{Satou-san’s themed Park Do-over (2-1)}

As we walked through the haunted house, the truth gradually became clear.

It seemed that a terrifying demon-worshipping ritual had taken place in this house. The wealth gained from it allowed the family to live in luxury.

However, the cost was naturally high, and eventually, a tragedy struck when a baby was born to the family…

“There’s something there! Yamaguchi-kun, look!”

Satou-san pointed to a white skeleton lying on the ground.

It was slumped against the corner of a narrow hallway, reaching out as if it had fallen. Despite being completely skeletal, its clothes remained intact, hinting that this was likely the body of the family’s head.

In the dimly lit haunted house, the eerie elements were illuminated just right, making the skeleton stand out, causing Satou-san to shudder.

“What should we do… There must be something ahead,” she said, her voice trembling.

She seemed completely frozen, and with every word, her voice shook as she gripped my arm tightly.

“There’s probably something that will surprise us,” I agreed.

When I said this, Satou-san looked at me with watery eyes, even in the dark.

“Why are you so calm? You’re amazing, Yamaguchi-kun.”

“No, I’m pretty nervous too.”

“Really? You don’t look scared at all.”

That wasn’t true. Seeing a skeleton or suddenly encountering a scary figure in a flash of lightning would definitely make my heart race. I could easily be surprised by such jump scares.

But maybe it was just my nature. I tend to lose immersion when something feels unrealistic, even in movies.

In this haunted house, I found myself thinking about how cramped it felt for a wealthy family’s belongings, or why a skeleton was wearing nice clothes, or how demon worship seemed out of place in modern Japan— I knew I sounded unlikable. Still, I couldn’t fully engage.

In contrast, Satou-san was incredibly empathetic, easily accepting any setup and getting scared.

“I think I’m reaching my limit…”

After murmuring this, I heard her sniffle.

“I thought I could handle it this time…”

I didn’t think the haunted house was worth pushing oneself to such extremes. But it was classic Satou-san.

“It’s pretty elaborate, so it’s understandable to be scared.”

I tried to comfort her.

“It doesn’t matter your age; even adults can find this scary.”

“Really…?”

“If you want, you can close your eyes. I’ll lead you to the exit.”

Staying frozen in front of the skeleton wouldn’t get us anywhere. If it came to it, I’d have to carry Satou-san and push through.

She hesitated at my suggestion.

“B-but we’ve come this far…”

“Think you can keep going? Should we try a little harder?”

“Yeah.”

It seemed like Satou-san was determined to get revenge for her high school experience. She nodded resolutely.

So, I tightened my grip on her hand and headed toward the corner where the skeleton reached out. I walked carefully, making sure she wouldn’t trip, but hurried to prevent her from seeing the skeleton’s face.

At the end of the hallway, there was a door with the misspelled words “Children’s Room.”

Since Satou-san was looking down, I reached for the doorknob.

“I’m going to open it.”

She didn’t answer, but I opened it anyway.

The door creaked as it opened, revealing a children’s room painted with madness—walls covered in blood-like graffiti, a doll twisted into an unnatural position on a slide, and skulls stacked instead of building blocks. Everything felt sinister.

In the corner stood a ghostly child—when lightning-like lighting illuminated the window, the ghost’s eyes flew wide open as it looked at us.

Satou-san jumped and clung to me.

“Ah! No, no!”

Suddenly squeezed, I gasped as she looked up at me with tear-filled eyes.

“Please help me, Yamaguchi-kun!”

“Got it, leave it to me!”

I half-expected this to happen. Honestly, I might have been waiting for it.

I scooped Satou-san up and quickly fled the nightmare of a children’s room, desperately shaking off the beastly growls chasing us. Luckily, we didn’t have to walk far to the exit.

It had been since graduation that I saw Satou-san cry.

“I’m… I’m sorry…”

In a corner of the food court outside, Satou-san gently wiped her tears.

She wasn’t crying from sadness or loneliness, but she continued to cry after leaving the haunted house, showing just how frightening it had been. Her hand holding the handkerchief was still trembling.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to worry about it.”

Once outside in the sunlight, I honestly felt relieved. The haunted house had been dark, cramped, and suffocating. Though, a comfortable haunted house would feel odd too.

“I guess I was scared no matter how old I am.”

Satou-san sighed.

I understood why the girls from Class C had closed their eyes in fear. Even someone like me, who loses interest in unrealistic elements, felt goosebumps from that children’s room setup.

“Let’s take a breather for now. Here, Satou-san.”

I handed her the juice I bought, and she received it while bowing her head in gratitude.

“Thank you. Weren’t you scared, Yamaguchi-kun?”

“I was pretty scared.”

“You don’t look like it… You’re really amazing, Yamaguchi-kun.”

After taking a sip of juice, she continued weakly.

“I thought that once I became an adult, I wouldn’t be scared of anything.”

Satou-san was about to turn twenty in just a month. She would become an adult a few months before me. I knew it was silly, but I felt a bit frustrated about her getting there first.

Yet, the Satou-san in front of me, with tears in her eyes, didn’t seem very adult-like. She was still the cute Satou-san I knew.

“I was just happy to help you, Satou-san.”

When I said this honestly, she smiled awkwardly with a face still red from crying.

“Really? Wasn’t it tough carrying me through the haunted house?”

“No, it felt amazing to be a hero.”

Wanting to look cool and shine in front of a girl you like is a common desire for any guy. I was no exception.

But with Satou-san, for some reason, I couldn’t pull it off smoothly—she often praised me, but I didn’t think I was as amazing as she said, nor could I do everything. So, I couldn’t let this chance slip by.

“You’re kind, Yamaguchi-kun.”

After saying this softly, Satou-san finally smiled properly.

“Indeed, you looked really cool back there.”

Being a simple person, those words and her smile made me incredibly happy.

“You can always rely on me.”

“Yeah. But I don’t want to go to a haunted house for a while.”

Despite crying from fear, she added “for a while.” Maybe she planned to take revenge again someday. I felt like Satou-san might never conquer a haunted house, no matter how many years went by.

Of course, if she invited me, I would gladly go.

“Okay, once you’re settled down, let’s ride something else.”

As I prompted her, Satou-san pointed excitedly at a suspended coaster in the distance.

“Satou-san, are you okay with thrill rides?”

I asked to confirm, and she blushed as she replied.

“Of course. It won’t be like the haunted house, so I’ll be fine.”

That was good to hear.

If she cried out for help on a thrill ride, I wouldn’t know how to handle it.