Chapter 23

"Hrrrmmmnn…"

"That's a nasty scowl. What're you so pissed off about this time?" Aoba asked Bill while they sat on the floor in the club room.

"Hmph…!"

Aoba followed the tiger's angry line of sight to find Rob sitting while hugging his knees with most of the backstage crew receiving instructions from the club president, though he didn't seem to be paying much attention.

"Oh, him? Yeah…he was absent for a couple of days. Wonder what happened?"

"Hiding away, crying like a little p$&# $, I bet."

The avian predator blinked several times, taken aback by his friend's harsh reply. "Wow, that's some language. You make it sound like he stole your lunch or something."

"Hah, I'd be actually impressed if he ever did that," Bill scoffed.

Aoba frowned before leaning in a bit towards Bill in a hushed voice, "...Okay seriously, what happened between you two?"

Bill averted his eyes while grumbling a bit more. He then quietly recounted how he witnessed Rob's behavior at the black market a few nights prior, and how he crashed into the tiger as he fled the stalls.

Aoba sighed and folded his arms. "I see…so you've actually been going back there?"

"Wh—don't look at me that way! You know we'd all have to go there eventually! " Bill insisted quietly. "Besides, this ain't about me!"

"Sure, sure…still, can't say I'm surprised how he reacted, what with him being hemaphobic and all."

"Heema-what-now?"

"It means he has a crippling fear of blood. I remember a while back an upperclassman of mine said he saw a carnivore accidently give someone a huge gash in class and some blood spilled on the table. Said Rob ended up being sent to the nurse along with the other guy after almost passing out."

For a while, Bill's face gave a blank expression, as if he was still processing what his avian friend explained to him.

"...What the h*ll kind of carnivore gets spooked by a little blo—!?"

By the time the tiger stopped himself after realizing he was blurting out, it was far too late and the eyes of the entire club were immediately on him.

"...Um, Bill? Is there a problem?" asked the pelican club president.

Bill shrank a bit, doing his best to not make eye contact with anyone.

"...It's nothing," he muttered.

The president tilted his head slightly before resuming conveying the basic plans for the festival. Bill soon grumbled even more than before afterwards.

"Seriously, man…why are you getting so pissed off at him?" Aoba whispered.

"Hrrm, he's just not…normal…! I mean, it'd be one thing if he pretended to be all weak, but it always feels like talking to an herbivore that's been born in the wrong body," Bill ranted in a very hushed voice. "And now you're telling me he can't even handle looking at blood? This has to be someone's effed up idea of a joke..."

"Bill…I get you're feeling annoyed seeing a fellow big cat not acting like, well…a big cat. But we don't know what Rob's life was really like. Maybe he had it rough growing up. He even has to take anxiety medication, remember?"

Bill scoffed and turned his head away from the eagle. He understood that the liliger had some medical issues he's working through, but it sounded too much like an excuse for him to act like a coward.

Aoba sighed, seemingly giving up on trying to placate his friend and returned his attention to the club president's instructions. Bill attempted to do the same, but his mood was already soured by Rob's mere presence and was not able to focus.

Even after returning to the changing room, he could not help but let his eyes gravitate towards the larger feline. Seeing Rob almost as lethargic and gloomy as Legoshi only caused more anger and frustration to rise up, making the tiger hurriedly change back into their summer uniform.

While striding out the exit ahead of most of the other club members, Bill skidded to a stop, almost losing his balance and leaning a bit forward over a smaller animal with his arms extended out in an attempt to keep himself upright.

"Woah! Sorry 'bout that!" exclaimed the other animal, which turned out to be a small boar with a large, flattened bag slung over his shoulder.

The tiger managed to regain his footing and heaved a sigh of relief. "...N-no, that was my bad. Didn't see you there."

"Heh, happens a lot. No worries," the boar responded cheerfully.

Bill bowed his head slightly before more slowly making his way down the hall. He did briefly wonder what a small boar was doing standing near the club room door, though.

"There you are! Sheesh, how can someone so big be so hard to track down?" the boar said in a loud voice.

