Although the Chiba City Zoo is a large-scale zoo, its actual size is not that big.
Compared to its counterparts in Tokyo, the Chiba Zoo might only be half the size.
But despite its size, its supporting facilities are quite well-developed, otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to secure the opportunity for a giant panda exhibition tour.
The giant panda's temporary pavilion was located right next to the red panda pavilion.
Although it hadn't opened yet, a long line had already formed at the entrance.
Clearly, everyone was here for the giant panda.
Seeing that it was almost opening time, Mori Shinra and Yukinoshita also obediently got in line.
The line they were in was the one for the fast-track lane.
The only people who could be ahead of them were other tourists who had also bought VIP tickets.
Very fair.
Just as the two were guided by the staff to line up in the fast-track lane, Yukinoshita tugged on Mori Shinra's sleeve.
"Look over there."
Yukinoshita's finger pointed to a female tourist at the front of the line.
Even though it was the middle of summer, she was wearing formal attire that one would only see at a banquet.
Just looking at her made one feel hot.
"That is..." Mori Shinra found her back somewhat familiar, especially her long, beautiful black hair and her tall, slender figure.
"Ms. Hiratsuka Shizuka?"
"It should be her."
While they were talking, the woman who looked like Ms. Hiratsuka glanced down at her phone, then slammed her right fist hard onto the nearby iron railing.
"Dong~"
You could tell how much force was in that strike just from the sound.
"It's definitely her," Mori Shinra said in a convinced tone.
Among the women Mori Shinra knew, only Ms. Hiratsuka could deliver a punch of that magnitude.
"Should we go say hello?" Yukinoshita asked.
"I think Ms. Hiratsuka probably doesn't want to be seen by acquaintances right now."
"Why?"
Of course, it's because of the negative emotions practically materializing around her.
In Mori Shinra's view, with the amount of resentment coming off of Ms. Hiratsuka, even Sadako would have to offer her a cigarette.
"Did you notice what the sensei is wearing?"
"You mean that outfit that looks ridiculously hot just looking at it?"
Yukinoshita had clearly also noticed Ms. Hiratsuka's seasonally inappropriate attire long ago.
But what did that have to do with her not wanting to be seen by acquaintances?
"Yes. Normally, you wouldn't need to dress so formally just to visit a zoo, right?"
"That's true, especially not Ms. Hiratsuka."
"Exactly. That's Ms. Hiratsuka."
It wasn't that Mori Shinra and Yukinoshita Yukino had anything against Hiratsuka Shizuka.
She was a beautiful woman with a great personality, a truly rare and good teacher.
But at school, she usually just wore a lab coat.
While you couldn't say her fashion sense was bad, it at least proved that she really didn't care much about her attire.
Yet, for such a person, would you really say she dressed so formally just to visit a zoo?
Is it possible?
"So she's meeting someone? Like a boyfriend," Yukinoshita offered her hypothesis.
A woman adorns herself for one who delights in her.
To make the usually unkempt Hiratsuka Shizuka dress up so carefully, the person she is meeting must be very important to her.
And why assume the person Ms. Hiratsuka is meeting is a man...
That's naturally because, in this era of female competition, if you dress up too beautifully when meeting someone of the same sex, it's highly likely to be seen as a provocation.
Yukinoshita had deep personal experience with this.
After all, even when she didn't dress up seriously, other girls would still show inexplicable hostility towards her.
It's a case of projecting one's own mindset onto others.
"She's probably meeting someone, but it's definitely not a boyfriend."
Mori Shinra said in a convinced tone.
"On what basis?"
Yukinoshita didn't understand how Mori Shinra could be so certain.
"Usually, one only dresses so formally when meeting for the first time, to make a good impression. If it were a boyfriend, the attire would be more casual to close the distance between them. Just like what you're wearing now."
"That's true... Wait, I did not wear this to 'close the distance' with you."
Yukinoshita subconsciously nodded in agreement, then suddenly realized Mori Shinra had a hidden meaning in his words.
Although she did spend a long time picking out this outfit today, and she did put on makeup before coming out...
B-but... anyway, it definitely wasn't because of Mori Shinra!
It was to see the giant panda. Yes, the giant panda.
"I was just giving an example."
Mori Shinra gave Yukinoshita a puzzled look.
