Chapter 45: Date Night Duel
While Hikaru and the others were miles away in Tottori...
Teshii and Hikari were about to begin their date – at the amusement park.
The air was alive with sound.
Laughter echoed from every corner, blending with the clanking rhythm of roller coasters and the whimsical chimes of carnival music drifting from nearby stalls. Neon lights blinked in bright, candy-coloured hues – pinks, blues, yellows – painting the evening sky in a chaotic, flickering mosaic of joy.
The scent of buttered popcorn, fried sweets, and cotton candy clung to the breeze like perfume, drawing kids and adults alike toward food stands that never seemed to run out of indulgence.
All around, the park was a living machine of excitement.
Rides towered overhead – twisting steel beasts roaring through the sky, their passengers screaming in delight or terror. A massive ferris wheel turned slowly in the distance, each glowing carriage like a lantern suspended in the night.
Below, the crowd pulses with energy. Children darted between booths, couples trolled hand in hand, and friends shouted over one another to be heard through the noise.
Amidst the glowing lights and the endless sea of faces stood–
Hikari.
Waiting at the entrance.