Zoo ②
“There are loads of people”
“It cannot be helped since it is the last day of Golden Week”
“Yeah. There are also loads of people that bring their family along after all”
“It is important to learn to accept things for what they are”
“It’s true, butt!!”
We, who arrived at the zoo, are queuing at the ticket booth. It has only been about 20 minutes, but Renya looks like he got tired of waiting.
“Shall we decide where to go beforehand then? We probably cannot take our time to see everything with this crowd”
“I guess we’ll do thatt”
“What do they have again?”
“Here, the pamphlet”
The four of us look at the pamphlet. Hmm, there is quite the variety huh. If I have to choose amongst these……it would be the koalas for me.
“What does everybody want to see? I want to see the koalas”
“Pandas”
“Lions for me! They’re cool after all!”
“I want to see the monkeys”
I knew that Yae wants to see the pandas. After all, she loves pandas; she always decorates her room with the panda soft-toy that I gifted her in the past.
And then the lions for Renya huh……because they’re cool……how do I say this, it is very Renya-like. I don’t know whether I should say he is simple or boyish.
“You like pandas. That’s cute, Yae”
“It’s surprising that Mutsumi likes monkey”
“Eh? Aren’t monkeys adorable?”
It was surprising for me as well that Nishikada-san likes monkeys. It is not that it is strange, but how should I say this, it is not in her image.
“In that case, let us visit the koalas, lions, and monkeys in the morning, and the pandas in the afternoon, shall we. Those three are in the same area after all”
“Muu”
“We will make sure to go afterwards, so please don’t sulk”
‘Pushuu’, there was the sound of air escaping when I say and poke the cheek that Yae puffs up slightly. I could not help laughing since it went better than I had expected.
“Hey, even with that, they’re not dating, right?”
“According to them, that is……rather, even now, I think they probably don’t have the self-awareness that they’re flirting”
Renya and Nishikada-san are saying something, but nothing enters my head. I have to somehow pacify Yae, who, perhaps unhappy about that just now, is smacking me……
“Sorry, it was my fault. I will buy something for you next time, so please forgive me”
“Sweets”
“I got it. I will buy you some cake!”
“I’ll forgive you then”
Fuu, I somehow managed to get her to forgive me. Let’s buy from the patisserie that Renya told me previously.
“Next〜”
“Oh, it’s our turn. Let’s go!”
Our turn came just right on time. Now then, let’s have tons of fun for the entirety of today!
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
“Lions……why……”
“He’s still on about it”
“Just leave him be. He’ll revive in time. Leaving that aside, let’s go and buy together!”
It is past 11; we already went around to see all kinds of animals, so we are having a slightly early lunch before it starts getting crowded. The two girls are going off to buy, and the boys are watching the seats……it does feel like it is normally the other way around, but Renya is hanging his head, so I suppose it cannot be helped.
“How long are you going to stay like that”
“I meanー, I didn’t think that the lions would actually look like thatー”
Renya is wilting because the lions were not as cool as he thought huh. Renya was stunned upon seeing them lying sprawled and yawning. Or rather, I wonder if he thought the lions in the zoo are the same as those in the wild.
“That is how they will become since they can get their meals even if they do nothing. Renya too, you will not work if you can receive 1 million yen every month, right?”
“Ahー, I see. I guess it can’t be helped for them to laze around in that caseー”
“By the way, are you alright with showing a sight like that to Nishikada-san? Like the lions, your coolness is very lacking”
“It’s already too late for thatー”
Aah, Renya and Nishikada-san played together since the past as well huh. It really is already too late for that huh. This low-tension Renya can be seen whenever there are tests after all.
“Sorry to keep you waitingー. The curry Renya requested”
“Oh, thanks. I’ll pay you later”
“You’re welcome”
Yae and Nishikada-san returned as we were talking about such things huh. Looking at their interaction just now, it once again makes me think, ‘the two of them sure get along well’.
“Takoyaki¹”
“Thank you. Here is the money”
“Okay”
8 pieces for 600 yen. As I thought, the ones they sell at a place like this is slightly on the expensive side huh. But it can only be eaten at times like these, so it is a necessary expenditure. And then everybody was handed their respective lunch so
“”””Itadakimasu“”””
I immediately eat a takoyaki. It is so hot that it feels like I am going to scald the inside of my mouth, but I bear with it. It is a waste if you do not eat takoyaki while it is piping hot after all.
“Delicious”
“Yae’s karaage² does indeed look delicious huh. Do you want to exchange one for one takoyaki?”
“Sure. Here, ahーn”
I fill my cheeks with the karaage that was carried over by Yae’s hand in one mouth. Ooh, it is juicier than I thought! It is quite decent even though it is a zoo’s store huh……
“It is delicious huh!”
“Right? Quickly takoyaki please”
“Okay, okay, it is hot, so be careful”
I say and carry the takoyaki that is stabbed on the toothpick to Yae’s mouth, and she ate it in a single mouthful. Yae is opening and closing her mouth because it was hotter than she thought.
“Horr”
“That was what I said. But that is what makes it good, right?”
“Of course. But the takoyaki Kazu-kun makes is more delicious”
“Shall I make some next time then”
“Nn, I’m looking forward to it”
When I casually look to the side while thinking about ordering some decent octopus from Kinuta-san, Renya is looking over here fixedly, and Nishikida-san is going, ‘I, I’ll also copy……it’s impossible!’, and turns to the side while blushing by herself. Did we just do something?
FOOTNOTE
¹: たこ焼き(Takoyaki): ‘Octopus balls’. Ball-shaped Japanese snack that typically contains octopus.
²: 唐揚げ(Karaage): Deep fried meat, fish, or vegetable. Typically chicken.
