## Chapter 247 – Side Story 9 – Aquarium Date With Aquamarine (2)
***
“Ugh! We’ve been walking around for ages, but there’s still so much to see.”
We’d been exploring the underwater tunnel and admiring hundreds of different marine creatures for over two hours. Even after wandering around and around, there were still plenty of attractions left.
“It’s almost lunchtime… Should we head out for a bit and grab something to eat?”
The time on my smartphone screen read 12:20 PM.
The visitors who had been exploring the aquarium were starting to trickle out, seemingly heading towards the restaurants in the same building.
“Yes! My tummy’s rumbling!”
Aquamarine gently rubbed her empty, growling stomach and pointed towards the exit with her finger.
“There’s a food court one floor below the aquarium. Let’s wander around and find a place that looks good.”
The aquarium tickets we purchased allowed re-entry throughout the day by scanning the code on the ticket, even if we stepped outside for a while.
Since I had skipped breakfast and was starting to feel hungry, I took Aquamarine’s hand and we headed out of the aquarium for a bit.
We quickly descended via the escalator in front of the aquarium, and a variety of restaurants selling different kinds of food came into view.
“It’s lunchtime, so it’s super crowded…”
It was the time of day when people from the aquarium and shoppers from the mall flocked to the food court.
Thankfully, it wasn’t so crowded that there were no seats available because it was a weekday. We slowly strolled through the food court, looking for a place that appealed to us.
“Ooh…!”
“Looks delicious…”
Then, a restaurant caught both Aquamarine’s and my attention at the same time.
The savory aroma of sesame oil sizzling with spicy seasoning made us turn our heads, and the incredible visuals of the dish being cooked captivated our eyes.
It was stir-fried pork, a dish often called a soul food for men, along with tonkatsu and gukbap. But really, it was a dish that anyone who liked meat would enjoy.
The mesmerizing sight stopped us in our tracks.
“Looks good, right?”
“Yes.”
As if hypnotized, Aquamarine and I walked over and sat down at a table inside the restaurant, looking at the menu posted on the table.
The menu only had two items: the stir-fried pork that boasted incredible visuals inside the restaurant and soy sauce marinated bulgogi.
“I want to eat stir-fried pork.”
“I think so too.”
We ordered two servings of stir-fried pork and a can of soda using the kiosk. Soon, we heard the clattering of a large wok being moved in the kitchen.
“Ooh…”
Watching the chef flamboyantly stir-frying the meat in the open kitchen made even people who weren’t interested turn their heads for a moment.
As Aquamarine and I stared at the kitchen, half-lost in thought, a plate piled high with stir-fried pork and several side dishes were placed on our table.
In addition, a small earthenware pot of miso stew, two bowls of rice in silver bowls, and finally, a can of ice-cold soda completed our order.
“Enjoy your meal!”
The meal began with the chef’s confident greeting.
“Mmm…!”
I put a piece of meat in my mouth and added a spoonful of steaming rice. The combination of the sweet and spicy seasoning and the savory flavor of the hot rice created a perfect harmony of flavors.
The taste wasn’t particularly special, but it was undeniably perfect. We stopped talking and completely immersed ourselves in the allure of the stir-fried pork.
***
“Ugh… Did I eat too much?”
“I think I ate a lot more than usual too!”
After enjoying the stir-fried pork that proudly stood out in the shopping mall’s food court, which was filled with all sorts of fancy menus, Aquamarine and I patted our stomachs with satisfaction and stepped back into the aquarium.
“The Little Mermaid show starts at two o’clock… It’s 20 minutes before it starts, so we should hurry and grab a seat.”
One floor above the underwater tunnel and the various marine life, there was an underwater performance by divers swimming with the fish inside the aquarium.
This performance, called the Little Mermaid show, was an iconic attraction of this aquarium. If you didn’t hurry and find a seat, you might end up having to stand far away.
“Let’s see… It’s not completely full, probably because it’s a weekday.”
Since we visited on a weekday afternoon, there weren’t as many visitors as on the weekend. When we arrived at the performance hall, there were still some seats available with a decent view of the show.
We sat down, filled with anticipation, and waited. Then, a giant curtain was drawn, revealing a huge aquarium even larger than the underwater tunnel.
“Wow…!”
A diver dressed as the Little Mermaid appeared inside the large aquarium, so big that we had to crane our necks to see the top, and waved to the audience.
It was amazing how she could swim so freely even while wearing a Little Mermaid costume that completely covered her legs, giving the viewers a mystical feeling.
The diver, who instantly captivated the audience, swam gracefully, lining up with the rays that were swimming around her.
The rays also seemed to have a very close relationship with the diver, flapping their fins with expressions that seemed to be smiling.
