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Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

And so, their date began.

They took two connected train rides, spent some time on a bus, and eventually reached their first destination: S-City’s aquarium.

Right at the start of their tour, Kou’s eyes were drawn to a long water tank with a large number of sea pineapples suspended from the top—a species that had recently become popular to raise.

“Kyah?!”
“Wh-what happened, Hijiri?”
“Ah, sorry… I just… I was startled when one suddenly swam out from behind a rock.”

Saying that, Hijiri pointed toward the bottom of the tank, where—

“…A shark.”
“Y-yeah… but it’s really small, and it’s just swimming around…”

As Hijiri said, the small shark was peacefully swimming around the rocks, unbothered by the visitors. She had simply been startled by how suddenly it appeared. Now, she leaned in closer to the glass, curiously watching it swim.

…But she was still clinging tightly to Kou’s arm.

Kou could feel two soft, springy masses pressing into her arm—far softer than anything she herself had—and her face turned bright red… until she noticed a sign posted next to the tank.

“Ah, look. It says this type of shark is really docile and doesn’t attack people.”
“Ohh, that’s nice.”

After reading that, Hijiri finally seemed to relax, and the two moved on to the next area.

“Woah… Look, there’s a bunch of sardines over there!”
“Ohh… they almost look like they’re part of a much bigger creature. So pretty…”

They entered the next section, still holding hands tightly. There was an enormous tank there, apparently designed to replicate the nearby ocean’s ecosystem.

…One of the aquarium’s most unique features was that the tops of the tanks were open to sunlight, creating the illusion that visitors were actually standing on the ocean floor when looking up.

“Actually, is it okay to have sharks and sardines in the same tank? Don’t they eat each other?”
“Ah, I wondered that too. It would probably be traumatizing for kids to watch a shark chomp down on the other fish.”

The tank held many fish familiar to children as food—like sardines, mackerel, and porgy—but also included rays and several species of sharks. The two watched in quiet thought, unsure about the tank’s safety balance.

Eventually, they moved on to the second floor, which also served as the aquarium’s rooftop. That area was the aquarium’s true highlight. It featured a variety of coastal animals, such as penguins, sea lions, and seals—all housed in a petting zone.

The animals had seemingly shed their wild instincts, and the caretakers mentioned that they had grown attached to people over time. Hijiri hesitated for a moment, her hand trembling slightly as she slowly reached toward a Humboldt penguin, and then—

“Ah… wah… wah!” She let out a flustered, overwhelmed squeak. “Look, Kou! It’s nuzzling against me! Ahaha… it’s so ticklish!”

Just as the caretakers had said, the penguin rubbed its head gently against Hijiri’s hand, clearly wanting more attention. Kou reached out as well, and the penguin responded the same way—nuzzling its damp, feathered head against her palm.

One of the caretakers commented that, in the past, visitors weren’t allowed to touch the animals this much. But now, the small, adorable penguins had grown so affectionate that they actively sought out human interaction.

“Ahahah… we actually got to pet a penguin.”
“Yeah… it almost doesn’t feel real.”

The lingering sensation of the penguin’s soft feathers still fresh on their unjoined hands, they continued walking while watching the adorable seals and penguins lounging about or swimming playfully in the water.

…Nowadays, virtual reality made it possible to experience countless things from the comfort of home, which had made it increasingly difficult for aquariums and museums to stay relevant.

As a result, there had been a much stronger push for physical, hands-on experiences—allowing visitors to touch and interact with exhibits. Aquariums that embraced those changes, like the one they were visiting, had managed to survive the rise of VR by offering something more tangible.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the petting area—though wishing they could’ve stayed longer—they moved on.

Soon, they came across another massive tank, this time viewed from a higher vantage point, and were mesmerized by the sight of countless jellyfish drifting gracefully, their alien forms glowing with strange beauty.

Before they realized it, it was already past noon.

In the end, they had enjoyed themselves far more than they had expected. Wanting to relax a bit, they headed off to grab a bite to eat.

“I’ve struggled with a lot of things since becoming a girl…”

After a light meal, Kou was served dessert—which, truthfully, felt more like the main course: a towering parfait adorned with all sorts of berries. She was more than excited to dig into it.

“…But being able to eat sweet desserts like this without worrying about how I look… That’s definitely a big advantage…”

Scooping up a generous spoonful of soft ice cream coated in berry jam, she muttered that before popping it into her mouth. A moment later, the sweet, cold cream melted into the tangy jam, spreading across her tongue and dissolving deliciously.

She sighed in quiet bliss, savoring every bit of the flavor.

“Those berries look so good… Can I try a bit?”
“Ah… sure, go ahead.”
“Eheheh, thank you~”

At Hijiri’s request, Kou gently pushed her parfait across the table. Hijiri took a spoonful and smiled brightly. “Mmm, it’s so sweet, and then there’s that tartness!”

Seeing her reaction, Kou couldn’t help but smile too. And then…

“Here, have some of mine too. Say ahhh~”
“Huh? Ah… ahhh—”

Without warning, Hijiri offered a spoonful of her own parfait. After a moment’s hesitation, Kou opened her mouth and accepted the bite—chocolate and banana melting together on her tongue.

‘That… that was an indirect kiss, right?’

Instantly, her heart started racing. Alarms blared in her mind. Her face flushed crimson as she swallowed.

Hijiri’s parfait—a mix of sweet banana and slightly bitter melted chocolate—had to be delicious, but Kou was far too flustered to even register the taste.

“Ah… I just did that without thinking. We used to do it all the time… Did it bother you?”
“Ah, no… not at all! Don’t worry!”

Hijiri tilted her head with a slightly concerned expression, but Kou shook her head rapidly, her words rushed.

It was quite the opposite—even with her senses overwhelmed, Kou could feel her heart swelling, her body feeling light, almost giddy. She didn’t dislike the feeling at all. If anything… she wanted more of it.

The real issue was the eyes of the people around them—their gentle, curious gazes making her even more self-conscious.

But just as Hijiri had said, they had shared food like this all the time when they were younger. It was only now that Kou had started to react like this.

‘I guess… I just grew up or something.’

That was the only explanation for why she had started seeing Hijiri in a different light. Kou was changing—growing.

With all those thoughts tangled in her mind, she returned her attention to the large parfait before her, determined to cool her head the only way she knew how: by devouring every bite.

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