Passing through the glamorous boulevard, you step further in. The scent of the tide gradually eases and you enter an area where the sweet scent of flowers drifts in instead.
As you move away from the city gate, the city of District 35 gradually becomes quieter and calmer. Well, you could say that it's getting desolate.
Still, that's the 35th district.
Even though the streets are less crowded and desolate, they still look nicer than the 42nd district.
There's such a difference. ...... I guess the 42nd ward still has a long way to go. Yeah.

'There's a big flower garden up ahead where the swallowtail butterfly people and many other insect people live.

Wendy, who was walking ahead of us, explained to us like a travel agent.
Her face looks brighter than ever. After all, the air of home must be soothing for some reason.

'The flowers that bloom in this garden store very sweet nectar, and it is the status of the young insects to drink it here.

It's like crepes in Harajuku.

Wendy was pointing to a small hill, and the flower garden was not yet in sight.
But the delicious scent of the flowers is already filling the air. It is so strong that I feel a little drunk.

'It smells so good.
'As a girl, you can't help but be excited, can you?

Ginette and Estella are chatting happily.
From a girl's point of view, this kind of scent is acceptable, I suppose. I think it's a little too strong for me. ...... Well, people who like aromas and such love them.

'............'. You're going to get a crooked nose.
'Yeah. I'm sure you do, Regina.

Regina picks her nose with grace and dignity, without fear of anyone.
I knew you'd be on our side.

'Have you been drinking nectar in the garden, Wendy?

Ginette smiles at the scent of the flowers and the warmth of the sun.
Wendy, who had taken off her stole in the slightly sweaty temperature, gave a small shake of her head in response to Ginette's question.

'No, no. I left when I was much younger. And ......'

She then turned her gaze to Theron, who was standing next to her.

'It's fashionable to drink honey 'as a couple' here.
'Okay, Regina. I know what I'm going to do with the firehose.'
'I know how you feel, but you need to control yourself. If we start a huge fire in the garden, we'll be banned from importing firebrands.'

d*mn, ...... is no good.

'Well then, Wendy. This may be the first time you've had a drink.'
'H......'

Ginette says in a congratulatory tone, clasping her hands together. She doesn't seem to be meddling, but seems genuinely pleased by the fact.
Wendy, too, breaks down at these words, looks at Theron, and mutters, '...... Yes.
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'Okay, Regina. I've decided what to do with the Fire Dust.'
'That's funny. I think I just heard that you came here to congratulate these two. Was it just my imagination?

d*mn ...... this lovey-dovey couple ......, can't we just burn the guy too?
What a pity!Oh, it's pathetic!

'Oh, I see it. It's a flower garden!

Estella is probably expecting a flower garden even more than Jeannette. She moves forward like a dog who likes to walk too much. If she were on a leash, she would have gone 'ping! If he were on a leash, he would have been willing to be strangled.

'Don't piss yourself.
'No, I wouldn't!Are you stupid?You're an idiot!

Estella is starting to look like a dog.
Maybe I should teach her some tricks.

'Estella.
'What is it?
'Hand'.
'Aaahhhh!

When I held out my hand, Estella let out a crazy scream and zipped away from me.
She held her empty chest and her face turned bright red.

This is a great way to make sure that you are getting the most out of your time and money.

No, I'm trying to teach my dog some tricks,............, hmm?Hand in hand in the flower garden?
This garden is a mecca for couples to drink nectar, so to speak, and to put your hand in front of it is .................. In addition to the message of 'Let's hold hands like lovers and drink the nectar together ...... alone,' ............

'What?No!No, no, no, Estella!That's not what I meant!


'So, what does that mean, what, what, what?What do you mean?
'That's why I'm in love with you, ...... anyway!You're a dog!
'Who's a dog?

Shut up!
Don't look at me with your red face!
Don't raise your eyebrows in anger, but don't let a hint of anxiety show in your eyes!You look like you're expecting something.I know it's just my imagination, but!I know it's just my imagination, but if it's not my imagination, you know, ......, I'm in a lot of trouble!

