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The first strange thing they encountered upon entering the park proper was an oversized teddy-bear handing out balloons to a group of primary-school children. A park employee stood beside the mascot acting as an interpreter and holding the balloons in reserve. "Oh waaaa! Look Nori-kun, its Kumahime-chan!" Rumi squealed happily.
The bear looked up and over at them and waved with her free hand. Rumiko waved back "I remember in grade school writing an essay on Kumahimeko that won a prize!"
"Wow, you still carry such a memory about?" Nori marveled.
"No silly, its just that seeing Kumahime-chan brought the memory back. Say, can we go get my picture taken with her?"
"If they'll let us" Kazunori agreed. "Still, you would have thought that a place like "Strawberry Fields" would use something other than a teddy bear princess for its major mascot."
"But teddy bears and princesses always go with strawberries. Didn't you know that Nori-kun?"
"They do?" Kazunori asked with disbelief in his voice.
"Yep." As they stood watching, Kumahimeko handed out a red balloon to another eager child, and reached for another balloon. As the the bear turned around she looked straight at them again, as if for the first time.
She raised her hand to shade her eyes as if to get a better look, and then tapped her 'interpreter' on the shoulder as if by prearranged signal. "Ojousama" the interpreter called. "If you please, Kumahime-chan would like to present a balloon to you as well."
Rumiko stood rooted the spot as the mascot and interpreter, followed by the children walked her way.
"Eh, me? surely not. Possibly you have the wrong person?" she said, shaking her head left and right, trying to find who the bear as addressing.
"Hai, hai. The ojousama in the green dress and cute summer hat. This is for you" the interpreter said, clapping her hands together. The bear reached into the stack of balloons and selected a large golden-yellow one, which she presented to Rumiko!
"But this is for children!" Rumiko protested. "I couldn't possibly take it."
"No no no." Kumahime-chan's interpreter said as the bear shook her head. "This special balloon is reserved for special guests. Thus it belongs to you! Kumahime-chan was so touched that you remembered her from so long ago, that she has decided to make you a Royal Ambassador for a day!"
Rumiko blushed even more. "Oh, gosh, you heard that?" Kumahime-chan nodded her head vigorously.
One of the gathered children spoke up. "Oneechan, don't be shy!"
"Ganbatte, oneechan!" another child -this one a boy- yelled.
"Are, see, even the children want to encourage you, so go on, take it." The interpreter said, not unkindly, as she brought Rumiko's hand over to the much larger hand of the bear princess. The small crowd cheered and clapped as Rumi-chan accepted the balloon.
"Now, then, and what do you think oneechan won for her good deed?" The interpreter asked the staring children, "why, this balloon entitles her to go to the front of any line for any ride she wants." The crowd cheered again. "Oh, and here's a special carnation for your date, as well."
"Date?" Rumiko said blankly, as the interpreter reached into a side pocket and pulled out a large white carnation that she proceeded to pin on a befuddled Rumiko, and a smaller one intended for Kazunori.
"Hai, now everyone will know the Ambassador. Mina-san, congratulate our very special Ambassador!" More cheers followed to Rumiko's embarrassment. blushed, and tried to protest, and wave off the blurbs of congratulations and camera clicks from the school children, but just then an open berry shaped motor-trolley pull alongside, and two attendants, resplendent in red and white garments hopped off and headed their way.
The interpreter noted this and continued her announcement. "And look... the Royal Berry-Patch Guard is here to escort the young couple through the park!"
As the attendants reached the small group, the intepreter came up and bowed to Rumiko. "May you and your boyfriend have a wonderful time here at Strawberry Fields!" she said before she and Kumahime-chan moved off. Rumi and Kazunori were conducted back to the the trolly, where they were placed at the back, and the attendants climbed in.
"Say, don't 'ambassadors' normally have a sash, instead of a balloon?" Rumiko inquired as the trolley sped away. "Saa." Kazunori leaned back in his seat. "Oh well, now we can enjoy rides without waiting forever. Lucky!"
"That's such a carefree attitude to take toward this." Rumiko remarked.
"Well, its obvious that they weren't going to give up until you accepted this 'ambassadorship', and to continue to refuse would have offered insult to the park, so its best to accept the gift in the spirit it was offered, and use it well, to the best of our abilities." Wait, what was he doing? He was lecturing Rumi-chan! What must she think of him!
"Um mm...thank you Nori-kun, airing my doubts on you helps me accept that this really happened. I didn't think about it from their point of view. Of course I'll use it well, if you come with me."
