AN: In the last chapter, I had Sebun state that an open discussion for herbivores to consider donating their bodies would have been a good route to go if fish hadn't been introduced as an alternative. I was honestly thinking this was how things were going to go before Beastars ended. Honestly, the introduction of fish felt poorly foreshadowed if at all and seemed like an overly easy way to ease tension between carnivores and herbivores just so Paru Itagaki could end the series and move on to other projects. Well, that's my two cents on that. Before you guys start, I'd like to give trigger warnings pertaining to assault and suicidal thoughts and intentions.
Ch 5: A Sheep's Opinion on Being Eaten
Sebun is sitting in on a meeting with her superiors. Her company, Metal Mouse, is trying to get advertisements from the biggest media company in the country. As her company's resident "therapy animal", she was dragged along to keep her superiors relaxed. 'Therapy animal. I'm a thing for them to pet because it makes them feel good.' Currently, her wool's being felt up by her boss's clawed hand as he talks business with the CEO of the media company.
The CEO, a lion by the name of Bruce, has a really smug look of superiority as he pets an alpaca woman who looks on the verge of a mental breakdown. He's also eying up Sebun during the discussion.
The sheep refuses to look Bruce in the eyes, knowing it'd break her due to his oppressive aura. 'That's how I feel just from looking at such an obvious meat eater. I can't imagine how the poor alpaca feels having to be around him regularly as part of her job.' Sebun looks behind the lion out the window. 'I wish I was back with Melon.' That thought shocks the ewe.
Bruce, misinterpreting the sheep's sudden look, smirks. 'Good. Herbivores are better off letting fear be obvious.'
'Huh. I'm actually wanting to be around Melon, a serial killer. Sure, his behavior really has improved a lot since I started visiting him. Still, is five years enough time to warrant feeling safe with a guy like that? Although…Melon has been nice to me lately. He's pretty good with the jokes now too. Chess matches with him are the best. I…actually like being with Melon.' Sebun smiles.
Bruce pauses with petting the alpaca by him when he sees this. 'What the hell?! She has the audacity to smile?!' A frown crosses his face. 'Oh. She's one of those.'
"So?" Sebun's boss asks with a hopeful smile. "Would you say everything's agreed upon now?"
The lion puts on a smile for the other carnivore. "Of course. We'll fund commercials for you guys and put them on every available channel."
"That's excellent." Sebun's boss stands up, walks over to Bruce, and shakes his hand. "I can assure you Metal Mouse is grateful for your kindness."
Sebun and her boss leave the meeting room, both excited to return home.
"Excuse me, Sebun. I need to use the restroom real quick." The sheep's boss rushes into the nearby men's room.
Suddenly, Sebun is grabbed and taken into a nearby supply closet.
"Lucky me," says the familiar voice of Bruce. "I got you alone."
The sheep doesn't have to think too hard to know what this lion wants…and it isn't sex.
"I saw you smiling during the meeting. I know the truth. You're one of those herbivores that gets off to carnivores."
Despite fearing for her life, hearing this makes Sebun really think. 'I couldn't possibly be into Melon that way. Could I?'
"You freaks know what you can do to us carnivores. That's why you all use sex for some damn thrill and make us your slaves. Guess what? I'm a CEO. I'm the one who's in power, I'm the one who chooses to eat herbivores, and I've chosen you as my next meal. It doesn't matter if an herbivore manages to live into old age and die 'peacefully'. It doesn't matter that we get fish from the sea now. In the end, all herbivores end up and belong in the same place…the belly of a carnivore." Bruce opens his jaws wide and starts to bring Sebun in.
The sheep looks into the lion's maw. 'I don't want to be his meal.' Sebun's life's flashing before her eyes. One memory sticks out.
Some time ago…
"You're not focused on the game," says an annoyed Melon.
Sebun flinches. "Sorry."
The leopard-gazelle hybrid groans, realizing the sheep won't be able to get her mind back on chess anytime soon. "Fine. Wanna talk about it?"
