It was the weekend, and we hopped in the car to visit the aquarium with Charlotte and Corbin.
Even though we were far from the ocean and in a hot region, the aquarium didn’t seem to mind.
The zoo was outside, but the aquarium was like this…
“It’s huge.”
“Yeah.”
We were standing in front of a massive building.
“I didn’t think it looked that big from the pictures. But seeing it like this… it’s bigger than I expected.”
“It seems more fun than I thought!”
“I think so too. Charlotte…”
“Unga!”
“… What a happy look.”
“Right?”
Anyway, I was relieved that she seemed to like it.
She hadn’t even entered yet, but just looking at the size of the building was enough to make her happy.
Looking at her now, I thought she would probably be just as excited when we went inside. Charlotte, known for her fearlessness, definitely would not be surprised or scared by fish.
After all, there were agents among us with tails and animal ears.
“Let’s go in.”
We pushed the stroller and entered the aquarium.
Before we even stepped inside, there were so many new faces that Charlotte was genuinely…
Genuinely gazing at people with such curiosity.
“Whoa?”
“……..”
“Uwe!”
“Um.”
Was it because she was seeing a person with no physical features for the first time?
Compared to the usual agents she’d see in the office, her reaction was surprisingly muted.
Well, the outfits weren’t extravagant, and they were quite ordinary.
“Ugh…”
Maybe that’s why her interest in the people faded rather quickly.
…I hoped her interest in the fish wouldn’t fade as fast once we got inside.
Anyway, we officially started to explore the aquarium.
– Beep!
“Unga!”
“…Hehe.”
“She gets startled by noises like that.”
“That’s true.”
I wasn’t expecting her to be surprised by a sound that came up while we were entering.
Charlotte usually wasn’t startled by agents she had just met, but who knew a simple sound would catch her off guard?
“Oh…”
“Ugh!”
“The ceiling is… taller than I thought.”
We took the escalator to the top floor, the aquarium’s starting point.
From outside and while ascending, it didn’t quite register, but the ceiling was indeed higher than expected.
In fact, not just the ceiling, the whole space was incredibly vast, which was astonishing.
“Feels like there’s more to explore than I imagined?”
“It definitely seems that way.”
“Unga!”
“Charlotte seems to like it.”
Charlotte in the stroller was already flailing her arms forward, smiling.
She hadn’t even seen the fish yet, but her joy was already contagious as we couldn’t help but laugh.
“Unga! Ba-ba!”
“Um… should I just carry her?”
“Are you sure? The aquarium is enormous.”
“I think she’ll prefer being carried.”
Suddenly, Corbin started lifting Charlotte out of the stroller.
And with his other hand, he began pulling the stroller.
“I could handle the stroller just fine…”
“It’s not that hard.”
“…Well, I’m relieved to hear that.”
“Then can you at least carry Charlotte?”
“Alright.”
So, I ended up cradling Charlotte in my arms while Corbin held onto the stroller with one hand.
Originally, we intended to let her stay in the stroller while we wandered around.
But somehow, Corbin took her out first… and this is how it turned out.
I felt a bit guilty because I was the only one holding Charlotte while Corbin managed the stroller.
It felt a bit like I was making him do all the work?
“Ugh?”
“Oh…”
“Ugh…?”
And just like that, we started exploring the aquarium.
The moment Charlotte spotted the fish, she reacted with… absolute fascination.
Naturally, it was no surprise since she had never seen fish before.
“Unga!”
“Is it fascinating?”
“Ugh!”
“Hehe…”
She didn’t even react this way when she saw agents with different appearances.
Now, she was ecstatic just looking at little tropical fish.
“She really seems to enjoy it more than I expected.”
“Absolutely. I had no idea she’d love it this much.”
“Unga!”
Charlotte, nestled in my arms, was waving her hands excitedly toward the fish.
Maybe it was a combination of wonder and fun that got to her?
I was relieved to see her enjoying it much more than we initially thought.
The fish truly looked beautiful and vibrant, and it made sense she’d find them lovely.
So, there I was cradling Charlotte while Corbin steered the stroller, diving into the aquarium’s wonders.
“Ugh…”
“Not pretty, huh?”
“Ugh…”
Earlier, we had marveled at lovely tropical fish, but now we were staring at a much larger fish—not particularly charming.
It was… well, a bit more than just “larger”—it was pretty big.
