Tokyo: After years of stagnation, the heiress of the yakuza arrives.

Holy crap, why is it still chasing and biting me?!

Kuroba Shido gasped, his previously calm expression vanishing instantly. He skillfully lowered his head, shrank his neck, and adjusted his vocal cords, completing the entire invisibility process in one go. He even quietly grabbed Dahei off his shoulder and stuffed it into his coat pocket.

He had just escaped from the panda enclosure, traversing most of the zoo on crutches, and specifically chose the raccoon dog area, a less crowded and secluded route that normal people would never come to immediately after seeing the pandas. But before he could even sit down properly, that familiar old lady's voice came from not far away again.

What is this?

Automatic tracking?

A padlock?

Or did the pink-haired mother and daughter install some invisible GPS on him?

Big Black: "Squeak?"

"Don't make a sound, the enemy radar will locate you based on the frequency of your rice ball chewing." Kuroba Shido made a shushing gesture.

Big Black: "..."

It looked down at the little bit of rice left in its paw, then at Kuroba Shido's nervous expression, and silently stuffed the last bite into its mouth.

Chew, chew, chew...

The sound grew louder.

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

The password is completely black!

On the other side, Onodera Zannen didn't speak immediately, but just glanced in the direction the sound came from.

A noblewoman wearing yellow tiger ears was excitedly holding up an event map, while dragging a pink-haired girl towards the tanuki area with her other hand. The mother and daughter pulled and attacked each other, and tourists around them made way for them.

Then, Onodera Zannen looked at Kuroba Shido.

My gaze lingered for a brief moment on his lowered head, his suddenly stiffened body, and his forcibly suppressed breathing.

No questions were asked.

They did not show any doubt.

"Shido-kun, we've already seen the tanuki. Let's go to the penguin enclosure up ahead."

She naturally took Kuroba Shido's arm, gently adjusted the direction, and led him towards another path. Her movements were slow, but she showed no intention of lingering.

Kuroba Shido couldn't have been happier. His cane clicked as it turned, wishing he could awaken an eight-legged spider form while injured and immediately crawl out of the zoo.

After moving a few steps, he felt something was wrong again.

Did you see his reaction just now, senior?

You should have seen it.

Did she know that she had already roughly guessed the identities of the pink-haired mother and daughter?

Hard to say.

Onodera Zanne's smile remained gentle and calm, showing neither probing nor suspicion. It seemed she simply thought the tanuki weren't anything special and decided to change her route.

But when a senior student really pretends that everything is normal, she is usually more normal than a truly normal person.

Kuroba Shido secretly raised his eyes and looked at the top of her head.

[Current status: Pleasant, wary; believes there's no need to stay in the Tanuki area any longer; hopes today's itinerary won't be affected by the unfamiliar pink-haired girl again.]

[Salted Fish Guide: Cooperate with the senior's route change, stay away from suspicious pink-haired girls and gluttonous old ladies, and take advantage of the senior's wallet to have a good time!]

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

can not tell.

You can't tell at all.

Forget it, as long as I can get away, that's fine.

Knowing too much about some things can actually make you die faster.

Not far away, Ritsuki Sawamura happened to see the tall, black-haired figure leaving with the boy through a gap in the crowd. Her gaze lingered on the two figures for a moment.

The boy kept his head down.

When walking, the cane hits the ground, making a rhythmic tapping sound.

I don't know why, but something just feels off.

They were just squeezing into the panda enclosure for ages, but as soon as they came over, the two of them left immediately. Now it's happening again, like they're deliberately hiding from something.

Ritsuki Sawamura narrowed her eyes slightly, just as she was about to take a few more glances, Yoshiko Sawamura suddenly poked her head out from the side and excitedly shoved the event card in front of her face.

"Little pink-haired girl, look!"

"Take it away."

"The Tanuki Observation Mission: Answer just three questions to receive a limited-edition badge!"

Ritsuki Sawamura replied expressionlessly, "Not interested."

"It's free!"

Ritsuki Sawamura stopped in her tracks.

