âNah, itâs alright, Iâm sure the zoo is both glad of the publicity and happy for free help. Thatâs Bab,â he smiles, glancing sideways to Rie when she joins him, but keeping his face forward and looks back to Dubu. âThe name is courtesy of her previous zoo, but yeah, just making sure everything is all set up and ready for the night.âÂ
As he talks, heâs still walking, out into the outdoor enclosure now and Dubuâs seen both of them, lifting her trunk in mild greeting, catching their scent in the air. She finds the scent of food there, too, coming from the bucket Rie is holding, and rumbles pleasantly, but stays stock still, happily flapping her ears to cool her body down. âShe wonât come to us because sheâs a bit of a primadonna,â he chuckles, âweâll have to take the bucket of food to her, and slowly walk her back inside.âÂ
As they get close, Jongdaeâs mind begins to wander. He looks from Rie to the elephant, now within reach, and he gestures Rie forward, telling her âlift the bucket, so she can eat a little bit,â and watches as Dubu doesnât hesitate. She probably recognises Rie from earlier in the day, all that attention she got- sheâs already associated Rie with something good, and associated her with Jongdae, too, a symbol of trust.Â
He reaches up to pat Dubu, then looks back at Rie. âDonât suppose youâve ever ridden an elephant, have you?â