Seeing that Ebina was no longer dwelling on it, Takeru smiled, and then everyone proceeded inside.
Because it was the weekend, there were many people visiting, mostly parents with children, and of course, many couples in love. The arrival of Takeru and Ebina also attracted frequent glances from the crowd, accompanied by murmurs.
While watching the giraffes, Miu was amazed, her big eyes fixed intently on the giraffes, completely captivated.
Ebina, however, noticed the gazes of the people around them and their conversations. She kept her head down, her face flushed red, practically in a state of steaming.
"Ebina!" Seeing Ebina's state, Takeru thought for a moment and decided to call out to her.
"Ah, Nara-kun!" Hearing Takeru's sudden call, Ebina trembled slightly, then looked somewhat timid and unsure what to do.
"Ebina, you don't need to pay too much attention to the looks and words of people around you. If you do, it'll only make things harder for you!" Takeru let out a soft sigh and said.
"Eh!" Hearing Takeru's words, Ebina was taken aback. Then, lifting her head, she met Takeru's deep and bright gaze. For a moment, Ebina felt as if she was seeing something as vast as the universe, yet as pure as the starry sky.
This kind of pure gaze was something Ebina was seeing for the first time. Since coming here, perhaps because she was from the countryside, Ebina had felt somewhat inferior. Especially when relaxed or nervous, she tended to slip into a local dialect accent in her speech.
After arriving here, this also made her seem introverted. Coupled with her cute appearance and ample... assets, Ebina easily drew attention from those around her, as if her attire and behavior were strange, which only deepened her sense of inferiority.
But now, after making eye contact with Takeru, she could feel his pure, untainted gaze, and this gaze made her feel very at ease.
"Onii-chan, let's go see the big tiger!" At this moment, Miu, having finished watching the giraffes, tugged on Takeru's hand excitedly.
"Sure, Ebina, let's go." Seeing that Ebina was still somewhat dazed, Takeru gently waved his hand in front of her.
Ebina only snapped back to reality as Takeru waved his hand. After reacting, her face turned even redder.
"Miu wants to see the tiger. Let's go together." Seeing that Ebina seemed not to have heard him earlier, Takeru repeated himself.
"Mm, okay." This time, Ebina also nodded quickly.
[Nara-kun is really... really so gentle.] Watching Takeru smiling as he held Miu's hand, Ebina placed her hand over her chest and thought to herself.
Afterward, Takeru continued to take Miu to see various areas, taking many photos, leaving behind a trail of laughter along the way.
Just as Takeru was still with Miu observing the lazy sloths, a sudden scream came from an area not too far from where Takeru and the others were, followed by a massive commotion.
"What happened?" The sudden noise left everyone bewildered, looking over in confusion.
"Miu, and Ebina, you two leave here first." Using Observation Haki to sense the source of the disturbance, Takeru frowned and said to Miu and Ebina.
"What's wrong, Onii-chan?" Hearing Takeru's suddenly serious tone, Miu stared blankly at Takeru.
"Something's happened over there!"
As Takeru finished speaking, the people in that area screamed and rushed toward the zoo exit even faster.
"Run! Monkeys have escaped and are attacking people!" The news of monkeys breaking out spread rapidly among the fleeing crowd.
"How is that possible? That area is over six meters high. How could monkeys jump out?" Those who didn't understand clearly refused to believe it.
But Takeru knew very well that the monkeys had indeed jumped from the enclosure to the top, and not just one monkey… there were three.
"Hmm—" The monkeys that jumped out glared fiercely at their surroundings. If people looked carefully, they would notice that the monkeys that had jumped out were quite different from those still confined below… their bodies were exceptionally robust.
One monkey, as soon as it emerged, directly slapped an unlucky person nearby, sending them flying, blood flowing.
"Go! Go!" Seeing the fearful looks around, the monkeys showed no restraint and leaped onto another passerby, delivering a powerful kick that sent them flying.
"Miu, Ebina, go wait for me outside." Takeru said to the two again.
"I understand. Ebina-nee, let's go quickly." Noting Takeru's serious expression, Miu dared not linger any longer. She directly pulled the still-confused Ebina and quickly followed the flow of people running toward the exit...
Over by the monkeys, they had already injured four or five people, and were now wildly chasing after some passersby, attacking them.
Inside the zoo, some zookeepers reacted swiftly, quickly arming themselves and rushing out, preparing to capture the monkeys.
"My child!" A woman and her child were separated by the surge of the crowd. The young child didn't understand what was happening, but seeing the monkey up close, he excitedly clapped his hands and called out to the monkey.
To the monkey, the child's actions undoubtedly seemed like a provocation. The monkey directly approached the child.
Upon reaching the child, the monkey revealed a ferocious look and raised its strong right arm, preparing to strike down.
"No!" Seeing this scene, the woman let out a desperate scream. People around couldn't bear to watch and covered their eyes...