Yoshiko Sawamura's eyes lit up: "It's a limited edition! I heard there are only three hundred available today. I can hang it on my bag when I get home!"

"Do it yourself."

"Mom didn't see the raccoon dog clearly just now."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Receive a medal."

Ritsuki Sawamura: "..."

The purpose is very pure.

They made no attempt to hide it.

Yoshiko Sawamura pointed to the first question on the activity card: "How many rings of patterns are there on a tanuki's tail?"

"no."

"How could there not be? Aren't raccoons all spotted with colorful tails?"

"That's a raccoon."

Yoshiko Sawamura: "???"

"Is there a difference?"

"One is called Tanuki, and the other is called Raccoon."

"They differ by only two words; aren't rounding up and down the same thing?"

Riki Sawamura's forehead veins throbbed as she raised her hand and delivered a precise elbow strike to Yoshiko Sawamura's side waist.

Yoshiko Sawamura: "Aww!"

She squatted down, hugging her waist, her cheeks puffing up like roasted rice cakes: "Little pink-haired girl, Mommy was just asking a question, why did you hit me?"

"To help you remember."

"Could you help me in a normal way?"

"cannot."

Yoshiko Sawamura stood up angrily, ready to retaliate by relying on her maternal authority, but Ritsuki Sawamura only gave her a cold look, and her tiger ears that had just perked up slowly went limp.

Forget it.

For the sake of this limited-edition medal, our great mother will bear with it for now.

She grabbed Sawamura Ritsuki's arm again and dragged her towards the tanuki enclosure: "Come on, let's observe first. Mom will treat you to dinner after we get the medal!"

"I'm not hungry."

"Mom is hungry."

Ritsuki Sawamura: "..."

really.

The limited edition badge is just a bonus.

Eating is the main focus.

The strange boy's silhouette was temporarily forgotten amidst Yoshiko Sawamura's commotion.

……

Penguin Pavilion.

There were quite a few tourists here, but not as many as in the panda enclosure. Behind the transparent glass, a few penguins waddled across the rocks. One of them suddenly slipped and fell to the ground with a thud. The other penguins nearby didn't offer any help; instead, they gathered around and looked down to observe.

After watching for a while, Shido Kuroba's expression gradually became serious.

"Senior."

"Um?"

"Don't you feel that penguins are very similar to humans?"

Onodera Zannen looked intently at the glass: "Where is it similar?"

"When a companion falls, the first reaction is not to help them up, but to stand by and watch."

As soon as he finished speaking, the penguin that had been lying on the ground stood up again, turned around, and swung its wing at its companion next to it.

Kuroba Shido nodded: "He'll even get angry and launch indiscriminate attacks, making him even more like it."

Onodera Zanne couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Kuroba Shido turned his head to look at her.

Sunlight streamed through the glass of the penguin enclosure, casting a soft halo around the edges of her long, black hair. Onodera Zanne's smile, usually polite and gentle, making it difficult to discern her true emotions, was noticeably more relaxed now. Her eyes curved slightly, and the curve of her lips was more natural than usual.

"Senior, you have a low threshold for laughter."

"Because what Shido said was very interesting."

"I am simply conducting objective animal behavior analysis."

"Yes, very professional."

Onodera's serious tone left Kuroba Shido somewhat at a loss for words.

Big Black climbed out of the pocket again and perched on Shido Kuroba's shoulder to watch the penguins. Its beady black eyes followed the waddling penguin as it moved back and forth, and its head turned little by little.

"Are they considered your distant relatives?"

Big Black turned to look at him.

"They're all black and white, and their walking posture isn't very smart either."

Big Black: "..."

The smile in Onodera Zanne's eyes became even more pronounced.

After leaving the penguin enclosure, the two walked along the tree-lined path to the giraffe area.

Kuroba Shido's legs were not in good condition, so he never moved very fast. Onodera Zannen did not urge him and always kept up with his pace. When they encountered steps, she would hold onto her arm in advance. If the road surface was slightly uneven, she would naturally stand on the side with the injury.

There's no awkwardness from trying too hard.

It's like the two of them have walked this path many times before.

