After we got out of the cabin, Zhao Zhao and I both wore stiff expressions and didn’t say a word. It wasn’t because we were arguing or sulking—it was just that what had happened at the top of the Ferris wheel was too damn awkward.

How awkward, you ask?

Like discovering the hostess you booked at a karaoke bar is your secret crush from school.
Like an otaku heading to a maid café to soothe his soul, only to find the maid is his stuck-up little sister.
Like finally mustering up the courage to confess your feelings, only to realize the person is a cross-dressing dude.
Or like your bro since childhood suddenly awakening to his inner maiden and hitting you with a dead-serious confession.

The moment Zhao Zhao’s name was erased, Notebook-sama vanished into thin air—truly a divine artifact, operating completely on its own whims.

I cleared my throat and, mimicking Xiao Lei’s delicate voice in a high-pitched falsetto, whispered, “Kai, I like you. You don’t have to respond… I’m already happy just like this.”

“GAH!” Zhao Zhao reacted like a cat that just saw a cucumber—he practically shot into the air like he’d been electrocuted.

“Kai, I like you. You don’t have to respond…”

“AAAAHHHH! You even repeated it?! Wipe that from your memory immediately!”

He rolled around on the ground like Sun Wukong being cursed with the tightening headband, hands clamped over his ears, now covered in sand.

“Seriously, you should’ve known something awkward like this would happen! Why say something like that? I’ve had goosebumps this whole time.”

“I mean… cough, cough, ptooey… Xiao Lei’s feelings for you—you really didn’t get the hint? In the end, you wrote my name down first.”

“I was just trying to lighten the mood, okay? Two grown men alone in a Ferris wheel cabin—it was painfully awkward!”

“When I’m in Xiao Lei mode, my mindset shifts... You know how they say women are made of water? I just get more emotional.”

“If Xiao Lei’s water, then you’re mud. Together, you’re concrete.”

Down by the landing deck of the Ferris wheel, Rinka and Tangerine were waiting for us on a bench.

They seemed to be getting along great, chatting and laughing like long-lost friends...

“I’m telling you, Sis Rinka, even though Onii-chan always screams that Yui A○gaki is his waifu, he’s just following the trend. His true love is actually Hashi○to Kanna.”

I leaned in and realized Tangerine was spilling all my darkest secrets. Unforgivable.

“Hold up, Tangerine! That info’s outdated! Since you left, I’ve updated my preferences—my new 3D waifu is ○saka Sumire!”

“Onii-chan’s back! That underwater Ferris wheel was super fun!”

“If I hadn’t come down now, you'd probably would’ve already exposed my favorite color of underwear!”

“Oh, you mean the red boxer briefs? Tangerine already told me about those.”

“WAAAAHHHH!!!” Thinking about it… even when she was still a cat, she used to sneak into my room all the time. Now that she’s human, she probably knows me better than my own dad...

“You two going on a Ferris wheel ride… how did it end up being about my underwear?”

Looking a little guilty, Tangerine whispered, “Sorry, Onii-chan… but other than you, I don’t have anything else to talk about yet. I only just became human, after all.”

I sighed and patted her on the head... She hates being petted, but her hair is so soft—it’s practically punishment.

“With you becoming human finally, now try to find some hobbies, and build some memories of your own.”

“Mm!”

Even a girl like Tangerine will get married someday... Your big brother’s already feeling the heartache.

Rinka glanced at his phone. “It’s getting late. The last thing on the list is the lazy river, right?”

At the mention of the lazy river, Tangerine’s gaze darted away, like she was trying to hint at something. Her tone turned oddly hesitant: “That one… we don’t have to go on it, you know?”

But Rinka dismissed it casually. “It’s one of the main attractions of Aqua World. Not doing it would be such a waste.”

It was already past 4. The giant dome overhead could no longer reflect sunlight, so artificial lighting had kicked in, focusing mainly on the rides and giving the place a sharp contrast of light and shadow.

Though we passed a few smaller attractions, we didn’t detour—instead, we headed straight to the entrance of the lazy river on the western side.

It was near the artificial beach, right atop the faux mountain where we’d had barbecue earlier. It was pretty high up, so we needed to take an elevator.

At one corner of the beach, a huge crowd had gathered around a temporary stage. I could barely make out several swimsuit-clad women on it, but it was too far to tell how attractive they were. Zhao Zhao, however, had his eyes bulging like temple bells—as if blessed with telescopic vision.

