Zoo Keeper

“So are we even now?”

Ravel asks as they leave the restaurant, strolling along the bustling sidewalk. People are passing by. The sun shines less brightly as before since it prepares to set.

“Yes! It was very delicious, thank you! I have never been to this kind of restaurant before, so- OH MY GOD LOOK AT THIS PRETTY ROCK!!”

Fantasia crouches to a random rock that feels quite out of place on a sidewalk with a lot of people like this.

“Eeh…? It’s just a normal rock,” Ravel remarks in confusion.

“I need to take a picture!”

She takes out her phone and she takes a picture of the rock from each angle excitingly while Ravel just stands and looks at her while rubbing the back of his neck.

“Okay, done!”

“I am amazed that you didn’t take a picture for your social media of that deliciously looking ostrich steak but you are so excited about a rock.”

Fantasia stretches out and looks at Ravel as if she didn’t understand why he pulled out such a comparison.

“What do you mean? It was just food, it is meant to be eaten, why would I take a picture of it?”

“R-right…”

“You see… this rock shouldn’t be here. And yet it is here. There must be a story behind that. Even this rock is living its life.”

Ravel realizes more and more that Fantasia is not like other girls, and yet, she feels so normal just like any other girl, even if she isn’t that attractive.

“Alright, I guess this is it for us! Don’t forget to call us if you need anything else fixed! Bye!”

Fantasia starts walking away from Ravel waving him back. Ravel stands in silence and tries to process why she left so suddenly. After a few seconds, he comes back to his senses and shouts at her from the distance.

“Fantasia! See you tomorrow at school! Thank you for your hard work and for a nice time at the dinner!”

A couple of young boys wearing hip-hop clothes pass by, wondering if that guy talks about that ‘ugly chick’ they saw earlier.

***

Back in Ravel’s bedroom, he struggles to sleep. Shifting positions in a bed from one side to another, his mind is preoccupied.

“Fantasia… I wonder if she enjoyed the time with me.”

As the words escape his lips, he flinches and covers his mouth with his hand.

Why am I thinking about her so much? True I felt guilty because of the way she hurt herself because of me… and sure I feel sorry for her when the world treats her harshly… but that’… that’s…

Ravel attempts to think rationally. He made that big-mouth declaration to himself he is going to protect her from the societal judgment based on her appearance but he felt there was something deeper. What exactly captivates him about her?

“True I don’t care about people being not attractive… but it is also true that all my girlfriends or the girls I fell in unrequited love with were all hotties…”

He shifts positions once again and takes his pillow from under his head and covers it whole with it.

“Damn… Fantasia…”

***

Another morning arrives, students fill the classrooms. The hallways are as busy as always but excitement from Friday can be felt in the air. Zhang, Seko and Yutaka are grouped around Yutaka’s desk engrossed in a card game called Kiwi they had invented themselves.

“So what do you say about yesterday’s hockey match, li’l Joe?”

Zhang always starts the morning the same way – focusing all his attention on his li’l Joe, Yutaka. The relationships among these li’l Joes were confusing but at least it expressed genuine positive affection.

Before Yutaka can reply, Ravel enters the classroom, with a smile he is unable to hide and a humming song on his lips. The boys watch him in awe as he cheerfully greets the entire class. As soon as he gets to his desk, his friends start barraging him with questions.

“What the hell? Who are you? Ravel is never this energetic early in the morning!” Seko is being overly dramatic but there is some truth behind it.

“Don’t tell me, did you find your Lady E?”

As always, Yutaka asking the right question.

“Can you finally fill me in about this?”

“Gosh, your memory is terrible! Ravel is obsessed with getting girlfriends in alphabetical order! He started with Lady A, her name was Ariana. Then he continued with Lady B, Bisha.”

Seko just kept receiving the information with no prior knowledge of them. Perhaps it was not his terrible memory but rather the fact that Ravel revealed this obsession to them on a school trip that Seko didn’t attend.

“When he couldn’t find a girlfriend with a name that starts with a letter C, he even dated a guy named Carlos for two weeks.”

“Hey, that’s not how it went down! …but yes.”

