Beastars: A Symphony of Life

Chapter 101: Terms and Agreements

Melon sat at the booth, looking out over the club. It was daytime and the cleanup crews were, well, cleaning up for the next night. The electronic casino games were out of order and locked up, due to the power blackout rendering them useless. The table games were still usable however, so the roulette, poker, blackjack, and craps tables were being tended to. Underneath, stains were being scrubbed up in Club Blood and those that worked down there were sleeping and resting for the next night or out and about until the place opened again. The night crowds might be reduced until the power came back, as most came for the clubbing life, but the club could still make a bit of money if necessary. The hustle and bustle had been missed and the hybrid just sat, patiently waiting in the public isolation.

"Been awhile," Reina said. The panther was standing at the head of the table with two glasses in her hands. She set one down in front of him and took a seat across from him.

Melon considered the glass and raised his eyes back up to her with a quizzical look.

"First glass is on me," she assured him. "And hey, maybe you'll taste something."

"I doubt it," he smirked, taking a sip of the liquor. Tasted the same. Like mud.

"So how have things been?" she asked, setting up her cigarette in her cigarette holder. "Aside from taking out a serial killer."

"Boring," he said, swirling the drink in the glass. "Met someone from my past, that didn't go well. Lots of, let's say that they're just memories now. Someone appeared that I won't be able to get rid of, I think I finally made peace with an old enemy, and maybe made a new one? Still waiting on that. So overall, a neutral time was had."

"Guess that can be either good or bad," she reasoned. "Or neither good nor bad."

"A lot more exciting than you'd think," he added.

"Are you just going to leave it that vague?" she asked.

Melon smirked and took a swig from his drink.

"What about you?" he asked. "Aside from what I heard on the news and what I could infer from rumors I've heard on the street."

"Private matters you mean?" she inquired. "You know the policy about that."

"Right," he nodded. "If I ask too much-"

"You're dead," she smiled, finishing his sentence. "But yeah, business has been...the usual."

"People dying everywhere?" Melon half-joked. "Fiery explosions in the square?"

"Yeah," she nodded, taking a sip from her own drink. "Basically."

There was a pause between them. It only lasted a moment, and it didn't feel awkward, which was nice.

"So what's the real reason you're coming back?" she asked.

"Is it that obvious?" the hybrid retorted.

"I mean you didn't have to come back after dealing with a killer of killers," she said. "You didn't even need to deal with him yet you did. Coming back now, while the group is in the predicament it's in, doesn't seem like something you'd do. You're too smart for this."

"You think I have some ulterior motive," Melon said, after finishing his drink.

"I mean it's obvious," she said matter-of-factly, tapping ash into the ashtray.

Melon took a moment to himself before looking her in the eyes.

"I'm bored," he said with little emotion. "Out there, dealing with that...crazy...it was something to do that was fun. It kept me entertained. Once I was done with him, there was little to entertain me. I'm joining back, to have some fun."