Maybe we picked the right day—there weren’t too many people inside the theme park.
There’d probably be more by afternoon, but it was still less crowded than on weekends. Fewer people meant easier movement and a lower chance of someone recognizing Kwon Taehyuk, which was a win for us.
Kwon Taehyuk had efficiently grabbed a map at the information desk and was now unfolding it in front of me.
“Where shall we start?”
“This is only my second time here, so I’m not really sure. What’s the usual plan?”
“Most people start with the rides, then visit the fountains and gardens. The zoo’s also popular.”
“Hmm... then let’s start with the rides.”
I answered while glancing over at Cha Sahyeon, who was gripping my hand and glancing around with sparkling curiosity.
So far, so good. His reaction was better than expected, and I felt relieved as we followed Kwon Taehyuk toward the rides.
As we strolled past colorful, fairy tale-style buildings and staff in mascot suits, I couldn’t help but remember ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) the first time I came to this park.
“Seohu-ya, look over there.”
Following the faint echo of a voice in my head, I lifted my eyes to a large flower tree adorned with butterfly decorations.
Not as good as before the regression.
The first time I came here, it was spring. The weather had been way better, and the drifting cherry blossom petals made everything more beautiful.
Now I understood why Ryu Sunghyun had brought me to the theme park the moment spring arrived. Today wasn’t bad by any means, but the previous visit had been much more magical.
As I stared at the tree, reminiscing, a quiet voice called out beside me.
“Cha Seohu Hunter.”
“Yes?”
“That, uh...”
Behind the clear lenses of his glasses, Kwon Taehyuk’s black eyes held a mix of complicated emotions. He hesitated, then asked,
“Earlier, you said this was your second time here.”
“I did.”
“Was the first time... with Cover?”
Cover? Where did that come from?
The question threw me off, and I couldn’t answer right away. Kwon Taehyuk let out a small sigh.
“I know this might be inappropriate and an overstep...”
“Excuse me?”
“...but I don’t think Cover is a very trustworthy dealer.”
“......”
What the hell is this guy on about?
He didn’t seem to register my withering glare, and continued speaking seriously, trying to persuade me.
“Calling me for today’s safety was the right move. If it were Cover, he might’ve left you behind midway again like last time.”
“...Excuse me?”
“I’m not saying this to badmouth him lightly. I’m sure Cha Seohu Hunter knows Cover better than I do, given your relationship, but I’m referring to Cover’s mentality as a dealer, not your personal—”
“Wait, hang on.”
What the hell did he mean by “relationship”? He couldn’t be implying what I think he is, right?
You son of a bitch, Eun Woojeong...
I didn’t even know what to do about those damn plague-like rumors he’d been spreading. Rubbing my forehead, I quickly tried to clear things up.
“You’ve misunderstood. Between me and Cover—”
“Hyung.”
“Hm?”
But before I could finish, Cha Sahyeon suddenly interjected. I looked down reflexively and saw him pointing somewhere.
“What’s that?”
He was pointing at the souvenir shop.
Inside were the park’s mascot red panda plushies, a variety of animal dolls, animal ear headbands, toys, clothes, and snacks all on display.
“You curious? Want to check it out?”
I had money and a rich guy in tow, so I could buy him whatever he wanted. On impulse, I led him straight inside the store.
There were already quite a few people browsing. Kids were picking out items with their parents all around us.
Good call. I wanted to get him something anyway.
I didn’t know if he’d like something other than gemstones, but even if he didn’t show much interest, things like balloons or plushies became good memories later.
“See anything you like?”
I slowed my pace deliberately to give him time to browse, but Cha Sahyeon didn’t show interest in anything in particular.
Hmm...
I figured. The only thing he’d visibly reacted to so far had been shiny things. Aside from that, his default expression was usually emotionless—this kind of stuff didn’t seem like his thing.
Maybe I’ll just grab a cute, small plush and call it a day.
No need to linger here if he wasn’t into it.
Just as I was checking out a few plushies that wouldn’t be too annoying to carry around, he spoke.
“I want this.”
He held something up—an animal headband with black, pointy ears.
“You want that?”
His pick caught me off guard. When I asked again, he gripped the headband tightly and looked at me with sparkling eyes.
“Buy it for me.”
His glittering eyes were filled with earnestness.
Guess he really does want it.
I was actually happy he asked for something. As I nodded, he pulled another headband off the display and handed it to me.
“Hyung, wear this.”
“...What?”
“I want to see you wear it.”
Was this... his first attempt at a joke? But his gaze was still dead serious.
Wait—was that the point of him wanting one?
So he wanted me to wear the damn thing. I let out a breathless laugh.
“You want to put this on me and not wear anything yourself?”
“I already have a hat.”
“...That’s true.”
I had taken off my hat on purpose today, only wearing a mask—just in case Kwon Taehyuk mistook me for Cover, since he’d seen Cover wearing both.
And today, Cha Sahyeon was just too good with words. I was momentarily at a loss and tried to dodge.
“I said pick something you want, not punish me. I’ll get you that plush over there instead.”
“No. I want this.”
He was being stubborn now.
This was bad. Even though he normally seemed indifferent, once he put his foot down, he never let go.
Still, I’m too old to be walking around in public with animal ears on my head... right?
Why in the world did he want to see me wear this? I was sighing and trying to figure out how to handle it when Kwon Taehyuk tapped my shoulder.
“How about this?”
He was holding a pair of toy glasses.
They were clearly part of some kids’ animated series merch—child-sized with little decorations on the rims.
“A lot of children are wearing these too. And they cover the face pretty well.”
