As Jousuke and Leah waited, finally, all of them arrived.
"There you are, we were finding the two of you." said Basaki.
"Eh? Daikuhara-kun? You're here?" Poku asked.
"Oh, Poku-san. Didn't Abeno-san tell you?" Jousuke replied.
"No, he didn't mention a single name." said Poku.
"Is that so? I see." said Jousuke.
On the other hand, Basaki held Leah's hands, smiled, and said "Wow, Boutsuki-san! I didn't know you're so fashionable!"
"N-not really... someone picked this outfit for me." said Leah.
"Eh!? Is it Daikuhara-san?" Basaki teasingly asked and then he glanced at Jousuke.
"Y-yes..." said Leah as she calmed down and blushed.
"Really!? Well, you got some fashion sense there, Daikuhara-san. You dressed nice as well." said Basaki.
Jousuke calmly laughed and said "Thank you."
"Oh, you're here as well, Boutsuki-san." said Poku.
"Good evening, Poku-san." said Leah.
"No need to be so formal. We're not in school." said Abeno.
Then, Poku looked at Leah with amazement and said "She's so cute!"
"Seriously?" Abeno thought to himself as he looked at Poku with cringed face.
"By the way, I can't wait! Let's go shopping now!" said Chuujou.
-DON QUIXOTE-
"Okay, let's split up so we can buy everything we want. Let's meet each other at 8PM at this exact spot." said Chuujou.
"Okay." said everyone and then they all went to different direction.
Leah roamed the mall.
She thought to herself "What should I buy? I can't of anything! Maybe, I'll just wait here. But I brought a lot of money though! This'll be a waste if I didn't buy anything."
She went to a lane full of stuff toys. She picked up a penguin plush and said "So cute!"
"Boutsuki-san? Do you love penguins?" someone suddenly asked.
Leah looked at him and realized it's Jousuke.
"Daikuhara-san? Yeah, penguin is my favorite animal. I often go the zoo to see them. They're just so cute!" said Leah and then she cutely pouted.
Jousuke looked at Leah and said "Yeah, really cute." and then smiled.
Leah looked at the price tag. She disappointingly cried and said "It's so expensive!"
"Are you gonna buy that one?" Jousuke asked.
"N-no... they're too expensive." said Leah.
"Then, can I have it?" Jousuke asked.
"Sure, here... Daikuhara-san... do you love penguin as well?" Leah asked as he handed the penguin plush over to Jousuke.
"Yeah. I often watch documentaries about penguins." said Jousuke and he calmly smiled at Leah.
"That's too nerdy!" Leah thought to herself and then said "I-is that so?"
"Yeah. Do you know that romantically, penguin is a partner or a person you desire to be with long-term, often symbolizing a commitment to lifelong love. In short, once a penguin finds its partner, it's its partner forever." said Jousuke.
Leah was amazed and she thought to herself "A commitment to a lifelong love? That's so romantic!"
Jousuke added "Also, when they dive, it romantically means that it is a playful way to describe a couple's deep and enduring connection, possibly inspired by penguins' monogamous mating habits and the idea that they 'dive' into a commitment together."
Leah replied "You sure do know a lot of things about penguins, Daikuhara-san. I'm so amazed!"
Jousuke replied with a smile.
"When I get a partner, I hope that they're like a penguin. Of course, romantically." said Leah.
"You're a girl with a lot of attractive traits and values, Boutsuki-san. I'm sure that you'll get a partner like that." said Jousuke.
Leah replied "I'll try my best to get a partner like that."
She thought to herself "You don't even know that I'm talking about you, Daikuhara-san. I want you to be my penguin. I want us to dive into a relationship like how a penguin dives."
Both of them went to the cashier as Jousuke bought the penguin plush.
"You really bought it." said Leah with a soft smile.
"It looked like it was waiting for someone to buy it. I couldn't resist." said Jousuke.
"It's really round and soft." said Leah and then she once again cutely pouted.
"It's a little Adélie penguin. It has white rings around its blue eyes." said Jousuke.
Leah replied "Adélie? That's such a nice name! Do they live in the cold too?"
Jousuke replied "Yeah. As I remember, they live in Antarctica. They're one of the toughest kinds. Small, but brave. They even defend their nests from bigger birds. Together.
"They always look like they're wearing tiny coats. But I heard that they shiver a lot." said Leah.
"They do. Even when it's freezing, they stay close. If one penguin gets cold, the others shift and make room." said Jousuke.
"Like… they understand each other. Without talking. How amazing!" said Leah.
Jousuke replied "Yeah, like they just know it naturally. I think that's part of why I like them."
After Jousuke bought it, they roamed the mall once again. While roaming, they talked.
"Y'know, I used to watch penguin videos when I couldn't sleep. Just them waddling. Slipping on the ice sometimes. But they always get back up." said Leah.
"That's the best part. They fall, and it's kind of funny—but they keep going. Like it's nothing." said Jousuke.
Leah calmly laughed and replied "They look awkward sometimes, but still peaceful. Like they're okay being who they are."
"Yeah. They don't try to be anything else. And somehow, that makes them perfect." said Jousuke.
"Hey, Daikuhara-san. I have a weird question." said Leah.
Jousuke asked "Yes?"
"Do you think if people were like penguins, the world would be softer?" she asked.
"Maybe. More waddling, less rushing. More quiet warmth. And maybe, more huddling when things get cold. You know, they find each other in the cold, in the chaos, just by their voices. I really hope humans were like that." he answered.
"I see." Leah replied as she smiled.
"Are you gonna name it? Kind of a weird question. But I always name stuff toys." Leah asked and said and then she chuckled.
"I guess. Something calm. Something small, but brave." Jousuke replied.
"How about 'Piano' Since I heard that you love music. Also, a penguin is black and white." said Leah.
Jousuke replied "That really fits him! Then, I'll name it Piano."
After the conversation, they went shopping together in the mall.
-LEAH'S THOUGHT-
"Everyone in the school likes Sakamoto-san and Ebihara-san. But I already knew I liked Daikuhara-san. I think I've known for a while now. Since those quiet moments between classes, or the way he always remembers little things like they matter. But today made it worse. We've been walking through the mall together, and somehow we ended up talking about penguins. I didn't expect him to care so much, to know so much. But he spoke about them like they were something gentle, something important. He said they find each other in the cold, in the chaos, just by their voices. I smiled and said something dumb like 'I see.' But really, I was just trying to keep my heart from slipping out of my chest. Sakurai-san told me earlier that she likes him the most. And I've seen how Miyazaki-san looks at him when he's not watching. She hasn't said anything, but I know. I just know. And the worst part is none of us are wrong. He's kind, modest, smart in that quiet, serious way. He listens. He notices. He doesn't try to impress anyone, and somehow that makes everyone want to be seen by him. I also heard that he is a skilled musician. I don't want to compete. I might lose though. Miyazaki-san is prettiest girl in the school, as everyone says. Also, he's someone I care about more than I probably should. I wished, just for a second, that I could be the one penguin he'd hear in the middle of the noise."