Irene had no idea what made her back at the zoo again. When she dislikes animals. When she is afraid of them. It might have been the cute zookeeper that kept her occupied the last time she visited. 

Heck, the girl was even occupying Irene's mind at this moment in time. No matter where Irene went nor what she did, the charming blonde was always stuck in her head. It didn't seem like a small teenager crush anymore. Irene liked Wendy. But what confused her was that she had just met Wendy for a couple of hours and she can't get her out of her head. But no one was to blame her. Who wouldn't fall for the enchanting lady?

The educator took out her mobile device and searched for the name that was stucked in her mind for five days straight. Hovering her index finger over the call button, Irene contemplated to just turn and head home for the rest of the Saturday. Well, she technically wasn't in the zoo yet. Just wandering around the ticketing booth in case she has second thoughts.

Screw it! I would totally entered this hell to see Wendy!

Doing a little fist pump and calling out a little cheer encouraged the raven haired to purchase the ticket and enter the animal house. Once she got in, she clicked the call button with no hesitantion. Only realising afterwards that she had no idea what to say.

"Hello...?" The voice she longed to hear for days sounded in her ears.

"Um Wendy?" Irene spoke out. It was nearly a whisper and fortunately the other was able to catch it.

"Oh! You're Irene I guess? Visiting the zoo anytime soon?" The younger called out. 

"I'm... Um kinda at the zoo now. C-Could you tour me?" The taller mentally cursed herself for that unnecessary stutter. "Or are you not free?"

The disappointment was clear in Irene's tone. And Irene wanted to bury herself 10 feet underground at the moment. She mouthed a curse for her own stupidity. How would Wendy view her? Clingy? Annoying? Fortunately Wendy didn't seem to note her tone and just laughed.

"Aw such a timing! I'm actually off from work today." Wendy giggled.

!

If Irene were to die now, the only regret would be her choice to visit the zoo the second time. She hated how she literally sounded like the clingy ex-es that she totally despised. Before she could apologise, the angelic voice sounded out again.

"If you could spare me fifteen minutes, I would totally drive down just to see you again." Well the ending was totally unnecessary, but Wendy was always the type to be an extra. Nevertheless it warmed Irene's heart and gave her stomach butterflies.

"No it's alright! I'll just head back!" The teacher tried to hide her excitement but to no avail. Anyone could simply tell how much she wanted the blonde to be there just by that sentence alone. Irene was flustered. Why had she become a puddle of mush when facing the smaller girl?

"Fifteen minutes is all it takes! Just find something to do while waiting!" Wendy hung up before the other could get a protest out.

Fifteen minutes. It's short if you find joy- scratch that, happiness within that time. Otherwise, it'll be dreadful. Like how Irene was stuck in the zoo, along with all her enemies. Irene could not understand how one could simply pay to enter a den of ferocious beings, yet she herself was doing so. But for a totally different reason.

Finding a seat near the entrance, Irene eyed the couples walking into the zoo, seemingy going out for a date. How she wished that was her and Wendy. She totally hoped that their first date wouldn't be in a zoo. But she was here currently. And the other was making her way here. It was too late to backout now. Irene started panicking. Was her hair presentable? Was her attire appealing yet suited for the occasion? The last thing Irene wanted was to be overdressed for a trip to the zoo. Ensuring that her attire - plain pastel purple blouse neatly tucked into her white skinny jeans finished off with a pair of white converse - was not too formal, Irene checked the time on her phone. 9:43 a.m. Wendy should be arriving soon. 

Irene looked towards the entrance just in time to see the ever-so-captivating blonde walk in. The educator was as awestruck as the first time she saw her goddess. Irene was dumbfoundly by the dazzling beauty and couldn't manage to speak up or call her over. The other could only scramble about like a hamster in its cage. Cute. The older giggled at the small girl before deciding to carrying on watching the fluffy being scurry around.

"Hey! I've finally found you!" Wendy's eyes bulged out as her eyebrows rose higher than the sky. The raven haired burst out laughing at Wendy's expression. Irene swear that Wendy's eyes were going to drop out and her eyebrows would fly. "Stop laughing at me!"

Irene couldn't help it. She couldn't stop. The younger could only watch in bewilderment before joining her.

”Gosh Wen! You have no idea how much I wanted to take a photo of your face!” Irene squealed when she managed to recover from her laughter. The younger could only cover her face with her cute little hands.

"Stop it! I'll throw you into a cage full of bunnies!" Wendy retorted. Bunnies are fluffy. Wendy would die from the cuteness. And Irene perhaps from the fear...? But god knows bunnies are harmless for all their lives. Irene gave the blonde an offended glare as she walked ahead. The small girl could only trailed behind, knowing that she had won.