"It would be my pleasure."
"Oh, and here is your carnation as my 'escort'. Please be gentle with me, neh?" she said, belatedly pinning the flower to his shirt.
"There. Now we're a matched set."
"Don't forget to wave, you know, just like the English Queen does." Nori-kun said, demonstrating by raising his hand and giving it a half-turn. "You try it too."
"What?" Rumiko asked, turning to face Nori-kun. "Well, people are waving as we pass by. Its only polite to wave back. And you are Special Ambassador Rumiko-chan." Rumiko did and noticed that on-lookers waved back. She smiled, which warmed his heart.
"Good, you look better when you smile." The trolley dropped them off on the Broad Way, where the shops gave way to the themed-rides of he park proper. To hide his nervousness, Kazunori consulted the folding map he had picked up at the ticket booth. "Hmm...which ride should we do first? Or do you want to explore the Great Berry?" Kazunori said, pointing in the direction of the giant strawberry that dominated the skyline of the park. "Or we could do the "Grand Tour."
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" 'Grand Tour'? What's that?" She inquired.
"Its a route marked out throughout the park that allows you to make the rounds of the entire park. Its especially recommended for first time visitors, or visitors having a limited time. There are even signposts that show you where to go," Kazunori read from the map.
"So, we're following someone else's instructions on how to have fun in the park." Rumiko summed up.
"Well, yeah, you could look at it that way, I suppose." Kazunori replied.
"But I'd rather make my own way. So, let's just take a direction and see where it goes." she announced. "Okay, I'll choose."
It was amazing how she knew what she wanted, once she put her mind to it, Kazunori thought. She closed her eyes and spun herself around three times, then pointed her arm straight out.
"Okay, we're going this way. Come on, Nori-kun," she said, taking him by the hand again, "let's not get separated like you did from the others."
"So, why this direction?" he asked as they headed down a path paved with red bricks intersped with single yellow ones laying out a strawberry pattern.
" 'Cause its where my arm pointed, silly. Besides, I want to try out this balloon, at least."
The first ride they took advantage of with the balloon was the Super Mixer roller coaster. If Rumiko still felt awkward about going ahead of other people in line, it didn't show now. Being identified by the bright yellow balloon she carried, they were shown immediately to the first available seat, which happened to in the front of the next car to come up. They even graciously held on to the balloon for her, The car kept going up and up at an increasing angle: 'clank clank clunk clank' it went. If he looked to the side he could see the park laid out before him, but he didn't want to think about that.
"Nori-kun I changed my mind, I don't want to be on this. Let's get off now." Rumi whimpered, as the train came to the top where an attendant waited to wave them on.
"Too late now...aiiieeeee!" Kazunori smirked said as the card leveled out and paused for the briefest of moments. The next moment began a screaming plunge down the other side. The next 45 seconds were the fastest of Kazunori's young life, he knew he had left his stomach and his heart behind him at the station. But it was fun. Indeed, they rode the coaster two more times.
Next, at Rumiko's insistence, they went to the haunted house. Kazunori reflected as they went through room after room of strobing lights, that Rumiko was cute even when she was scared. But boy did she scare easily. He wondered how she survived class field trips with their courage tests. Rumi's hand nearly crushed his each time some monster or ghost popped, or a gust of wind-blown smoke and water sprayed them, and the giant hand surrounding his heart made a sympathetic squeeze with each pump of that hand.
"Oh gosh that was scary! Let's do it again!" Rumiko exclaimed as soon as the exit-door closed behind them. "Baka, you were nearly scared out of your wits in there, and you want to go again? Oh no, not with me. Go by yourself if you want to be scared that badly."
"Hidoi -you're mean, Nori-kun! You're supposed to say 'hai' and go with me. As Ambassador For A Day, I command you."
Kazunori marveled even as he marshaled a rejoinder -she even repeated herself in English! yet another thing to drive up her cute meter! How was he ever going to survive the day? Despite her pleading, he did not budge from his position. "No way."
"Yes you will."
"Not gonna go, you'll just scream louder next time."
"Will not." she retorted.
He folded his arms and looked levelly at her. "Yes you will. I guarantee it."
"You're no fun!" She said, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Says the one who screamed the loudest." Kazunori admonished, amazed that he could have such a conversation with Rumiko, the girl of his dreams. Two days ago, he would have been too nervous around her to act so familiarly. Did prolonged proximity really make that much of a difference? Then, what would a week with her be like?