“Cute…”
Aquamarine was completely engrossed in the Little Mermaid show, watching with her mouth open. She even started recording a video with her smartphone.
“I’ll film it for you… Just take it all in with your eyes.”
I took the smartphone from her so she could focus more on the Little Mermaid show.
This moment was a memory from childhood becoming a memory as an adult.
I wanted Aquamarine to remember this precious moment clearly.
The sight of countless colorful fish and rays dancing with the diver, and even the sight of her hugging a giant ray the size of a person, was truly like seeing the Little Mermaid come to life.
As we watched for a long time, the performance was nearing its end.
With a refreshing smile, as if promising to meet again, the diver waved her arms energetically from inside the closing curtain towards the audience who were expressing their disappointment.
After the curtain completely covered the aquarium again and darkness fell, people confirmed that the performance was over and got up from their seats, sharing their lingering impressions with their companions.
“That was really fun! Didn’t it feel like we were really watching the Little Mermaid?”
Aquamarine really enjoyed the Little Mermaid show. She was so excited that she hopped around like a rabbit, openly expressing her joy.
“You enjoyed it that much? We should definitely come see it again next time.”
Aquamarine’s innocent and cheerful appearance was so adorable that even I, whose facial expressions were usually limited to a slight smile, couldn’t help but smile broadly.
“Penguins! I heard we can see penguins over there. Shall we go see them?”
“Of course. We should see anything you want to see, right?”
Seeing a sign that said we could see cute penguins waddling around, Aquamarine grabbed my hand and ran towards where the penguins were.
***
After observing the Little Mermaid show and the waddling penguins, and even watching the turtles and otters playfully frolicking, Aquamarine and I came out.
Before we knew it, the sun had begun to set, painting the sky red, and darkness was slowly descending. It was almost time for the aquarium to close.
We had spent so much time that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say we had seen everything in the aquarium. Still, we left the aquarium with a lingering feeling of regret.
“The accommodation we’re staying at tonight is in the shopping mall building… We can take the elevator up from here.”
The building where we enjoyed our date served as both a large shopping mall and a complex cultural space. There were luxurious accommodations on the upper floors of the aquarium.
“Here! This is where I made the reservation.”
We took the escalator and elevator to the top floor of the shopping mall, and the hotel entrance, with a calm atmosphere that was quite different from the bustling atmosphere below, greeted us.
‘This place… looks really expensive just by looking at it…’
I was inwardly surprised by the luxurious visuals that looked like at least a four-star hotel.
Aquamarine checked into the room she had reserved at the hotel front desk, and followed the friendly staff member to the room with me.
From anywhere inside the room, we could see the dazzling night view outside the shopping mall, making us feel like a corporate chairman or a state guest.
After giving us a brief explanation, the staff member left the room with another friendly greeting. We first sat on the most important thing, the bed, to check its softness.
“You even booked a place like this… That’s amazing.”
“Hehe… I have money saved up from working as a hero!”
The job of a hero involved desperately fighting in life-or-death situations, so even a B-rank hero received a decent amount of money.
In the case of the two of us, who were magical girl heroes, we didn’t receive a separate rank assessment, but we were treated as A-rank heroes, so the amount of performance-based pay was enormous.
Therefore, it might be a price that would be too burdensome for ordinary people to even try to stay once, but for her, who had received a considerable amount of hazard pay, it was something she could afford to visit once in a while.
“Today… was such a fun day with Master. It was so, so fun that I’ll never be able to forget it for the rest of my life.”
Aquamarine lay on the soft bed with her head on my chest, telling me her feelings with a face full of satisfaction.
A memory that would be a good driving force for her to live her life. A happy memory that would allow her to endure and overcome even the most difficult things.
For her, I was no longer just a part of her life, but the reason for her life, and a being with whom she shared all the happiness and memories of her daily life.
“I… was so happy to be with you too. It felt like I had returned to my childhood.”
Until recently, I was a vicious villain who had shaken South Korea, but today, I felt like an innocent child.
Thanks to Aquamarine, I was able to feel the pure feelings of my childhood for a while and cherish another precious memory.
“To Master, who gave me such a precious gift today… This time, I want to give you a gift…♥”
Aquamarine, who was hugged tightly in my arms, swallowed hard for a moment. Then, as if she had made up her mind, she closed her eyes and opened them, and started taking off the clothes she was wearing.
Aquamarine took off her calmly colored sweater, her black pleated skirt, and even her black stockings that went up to her thighs.
“A gift for Master… I was preparing it in advance…♥”
Standing before me was a peerless beauty with sky-blue hair wearing a pretty swimsuit, so beautiful that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was more beautiful than the Little Mermaid.