As the giraffe lowered its head to nibble on leaves, Kuroba Shido lifted the large giraffe up slightly and said, "See this? This is the direction you need to work hard for in the future. Make your neck longer so you can eat the rice balls outside while lying in your den."

The big black creature's limbs swayed in the air.

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

"Don't rush, martial arts evolution takes time. I'll start giving you extra training in head-raising techniques tomorrow."

Onodera Zannen gently supported Dahei from behind to prevent it from falling: "Dahei doesn't seem to like it very much."

"Strong individuals often fail to understand the coach's good intentions."

"Does Shido like sports?"

Shido Kuroba stopped moving.

"The sun is shining brightly today."

Onodera Zannen: "..."

Around noon, the two took another commemorative couple photo in the activity area.

The staff asked them to move closer, and Onodera Zanne took the opportunity to link arms with Kuroba Shido, who then lifted the large black rat between them, trying to use it to block out the overly intense romantic atmosphere.

After the photos came out, Onodera Zanne looked at them very carefully.

Kuroba Shido had a smile on his lips and his posture looked very natural. Dahei was held in the middle, its two paws holding a mini lunchbox, and its expression was blank. Onodera Zannen leaned against Kuroba Shido's side, its eyes not looking at the camera.

She was looking at Kuroba Shido.

"Senior, how did the photos turn out?"

"very good."

Onodera Zannen carefully put the photo into her bag, not giving Kuroba Shido a chance to continue studying it.

Later, when they passed by an ice cream shop, she bought two ice creams. Kuroba Shido was originally prepared to stick to his principle of getting something for free, but then Kuroba leaned on his shoulder and stretched his neck, his tongue almost touching his ice cream.

"Big Black, you can't eat this. It's too sugary and can easily cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar."

Big Black continued to stretch.

Kuroba Shido dodged to the left.

Big Black crawled to the left.

Kuroba Shido goes to the right.

Big Black followed along.

As the man and the mouse battled around the ice cream, Onodera Zannen took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away a bit of cream that had accidentally gotten on Kuroba Shido's lips.

The movements were natural.

Fingertips briefly brushed against the skin through the soft fabric.

Kuroba Shido paused for a moment.

Onodera Zannen had already put the handkerchief away, his expression calm: "It's stained here."

"Oh... thank you, senior."

Kuroba Shido lowered his head and continued eating his ice cream, without saying anything more.

Big Black tilted its head, looking back and forth between the two.

It always felt that the atmosphere between the two humans was suddenly different from before.

But it doesn't understand.

Ice cream is still more important.

……

12:30 PM.

The number of visitors to the zoo began to decrease, and the previously crowded roads became much emptier. Most people moved towards the restaurants and rest areas, and the air gradually filled with the aroma of fried food, grilled meat, and bread.

Onodera Zanne glanced at the time: "What would you like to eat, Shido-kun?"

"It will be all right."

"There's a Western restaurant nearby, about ten minutes from the zoo. The chef used to work in France. It's a quiet place with private rooms. Shido can take a break there."

Kuroba Shido's eyes lit up.

A high-end Western restaurant.

Chef studying abroad.

Private rooms.

My senior is treating us.

These keywords combined no longer refer to eating; they represent a Tokyo pauper's life experience activity.

"That……"

Just as he was about to agree, images of yellow tiger ears and pink cat ears suddenly popped into his mind.

and many more.

The two people, who appeared to be Sawamura and her daughter, didn't look like ordinary tourists squatting by the roadside eating rice balls at all.

rich.

What a sucker.

Yesterday at a high-end Japanese restaurant.

It's lunchtime today.

Under normal circumstances, they would most likely choose a high-end restaurant with a nice environment, expensive ingredients, and a quiet atmosphere with few people.

The restaurant recommended by Onodera Zanne is located near the zoo and is a rare upscale Western restaurant.

The probability of encountering it is extremely high.

can not go.

Absolutely no go.

A fierce battle erupted between the desire for poverty and the will to survive within Kuroba Shido's mind. In the end, the will to survive prevailed, pinning the poor man who was fantasizing about free steak and lobster to the ground and giving him a sound beating.

