“Hey, there’s apparently a dolphin show here too?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it was written on the pamphlet.”

Ryou-san took out what looked like the pamphlet she had received at the ticket booth.

Anyway, this aquarium is really big.

The exterior looked about four stories tall and had a wide shape horizontally.

“Where should we start?”

Ryou-san spread out the pamphlet and looked at it. Everyone peered over to check where everything was located.

“Hmm, all of them look interesting, but since we’re here, let’s go to the deep-sea area on the first floor. Deep-sea creatures aren’t something you see every day.”

Haruka suggested that. Deep sea… sounds good.

“That doesn’t sound bad?”

“Yeah, going through everything in order is the safest plan.”

“Right.”

With everyone’s agreement, we decided to head to the deep-sea area first.

“That way?”

Naruse-san pointed in the direction to confirm.

“Yeah, it seems to be located deeper inside the merchandise area.”

I answered while looking at the map Ryou-san had spread out.

“Alright then, let’s go!”

Haruka led the way with excitement.

We passed through the entrance and headed toward the first-floor deep-sea zone.

The interior was dimly lit, filled with a mysterious atmosphere. In the large aquarium tanks, anglerfish and giant squids swam quietly.

The faint lighting highlighted their eerie forms, making it feel like we had wandered into another world.

Among them, what stood out most were the groups of Japanese spider crabs placed in a large tank.

“Whoa, these are Japanese spider crabs. They’re bigger than I thought…”

Ryou-san leaned close to the tank with surprise.

The long legs of the Japanese spider crab moved slowly, and everyone was overwhelmed by its imposing presence.

“They really are big.”

I hadn’t seen one since my school trip.

“Seriously, it’s amazing how something like this lives at the bottom of the sea. It feels so mysterious.”

Naruse-san also let out a sigh of admiration.

Hiiragi-san’s eyes sparkled as she stared into the tank.

“Oh wow!! There’s a giant isopod over here!”

Ryou-san, who had moved ahead, raised her voice with a mix of surprise and joy.

“A giant isopod? Like that huge pill bug?”

Hiiragi-san ran excitedly toward Ryou-san.

“Exactly. They live in the deep sea, but seeing one this big is really impressive.”

At the spot Ryou-san pointed to, a massive crustacean, the giant isopod, moved slowly.

Its form was like an enormous version of a pill bug, an odd creature.

“Woah, that’s amazing… it’s moving around in some weird way…”

Naruse-san looked at the tank with surprise and said, “It feels kind of creepy to watch.”

“Really? Isn’t it cool?”

I felt that way looking at the giant isopod.

“Look, it looks like armor.”

“Mmm……”

That was a subtle reaction… I see…

“Anyway, deep-sea creatures are really fascinating. It feels like an unknown world is expanding before us.”

Ryou-san muttered while looking at other tanks.

“That’s right. Their eyes have regressed or they have strange shapes, which is weird.”

Hiiragi-san agreed with that statement.

After walking for a while, we saw displays of some unusual creatures from around the world, as well as octopuses and shrimp. There was also a space where people had gathered.

“Hmm? What’s this?”

“Is there something going on here?”

“Might be something rare. Let’s check it out.”

We headed toward the area where people were gathering. There was a large display panel alongside a massive acrylic case. When we approached, the explanation written on the panel became visible.

The words “Coelacanth” were clearly written in big letters.

“Coelacanth!?”

“That fish that was thought to be extinct, right?”

Hiiragi-san said with wide eyes.

“Yes, it’s an ancient fish, like a living fossil.”

Inside the acrylic case, a frozen coelacanth was on display.

Naruse-san also lit up her eyes and stared intently at the coelacanth.

“The coelacanth has remained almost unchanged for hundreds of millions of years,”

Ryou-san said while reading the explanation.

“That’s why it’s called a living fossil.”

Hiiragi-san nodded in admiration.

As we moved forward, stairs appeared with a signboard directing to another area. It seemed like the deep-sea zone was coming to an end.

“So next is the coral reef area,”

Haruka said after looking at the signboard.

“It sounds exciting.”

We all climbed the stairs and went up to the second floor.

As we ascended the stairs, the interior suddenly became brighter, revealing the entrance to the coral reef area.

In a large tank, colorful tropical fish swam around, creating a beautiful coral landscape.

“Wah, it’s so beautiful,”

Naruse-san said with shining eyes. In front of her were vibrant corals and colorful fish swimming gracefully among them.

“Really, it looks like a painting.”

Hiiragi-san also approached the tank in admiration.

“Coral reefs are places where so many creatures gather,”

Ryou-san said while reading the explanation panel.

“That seems to be true. Coral reefs are like oases in the sea, gathering diverse life forms.”

“Oh, look there! There’s a clownfish!”

Naruse-san pointed toward an orange and white striped clownfish swimming among the corals.

We spent some time observing the coral reef area before heading to the next zone.

“Hmm? Wait a second. It looks like you can touch them over there. Want to go check it out?”

Ryou-san seemed to have found something and suggested it.

Touchable… fish?

Heading in the direction she pointed, we looked to see what was there. There was a circular tank with sea stars, rays, and sea cucumbers inside.

Ah, so there are creatures that can be touched without problems.

Hiiragi-san hesitantly approached the tank.

Naruse-san followed her and picked up a sea star.

“A sea star feels like this…”

Naruse-san murmured while lightly touching it.

I also tried to touch one. The surface of the sea star was rough, with a slightly cold sensation. It was quite hard.

Even when lifting it underwater, it maintained its star shape. I had expected it to be limp… didn’t know that.

“There’s also a sea cucumber here. Want to try touching it?”

Ryou-san pointed at the sea cucumber.

I hesitated but touched the sea cucumber anyway.

It felt bumpy and squishy… what is this strange sensation? I can’t think of an analogy.

“Seriously, it’s interesting to touch.”

Naruse-san also enjoyed touching the sea cucumber in the same way.

Everyone had fun touching various creatures while spending a pleasant time together.

Meanwhile, Hiiragi-san tried to touch one but pulled her hand back in surprise each time. She repeated this several times.

“Hiiragi-san, they won’t attack you, so there’s no need to be scared~”

I suggested trying the sea star with “hard texture,” thinking it might be better for her.

“That… sounds good!”

So she touched the sea star.

“Oh, oh—”

She looked surprised.

As she was touching it, a ray swam nearby. Thinking this was a chance, I timed it and successfully touched it.

This is… slippery!?

It felt more slippery than I had imagined. I thought it would be harder and rougher…

“How was it?”

“It was slippery. It didn’t match my imagination.”

“Really? I thought it would feel different.”

Saying that, Haruka also tried touching the ray.

“Wah, it’s definitely slippery!”

“Yeah.”

In this way, we enjoyed the touch corner and washed our hands before leaving the area.

“Man, that was an experience you don’t get to have often~”

“Right.”

“Yeah. The feeling is still lingering on my hands.”

“It was a strange sensation…”

“It was fun, though.”

We talked while moving on to the next area.