After Picking up a Runaway Girl From the Same University on My Way Home From Work, We Started Living Together in Secret - Chapter 28

“…I think this might be my first time at an aquarium.”

Risa muttered as she stared blankly at the building in front of her.

It was an afternoon on a certain day.

After finishing our university classes, Risa and I had headed to the aquarium.

“I haven’t been in a long time either. It’s not the kind of place you come to unless you specifically decide to. I’m thankful to Mayumi for giving us the tickets.”

The tickets we had today were ones Mayumi had given us a few days ago.

They were pair tickets, so something must have happened, I thought.

…I didn’t ask her what happened, but she seemed fine, so I didn’t worry about it.

“Are you excited? You even went back to change clothes.”

“Well, that too, but I also wanted to get used to walking around in this outfit.”

Right now, Risa was wearing a fluttery outfit in shades of black and blue.

Her skirt, decorated with frills in layers, puffed out loosely.

The top, with details of fabric on the collar, sleeves, and chest, was also similarly decorated.

She wore it flawlessly, making the cute aspect come first rather than the pretty side.

Even on the way to the aquarium, I could feel people staring at her as we passed.

Maybe she noticed too, because she stayed close to me the whole time.

It felt like a child trying not to get separated from their parent… But I quickly realized she wasn’t that young anymore.

“By the way, should we go in?”

“I heard if you have pre-sale tickets, you don’t have to wait in line. It’s convenient.”

“Even if we did have to wait, it’s a weekday, and it’s a little late, so there probably won’t be many people.”

There were only a few people in line at the entrance.

Nearby, there was a sign indicating the entrance for people with pre-sale tickets.

We decided to head toward the entrance and passed through the ticket scanner to enter the aquarium.

Inside, it was softly dim, and the cold air didn’t make it uncomfortable.

The atmosphere was somehow calming.

It reminded me of my part-time job at the café, though the vibe felt a bit different.

The café felt warm, while the aquarium had a natural feel to it.

The closest memory I had to it was probably the mountain we climbed during our school trip.

Thinking about that, we walked deeper into the aquarium and were greeted by a tank full of small fish.

It looked like they were trying to recreate the natural environment with driftwood, seaweed, and rocks arranged around the tank.

There were a few similar tanks, but each one had different kinds of fish swimming in it.

“…So beautiful.”

Risa peered into the tank with shining eyes.

It wasn’t often you could see fish up close like this.

And since they were displayed so beautifully, it made them look even more stunning.

I stood beside Risa, looking into the tank as well.

The fish swam leisurely, the seaweed swayed, and bubbles floated up to the surface.

And, faintly reflected on the glass of the tank, was Risa’s face.

She looked like an innocent child, with that expression.

“Is it fun?”

“I’ve never been, so it’s refreshing. What about you, Minato?”

“For me… I don’t know. It’s calming. It’s like I can forget the passage of time.”

“I kind of get that. Watching something like this makes me want to fall asleep.”

“…Don’t sleep.”

We chatted while gazing at the tank, reading about the fish, and taking pictures.

To my surpRisa, Risa showed a hidden talent.

The photo she took, saying “Look,” captured the beautiful world of the tank perfectly.

A photo is a way of capturing a moment.

But hers seemed to capture movement and the atmosphere… at least, that’s what it felt like.

She said she just took it normally, but she did design clothes, so maybe that experience helped with her photography.

A little further in from the entrance, we came to a section with cylindrical tanks.

Inside those tanks were jellyfish—creatures with light, balloon-like shapes.

“Are those jellyfish?”

“Yeah, probably.”

“They’re so fluffy, and some of them have strings fluttering around… they’re kind of interesting.”

Risa stared blankly at them as they drifted around.

The jellyfish were lit up, and every few seconds, different colored lights illuminated them, coloring the dim room.

Risa seemed entranced by it.

“—Minato, look.”

Her voice echoed softly.

She gently tugged on my sleeve, and I looked into her sparkling blue eyes, up close.

Her eyes, the same color as the tank’s blue.

The contrast between the two shades of blue.

In this darkness and atmosphere, I felt as if I might get sucked in.

…Ah, this face is dangerous.

“…Right.”

I quickly turned my attention back to the tank to distract myself.

Risa stood next to me again, and we resumed watching the tank.

A peaceful moment passed by.

“I kind of like this,” Risa said.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“But if I were alone, it would have just been beautiful. It’s fun because you’re here with me, Minato.”

“…That’s a pretty cheap happiness.”

“Can you really put a price on something like this?”

Well, I wondered about that.

If it’s the kind of value that can’t be bought, then I get it.

I’m really happy that I can share this feeling with Risa.

“Attention, please. The dolphin show is about to begin. Please gather at the venue.”

“There’s a dolphin show. Want to go?”

“Yeah… but I might not want to get soaked.”

“If we sit at the back, we probably won’t get wet. But… maybe we should buy raincoats just in case. They should be selling them here.”

“Let’s sit at the back today. There will be plenty of other chances.”

That made sense to me, so I agreed—and I pushed aside the thought that I hoped Risa would be there with me at that moment, heading toward the dolphin show venue.