'Anyway!When someone says 'hand' with your palm facing up, put your hand here and say 'wan! That's the rule!That's how the trick works!
'So why am I being treated like a dog?
'It's because you're pissing yourself!
'No, I'm not!

If you're about to pee, that means you're about to pee!
You have to understand, that's the point!

'Well, the red-haired one is obedient like a dog. I can't understand why you would want to take care of him.
'Who's obedient?I'm proud to say that there's no one as innocent as me!
'No, that's not something you should be proud of. ......'

Barking and howling, Estella was just like a puppy.

'I wonder what other tricks she has up her sleeve?

Regina looks at me.
...... Wow, that's a nasty grin on her face. 'If you don't want to hold hands and you want to do tricks, what other tricks do you have?Why don't you tell me? You look like you're about to say that.
Yeah, okay. Why don't you tell him?

'Sit', 'down'...'
'Isn't it a little difficult for a red-haired man?
'Yes, I can!...... No, I won't though!

What else was there to say about ......?

'Also, ...... 'p*n*s'.'
'Are you going to post ......?'
'No, I'm not!

It's not a derivative of anything you do!
If you put your hands on it, I'll kick your dog's ass!

'Oh, God!I'm sorry I was such a jerk!So let's get out of here!

This is no time to be playing peachy typhoon.
We don't have time, we don't have time!
We've got Natalia waiting.
That's right!We're in a hurry!

It's ....... I'm sorry. Give me a break.

"Mr. Yashiro.

As if to soothe my wispy heart, Ginette bounces forward in front of me with a smile like the sun.
Ah, ......, my heart, shrouded in dark clouds, seems to be illuminated.

Ginette, with a happy look on her face, slips her hand out to me.
And then--

'Hand'.

--She said very, very happily.

............ Well...

I'm not sure if it's a lovey-dovey appeal of 'I want to hold your hand' or an owner appeal of 'you're my dog'.

Either way, I'm having trouble responding.

'Oh, um, no!I don't really have a deep meaning, but ...... I just wanted to try that ............... ...I'm sorry, it was a spur of the moment thing.

He hurriedly withdrew his outstretched hand and clasped it tightly in front of his chest.
I'm sorry my right hand has been such a bother,' he said.

...... Yeah. It's a horrible place, Hanazono.
The usual flirting causes havoc. It's more than just burns.
...... That's why rear-fill hangouts ............ blow up!It's all your fault!

'Couples in the flower garden, break up!
'What are you saying?I'm just kidding!I'm just kidding!

Ginette hurriedly corrected him, even though no one was listening.
It's not a world where every word you say comes true.

'Hey, Theron.
'Yes, Wendy?
'Uh-huh. ...... "hand"'.


'Eh~......, I can't help it. Here, take a hand.
'Uh-huh.'
'Hahaha.'
'Why don't you just blow up?
'Myself. You don't even try to hide your dark emotions, and I think that's a manly thing to do, but you need to pull yourself together.

I have no intention of advocating a lovemaking situation with a bunch of people, nor do I intend to introduce 'how about this kind of play'!Don't copy me!...... I don't want to do anything like that!

I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that.

Regina is smirking at me, rubbing up against me.
...... This black pharmacist ...... has a black belly too?



Yraaah ......

...... Huh. Okay, okay.

'Regina, the house!
'What the hell, I feel like I've been wronged!

You go back to your nest right now!Alone!

'At ....... Come on, let's go.
'Oh, .......'

As I tried to ignore the idiot and move on, I heard a faint, airy voice leak out from next door.
When I turned my gaze, I saw Jeannette staring at me with a '............ gee' and a reserved look.
I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. ...... I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
You can say "house"?
I'm sure ...... Ginette will take it seriously and put a dent in it. But 'hand' is not. ............ Oh, right.