"Really?"
"Yeah, just get on with it."
"Okay. I was thinking back to what got me here in the first place."
"Getting attacked by a carnivore and Old Man Yafya saving you?"
"Yes. Since then, I've been carrying pepper spray and a taser."
Melon chuckles. "Not as trusting as you claim to be, are you?"
"I'm just being prepared. Still, I wonder if that's enough. I'm a small herbivore. If some big carnivore grabs me and I can't get to my pockets…I'll just be gone."
The hybrid frowns. "That would suck."
"Really?"
Feeling embarrassed that the sheep thinks he cares, Melon looks away. "Well…chess has become the highlight of my week. If you got eaten, it'd be hell for the Old Man to find someone as competent as you at the game that'd be willing to visit as often as you."
"Okay." Sebun can't help but feel that the hybrid was spewing crap just now.
Melon glances back. "Still, I'd rather you not be gone. That's why I'm going to tell you a way to get a carnivore to let you go that's guaranteed to work."
"Hit them in the nuts?"
The hybrid snorts. "Sure, but you can't assume the attacking carnivore's always going to be male. My method will work regardless of gender. Keep in mind, it's extremely risky."
Present day…
Sebun is staring right into Bruce's open maw as she inches closer to getting eaten. She's being held in a way that keeps her from reaching her pockets for the pepper spray or taser. It just leaves her Melon's method. The sheep thrusts her hands inside the lion's mouth, grabs his uvula, and tugs.
Bruce immediately starts gagging and drops Sebun.
The ewe doesn't stick around to find out if he starts to throw up. She rushes out the door and into the hall. In her haste, Sebun slams into her boss.
Before either can react, Bruce appears in the doorway of the supply closet gasping for air.
Sebun's boss quickly realizes what almost happened and places the sheep behind him.
Bruce takes a deep, calming breath and puts on a big smile. "Before you go, I would like to commend Miss Sebun for being such a composed therapy animal. My therapy animal, Lily, is sadly beginning to suffer from…nerves. If something doesn't change with her soon, she'll likely have to be…let go."
Sebun knows the truth behind these words (as does her boss). As sick as having "therapy animals" is in reality, their job is supposed to be to make carnivores in business meetings relaxed and at ease. If they become like Lily and let their fear become too strong, the carnivores get riled up and are unable to focus on the meetings. Those "therapy animals" get fired. With Lily's boss being Bruce though, he'd likely just eat her.
"I have an idea. Metal Mouse seems to be a much more relaxed environment than here. I was wondering if we could transfer Lily there and you could let us have Sebun in exchange?"
The ewe has no power if her boss decides to accept the offer. Knowing that Metal Mouse is in danger of collapse due to competitors, it wouldn't surprise Sebun at all if her boss takes this deal. Her eyes glance over at the nearby window. 'I'll never let Bruce to be my employer or the one who devours me. I'll throw myself out that window before that happens.'
"I'm sorry," Sebun's boss says to Bruce. "Sebun is a valued employee. We couldn't bear to have her…transferred…no matter what."
The sheep is shocked at this caring side to her boss.
Bruce has a momentary murderous glint in his eyes before his fake smile gets bigger. "In that case, why don't we just forget about my offer and continue with our transaction as if it never happened?"
Sebun's boss gives his own fake smile. "Of course! Can't jeopardize good business, can we?"
The ewe stays in a slight daze while the two carnivores continue conversing until she and her boss are outside.
"Sebun, you need to stay silent on this. You know Metal Mouse is at risk of going under because of our competitors. We need this deal. Just forget about the whole thing and everything will be okay."
'Forget?! How can I forget about almost dying at the hands of some lunatic lion?!' This is when Sebun realizes something. 'If Bruce had eaten me, my boss would've swept it under the rug for the sake of the business. Not handing me over to become that lion's meal is as far as his kindness goes. There'd be no justice for my consumed body.'
