Matching Couple Sets
Jinwoo and Eunbyul walked side by side along the paths of the zoo once again. Both of them wore matching animal ear headbands on their heads. Cat ears bobbed on Eunbyul's head, while dog ears swayed atop Jinwoo's. It had started when Eunbyul ended up wearing the cat ear headband she'd bought on a whim. Then, after her strong insistence that it would be unfair for her to be the only one looking like this, Jinwoo had reluctantly put on the dog ear headband too.
To anyone watching, they looked like the picture of a happy couple in matching sets. But neither of them had thought that far ahead.
'Eunbyul sunbae's cat ears...'
'Jinwoo looks so cute wearing that.'
They were both too busy admiring each other's fresh new looks to notice anything else. And so the two of them strolled around the zoo together, still wearing their animal ears in perfect harmony.
"Whoa, look over there! Rabbits! There's a max-level rabbit!"
"It's just a normal rabbit."
Eunbyul pointed with her finger as she spoke. Maybe it was because she was out having fun after so long. Or maybe it was because the person she was with was none other than Jinwoo. Either way, her face looked as excited as a child on a picnic.
"Uwaa... they're so cute~"
Eunbyul murmured in a voice that sounded like she was melting. If she had permission, she looked ready to bite them right then and there.
"It says here you can feed them too."
"For real? Let's do it right now!"
The two reached for the thin, long rabbit snacks displayed nearby. When they held them out past the fence, several rabbits hopped over like they were used to it. They sniffed around, then started munching away. The way their little mouths worked was incredibly adorable.
Watching them, Eunbyul's face broke into a wide, goofy grin.
"They're so cuuuute~ Humans are all gross, but how can animals be this lovable?"
"They don't seem scared of people at all."
Seeing their friend eating the snacks, more rabbits gradually came closer. They all looked quite used to getting treats like this. Well, it made sense—this was a popular spot for visitors.
"Uwaa, you guys! You can't steal your friend's food!"
Eunbyul made a slightly troubled face. Jinwoo laughed and stretched out both arms to offer snacks to the rabbits. This time they all swarmed toward him.
"Wow, they're really cute."
Jinwoo looked genuinely fascinated. Dogs and cats were common enough to see around, but rabbits were a rarer sight up close. Their perky ears, fluffy white fur, and especially those tiny bodies were utterly endearing.
As he watched them, Eunbyul's expression clouded over just a little.
"Ahem! Ahem! Jinwoo, do you like rabbits too?"
"Hmm, I haven't really thought about it before, but seeing them like this... yeah, they're super cute. I'd love to raise one if I ever get the chance."
"Mmm."
Jinwoo's casual reply made Eunbyul's expression grow even more complicated. But she couldn't bring herself to ask anything more. How could she possibly say it?
I'm jealous of the rabbits getting all your affection right now.
In truth, she hadn't even fully realized how ridiculous her own feelings were, so there was no way she could express them properly. She was the one who'd suggested coming to the zoo first. She was the one who'd started gushing over the rabbits. There was no way she could admit it. Still, she wished he'd pay attention to her instead of the rabbits.
'Sigh, they're so cute.'
She struggled to hold back the urge to scoop them up and pet their heads right then and there. Was that feeling aimed at the rabbits... or at Jinwoo, who looked so happy watching them munch away? If only that face were turned toward her instead.
Eunbyul stared quietly for a moment before shaking her head at her own silly thoughts.
'Ugh! What am I even saying to rabbits?'
It hadn't even been a full day since she'd promised to show the composure of an older woman. Seeing herself getting jealous of rabbits made her feel utterly pathetic.
"What are you thinking about?"
Maybe her behavior seemed strange. Jinwoo, who had finished handing out the snacks and was dusting off his hands, asked with a puzzled look.
Perhaps because the thoughts she'd been having felt a bit embarrassing, Eunbyul's face flushed for a second.
"Uh, um? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about what a rabbit heroine might be like."
"Oh, that could work. It gives off that 'I want to protect her because she's so weak' vibe."
Completely unaware of her real feelings, the ever-earnest Jinwoo simply nodded along. He didn't notice how Eunbyul's face grew even more pouty as she watched him.
"......Jinwoo, would you like it if the heroine was a rabbit?"
"Well, it's not like it has to be, but seeing them now... yeah, I think that could be nice."
Jinwoo replied cheerfully. For him, just talking about story ideas with Eunbyul was fun enough.
"Rabbits have that classic image of being weak creatures, right? The protagonist protects this rabbit beastperson at first, then later she grows stronger and helps the protagonist in return. Isn't that the textbook growth heroine story?"
"Hmmm~"
"A strong and perfect heroine from the start is good too, but I really like it when the heroine grows and ends up protecting the protagonist instead."
