Chapter 55

“Here are the Safari Bus tickets.”

“Thank you.”

As I received the Safari Bus tickets, I held Ha-yeon’s hand and headed to the boarding area. The area was packed with families similar to ours.

The children, leading their parents, waited for the bus with excited expressions, their eyes already seemingly aboard the bus as they looked around.

Ha-yeon tugged lightly at my sleeve with her small hand and said, “Mom! I’m so excited!”

“Yeah? My heart’s racing too, Ha-yeon!”

It was our first time riding this Safari Bus, so it was natural to be excited.

After a short wait, an announcement echoed through the boarding area.

[Ah~ Ah~ The Safari Bus will depart soon. Please board now!]

The bus looked much larger and sturdier than expected. It had a unique, robust structure, different from regular buses, with particularly thick windows. ‘Ah, so this is what a safari-exclusive bus looks like,’ I thought. If it used regular bus windows, who knows what could happen. A lion swiping its paw could shatter the glass. That’s probably why they use such thick windows.

As soon as we sat by the window, Ha-yeon pressed her face against the glass.

“Mom! Can we really see lions?”

“Yes. We can see real lions roaming around!”

“Wow…!”

Ha-yeon’s excitement was palpable in that short exclamation.

[Ah~ Ah~ The Safari Bus will depart soon.]

The bus driver’s announcement continued, and shortly after, the bus clanked as it entered the habitat. The heavy sound of the iron gate opening echoed, and the bus slowly passed through. Inside, the bus was filled with the unique tension and excitement of a safari, and everyone held their breath as they stared outside.

“Mom, look over there! A lion!”

Suddenly, Ha-yeon pointed out the window and shouted. I reflexively looked in that direction. Not far away, a lion was walking towards our bus with heavy steps.

“It really is!”

Seeing a lion roaming freely with my own eyes was truly amazing.

But then, more lions started gathering around our bus. I muttered softly, “Why are so many gathering?”

I was startled by the sudden influx of lions. Why were they gathering around the bus? But soon, I realized the reason.

The bus driver was tossing food through the iron bars. The lions thought our bus was a food truck. While our seats were enclosed with unbreakable glass, the driver’s seat had iron bars instead, allowing food to be thrown through the gaps.

*Thud thud!*

Suddenly, the window vibrated. A lion had tapped the glass with its large paw. The lion’s claws looked incredibly sharp and solid. My heart sank. Seeing the lion’s sharp, intense eyes up close was overwhelming.

“Mom, the lion… is hitting the window!”

Ha-yeon, also tense, clung to my side. But soon, the driver’s familiar voice reassured us.

[Don’t be scared~ Our lions are gentle. They’re just playing around for food~]

The tension eased a bit, and light laughter broke out around the bus. The driver, with decades of experience, seemed completely unfazed.

“Mom, the lion is way bigger than I thought!”

I nodded in agreement with Ha-yeon. Compared to seeing them from afar, the lions were overwhelmingly large. If we weren’t inside the bus, there’d be no contest. Of course, there was no way to get out of the bus.

Once the feeding was over, the lions, realizing no more food was coming, wandered away from the bus and returned to their spots. The bus continued its safari tour.

—

We roamed around the zoo, encountering numerous animals. Ha-yeon’s eyes sparkled as she ran around, seeing animals for the first time, and I followed, letting out small gasps of amazement. Lions, giraffes, elephants, cheetahs, even monkeys… It was fascinating to see such diverse life forms. Truly, this was the largest zoo in Korea, filled with all kinds of animals.

“Have we seen everything now…?”

My tone betrayed a bit of fatigue. It was understandable. We’d been on rides since morning and had thoroughly explored the zoo in the afternoon. I thought it might be time to rest and head home. We’d been walking non-stop since eating pork cutlet earlier. I wondered if my feet would be swollen tomorrow morning. Though, wearing sneakers should prevent that. No matter how much we walked, it was easier than the 40km march in the military. Back then, I thought I was going to die.

If I had worn sneakers for the march, it would have been less burdensome, but I wore stiff, poorly cushioned combat boots. Looking back, I don’t know how I managed that march. If I could go back in time, I doubt I could do it again.

But at that moment, Ha-yeon shouted firmly, “No, Mom. It’s not over yet!”

“Huh? It’s not over?”

But Ha-yeon corrected my mistake.

“Mom, we haven’t seen the most famous animal here—the panda.”

“Panda? There are pandas here?”

I was genuinely surprised. I knew the zoo had a variety of animals, but pandas? I hadn’t even considered that the cute, round animals were here.

“Yeah. They’re the most popular animals here.”

Ha-yeon’s tone was full of confidence. Pandas… In my mind, I pictured their round, black-and-white fur.

“Oh ho…”

Curious, I pulled out the zoo pamphlet. It showed the panda habitat. I said, “Shall we go see the pandas then?”

“Yes!”

Ha-yeon nodded eagerly, clearly wanting to see the pandas. I checked the map again and we headed towards the panda habitat.

—

The panda habitat was quite deep inside the zoo. The path was shaded by trees, making it feel like walking through a small forest. The cool shade was a welcome respite after sweating through our walk.

“Mom, I see a panda sign!”

Ha-yeon pointed to the end of the path. I looked and saw a sign welcoming us with a fluffy, cloud-like panda illustration. ‘Panda House’ was written in large letters, with a line of people waiting to enter.

“Wow… There are so many people.”

“That just shows how popular pandas are.”

Indeed, the most popular animals in the zoo lived up to their reputation.

“Right!”

Ha-yeon was already buzzing with excitement. She held my hand tightly, standing on tiptoes to peek ahead in the line. Seeing her like that, she seemed a bit taller. In a year, she might even be tall enough for roller coasters…

We waited eagerly for our turn.

Finally, it was our turn. As we entered the Panda House, cool air greeted us. The temperature was lowered for the pandas, making the indoor area refreshing and pleasant.

“Mom, look! A panda!”

Ha-yeon’s voice was filled with excitement. At the end of her gaze, a panda was sitting against a tree, munching on bamboo. The black circles around its eyes made it look sleepy, but that only made it cuter.

“Wow… It’s really cute.”

A gasp of admiration escaped my lips. The round body and lazy movements—the panda was just like in pictures or on TV. No, even more adorable.

“Mom, look! There’s one up in the tree!”

Ha-yeon pointed upwards. Another panda was dozing on a tree branch, looking like a big stuffed doll. I said with a worried tone, “Isn’t it going to fall?”

“Nah~ Pandas don’t fall from trees easily!”

Time flew by as we watched the pandas. Ha-yeon pressed her hands against the window, reluctant to leave. The pandas were so popular that there was a time limit for viewing. After a few minutes, we had to make way for others.

“Ha-yeon, it’s time to go.”

“Just a little longer… The panda is so cute.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Ha-yeon’s reluctant steps.

“Well, we saw the pandas today, so we have another great memory.”

“Yeah! Mom, I was really happy today!”

And so, Ha-yeon and I thoroughly enjoyed our day at the zoo.