Sweet Love

Chapter 29: Bird park

"Where are we going today, Bokuto-san?"

"Akaaahshi! Stop bugging me! I'm not going to tell you until we reach there." Bokuto gives Akaashi a smug look before continuing, "It's revenge for last time. If you had told me sooner that we were going to that park, I would not have embarrassed myself crying. Hmph."

Akaashi shoots Bokuto a look of disbelief.

"What?" Bokuto retorts back.

"Anyway, we'll be there soon!"
The train pulls up to a station and Bokuto alights, excitedly dragging Akaashi along with him.

"Uh... I think it's this way..." They are at the entrance of the station, Bokuto contemplating about which direction they should head in.

Akaashi sighs. "Bokuto-san, I can help you if you would just tell me where our destination is..." Bokuto just disregards Akaashi and runs off to ask a kind soul for directions. Akaashi hurriedly chases after.

"Oji-san, do you know where I should go if I want to find the bird park?" Bokuto stops a random middle aged man and asks. After getting the directions, Bokuto thanks the man and turns around to find Akaashi staring at him. "Hehe. I guess you found out."

"The bird park. This is a date?"

"Akaahshi... Of course it's a date! What do you think it is... Couples are supposed go on dates all the time."

Akaashi feels his heart skip a beat as he hear Bokuto reconfirm about their date. He thanks his poker face for covering up his embarrassment.

"Anyways we got no time to lose. Let's go!"

In a few minutes, the pair found their way to the birdpark, mostly thanks to Akaashi's better sense of direction and good observation skills.

"I bought us passes online!" Bokuto fumbles around for his wallet and fishes out two folded pieces of paper. "Let's scan this and go in!" Before Akaashi can reply, he finds himself following behind Bokuto, hands in his. Of course to normal people, it just seems like an over enthusiastic friend pulling the other along.

Soon, they enter the park. Akaashi suggests they grab a map. However Bokuto decides that he would like to explore the bird park instead. Akaashi shakes his head but agrees. They can always find an online map anyways if there was a need.

They follow signboard directions and walk around. Soon they find themselves at the flamingo pool. At first, Akaashi is exasperated when Bokuto tries to mimic a flamingo. However as the poses grow more and more dramatic, Akaashi cannot resist but laugh. Bokuto lights up upon seeing Akaashi's reaction and uses his camera to snap a picture.

"Bokuto-san, what did you just do?"

"Take a photo." As if to prove his point, Bokuto flips the camera around to show Akaashi the picture. Akaashi is embarrassed about his candid photo. "Delete it Bokuto-san."

"Why? It is a nice photo." Bokuto looks at Akaashi, puzzled.

"...I don't look nice."

"Ehhhhhh... But you never smile for photos. We finally have one with you smiling! So I am not deleting it."

Bokuto runs away, tucking his camera carefully under his arm.

"But it's embarrassing..."

Akaashi quickly chases after the sprightly Bokuto.

After a few more exhibits with exotic birds, the teenagers find themselves in front of a huge enclosure. They walk in and are greeted by a colourful sight of flying parrots and lorries. They buy some bird food and step onto one of the high rise bridges that stretch across the entire enclosure.

Soon, quite a huge flock of birds had gathered around Akaashi and Bokuto, eating from the small cups they held in their hands. The more aggressive birds would claw on the teenagers' arms instead of the railing to secure the best spot for feeding.

In all the vibrant chaos, Bokuto got a little too excited and spilt some of the bird food, that caused a few birds to flutter down and crowd around Bokuto's feet, pecking at it.

"Woah! Cool! I feel like a big boss!" Bokuto quickly requests Akaashi to take a photograph.

"Bokuto-san, let's go." Akaashi calls out to Bokuto and starts to head for the exit. Bokuto reluctantly waves goodbye to the birds around him and puts the bird feed at a bird feeder hung along the railing. He walks out with Akaashi.

"Akaashshi! Where are we going?"

Akaashi glances up to take a look at the signboard just further up. "How about the owl aviary? It's just there."

Bokuto nods and they both quicken their footsteps towards the owl aviary.

"Owls are magnificent creatures. They have binocular vision and very good hearing. There are over two hundred species of owls in the wild. Our zoo is fortunate enough to host 20 of these 200 species of owls..." One would slide to the familiar conclusion that Akaashi would turn to take a look at Bokuto's reaction, but this time, they are both equally interested and enthusiastic about the talk.

"...Now who would like to hold the little fellow perched on my hand?" A bunch of hands shoot up, Akaashi's and Bokuto's included. A child is chosen first of course. However, they all got their meet and greet session with Mr Owl. "Click." A picture of Bokuto and the owl in a stare off is captured.

It is late afternoon as the two boys leave the bird paradise. Seeing the little people around, Akaashi takes the chance to intertwine his fingers with Bokuto's. The daring move came as a surprise to the unsuspecting Bokuto.