The Curse of Beasts (BEASTARS)

The World Envisioned and The World Wished For

"Huh..?!", Juno felt as if she were about to float off the ground. "You want me to be Adler the Reaper?"

"Yup!", Samou said with a nod as some of the other members were gathered. "We should make our New Years' performance very different from all the others."

"B-but I'm a first-year, and a female. This is all so sudden..."

"That's the point, Juno...", he said as he handed her the reaper's signature skull mask. "Everyone always saw Adler as a masculine role. But with a female Adler, we can show off our resolve and rebellious spirit! A lot of the other clubs are desperate to do better than they had ever done before. So when it's time for the New Years' performance, it'll be time for us to step up our game!"

"...Oh, I see!", she gave a smile. "I'll do my best!"

"I knew you would say that! You're a Beastar candidate, and you're popular to boot! You're perfect for the role!"

"The mood in this school's changing a lot.", Bill said with a laugh. "It's like carnivores and herbivores are actually getting closer..."

"Only the grown-ups want interspecial clubs to be suspended! We have to stop them!", Dom added. "None of the clubs will be suspended because everyone wants them to stay unsegregated! Isn't that right, Juno?"

"Of course!", she said.

But...what about those ongoing interspecial murders?, she thought as she glanced at a certain human off to the side.

    It had only been a few days after the club suspension announcement— and Alan's confession of wanting to follow it. He was clearly torn on whether or not to give his view in the first place, whether it be because of his position or the fear of how others would react. Regardless, he still said it and understood what it meant. Juno didn't say it at the time, but his words resonated with her.

Alan has more courage than me because he was able to say it in front of them..., her thoughts carried on into the girls locker room.

"Maybe I'd be against it before, but things are so different now!", the human's words echoed as she opened her locker. "After what happened to Kibi...I don't know if keeping everyone together is the right thing or not."

The wolf's expression twisted as she kept her gaze low, Everyone's so desperate to keep this school from being segregated, but why?! What's wrong with segregation?!

Her face soured more as it continued, Without segregation, we'll be exposed to truths that neither of us want to know. Why hasn't anyone realized this?! Alan's close to seeing it, but not the others. The one thing we need is distance!

"Juno!"

She perked up and turned to see Els, "Good job getting that lead role! That's amazing for your first year. You have our full support!"

She smiled, "Thank you!"

    Getting the role was exciting, of course. Putting aside everything, it was an achievement she was proud to have done along with everything else. However, the thoughts about distance were still present— and it didn't mean things necessarily had to be bleak. It wasn't as if they had to be completely separated from each other! They could still smile, even talk with the distance in mind. It made perfect sense, but she couldn't just come out and say it!

Why can't we carnivores just maintain a stoic relationship with herbivores?, the wolf thought as she roamed the halls among others later, I mean...

She paused, and not for a very good reason.

    Just at the end of the hall, she could see Legosi walking down from the left. What really caught her eye, however, was a certain bunny that had his attention. He was even bending down to her level, talking to her! Worse than that— she was smiling at him! A very brief spark of rage entered Juno's heart at the sight, remembering the day Legosi came back to school bruised and her realizing he was in love with a rabbit. It dissipated when they split up, the wolf waving before going straight down the hall while the rabbit smiled and turned in the female's direction.