Chapter Text
You stepped through the gates of Phoenix Wonderland with no idea what you were supposed to do there. Your parents drove off, telling you to have a nice day at the amusement park. They meant well and you knew that, but you didn’t feel like you could enjoy yourself right now.
Places like this weren’t really that great when you had no one to share the fun with.... But even if you weren’t in the right mood, you felt like you should at least look around. There were a lot of things to do here, and you might actually find something interesting if you keep your eyes open.
Walking around aimlessly, you checked your options. Besides the classic roller coasters or the Ferris wheel and whatnot, there were also many plays scheduled on different stages. Still, nothing really caught your attention. You realized that the thing that would make you feel better was much simpler. You just wanted an ice cream.
That’s a start.
The map said that there was an ice cream stand nearby, so you made your way to it. There wasn’t a line, so you didn’t even have to wait. The server quickly handed you the flavor you asked for, then you paid and sat down with it on a bench.
But before you could start eating, the scoop of ice cream fell down, and all you had was just an empty cone. The contents sadly plopped down next to your feet, leaving you on your own like everybody else.
Maybe this little accident wasn’t the end of the world, but to you, it certainly felt like it. That moment created the perfect chance for all your bottled up emotions to come to the surface. You felt so lonely and alienated in this foreign country, where you had to rebuild your social life from zero. You wondered what your friends back at home were doing right now, without you. Probably having lots of fun, not thinking about you at all, you guessed.
You started silently crying as you watched the ice cream melt away under the warm rays of the sun. Not knowing what to do with the useless cone, you just let it fall on the ground as well. You’ll throw it away when you leave.
This sucked. You didn’t even want to be here in the first place. You should have just stayed in that tiny apartment instead of letting your parents drag you to this stupid amusement park.
You wished you could get on a plane and go home.
Someone crying in a place like this might have been odd, but nobody seemed to give a damn. They were busy having fun, and why wouldn’t they be. You wiped your eyes and reached into your pocket for a tissue, but then realized that you forgot to bring any.
This just kept getting worse and worse, and you had no idea how to stop your tears.
Until the kind voice of a stranger snapped you out of your misery.
„Need a tissue?” he asked, stopping in front of you and pulling out one from his pocket.
You looked up at him and accepted the offer.
„Thank you.” you said, turning away while you blew your nose.
You expected him to keep walking now, but he didn’t. He put down his heavy-looking bag next to the bench and sat down by your side, politely leaving a lot of room between the two of you.
„Was that yours?” he asked, pointing at the thick puddle of despair that clearly used to be ice cream.
What, was he going to scold you for littering now?! It was an accident...
„Yes.” you answered, not sure what to expect.
You already felt horrible. There was one thing in this entire amusement park that you actually wanted, and you didn’t even get to enjoy it.
„Do you want another one?”
That was surprisingly nice of him to ask. Still, you looked back at him with the intention to turn it down.
„That’s very kind of you, but you don’t have to do that.” you told him, because it’s not like you had no money or something.
But he was already on his feet.
„No, I insist. It’s just an ice cream.” he smiled. „Don’t go anywhere, okay?”
„...Okay.”
It felt a little weird, but it really was just an ice cream. You figured that as long as he’s okay with it, then getting treated to one scoop isn’t so bad. And somehow, his presence calmed you down. You weren't crying anymore, already starting to feel a little better.
While waiting for this guy to return, your attention shifted to his bag. For a second, you wondered what’s in it that’s so heavy and why someone would go to an amusement park with anything more than just the essentials.
You watched him pay, then return with two cones. He handed one to you. It was the same flavor you dropped — he could tell what you liked by the color of the puddle next to your feet.
You thanked him and started eating, very carefully this time. He sat back down next to you with the one he bought for himself.
It didn’t take long before he turned to you again.
„It’s just an assumption, but I have a feeling that it wasn’t really about the ice cream.” he told you thoughtfully, but obviously meant it as a question.
He was so nice to you. If he wanted to know why you were crying, then you felt like you owe him an explanation at the very least.
„You’re right. I just... I didn’t even want to come to this stupid amusement park. I want to go home.” you started complaining.
From his face you could tell that this wasn’t what he expected to hear.
„You don’t like Phoenix Wonderland? Why?”
He asked in a normal tone, but the fact that he called this place by its name made you realize that you probably shouldn’t have said that. Just because you’re feeling like shit, it doesn’t mean that this is a bad place. Maybe he loves it a lot and what you said sounded rude.
You sighed.
„I’m sorry, I’m just having a horrible day. I’m sure Phoenix Wonderland is great, and I wish I was in the mood to appreciate it. But I had to move to this country a few days ago, and I feel sort of... lost. I literally don’t know anybody here.” you explained. „So I already felt miserable, and then I dropped that ice cream...”
„I see... but I don’t think that’s entirely true now.” he smiled. „I’m Rui, nice to meet you. What’s your name?”
That was smooth. You couldn’t believe you just made a friend. Or at least had someone take pity on you enough to keep the conversation going. Either way, now you didn’t feel so alone. You told him your name. And now that you were actually talking, you kinda wanted to find out what the hell he’s carrying.
„May I ask what’s in that bag? It looks so heavy.”
„Maintenance tools.” he answered. „I’m going to check if everything at the Wonder Stage works properly. Can’t have something malfunctioning during a show.”
„So, you work here? You repair things?” you pried further into his personal life.
„That’s part of it, but I’m actually a show cast and the director of our plays.” he told you. „But today I’m just here to do maintenance.”
That sounded impressive.
„Wow, you must be good at a lot of things, then.” you said. „And I’m definitely holding you back from doing your thing. You should go.”
You didn’t really want him to go, but you owed him enough already. It felt bad to take up so much of his time when he had places to be.
„Haha, I’m just a theater freak.” he laughed. „And don’t worry, I wasn’t in a hurry anyway. You could come with me if you’re interested... I mean it wouldn’t be as exciting as a roller coaster ride.” he added so you don’t feel pressured.
Somehow, watching Rui do maintenance sounded a lot more interesting than the rest of the amusement park. You were glad he offered.
„Alright.” you smiled. „Let’s go to that Wonder Stage.”