Saturday…
Melon is surveying the room. 'It's still as secure as ever. Legs are strapped to the chair, cuffs keeping hands restrained, muzzle over my mouth, two guards keeping watch…including the damn leopard. I can't see how I can get away with eating Sebun. Maybe I can just do some sort of gesture to let them know I want to. That'll show all of them. I don't like her! I don't, I don't, I don't!'
The door opens, letting Sebun in. "Hi, Melon."
The hybrid smirks. "Finally. I was so bored without you around."
"Sorry."
Watching the ewe set up the board, Melon suddenly senses despair from her. 'The hell?! She almost reeks of it! What happened?!' The hybrid cuts off that thought process. 'No. I don't care. She's going to be my meal. I! Don't! Care!'
The two get to playing chess, but it soon becomes apparent that Sebun's mind isn't really in it. She makes multiple rookie mistakes that lead to a pretty quick win for Melon.
The hybrid refuses to ask the sheep what's wrong. 'That's something someone who cares does…and I don't.' Still, hating how easy that win was and not wanting a repeat, Melon decides to change the subject. "Something cool happened to me while you were gone if you didn't know already."
Sebun slowly looks up into the leopard-gazelle hybrid's eyes. "No, I don't know. What's up?"
Looking into the sheep's eyes makes something inside of Melon twinge, but he absolutely refuses to acknowledge it. "I could suddenly taste my food."
Sebun gives a slight smile. "That's great."
The hybrid feels disappointed by that subdued reaction. It gets even worse when the ewe seems more distracted and loses the next chess match spectacularly. Melon's resolve breaks and he's just about to ask Sebun what's wrong when one of the guard's walkie talkies goes off.
"Marty, your wife went into labor," says the voice on the device.
The bull's eyes go wide. "Shit!" He points at the leopard opposite him. "Rick! Be extra vigilant until my replacement gets here!"
"On it!" the leopard shouts as the bull rushes out the door.
Melon is now more on edge. Without a second guard to act as a buffer, the hybrid almost feels ready to jump out of his own skin due to the leopard guard he can't stand and the sheep that is confusing the hell out of his emotions.
With one less guard around, an idea pops into Sebun's head.
Melon glances at the leopard guard, then does a double take.
Rick is leering at Sebun with a smirk.
The hybrid has an urge building up to attempt breaking out of his restraints and attacking the guard for looking at the ewe like prey.
Rick brings up his walkie talkie. "Sorry, but I gotta take a leak."
"Absolutely not!" shouts the voice on the other end. "Wait until David gets there!"
"They'll be fine. Melon's tied up and Sebun has items to defend herself. If I don't leave now, I'll end up pissing my pants. Gotta go." Rick bolts out the door, leaving the hybrid and the sheep alone.
Now, Sebun has a chance to make her mere idea into a reality. She gets up onto the table, quickly crawls to Melon's side (knocking the chess board off in the process), and sits face to face with the hybrid.
This close, despite the sudden surprise of this action, Melon's mouth waters. 'It's like I'm already tasting her.'
Sebun reaches behind the hybrid's head, undoes the muzzle, and lets it drop to the floor.
'What's going on? What's her plan here? She couldn't be…'
The sheep proves him wrong by bringing her hands to her face and smacking her cheeks.
'Seriously?! She actually wants it?! Three times and it's official!'
Sebun hits her cheeks again.
'That's it! One more and it's true consent! This'll prove I don't like Sebun! I'll consume her and she'll be all gone!' Melon's mind chooses to stick on one word. 'Gone?'
Sebun closes her eyes, accepts her chosen fate, and makes to smack her cheeks one more time. Her hands don't make it to her face. The sheep opens her eyes to a most surprising sight.
Large, clawed hands are restraining smaller, clawless hands. Melon's eyes are focused on Sebun, an unfamiliar look in them. "Don't. Just…don't." The hybrid lets go and looks away.
Sebun can only stare in shock at this convicted killer's life preserving action. She doesn't even realize Melon is just as shaken by the action as she is.
