They are still close to me today despite their negative feelings

Chen Di! Did you play something wrong this time?!

And you clearly set off earlier, so how come you came running up from behind?

"Well."

Qiu Luxi glanced at me, but didn't show any obvious dissatisfaction.

"...What a coincidence, you're here to ride the pirate ship too?"

I twitched the corner of my mouth.

"Shh!"

Qiu Luxi made a shushing gesture.

Is it because they're worried about being discovered by their die-hard fans?

I glanced warily around her.

...Nobody was looking this way.

"Hmph hmph hmph~ Hmph hmph hmph~ Bong bong bong~"

Qiu Luxi hummed a song, the headphone cord hanging around her neck swaying slightly.

"?!"

Where did you get your phone?

"It's a Walkman!"

"What an archaic term."

I haven't heard the name of this device in a long time.

Do you want to hear it?

Qiu Luxi glanced at me, took off one earphone from her left ear, and handed it to me.

"Won't it be inconvenient to walk?"

I want to decline tactfully.

"The sound quality is great."

She didn't seem to understand my implied meaning and said something out of the blue.

Feeling that the other person wouldn't give up unless I took it, I put it in my ear.

"~"

It's a very upbeat music style, no wonder Qiu Luxi was gently nodding and swaying her head just now.

I looked at this girl who seemed to have forgotten her original purpose.

"...By the way, you seem completely unconcerned?"

"what?"

"You could have guessed it, right? This kind of activity is obviously designed to fulfill your request, Miss."

"Oh, um." Qiu Luxi nodded. "I understand."

What a strange reaction!

"Don't you feel bored that you couldn't talk to Chen Di?"

"Eh? Why?"

Qiu Luxi glanced at me.

"The amusement park itself is also a lot of fun."

This lack of strong purpose and her free-spirited attitude actually suits her personality quite well.

"But I really didn't expect you to choose 'adventure and action'. It doesn't seem to suit you at all, does it?"

"~"

She ignored me and just hummed along to the music on her Walkman. Since we were sharing headphones, the girl's long hair would occasionally brush against my cheek as she leaned closer, accompanied by the pleasant scent of shampoo, making my nose itch.

I suddenly recalled the time when I was working part-time at a cat cafe and was pestered by "Miss Cat," and the soft, furry feel of her.

"Okay, I've heard enough. Here you go."

Just as I was about to take off my headphones, I saw Qiu Luxi take out her Walkman and casually switch songs.

"There's another song."

She tilted her head and looked at me, seemingly not intending to take the headphones.

So I had no choice but to put it back on and continue to bend down slightly to get a little closer to her.

After being "forced" to listen to four or five songs with Qiu Luxi, it was finally our turn to ride the pirate ship.

My back hurts so much...

"Welcome to the Bearded Cat Pirate Crew! I am your captain, the great explorer Bearded Cat!"

A cute, chibi-style cat appears on the large screen in front of the entrance to the facility, wearing a pirate hat and holding a hook, seemingly provoking the visitors.

"I have hidden my treasure on the other side! Only the bravest can find it! There lies the sky, the sea, and flowers! Go forth, novice sailors, seek my treasure and prove yourselves!"

How do you find it? Does it swing in the air and then fly away?

However, the big star next to me was no different from the excited children around him at that moment.

Qiu Luxi's eyes lit up as she looked at me and pointed to the screen.

"Let's go find the treasure!"

"...This should just be a line from the script."

Cats don't lie!

But it's a virtual cat! Does AlphaGo shed fur?!

However, seeing Qiu Luxi's unusually cheerful expression, so different from her usual lazy demeanor, I could only shrug.

"Hey, you over there! Ignoring your girlfriend's requests isn't the mark of a good sailor!"

"Not a girlfriend. Are there really AIs like you?"

"Hmph, this captain knows everything and can do everything!"

