The Shinkansen ride took about three and a half hours. I finally arrived at Okayama Station—a place I hadn’t visited once since my mother passed away. It should have felt nostalgic, but... wait, was it always like this?
I tilted my head in confusion. It didn't quite hit me with that wave of nostalgia I expected. Then again, the last time I’d been here was over a decade ago, so it was only natural that my memories were a bit fuzzy.
I considered checking into our hotel first to drop off our luggage, but since the Magic Box functioned perfectly well in this world, the check-in could wait until later.
Instead, I decided to head straight to one of our primary destinations: Okayama’s pride and joy, the amusement park known as Brazilian Park Washuzan Highland.
I honestly wondered why it was a "Brazilian Park" of all things. I had a vague memory of people dancing the samba there. According to my mother, whenever you thought of an amusement park in Okayama, this was the place that came to mind. On the other hand, I seemed to recall my father looking rather haunted as he suggested, "Hey, why don't we just go to Tivoli Park instead?"
Regarding Washuzan Highland, my research online had revealed that it only stayed open until 5:00 PM on weekdays. It was a shame we’d miss out on any nighttime fireworks or parades, but out of the eight daily shows, "Samba" was performed twice.
Furthermore, there was a show called "Let's Learn Brazil" that also ran twice, meaning half of the daily entertainment was dedicated to Samba and Brazil. They certainly had a very passionate commitment to the theme.
One thing that struck me while browsing their website was the dining situation. If you excluded the cafes, your only options for a meal were Restaurant Goonies or Okonomiyaki Himawari. I couldn’t help but think they could have leaned a bit harder into the Brazilian theme with the food menu.
Anyway, it was time to transfer. Based on what I’d looked up on my phone, the nearest station was Kojima Station. It was about a thirty-minute ride from Okayama via the Seto-Ohashi Line.
While looking things up, I’d also discovered a sightseeing train called La Malle de Bois, but I decided to stick to a regular train this time to avoid any potential confusion during the transfer. I’d love to try riding it someday if the opportunity arises.
"Kaito-kun! Look at this! This thing called 'Kibi Dango' is delicious!"
"W-When did you even buy that? By the way, if you want my recommendation, you should try the Ote Manju."
"I'll go get some!"
"That was fast!"
Ote Manju were steamed buns with a very thin skin wrapped around a generous amount of bean paste, yet the sweetness was never overpowering. Whenever I visited Okayama as a kid, I remembered always begging my mother to buy them for me.
Actually, it seemed like the variety of souvenirs had grown quite a bit since I was last here. Okayama Roll? I didn't even know that was a thing.
While I was lost in thought, Kuro returned with the Ote Manju, and we made our way to the Seto-Ohashi Line platform.
Along the way, Kuro was rambling about some new type of Baby Castella, but while the Kibi Dango and Ote Manju were fine, I felt a vague sense of unease when I saw her staring intensely at a local fish specialty called Mamakari.
After taking the train to Kojima Station followed by a five-minute bus ride, we finally arrived at our destination: Washuzan Highland.
"Ohh, so this is an amusement park! Wow, it’s incredible!"
"Kuro, I love the enthusiasm, but we have to buy tickets over there first."
"Right!"
Smiling at Kuro’s excitement, I headed toward the ticket booth. Let’s see... adult tickets were 2,800 yen. It looked like anyone sixty or older could get in for just 500 yen. Well, regardless of her actual age, there was no way Kuro could pass for a senior citizen, so I’d just buy two adult passes.
"Welcome."
"Two adults, please."
"Excuse me, sir, but we have Children's Passes available for elementary school students. Should I prepare one of those for you?"
"..."
Kuro’s face instantly went flat. I mean, sure, she was petite, and I could see how some people might mistake her for a child, but...
"...Two adults, please."
"Understood."
Kuro’s shoulders were trembling like she was dying to say something, but I pretended not to notice and quickly finished the purchase.
I took Kuro’s hand and led her toward the entrance gate in a bit of a hurry, but then I heard a small, disgruntled mumble.
"...I'm an adult."
"I know, I know. The staff member didn't mean any harm..."
"I'm an adult. I'm older than you, Kaito-kun."
"I know! I understand that perfectly! Come on, don't let it ruin your mood..."
"Mmph."
In the other world, Kuro was a legendary figure. No one there would ever dream of treating her like a child.
Perhaps that was why being mistaken for an elementary schooler at the ticket booth had stung so much. She puffed out her cheeks like a sulky squirrel. She probably thought she looked intimidatingly angry, but to me, she was just adorable.
"Come on, Kuro. This is a date, so let's just have fun."
"U-Umn. Well, as long as you understand, Kaito-kun..."
"Of course. I know very well that you’re a charming adult woman, okay?"
"R-Really? Ehehe, hearing you say that makes me really happy."
Kuro gave me a shy, beaming smile. It looked like her mood had recovered. Her rapidly shifting expressions were so endearing that I felt a sudden urge to pull her into a hug, but given where we were, I managed to restrain myself.
Anyway, let's put that behind us and enjoy the park.
Family Deliberation on Treating Kuro like a Child:
Ein: "Death penalty."
Zwei: "A lecture, followed by the death penalty."
Fia: "Death penalty."
Razulia: "That's a 'No-no'!"
Zex: "Imprisonment."
Acht: "A knuckle to the head."
Eval: "A lecture."
Fanatic Working for the Ducal House: "Death penalty."