The two are so absorbed in what just happened, they don't even notice when many guards burst in from both doors. They're grabbed and escorted out through opposite doors.
Later…
Yafya is standing right outside of Melon's cell, looking in at his personal project. "Today was quite eventful."
The hybrid is lying on his bed, facing away from the horse. "Go away, Old Man."
"I mean it. Sebun offered herself to you as a meal, the very first herbivore you would've tasted, and you turned her down. Impressive."
"SHUT UP!" Melon yells out while jumping to his feet. "This shouldn't have happened to me! I should've eaten her! Everything would've made sense again with her gone!"
"But you spared her life."
"I KNOW THAT! I don't get it! I've killed so many in my life, no hesitation! What is so different about her?!"
Yafya stares at Melon for a few moments before answering. "It's one simple reason. You care about her."
The hybrid's eyes twitch. "We're done here, Old Man. Leave now." He goes back to his bed and lies down with his back to the older horse.
Yafya sighs and turns. "Fine, but I've got one last thing to say before I go. I brought you in as a convicted serial killer with no remorse for his actions. Most would say you deserve a life sentence or to be executed. I chose to put you through a rehabilitation program for my last act as a Beastar. That moment with Sebun shows there's hope for you." The horse leaves.
Melon just stares at the wall, his mind unsure how to take Yafya's parting words.
Meanwhile…
Sebun is lying on a couch in the waiting room for the warden's office. It was considered the best place to keep her for the time being. She's aware of the rhino guard standing at the exit, but she keeps her eyes on the ceiling. She can hear the bunny acting as secretary typing away at the computer. The sheep remembers they sent home the vixen who was acting secretary because Sebun couldn't be trusted not to try offering herself as a meal to a carnivore again. The glare that vixen gave her is etched in the ewe's memory. 'She probably needed today's pay.'
The door opens and in walks Gouhin. The panda stands right by the couch, looking down at the sheep's face. "You certainly fucked shit up."
"No kidding."
"Mind saying why you wanted to become a snack?"
Sebun doesn't have the courage to divulge the full truth, so she goes another way. "Ever since I was a young girl, I've had a full plan for what my life would be like as a grown up. Be an executive, live in a nice home, and have a loving husband waiting for me there." The ewe glares up at the ceiling. "I was demoted at work some years back, I had to sell my house and move into an apartment at the Hidden Condo, and every guy I've dated has either been a jerk or wanted me to be a stay at home mom." The sheep sighs. "Don't get me wrong, I really do like a few of the other tenants at the Hidden Condo."
"I'm not trivializing any of this, but what does it have to do with you trying to get Melon to eat you?" Gouhin asks in a very annoyed tone.
Sebun closes her eyes. "Recently, I've been telling men I've gone out with about visiting Melon…on the first date."
That surprises Gouhin. "I get wanting to be open, but always the first date? Sounds like you're trying to scare them away."
"I realize now that I was. I didn't really want to be with any one of them." Sebun allows something she'd been repressing to come out. "I finally admit that after spending so much of my time around him, I've become attracted to Melon."
The security guard and the bunny secretary glance at each other, both feeling disturbed by this. 'She has the hots for the hybrid? Eww.'
If Gouhin had less discipline, he'd be laughing like a maniac at Sebun's bombshell. "So, what attracts you to him?"
The ewe thinks it over. "Herbivores have become boring for me. I have too many issues with regular carnivores to consider dating one, despite being friends with Legoshi and Zaguan. I find Melon's mind fascinating, both with chess and the conversations we've had."
"Would you mind getting to the part where you tried to feed yourself to the current source of your wet dreams?"
The rhino and the bunny audibly gag at the panda's choice of words.
Sebun opens her eyes. "Even with fish on the market for carnivores now, herbivores still get devoured. We are all meant to be meals for carnivores. If I have to get eaten, I'd rather it be by someone I like."
AN: The sheep has admitted she likes the hybrid! What about him though? Will Melon admit any sort of feelings for Sebun? Keep reading to find out!