Beastars: A Steep Fall From Light

Chapter 53: Someone New, and a 701 Reunion

The festival hadn't changed since the last time Jack had been there. The meteor was still in the center of the grounds, with the other floats circled around it. The tyrannosaurus, stegosaurus, and triceratops floats were still there, along with some new ones he hadn't seen before. A brachiosaur, a gigantoraptor, and a parasaurolophus were among them. The stands seemed to be the same, and the stage was still there as well. Tents were set up next to the platform, where the Cherryton Drama Club was warming up. That seemed like so long ago, yet he could remember it so vividly.

"When's the reveal?" Kina asked.

"After the school's performance," he answered, straightening his tie. "Though the ex-conglomerate chairman is giving a speech beforehand."

"What time is all of that supposed to happen?"

"The performance is supposed to start around seven thirty, the speech starting around eight. So they want all the candidates to gather behind the stage around seven forty-five."

"Don't turn around," Jack warned her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Maybe he won't see us."

"Who?"

"Jack Kogane?" someone asked.

Jack looked at Kina before turning to the spotted civet. Shukishi Yamamura was the same height as Jack, maybe an inch or two shorter but it wasn't enough to notice unless you looked for it. He was older than Jack by twenty to thirty years; the canine was in his mid twenties and the civet was closer to his late forties/early fifties. He was dressed in a dark navy blue suit with a blue undershirt and a white collar pinned around his neck. A navy blue tie to match his suit hand around his neck.

"Mr. Yamamura," Jack greeted.

"Oh please," he said through his teeth. "Call me by my first name, Shukishi is fine."

The civet stuck out his hand and Jack begrudgingly shook it, but he didn't let his resentment show.

"So is this your wife?" the purebred animal asked.

"Uh," Jack stuttered, looking to Kina.

"Girlfriend," she said, taking the question off Jack's mind.

"Oh," the civet said, taken aback. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make anything awkward. Just seems risky, doesn't it?"

Neither of them knew what to say.

"I mean, not, you know, tying the knot, per say," the civet maneuvered. "If the mayor broke up with who the public saw as his significant other."

"Let me focus on my relationships," Jack said, as politely as possible.

"And I'll focus on mine," the older candidate said. "And never will the two meet. Well, scratch that last bit. If anything, no matter the outcome of this election, I want there to be nothing but good vibes between us."

"Good vibes?" Jack asked. "Is that what they're saying these days?"

"I'm sensing a little bit of hostility from you Jack," he said, his smile fading ever so slightly, but his teeth stayed shining out.

"It's just the stress," Kina added, trying to keep the waters calm.

"Ah, understandable," he chuckled, smile returning to normal. "I remember the first time I ran for mayor. My sleep schedule? Out the window."

"So, Shukishi," Jack said. "This makes it year what, running for mayor?"

"Six or seven I think," he said. "I knew I never really had a chance when Watsuji was running, but I still tried."