'Okay, Jeannette!
'Yes, sir.
'Tits!
'Please repent!

I offered my hand, but Jeannette's tits never ...... appeared on it.
.......

I'm not sure what to do.
I'm sweating cold, and my throat is parched, ...... no, rattled.
Just because a date spot is near you, it can have such a negative impact on your daily life. ......

'Well, the bottom line is this. I guess Hanazono is a bad place.
'No, um, Hero-sama. If I may say so, it's a more normal place to enjoy.

What, you think I'm not normal?
I'm not conscious of it or anything!
I'm the type of person who doesn't care about the people around me!
The only thing is...

The only thing is-- 'Be unhappy, all the people in the rear!
I'm just kidding!

I shouted with my hands on both sides of my mouth, while Jeannette corrected me in the exact same way.
What are you joking about? I'm serious!

'You might enjoy entering the Garden, Hero-sama. It's really a beautiful place.
'I'm not looking for beauty in my life.
'Don't say that, I'll join you. Come on.'

As if to calm me down, Wendy leads us into the garden.
Wendy and Theron lead the way, followed by me.
Ginette follows a little later, and then Estella comes up to me.

'I'm weirdly tired because of Yashiro: ......'
'Why is it my fault?
'It's Yashiro's fault.'

He thumps his shoulder against my arm. What's with that little defiance?
The body touch makes you a little nervous.

'...... You'd better behave yourself.'

Finally, Estella punches me in the side of the head with a cat punch.
It wasn't much of a shock, but the unexpected attack on the side of the stomach made me stumble back a half step. ...... I was ticklish.
And because of that half-stumble, I made contact with Jeannette who was standing to my left.

'Oh, I'm sorry, Jeannette.'
'No, ............ I'm the one who's ............ sorry. ......'

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Perhaps the air in this place is bad. The air here must have the effect of making people feel strange.
Otherwise, there's no way two people could drink nectar in public, like a public execution.
Yeah, that's right. There must be some kind of weird poison flying around in this place.
...... garden, I could really burn it down. For the world and the peace of mind of single men.



'It's coming into view. That's the flower garden!

Wendy pointed to such a beautiful scene, which could be described as an example next to the word 'paradise' in the dictionary.
The vast expanse of land was filled with colorful flowers, swaying in the breeze and wafting their fragrant scent into the air.
The world was dyed in happy colors by the lovely blooming flowers.

In the midst of such a vast paradise-like flower garden, there was a tribe of insects drinking the nectar of the flowers together.

'......nnggggggggggg!Hmph!It's so good!
'Juzozozozoooo!I can't believe it!It stings!
'What's with those sweaty hexenbiests?

They were big guys with big horns on their heads, and they looked like old men to all intents and purposes.

'Oh, a couple of males?...... is making progress!
'That's progress!Don't be scribbling weird notes all over the place!

No. If we don't do something, another rotten story will be added to the 42nd district.
Firecracker, do we use it here?If the note or Regina burn up, it's over.

'They seem to be men of the beetle and stag races.

Wendy's words were probably right.
After all, their faces were beetles and stag beetles no matter how you looked at them.

'Oh, ...... you guys are human?

The old beetle man licked us from top to bottom and said.
...... You're a rude one.

'Mr. Beetle. ...... these guys, their clothes are ......'
'Ah, yes. Maybe they're noblemen.'

I'll tell you in private in an audible voice.
...... They're rude, really.

'Hey, you guys. Look at us, what do you think?

Excuse me.
Sweaty.
Not worth looking at. Because we're old men.

But, you know, we don't have to fight.
I'll cut you some slack for being rude. I'm not here to fight today.
I've overcome my past. I've grown up a lot.
I'll show you that I've got a lot of heart.

'Two old men happily drinking sugary drinks, what a creep.
'What are you doing picking a fight?

No, no, no.
I'm just expressing my honest opinion.
I wasn't trying to be racist or anything, I was just saying that you stink of sweat.