"Why such a big reaction? Besides, this outfit really suits you. It's very pretty."
Yukinoshita froze, feeling that Mori Shinra was being too cunning, leaving her at a loss for how to respond.
She could only change the subject. "The pavilion is open."
The pavilion was indeed open.
Under the direction of the on-site staff, the crowd began to move slowly towards the Giant Panda Pavilion.
Ms. Hiratsuka, who was at the front, had already entered the pavilion and temporarily disappeared from view.
But fortunately, it was soon Mori Shinra's and Yukinoshita's turn.
They showed their tickets to the staff, had them marked, and then they too entered the Giant Panda Pavilion.
The ample air conditioning inside the pavilion washed away the heat from waiting in line.
Yukinoshita's attention was quickly captured by the black-and-white furball in the center.
All thoughts of Ms. Hiratsuka were temporarily thrown to the back of her mind.
Now, her eyes were only for the adorable giant panda, Xiang Xiang, who was in the center of the enclosure, hugging a bamboo stalk and chewing on it.
"Do you need me to take a picture of you together?"
The photographer, Mori Shinra, offered with great tact.
"Please."
Yukinoshita Yukino's reply was serious and formal, as if she were undertaking some sacred commission.
No, it is a commission.
Mori Shinra saw a gray exclamation mark pop up directly above Yukinoshita's head.
For real?
In that case, I have to show my real skills.
Mori Shinra's expression also turned serious.
Joking was joking, but he would never joke about wish power points.
Including the previous request from Totsuka Saika, Mori Shinra was still 6 pulls away from the pity for his next ability.
Not to mention, now that summer vacation had started, acquiring wish power points would be much harder than when he was at school.
Therefore, every wish power point was precious and needed to be cherished.
"Move a little this way, give me the bag first, look at Xiang Xiang, squat down... right, a little lower, hold still, good..."
Mori Shinra very professionally adjusted Yukinoshita's pose in front of the lens, while also keeping an eye on the black-and-white furball's movements.
Xiang Xiang, for the sake of us being from the same homeland, please look at me... my camera lens.
Perhaps she heard Mori Shinra's call.
The giant panda Xiang Xiang actually looked over in their direction.
This is the moment!
With the sound of the shutter, 20 photos were captured in the camera in less than a second.
"Take a look."
Mori Shinra handed the camera over.
Like a true man never looking back at an explosion, the moment he pressed the shutter, a classic was born.
He was just that confident!
Yukinoshita took the camera, and the moment she saw the finished product, her eyes lit up.
In the photo, the girl and the panda echoed each other from a distance.
As their eyes met, there was an indescribable sense of harmony.
The angle was also cleverly used to avoid other tourists in the pavilion as much as possible, making the picture look very clean.
It was the kind of photo that could make one's eyes light up, even without any post-processing.
"Don't just stare, say the line."
Mori Shinra urged.
Yukinoshita pursed her lips.
Although she hated to admit it, the quality of the photos Mori Shinra took truly exceeded her expectations.
Whether it was the technique or the composition, it was worlds better than at the cat and dog show.
Even if she had taken it herself, she couldn't guarantee she could capture a photo of this quality.
"It's... it's not bad."
"Just 'not bad'?"
"It's very good, happy now?"
Surprisingly, Yukinoshita didn't haggle with Mori Shinra.
She frankly acknowledged his skill and offered up one wish power point.
This set a new record for Mori Shinra's fastest wish power request completion.
Please type 'Boss Yukino is generous' in the comments.
After carefully examining the photos, Yukinoshita suggested to Mori Shinra, "Do you want to take one too?"
"Sure." Mori Shinra readily agreed, striking while the iron was hot.
"It's a rare opportunity. Why don't we take a photo together?"
What's the point of just taking a picture of myself? It's only meaningful if we take it together.
The nostalgic effect of a photo together is not something a solo photo can even touch.
"We can, but how?" Yukinoshita hesitated for a moment, but still agreed.
Although the digital camera in her hand had a self-timer, the problem was there was no tripod.
If they held it, it would be difficult to get the composition and framing right, leading to a subpar photo.
Or maybe we could ask a passerby to help?
Just as Yukinoshita was thinking of a solution, she saw Mori Shinra take out his own phone, walk up to her, and stand shoulder to shoulder.
