[This again…]
[No, how did it end up like this?]
[That is an excellent question…]
There was the rat boy, right in the middle of the yard where we decided to hold some kind of strategic meeting.
And when I say "we decided," I mean they forced me to.
[HMM?] - Yumi
I mean, Auntie convinced me with her tough love… Anyway, the situation isn't much different from last time.
Behind the rat boy are his skanks, and in front of the rat boy is Milia's group.
Just like before, the rat boy's brave little sister took her spot on my lap while happily humming and eating snacks, but this time Ruby and Kora joined her… It's a bit of a tight squeeze here.
On the other hand, Zeus, my only male friend, stays by my side… So huge, the rat boy can see how big you are now, Zeus… You're so huge… Well, physically speaking you're back to your original size now, but in my heart, you're like a mountain.
[Here.] – Alice hands Zeus a snack.
nom, nom, nom
I see, you're just here for the snacks… I can respect that. You're still huge.
On the other hand, a crucial difference compared to last time is that to the rat boy's right are the grandpa orangutan and his gang.
Even the brothers-in-law are there.
Now that I look at it, Carla and the others are with my skanks. What are they doing there? Shouldn't they be with the gang? Well, whatever.
The important thing right now is escaping this weird crisis that pops up every so often for some reason I still don't fully understand.
[Grandpa, they're bullying me.]
[My boy, your grandpa will protect you.]
The rat boy uses "Orangutan's Call"; it's super effective, good for me.
[You're not moving.] – The grandpa orangutan's granddaughter uses "Threaten".
[EEK?] – It's super effective.
Grandpa retreats to his seat and looks at me apologetically.
God fucking damn it.
I glare at that bitch Carla with resentment.
[Hmph.]
She haughtily looks away.
I see where this is going.
Two trainers fighting over the same Pokémon.
The rat boy will not lose.
[So, any questions before we start the meeting?] – Auntie, who is standing near Milia's group, asks.
[Why is the rat boy in the middle?]
Since I don't feel the threatening glares from last time, and I'm far enough away to avoid Louise's pinching, I work up the courage to ask the same question that's been on my mind since last time.
[I mean, even if you ask me, those girls put a chair there and you just went and sat on it like it was the most normal thing in the world…]
Now that she mentions it…
[Of course, isn't it only natural for the great me to be at the center of everything?… Wait, did I get scammed?]
[Alright, alright, since there are no questions, let's begin.]
Just as the rat boy arrived at the cruel truth, Louise forcibly moves the conversation forward. So it was you, you skank.
[Heh.]
I glare at Louise with resentment, but she just laughs arrogantly while sticking her tongue out… Fine, you turned me on, but this doesn't end here.
This is where it all begins.
[Well, if there are no more questions…]
[Why are the receptionist skank and Carla's group sitting next to my harem?]
[Let's start the meeting.]
Are you ignoring me? The great me?
[First of all, Astrad, don't you have anything to say about what you did earlier?] – Auntie gives me a stern look as she asks….
[It's not the rat boy's fault! Louise's ass tempted the rat boy! The rat boy is the victim here! It's so round and it goes boing, IT GOES BOING! I plead not guilty.]
It is not the rat boy's fault. And I regret absolutely nothing.
[YOU IDIOT! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TELLING THEM?]
[IT'S YOUR FAULT, YOU TEMPTRESS WITH A ROUND ASS THAT GOES BOING.]
[I'M GOING TO BEAT YOUR ASS!]
Louise, turning as red as a chameleon, yells at me.
I told you I'd get my revenge, you skank.
[[[[…]]]]
This silence, this sheer awkwardness… I fucking love this seat, I'm never complaining about it again. From today on, this is my super special seat.
[Sigh... Astrad, you know I'm not really one for giving lectures…]
[Yeah, because you always skip straight to beating the shit out of me, you damn troglodyte.]
[HMM?]
[Eek.]
I shrink my neck back when Auntie glares daggers at me, but the punch never comes… Looking closely, Auntie is definitely cracking her knuckles, but her gaze wavers when it lands on the little girls on my lap.
Is this… a shield? A shield trap card? Praise the great me. Praise the loli shield.
[Kekeke.]
[Tch, you'll see later.]
Then I'm going to milk this for all it's worth right now, kekeke.
