A Day in the Zoo (2)

“The reason I’ve been so focused on my playing for a while is because of our night together. It was a great help to my playing.”
“…It’s a relief that I was useful, but.”
“So, to be clear, I won’t just cut you off one day without a word, Theron.”
“You mean you could cut me off with a word…”
Ignoring Theron, who had been muttering to himself for a while, Selene continued what she was saying.
“I’m sorry if I made you anxious for personal reasons. But you are still a valuable observation subject to me. So I can’t just throw you away or cut you off.”
As the car stopped at a signal, Theron looked at Selene while holding the steering wheel.
“Do you know how strange that sounds? It’s like what a mad scientist would say to a hard-won experimental subject.”
Even as he said that, Theron didn’t seem to be in a bad mood.
Rather, his stiff face had relaxed, and he didn’t look bad.
“You know the piano is the most important thing to me.”
“Well… that’s true, but.”
Just then, the signal changed, and Theron looked ahead again.
The car became quiet.
As Theron’s mood softened, Selene naturally changed the subject.
“Do you have a favorite animal, Mr. Theron?”
“No… I mean, yes.”
“What is it?”
“A mole.”
Selene looked at Theron.
“That’s unusual. May I ask why?”
“At first, I wondered if there was anyone who liked such an ugly mammal, but as I kept looking, it reminded me of someone.”
“Who?”
“It’s a secret.”
Theron, who cut off his answer at an ambiguous point, was like the end of a childish cartoon serialized in a newspaper to make you buy it again tomorrow.
Still, it was not in Selene’s nature to nitpick, so she let it be.
As they continued this kind of nonsensical conversation, the car soon stopped in front of the zoo.
“Wait a moment.”
Theron quickly opened the car door for Selene before she could get out.
As she stepped onto the ground, the smell of animals, which could not be felt in the middle of the city, wafted on the cool autumn breeze.
At the entrance, there was a colorful zoo sign that caught people’s attention.
Just as she was about to suggest they go in quickly before the crowd gathered, Selene noticed Theron staring blankly at the sign with a monkey drawn on it.
“It seems this is your first time at the zoo too, Mr. Theron.”
At Selene’s voice, Theron quickly turned his gaze away.
“…I didn’t grow up in a well-to-do family.”
As Theron trailed off as if talking about something he didn’t want to, Selene nodded.
“That’s great. It’s my first time too. Let’s make some good memories.”
At Selene’s rarely gentle tone, Theron stared at her.
Then, with a somewhat determined look in his eyes, he asked, “May I hold your hand?”
Selene thought for a moment.
She had only walked holding hands as a child, before her parents passed away.
Not only was there no one to do it with, but it was also uncomfortable to walk connected to someone like a prisoner tied with a rope.
But at the sight of Theron Cox, who was looking at her shyly yet seriously, she thought she could allow this much.
As Selene held out her hand as if giving permission, Theron grabbed it as if he had been waiting.
The two, holding hands, entered the zoo with a gentle excitement and anticipation.

There were more animals in the zoo than expected.
Since it was originally a facility operated only for academic research purposes, there were not a few strange and huge animals that were hard to see even in pictures or books.
A gray elephant bigger than a car, a crocodile with only its eyes peeking out of the water, a giraffe as tall as a two-story building.
Theron seemed to be momentarily captivated by the magnificent appearance of the animals.
And yet, he never let go of her hand and matched his pace to Selene’s, and she was simply amazed that he could do several things at once.
“Theron, your eyes are going to pop out.”
“No, how can my eyes not pop out when there’s an animal with such a long neck?”
Theron retorted as if Selene were the stranger one.
Of course, Selene was also amazed by these animals that were hard to see.
However, her purpose in coming here was to see a mole in person, so the animals she saw before that were just a process for Selene.
“You would have been disappointed if I hadn’t suggested we come.”
At Selene’s remark, Theron rubbed under his chin awkwardly.
“Didn’t I say it was my first time?”
“Have you ever been to a circus or a sports game in person?”
“A sports game, a few times after becoming an adult, by invitation. A circus, never.”
As Selene stared at him, Theron said as if making an excuse.
“I didn’t go because I didn’t want to. The circus is too noisy, and I’m not particularly interested in sports.”
‘Well. If he’s so amazed by the zoo, his eyes would surely be popping out if he went to a circus.’
Nevertheless, Selene did not point out that fact.
It was because of the words Theron had said as if in passing.

