"We're heading out."
Akira and Sajuna said in unison.
Shinju stood at the door, her braid pulled into a side ponytail. If it weren't for the expression on her face, the scene would look more like a mother seeing off her daughter and her boyfriend on a date.
Although Shinju was only a high school student, she was already 178 cm tall.
If one didn't look closely, it would be impossible to tell that Akira was just a little bit taller than Shinju.
Really, just a little bit taller.
Akira was genuinely a bit worried about how difficult it would be for Shinju to find a boyfriend in the future.
"Big Sister, Big Brother Akira," Shinju said shyly, her arms crossed over her chest. "Have fun today, okay?"
"If Shinju wants to come along, then just say so," Sajuna gently hugged Shinju, asking one last time.
"No, it just feels a bit novel," Shinju smiled. "It feels like when our parents used to send us to school when we were little."
"Don't use such strange comparisons, Shinju."
Sajuna retorted, then relaxed.
Although Shinju was always very understanding, she often ended up sacrificing her own feelings, so it was important to ensure Shinju's emotional well-being.
Her small feet, clad in white stockings, gently slipped into her small leather shoes. The clearly visible toes slowly became covered by the shoes, disappearing from sight.
Sajuna bent down, lifted her calf, and pulled up the heel of her shoe. Seeing Akira's gaze fixed on her ankle, she blushed slightly.
"Pervert!"
"What's wrong with looking at a girl's feet if you like her?" Akira said self-righteously.
"If Sajuna wants to look at anything, she should tell me too. I'm not as stingy as Sajuna."
"Idiot Aki-Kun," Sajuna punched Akira. "Don't always say such foolish things."
The two walked out the door side by side. The sun was high in the sky, its light soft and warm, like a gentle massage.
Akira squinted, feeling an arm being pulled to the side, then feeling two soft mounds.
"Sajuna."
"Mm, mm, Aki-Kun."
Sajuna flustered for a moment, then responded.
There were no more words, but Sajuna was already holding Akira's arm, her body gently leaning against him.
The two were like a couple deeply in love for a long time, full of affection, inseparable.
"Let's go to the zoo."
Akira suggested, and Sajuna nodded gently.
The two took the train together.
On weekends, there were especially many students out and about. Akira even saw a few university students from his own school, though he couldn't remember their names.
He pulled Sajuna and squeezed into the train. Sajuna's face flushed red, but she didn't faint from it.
It seemed Sajuna had developed more patience for this kind of contact.
Using his sturdy arm, Akira pushed against the surrounding crowd, his arm wrapped around Sajuna, finally carving out a space inside the train.
"We left a bit early today."
Akira apologized, looking around at the people. "They're all commuters heading out."
"It's hard to avoid, after all, it's the weekend."
Sajuna laughed, not minding. In the cramped space, all she could see was Akira's broad chest and his downward gaze.
She gently reached out, grabbed Akira's white shirt, and lightly tugged at the middle button.
"Hmm?"
"N-nothing."
Sajuna replied, her hand movements not stopping at all. She looked up at Akira, then rested her head on his chest.
Akira suddenly became aware of his own heartbeat, thumping rapidly and incessantly.
"Aki-Kun, your heart is racing."
Sajuna had a mischievous smile on her face, and a hint of surprise, as if her charm had been confirmed.
"Mm, because it's Sajuna."
Sajuna leaned against Akira's chest like that all the way to their destination.
After getting off the train, the two walked through the ticket gate together and saw a food store operating nearby.
Akira led Sajuna over to stroll, and they saw a variety of delicious cakes displayed in the cake shop's window.
"It's very beautiful."
Akira praised, and Sajuna nodded gently.
"I'll have to learn how to make them later."
"Eh, isn't Aki-Kun going to buy bread?" Sajuna asked in surprise.
"We just had breakfast," Akira replied. "Do you like it, Sajuna? I'll make it for you later."
"Then I'll look forward to Aki-Kun making it for me. I'm really excited."
The morning sun shone on Sajuna, combined with her pure white clothes and innocent smile, making it seem as though she was draped in a light veil, or like seeing an angelic girl who had descended to the human world.
---
"Two student tickets, please," Akira said to the ticket window, reaching out and handing over his and Sajuna's university student IDs.
"1000 yen per person. 2000 yen total for two people," the ticket seller returned their student IDs and took the paper money from Akira's hand.
"The ticket price isn't very expensive."
"It's just a small zoo, after all," Sajuna replied. "The animals you can see can't compare to a large zoo."
Although the two said they were coming to the zoo to see animals, its actual name was the "Children's Animal Nature Park."
Akira vaguely remembered having been there once or twice, so he naturally brought Sajuna here.
Sajuna also looked curious, holding Akira's hand, her eyes darting around, eager to go in quickly.
As they entered the zoo, Sajuna began to get excited.
"Aki-Kun, look, it's a cute capybara."
Akira looked over. Inside a wooden enclosure, white-furred capybaras were stepping up a low rockery to a platform. In the middle of the platform was a square pool.
"Is that a hot spring?"
Akira pointed to the pool the capybaras had jumped into, asking.
"Mm, there's a sign over there," Sajuna reminded him.
He felt how leisurely these capybaras lived.
He himself hadn't even soaked in a hot spring much.
Akira thought this, feeling that his transmigration life was truly a failure.
Not having soaked in a public bath or hot spring, what kind of enjoyable Japanese life was this?
An excited Sajuna pulled Akira around, admiring the animals in the zoo.
"That alpaca is so cute, I really want to rub the fur on its head."
Akira glanced at the "grass mud horse" opposite him. What was with that outrageous fringe!
Wouldn't such a hairstyle corrupt children?!
He suppressed the urge to complain, but he did genuinely find the animals in front of him quite cute. No wonder Sajuna had become so excited.
"Aki-Kun, look, the baby deer is so tiny!"
"This monkey looks so relaxed, it's not even afraid of us."
How could zoo animals be afraid of visitors...?
After nearly a whole morning of wandering, Akira and Sajuna finished their zoo tour.
A thin layer of sweat seeped onto Sajuna's forehead. Akira took a tissue from his pocket and gently wiped her forehead.
"Are you happy, Sajuna?"
Sajuna looked up at Akira, who was wiping her sweat, her eyes full of tenderness.
"I'm very happy when I'm with Aki-Kun."