The duo took a trip around the whole zoo with the hardworking zookeeper introducing evey single animal in an adorable manner. Irene wasn't sure if she would still be alive by the end of the day. Not from the animals but from the cuteness evaporating from the small blonde.

When they were at the exhibition that allowed them to take photos with koalas, Wendy carried the furry being while grabbing Irene by her side. It was a cute scene but it was too much of a struggle for Wendy and her tiny arms. Furthermore, the educator seemed stronger than her.

 "God look at your face, Irene! You look like you experienced death." The blonde laughed as soon as she saw the photo. She got two of it printed and gifted one to Irene, as a souvenir.

Truth to be said, Irene felt like she was at death's door. To her, the small furry mammal was like a loch ness monster. The harmless creature had just wrapped itself around Wendy and yet Irene swore it was about to strangle her. And honestly, Irene was totally jealous of the koala. What would she give just to be in that koala's place. How much had she wanted to tear the animal from the other and replace with a hug from herself.

"Wait, you're my unnie right?" Wendy blurted out as they sat in a restaurant for lunch. 

"I'm 26." Irene rolled her eyes. A sense of foreboding came over her as she braced herself for the teasings that were yet to come.

"So young? But you're acting like a grandma!" Wendy laughs. Irene knew she would never hear the end of this. The girl was laughing and clapping like a seal. "Oh gosh! You're cuter than all these fluffy beings!"

Irene was stunned. Wendy called her cute. Wendy, the cute zookeeper called her cute. Wendy, the petite blonde that she likes, called her cute. Irene hopes to not wake up from this dream. 

"Irene?" The blonde waved her warm hand in front the the other's face. "Irene, you still there?"

"H-huh?" Irene's cheeks turned to a dark shade of red after realising what she had done. She had totally made a fool of herself in front of Wendy. "Uh yes. You were saying?"

"What would you like to order?" Wendy chortled, flipping Irene's menu open. "I'm getting a pizza. I heard they're great here."

"I'll have the same. But no chickens!" Irene said before it slipped out of her mind. "And a watermelon shake."

"Sure!" Wendy said and went to order.

Soon she came back with two cups of watermelon shake. As the small girl took her seat across Irene, she passed one of the cups to the other, accidentally scrapping their hands. Irene jumped at the simple contact, almost causing the beverage to spill over.

"Woah chill dude." Wendy called out. "Don't want to dirty your white jeans do you?"

That sounded so wrong in many levels. Irene could only guess that Wendy never filtered her words before speaking. She felt hot. In was ways she shouldn't. Gosh she's an adult yet she acts like a hormonal teenage. If Seulgi finds out, she will be so damned.

"S-Sorry! I swear I didn't mean it that way!" Wendy was affected as well. Her eyes were bulging again as her hands flailed about frantically. 

The tension between the two felt suffocating as they looked at each other. Irene has once again fallen into the depths of the warm brown orbs that sparkled.

Suddenly, the blonde broke out laughing, confusing the older. Irene had found it cute that the younger found joy in nothing. She could just sit there and watch Wendy laugh for years and not get tired. Unknowingly, a smile grew on her facial features and she joined Wendy in the laugh.

"Oh my, unnie, your face was ridiculous!" Wendy managed to get out. "Boy, you look like you were falling for me!"

Indeed I am, Wendy. I've fallen too hard.

"Sorry that was a little out of place!" Wendy apologised. 

It didn’t take long before their food came and Wendy comtinued with her cheesy lines which never fail to make Irene ggigle.

“Gosh you’re so cheesy!” Irene commented as she took the last sip of her watermelon shake.

”I get that a lot.” The blonde chuckles. “Shall we proceed?”

Irene nods and stood up, dusting her white jeans.

”And girl, your hand looks like a missing puzzle piece from mine.”

Irene wondered how she fell for this adorable yet ridiculous blonde. And she secretly wonders if she does this to all the girls she met. The raven haired would be so damaged if so.

Wendy held Irene’s hand and interlocked their fingers. Just like fitting the last piece of puzzle. It made Irene’s heart flutter for the thousandth time and she hopes the girl never hear her loud, thumping heartbeat.

Irene wasn’t ever going to wash her hands.

Not unless she could feel the same warm hand that held hers for the rest of the day again.

I’m back with another chapter. But it’s kind of rushed and I’m suffering from the lack of ideas so it might have been boring... But I really wanna thanks all my readers who supported this fic, especially the upvoters, god knows how much I love you guys. Keep up with the comments, and do suggest some plots too! Till the next update!