Yumi's POV
(Translator's Note: The author titled this "Yumi's POV," but the narrator is observing Yumi. Translated exactly as written to preserve the original structure).
[This damn brat…]
I look with pity at Yumi, who is rubbing her forehead in frustration while muttering a curse.
[Why did you change seats?] – At the boss's question, my movements go stiff, but I still force myself to place the chair next to his.
[… I just think this view is more appropriate…] – I lie shamelessly.
The truth is, because of the brat's comment, I couldn't help but realize that, actually, sitting with that group is sort of a declaration of intent. Honestly, I want the earth to swallow me whole. Am I some kind of dirty old woman or something?
[[[[…]]]]
On the other hand, I shoot a glance at Carla and her friends. It's obvious they also realized the situation, but they refused to move. Even so, they're avoiding my gaze with beet-red faces.
Ahh, youth is…
[Getting back on topic.] – Yumi finally calms down enough to continue the discussion. – [How about we start by making peace?]
[Double it and pass it to the next person?] – Astrad's response, of course, makes absolutely no sense.
[Are you even understanding a word of this?]
[And how the hell am I supposed to understand if you speak in code? Is that what the rat boy is to you? A gorilla-code translator?]
[You really want to die, don't you?] – Yumi seems to be making a superhuman effort to keep a running tab on all his bullshit.
[Kekeke.] – On the other hand, the brat keeps mocking her, but judging by his trembling hands, he is obviously well aware that he's marching towards his own death.
Is it really worth dying just to bust someone's balls a little? This brat is simply incomprehensible.
[Astrad, we are trying to have a serious conversation here.] – Over on Milia's group's side, Carlos intervenes, standing up calmly.
From what I've seen so far, he's been playing the role of the planner in his group. He's a down-to-earth kid, but a little too calculating; exactly the type of guy that someone like the brat absolutely cannot stand.
[Four-eyes, a cockroach hasn't eaten you yet? You're tough, the rat boy will admit that much.]
[Thank you for your well wishes. Now let's move on to what's important.] – Apparently used to it, Carlos brushed past the provocation, adjusting his glasses. – [As you know, from here on out we'll be joining together as a single group, but first we intend to iron out some rough edges and misunderstandings.]
Carlos finally gets to the point.
In theory, it sounds easy: two opposing groups of teenagers and us, a group of armed former police adults.
Under normal circumstances, it'd be as simple as uniting both sides under our care. But under normal circumstances, there isn't a fantasy planet in the sky, mystical beams of light, and monsters all over the fucking place.
And to complicate things even further, this whole magic business has completely erased the clear lines of power. This is no longer a matter of adults controlling kids.
Luckily, Milia's group has completely accepted our command, and the elves have integrated pretty well too.
Also, the girls around Astrad have shown themselves to be quite cooperative, but they're also highly independent; if a decision doesn't convince them, they'll just straight up refuse.
Overall, it's not a bad environment, but between two groups coexisting in a limited space and a single group moving as one, the choice is obvious. But, of course, for such a thing to actually happen…
[Kekeke, how about you iron this out instead.]
We have to convince this thing wearing human skin…
[Can you talk like a normal person for just 5 minutes?] – Franco.
[Tch, what do you want to talk to the rat boy about? You guys suddenly sat me down here and started spouting I-don't-know-what about rough edges. What rough edges are we talking about? Last time I checked, we had absolutely nothing to do with each other. Better yet, have we even spoken since I got here? Did I do something in my sleep or what?]
[You attacked Leion out of nowhere as soon as you arrived, and you're saying you don't have any pending conflicts?] - Milia
[Who?]
At Astrad's question, Milia points to the elf.
[Oh, the hippie. How is that the rat boy's fault? Who told him to go puffing his chest out at some little girls? I'm already being extremely generous by not telling Zeus to eat him as a snack.]
Astrad waves his hand dismissively at Leion. The elf is visibly annoyed, but he still lowers his head, not daring to say a word.
[That's exactly what I mean. Leion might have reacted a bit harshly, but you can't just skip straight to throwing punches every time something bothers you. How are we supposed to get along like this?] - Carlos
[Kekeke, and who said the rat boy is going to get along with you guys, you bunch of dumbasses?]
[[[[[[….]]]]]]
Yeah, honestly, I was expecting that…