"Look at the camera."
Subconsciously, Yukinoshita did as he said.
"Click."
An electronic shutter sound, different from the camera's, rang out, and the image was frozen.
By the time Yukinoshita came to her senses, the photo had already been taken, and Mori Shinra had sent it to her phone via LINE.
Because it was taken with a phone, the image quality was certainly not as good as a professional camera's.
But the quality of a photo is not just determined by its pixels.
Just like this photo of them.
The first impression was that it felt very natural.
Everything was so harmonious, as if the picture was always meant to be this way.
It was very comfortable to look at.
Speaking of which, this seems to be the first time I've taken a photo alone with a non-related male, isn't it?
Yukinoshita realized this belatedly.
Then she noticed that she and Mori Shinra seemed a bit too close in the photo.
Their shoulders were almost touching.
Her subconscious look at the camera, paired with the smile on Mori Shinra's face, looked just like a boyfriend had suddenly lifted his phone and snapped a picture of his-caught-off-guard-girlfriend...
On a whim, Yukinoshita saved the picture.
"How is it?" Mori Shinra leaned his head over.
Yukinoshita subconsciously took half a step back, pressing the phone screen to her chest, as if she didn't want Mori Shinra to know she had saved the photo.
"Wh-what 'how is it'?"
"The photo I just sent you."
"It's nothing special."
Because Mori Shinra had ambushed her, she looked a little dazed in the photo, not like her real self at all.
"Then let's take another one?"
"This time, I'll be in charge."
After saying that, Yukinoshita also took out her own phone, wanting to replicate Mori Shinra's move.
But because it was her first time taking a selfie, she took several shots in a row but couldn't get a satisfactory result.
"Why don't I do it?"
"No." Yukinoshita shook her head, put her phone away, and walked quickly into the crowd with the camera.
Mori Shinra was a bit confused.
Just as he was about to follow, he saw that she had already returned, and there was another person with her.
"Yukino? What are you doing here?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka never imagined that she would run into her students while visiting the zoo to meet a blind date.
And to make matters worse, her blind date had stood her up!
"Let's not worry about that right now, Sensei. I need you to help me with something." Yukinoshita shoved the camera in her hands into Hiratsuka Shizuka's arms, then quickly walked back to Mori Shinra's side.
"Mori Shinra is here too? Wait, what are you..."
"As you can see, please help us take a picture."
"Oh."
Perhaps because Yukinoshita Yukino had stated it so matter-of-factly, Hiratsuka Shizuka didn't ask many questions and simply helped them by pressing the shutter.
After taking the picture, Hiratsuka Shizuka handed the camera back to Yukinoshita and looked at Mori Shinra, asking, "Is it just the two of you?"
"Just the two of us," Mori Shinra replied.
"A date?"
"I guess so."
"Not bad, kid."
He's only known her for one semester, and he's already managed to ask Yukino out on a date alone?
And they're taking photos together?
It looks like Yukino was the one who initiated it.
Sigh... comparisons are odious. Mori Shinra is making rapid progress, while I can't even get my date to show up. Ugh... I want to get married.
"It's nothing, it's nothing."
Mori Shinra waved his hand humbly, indicating that he still had work to do.
Seeing the two of them getting more and more off-topic, Yukinoshita, after checking the photo, cleared her throat to interrupt their nonsense.
She didn't deny the 'date' part, but instead asked, "What about you, Sensei? Are you alone?"
"Uh..." The smile on Hiratsuka Shizuka's face froze.
She then stammered, "N-no, I-I'm here with a friend."
She really is not good at lying.
This thought popped into both Yukinoshita's and Mori Shinra's minds at the same time.
"Then..."
Seeing that Yukinoshita was about to say more, Hiratsuka Shizuka pretended to take out her phone, used her alarm as a ringtone, said a few random things, and then said to Yukinoshita and Mori Shinra, "My friend is looking for me, I have to go. No need to see me out."
Without waiting for them to reply, she fled the pavilion as if escaping, disappearing into the crowd.
Yukinoshita handed the camera to Mori Shinra for him to see the photo, and said thoughtfully, "Sensei is probably on a blind date."
"Mhm. And it looks like she was stood up by her date."
"That's kind of sad." ×2