I chatted with Jay all the way to the zoo. We parked the car, and as I expected, there were a lot of people. Fortunately, we found a parking spot. We got out of the car, and I took out Jay's gift—the only one I didn't store away because I wanted to give it to him directly.
I was a little nervous, unsure if he would like it. I had chosen this gift very carefully, taking my time to decide what to buy, then researching which model was the best. I handed him the box. "Jay, happy birthday once again. This is my gift for you. I don't know if you'll like it."
Jay took it. "Thank you."
"Open it."
Jay examined the box for a moment, looking for the tape. He opened it carefully. I thought he would tear it apart, but he didn't. Once opened, he took out the item inside.
"Do you know what this is?"
He nodded.
"Do you know how to use it?"
"Yes."
"That's good," I nodded. "I bought it so you can capture beautiful memories in photos." I began explaining why I had gotten him a camera. "We can remember things well, but it's even better to have photos. By looking at them, we can recall places, people, and feelings we might forget. Photos are proof of memories."
"Dan,"
"Yes?"
"Can I take a picture of you?"
"Oh, of course. Now?" Before I even finished speaking, Jay had already picked up the camera and snapped a picture. "That was fast. I didn't even get a chance to smile."
"...Dan," Jay said softly while looking at the camera. I moved closer and saw my image. I felt a little embarrassed because I hadn't had time to smile. "I'll take a lot of pictures of Dan."
"Why?" I tilted my head, curious. "I want you to take pictures of the zoo, capture images of cute animals, Jay."
"My mother. I have her image in my memory, but not in reality," Jay said calmly. "I'm the only one who remembers her face. There's no proof. No photos left."
"..."
"I remember her voice, but I can't hear it anymore."
"Jay," I gently touched his arm. "You said you'd take a lot of pictures of me, right?"
"Yes."
"Take lots of photos, record videos. Let them be proof that we were here, that we were together. And even if we have proof, I won't disappear."
Jay nodded slowly. We walked from the parking lot toward the zoo entrance. Jay kept taking pictures of me. In the elevator, from behind, from the side.
"Jay, I get that you want lots of pictures, but isn't this a bit too much?"
"Really?"
"Yeah, take pictures in beautiful places. Record videos."
"Huh? I can record videos?"
"Of course."
"Then, I'll record Dan from the start."
I raised an eyebrow, curious. "A video of our trip? Alright, that sounds fun to watch later. Let's start with the front camera."
Jay activated the front camera.
"Get in the frame."
"Yeah."
With both of us in the shot, I waved and said, "Hey, today is Jay's birthday, he's turning 19. So, we're at the zoo." Then I looked at Jay, who seemed unsure. "Just in case. Do you want to say something so we can watch it later?"
Jay shook his head. "I want Dan to talk."
"No, I want to hear you too. I also want to watch this later. This will be a video about both of us."
"Oh, hello, Dan from the future," Jay said softly. I smiled at his words. "I really like this camera. I can take pictures of Dan. Thank you for the birthday gift."
"You like it?" I was surprised.
Jay nodded. "I'm happy to have it."
I grinned. "I'm glad you like it. It took me a long time to choose. I don't know much about cameras."
"Hmm."
"Let's go."
"Oh, the wrapping."
"The gift wrap and the box?" Jay was referring to the wrapping and the camera box.
"You can throw them away in the trash bin over there."
"I want to keep them."
"Alright," I unlocked the car. "Just put them in there."
"Yeah."
After Jay stored everything, we headed to the ticket counter and entered the zoo.
"It's hot, are you okay?"
"Yeah. What about you, Dan?"
"Right now, yes," I answered honestly. "But if we stay under the sun for another hour or two, I might not be able to handle it."
"Dan, take care of yourself."
I smiled. "I'll be fine. When I was little, we used to walk long distances. Now I can't."
"Should we take the zoo bus or rent a golf cart?"
Jay didn't respond, seeming indifferent. I thought a golf cart would be better. We could stop anywhere without waiting for a bus. The rental price was also reasonable. After we rented one, the staff showed us how to drive it.
"Do you want to try?"
"Yes."
"Alright," I sat beside him as Jay drove. "Jay, you said you wanted to buy a car. Do you already know how to drive?"
"Yes."
"Let me guess, you must be a really good driver."
"Well, I've practiced before."
I nodded in understanding and took out my camera. "Can I take a picture of you?"
Jay was slow to respond, maybe because of his previous job. But eventually, he said yes.
