After thirty minutes of pure agony, Kaguya Shinomiya was finally released from the panda enclosure.
God only knew how exhausting it had been.
To cover her embarrassment, she had spent the entire time wearing a plastered-on smile, pretending to be enchanted by the pandas.
—
She walked up to the group and greeted them, feigning ignorance. "Oh, what's everyone up to? I was so busy with the pandas I didn't even notice how long it had passed."
Hearing her voice, Fujiwara Chika glanced over. "Oh, Kaguya-chan! Where did you go?"
Shinomiya's fake smile stiffened for a split second. 'Fujiwara-san. So hopeless.'
In an instant, she readjusted her expression.
"I was playing with the pandas," she said sweetly.
"Oh, right! That's what it was!" Fujiwara scratched her head apologetically, as if she'd just remembered. "Hey, Kaguya-chan, check this out! It's great!"
Like a kid showing off a new toy, she presented Masao, who was wearing the panda costume.
"Masao-kouhai, why'd you take the head off? Kaguya-chan hasn't seen it yet!"
Masao, using his free hand to fan his flushed face, panted heavily. "No way... It's way too hot in there. I need a break."
His face was bright red, with sweat dripping down constantly.
"Aw, alright then." Seeing how hard he was struggling, Fujiwara couldn't bring herself to insist. She turned to Kaguya. "Sorry, Kaguya-chan. Masao-kun's a bit tired. We'll let him rest."
Shinomiya just smiled. "It's fine."
'It's not like I was interested anyway.'
The moment Masao removed the panda head, it was like someone had switched off a beauty filter. The mysterious aura that wasn't his to begin with vanished completely.
Fujiwara Moeha and Shirogane Kei took a subtle step back. The affection and warmth in Yukinoshita's eyes disappeared, replaced by her usual cool, composed demeanor.
"Masao-kun, that outfit could be good for your weight loss. You should wear it more often," Yukinoshita stated.
'You're all so fickle! When the head was on, I was your cute widdle panda. Now that it's off, I'm back to being just "Masao-kun."'
"Yukinoshita, you're not thinking of making me train in this thing, are you?"
"Hm? Is that a problem? I think it's a pretty good idea." Yukinoshita pictured the scene and suddenly felt that watching Masao exercise could be enjoyable.
It was true—anything connected to cats (or cat-adjacent creatures) made Yukinoshita Yukino lose her composure.
"I'd be completely wiped out!" Masao protested, exasperated. Just standing still had him sweating buckets; if he actually moved, he'd die of dehydration.
"Let's go get something to drink. I'm dying of thirst," Masao suggested.
The idea was met with unanimous approval. After nearly an hour of activities and chatting, everyone was feeling pretty parched.
"I saw a bubble tea shop when we came in! They have lots of drinks, and even ice cream. Let's go there!" declared Chika, taking the lead and shepherding the group toward the shop.
—
The shop wasn't far, nestled among a row of other stores—a smart business move considering the panda enclosure's high foot traffic.
There were shops selling food, souvenirs, and almost everything that was panda themed. Every store was a tribute to the black and white bears.
The bubble tea cups were shaped like bamboo stalks, or were actual small bamboo containers. There were panda plushies and keychains. Even items that had no natural connection to pandas were stamped with a panda logo.
"It's paradise," Yukinoshita murmured, her eyes sparkling as she took in the merchandise.
Masao, who had by now taken off the panda suit and was carrying it, couldn't help but ask, "Yukinoshita, you're not planning on buying everything here, are you?"
Yukinoshita shot him a look of disdain.
"Masao-kun, I'm perfectly sane. Buying the entire store would be unrealistic." She paused, then added matter-of-factly, "Buying one of each item is plenty."
"Hey, that's not exactly normal either!"
"Masao-kouhai! Yukinoshita-san! Come on! Let's get our drinks first, we can look at the other stuff later!" Chika's call pulled them over to the menu.
Masao stared at the list of whimsically named drinks, analyzing them carefully before coming to a conclusion.
"I can't understand any of this."
He couldn't see why bubble tea needed such weird names. Why couldn't they just be called "Milk Tea" or "Lemonade"? Simple and clear. He decided to ignore the fancy names and order directly.
"I'll have a Pearl Milk Tea. large size, half sugar, hold the pearls."
"Uh... pardon?" The cashier was baffled. 'A Pearl Milk Tea without pearls? Was it even a Pearl Milk Tea anymore?'
But upholding her professional demeanor, she smiled and said, "Our drink sizes are Medium, Large, and Extra Large. When you say 'large,' did you mean Large or Extra Large?"
"Just the biggest one. Oh, and add coconut jelly and pudding. I like those."
'So why not just order a regular milk tea and add those toppings? Why call it a Pearl Milk Tea?'
"Got it."
Chika, a finger on her lip, listened in a confused daze. "Masao-kouhai, you're such a pro at ordering! It sounds so complicated. I'll just have a fruit tea."
(The Cashier: It sounds complicated because it is complicated. Who orders like that?)
—
A short while later, their orders were ready.
Chika excitedly grabbed a straw, ready to take her first sip, and then… the straw bent.
It was one of the most annoying things that could happen when you got a new drink.
"Ugh, this straw is too soft!" Chika complained. "It can't even get through the seal!"
"I got you."
With that, Masao pulled out his own straw and shoved it right through Chika's cup lid, piercing it easily.
"Whoa! Your straw is so thick and hard, Masao-kouhai! But..." She looked at her cup and whined, "You made a huge hole! The tea's gonna leak! Get it out, get it out!"
Once Masao pulled his straw out, Chika looked at the giant hole, stuck her own skinny straw in, and sighed.
"This feels so weird. My straw's just sitting in there all loose."
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