Chapter 137 (Beastars)

A Departure from La La Land (桃源郷からの船出) is Chapter 137 of the manga Beastars written and illustrated by Paru Itagaki, published in the Weekly Shōnen Champion of the Akita Shoten publishing house.

Synopsis
In Beast Apartments, Legoshi is stunned by the shocking revelation of Juno about being in love with Louis, to later react puzzled at such news. Juno also claims to be in love with Louis, while Legoshi is surprised that Juno has realized her love for him and has kissed him the same day. Juno asks Legoshi if he has noticed that she has been gaining weight, more specifically since she realized her feelings for Louis. She claims that the more she thinks about him, the bigger her appetite. Juno affirms that this is scary, because she thought falling in love meant feeling butterflies in your stomach, not hunger, thinking that she has an unconscious desire to eat him, and it's hard to differentiate love and appetite, so she can only turn to Legoshi for help. Legoshi declares that he had to struggle with the exact same thing and assures that there is a secret to sustaining love for an herbivore, exciting Juno, and Legoshi dramatically reveals that the secret is "philosophy". Juno responds confused and unconvinced, while Legoshi warns her not to take it lightly. He recounts that whenever he worries that he might eat Haru or think that he should give up on having a relationship with her, his body tends to be in terrible condition, so what he does is eat what is good for his body, exercise and sleep. He declares that they are carnivores and always will be, whether they like it or not, so the first step is getting comfortable with their instincts. Legoshi intuits that Juno's increase in appetite might be a symptom of her love-sickness, but if they were to make any kind of "mistake", that would be the end of everything, so they need to put their life into keeping their minds healthy. Juno responds that that is heavy, and Legoshi confirms it by stating that interspecies love is heavy. Legoshi reflects on how his "philosophy" isn't really doing him much good; before he can fill his head with Haru without a care in the world, he is reminded of Melon and his mother, and it makes his tail drop. Legoshi concludes that the difficulties of interspecies love go as deep as a bottomless pit. Legoshi's introspection is interrupted by a growl from Juno's stomach, and he asks if she is thinking about Louis. Juno embarrassed claims that it was just normal hunger, so Legoshi invites her to eat something on the main street.

Soon after, Legoshi and Juno feel at the same time something that they had not experienced when walking with Haru and Louis respectively. If you walk with someone from the opposite sex and the same species, animals will clear that way for you with friendly, though envious and admiring glances, even receiving a free desert in the restaurant. Legoshi thinks it's quite uncomfortable and wonders what Juno, who got a pudding just by coming to the restaurant with Legoshi, thinks about all this.

When a same-species couple gets married, they get the country's "blessing" by giving them the so-called "pure marriage fund", and when they have children, the country gives them even more money in the form of "childcare subsidies". Pure-blooded families live life without having to worry about money. Keeping the species pure is the right thing to do for the country, so if you do good for the country, you will be blessed by the country. You will get to live a life of recognition, praise, love, and privilege. Juno gets frustrated by realizing that she can get everything she wants in life by just having a pure-blooded marriage, while Legoshi becomes frustrated by realizing how well-off Haru's family was, so if she stays with him, she will lack those privileges. Legoshi and Juno fall bewildered, as they are being watched by all the animals around them.

Legoshi and Juno leave the restaurant overwhelmed by their new experience and come across a report in a crime zone of a predation incident. Upon seeing Legoshi and Juno, the reporter goes over to interview them, asking for their opinion on the case, mistaking them for a couple. Juno clarifies that she and Legoshi are not a couple, making the reporter uncomfortable, asking if she has anything to say about the risks of carnivores and herbivores living together. Juno in a fit of anger takes the microphone and openly declares that she is in love with a male deer, and if she lets the risks scare her, then he would definitely reject her. Legoshi takes her back to Beast Apartments while she is still screaming that she will be the one to decide what makes her happy.

In Beast Apartments, Juno apologizes to Legoshi for making such a scene and when he sees how late it is, he proposes to Juno to sleep in his apartment while he sleeps in his friend's room. Juno thanks him and Legoshi thanks her in return. Juno declares that she loves this world, although she can't say that with a smile like she always has, but if she can say that she loves this world with a scowl and mean it just as strongly, then that is enough for her. Meanwhile, Legoshi sleeps uncomfortably next to a naked Sagwan. He asks if he would like pajamas as a present, but Sagwan refuses.

Characters

 * Legoshi
 * Juno
 * Louis (Juno's imagination)
 * Haru (Legoshi's imagination)
 * Melon (Legoshi's imagination)
 * Leano (Legoshi's imagination)
 * Sagwan

Important Events

 * Juno reveals to Legoshi that she is in love with Louis.
 * Social pressure by which animals of the same species of the opposite sex are paired is emphasized.
 * It is revealed that families made up of members of the same species receive remuneration from the government.