Chapter 51

Ding-dong!

As the bus doors opened with the sound of the bell, people started pouring out, having reached their destination. Ha-yeon and I waited for the crowd to thin before getting off. The bus was packed with people heading to the same place, and everyone’s steps seemed excited as they made their way to the amusement park. Getting off now might be risky, so we decided to wait for safety until most people had left.

Once the crowd had lessened, Ha-yeon and I got off the bus.

“Wow!”

The amusement park spread out before us was absolutely massive. Against the blue sky, the towering Ferris Wheel, the endless tracks of the roller coaster, and the colorful buildings stood out. The sheer scale of the park was overwhelming. It was clear that exploring the entire park in one day would be nearly impossible. So, Ha-yeon and I had already planned a rough route on the bus, though it was subject to change.

“Mom, let’s go!”

“Okay, Ha-yeon!”

Ha-yeon grabbed my hand and dashed toward the ticket booth. She was so excited, much more energetic than usual.

“Huff, huff!”

I caught my breath as we lined up at the ticket booth. We had run all the way from the bus stop without stopping. Ha-yeon looked at me and asked, “Mom, are you tired?”

“No, Ha-yeon…”

“Sorry, Mom! I got too excited!”

Ha-yeon, with her childlike stamina, looked perfectly fine. I couldn’t show any weakness if we were going to explore the park all day. I pretended to be fine and said, “It’s okay, Ha-yeon! Mom’s perfectly fine!”

“Hehe!”

Ha-yeon clung to my side. The summer sun couldn’t stop us. As the line moved quickly, it was finally our turn.

“Here, please exchange these tickets.”

I handed over the tickets we received from the boss. The ticket booth employee checked them and handed us different tickets.

“Take these to the entrance and show them to the staff there.”

“Ah… thank you!”

I held Ha-yeon’s hand and headed toward the entrance. The entrance was a large archway, decorated with cute characters and colorful ornaments that easily caught children’s attention. Ha-yeon, eyes sparkling, suddenly stopped.

“Mom, this is so pretty! Let’s take a picture!”

I smiled and took out my phone. Ha-yeon struck a pose in front of the entrance, grinning widely. The entrance was as fun and lively as the park itself, designed to delight children.

Of course, Ha-yeon was still a child.

Holding Ha-yeon’s hand, we entered the park.

“Here you go!”

I showed our tickets to the staff at the entrance. After checking, they said, “Your Free Pass is confirmed. Please show your wrists.”

“Okay!”

Ha-yeon and I showed our wrists, and the staff fastened long bracelet-like bands on them.

“Show these when you ride the attractions!”

With that, we successfully entered the amusement park. Inside, the scene was completely different from outside. True to its name as a theme park, various mascots were everywhere.

“Mom! Look over here!”

Ha-yeon pointed at a large electronic display board. I looked up and saw a detailed map of the park. Each area was marked with roller coasters, Ferris Wheels, carousels, and food stalls. Seeing how the park was divided into multiple zones, I realized we’d be doing a lot of walking today.

Ha-yeon was already running ahead.

—

In front of the park’s massive roller coaster, Ha-yeon’s eyes sparkled as she ran toward it.

The first thing to do at an amusement park was to line up for the most extreme and fun roller coaster! But today, that wasn’t possible. Ha-yeon was too short to meet the height requirement.

It would take another 3-4 years before Ha-yeon could ride the roller coaster. Maybe even less, given her growth rate. But the point was, today, she couldn’t ride it. Ha-yeon realized this.

“Aw… no!”

Ha-yeon sighed as she looked at the height restriction sign in front of the roller coaster. No matter how much she stood on her tiptoes, she couldn’t reach the height limit. She’d need a chair to even come close. Her expression darkened as she hung her head.

“Mom… can’t I ride the roller coaster today?”

Hearing her small voice, I nodded sadly.

“Ha-yeon…”

Ha-yeon clung to my side, dejected. I patted her head and said, “Ha-yeon, you’re just a little too short now, but when you grow taller, we’ll ride it together. It’ll be so much fun then!”

“Together?”

“Yeah, we’ll ride it together!”

At the word “together,” Ha-yeon’s eyes lit up. She quickly regained her energy. We pulled out a pamphlet to see what else we could ride. It had a map of the entire park. I pointed to a spot on the map.

“Ha-yeon, how about this one?”

Ha-yeon looked at the ride I was pointing to and nodded.

So, we decided to ride the Ferris Wheel first. It was important to get a bird’s-eye view of the park early on. It was still morning, so we had plenty of time. We’d be walking around all day.

“Mom, let’s go!”

“Okay, let’s ride the Ferris Wheel first and see how the park is laid out.”

Ha-yeon held my hand tightly as we walked toward the Ferris Wheel. I held onto her just as tightly. With so many people around, losing her would be a disaster. She could get lost. But I felt reassured since I’d given her a phone.

If we got separated, I could call her and tell her to return to the entrance or wait while I found her.

The Ferris Wheel was already turning slowly, like a giant wheel. The cars glistened in the sunlight as they rose and fell, like a scene from a dream.

“Mom, it’ll be so cool when we get up there!”

Ha-yeon pointed at the Ferris Wheel with a bright smile. Seeing her smile, the disappointment about the roller coaster seemed to fade away.

“Right? We’ll see the whole park from up there. Let’s take it slow and enjoy the view.”

While waiting in line, Ha-yeon kept looking at the Ferris Wheel with excitement and anticipation in her eyes.

Finally, it was our turn. Following the staff’s instructions, Ha-yeon and I sat side by side in the small car. The staff closed the door and locked it from the outside. If the door opened while we were up high, it would be a disaster. The Ferris Wheel reached the height of a 20-story building—falling from there would be terrifying.

The Ferris Wheel began to rise slowly. Ha-yeon looked out the window and gasped. The park’s scenery spread out below, and people started to look like tiny ants.

“Mom, look! There’s another roller coaster next to the Ferris Wheel!”

“Right. When you’re taller, we’ll ride it together.”

“Yeah! We’ll ride it together!”

Ha-yeon held my hand tightly. The slight sway of the car and the view outside made the day feel special.

When we reached the top, I smiled at Ha-yeon.

“Let’s try other fun rides today, okay?”

“Okay!”

Today was going to be a long day, but that was fine. Tomorrow was Sunday, a day off. We’d enjoy today to the fullest and sleep in tomorrow.