Distance Sweeter Than Cotton Candy - 神威がくぽx巡音ルカ

💜💗💜💗💜 Story 💗💜💗💜💗 The amusement park in the afternoon was filled with cheerful laughter. The carousel turned slowly to light, bouncy music, while far off, the roller coaster plunged down its track at breakneck speed. The excited screams of its riders carried across the clear sky, mingling with the music drifting from all the other rides. Kamui Gakupo and Megurine Luka had already spent most of the afternoon in the park. They had originally planned to pick a few rides they liked and stroll around the grounds, but once the date actually began, Luka grew curious about every fun-looking attraction. From the carousel at the start, to the teacups and the Ferris wheel, and then to the heart-pounding roller coaster, she would always turn to Gakupo with an expectant look and ask whether he would ride with her. And Gakupo had never once refused. Even when a ride turned out to be more intense than he had expected, he would still step calmly off the platform afterward, reach out to steady Luka, who was a little unsteady on her feet from excitement, and gently ask whether she'd had fun. Each time she answered yes, his eyes softened a little without his realizing it. "Gakupo, weren't you really even a little scared on the roller coaster just now?" They had only just stepped away from the ride when Luka, hooking her arm through his, looked up at him curiously. Gakupo thought for a moment before answering with a smile. "If I said I wasn't scared at all, would you believe me?" "No." She answered almost without hesitation, a clear note of amusement in her pretty blue eyes. "You squeezed my hand during the first sharp turn." "So you noticed." "Of course I did! You were the one who squeezed my hand, after all." She said it with perfect confidence, even a little smug, as though she had discovered a precious secret. Gakupo looked down at her and didn't rush to defend himself. In truth, he really had tightened his grip on her hand as the coaster plunged, but fear wasn't the whole reason. At that moment, Luka had burst into laughter from the thrill of the speed. The wind rushing toward them lifted her long pink hair, and her bright blue eyes were full of pure joy. Looking at her smile, he had suddenly felt an urge to hold on to her tightly, to keep this happiness from slipping away through his fingers. So he had taken her hand. And even now, he hadn't let go. "Since you've noticed," Gakupo said, giving their clasped hands a gentle swing, "next time there's an even more thrilling ride, you'll have to keep me company too." Luka was momentarily stunned. She had only meant to tease him. She hadn't expected him to answer in such a gentle tone. "...You just want to keep holding my hand." "That's not a bad reason either." "Gakupo!" She couldn't help laughing as she bumped his arm lightly, though her cheeks quietly flushed a faint pink. Gakupo watched her reaction, the smile on his lips never fading. They wandered the park a while longer, until the afternoon sunlight grew softer and Luka finally noticed that her legs were tired. Conveniently, not far ahead was a row of benches set in the shade of some trees. "Gakupo, shall we rest for a bit?" "Of course. You're tired, aren't you?" "Just a little." Luka nodded honestly, then added, "But today has been so much fun!" "I'm glad." Gakupo walked her over to the bench and made sure the seat was clean before letting her sit. Then he sat down beside her, set aside the things they had bought along the way, and picked up the cotton candy that Luka had been cherishing in her arms the whole time. They had picked it out together at a small stall. Luka had hesitated for quite a while between pink and blue, but in the end she chose one with a soft purple-and-pink gradient. The fluffy strands of sugar, held up by a bamboo stick, looked from a distance like a little cloud tinted by the afternoon sun. "I can finally eat it!" Luka gazed at the cotton candy, her eyes sparkling slightly. "Didn't you say you wanted to take a photo first?" "Because I want to keep a memory of our date today." As she spoke, she took out her phone, set the cotton candy between them, found the right angle, and snapped a picture. Then she raised the phone a little higher so that she and Gakupo could both fit in the frame. "Gakupo, get a little closer." He leaned in as she asked. Luka tilted her head against his shoulder, and the two of them looked into the camera together. She wore a happy smile, while Gakupo lowered his head slightly, his gaze resting gently on her. The moment the shutter clicked, the scene was frozen in place. In the photo were the afternoon sunlight, the fluffy cotton candy, and the two of them, leaning naturally against each other. Luka checked the photo with satisfaction, then put her phone away. "It came out really well! I'm going to keep this one." "Only on your phone?" "Hm?" "I thought you might consider making it your wallpaper." Luka froze for a moment, then broke into a slightly shy smile. "Do you want to be my wallpaper?" "If you're willing, I have no objection." "Then I want you to set it as your wallpaper too!" "All right." Gakupo agreed so readily that Luka didn't know how to respond. She stole a glance at him and found him looking down at the photo they had just taken, as composed as if this were the most natural thing in the world. He was always like this. Even a simple sentence, coming from his mouth, could make her feel cherished and happy. Luka's mood grew even brighter. She picked up the cotton candy again, tore off a small tuft of the soft sugar, and put it in her mouth. The sweetness melted on her tongue at once. "Delicious!" She narrowed her eyes in contentment, then suddenly turned around and held the cotton candy out to Gakupo. "Here, your turn." Gakupo looked at the cotton candy in her hand, then at her expectant eyes. "You're going to feed me?" "Yep." Luka held the little tuft of cotton candy closer to him. "Didn't we agree to eat it together?" She said it so naturally, as though it were the most ordinary little thing. For Gakupo, however, this closeness carried a different meaning. They had been together for a while now, and had eaten many desserts together, even sharing a single cake at a restaurant. But sitting here on a bench in the amusement park, being fed by Luka with a smile on her face still brought him a sweetness he couldn't quite put into words. He leaned forward slightly and took the little tuft of cotton candy from her hand. The soft strands melted in his mouth. The sweetness wasn't strong, but it was