Part 2
After spending a pleasant time at the café, the group decided to continue their day with a visit to the Tenryu Zoo.
It wasn't as big or famous as the one in Ueno, but it offered a peaceful stroll, a cozy atmosphere, and plenty of adorable little corners to explore.
The place was full of life: kids running around with balloons, couples snapping photos with oversized stuffed animals, and families enjoying the good weather.
Akari stopped at a railing, watching a small group of seals gliding gracefully in a clear pool.
One of them, noticing it had an audience, tried to spin in the water… and ended up smacking its face against a floating ball.
Akari let out an honest laugh, covering her mouth with both hands.
"They're so clumsy and adorable!" she said, bouncing slightly with excitement.
"You're right. They're like a bunch of Hinas," Shizuki remarked in his typically neutral tone.
Touma, who was sipping a soda, looked at one of the seals floating near the edge, giving them a look that seemed… offended?
In his mind, he couldn't help imagining it wearing an orange wig.
"Pff—" he tried to hold back his laughter but nearly choked on his drink.
"How rude!" Hina huffed, turning away in mock indignation.
"At least I don't look like that sloth," she added, pointing to a silver-furred creature hanging from a branch, with zero intention of moving.
Without a word, Akari gently grabbed Touma's hand and tugged him along.
"Look, Touma! Cute little monkeys!"
The fiery-haired girl pulled Touma through the zoo with her usual boundless energy. So much so that, at some point, they got lost in the crowd.
They ended up in a small section filled with carnival games and booths. The prizes: mountains of plushies stacked behind glass cases and on shelves.
"Do you think I could try?" she said, pointing at a machine that measured how hard you could hit.
"How about something that doesn't explode?" he suggested, scanning the area.
"But I want that plushie," she insisted, pouting adorably.
"I've got an idea…" Touma said, walking over to a shooting booth.
When they arrived, the booth attendant greeted them with a wide smile.
"Hey there, young man! Wanna try your luck?"
"Maybe win something nice… for your girlfriend," he added with a wink.
Touma looked over the cork rifles, the targets, and then the prizes. The grand prize: a teddy bear with soft ears and a pink scarf.
"How much for a try?"
"¥300."
Touma pulled out three coins and placed them on the counter.
"I'd like to try," he said, focusing like he was on a mission.
Akari crossed her arms, skeptical.
"You do know these games are rigged, right? My brother always lost at these..."
Touma loaded the rifle, smiled, and turned to her with a confident glint.
"Akari, my dear… I'm not your brother," he said coolly, brushing his bangs like an anime protagonist.
He took a stance, narrowed his eyes, and said with dramatic flair:
"It's high noon… just me against fate."
He pulled the trigger three times.
Three shots.
Three knocked-down targets, one after another.
"Touché," he said, pretending to blow the barrel like an old Western gunslinger.
"H-How did you do that, kid?" the stunned attendant stammered.
"I hold the Akihabara record in Mad Zombie House EX."
"This was child's play."
"Now, if you don't mind… I'll take that teddy bear, please."
Akari stared at him in silence, her eyes sparkling. For a moment, she didn't see the usual Touma... She saw a comic book hero. A legendary gunslinger from the Wild West.
And that plush bear… was his hard-won treasure from a duel.
Touma walked over to Akari and handed her the teddy bear—it was pretty big. She hugged it immediately, as if it were a precious treasure.
"You're amazing, Touma!" she exclaimed with a radiant smile.
"That's a bit much. My only real skill is playing video games," he said with a laugh.
Akari pulled out her phone and took a picture: a snapshot of her joy, the teddy bear, and Touma smiling beside her.
Then, like she always did, she sent it to her brother.
A small tradition that was just hers.
Afterward, they grabbed some crepes while watching the otters play in their enclosure.
The scene was peaceful, and the day seemed in no hurry.
"Touma…" she said eventually, turning to him.
"Yeah?"
"What do you think when you look at me?"
He looked at her for a few seconds before answering.
"I think you're an awesome girl. Charismatic, energetic... and strong in a way most people would envy."
"Then... would you go on a date with me?" she asked, eyes dropping to her dress. "Like you do with Hina... or Shizuki."
Touma smiled gently.
"Don't be silly. Of course I'd go on a date with you. But…"
"But?"
"Only if the real Akari comes along."
He looked at her, softly but directly.
"I know you're not comfortable in that dress. You look beautiful, yes... but I can tell you're being careful not to stain it. I see it in how you eat."
She stared at him, surprised... and for the first time that day, she smiled not with her mask, but with her heart.
"How about next Saturday?"
"Deal."
"Then it's a promise," she said, holding out her pinky.
"It's a promise," he replied, wrapping his around hers.
And for a moment, among the park's distant noises and the sweet scent of strawberry crepe,
the world was simple, tender, and perfect.
The sound of the otters playing wrapped around them like a calm backdrop.
Until, in the distance...
"AAAAAAAH! A BEAR!"
Everyone turned at once.
Chaos erupted like a starting gun.
People running, screaming, footsteps pounding.
Akari saw the animal heading straight toward a group of children.
Without hesitation, she dropped her crepe and ran toward the danger.
Toward the bear.