“The swimsuit beauty contest is about to enter the semifinals! Eight lovely ladies remain on stage. Everyone, please welcome…”

The announcer’s voice came blaring through the loudspeakers. The second Zhao Zhao heard “swimsuit beauty contest,” he lost all control. He looked at me, then at the stage. Hesitated for three seconds.

“Sorry, Commander—I’m bailing on this!”

Panting excitedly, he bolted toward the crowd, pounding his chest like a silverback gorilla in heat—Winston, your heart rate is through the roof¹.

Tch. Our decade-long friendship, defeated by some girls in bikinis. What a plastic bond.

After Zhao Zhao ditched us, I shrugged and turned to Rinka and Tangerine. “Guess it’s just the three of us now?”

“Hold it! I already did it this morning! I’ll wait for you guys at the end!”

“You don’t want to ride it again? Was it boring?”

Tangerine shut her eyes tightly, visibly scared, and waved her hands frantically. “Nope! I’m not going again, no way!”

“What, is there some kind of scary trap? I thought this was more like one of those scenic park train rides?”

She didn’t answer, just scratched her head awkwardly. “Haitang said if I told you beforehand, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore.”

I looked up at the palm trees extending from the top of the faux mountain. Whatever scared Tangerine that much probably involved fake snakes dropping from the jungle canopy.

And if that’s the case, then no, I don’t want that kind of “surprise.” Even if you expect it, it still freaks you out.

“Just the two of us now… maybe we should skip it?” I hesitated.

If I’m alone with Rinka again, the conversation’s probably going to circle back to some psychological discussion on the “true self.”

“Well, we’re already here. Come on, Kai—time’s running out.”

Hearing Tangerine mention jumpscares seemed to make Rinka even more excited. Could it be that he likes scary stuff?

We took the elevator inside the faux mountain to the top. It had a flat summit, and right outside the lift stood two bizarre totem poles inscribed with strange glyphs. Surrounded by dense greenery, it felt like we’d entered some lost tropical tribe.

It was late in the day, so the crowd had thinned. We waited a bit at the wooden dock. Staff in grass skirts and creepy masks came out dancing weirdly, muttering phrases like “Malbo-da haeng-dong-i-ji!²” and “Kankole hajimaru yo!³”—totally nonsensical.

The raft used on the lazy river had two rows of seats with seatbelts, and a central handrail to grip.

Suddenly, one of the staff, still in character as a tribal native, dropped the act and said: “Please put on your life vests and don’t unbuckle your seatbelt during the ride. Hold onto the rail at all times. You might get flung out otherwise.”

“Wait, is this ride… dangerous?”

“Hahahaha! The course is 6.4 km long, 30 minutes. Enjoy the ride~”

He completely avoided my question and pressed a button. The gate opened, and we drifted into the waterway.

I was sitting with my back facing forward.

The surrounding jungle was made of real plants, and the earthy, humid smell was strong. With the sun gone, the dim lighting and scattered lamps cast eerie green glows among the foliage. You could hear distant animal roars and bird calls—sound effects that, combined with the scenery, created a real Amazon rainforest vibe… and a slightly creepy one at that.

Rinka had her hand on the raft, eyes closed, as if sensing something.

“This raft isn’t propelled by the current. It’s being pulled by machinery underneath.”

I copied her and could indeed feel rhythmic mechanical vibrations, like gears grinding.

“So that’s how they keep every ride exactly thirty minutes.”

“Otherwise we would’ve gotten stuck on that last curve. We didn’t even have paddles, yet we glided through.”

Knowing everything’s pre-programmed kinda takes the thrill out of it.

Sometimes the raft crossed water channels shaped like giant U-shaped tree trunks suspended high above ground. Below them lay the artificial beach. Tilting slightly to peek down, you could see the swimsuit contest’s crowd from above.

I didn’t dare look for long—even with a seatbelt, heights give me the chills.

These thrilling sections were rare. Most of the time we floated through dense tropical greenery, and it started to get a bit repetitive.
I tried to make small talk to pass the time.

“Rinka, I’ve never asked this before, but I’ve been curious for a while.”

“What is it?”

“You’ve got a secret base at school, and you can even manage to register someone in the girls' campus. Who are you really?”