“The eel is a bit ugly, to be fair.”
“Let’s move on quickly. I don’t think Charlotte likes seeing ugly things.”
“Exactly.”
“Ugh…”
While she had loved the tropical fish moments before, she wasn’t nearly as enthralled by this larger fish.
Staying here any longer would be a public service to her eyes.
Fortunately, the next exhibit featured adorable pufferfish, so we hurried along.
“Puff, puff, puff!”
“Are they cute?”
“Puff!”
“…I think our kid doesn’t really have an issue with aesthetics.”
“True.”
Charlotte was absolutely enamored with the yellow pufferfish.
Maybe the contrast after the ugly eel made it even more appealing.
Well, I couldn’t deny the eel was… pretty unappealing.
Yeah.
*
“Charlotte, shall we go see the penguins?”
“Huh?”
“Lindera, there’s a penguin show over there. What do you think about checking it out?”
“I think that sounds good. We’ve been walking for a while; it might be nice to sit and rest for a bit.”
As we explored the aquarium, Corbin brought it up first.
Penguins.
Honestly, I was all in.
I mean, penguins are just too cute!
I wasn’t a huge fan of every animal out there, but I couldn’t resist penguins’ charm.
They have that sleek black-and-white look that’s just so tidy, right?
Of course, their personalities could sometimes be a bit… well. Anyway, I loved their appearance.
“Alright, let’s go. Charlotte loves cute and pretty things, so she’ll probably enjoy the penguin show.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
And off we went to the penguin show.
While entering, Charlotte was curiously looking around.
It was understandable since it looked a bit different from the aquarium we had just seen.
The audience area was separate from the stage, which was surrounded by water; naturally, it felt different.
Thanks to that, Charlotte was diligently surveying her surroundings even before the show started.
“Whoa?”
“Hehe…”
“Lindera, just in case, put this on your lap.”
“Why are you giving me your coat?”
Corbin suddenly draped his coat over my thighs.
What is this?
“Water might splatter.”
“But we’re sitting in the upper seats. Wouldn’t it be fine…?”
“Just do it. You never know.”
“Um…”
Well, since I was wearing a dress, my thighs were exposed.
If water splashed, I could get wet.
But honestly, I didn’t mind getting a little wet.
I felt more concern that my clothes would get soaked, but… it was sweet of him to offer.
So, I accepted it.
“Ma-ma…”
“What’s up?”
“Muuh…”
“Are you bored?”
“Muuh…”
Just a moment ago, Charlotte was exploring her surroundings, but now she was tugging at my ears and whining.
Well… there wasn’t much happening but people entering right now.
I understood her boredom.
After all, things had been quite exciting until just moments ago.
And since the show hadn’t started yet, it made sense.
“Just a little longer, okay?”
“Ugh…”
So, I stroked Charlotte’s head while we waited, and finally, someone appeared on stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting~!”
“Muah!?”
At the announcer’s voice booming through the speakers, Charlotte quickly turned her head back toward the stage.
Our daughter sure had a knack for getting excited quickly.
“Now that you’ve all waited, shall we begin the show?”
With that proclamation, a tremendous cheer erupted from the surrounding audience… mostly kids.
Charlotte looked slightly startled by the ruckus but joined in by waving her hands and looking at the stage.
I wondered if she understood what they were saying?
Honestly, I had no idea.
Anyway, the show began.
“Let’s meet our first penguin friend~!”
“Wooooo!!”
“Unga!”
“…Heh.”
“The name is a bit…”
“…Cold.”
Corbin and I couldn’t help but have the same thoughts.
No matter how you sliced it, the name Pu-Pu just didn’t sit right.
“…It’s aimed at kids after all.”
“…True enough.”
“…Um.”
“Bu-bububuu~”
Charlotte, still in my arms, was now laughing heartily at Pu-Pu appearing on stage.
Maybe they named him that because it was easy for kids to pronounce?
I wasn’t sure, but Charlotte was grinning widely, so it worked out.
And just like that, we got attached to the penguin show.
Soon, five penguins waddled out, and the show kicked into high gear.
Those waddling penguins started playing in the water, and Charlotte, nestled in my arms, was utterly entertained.
“Uhehe, heh…”
It felt like we made the right call.
Though it had been Corbin’s suggestion, seeing Charlotte enjoy herself so much truly made it worthwhile.
Next time, we should definitely take her to the zoo or other fun places too!
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