Chapter 19 (Beast Complex)

The Bovine and the Crocodile (ウシとワニ) is the nineteenth chapter of Beast Complex.

Synopsis
On a stormy night after returning from school, the duo of classmates, Heyse the bull and Nagumo the crocodile, arrive at Heyse's house where they are greeted by Heyse's mother. She gives Nagumo permission to stay until the rain stops and provides him with a towel to dry. Feeling the unexpected difference of the towel's softness, Nagumo recalls hearing that a house's financial status can be seen by the quality of its bath towels. Waiting in Heyse's room, Nagumo thinks about never having touched a towel this fluffy before, until he finished bathing. Heyse proposes that he take a bath too to avoid the risk of catching a cold, and gives him some clothes to wear later. Nagumo remembers that last month his brother brought him bouillon soup from the Black Market. He claimed that it was technically not meat and there is no law prohibiting its consumption, because it's just meat broth. Surprised, Nagumo notices how the hot water in which Heyse bathed smells very similar to that can of soup, which he could not stop drinking until he finished the can of broth that is now permeating through his whole body.

Nagumo tries to deny the idea of drinking the water and takes a bucket with the water to rinse himself off before heading in the bath. Instead of rinsing, he takes a huge swallow of the water, which turns out to be very tasty and begins to desperately drink the bath water. Heyse walks in and discovers this on the spot and give him body soap. Nagumo regains his composure, stands up and thanks him for the soap as if nothing had happened. Heyse informs him that his mother invited him to dinner and after being alone, Nagumo gets nervous because Heyse definitely saw him drinking the water.

At dinner, Heyse's mother asks Nagumo if he is in the same club as Heyse, but Nagumo denies it and says that they are just classmates. Heyse states that they have never really spoken to each other before and just happened to be talking on the way home when it began to rain. Heyse's mother alleges that maybe the rain was a blessing in disguise, to which Heyse states that it is nice that they now know a bit more about each other. After dinner, Heyse accompanies Nagumo to his house and Nagumo thanks him for his kindness and tries to explain what happened in the bathroom. Heyse shows he was already aware that he was drinking the leftover bath water and claims that he doesn't mind. Heyse claims that Nagumo did it because his family is lower class and states that his family motto is "always take in the needy with open arms and give to them as you would unto yourself." Heyse states that he knows that carnivores go to the Black Market to eat meat in secret, so lacking money, Nagumo just happen to stumble into one of his classmates and use their soaked bath water as a substitute to satiate his hungering desire, so who could blame him. Nagumo is left speechless and upon returning home, he finds a note from his mother that reveals that she has a night shift and left him instant noodles and a bun for dinner.

The next day at school, Nagumo and his classmates play rock-paper-scissors to decide who will stay to clean the pool after school. Nagumo lost, and even though he is the winner, Heyse says he will help him clean because he is free and cleaning the pool alone is too much work. The others tell Nagumo that he better thank Heyse for his mercy and Nagumo just remains silent. Some time later, Nagumo and Heyse are cleaning the school pool and Nagumo thanks Heyse for his help, but asks why he does it. Heyse alleges that it is because he pities him, claiming that he was caught drinking leftover bath water, and instead of being shamed for that, he gets pitied for it, then the next day he must clean the pool. Heyse declares that he cannot imagine what Nagumo is thinking getting that unlucky back-to-back, and maybe it is better to think of it as a punishment for yesterday. An angry Nagumo kicks Heyse into the pool and throws himself with him. Nagumo states that he knows he drank from a tub full of bouillon soup and asks Heyse if he knows what that is, a soup made from bovine meat for poor carnivores like him. Nagumo asks if piling on him makes him feel better about himself and insults him. Heyse insults him back and runs away.

As Nagumo goes after him, he sees how through Heyse's wet shirt, the outline of his pattern was blurred, as if he was really going to melt into the pool. Once the pool is completely drained, Nagumo will never get another chance, and Heyse asks him another chance... for what? Heyse declares that he was also scared, and to not paint him as the bad guy for seeing a bad picture as it is. When he told him yesterday that he was glad they were getting to know each other more, he really meant it and was not lying when he said that. Nagumo tells himself that he couldn't do it, couldn't say it, but he really should have told him sooner. Nagumo takes a bow and tries to apologize but Heyse stops him and tells him not to apologize unless he actually wants him to feel bad, so he apologizes instead. Nagumo doesn't understand and Heyse declares that he was apologizing on his behalf. Nagumo points out that they are both soaking wet again just like yesterday and Heyse agrees with him. Nagumo asks if he wants to come by his house, but Heyse says he'll think about it.

Trivia

 * This is the last chapter of Beast Complex, as it was confirmed by Paru Itagaki.