Chapter 146 (Beastars)

An El Niño in My Desert (俺の砂漠にエルニーニョ現象起きた) is Chapter 146 of the manga Beastars written and illustrated by Paru Itagaki, published in the Weekly Shōnen Champion of the Akita Shoten publishing house.

Synopsis
Melon, who was born with the face of a scoundrel, by closing his eyes and hiding his mouth, transforms into an agreeable and intelligent-looking, young gazelle. In his search for "taste", Melon has been involved with countless crimes and has gone through all kinds of work, eventually becoming the manager of the tusk trade, the producer of the Bloodbone Drug and finally the boss of the Shishigumi. While he was in those positions, Melon has tried to eat meat from many animals, only to end up spitting them out. In the end, everything tastes like sand to him, even the shriveled up tomatoes that they serve in the cafeteria have the same sandy flavor as the meat of the animals he killed while they begged him to spare their lives. Melon graduated from a good university and has perpetuated his killing spree for the sole reason of knowing what it feels like to eat something "delicious", that's all he asks. After playing his cards right, Melon managed to infiltrate this university as a part-time instructor, as he always had his eye on universities, where when carnivores and herbivores, who are not children but still no adults, communicate with each other, observing as the carnivore looks at the herbivore's delicious parts and the herbivore doesn't notice. He compares predation to the romantic love between male and female, where the male parts ways with the female feeling relieved, and the male fights back his memory of first eating meat somewhere like the Black Market. Melon is frustrated by the envy he feels of these young people who are struggling with their instincts and are living their lives to the fullest. He is sure that the meat they eat when they lose to their instincts must be really good, as when two lovers confront each other and have sex, something he wishes he could feel.

After this introspection, Melon is interrupted by Haru who points out that he has not eaten his lunch. Melon remains silent and Haru introduces herself as a first-year majoring in botany and that she really enjoyed his history lecture. Melon resumes his role as teacher and Haru talks about how she isn't good at history, while Melon carefully analyzes Haru's physical characteristics. Since Melon lacks the predatory instinct of a carnivore, he does not feel the urge to eat her, but assures that Haru will get eaten alive before she graduates is she keeps up with her carefree attitude. At that moment, the conversation is interrupted by a lynx, who thanks Haru for lending him her notes. Melon wonders if Haru does not realize how much that lynx is lusting after her and talks to her like he is her friend. After Haru falls from tilting her chair and hitting herself twice when standing up, Melon is surprised by how strange Haru is and assures that she is going to die today before being eaten by someone. Haru moves on from this embarrassing situation and proceeds to eat her lunch. Melon wonders if Haru is just clumsy and if the size of her body is proportionate to the weight of her life, noting that Haru appears to be a bright rabbit, but seems to treat her life very lightly. Melon watches Haru eat, as she seems to use every ounce of energy in her body to eat her pasta, concluding that Haru is a "weird girl". After finishing her meal, Haru tells Melon that she did not do the report about "a proper relationship between carnivores and herbivores", because this is a subject which she cannot express in writing, so she gives her report verbally. She compares the relationship between carnivores and herbivores with her and pasta, a relationship in which one eats and the other is eaten, nothing more than that, but that's okay because that makes it fun and that is why it is important to get along with each other. Melon interrupts her and tells her that she will get eaten alive someday if she says such things, but Haru responds that if she has to be face to face with death all the time, then she would gladly risk her life for love, a statement that catches Melon's attention. After finishing lunch, Melon finally realizes that Haru does not treat her life lightly, but treats her life freely. Melon has killed many animals and since he is a hybrid, he does not have the desire to eat meat, but instead has the urge to maim and kill. Haru looks out the window when she sees that it is raining and Melon approaches her from behind. He looks at Haru's neck, wondering what it will taste like. There were many times when Melon felt the desire to kill an herbivore, but never the desire to eat one, but it's a first for him to have an herbivore he does not want to kill and wants to eat. Melon hugs Haru and asks her what her name was.

Characters

 * Melon
 * Haru
 * Legoshi (Haru's imagination)

Important Events

 * Melon's psyche is explored again.
 * Melon and Haru chat at the university.
 * Haru awakens Melon's desire to eat meat.

Trivia

 * Melon is revealed to be an university graduate.
 * Melon is revealed to be the creator of the Bloodbone Drug.