kind enough to laugh / to reach out and ruffle the hair and all three of those heads / to pat Joe and Cherry on the back and watch the sparks fly.
But there was little Kojiro could really do except for laugh — it’s what he has done for the most of the day. Because something about the entire situation was just so funny to him ; being at an amusement park with the kids he befriended at an underground skating ring, watching fireworks after a day of riding rides and eating overpriced food. Something he ( and Aaoru ) would never willingly do out of their own and yet here they are, enjoying the day’s last moments before it was back to their usual routines.. And he would be a liar if he said he wasn’t going to miss the carefree, childlike nature of being at a theme park. Similar to their trip to the beach, this had been a chance of escape / a period of time where they were nothing more than boys at a park, chasing after thrills and laughing along the way. It's something Kojiro would say he was almost sad to leave. The music begins to swell, nearing its finale and as more and more fireworks begin to light up the sky, he thinks to himself they'd have to plan another trip like this one soon.
Then there was Kaoru — who has spent a good portion of the day grumbling about the entire thing. The other part of the day was given to picking a fight with Kojiro, as per was their usual. But it was behind those prickly words where Kaoru kept his appreciation for what today meant ; a reminder of what it was to have fun. From the ridiculous timing of some on - ride pictures / the never - ending scrambling between rides to make sure there was enough time left in the day for everything / the battle there had been to see who could use his handheld fan. There had been nothing but good intentions and playful antics laced between every interaction and it was undeniable that Kaoru had long lost that bite to his words. And he will deny it — has already seen that gleam Kojiro tended to get when he found new material to use to press Kaoru’s buttons in the wrong way. But that would be a problem for the Kaoru of tomorrow to worry about — the Kaoru of right now had a stunning fireworks finale to watch.
When the music fades away and darkness returns to the night sky, the fatigue returns tenfold. Langa and Reki do their best to support one another as they walk, leaning so much into one another that they were just an acknowledgement away from being in a sideways hug of sorts. Miya leaned against Joe as he and Cherry led them towards the exit, with Shadow near the back to make sure the two nearly sleep - walking lovebirds don’t end up accidentally drifting off by mistake.
( “ Reki. “ Langa had muttered against the material of his shirt, “ Can I sleep over? “
“ Yeah. “ Was the mumbled reply as Reki fumbled to grab his phone out of his pocket. “ I’ll send our moms a text. “ )
The trip back to the main train station felt longer than before ( thanks to the languid pace ) and once the first bench came into view, all three boys bolted at the chance to sit and rest. Reki leaned into Langa, head resting against his shoulder while Miya leaned into Reki, though it would be more accurate to say he was practically sleeping on his lap.
“ I think this is the first time we’ve ever seen them be this quiet. “ Joe whispers to Cherry and Shadow, making sure to keep an eye on the time. “ When they’re like that, it’s hard to believe they’re such gremlins. “
“ Shadow, you’ll be taking them home, correct? “
“ Yeah. Probably going to drop off Miya first, boy’s so tired he can barely stay awake long enough to walk. “
“ Good. “ Cherry says with a nod, reaching over to gently rustle the boys out of sleep as the train’s light comes into view. “ Then we’ll say our goodbyes here. I’m desperate for a bath and he’s — “ A finger is pointed at Joe, who looks around as if searching for someone, “ — My ride home. “
“ Sounds fine by me. I don't have the energy to spare for all that, and my feet are killing me. I’m not getting out of my bed at any point tomorrow. “
Joe can’t help but nod along — he knew that feeling very well. “ But I bet that those three will be right back to full energy tomorrow. “
The boys groggily began to raise from their spots on the bench as the train rolled into the station and pulled into a stop, shuffling aboard without ever really raising their heads ( Langa had nearly walked into the side of the train because of this! ) Cherry could only grumble at the sight, muttering something that only Shadow and Joe could really catch as he pushed them both inside. His feet were killing him, too.
“ Tomorrow, I’m keeping the front door locked. “