Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. She caught me staring.
The realization hit me like a truck as I noticed Kana's soft, questioning gaze fixed on me. Her cheeks had taken on the faintest pink tinge, and the way she was looking at me—all shy and expectant—made my heart do some kind of acrobatic routine in my chest.
"Sousuke-kun?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "You've been staring for a while now…"
Busted. Completely and utterly busted. Quick, say something that doesn't make you sound like a complete pervert.
"This is the first time I've seen you dressed like this, Kana-chan," I managed to get out, hoping my voice sounded more composed than I felt. "It feels very fresh and… it really suits you."
Nailed it. Smooth as silk, Sousuke. Definitely didn't sound like you were ogling her at all.
The corners of her mouth curved upward in the most radiant smile I'd ever seen, and I swear the entire courtyard seemed to brighten. Her happiness was practically radiating off her in waves.
"Thank you, Sousuke-kun," she beamed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear in that unconsciously cute way girls do. "Let's go then!"
That smile should be classified as a weapon of mass destruction. How is it even legal to be that adorable?
The train ride to Ikebukuro was an exercise in self-control that I barely passed. Every time the train swayed, Kana would bump into me slightly, and every time she leaned over to look out the window, I got a dangerous glimpse of… well, let's just say her outfit choice was testing my gentleman status.
Focus on reptiles, Sousuke. Cold-blooded, scaly, definitely-not-attractive reptiles. Think about… uh… monitor lizards. Yeah, those are safe.
After what felt like both an eternity and mere seconds, we finally arrived at our destination. Following the navigation on Kana's phone, we walked for about ten minutes through the bustling streets of Ikebukuro.
"Whoa…" I breathed out as the massive gymnasium came into view.
The place was absolutely packed. Huge billboards and colorful posters advertising the exhibition covered every available surface around the venue. The crowds were thick enough that it looked more like we were approaching a major sporting event than a reptile show.
I always thought reptile enthusiasts were a pretty niche crowd. Guess I was wrong about that.
"I didn't expect there would be so many people," I sighed, watching the steady stream of visitors flowing toward the entrance.
"Yeah, it's really unexpected," Kana agreed, pressing a little closer to me as we were jostled by the crowd. "Fortunately, Sousuke-kun is with me—otherwise I wouldn't have been able to work up the courage to step into this place alone."
Did she just…? Is she implying she feels safe with me? My chest is definitely not swelling with pride right now. Nope. Not at all.
"It looks like it must be really exciting inside," I said, trying to sound casual while internally doing victory laps. "Let's go in quickly before it gets even more crowded."
We followed the crowd to the entrance, bought our tickets, and were handed some free gaming coupons along with our admission.
Free coupons? This day just keeps getting better.
The venue was split into two main areas: reptiles and rare animals, with each section featuring countless small stalls showcasing different species. It was like stepping into a living encyclopedia of exotic pets.
Beyond the common species like bearded dragons and leopard geckos, there were monitor lizards, chameleons, iguanas, and creatures I couldn't even begin to pronounce. But the real showstopper was at one particular stall where the owner was proudly displaying a massive plains monitor lizard that had to be over a meter long.
"That thing is huge!" I exclaimed, joining the circle of amazed onlookers.
The owner was beaming with pride as he explained how difficult it was to raise a monitor lizard to that size. The crowd was eating it up, with people snapping photos and asking detailed care questions.
Note to self: never, ever suggest getting a pet that could probably eat my neighbor's cat.
Kana was completely in her element, spending ages at each stall with the focused intensity of a researcher. Her eyes were practically sparkling as she absorbed every detail.
"By the way, Kana-chan," I said, watching her peer intently at a particularly colorful gecko, "since you're so passionate about reptiles, have you ever thought about getting one yourself?"
She paused, her expression shifting to something more thoughtful.
"I did consider it," she admitted, "but after talking to friends who actually keep lizards, I realized there were… many things I just couldn't handle."
"Things you couldn't handle?" I pressed, curious.
"Well, the most basic requirement for keeping lizards is feeding them insects," she said with a slight shudder. "Live insects."
Ah. Right. I should have seen that coming.
The mental image of delicate, feminine Kana having to deal with crickets and mealworms was… yeah, I could see how that might be a problem.
"Considering all the more… challenging aspects like that," she continued with a slightly embarrassed smile, "I think watching videos and visiting exhibitions like this is the perfect compromise for now."
Smart girl. All the cute lizard content, none of the bug-feeding nightmares.
As we moved through different sections, we encountered turtles, snakes, and even some genuinely intimidating pythons. Most of the species were completely new to both of us, making every stall feel like a mini adventure.
The rare animal area was dominated by small mammals and various birds of prey, but the owls were definitely the crowd favorites. Their huge, round eyes and fluffy appearance had people absolutely mesmerized.
"I heard there's actually an owl café somewhere in Japan," I mentioned as we watched a particularly adorable barn owl. "You can drink coffee while hanging out with owls."
"That sounds amazing!" Kana gushed. "Though probably a bit surreal."
Surreal is one word for it. Expensive is probably another.
My curiosity got the better of me, and I asked about pricing at one of the owl stalls. The vendor's casual mention of "over 200,000 yen" nearly made me choke on my own saliva.
Two hundred thousand yen. For a bird. The world of exotic pet owners is definitely not for broke college students.
The exhibition also featured more conventional exotic pets like ferrets and chinchillas, and I was genuinely amazed by the sheer variety of animals people chose to share their homes with.
Throughout our tour, Kana provided a steady soundtrack of "Wow, so beautiful!" and "Kawaii!" Her enthusiasm was absolutely infectious, and I found myself getting caught up in her excitement even for animals I'd never given a second thought to.
The difference between watching something on video and seeing it up close really is incredible. Though honestly, watching Kana's reactions is almost more entertaining than the animals themselves.
After we'd made our rounds through almost every stall, we found ourselves in an area filled with merchandise shops selling everything from owl plushies to snake bone bracelets. There were even manga featuring reptiles as main characters.
Of course there are reptile manga. This is Japan—there's probably manga about everything imaginable.
I picked up one with a particularly questionable cover, wondering if it might feature some kind of snake-girl romance subplot. The possibilities were both fascinating and terrifying.
Just as we were about to call it a day, Kana suddenly grabbed my arm and pointed excitedly toward something in the distance.
"Sousuke-kun, look at that!"
I followed her gaze to see a row of what appeared to be claw machines lined up against the far wall.
Oh right, the free tickets they gave us at the entrance. I'd completely forgotten about those.
"What is it, Kana-chan?" I asked, though she was already pulling me through the crowd toward her target.
We weaved between other visitors until we reached the machine that had caught her attention. Inside the glass case, small lizard figurines were arranged in neat rows, their colorful patterns catching the overhead lights.
The figures weren't exactly realistic, but they had that perfect balance of accuracy and cuteness that made them irresistible. The colors were vibrant and cheerful, and each one seemed to have its own personality.
"Is that supposed to be a leopard gecko?" I asked, pointing to one with distinctive spotted patterns.
"Yes, exactly!" Kana's eyes were practically glowing as she studied the figurines. "That's definitely a leopard gecko!"
Score one for all those reptile videos I've been watching. At least I can sound somewhat knowledgeable.
I'd actually learned about leopard geckos from the channels Kana had recommended—apparently they're considered one of the easiest reptiles to care for, making them perfect for beginners.
"Do you want to try for one of these figurines, Kana-chan?" I asked, holding up our free play tickets. "We're going to use these anyway, so we might as well have some fun with them."
"Yes, yes!" she nodded enthusiastically, bouncing slightly on her toes. "Let's definitely try it!"