Half an hour later.
At the zoo entrance...
As soon as Kaguya stepped through the gates, a familiar game notification appeared on her phone.
[Congratulations, you have discovered the large-scale dungeon "Zoo Tales."]
[The dungeon is about to open. Please be prepared.]
"Huh?"
Kaguya came to a slight stop, glancing down at the message on her phone. It had only been a few days since she left the Snowstorm Villa, and yet, here she was again—facing another dungeon. And not just any dungeon, but a 'large-scale' one, something she hadn't encountered before.
Her thoughts drifted back to the horoscope she had seen on TV earlier that morning.
Today is not a good day to go out.
"What's wrong?"
Hayasaka tilted her head, noticing the brief pause in Kaguya's step.
"It's nothing," Kaguya replied, her face betraying none of the turmoil within. "Let's go see the pandas."
Now that she was here, there was no point in regretting it.
As they walked further into the zoo, passing through the crowds of bustling tourists, Kaguya hesitated. Finding someone in a place as crowded as a zoo would be challenging...
"Natsuki-san is at the monkey house, Miss," Hayasaka remarked casually, already sensing what Kaguya was thinking.
"How do you know that?" Kaguya asked, her curiosity piqued.
Hayasaka raised her phone, offering a small, knowing smile. "Umi and I are classmates. It's perfectly normal for me to know where she is, isn't it?"
"…"
Meanwhile, at the monkey house...
"I recognize these! They're gibbons," Umi announced enthusiastically, gripping the railing as she watched the animals. "Their arms are so long—they 'must' be gibbons!"
Amamiya glanced at the black-furred apes behind the glass and sighed. "Monkeys are monkeys, and apes are apes. They're not the same thing."
"Huh?" Hana blinked in surprise. "They aren't the same thing? They look so similar! I always thought monkeys were apes."
Of course not, Amamiya thought to himself. The difference is obvious—they don't even look like the same creatures!
"Monkeys have tails. Apes don't," Miko added, chiming in with a simple explanation.
"Miko is so smart," her friend complimented.
Miko shook her head. "It's just basic common sense."
"…"
Umi suddenly perked up, her phone ready for more pictures. "I just thought of something! Doesn't Luffy from 'One Piece' stretch his arms like this? The rubber fruit must have been inspired by gibbons, right?"
Amamiya pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Unfortunately, no. The rubber fruit's real inspiration is Reed Richards from 'The Fantastic Four', who can stretch any part of his body like rubber."
"The 'Fantastic Four'? That comic came out in 1961, before Oda-sensei was even born. It's fair to say he probably grew up reading it."
Amamiya added with a resigned sigh, "Let's stop talking about the rubber fruit."
"Why?" Umi asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
"Because in the latest episode, the rubber fruit has awakened. It's now called the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Beast Model: Nika."
"What!? Amazing!" Umi clasped her hands together in excitement, her eyes gleaming. "I haven't read the latest chapter yet! I'll buy it right after we're done at the zoo!"
"I want to read it too!" Hana added eagerly, turning to her friend. "Luffy's devil fruit has 'finally' awakened. Miko, let's buy the comic together!"
Miko averted her gaze slightly. "...I've already read it."
Hana blinked in surprise, then smirked knowingly. "You read it at Amamiya-kun's house, didn't you?"
Miko gave a quiet nod. "Yeah."
Not only that, but they had watched the latest episode together, side by side.
After visiting the monkey enclosure, the group continued to walk further into the zoo.
It was nearing noon, and the temperature steadily climbed, making the air inside the zoo grow warmer and warmer.
Amamiya, feeling a bit parched, said, "I'll go grab some drinks. What would you like?"
"Green tea."
"Cola."
"Strawberry juice, one hundred percent."
"Got it."
After noting down their requests, Amamiya asked the others to continue waiting in line while he went off to buy the drinks alone. After walking a short distance, he spotted a vending machine.
Once the drinks were purchased, Amamiya was about to head back when he suddenly felt a gaze fixated on him, a familiar one at that.
Looking up, he spotted a girl in a black dress standing nearby. Her hair was tied with a large red ribbon, forming a bow at the back of her head.
Because of her beauty, she caught the attention of nearby tourists, who couldn't help but stare.
"Shinomiya-san?"
Amamiya was visibly surprised.
Kaguya's gaze wavered briefly, realizing that her companion, Hayasaka, had somehow vanished, leaving her alone.
She had intended to observe discreetly, but fate had other plans—being caught the moment she got near the monkey house. Today, her luck was clearly awful.
Hide? Too late.
Stay calm.
Don't panic.
Taking a deep breath, Kaguya quickly composed herself. She walked up to Amamiya, speaking in a casual tone, "Natsuki-san, what brings you to the zoo?"
Initiative!
By asking a question first, she could shift the dynamic, establishing control over the conversation.
"My friend's younger brother, Kyousuke, wanted to visit, and since I was free, I tagged along," Amamiya responded honestly, without a hint of hesitation.
"I heard there are pandas here, so I decided to come by," Kaguya briefly mentioned before swiftly shifting topics. "Oh, by the way, just as I entered, I received a notification about the 'Zoo Tale' game. Did you get it too?"
"Yeah, I got it," Amamiya nodded. "Not sure when it opens though. We'll just have to wait... Are you here by yourself?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Want to join us?"
"Sure."
Although her original plan to observe from the shadows had changed into walking together, it was still manageable.
"Here, have a drink." Amamiya handed her one of the beverages.
Kaguya's eyes landed on the ramune in his hand, curiosity flashing in her gaze.
"Go ahead," Amamiya offered the soda. "Ever tried it?"
Kaguya shook her head slightly, "No."
You've never had ramune before? Are you from another planet?
This is a staple drink in Japan, practically a national treasure. There are countless references to it in comics and media—"Marble Police," "Chitose-san in the Marble Bottle," "Girls' Ramune"... Well, never mind.
Simply put, anyone in Japan has surely tasted ramune soda.
Amamiya handed the bottle to Kaguya and turned back to buy another one for himself. Demonstrating how to open and drink it, he said, "Just follow my lead."
"I haven't tried it, but that doesn't mean I've never seen anyone drink it," Kaguya retorted.
So don't speak to me like I'm in kindergarten!
Unscrewing the bottle cap, Kaguya glanced at the marble inside, then slightly tilted her head back and took a sip.
The sweet and tart flavor of grapes spread across her tongue.
After that first taste, she glanced sideways at Amamiya.
The summer breeze was soft and cool.
Under the sun's rays, the boy sipped his own soda. His soft bangs gently swayed in the breeze, while his moving Adam's apple created a handsome profile that she couldn't help but admire for a moment longer.
In the early summer warmth of the zoo, as the breeze carried a faintly intoxicating air, Kaguya held the ramune in her hand. A subtle sense of clarity formed within her heart.
The soda itself might not be anything special, but today's drink—this particular taste—would stay with her forever, unforgettable.