Chapter 34
The sleek black luxury car decelerated to a smooth halt, its tires barely kissing the roadside’s edge. The engine’s gentle purr subsided into a soft whisper, the only sound the soft tick of the idling motor.
Inside the dimly lit cabin, Kokoro leaned in, his face inches from the window, straining to see through the dark-tinted glass. But the night had reduced the world outside to vague silhouettes and muted glows, the privacy tint obscuring all but the faintest outlines – streetlamps casting hazy halos, and fleeting headlights blurring into streaks of light.
"Huh...?" he muttered softly, narrowing his eyes.
They had definitely left the amusement park far behind. The upbeat jingles and cotton-candy-sweet chaos were replaced by the subtle sound of distant city nightlife—muffled conversations, the click of high heels, a car horn far off in the background.
"...Where are we now?" Kokoro asked aloud, turning toward Mika with a furrowed brow.
Mika, who had been calmly gazing ahead, slowly turned to him with a smile that seemed to glow in the dark cabin.
Her lips, softly tinted a delicate red in the faint glow of the car’s ceiling light, curved into a playful smile. Strands of shoulder-length snow-white hair caressed her cheeks as she tilted her head, her ash-gray eyes sparkling like polished obsidian, radiating a captivating blend of mystery and mischief.
"You’ll see," she said, voice velvet smooth and laced with excitement. "Why don’t you step out and find out for yourself?"
Just then, the driver’s voice chimed in from the front.
"We have arrived, my lady," he said with respectful clarity.
Mika gave a graceful nod, her tone gracious but slightly commanding. "Thank you. Please wait here for us."