“…I didn’t grow up in a well-to-do family.”

Although Selene had never seen a case where someone couldn’t go to a circus in their childhood because they had no money, she knew that not everyone was as wealthy as the people around her.
Even before, Theron had talked about growing up in a dangerous back alley.
“It’s a mole.”
Worried that her question might make Theron’s gloomy past continue in his mind, Selene changed the subject, her gaze fixed on the distance.
Theron’s brow furrowed.
“I can’t even see it well because of the people…”
“No. It’s definitely a mole. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many people gathered only at that cage.”
Theron looked at Selene with a somewhat disbelieving look.
“I’m sorry, but not many people in the world like moles. In my eyes, it looks a little cute because it resembles… someone, but to others, it’s just an ugly mammal.”
Selene glared at Theron.
“We’ll know when we get there, so don’t belittle the mole anymore.”
Selene, who was rarely serious, led the hand she was holding with Theron.
In front of the enclosure, there were especially many young children.
Theron smiled as if he had won without even looking.
“See, there’s no way so many kids would gather to see a mole… no, it really is a mole.”
As Selene had expected, there was a mole in the cage.
Most of them were underground, so they were not very visible, but one had come out after digging in the dirt.
“I was right. It was a mole after all.”
Theron, who was watching the animal in the cage as if he couldn’t believe it, cleared his throat.
“The reason so many kids are gathered here is because of the mole’s special characteristic. How amazing it must be to see an animal that digs in the ground.”
Theron, contrary to his earlier claim that his favorite animal was a mole, stubbornly refused to acknowledge its charm.
Selene, not wanting to be disturbed by a useless argument at this moment, left Theron alone.
‘Cute…’
Selene gazed at the mole.
Indeed, there was no reason for liking something.
It was good just as it was, without needing to find a reason.
If she had this kind of feeling for a man, it would surely be the love that Evelyn had chattered about.
“What’s so good about that ugly mammal…”
As Selene was looking intently into the cage, Theron also lowered his head to look at where her gaze was directed.
Selene, lost in the mole, ignored Theron’s grumbling.
Then, she saw a very funny scene.
The mole, which was digging a tunnel, tried to lift a stone and fell flat on its back.
Selene, whose eyes had widened at the precious sight, soon burst out laughing.
“Theron, did you see that?”
“…”
But contrary to her question, Theron was not looking at the mole, but at Selene.
The excitement and elation that had been shining in his eyes since they had entered the zoo had somehow subsided.
Only Selene was reflected in Theron’s eyes.
Selene, finding Theron’s calm yet intense gaze, as if he would devour her at any moment, to be unfamiliar, stopped laughing and blinked slowly.
“Theron?”
“So you can laugh like that.”
“…”
“I mean, laughing out loud.”
Selene realized she had laughed like that just now from Theron’s remark.
“I’m a person too.”
“Yes, but you rarely showed me such a face.”
“…”
“If anything, you laughed at that ugly mole.”
‘Is he trying to say he’s disappointed?’
Selene studied Theron.
“So, are you not in a good mood?”
Theron straightened the back he had been bending to match Selene’s height.
At the same time, he squeezed the hand he was holding with Selene a little tighter.
“Who said that? I just wanted to say I hope you laugh like that often.”
“…”
“Because I want to see you laugh like that, get angry, and cry.”
Even as he said such a romantic thing, Theron was looking elsewhere, as if embarrassed.
“Ah, but don’t laugh too often. I might want to kiss you regardless of the place. I don’t mind, but it’s not a demure behavior befitting a duke’s daughter, is it?”
Selene thought for a fleeting moment.
Theron, who was acting nonchalant to hide his reddened face, was a little cute.
At the same time, she realized that when she was with Theron, the facial muscles that rarely moved would often twitch.
Usually, her facial muscles moved to frown or squint, but when she played the piano with him or at this moment of looking at the zoo, a smile would naturally form and laughter would come out.
It was a change she would not have noticed if Theron hadn’t pointed it out.