"...O-oh! Baako."

The tiger's ears twitched, along with the corner of his mouth, as he heard Rob's voice. He turned his head discreetly to see the small herbivore staring unblinkingly up at the liliger, seemingly a bit unhappy.

Several of the other club members trickled out from behind Rob, looking back curiously

at the two animals while they went their separate ways.

Aoba made his way towards Bill while casually eyeing them himself. "Hmm…Wonder who that is?" the eagle said.

Bill didn't answer, but was still somewhat intrigued at who this "Baako" was to the liliger.

"So…what have you been up to these last three days?" the boar asked somewhat pointedly.

"U-uh…? I w-was…" Rob stammered as he turned his eyes away from Baako's. "I-I—"

"Well, well! Look who's finally rejoined the land of the living!"

Rob stiffened at the sound of a new male's voice, which Bill saw belonged to a white lion followed by three others with varying fur colors: two shorter-maned ones that looked like twins, and one with a red mane.

"With the way Lordie here's been talking about you, I thought for sure you turned into shut-in! How've you been?"

The liliger remained silent and kept his gaze away from the other lion. It was obvious to Bill that Rob and the quartet of lions weren't exactly on friendly terms despite light-fur one's tone.

He felt like he had seen those four recently, though.

"Aww, what's the matter? Still not feeling too hot?" the lion asked as he approached the larger cat.

Rob turned his head even more, keeping his eyes fixed to the floor.

The white lion's mouth then twisted into a sneer as he scoffed. "Gotta say, you're a real let down: running away, crying, with your tail between your legs like that? Was ready to treat ya to a meal fit for a king, too. Oh wait…guess we can't call you that anymore, huh?"

Two of the lions began snickering to themselves while the final red-maned silently gazed downward.

Bill suddenly remembered why they were so familiar: those lions were with Rob when he had that breakdown at the black market. So, they were the ones that brought him there that night?

"Hey. Don'tcha know it's rude not to look someone in the eye when they talk to ya?" He immediately strode up close to Rob and peered directly into his face, which made the liliger flinch.

"M-mmh…"

The white lion blinked after the liliger moaned and took a step back and then immediately burst into boisterous laughter, which drew in a larger crowd from the other halls—even a few of the other club members that were coming from the exit hurried to see what was going on.

"Bwa-hahahahahaha! You gotta be f$ %&# kidding me! Can you guys believe this!? Forget 'King!' We got ourselves a comedian here!"

The twin felines laughed themselves as they began surrounding Rob and backing him against the wall.

"Man, what a bunch of *ssholes…" Aoba mumbled indignantly. "What's their deal, ganging up on him?"

"It's just a lion thing," Bill answered casually. "Get a bunch of them together and some'll start fights just to show off dominance."

"What, you mean this doesn't bother you at all?" the eagle asked while pointing with his thumb.

Quite frankly, he could care less about any fights lions get themselves into. What truly upset him was the fact that Rob was simply cowering against the wall when he could easily overpower them—having experienced the liliger's strength firsthand, he was confident he could.

"S...S-stop it…" Rob murmured.

"'S...s-stop it…' you say? Stop what, exactly? Huh?" the antagonistic lion mocked as he shoved the larger carnivore against the wall. He then chuckled and grinned as though he was a child with a brand new toy.

"Guys, leave him alone…!" the red-maned lion protested. "Can't you see he's had enough?"

"Aww, isn't that sweet? Even Lordie over here feels bad for the poor baby." He then reached up and grabbed Rob's collar, pulling him down to eye level while showing a satisfied glint in his eyes.

"You know, it really made me sad watching you run off like that. Guess that just proves how much of a virgin you really are. But don't worry: we'll make sure to break you in nice and slow so you'll know what it really means to be a lion. Maybe we can go back there, for starters? We still owe ya a good meal. Maybe something nice and fresh, for starters?"

Rob's ears immediately flattened as he began shivering a little, causing the white-maned carnivore to let loose a sadistic smirk.

"This is getting out of hand… Someone's gotta—Wha…? Hey! Bill, where are you going!?"

