Chapter 29

Arthur invited his two friends inside the Chiroptera room, which Jack noted to himself that it smelled of brewed tea and some cinnamon. He wagged his tail to assure Arthur that he has nothing to worry about.

Then again, he doesn't know the bat as well as Aoba and to a certain extend, Legosi.

"You look happy," Aoba commented as Arthur poured tea into three cups for them. Jack had to agree with the bald eagle because the both of them observed the Honduran white bat humming a tune to himself as he was preparing the beverages.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Arthur turned his head at their direction. "Things are going smoothly at the gardening club now that we have grown quality herbs and flowers used for baking."

Jack could detect a change in the bat's tone under all that excitement. He knew what it was, he reckoned Aoba does too because the bald eagle had a small smirk on his face.

"So who's the lucky girl?"

Arthur almost chocked on his tea from that unexpected bombshell.

"G-girl? How can you tell if I may ask?"

"Well, you were humming to yourself," Jack explained, sitting on the bottom part of the bunk bed. "But it's kinda strange since you are the only bat in this school."

Arthur was dead in his tracks, speechless at how the Labrador retriever could deduced him so easily. Was he that easy to read?

"He's right," he heard Aoba agreeing. "Well, I'm curious to know who is the girl? If you don't mind telling."

Arthur was hesitant about it. Not only was she not a bat, which was the least of his concerns. He was worried about the fact that she's older than him and will be graduating soon before him.

Oh, he has a lot to think about this!

"Well...I can tell you two but can you promise me you'd keep an open mind about it?"

Both the bald eagle and Labrador retriever agreed as Arthur took a deep breath before explaining about his encounters and talks with Mizuchi.

He decided to explain and described it while hanging upside down between the gaps of the bunk bed because it felt comfortable that way.

...

Both Jack and Aoba were surprised when Arthur described his relationship.

It turned out to be the gardening club president's class bully? That was a surprise for the both of them. Jack had some doubts about it since it was similar to how Legosi was acting around the rabbit girl who was in the gardening club. Then again, he's not going to pry much into this relationship.

Aoba was happy for his friend but also felt the need to protect him. "Arthur, it's actually impressive that she went from being hostile towards you to being friendly. I wonder if it's your charm that made her interested in you."

Now Arthur was confuse.

"What do you mean, charm?"

So Aoba explained how Arthur seemed to give off a friendly vibe when he interacts with some of the animals. But what was the challenge was not the bat himself but other animals to look past his eyes and see him as another student. Arthur smiled, touched at the eagles words.

He's so lucky to have him as a friend...

"That's something I wasn't even aware of," he admitted, fluffing his white fur which both dog and eagle thought he was going to become a cotton ball. "I can only judge the animal's character based on their tone and how they've interacted with me. Much like how you guys would talk in a virtual reality game if I am not mistake."

Well, that was one way to describe it!

"Still, it's nice to hear that you are going to meet her this weekend," Jack told him slowly. "But you got to be careful, okay? It's just that sometimes things might not end well when you decided to build up on how it might turn out."

Arthur nodded at him with a reassuring smile. "I'll be okay, Jack. You can help me by worrying about Legosi for me. Where is he?"

"He's been busy lately," sighed Jack. "But it's not my business to know what he's up to if that means invading his privacy. I trust him."

"So Arthur," Aoba patted the bat's back. "Is this your first time going out with a girl?"

The Honduran white bat blushed. "W-well, aside from my grandmother and the president of the gardening club, yes. It's not something to fuss about, Aoba."

He heard the friendly laughter. "Don't worry, I was just curious. Hey, if you need any tips about dating, you can always ask me."

Arthur tiled his head, adjusting himself from where he was hanging. "Oh? You read eroticas and smuts as well?"

Jack wanted to laugh at the sudden shocked expression from the bald eagle. Arthur showed off his toothy grin. "I think you and Sameer would get along just fine."

...

When it came to the weekend, it was in the afternoon which was fine for Arthur. He himself doesn't want to stumble upon the Shishigumi after the outing with Bill. Speaking of which, that tiger seemed strange whenever they interacted.

He figured that Bill was still shaken up from being kidnapped and almost became food just as he was.

All so suddenly, he felt a gentle paw holding his two fingers of his hand-wing.

"You came," the familiar voice made him felt a small shiver across his spine in a good way.

"Of course, I would've texted you if I am running late or have other plans," Arthur laughed. "So how are we doing this? Movie and then something to eat or the opposite."

"I would go with the latter," said Mizuchi as they both boarded the train with their paws-fingers holding each other. The other animals who saw the both of them gave them questioning looks but shrugged it off as the blind bat having an aid or guidance into the city.