The pirate cat on the screen stood with his hands on his hips, grinning smugly. Thanks to him, Qiu Luxi and I were greeted with friendly laughter from the surrounding tourists.

"As a sailor, you can't let the woman you love shed tears! Summon your courage, new crew member! The captain is with you!"

It was too risky to let Qiu Luxi continue to be watched, so I could only let this talkative cat chatter on and pull Qiu Luxi, who was still standing there, toward the pirate ship.

"..." Qiu Luxi, still curious about interacting with the pirate cat, was reluctantly pulled by my arm and boarded the ship with great reluctance.

"Will we be able to find the treasure?"

Sitting next to me, Qiu Luxi didn't immediately fasten her seatbelt. Instead, she looked around as if she was about to check her surroundings.

"Click."

I reached out and fastened her seatbelt. She looked up at me, somewhat bewildered.

"I think I know what the riddle means. Anyway, it's not about unbuckling and running around. Just stay put."

"Oh."

Qiu Luxi nodded, then took out her earphone cord.

"...and you're not allowed to listen to Walkmans either."

When I handed the Walkman to an employee, Qiu Luxi pouted.

"This is a safety regulation; don't be reckless."

I feel like a guardian taking care of a cat.

Boom!

The pirate ship began to slowly rise.

Then, it started to shake slightly.

……

"Ugh... I'm dizzy..."

Even after I helped her off the boat, Qiu Luxi's eyes still seemed to be swirling with tears.

"Then let's go rest on that bench over there."

"But……"

Qiu Luxi spoke to the big tree next to the trash can.

...I'm over here, Miss.

"Brave crew members! Have you found this captain's treasure, meow?"

"Sky! Ocean! And flowers!"

The pirate cat on the screen asked a smug question. Many participating tourists gathered around to discuss it, but it seemed that no one could provide an answer.

Qiu Luxi was also deep in thought, showing a kind of stubbornness that she wouldn't leave until she came up with a question.

I sighed.

"18, 8, 5."

I walked up to the screen and said this to the pirate cat.

The chibi-style character on the screen paused slightly, then its expression turned to surprise.

A bomb appeared at its feet, and with a loud "boom," a gift box popped up on the screen.

"You got it right!!!"

"Congratulations, you are the bravest crew member!"

"Huh?" "Why?" "What do you mean?!"

Ignoring the doubts and curiosity of the tourists around me, I took the mustache cat pendant from the staff member who came over and walked towards Qiu Luxi.

"Boy!"

Behind him, the pirate cat let out a weathered voice.

"I approve of you! Go, a brave sailor should go and greet his beloved beautiful girl, meow!"

Pfft, Shenjin, you made me laugh.

Still looking bewildered, Qiu Luxi stared at me and the pendant in my hand.

"Why meow?!"

Have you been infected too?

"Unraveling the mystery of the pirate ship can't be done while you're on board; that would cause a safety incident. Combining 'bravery' and 'the other side,' the puzzle basically means you have to keep your eyes open the whole time, looking out from high above to observe the information it provides."

"The sky refers to the Ferris wheel, the ocean to the underwater world, and the flowers to the garden in front of the castle. The most obvious things inside, which can only be seen from a high place, are the private boxes, the number of fish in the title, and the garden statues."

I handed the pendant over.

"Well, these kinds of puzzles are usually brain teasers. Want one?"

"!"

Qiu Luxi sat up straight immediately, like a naval soldier receiving a medal.

"Can I have a meow?"

She pointed to herself in disbelief.

These kinds of keychains probably wouldn't even be worth fifty outside, right? Why are you, a big star, looking so incredulous? If you were to apply to be a spokesperson for an amusement park, these kinds of merchandise would probably fill an entire classroom.

Thinking I might as well do her a favor for free, I stuffed the pendant into her hand.

"After all, we weren't able to fulfill the request for the first part of the journey. Consider this compensation, okay?"

Qiu Luxi's face was adorned with a conspicuous joy.