Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 324: A battle neither of them could afford to lose

Ryan had absolutely no good feelings about the “Joyful Doughnut” ride that shot people into the sky. He was ready to turn around and leave immediately.

He had already made up his mind: no matter how much Mia and Anna tried to convince him, he wasn’t going to get on that thing. At most, he’d just watch them from below.

But things didn’t go as planned. When Mia smirked and teased, “Big brother, you’re not scared, are you?” something snapped in Ryan’s brain, and before he knew it, he’d agreed to her request.

Now, the three of them had already bought their tickets and were standing directly under the massive ride. The doughnut-shaped seats were going up and down, sending off group after group of riders, and the line in front of them was getting shorter and shorter.

The dreaded moment had arrived.

Looking up, Ryan felt dizzy. You don’t really grasp how high it is until you’re standing right beneath it.

Mia wasn’t wrong earlier. Yeah, with just one “whoosh,” he’d definitely be launched straight into the sky.

Mia was practically bouncing with excitement, while Anna kept glancing at Ryan. He really didn’t want to try this ride, but here he was, dragged along anyway.

Anna had her own plan. If Ryan got scared, she could easily blame it on Mia and then comfort him, using the opportunity to get closer to him. After all, she wasn’t the one who suggested this in the first place. She’d been on Ryan’s side the whole time.

The best way to deal with fear isn’t to face it head-on, but to avoid it. Avoidance has always been an effective, if slightly shameful, strategy.

For example, the longer Ryan stood there watching the ride go up and down, hearing the screams of the riders, the more his fear grew.

He’d tried several times to use the excuse of needing to go to the bathroom to escape, but it didn’t work. Two minutes later, with a face full of dread, Ryan found himself sitting between the two girls on the “Joyful Doughnut.”

After triple-checking that his seatbelt was secure, Ryan decided to close his eyes for the last few moments before the ride started.

On one hand, not seeing the height might make it less terrifying. On the other hand, Mia was probably smirking at him right now.

She was a little devil, after all. There was no way she’d miss a chance to mess with him.

As the ride prepared to start, both girls, as if suddenly filled with kindness, reached out and grabbed his hands from either side.

Ryan’s palms were already drenched in sweat. He was incredibly nervous.

But as their hands clasped together, he noticed something: he wasn’t the only one with sweaty palms.

Were Mia and Anna scared too?

Ryan glanced at the two girls in confusion. They’d seemed so calm earlier, like this ride was no big deal, but now they looked completely different.

Mia’s expression had changed the moment she sat down. It had seemed fun when she was watching from below, but now that she was strapped in, unable to move, with her feet far from the ground, she felt completely unsafe. She was starting to regret it.

Her little legs dangled helplessly, and her cute face had turned pale. She gripped Ryan’s hand tightly, her shoulders trembling.

Ryan turned to look at Mia and rolled his eyes in exasperation. If she was this scared, why did she force him to come up here? Wouldn’t it have been better to just ride the merry-go-round or something safe?

“Mia…”

Ryan called her name softly. If she was really that scared, they could ask the staff to let them off. Safety was the top priority at amusement parks, after all. If someone had a heart condition or something, the park wouldn’t want to take the risk.

“Mia, if you’re really scared, we can get off.”

Mia cut him off, her voice trembling as she replied.

“I’m fine, it’s just… just a little hot, that’s why I’m sweating.”

“If you’re scared, Ryan, you can hold my hand tighter. I don’t mind.”

Mia sneaked a glance down below. The ride had already started moving slowly, and she shuddered again, her mouth opening and closing as she muttered nervously.

Ryan was speechless. This must be what they call “all talk, no game.” But there wasn’t much he could do. He just squeezed Mia’s right hand, trying to calm her down.

After checking on Mia, Ryan turned to his right to see how Anna was doing. She seemed to be handling it better than Mia—at least she wasn’t shaking all over.

But that was about the only difference. Anna’s eyebrows were furrowed, her eyes tightly shut, and she was muttering something under her breath.

Ryan’s hand was pressed firmly against Anna’s chest, and there was no way he could move it even if he tried.

“Anna, are you okay?”

Ryan asked, genuinely concerned. With Mia and Anna’s reactions distracting him, he realized he wasn’t feeling as scared anymore. As the ride slowly ascended, he even started to feel a bit excited.

Maybe this ride wasn’t as terrifying as he’d imagined.

Anna, hearing Ryan’s voice, took a few deep breaths before finally opening her eyes. But instead of looking at Ryan, she glanced past him to Mia, who was sitting on the other side.

Mia also looked over at that moment, and the two girls locked eyes, both letting out a soft, competitive huff.

“Yeah… I’m fine.”

Showing a bit of vulnerability in front of Ryan wasn’t a big deal for either of them. After all, deep down, they both already trusted him.

But this was a competition—a battle neither of them could afford to lose.

Ryan glanced back and forth between the two, suddenly at a loss for words. He had no idea where this strange sense of rivalry between them had come from. Girls really were mysterious creatures.

The staff nearby started counting down, but Ryan’s initial nervousness had completely vanished. With Mia and Anna each pulling on one of his arms, he was launched into the air in a hilariously awkward position.

And then, without any surprise, both girls screamed at the top of their lungs.

As Ryan soared through the air, he found himself thinking: should he scream too? He’d thought the height would be terrifying, but with his eardrums nearly bursting from the girls’ screams, it didn’t seem so bad anymore.

The fear and thrill of the ride were all packed into a single moment. A few seconds later, the feeling of weightlessness faded, and Ryan realized the ride was already starting to descend.

“Wait, that’s it?”

Ryan glanced at the two girls beside him, both panting heavily, and suddenly felt a bit underwhelmed.

He’d been dragged onto the ride against his will, and this was the result? He hadn’t expected it to be so… anticlimactic.

A few moments later, the ride gently touched back down. Ryan helped the staff unbuckle Mia and Anna from their seats.

The staff seemed a bit surprised by how calm Ryan was. They even wondered if something had gone wrong with the ride—how could someone have no reaction at all?