'Ha-ha-ha!Is it weird for two old men to eat sweet things together? Well, you got me there!

I thought he might be a little annoyed, but the beetle, Mr. Turnip, started laughing out loud.
The stag beetle next to him also chuckled.

'No, no, no. The nectar from this flower heals the tired body and gives you energy. Many of the men in the guild drink it.

That's what the stag beetle says to me.
If the beetle is called Mr. Turnip, this one is called Mr. Mulberry.

'Kwa-kun, you have a nice body, but you're short.
'Kwa-kun?Are you talking about me?It's the first time I've been nicknamed by a racial name.
'Hmm?But this beetle here is Mr. Beetle, right?
'Hey, hey. I'm not called 'Turnip' after the Beetle People.'
'Then what is it?
'My name is Kaburiel.'
'What's missing?

I thought it was Gabriel!Is it a patch?
You mean like Louis Pitton?

'By the way, I'm Marx.'
'Normal!

Are you Loretta?
You ain't got no stag beetle on you at all!

'Huh, hahaha!You're a funny guy!I like you. You want a drink too?



Cabrill points to the flowers at his feet and asks me if I'm interested.
Well, I'm interested, but ...... I just had a juice in the parlor.

'Wendy. Would you like something to drink?'
'Yes...... then, I'll have one with Theron......'
'Oh, I'm sorry. We're in a big hurry. We need to get out of here right now!I don't think we'll have time for even a sip of honey. Sorry, sorry, sorry!
'...... Yashiro. Do you want to support Theron and the others, or do you want to get in their way?

Estella accuses me with a sigh.
Cheer or hinder?
It's obvious.

I'll support you, but I won't let you make love in front of me!

'I see. I can't help it if you're in a hurry.

Kabriele smiled at me, not particularly concerned that I had turned down his offer.
If I had a boss like him, I would want to follow him unconditionally. I guess he's that type.

'But you guys...'

Kabriele, who looks like a good boss, says this in a low voice.

'If you're going deeper than the Garden, you'd better be a little careful.
'Is there a dangerous place?

I look at him and ask him for information.
I want to get every bit of information I can get. The fact that he uses the phrase 'the depths of this garden' suggests that this is the boundary.
I don't need to ask what kind of boundary it is.

This garden is the boundary between where humans live and where the worm people live.

'This 35th district has been good to us subspecies. But there are still a few of us who have less than favorable feelings toward humans. ...... No, there are many more.'
'............'

There was something in Kabriel's words that bothered me, and my consciousness was caught there.
......'Subspecies'?

'Well, I'm sure there are a few things that might offend you, or that you might find rude, but ...... they're good guys at heart. Please don't take it personally. That's right.

He said, bowing vigorously. --But...

'Ow!

The beetle's magnificent horn struck me in the brain as it bowed its head.
............ Now, I'm offended and feel rude?Do I need to tolerate this too?

I'm sorry!I'm sorry,......, or perhaps it was force majeure,......, but I'm sorry.

He smiled bitterly and scratched his head.
He really doesn't seem to have any bad intentions.
I don't know how long you've been with that horn, but ...... you don't seem to have complete control over it. A dangerous man.

'Mr. Yashiro, are you alright?
'Yeah. I really want to hit him back, but I'm pretty sure I'd lose if I did, so I'll hold back.
'Oh, please ...... be gentle ......, I'll give you some medicine later. See?

I'll make it easy on you.
Marx alone could have won, but not ...... Kabriele.
I don't pick fights I can't win!That's adult etiquette!

'Well, I'm really sorry. If you need anything else, just let me know. I'll help you.'
'What do you mean, 'something'? ...... What can you do?
'We're movers. So we're good at moving things and getting them far away!
'...... move it far away?'

What's a mover got to do to get far?

'If you're moving a short distance, wouldn't it be more efficient to just throw your stuff around?
'Handle your stuff with care, customer's stuff!