Bill ignored Aoba as he began walking the other direction. He was getting sick to his stomach just watching Rob getting pushed around by some common punks. And he was not about to start feeling pity for him, either.

"Hmph, and I thought I was best friends with a liliger, not someone about to cry like a b#&$ ."

Every animal within earshot immediately snapped their necks down towards the small boar that was standing only a foot away from the five larger cats. Whatever murmuring that was taking place amongst the other students was immediately hushed by Baako's words.

"W…What d-did you…?" Rob began.

"Oh, I'm sorry! A little hard of hearing? Let me say it more slowly, then: You. Are. Acting. Like. A. Little. B#&$%."

Just about everyone in the hall reacted with utter astonishment, gasping or hollering aloud from Baako saying such a derogatory word.

Legoshi and Juno, who just so happened to emerge from the club room's doorway with several others, turned and stared with widened eyes at the boar—the female wolf was the most appalled of the two with her face twisting in disgust and indignation as her tail began to bristle.

Even Bill's own mouth hung open as he was frozen midstep and looking back.

"Heh…hehehe! Wow," remarked the white lion, amused as he was astounded. "Even the little guy is calling you out."

"Seriously, what are you doing, letting these guys push you around? You already know how to fight, don't you?" Baako said in a more annoyed tone. "And can't you easily bench, like, all three of these losers? I doubt this mangy thug here can lift his own weight!"

"...What did you—!?" The white lion immediately released Rob's collar and made a beeline toward Baako.

"Listen here, Porky! 'less you wanna get spit roasted, you better—!"

THWACK!

"GAAAAAAAH!?"

The young boar suddenly kicked the antagonizing feline hard on his shin, causing him to buckle. As soon as he was crouched down, Baako headbutted into his snout, making him reel backwards and fall straight on his back.

The crowd became even more wild after witnessing the small herbivore knock down the larger predator.

"Holy s$&#," Bill said, moving back to Aoba's side to get a better view. "I heard boars were brave enough to take on anyone, but d*mn…!"

As the white lion clumsily propped himself off the ground, blood dripped through his fingers while holding his snout.

"Wh—!? Whadda $&# 's wrong wid you?!" he yelled while the twins attempted to lift him up by each arm.

"Oh, will you shut up!?" Baako bellowed back, causing the three of them to flinch. "I was in the middle of talking, so stay over there and get out of my way!"

Without missing a beat, he strode up to Rob, staring straight up at the flabbergasted liliger's face.

"B-B-Baako…!? What's g-gotten int—into you?"

"What's gotten into me!? What about you!?" the young boar snapped back, jabbing his finger into Rob's stomach. "Locking yourself in your room without answering any texts? You get how nerve-wracking it can be for some people? Your girlfriend even begged me to tell her your dorm room number 'cus she got so worried!"

Wait, when did he get a girlfriend!? Bill thought, his eyes twitching in irritation.

"I-I…!"

"Look, I can imagine you got dragged to that place and that it wasn't exactly something you wanted to see, what with all the carnage and hungry carnivores, but that doesn't mean you can just act like a wimp about it!"

"Wh-what…? I w-wa—wasn't…! Y-y-you don't know…h-how it r-really was—"

"Oh, so now you're looking to score some pity points? Aww, poor, poor baby lili! Gonna have to look for someone else that actually gives any f$# # about your problems."

The Bengal tiger didn't know what was more surprising: the fact the boar seems to know of the existence of the black market or that Rob was actually starting to quiver with anger, with his hands balling into a fist.

"Wh-why…? Why are…y-you being s-so awf—so awful right n-now?" the liliger snarled softly, tears almost surfacing.

"Ugh, you think you're the only one with some tragic backstory?" Baako scoffed, rolling his eyes a little. "Half the members of your club had to deal with some serious crap growing up."

He then pointed to Louis who had just appeared through the doorway, much to the red deer's confusion.

"Even Louis here had it way rougher as a kid and you don't see him curled up in a ball!"