Not long after, I asked Jay to park. We arrived at the African animal section. "Look, Jay, the big one with the long neck is a giraffe. There are zebras, ostriches, and more," I said excitedly, since it had been a long time since I last visited. Jay observed quietly, perhaps because he had never seen them before. "What do you think?"
"They're big."
"Giraffes are the tallest land animals."
"Ah… yeah."
"You can take pictures of them."
"Yeah."
Jay raised the camera but ended up taking a picture of me instead.
"Take a picture of the giraffe, not me," I laughed.
"First, I want a picture of Dan," Jay said, then he started photographing the animals.
I briefly explained each animal to Jay, who listened and paid attention.
"We can feed the giraffes over there," I led him to the feeding area. I bought two portions and handed him one. "Just try it. Don't get too close. Watch the others and do the same."
"Yeah."
I watched as Jay fed the giraffes. He was surprised when one ate from his hand.
"Dan, its tongue is purple."
"Yeah," I nodded, amused. After that, we continued exploring. As I was observing a zebra, I noticed Jay recording me. "You didn't tell me you were recording?"
"Dan looked interested in it."
"Well, it's beautiful. Don't you like it?"
"Not really."
"Alright, should we go to another area?"
"Yeah."
We got back into the golf cart and stopped at the hippo area.
"Look, Jay, hippos. Remember when I showed you their picture in the book?"
"Yeah."
"Ah," I paused. "Are you taking pictures of me again?"
"Yeah. Dan looks… happy."
"Really?"
"Hmm."
"Haha, it seems like I'm enjoying this more than the birthday boy. It's been a while since I've walked around like this."
"It's okay," Jay said. "I'm happy that Dan is happy."
"Yeah?" I raised an eyebrow. "Are you enjoying this trip?"
"Yeah."
"You seem to be finding things you like and want to do lately. That's good," I smiled. "Does it make you happy to see me happy?"
Jay nodded.
I gently patted his head with affection. "Me too."
We passed the hippo area and arrived at the koala exhibit. We stopped again.
"Koalas sleep a lot, about twenty hours a day."
"Twenty hours... That must be exhausting."
"Yeah," I replied. There were four koalas sleeping in this area. After taking a few photos, we continued exploring. "Looks like you've taken a lot of pictures of me without me noticing."
"A lot."
"Haha, alright. I don't mind." I was reminded of Nao, who used to secretly take photos of me. His pictures weren't always the best, but I got used to it. "I should take pictures of you too."
I took out my phone and snapped a photo of Jay.
"And, you're not using the camera?"
"Some photos are just for me."
"Okay."
As we drove the golf cart, I looked at the photo of Jay. He looked different compared to when we first met. Maybe it was just my imagination, but he seemed happier; his eyes and voice showed it. After a while, I noticed the sun starting to set and the sky turning cloudy.
"Jay."
"Yeah."
"It might start raining," I voiced my thoughts. "Even though April is really hot, sometimes there's off-season rain."
"Hmm."
"Well... mmmm." I pressed my lips together, thinking that rain would be nice given today's heat, around 34 degrees. But would we still be able to enjoy the zoo if it rained? "I didn't bring an umbrella. I should've thought ahead." I scolded myself quietly.
We arrived at the aquarium, and I asked Jay to park. When we entered, the air inside felt much cooler.
"This aquarium has sea creatures from the ocean. Do you like the ocean?"
Jay thought for a moment and shook his head.
"What about mountains?" I asked. "People often ask, do you prefer the ocean or the mountains?"
"...Mountains."
"Yeah?" I widened my eyes, surprised. "Next time, we'll go camping. It'll be fun, with a nice atmosphere, a bonfire, and barbecue."
Jay nodded. I made a mental note to plan a camping trip for him.
"Let's take a picture at the entrance. The decorations are really nice."
"Yeah," Jay lifted his camera to take a picture of me.
"No, no," I shook my head. "A picture together."
"Together?"
"Of course. Do you want to take a picture with me?"
"Yeah."
"Alright. Let me borrow your camera." I took the camera and asked a nearby tourist to take our picture. We stood together, smiling, and I leaned slightly toward Jay. After the picture was taken, I thanked the tourist and checked the photo. "Yeah, it's good. He's good at taking pictures."
"Jay and Dan."
"Yeah, a picture of us together," I handed the camera back to Jay. "I want a copy of this photo."
"Yeah." Jay took the camera, but he kept staring at the photo without moving. I leaned in and asked: "What is it?"
"A picture of me and Dan."
"Yeah," I looked at the photo again, curious. "Is something wrong with it?"
"No, but... Dan."
"What?"
"I really like this photo. We're together."
