It was at this moment that he realized the girl's hand was so long and soft. Ho Fei-yu wanted this moment to last forever. This was the first time in both of his lives that he had held a girl's hand, and it was both exciting and unforgettable. Especially with a gentle and kind girl like Hanasaku Tenkawa, he wanted to cherish her in his hands and hold her in his heart. If anyone dared to target her, he would send them to the grave. Thinking again of the girl's tragic ending in the source material, he squeezed her hand a bit tighter, afraid this might just be an illusion.
Hanasaku Tenkawa felt Ho Fei-yu's grip, and her heart felt warm and happy, like two lovers running toward each other. She felt the boy's hand tighten, but it didn't hurt. It was as if the boy treasured her very much. She, too, squeezed back slightly, holding his hand tightly.
Ho Fei-yu felt the girl's hand tighten its grip, which finally eased his mind, allowing him to cast away the feeling of illusion and unreality.
The two walked along the zoo path, holding hands tightly. At first, they were both a bit stiff, but after a few minutes, they gradually got used to it, evolving from simply holding hands to interlocking fingers. They looked at the adorable little animals through the fences.
"Fei-yu-kun, look! The giraffe's neck is so long! No wonder they call it a giraffe!"
"Wow! That's a huge hippo! Its mouth can open so wide! Wait, Fei-yu-kun, let's go! The hippo is pooping!"
Ho Fei-yu allowed Hanasaku Tenkawa to lead him. The girl was like she was seeing these animals for the first time, always making startled exclamations. But the girl's cute demeanor made him almost unable to resist teasing her lips again.
Hanasaku Tenkawa was overjoyed. She couldn't remember the last time she had been to the zoo, maybe when she was a child, or maybe never. But it didn't matter now, because she was with the person she liked. She was relaxed and could be carefree, because her hand was tightly held by his, not like a kite with a broken string, simply drifting with the wind.
"Fei-yu-kun, why aren't you saying anything? Do you think I'm too loud?" All along the way, the girl had been chattering like a little sparrow. After the initial excitement faded, Hanasaku Tenkawa noticed the boy hadn't spoken. She feared he found her too noisy, so she immediately stopped, turned her head, and looked at the boy.
"How could that be, you silly girl? I was just watching how excited you were and didn't want to interrupt you."
"What are you thinking?" Ho Fei-yu saw the girl's cautious look, and his heart was once again filled with tenderness. He gently stroked her head with his free hand.
"Mhm, I thought..."
"Don't worry. No matter what, I'll always thank the heavens for letting me meet you."
"Mmm~" The girl loved the boy's sweet talk. Her entire heart was pounding now, and her purple eyes, looking at the boy, overflowed with affection. If it was just a small lake before, it was now a vast ocean.
Next, the two followed the route, looking east and west. Although Hanasaku Tenkawa wasn't as frantic as before, she was still very excited, and her beautiful purple eyes sparkled brightly.
"Right, let's go check out that spot."
Ho Fei-yu, who had been quiet most of the time, finally spoke. He couldn't bear to interrupt the girl's beautiful, lively state, but he had an important task at the zoo. Since he had spotted the animals he wanted, it was time to get things done, otherwise, he would constantly worry about the girl's safety.
"The lions? Does Fei-yu-kun like lions?"
Hanasaku Tenkawa quieted down when the boy spoke and let him lead her small hand toward a certain area. As they got closer, she realized it was the lion enclosure. However, the lions inside were currently dozing. Not far away were leftover chunks of meat with clear, terrifying scratch and bite marks.
Due to the summer heat, even though it was almost five o'clock, the weather was still hot. The meat chunks had already attracted a few crows to peck at them.
In a place where no one could see, a majestic purple figure quietly appeared behind Ho Fei-yu. It somehow produced a white dumpling and flicked it toward the enclosure. However, the target wasn't the lions, but the crows currently enjoying the leftover meat.
