As the boy continued to touch the creature's ears, his gaze fell onto the fluffy-looking rod that was slowly swaying from side to side.

Just as he stealthily extended his hand,

"Hrrooonnh!"

The bull's angry roar echoed through the cave, startling the boy.

The creature frowned and brandished a metal object from its waist. It was a sword.

Naturally, the boy didn't know what a sword is, but he was envious. Such a good coconut opener! And he thought he had the best one around! The boy learned that the world is vast and full of wonders.

"/SPx aspv."

The creature said while showing the boy its palm.

The boy tilted his head, but after a while, he somewhat understood that the creature wants him to stay here.

The creature then put the mask back on its face and the round hat on its head and slowly walked towards the exit of the cave.

Once the creature walked out, the boy was left alone in the dark, cold cave.

However, he couldn't just walk out. The scary bull is outside, after all.

The boy could only curl up in a ball and listen to the noises coming from outside.

Screeching and tearing, clattering and braking, roaring and exploding.

Many noises the boy heard for the first time in his life resounded from the outside. Remaining in the cave was a good choice.

After a while, the loud noises ended.

And a short while after that, the boy started hearing strange noises again. However, those were the noises of something being dragged on the ground. The boy looked towards the cave's entrance and saw the creature dragging something behind it. The boy found that something to be very similar to the bull's leg. The creature dragged the bull's leg beside the boy, it removed its mask and hat, and then it started spinning a stick it took out from its clothes against the ground. The boy was bewildered. What is this creature doing? Is it fun spinning a stick?

However, after a while.

"Woahh!" The boy let out a voice of surprise.

Magic!

No, the boy doesn't know what magic is.

A miracle!

The boy experienced a miracle before when he found coconuts for the first time. Therefore, this must also be a miracle!

Otherwise, how could a fire appear without the dangerous flash from the skies?

But, the startled boy made the creature startled.

Is this boy unaware how to lit a fire?

Shaking its head, the creature pushed the fire near the cave's wall and leaned the bull's leg against the wall, so it stood above the fire.

The boy watched with a great interest.

He watched the bull's leg slowly turning brown. He found that change very interesting. Also, the fragrance the leg was letting out. He never smelled something like that before.

Watching the boy stare at the fire with sparkling eyes, the creature pointed at itself and spoke.

"#4#4ú)"

The boy tilted its head.

"#4#4ú)"

The creature said while pointing at itself again.

Then, she pointed at the boy.

The boy, however, only looked at his chest, thinking the creature was saying that there's something on his chest.

Since they were waiting for the leg to cook, this exchange continued for a while.

The boy was a quick learner.

He didn't understand completely, but he learned that the creature was saying Koko.

"Koko."

"Yes, t#ap'$ i[."

The boy also learned that 'nodding' means 'yes' and 'yes' means 'nodding.' And that 'shaking your head left and right' means 'no' and 'no' means 'shaking your head left and right.'

He also learned his name. Of course, it's not the name his parents gave him, but a name that was given to him by the creature, Koko.

The boy pointed at himself and said proudly,

"Tino!"

"Yes, t#ap'$ )ů-."

He really liked how his name sounded. It had a nice ring to it.

There are many things the boy, Tino learned from the creature, Koko, while waiting for the bull's leg to cook.

For example, he learned that Koko won't let him touch her tail for some reason. She didn't mind when he caressed her ears, but she wouldn't let him touch her tail no matter what.

Unfortunately, Tino is still too ignorant of the ways of the Beastfolk and relationships between men and women. Truth to be told, he doesn't even know that something like genders exists.

Suddenly, Koko stood up and approached the fire. She then lifted the huge bull's leg with one hand and placed it in front of Tino.

"Hau?"

Tino titled his head.

Seeing him like that, Koko sighed and used her sword to cut a slice of meat off. She brought it up to her mouth and started eating. Each of her movements was slow, so Tino could see clearly.

Wanting to imitate Koko, Tino grabbed his coconut opener and stabbed it into the cooked bull's leg.

"Pfff." Koko couldn't hold back her laughter. She sliced off a piece and handed it to Tino.

As he brought the slice of meat closer to his face, he got assaulted by a mouthwatering fragrance. What to do? Tino was dumbfounded. Even coconuts don't make him salivate that much!

He carefully inspected the piece of meat from every angle. He then looked at Koko who was chewing while watching him. Seeing her eat without any hesitation, Tino deemed the meat to be safe and tossed the entire slice into his mouth.

"......"

As he started chewing on the meat, the first thing he noticed was that it was actually hot!

The meat felt exactly the same how the big fiery ball in the skies feels on his skin!

And then, he noticed the taste.

"Koko!"

"$)ú/?" Koko answered.

"Koko! Koko! Koko!!"

Tino didn't know what to sound to make to express his happiness, so he started shouting Koko's name.