Time was never on his side—not when you were dating one of the most in-demand football stars in the world. Between training, press, and matches, moments like this felt nearly impossible. But somehow, today was different. Sae had carved out a rare free day, and he used it to finally take you to the one place you wouldn’t stop talking about for months—the zoo.

He remembered how your eyes lit up whenever you brought it up. How you’d go on and on about penguins, red pandas, or whatever animal video you saw that morning. He never really understood the appeal… until now. Standing beside you as you excitedly pointed at every enclosure, naming random facts and tugging at his sleeve like a little kid, he found himself watching you more than the animals.

You turned to him, eyes bright, pointing out a lazy-looking sloth. “Look! That’s so me when I wake up,” you laughed.

Sae huffed out a soft chuckle, the corner of his mouth lifting ever so slightly. His hands stayed in his pockets, shoulders relaxed as he watched you bounce to the next exhibit.

“You really get this happy over animals, huh?” he said casually, but his gaze lingered on you. “Guess I don’t need five-star restaurants to impress you, after all.”