just right. "How is it?" Luka asked expectantly. "Very good." "Really?" "Mm." Gakupo looked at her, a hint of warmth in his voice. "But I think part of the reason is that you fed it to me yourself." Luka's expression froze instantly. She had only wanted to share the cotton candy with him. She hadn't expected him to answer like that. "Wh-why are you suddenly saying things like that..." "I'm telling the truth." "But..." Her voice grew smaller and smaller, and her blue eyes unconsciously avoided his gaze. Gakupo didn't tease her any further. He simply reached out and gently tucked a strand of pink hair, blown by the wind, away from her cheek. "What's wrong? Are you embarrassed?" "You know perfectly well!" Luka couldn't help glaring at him. There was no real blame in those eyes, only the shyness that comes from closeness. Gakupo laughed softly. "Sorry. But you look cute when you're embarrassed, too." "Don't say any more!" Even as she demanded it, she didn't take the cotton candy back. Instead, when Gakupo parted his lips slightly, she tore off another small tuft and carefully brought it to his mouth. This time, her movements were more natural than before. Gakupo lowered his head to accept it, his gaze never leaving her. Luka had meant to stay composed, but under his focused gaze she grew a little flustered, and could only turn her attention back to the cotton candy. "It's my turn now." She announced it in a small voice, then tore off a piece from the same cotton candy and put it in her own mouth. Gakupo watched her, then suddenly pointed to the corner of her lips. "Luka, you've got some sugar here." "Where?" She raised a hand instinctively but couldn't find it. "Here?" "A little more to the side." Luka wiped at the spot as he directed, but still found nothing. Gakupo finally couldn't hold back his laughter. "All right, it's gone now." She realized at once that she'd been teased. "Gakupo!" "Sorry. This time it really was my fault." Though he apologized, the amusement in his eyes was unconcealed. Luka looked at him, ready to protest, but ended up laughing along with him. She simply thrust the cotton candy in front of him. "Since you like it so much, have another bite!" "As you wish." Gakupo obligingly lowered his head. Watching him obediently accept her feeding, Luka felt a soft sense of contentment well up inside her. In everyday life, Gakupo was always calm and composed, rarely flustered when things came up. But in front of her, he sometimes showed this gentle, slightly playful side. She liked him this way. She liked how he always remembered to hold her hand in a crowd, how he slowed his pace when she was tired, and how, although he could so easily make her blush with words, he always gave her a gentle way out at just the right moment. Most of all, she could express her affection for him without any reservation. There was no need to hide anything, and no need to worry that her willfulness would trouble him. Because Gakupo was always willing to stay by her side. "Gakupo." "Mm?" "I'm really happy today." She set the cotton candy down between them and leaned lightly against his shoulder. "Not just because we rode so many rides, and not just because I got cotton candy." Gakupo turned his head and listened quietly as she went on. "It's because I'm with you." Luka's voice was soft, but without a trace of hesitation. "As long as I'm doing something with you, even just sitting here resting, I feel happy." Gakupo's gaze gradually softened. He put down what he was holding and gently drew her into his arms so she could lean on him more comfortably. "Me too." He answered in a low voice. "Even if we hadn't ridden a single ride today, and I had only walked with you and talked, and finally sat here sharing a cotton candy, I would still think it was a wonderful day." Luka looked up. Afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting fine, scattered patterns of light and shadow across his face. Gazing into those familiar violet eyes, she suddenly felt as though she had fallen in love with him all over again. They saw each other every day, and she had long grown used to having him by her side, yet whenever he said such sincere things, she still got so flustered with excitement that she forgot how to hide her expression. "Then..." She gently swung their clasped hands. "Next time, let's come again together, okay?" "Of course." Gakupo agreed without hesitation. "And next time, you decide what we ride." "Really? Then I'm going to pick lots and lots of rides!" "I'll go with you." "Even the most thrilling roller coaster?" "Even the most thrilling roller coaster." Luka finally smiled happily. She picked up the cotton candy, which was now mostly eaten, tore off the last little tuft, and held it up to Gakupo's lips. "Then this is the last bite of the day." Gakupo looked at her but didn't eat it right away. "The last bite should be yours." "But we bought it together." "Then you eat half first." Luka was briefly stunned, then understood what he meant. She carefully split the tuft into two small portions, ate one half herself, and offered the other half to him. Gakupo lowered his head and accepted what she shared. They looked at each other and smiled. The cotton candy soon vanished into the afternoon breeze, leaving behind a faint sweetness, and a warmth even more lingering than the sweetness itself. Luka tucked the empty bamboo stick away and linked her arm through Gakupo's again. "I think we've rested enough. Where shall we go next?" Gakupo looked toward the distant Ferris wheel. The enormous wheel was turning slowly, its transparent cabins glimmering softly in the sunlight. "Shall we ride the Ferris wheel?" Luka followed his gaze, and her eyes immediately lit up. "Yes!" She stood up and took his hand herself. "This time, I'm the one leading you." Gakupo looked down at their clasped hands and smiled, tightening his fingers. "Then I'll leave it to you, Luka." "Leave it to me!" She laughed and pulled him up, heading toward the Ferris wheel. The amusement park was as lively as ever in the afternoon, with music and laughter rising and falling in the distance. The two of them walked side by side through the crowd, their hands never parting. For them, the most precious part of this date had never been how many rides they'd tried, nor how many photos they'd taken. It was that, in every moment they shared, they could clearly feel that no matter what the next destination was, as long as the person beside them was still each other, an ordinary afternoon was enough to become a memory worth treasuring for a lifetime.