"Vya~ Your hair is so pretty!"
Rin reached out and gently touched the tips of Vya's pink hair.
"Yours too, big sister Rin!"
While the two little ones were chatting, Elysia quietly leaned close to Sakura's ear and whispered, "My, my~ Sakura, you're such a good big sister~"
The warm breath brushing past her ear made Sakura's body stiffen noticeably for a moment.
Sakura quickly adjusted her expression and then subtly created a little distance. "I'm just doing what an older sister should. Aren't you the same?"
"Haha, yes~♪" Elysia's smile brightened a few degrees. "Having a sweet little sister is a wonderful thing!"
The staff member's voice interrupted their conversation. "Next group of four, please get ready."
It was finally their turn.
The Ferris wheel gondola slowly came to a stop, and the staff member opened the small door.
"Vya, come quick! You can see the whole park from here!"
Rin was the first to dash inside, with Vya close behind. "I'm coming~!"
The two little girls immediately pressed themselves against the window, their noses almost touching the glass. As the gondola slowly ascended, the amusement rides below grew smaller and smaller.
Elysia and Sakura sat on the opposite side.
As the cabin rose higher, Elysia suddenly lowered her voice. "Sakura~ you seem rather wary of me?"
Sakura's gaze remained fixed outside the window. "Professional habit."
"Oh~" Elysia tilted her head, her long pink hair slipping over her shoulder. "What profession makes someone like that?"
Sakura finally turned her head, her eyes meeting Elysia's directly. "...You're no ordinary person."
"How can you say that~♪" Elysia's smile didn't falter in the slightest. "For now, we're both ordinary people. Just ordinary sisters here at the amusement park with their little sisters, right?"
"..." Sakura didn't reply, only furrowing her brow slightly.
"Aw, don't be like that." Elysia waved a hand, breaking the silence. "We should talk about girl stuff instead. Like..." She blinked playfully. "Your hair is so well-maintained. What kind of shampoo do you use?"
Both had long, beautiful pink hair...
"..." They made idle conversation, their words sparse and intermittent.
When the gondola reached the peak, the entire amusement park was laid out beneath them.
Rin and Vya leaned against the window, pointing at the spinning teacups and roller coaster below as they chatted.
Sunlight streamed through the glass, gilding the outlines of the four figures. For a moment, it felt as though time had frozen.
After getting off the Ferris wheel, Rin suggested riding the carousel next.
Vya agreed enthusiastically, and the two little girls ran ahead hand in hand.
It seemed they had already become very good friends.
"Slow down!"
"Take it easy~"
Sakura and Elysia called out simultaneously, then shared a slightly awkward glance.
Sakura gave a light cough and looked away, while Elysia covered her mouth with a soft chuckle.
There wasn't much of a line for the carousel.
Rin chose a snow-white steed, and Vya picked a pink fawn.
"Hold onto the rail, okay?" Elysia carefully smoothed Vya's skirt for her.
"I will, sis!"
The music started, and the wooden horses began to rise, fall, and turn. Rin waved her arms happily, while Vya sat up straight, a shy smile on her face.
Sakura stood outside the railing, her gaze never leaving her sister.
Elysia quietly sidled up next to her. "What's wrong? Not joining them for a ride?"
"I prefer to watch," Sakura replied succinctly, though the tenderness in her eyes betrayed her.
After the ride ended, Rin was still eager for more. "Can we go again? This time, you big sisters come too!"
Elysia immediately agreed, turning to Sakura. "Sure! Sakura~, let's go!"
Under her sister's expectant gaze, Sakura finally nodded.
This time, she chose a small horse next to Rin's, swinging up onto it with practiced ease.
Elysia sat in the small carriage behind Vya, resting her hands lightly on the girl's shoulders.
The music started again, and the carousel carried them around.
Sunlight, music, and laughter wove together, forming an utterly ordinary, heartwarming scene.
Seizing the moment, Elysia pulled out her phone and captured a picture.
After the carousel stopped, Rin's attention was caught by a cotton candy stall nearby.
"Sis! Can we get cotton candy?"
She blinked up at Sakura with pleading eyes.
"You just had ice cream..." Sakura sounded helpless.
"A little indulgence now and then is fine~" Elysia chimed in, tapping her chin lightly with a finger. "It's a rare day out, after all~♪"
In the end, each of the four girls held a puff of cotton candy—pink, blue, white—like fluffy little clouds.
Vya carefully took a lick, and a strand of sugar immediately stuck to the tip of her nose, making Rin and Elysia burst out laughing.
Sakura watched the scene, her eyes softening considerably.
"Thank you," Sakura said suddenly to Elysia.
"Hmm?" Elysia turned to look at her.
"Rin hasn't been this happy in a long time," Sakura explained quietly. "Because of the... nature of my work, she doesn't have many friends."
Elysia nodded in understanding. "It's the same for Vya. She hardly knows any kids her own age. So thank you as well, today~" She paused, watching the two little girls skipping ahead, and smiled. "But from the looks of it today, they get along wonderfully. And..." She blinked playfully. "Shouldn't we be friends by now too~?"
"Perhaps..." Sakura smiled slightly. Setting everything else aside for the moment, it seemed rather nice to have met a friend like Elysia.
The sun set in the west, and the amusement park lights flickered on one by one. The two pairs of sisters walked side by side along the path dotted with colored lights, their shadows stretching long across the ground.
At the parting junction, Rin held onto Vya's hand reluctantly. "Can we play together again next time, Vya?"
"Of course~" Elysia answered for her, taking a notepad from her bag and writing down a number. "We can arrange to meet up when we're free."
Sakura took the slip of paper. This time, there was less wariness in her eyes, replaced by a more complex emotion. "I hope next time we meet..." She paused. "I hope Rin can be this happy again next time too."
"She will be," Elysia promised with a smile.
On the way back, Vya leaned against Elysia happily, looking at the day's photos.
Elysia gently stroked her hair, humming a little tune.
"Did you have fun today?" she asked softly.
"So much fun!" Vya laughed happily.
Yes, a happy day.
Hope tomorrow will be even better. It will be.
…
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