"Senior, I suddenly have a craving for a hamburger."

Onodera Zanne blinked: "A hamburger?"

"Hmm, the best kind is the kind that has fried chicken, fries, and soda all in one, high in fat, and makes your blood vessels feel blissful after eating it."

"Western restaurants also serve hamburgers."

"The burgers there are too authentic; I prefer the inauthentic ones."

Onodera Zannen: "..."

This request is strange.

But she did not object.

"If Shido wants something to eat, let's go to a fast food restaurant."

Ten minutes later.

The two stood in front of a generic fast food restaurant called "Kende Shuang".

Red and yellow signboard.

Image of a giant fried chicken bucket.

The glass door was full of people.

The line to order food stretched from the counter all the way outside. Several nearby tables were full of tourists. Children were crying, parents were shouting, and the beverage machines were humming. It was so lively that it felt like half the zoo's population had been squeezed into the room.

When Shido Kuroba saw this, his eyes lit up instantly.

Lots of people.

Store miscellaneous items.

cheap price.

High-class middle-aged women and young ladies would never come to a place like this!

Stable.

This wave is stable!

Looking at the long queue, Onodera Zannen asked, "Shido-kun, are you sure you want to eat here?"

"Of course, the more people there are, the better the taste."

"We might have to wait a long time."

"Good food is worth the wait."

With a determined look on his face, Shido Kuroba joined the group, leaning on his cane.

It's worth waiting an hour to save your life!

Onodera Zannen did not expose the suspicious enthusiasm that suddenly appeared in his attitude. She simply stood quietly beside him, and when someone behind them got too close, she slightly turned to the side to keep some distance from Kuroba Shido.

After waiting in line for nearly twenty minutes, the two finally arrived at the counter.

Kuroba Shido looked up at the menu: "Double cheese beef burger, spicy chicken leg burger, large fries, four pieces of fried chicken, two Cokes, and one original chicken leg."

The clerk quickly took notes: "Would you like to add a combo meal?"

"add."

Would you like some dessert?

"No, I'm poor... I don't like sweets."

Onodera Zannen ordered a smaller set meal, along with an extra glass of warm water and a bread roll without sauce or seasoning, to serve with the remaining chicken breast to Daikoku.

When making the payment, Kuroba Shido symbolically touched his pocket.

Onodera Zannen had already handed over the card.

"I invited Shido out today, so I should cover the tickets and lunch."

"Senior, this isn't a good idea."

"Is Shido-kun going to refuse?"

Onodera Zanne looked at him quietly, her voice still gentle, but she made no attempt to offer a second option.

Kuroba Shido took his hand out of his pocket: "I just wanted to say that you paid so fast, I didn't have time to react."

Those who know the current affairs are handsome.

They've practically offered you free food; if you refuse, you'll be struck by lightning.

The two people stood to the side with their food pickup numbers.

Although the store was crowded, the food service was very efficient. The numbers on the electronic screen kept changing. The staff put fried chicken, hamburgers and fries into the trays, called out a number, and someone immediately came forward to collect them.

Shido Kuroba held the number plate in his hand.

【128】

We've reached number 125.

It will be his turn soon.

He first observed the entrance.

There is no pink hair.

Next, let's look at the seats.

There are no tiger ears.

Finally, I looked at the line of people ordering food.

Still nothing.

call--

Master Kuroba let out a long sigh of relief, and a smile of relief gradually appeared on his face.

The mass line was indeed the right approach.

The more ordinary, crowded, and smoky a no-name fast food restaurant is, the more likely it is to avoid wealthy people who are out of touch with ordinary life.

Safety.

Absolutely safe!

"Number 127, your fried chicken combo for two is ready!"

The sound from the counter faded away.

Suddenly, the door to the restroom next door was pushed open, and a figure wearing yellow tiger ears rushed out, his face full of surprise.

"Here it comes!"

Yoshiko Sawamura ran towards the counter, waving excitedly toward her seat.

"Little pink-haired girl, you just called us! Mommy's toilet break time is perfect!"

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

Awesome!!!