I couldn't hold back a wide smile. "I like it too. Do you like taking pictures together?"
Jay nodded quickly, making me laugh.
"Alright, let's take more photos inside," I said, leading him in. We walked through a long, dimly lit hallway, the atmosphere cool, a contrast to outside. The walls were decorated with artificial grass, and glass enclosures housed small creatures.
"Jay, look, a snake. Do you know what kind this is?" I said, looking for an information sign. "Do you like snakes?"
Jay shook his head. "They bite."
"Alright, let's take more pictures inside," I said, guiding him further.
We walked through a long hallway with artificial grass-covered walls and various small animals in glass enclosures. After finishing at the aquarium, we stopped by the souvenir shop.
"Want to take home a souvenir?"
Jay shook his head. "Then, I'll buy you a shark hat," I said, pointing at a cute, shark-shaped hat. I bought it and made him try it on. "You look adorable!"
"Yeah."
"Let me take your picture." I took out my phone and snapped a photo of him wearing the shark hat, which looked like it was biting his head.
"Why not buy another one so you both can wear them?" suggested the store clerk.
"You'd look great together."
"No, thanks. I don't think it suits me."
"Dan," Jay tugged on my shirt. "Let's wear them together."
"Ah... alright," I nodded and bought another one. After putting it on, I checked my reflection in the mirror. Not too bad, though it suited kids more.
"Dan, let's take a picture together."
"Okay." I took the camera and asked the store clerk to take our picture. We found a good spot in the shop and posed with our shark hats.
"That's great!" the store clerk said, handing the camera back. I smiled and thanked him. Jay and I looked at the photo together.
"What do you think?"
"I like it," Jay answered with a satisfied tone.
"That's great. I'm glad you like it."
We stepped outside and saw that heavy rain had started falling. Even though we had a golf cart, it wasn't enough—we would get soaked.
"It's pouring, but it should stop soon. Let's wait here." I sat on a bench.
We talked while waiting, scrolling through the pictures we had taken. More than eighty percent of them were of me, taken from various angles.
"Without the animals in the background, people wouldn't even know we were at the zoo," I joked, then coughed. "Sorry, my throat is dry." I was about to get up to buy some water, but Jay stood up first.
"Dan, what do you want to drink?"
"Just water, thanks."
Jay went to buy a bottle of water and handed it to me. I took a sip.
"Aren't you drinking?"
Jay shook his head.
"It's not too bad, right? The rain," I continued. "It was so hot earlier. Do you like the rain?"
Jay shook his head again.
"Why? I like it. Rain is soothing. Sometimes, I even play rain sounds while working."
"Rain... feels lonely."
"...Ah, but now you won't be alone anymore." I gently touched his hand and smiled at him. Jay nodded once.
The rain started to ease, but it didn't seem like it would stop anytime soon, so I decided we should go. Driving the golf cart, we got a little wet. We returned to the car and got ready to leave.
"Dan."
"Yeah?"
"I'll drive."
"Why?"
"It's dangerous when it rains."
"You haven't driven in a while, are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Alright. Drive slowly."
"Yeah."
I let him drive. Normally, I never sat in the passenger seat of my own car. At first, I was nervous since I had never let him drive before, but I relaxed when I saw he was a good driver. He drove smoothly, not too fast, and was careful. We arrived at the gym without any issues.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
"You're a great driver," I complimented him. "You drive smoothly, unlike Nao. He always brakes suddenly and scares me."
"Did I drive well?"
"Yeah, you did really well."
"Haha, I'm glad you liked it."
I absentmindedly looked at the gifts from Nao and Tiger.
"Let's open the gifts from Nao and Tiger."
"Yeah."
Jay opened the package and found a blue sports jacket.
"This is useful."
"Hmm."
"Keep going."
"Okay."
The next gift was from Mom, the one I was most curious about.
"Oh, a keychain?" I asked, seeing a hand-knitted teddy bear keychain. "That's so Mom. It's really cute. Jay, my mom made this by hand. Attach it to your room key."
"Yeah. Thank you... for all the gifts."
"Ah, I'll pass on your thanks," I said, noticing a card in Mom's gift. "Oh, there's a card." Jay picked it up and read it.
"Happy birthday, dear. I hope you're always happy and that all your wishes come true. I hope you succeed in everything you choose. Stay healthy and keep smiling. Come have dinner with us sometime."
"Why does your mom call me 'dear'?"
"Mom says it with affection. Do you want to have dinner at my house?"
Jay hesitated for a moment before asking quietly, "Can I?"
"Of course, Mom invited you. Let's go to my house for dinner."
"Okay."