The red deer froze, his eyes as wide as dinner plates while every student turned to him. One would've thought that someone had shone powerful headlights on his face from such a reaction.

Did…did he really get dirt on Louis, Bill thought. Just who the h*ll is that pig!?

Rob's body, along with his bottom lip, continued to quake, his eyes squeezing shut his eyes shut as though keeping any tears from spilling.

"Uuuggggh, I can't stand to even look at you right now!" Baako grumbled loudly, pressing his fingers against the temples on the sides of his head. "Seems bawling your eyes all your good for these days!"

Well…he's not wrong.

"Man, I really feel for your parents if you were this much of a pain."

The large carnivore's ears instantly became erect as he looked down at the boar.

"Who knows? Maybe your old man wouldn't have been shot if you weren't making so mu—!"

SLAAAM!

It all happened in less than a second, but Bill was able to see Rob's pupils immediately dilate right before grabbing Baako by the collar of his shirt and pinning him against the wall.

The boar coughed loudly as the wind got knocked out of him and several spectators yelled out in horror.

The Bengal tiger himself was a little spooked after seeing Rob's face twisted with such rage, his snout almost completely scrunched up, his gums exposed as he gnashed his teeth, letting out a low, gutteral growls, and swishing his faded-striped tail wildly.

Not once in his entire time of knowing the liliger has Bill seen him make such a face, or thought him even capable of doing so.

The whole situation only became more surreal when Baako began laughing in between gasps of air.

"Hahaha…haha…! Well, look who's finally—*cough*—grew a pair and started acting like a proper predator. It's a good look on you, honestly."

"Sh-sh-sh-shut UP!" Rob growled loudly. "I've…h-h-had it with that m-m-mouth of yours!"

"Hmph, so what are you gonna do Now? Put me in my place? Maybe eat me?"

The hairs on the liliger's arms and back of his mane stood even more on end as he began snarling more loudly.

"That idiot! Is he really trying to get himself killed!?" Bill exclaimed, swiftly walking forward towards the two with Aoba following behind.

It seemed that he and the eagle were not the only ones that had a mind to intervene, as a well-built herbivore with large horns sprinted past them and leapt onto Rob's back. He then locked his arms firmly into a choke hold while wrapping his legs tightly around Rob's torso and pulled back hard, apparently trying to bring him to the ground.

"D*mmit Robbie, what's gotten into you!? You're gonna hurt 'em!" the horned herbivore yelled.

Rob grunted and struggled while he pulled his head forward, his eyes still locked onto the boar. Even while being grappled by what Bill surmised to be a sheep or a goat, the liliger barely budged and was still blinded by rage to everything else around him.

"Hey, don't just stand there! C'mon!" Aoba urged, jabbing the Bengal tiger's arm.

"Huh!? O-oh, yeah!"

The two carnivores ran to either side of Rob and pulled his arms back in an attempt to separate him from Baako. It was quite the undertaking bending his fully-contracted limbs which were as solid rock, but they eventually succeeded in pulling the angry liliger off the pinned boar.

Baako lost his balance as he dropped to the ground, but was caught in Legoshi's arms before falling over.

"Y-you alright…!? Any injuries?" the gray wolf asked frantically.

"Get off me! I'm fine!" Baako yelled, pushing the canine's head away and brushing himself off. "I can handle myself against this lug."

Rob snarled and jerked himself forward once more—this time, the three animals were able to restrain him enough that he wasn't able to take more than half a step.

"You…d-d-don't know a-a-anything—about wh-what I h-had to go through or ab-b-bout m—about my dad!"

"Well, I still know one thing: I'm getting sick and tired of this whole 'tragic protagonist' schtick you've got going on here!" Baako snapped back while Legoshi gingerly held him back by the shoulder. "At least it's more bearable now that your face looks like an actual carn—!"

"S-stop it!' the liliger yelled. "I'm s-s-sick and tired of everyone t-t-tellin—telling me what kind of...c-c-carnivore I should be! It's n-n-not your call to m-make—it's...i-it's…!"

Rob trailed off, his face beginning to relax into one of mild awe—almost as though something struck a chord.