After all, animals without able bodies will struggle in the real world.

They head over to the udon restaurant where Mizuchi and Arthur decided to share a plate of tempura fried mushrooms and boiled snow peas as appetisers while the both of them had their own version of udon noodles sets:

Mizuchi is having the veggie curry udon with a glass of peach tea while Arthur had the miso udon that has seaweed and eggs with a cup of green tea.

The both of them ate and Arthur almost want to fly to the moon when he took a spoonful of the noodles.

"This is delicious!" chirped Arthur as he continue to slurp his noodles. "I think I would save this place as a go-to for a nice meal."

Mizuchi giggled as she took her chopsticks to eat. She was aware that the store owner and chefs were thrilled to know that their food tasted good from the bat's praise. The harlequin rabbit realised that the more she spent time around the Honduran white bat, the less she saw him disturbing because of his eyes.

She wished her two friends would see that this bat is kind, gentle and has an odd sense of perception.

Yet, she felt guilty for threatening him on their first meeting at the cafeteria. She was certain that he has moved on from that but she hasn't. The guilt has been eating her and watching him enjoying himself made her feel horrible for the words she had said to him.

"I'm sorry..."

Arthur paused and wiped the soup off his face with his napkin. "I beg your pardon?"

"About our first meeting," sighed Mizuchi as she twirls the straw inside her drink. "I realised what a bitch I was to you before."

"Yeah, you were."

Mizuchi winced but glad that it was out of her system. Still, it was brutally honest of him to tell her that. Arthur patted her paw in a comforting manner. "But then, I guessed it's us as animals and our nature. When you discovered something unknown, you either are curious to get to know it or destroy it."

"You sure have an interesting way of understanding it," Mizuchi's ears were down, relaxed now that she could talk with Arthur. "So, you don't mind going to the cinemas after this?"

"Of course," Arthur nodded excitedly. "I'm certain that there will be different kinds of scores and music that will be played out. I want to know if I could get my wings on them and.."

"And?"

The Honduran white bat had a cheeky smile. "Oh, I'll tell you that for another time. Shall we finish this tempura plate together?"

...

Like most cinemas, the both of them sat in the middle rows of seat where it it not too far back or too in front. Mizuchi wondered if he could detect light if they had sat in front but she decided not to question it. Arthur had wrapped himself up with his own wings, making him looked like he brought his own blanket.

She doesn't want to admit it but it made him looked cute like a dessert burrito.

When the movie began to open, Arthur's ears were hit with the most beautiful notes that could make his eyes water. In fact, the score sounded like a communications between two animals underwater.

What was strange was that the main female lead was not saying anything.

"Mizuchi," he whispered to her, causing the harlequin rabbit to blush at how close he was. "Why isn't the female lead saying anything."

"She's mute," she whispered, her voice barely audible but was clear for the bat to hear. "She uses sign language to communicate and she sure loves hard boiled eggs."

"Fascinating..."

As the film went on, Arthur slowly unfurl his wings, enjoying the moment in the cinema and the presence of the harlequin rabbit. Slowly, the both of them had their paws-wings held as they let the film carry on.

Mizuchi never knew that this goofy bat has the sweetest smiles every time a music score was played on screen.

She described some parts that sounded confusing to him and it felt interesting. Mizuchi thought she could write a comprehensible essay in her future homework if she keeps this up.

Arthur sighed, loving the way Mizuchi described certain scenes of the film and was surprised at how voracious her vocabulary was when he asked her some things he can't understand.

He figured that it must be from her watching her favourite shows and ZooTube channels.

By the time the film ended, a wonderful song was sung as the credits rolled. Mizuchi turned her head to find Arthur crying. With tender care, she took out a small tissue and gently wiped it off his face.

"T-thank you," he blushed at the sudden gesture.

"Are you okay, Arthur?"

"That was the most extraordinary experience,"he confessed. "The scores, the dialogue and even the sounds that creature was making sounded very much like our own. She really grew gills and joint him to his underwater kingdom."

"She did," sighed Mizuchi. "It was strange at first but their love was pure."

"It sounded like it was," smiled Arthur. "Mizuchi, I want to say I enjoyed this afternoon-evening with you. Hope we could hang out together like this again as it was lovely. Maybe breakfast some time? My treat if you are up for it."

Mizuchi wanted her ears to be long to cover her red face. "Sure! Just message me first before planning."

Before the both of them got up to leave the cinema, Arthur suddenly hugged her much to the harlequin rabbit's surprise. She leaned into his furry chest, hearing his gentle heartbeat as his wings wrapped her inside like a cocoon.

Seeing that most of the animals have left the cinema room, Mizuchi laid her head on his chest.