He was suggesting swapping out his hat for the glasses and having him wear the headband instead.
Of all people, Kwon Taehyuk was the one to step in. And he’d even understood that I didn’t want Sahyeon’s face exposed.
Well, I did stick a hat and mask on him—kind of hard not to notice.
I gave a crooked smile and looked at Cha Sahyeon.
Other kids were out here in cute clothes, playing with their parents, begging for treats, being spoiled. And yet he wasn’t doing any of that.
He was an Awakener, sure, so he didn’t get cold, but wearing both a hat and mask must have been stifling.
It hit me again—I was making a child live like this. Just awful.
I couldn’t take everything off, but at least the hat could go. The toy glasses idea seemed like a good compromise.
I picked up the toy glasses and a pair of black cat ear headbands, then turned to Kwon Taehyuk.
“Yesung—no, hey, you.”
“Yes?”
“You’re joining us.”
I grinned and grabbed a headband with fluffy black panda ears. Kwon Taehyuk instinctively took a step back, visibly flustered.
You’re not getting out of this, pal. Before he could object, I marched straight to the register.
After leaving the souvenir shop, we finally began exploring the park in earnest. Since we’d arrived before lunch, we had plenty of time to wander at a leisurely pace.
Kwon Taehyuk took charge of most of the navigation.
With the map in hand, he pointed out every notable area—from the park paths to the fountains and photo zones—so we could check off all the attractions one by one.
As for the rides... all three of us were pretty disinterested, so we nixed them early.
When we did ride the park’s most intense, most popular roller coaster, Cha Sahyeon’s bored face said it all.
Guess it takes more than that to impress an Awakener.
Honestly, I didn’t enjoy it much either. Maybe it was because I’d just recently been flying through the sky on top of Leviathan’s head.
We wrapped up the rides with a spin on the teacups, then stopped altogether.
After the souvenir shop, we hadn’t spent any money. In return for the headband, Kwon Taehyuk had insisted on covering everything—tickets, meals, the works.
He actually paid for all of it.
Food inside the theme park was pricier than usual, but he paid without blinking. That was rich people for you.
The headband I bought probably cost just over ten bucks. Unbelievable.
After wandering for hours, the three of us finally sat down on a bench, a bit worn out. It wasn’t physical exhaustion—it was just the drain from dealing with crowds all day.
I glanced over at Cha Sahyeon, sitting beside me and quietly munching on a hotdog, and sighed.
...What if I fail the quest?
We’d explored a ton of the park, but the quest to visit the theme park with the villain hadn’t updated.
[Main Quest: Befriend the Villain Possessed by the Seed of Catastrophe (2/10)]
You must grow closer with the villain to slow the Seed’s progression.
Objective: Visit the theme park with the villain. (Time remaining: 10 hours 32 minutes)
The time limit was just twisting the knife. If we failed, we wouldn’t be able to do this again.
The sun had already begun to set, and the surroundings gradually darkened. Clinging to the last straw, I turned to Kwon Taehyuk.
“What’s left?”
“In thirty minutes, the night parades begin in each area. The final parade ends in the central plaza, where there’s a fireworks show.”
“...!”
Fireworks.
If anything could impress Cha Sahyeon, it’d be fireworks lighting up the night sky. He loved shiny things.
“Let’s go.”
Right on cue, a parade passed by in front of us. Since the fireworks started when all parades converged, we just had to follow them.
Crowds of people were heading toward the plaza. I silently prayed that the chaos wouldn’t overwhelm Cha Sahyeon as we moved with the flow.
“Oh...”
The plaza, now bathed in dazzling lights, was a spectacle we hadn’t seen earlier in the day.
The floats, props, and even the trees were lit up with LEDs—like a massive Christmas display.
Cha Sahyeon, who’d been walking with a blank face while holding my hand, finally reacted. His eyes went wide at the transformed scenery, staring intently at the parade.
“Starlight! Let the stars shine in the night sky!”
The parade’s lead performer, dressed like a princess, cried out dramatically—and a burst of fireworks exploded from the stage behind her.
Boom!
A loud bang echoed, and golden sparks erupted across the black sky. The fireworks had begun.
I immediately turned to gauge Cha Sahyeon’s reaction.
Just as I hoped, he was staring up at the fireworks in a complete daze, mesmerized.
Thank god. Now if the quest would just mark itself complete...
Boom! Crackle!
“Wow!”
“So pretty!”
Gasps and cheers burst from all around us as the fireworks kept going.
I glanced around and noticed a man watching the show with a small child on his shoulders. His partner, likely the child’s mother, stood beside him.
The kid was beaming with joy.
A happy, perfect family. The sight made Cha Sahyeon, quietly standing beside me holding my hand, seem strangely lonely.
...Damn. I didn’t need to see that.
I clicked my tongue silently and lifted Cha Sahyeon into my arms.
He wasn’t small enough to carry on my shoulders, but this much was fine.
“This way you can see the fireworks better. I’ll put you down when it ends.”
His emerald eyes widened at my whisper. Then his ears and cheeks flushed pink.
“...Okay.”
He answered softly, then wrapped his arms around my neck and tucked his head into my shoulder.
I was just about to ask if that blocked his view when—
Ding!
A cheerful alert sound popped into view, and the system window appeared.
[Main Quest: Befriend the Villain Possessed by the Seed of Catastrophe — Cleared!]
[Main Quest Clear Reward Granted.]
[Trait Acquired: No More Excuses (Rank F)]
[The Villain is satisfied!]
[The Villain is happy!]
[Warning! Seed of Catastrophe status has changed!]
[Seed of Catastrophe progression has decreased!]

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