Charlie and Mahiru's footsteps carried them further and further, exploring the beauty of the zoo.
They passed a giant aviary shaped like a mesh dome, a place where hundreds of beautifully flighted tropical birds flew freely from one branch to another.
Mahiru stopped several times, pointing in amazement toward a mandarin duck swimming in an artificial pond, admiring the symmetry and striking patterns of its feathers.
Charlie walked casually beside her, occasionally providing brief explanations regarding the regional origins of these animals, playing the part of a well-informed tour guide.
After all, he was currently a biology teacher. So it was only normal for him to possess a wealth of nature-related knowledge.
They then moved on to the large carnivore zone, where lions and snow leopards slept lazily on top of artificial rock cliffs behind a thick glass barrier.
In stark contrast to their wild nature, the predatory beasts appeared incredibly calm beneath the exposure of the sunlight, occasionally yawning wide to flaunt their sharp fangs.
Mahiru watched one of the leopard cubs attempting to climb a tree but repeatedly slipping and falling, eliciting a crisp, light chuckle from her thin lips.
Half an hour later, the rhythm of Mahiru's footsteps began to slow, a sign that her stamina was starting to deplete after walking around such a vast area.
Noticing this, Charlie guided them toward a shaded area beneath the canopy of a ginkgo tree.
The two of them decided to sit on a long stone bench while enjoying the coldness of fresh fruit juice freshly purchased from a nearby kiosk.
"Haaah... that feels so refreshing." Mahiru murmured after sipping her orange juice through a straw, letting her back lean relaxedly against the backrest of the bench.
She stared at the green leaves overhead before turning toward the youth at her side.
"By the way, Charlie-kun, what is your favorite animal? As for me, I've absolutely loved pandas for the longest time!"
"The reason is simple: they always look so cute, round, and look very huggable. But unfortunately, I heard the pandas in this zoo will soon be sent back to China in the near future."
Almost all giant pandas in the world legally belong to China, because these animals are categorized as endemic wildlife strictly protected by China's national laws.
Foreign zoos wishing to care for pandas must pay a conservation partnership fee of around USD 500,000 to USD 1 million per year to the Chinese Government.
Based on written agreements, panda cubs born in the lessee country still retain the status of belonging to China. These panda cubs must be sent back to China after reaching maturity, which is around 2 to 4 years of age, to join the breeding program.
Charlie took a slow sip of his apple juice before answering Mahiru's question.
"As for me, I prefer wolves."
Mahiru knitted her brows, looking astonished since she hadn't expected to receive an answer like that. She stared at him with great curiosity.
"Wolves? What an unexpected answer for someone like Charlie-kun. What is the specific reason?"
"There are many fascinating things about them." Charlie answered, his gaze drifting ahead. "The wolf is the only predatory animal known to never eat carrion; they only eat what they hunt themselves."
"Besides that, you will very rarely, or perhaps even never, see a wolf perform as a show subject in a circus, unlike lions, tigers, or bears that can be tamed with a whip. They possess a high sense of pride."
Charlie paused his sentence for a moment to look at Mahiru, who was now listening intently.
"In terms of lineage, a wolf never mates with its own mother or sister."
"A wolf usually chooses only one partner for the rest of its lifespan. Once they pair up, if one of the partners dies, the surviving wolf will weep, lament, and mourn with a heartbreaking howling sound for around 3 to 12 full months."
Mahiru appeared captivated listening to the explanation. Her eyes widened slightly, impressed by the facts she had just learned.
"Really? I didn't know they possessed a bond that deep... Wolves turn out to be incredibly loyal animals."
Charlie smiled and gave a gentle nod, agreeing with Mahiru's words.
"Not only are they loyal to their partners, but they are also creatures that highly respect their parents."
"When the alpha male or female who acts as the elder grows too old and can no longer move as nimbly as their pack during a hunt, the parent will stay safely inside the den. Their children who go out hunting will search for food, then bring it back to the specific den to feed their parents."
"As humans, we actually need to learn a lot from the wolf's life philosophy about the meaning of loyalty, independence, as well as a high level of care toward the team and parents."
"..."
Mahiru was stunned, her gaze softening as she processed Charlie's words. She swirled the juice glass in her hand while murmuring softly:
"Loyalty, huh..."
The next second, she suddenly shifted her gaze and looked at Charlie with a very flat expression that was nonetheless laden with hidden meaning.
Charlie, noticing the change in the atmosphere, instantly raised an eyebrow. He asked in a bewildered tone:
"What's with a look like that?"
Mahiru spontaneously turned her face to the side, taking another brief sip of her drink before speaking with a highly pronounced tone of sarcasm.
"I was just thinking... the wolf's philosophy sounds truly magnificent, but it seems Charlie-kun and wolves do not match each other at all."
"What do you mean?"
"The wolves you praise are highly loyal creatures that have only one partner in a lifetime." Mahiru glanced at Charlie from the corner of her eye with an insinuating expression. "Meanwhile, Charlie-kun is the exact opposite of them. You've instead built a harem and have three girlfriends at the same time right now. And knowing your nature, I am very sure that number will definitely continue to increase again in the future."
"Cough!"
The corner of Charlie's mouth twitched upon hearing it. He was suddenly at a loss for words and could not refute the accusation levied by the Angel against him at all.
Charlie's silent stance, showing absolutely no intention to argue or defend himself, instead made Mahiru feel even more displeased.
Feeling like her sarcastic remark was being completely ignored, the girl snorted in vexation with a frown on her forehead, intentionally turning her face away to show that she was sulking.
Seeing this adorable reaction from the Angel, Charlie could only smile wryly in his seat.
Instead of worsening the situation with cliché excuses, he wisely chose to remain silent and wait until the girl calmed her heart down on her own.
However, while the two of them were sitting immersed in a strained, awkward silence beneath the shade of the tree, the startled and bewildered voice of a female suddenly shattered the atmosphere around them.
"Shiina-san...? And, Charlie-sensei?!"
Hearing their names called with such familiarity, Charlie and Mahiru looked up in unison, shifting their gazes from the juice cups in their hands.
Standing a few meters right in front of the stone bench where they were leaning back, a teenage boy and girl could be seen staring at them with eyes wide in disbelief.
Charlie narrowed his eyes for a moment before instantly recognizing the identities of the couple.
The two of them were Seijo High School students who were fortunate enough to survive the hospital bombing because they arrived late.
The teenage girl with the shocked expression was Shirakawa Chitose, while the youth standing beside her while holding her hand was Akazawa Itsuki.
This unexpected encounter in the middle of the deserted zoo instantly threw a new wave of shock to the four of them on this day full of tension.
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