If a moving company throws away the luggage, they'll go bankrupt in three days in Japan!
There doesn't seem to be anything we can ask these guys to do.
That's enough. It wasn't a big blow to the head. It doesn't hurt anymore.
After that, I'll ask Jeannette to give me some medicine (and I'll ask her to kneecap me on the assumption that she will).

I'm going to ask her to apply some medicine to me (assuming she'll kneecap me). ...... I wonder if I can kneecap her?
I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.I'm not sure what to make of it.

Would it be safer to ask her in advance?
But only casually. And make her think that it is natural. ......



'Hey, Jeannette.'
'Yes?'
'Later, I want you to paint my kneecaps.'
'............ yes?'

Oh, no!
I think I got a little upset!
Oh, God!If I say knee pillow here, it'll be hard to say when we're on stage!
I can tell that's what you're looking for!
Oh, God!You're ruining it!I can't do this!

'............ I want to start all over again.
'Do you want me to hit you with the horn again, Yashiro?

I'm not sure what to say.
...... if you understand how frustrating this is for me!

...... d*mn. It's all over the place.

'Thanks for the heads up. If you ask me first, I'll be able to handle any unforeseen circumstances that may arise.'
'I see. Thank you for saying so.'

The beetle peeps its white teeth.
...... beetles, teeth. I don't know. It's a little late for that, though.

'Well, I'd better get going.
'Oh!I hope to see you again. It's ...... Yashiro, right?
'Yeah. And from here, dogs, rear couples, rotten perverts, and titty people.'
'So, why am I a dog?
'Well, Hero-sama. Are we two as one?'
'You often use the word "rear", but are we like that?
'Aside from perverts, I don't understand rotten people.What's rotten about me?
'Oh, um, Yashiro-san...'

I introduced them all together, and all my companions are complaining.
There is no more accurate way to describe it.

Cabriele and Markus laughed loudly, waved at each other, and we parted ways.
There were still many other insects in the garden, but thanks to our happy conversation with Kabriel and the others, no one bothered us.

They are very cautious, but if they see no harm in you, they will not attack you.
...... I'm not sure if that makes them friendly or not, though.

I'll ruminate on Kabriel's words in my head.

I suppose there is often friction between humans and insects.
Kabriel's words were imbued with the nuance of being tired of such troubles.
If that is the case, the initial attitude of Kaburiel and the others is understandable.

Humans had stepped into a flower garden that was the territory of the Bug People.
You can't blame them for being wary.


...... Is there no choice?


'Hey, Estella.
'What is it?You're not going to treat me like a dog by saying 'hand' again,.............'
'What do you mean, "subspecies"?'
'-Huh?

Estella was about to make a light remark, but as soon as she mentioned the word, she choked on her words.
That reaction alone may be enough to explain.

In short, I guess it's just a word.

...... Deeply rooted.

I'm sure she's thinking about what to say. ...... Estella crossed her arms and fell silent.
The wrinkles between her eyes are etched.

'I'm sorry. If it's something you don't feel comfortable saying, we can do it later. But I want to hear what you have to say.'
'............ Yeah. It's not that it's hard to say, but I'm ............ sorry.'

Then they continue walking for a dozen minutes without touching the subject.
The sweet, intoxicating scent of the flower garden was fading away, and when it finally became less popular, Wendy said the words she had been waiting for.

'Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the long walk. We have arrived.

The place was a quiet ghost town, as if hiding from the glamorous world.
There was not a soul in sight. Despite this, there are signs of life in ...... such an uncanny plot.
You can feel the eerie gaze of someone staring at you from the shadows.
It's a weird corner with abandoned buildings that make you wonder if you're really in the 35th district. Pointing to the far end, Wendy said clearly, 'That's where I am.

'That's my parents' house.




I'm not sure what to make of that.


...... Wendy, you ............ are not going to say, 'I knew I was a ghost! I'm sure you're not going to tell me that, are you?