Chapter 57: Zoo Fun

*Purpura*

The aviary turned out to be a large dome filled with colorful birds. Their songs filled the air, creating a symphony of sounds that was both soothing and invigorating. Sou pointed out a few species, his knowledge of birds impressing me.

"There's the Scarlet Macaw," he said, pointing to a large bird with vibrant red, yellow, and blue feathers. "They're native to the rainforests in the center of the continent. And over there is the Ayaka Grey Parrot, known for their intelligence and ability to mimic human speech."

I watched in awe as the birds fluttered around, their wings creating a blur of colors. Some were perched on branches, preening their feathers, while others were pecking at fruits and seeds. The aviary was a bustling, lively place, and I could have spent hours just watching the birds.

Sou then led me to a quieter section of the aviary, where smaller, more delicate birds resided. "These are finches," he explained. "They're not as flashy as the parrots, but they have their own charm."

Indeed, the finches were beautiful in their own way. Their feathers were a mix of browns, whites, and blacks, and they had a sweet, melodious song. I watched as they hopped from branch to branch, their tiny bodies full of energy.

I snickered. "They remind me of you."

He raised an eyebrow. "How?" He grumbled. "Wait, are you calling me short? You are just tall! Only our dads and Sekin are taller!"

Sekin snickered. "Relax, Sou." He glanced at me. "You mean upbeat, right?"

I nodded, chuckling at Sou's height complex.

Sou blushed.

"Hey, no teasing the cinnamon roll. Only I can do that," Ava said, coming over.

He grinned. "T- Hey! You're the one whose teasing I like the least!"

I scratched my head. I'd expected mine to be more annoying. Maybe he secretly liked it, the pervert.

Ava chuckled. "Good."

Sou glared at her and grumbled.

Davina chuckled. "You two are really good friends, aren't you?"

"We're not!" they said in unison.

I shrugged. "To be honest, I'm unsure if they are friends to begin with."

Ava frowned.

Davina shook her head. "Such banter wouldn't be possible if they weren't friendly to some extent."

I smiled slightly. "True."

Davina stared back at the birds and smiled. "They sure are pretty, aren't they, Dean?"

Dean nodded, although he was staring at her, not at the birds.

"Does he like her?" Sayuri whispered to Ava.

"I think so," she whispered back.

"So, are you into birds?" Seiya asked, smiling at Davina.

She nodded. "Yes. I find them beautiful. Their wings allow them to fly, freeing them from the shackles of the earth. What's not to love?"

"And they sing so nicely," Rena added. She hummed along with the chirping of the birds.

Kai grinned as he took pictures of the diverse array of birds.

"They are amazing," Sayuri said, sighing contently as she stared at the colorful flock.

I nodded. While I had been nervous about seeing birds in captivity, these birds were well-cared for, and appeared to be happy. There were no cages, only trees and a lot of space for them to move about.

After we spent some time watching the birds, we continued on to the rest of the zoo. We visited the reptile and amphibian house, the nocturnal creatures exhibit, and the insectarium. Ava was very skittish around the spiders, but her little sister held her hand, which seemed to calm her.

Finally, we reached the petting zoo, a fenced-off area where visitors could interact with a variety of animals.

I gasped as I saw a panda.

Sou nudged me. "You want to feed it?"

I nodded vigorously.

"Okay." He grabbed some bamboo stalks from the bin and handed them to me.

I held the bamboo stalks in front of the panda, my hands trembling. Would they take it? Would they like it?

The panda reached out and took a bite of the bamboo, their black eyes shining with delight. I felt a sense of warmth wash over me as I watched them eat.

"That was amazing," I said, my eyes watery.

Sou smiled. "Told you it would be. Pandas are very gentle creatures."

I nodded.

"Now, let's go pet the other animals," he said, grabbing my hand. He pointed to a bunny. "How about that one?"

I smiled and nodded.

The bunny was soft and fluffy, its fur warm to the touch.

I ran my fingers through its fur, enjoying the feeling of the softness. "It reminds me of you, Sou."

He blinked. "How so?"

"Because it's bouncy?" Ava asked, snickering.

I chuckled. "That too, but also because it's soft and kind of naive."

He grumbled.

"Not the last part," I said, ruffling his hair.

He laughed.

After a while, we left the petting zoo and headed over to the gift shop. Sou bought me a stuffed panda, saying it would be my new roommate.

"You really like pandas, don't you, Purpura?" Ava asked, a smirk creeping across her face.

I hugged the plushie Sou got me. "Yes, I do."

She chuckled. "I guess it's kind of cute."

"Same!" Sou said. "Uh, just don't beat us up!"

I sighed. "It's okay. I'm not that violent." I glanced down at my plushie. "Think I like them because they remind me of a certain someone."

Sou blushed.

Davina smiled. "I can tell you like pandas a lot, Purpura. If you ever get the chance, I recommend you visit the Panda Sanctuary. It's in the south-eastern part of the country, where they are endemic."

"Sou told me about it. He says that they're trying to restore their native habitat, isn't that right, Sou?" I asked.

He nodded.

"That's true. It's a noble goal. Hopefully, one day, pandas will be able to roam free again," Davina said.

Sekin sighed. "I don't know. Seems a lot of work, and not to mention expensive."

Sou's mother nodded. "Yeah. But, I hope we'll succeed. I'd like to see these cuties roaming the forest. There's no price that's too much when it comes to saving another's life, much more so when it comes to an entire species."

That sounded overly idealistic. I smiled. Perhaps she's where Sou got it from.

As the sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, we made our way to the exit. The day had been more fun than I'd expected. Although, part of me still felt a bit like a hypocrite.

"Thanks for having invited me to come to the zoo with you. Today was another fun day," I said, walking alongside him.

He smiled, his eyes reflecting the colors of the sunset. "Anytime, Purpura. Anytime."

I turned away. He really was an oddball.

My eyes widened as I felt a hand on my back. But everyone else was in front of me, other than Sou who stood beside me.

"Purpura?" Sou asked, turning around as I stood there, frozen. "Hey! What's wrong?"

I glanced over my shoulder, but so no one. Had I imagined it? Seemed I was still paranoid after what happened weeks ago. And just when I thought I'd gotten over it too...