Ravel got a little flustered but if you draw the facts together, Yutaka was saying the truth.

“Oooh, so that’s why he dated Diantha from class 3.C, even if he could have dated Leanna from 2.C.” Seko finally understood.

“So what? Did you find your Lady E?” Zhang asked way louder than he should have. He was always a loud individual, not minding anybody around him.

“The World Order does say that E follows D, eh…?”

Ravel tried to sound mysterious like from a movie. He got lucky with the school bell ringing, which meant he didn’t need to answer any of their questions.

***

After the first period, Ravel dashes off somewhere, leaving the boys in the dark.

“After him!” Zhang shouts at the whole class.

The trio swiftly rise from their seats and chase after Ravel. Ravel’s destination is evident: Class 1.B.

Seko, Zhang and Yutaka have found him in the class, looking for certain someone.

“Hey, is Fantasia here today?”

Ravel’s voice resonates, addressing the entire class. A girl he had never seen before steps forward, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

“And who might you be?”

The girl asks suspiciously, furrowing her brows.

“I am Ravel Unique from 2.A, I wanted to see Fantasia!”

“Sure, I know your kind. If you’re here to bully her, then get out!”

“W-what? No, I didn’t-“

“I’m well aware she is not the cutest girl ever, but she is a very good person! I won’t let you harm her!”

“Don’t just assume things on your own! Who even are you? I gave my name, so the World Order says you should also introduce yourself!”

“Haaa?”

“State your name, Barbie!” Ravel stands tall and nicknames the girl Barbie due to the pink dress she is wearing, although her long hair is not blonde but rather blue. He can’t help but to wonder how she can wear such a dress when all the other students are ordered to wear school uniforms.

“B-Barbie?! Hmph! Alright, since you gave me such a ridiculous nickname, I have no choice but to tell you! My name is Eleona!”

Eleona had a habit of closing her eyes and tilting her head upwards to assert dominance in a conversation, as if looking down on everybody. This couldn’t have worked on Ravel though, since he was a head taller.

“Great, Eleona! You seem like a reasonable girl despite your fashion taste!”

Zhang, Seko and Yutaka watching the interaction from afar decided to get closer after hearing faintly the name ‘Eleona’.

“Eeyyy! You found your Lady E after all! If you want to win her over, kneel before her! That’ll help!”

Zhang expresses his excitement with Ravel’s supposed success.

“Lady E?”

Everybody freezes as that soothing voice travels through the classroom. Fantasia has returned from the toilets only to find Ravel interacting with her only friend at the whole school, Eleona.

“Oh, there you are darling!” Eleona immediately runs towards her and positions herself between Fantasia and Ravel in a defensive stance. “Now back off! You have no right to talk to my baby if you just wanna make fun of her!”

Ravel is confused by her continued hostility.

“N-no, it’s fine, Eli,” Fantasia speaks in a softer manner than yesterday. “He is a good person. He invited me to dinner.”

The whole 1.B class along with the three boys from 2.A collectively go like “Eeeeeeeeeeh???”.

“To be honest, I kind of assumed Fantasia didn’t have any friends but I am very pleased to find out she has you, Eleona! So please,” he bows his head deep. “Will you let me take care of her from now on?”

Fantasia’s face loosens as if she didn’t know how to respond to that.

“W-what do you mean, take care of… me?”

A random girl from the class bursts laughing at Ravel’s proposition.

“Ahahaha! Somebody wants to take care of our ugly little monkey!”

“That makes him a Zoo Keeper!!”

The whole class laughed and started to chant ‘Zoo Keeper! Zoo Keeper!’ but Ravel remains unfazed.

Fantasia, brimming with embarrassment, sinks her head lower and lower by every time the word ‘Zoo Keeper’ is chanted. However, Ravel feels more determined than ever. Their chants actually prove that what he decided to do was the right thing.

“Fantasia is no monkey! She is a human being. A human being with a beautiful and innocent, even if sometimes awkward soul.”

Eleona abandons her battle stance, transitioning back to normal. Ravel’s words have resonated with her instantly.

“Fantasia… will you be my li’l Joe?”

CHAPTER 3: END