Chapter 089 (Beastars)

Stains on a Chopping Board: Traces of a Dream (まな板の汚れ 夢のあと) is Chapter 89 of the manga Beastars written and illustrated by Paru Itagaki, published in the Weekly Shōnen Champion of the Akita Shoten publishing house.

Synopsis
One night at Cherryton Academy, Riz is cooking for his roommates. Riz expresses that cooking calms his heart down and reminds him of Tem on his last night. He states that eating is the celebration of life and wondering if Tem was smiling when he was about to enter his mouth. Riz serves his companions dinner, and they let him know that he overindulged in the condiments. Riz mentions that since he ate Tem he began to lose his sense of taste and expresses that the food doesn't taste like anything.

Before bed, Riz and his companions take their strength restrainers. Riz's companions emphasize that he carries his pills with him, and he affirms it, mentioning that if he did not take his pills, he would be able to tear off herbivore skin like tissue paper. If someone does not take their pills, they could find themselves swimming in a sea of blood, claiming that the bears should be aware of their monstrous strength (a comment that terrifies his roommates). In bed, Riz thinks about how he ate Tem consensually, which is how he became his one true herbivore friend, as if the food ingredients offered no resistance, an act that was gentle, peaceful and therefore consensual. Riz decides that his memories should become more beautiful and that he will never yearn for his sense of taste as long as he never forgets how Tem tasted.

In a memory of the past (Chapter 58) where Legoshi openly mentions that he often remembers that Tem is dead and has his suspicions that someone from the drama club killed him. Riz comments that Legoshi is trying to discover the murderer and concludes that he is trying to defile Riz's friendship with Tem, so Riz sets out to have Legoshi become his "new friend."

Riz is trying different seasonings realizing that he is regaining his sense of taste. He prepares his body for his fight with Legoshi and burns all his pills ready to face Legoshi as his "new self." He says that they are going to have the fiercest friendship the world has ever seen, wondering what a friendship with Legoshi would taste like. Shortly after his companions arrive and notice that Riz is bigger, they wonder if he is taking his pills. Riz breaks an egg just by barely grabbing it and when he tries it, he claims that it tastes wonderful.

At the same time, Legoshi ends his training session and claims that tomorrow is his duel with Riz, so he should go to sleep early.

Characters

 * Riz
 * Tem (flashback)
 * Legoshi
 * Bill (flashback)
 * Aoba (flashback)

Important Events

 * It is revealed that Riz is a hobbyist in the kitchen and that he sometimes cooks for his roommates.
 * The dorms at Cherryton Academy are revealed to have small kitchens that can be borrowed through reservations.
 * The events from Chapter 58 events are shown from Riz's point of view.