Bill sighed in relief, feeling the liliger's body relaxing to the point he didn't need to be held back anymore. Whatever was going on through Rob's mind at the moment had just about cooled his ire.

The same couldn't be said for the boar, unfortunately. With a frustrated huff, Baako grabbed the bag that fell and stormed through a large gap in the host of animals.

"Hey!" cried the white lion, now moving to block his path. "You better not think I'm gonna let you go after—!"

WHACK!

The feline screamed again after Baako kicked the very same leg struck earlier as he stomped passed, dropping to his knee as his followers, save the red-maned one, frantically attended to him.

Okay…? Guess I know which herbivore to steer clear of from now on, Bill mused to himself.

"Alright, everyone!" Louis exclaimed in a commanding tone, stepping forward. "As you can see, the conflict has been resolved and no one was seriously injured. I suggest to everyone that they return to their previous activities. There is no more need to linger."

No one did anything for a few dozen seconds, but soon began to disperse one after another, whispering amongst themselves as they did so, leaving only a few of the club members.

"Seriously, dude. That wasn't like you," sighed the curly-horned herbivore as he slid off the liliger's back. "He would've been dead if things kept going, you know?"

"Indeed."

The red deer walked slowly towards the liliger, a look of terrible sternness and dissatisfaction radiating from his gaze.

Rob immediately lowered his head, his ears flattening against the top of his head and struggling greatly to avoid eye contact.

"Rob," he said in a deceptively calm tone. "Come back inside to my office. There is much we need to discuss concerning the behavior you've displayed just now."

The liliger shrank even further, his tail almost going between his legs as he wrung his hands repeatedly.

"Follow me," the herbivore ordered as he turned heel back inside the club room entrance.

Rob shuffled his feet a bit as he slowly walked behind the red deer, looking more like a small child about to be scolded than the ferocious, angry predator he was moments ago, leaving the others by themselves.

Bill was certain the liliger would not get out of that "discussion" with Louis without some sort of punishment—especially with that look in the red deer's eyes. He wouldn't admit it to himself, but the tiger was actually feeling genuine sorrow for Rob…

"Hey guys, I'm really sorry about Robbie going off like that," the horned herbivore apologized, bowing his head to the group. "He's usually super chill most of the time, but he's been going through…a lot lately. So, please go easy on him."

The club mates exchanged looks with one another, unsurprisingly a bit curious about the ram's sudden request.

"Okay…? So, exactly who are you to 'Robbie,' anyway?" Bill asked, not bothering to hide his suspicion.

"Oh, right. He's actually my brother."

Silence instantly followed.

"Adopted, yeah, but still," he nonchalantly added, scratching the back of his head."

"What!? Seriously!?" "Oh my. He was actually adopted by sheep?" "I always knew there was something off about him." "How are they still alive!?"

Everyone was completely flabbergasted by this new revelation, noisily conversing amongst themselves—save Legoshi, who simply folded his arms and closed his eyes, nodding as though something was just confirmed to him.

Bill's ears flattened slightly, not knowing what to think about all of what he's learned of the liliger: raised by herbivores, his fear of blood, trauma likely stemming from his dad being shot to —if what he was able to gather from the boar's snarky comment was true.

It seemed Aoba really was correct in assuming the larger carnivore had a complicated and somewhat messy childhood.

"D*mmit…" he muttered under his breath, clicking his tongue before storming off past the group.

Even if there were legitimate reasons for Rob to act the way he does, it didn't mean he was wrong for giving him a hard time for not acting like a predator now and again. He wasn't anything like those jerks that were pushing the liliger around earlier.

Why did he suddenly feel like dirt, then?

"What's up with him?" the big-horned ram asked, cocking one eyebrow as he watched the tiger stride down the hall.

"Don't worry about it…" Aoba answered with a sigh.

Author's Note

This was definitely a pivotal chapter that I've been working on for a while. Seriously hope the execution was adequate enough since it had to do with strain and conflict between Robbie's peers and best friend.

Hopefully I can build on that properly in the coming chapters.