[Momotaro Dumpling: A rice ball that all animals love to eat. Once tossed, they will naturally open their mouths to eat it. After consuming it, they will be completely tamed and follow the commands of the person who gave them the rice ball.]
Generally, there are two types of crows that thrive in urban environments.
The first is the Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos). They are large, robust crows, about 57 cm long. Their head and beak look very thick from the side, earning them the nickname "Thick-billed Crow."
Deceased winter animals, dead fish, and prey discarded by raptors are easily accessible food sources for them. This robust, thick beak makes them experts at scavenging animal carcasses. Even in the dead of winter, they can slowly tear apart and eat frozen, hardened carcasses.
Jungle Crows will also use their flock mentality to drive away large raptors like buzzards and sea eagles, seizing their food to enjoy.
The second is the Carrion Crow (Corvus corone). Their body size is similar to the Jungle Crow, about 55 cm long, but their head is smaller and their beak is more slender and pointed, giving them the nickname "Slender-billed Crow."
Although Carrion Crows are slightly smaller than Jungle Crows, their ferocity is no less than the latter.
Besides scavenging animal carcasses, they also actively attack any animals they have the chance to capture. In Ho Fei-yu's previous life, someone on Earth witnessed four Carrion Crows attacking a juvenile night heron in a zoo. In just a few minutes, the night heron, which was larger than the crows, was completely devoured by them.
Ho Fei-yu valued the crows' high survival skills and fierce fighting ability. They could be left to their own devices without worrying about their food source. Moreover, these corvids had evolved excellent teamwork skills, which could effectively help him monitor the girl's surroundings. If any suspicious person appeared, the flock would attack, buying him time to arrive.
The main reason for choosing them was that Ho Fei-yu currently didn't have any items that could directly protect the person next to him. He had no choice but to hire some subordinates. He himself would work hard to complete the missions issued by the System, hoping to earn some useful items.
The rice ball landed accurately on the decaying meat, bounced slightly, and settled securely on top. The crows, who were just enjoying the rotten meat, immediately flew and hopped toward the rice ball, beginning to peck at it.
"Aoo————————Hoooo"
The lions, who were clearly asleep, woke up inexplicably. They subconsciously looked at the rotten meat and saw the same crows eating their leftovers. They usually didn't mind, but today, they felt inexplicably annoyed. One roared loudly, then got up and rushed toward the rotten meat. Something seemed to be drawing them in.
"What's happening? Why did the big lion suddenly wake up?" Hanasaku Tenkawa was a little scared by the lion's roar and instinctively hid behind Ho Fei-yu. She then poked her small head out, unable to resist looking inside the enclosure.
"It's nothing. They'll be our friends soon." Ho Fei-yu saw the girl was clearly afraid but couldn't resist her curiosity. He chuckled and gently stroked her head. His words left the girl puzzled.
"Alright, you are all colleagues now. Remember to coexist peacefully."
The girl was closing her eyes, enjoying the boy's caress, but opened them at his strange words. She subconsciously wanted to ask Ho Fei-yu who he was talking to, but when her purple eyes glanced inside, she saw that the crows, who had been scattering from the lion's roar, were now standing on the lion's head and shoulders. The lion was not trying to drive them away. It looked like a puppy, panting with its tongue out and an eager expression directed at the two of them.
"Fei-yu-kun, what is this?" Hanasaku Tenkawa blinked, her gaze shifting between the lion and the crows, and the boy's handsome profile, seemingly waiting for an explanation.
"Heh heh, perhaps they were conquered by my heroic and dominating aura." Ho Fei-yu wasn't ready to reveal his secrets yet and replied casually.
However, to his surprise, the girl actually nodded thoughtfully, seeming to agree. This left Ho Fei-yu speechless, and he couldn't help but inwardly complain, 'Are the girls in the R-18 anime world all so well-endowed but brainless? Or did the nutrients for brain development all go to support the growth of those two soft mounds?' He even believed that if he told a small lie now, the naive girl next to him would immediately go to a hotel with him to do some growing up activities.