His reply though, sent Rumiko off on another round of cajoling, combined with petitioning bows.
Finally, he relented. "All right, I'll take you, so please stop bowing. You're embarrassing me."
"See, I told you we were going again!"
"Hai," he replied, not having anything he could really say to that.
Rumiko giggled. "You're so good to me. Arigato."
"Ah, no. I'm just.."
"being a friend?" she asked, coyly.
"No, I was going to say, just mooching off your good fortune to have a "go to the head of the line pass." he finished deadpan.
Rumiko stared at him in shock for a minute, before she got the joke. They both laughed over it. "Well, shall we go?" She said, linking arms with him and going back to the entrance.
"Do we really have to?" he made a last-minute plea." "Now who's the scaredy-cat?" Rumiko said, poking fun at his continued hesitation. "And yes, we do. You promised." In fact they went through two more times, and true to Kazunori's word, she screamed just as much if not more the last time through as she did the first time.
"Told you." he said as they came out the exit, her death-grip on his arm not relaxing until the loudspeaker moans had faded into general background noise.
"Gomen, Nori-kun!" She apologized, bowing low. "I really didn't think it would be that scary a second time."
"Or the third?" She grinned sheepishly in return. Kazunori did a strange thing then, he reached out and tousled her hair.
"There, there. You're ok. There's no need to apologize."
"But really...oh I know! We've only done rides I want. To make up for that, the next two rides are your choice."
"Oh no, I couldn't possibly..." he said, waving off her offer.
"No no no. I insist. Besides, I want to know what rides you like," she countered.
That changed his mind instantly. "Well then..." he said, grabbing the map. "The Rocking Pirate Ship has always been a favorite of mine. Also the Bumper Cars..."
"All right...pirates we shall be then." She proclaimed.
"Yes, your ambassadorship!" he said, making a mock bow, bringing another laugh to Rumiko's face. 'So cute!' he thought with a pang.
Their fun came to an abrupt halt though, when someone bumped into Rumi outside of the Bumper Car ride, causing her to loose her grip on the balloon.
"Oh no, the balloon!" Both made a grab for it, but caught only the other hand. "Ah, there it goes!" she said, as if surprised that it didn't stay. The two looked at one another, and laughed. "Oh well, its not like I like jumping line."
"And we did get some use out of it. Thank you for winning Kumahime's heart!" Kazunori said. 'Though to be fair, I'd should say thank you for winning my heart,' he thought to himself at the same time. "Well, onward to our next adventure." And off they went to explore the park, just another pair of ordinary teenagers having a fun date.
By a frozen lemonade stand, as they paused for Rumiko to get a drink of water, Kazunori noticed her carnation, as drops from Rumiko's mouth settled on the petals, and a thought came to him, which he spoke aloud. "Ah, since you lost your balloon, it's probably a good thing to take off the carnation," he said reaching for the flower.
"Ah, allow me" Rumiko said, as she reached over and delicately undid the flower, placing it into her purse with reverence. "A memento of today I'll cherish always." she reported with confidence. 'If only she knew what words like that did to me' he though to himself. He wished this day would never end, that they could say this way forever, and that he would never have to confess his feelings with words that might drive her off. He buried his face in the map so she couldn't see his blushing.
# # # #
They rode together. They laughed together. They ate together. They screamed together. They played games together, they even sank exhausted on the same bench together. All the while, eyes and binoculars were on them.
"What are they doing?" a boy grumbled, looking out from a balcony on the Great Berry.
"Having fun obviously, Yoshi." A girl said, snatching the binoculars from his hands to peer through them herself. "Gaggghh what are they doing there! That's not in the plan." she said exasperatedly.
It was the boy's turn to laugh. "That's what happens when you for interfere with my idea."
"Oh yeah, right your idea. If we had followed your original plan, he would have never even left the house." The boy just fumed but made no response, other than to make a face at her back. They went back to watching.
# # # #
Unaware of the observers, Rumiko and Kazunori trudged around the park, stopping to look at various rides and games. "This is more fun than I expected," Rumi said around a stick of cotton-candy. "What shall we do next, Nori-kun?"
Nori looked startled. "I don't know...be spontaneous?" he said, consulting a folding park map
She laughed "That's what so great about you, Nori-kun, your desire to please. But what do you want to do?" 'I want to confess to you' Kazunori thought to himself, but never answered her question because it was then that the Second Strange Thing occurred.
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