The fact that everything he said was genuinely helpful made it all the more frustrating. Eunbyul kept her expression neutral, but she diligently jotted everything down in her little pink notebook. Of course, whether a rabbit beastperson would actually appear in the story... judging by her face, it didn't seem likely.
After that, the two of them continued exploring every corner of the zoo with great enthusiasm. They admired the foxes together and cooed over how cute they were.
"Now that I think about it, what sound do foxes make?"
"Isn't it like... keng keng?"
"Do they really sound like that? Hey, won't you try making the sound for me?"
"Isn't that asking a bit much of the animals?"
They also watched a round bear sitting in a tree, happily munching on fruit.
"Whoa, I'm jealous. I want to live like that too."
"......Like a bear?"
"Yeah, doesn't it look amazing? Just sitting there and people give you food, wash you, pet you, and you can sleep whenever you want. It's the ultimate relaxed life."
"It does look relaxing, but... can you really call that a human life?"
"Who cares about that! I just want to live without doing anything. Sometimes even taking a shower feels like too much effort and I want to die."
"That's all fine, but please keep writing your novels even then."
"......That's basically telling me to work every day."
"You know me so well."
"Ugh, Jinwoo, you're a demon. A brute. Crushing a girl's dreams like this."
"Wanting to live like a bear is a girl's dream?"
They also stopped to admire the huge tiger inside its enclosure.
"Wow, it's huge. If that front paw hit someone, their head would just fly right off."
"It is the king of beasts, after all. Bears are strong too, but when it comes to something truly terrifying, people usually think of tigers."
"Hmm, should I make a tiger beastperson the final boss?"
"That sounds good. In beastperson stories, having a powerful animal as the final boss really gets the blood pumping."
"I once read a novel where the tiger girl was the heroine. After that, I decided that any tiger beastperson I write would absolutely have to wear a hanbok."
"Ah, there is something distinctly Korean about tiger beastpeople, isn't there? Is it because of the Dangun myth?"
"So to summarize, the final boss is a tiger beastperson in hanbok, and in the end she gets conquered by the protagonist."
"You're assuming she'll become the heroine?"
As they talked about all sorts of things, Jinwoo quietly watched Eunbyul. She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the zoo, switching between chatting about animals and discussing story ideas. Of course visiting the zoo was fun on its own, but the reason it felt this enjoyable was surely because she was by his side.
Just watching Eunbyul laugh brightly and chatter away filled his chest with a warm feeling.
'She's beautiful.'
If Eunbyul hadn't suggested this first, he never would have had such a wonderful time. He probably would have been working his part-time job or drawing at home as usual. That would have been a fulfilling day too, of course. But he wouldn't have made these kinds of memories at a nearby zoo like this.
Everything about today was a new experience, all thanks to Eunbyul.
"Haa! This is so much fun! But we've only seen half of it? This place is huge~"
Eunbyul giggled while looking at the pamphlet. Even that looked incredibly cute and pretty. It was a relief to see that she seemed to be enjoying herself as much as he was.
This was his first time going on a date with a girl. To be honest, he'd been worried whether he'd be able to do it properly.
"It's about time. Should we get something to eat?"
"Sure! If you want to, then I do too!"
The zoo was quite large and had several shops inside. The two headed into one of the restaurants. Maybe because it was such a popular zoo, there were already quite a few people even though it was still early.
And especially—
"Th-there are so many couples......?"
"Y-yeah, there are."
Looking around at the tables, it seemed like most were occupied by one guy and one girl sitting together. They'd both thought the zoo was big enough to have plenty to see, the weather was nice, and it was the perfect day for a date. But seeing couples practically everywhere, one after another, was enough to make them both a little flustered.
Still, they couldn't just turn around and leave after coming this far. The strange atmosphere made the two of them awkwardly avoid each other's eyes.
"Welcome~ Are you two a couple?"
Just then, a server approached and asked. Both of them froze for a moment, as if buffering. If they had to be precise... they weren't actually dating. Neither had confessed, and they'd never said anything like that to each other.
So should they say they weren't a couple? They didn't want to say it, and they didn't want to hear the other person say it either. But was it okay to say they were a couple here?
While both of them hesitated, unable to answer—
"We're having a special event today, so couples get special service. And if you order from the couple's menu, we'll give you a cute keychain set too."
The keychain was shaped like an adorable puppy. After glancing at it, Eunbyul didn't hesitate for a second. She linked her arm with Jinwoo's and answered brightly.
"Yes, we're a super sweet couple."
"Wonderful~ Right this way, please!"
Before Jinwoo could even process what was happening, he was half-dragged along by Eunbyul.