Honey Bee - Chapter 2

[bakemonoremy]

Location: Café “Cinnamon”

Rinne: Whazzu~p! The great Rinne-sama has come all the way over here to you loners to lend you a helpin’ hand ☆

Oh wowowow, no need to sob tears of gratitude.

I can’t leave kids who are sittin’ by themselves in the corner of the classroom alone, it’s in my nature. Hm~m, I’m such a class rep ♪

And as such, I’m gonna go right ahead and confiscate Kohaku-chan’s computer~☆ You shouldn’t bring that kind of thing to school!

Kohaku: Ugyaah!? What’cha doin’, you utter moron! Don’t lean on my head! An' give back my laptop at once!

Rinne: Ooh, what a filthy mouth you’ve got on you. It’s what you get for being glued to your computer screen 24/7! I don’t recall havin’ raised you to be like this!

Kohaku: And I don’t recall bein’ raised by you at all. You oughta re-enrol in life.

Rinne: Kyahaha ☆ You’re as lively as ever, Kohaku-chan ♪ Best for kids to be full of energy like that!

Kohaku: Don’t treat me like a kid every chance you get, it’s a real pisser.

HiMERU: Fufu. How nice to see you two on good terms.

Kohaku: What were you lookin’ at that gave you that idea. Your eyes can’t possibly be that bad.

Rinne: Nevermind all that. Hey Kohaku-chan, is your head just for decoration or what?

Kohaku: What’s this all outta nowhere. Didja come over here just to pick a fight with me?

How about instead of losin’ yer heart on this pointless endeavour, you go back over there and play yer li'l board game with Niki-han?

Rinne: I’m sorry to say that Niki gave me the brush-off. Who does he think he is, rejectin’ me?

HiMERU: -- HiMERU thinks that was a rather wise decision on his part.

Rinne: Hey, you’re so mean. Whatever, I’ll just kick Niki’s ass for that later…

Anyway, this is about you, Kohaku-chan. I overheard what you were talkin’ about earlier.

Kohaku: What, didja come here to say some sentimental nonsense, too?

Rinne: No~pe? Actually, I think you had a point. Only a third-rate gambler regrets the number on a dice they bet on and gets all down in the dumps about it.

Way healthier to just think about your next move instead.

But y’know. That only applies when you were the one who rolled the dice in the first place.

If you renounce your ability to think and resign yourself to the status quo, you’re not even a third-rate gambler -- You’re just a doll then, nothin’ more.

Forget about that newcomer-whatever thingie, someone like that couldn’t even get any job in the first place!

Kohaku: Thanks for the sermon. Are you tryin’ to tell me I’m just a doll?

Rinne: Just a warnin’. ‘Cause from what I heard, it’s an adults’ duty to correct childrens’ mistakes.

Kohaku: ……..

I admit that I’ve never taken on a job before, yes. And as long as that stands, nothin’ I’ll say is gonna sound persuasive to you.

Very well. Since you insist, I’m gonna find a job for Crazy:B.

That way I can verify myself if what people say ‘bout the job hunt is true. You’ve got no complaints about that, I assume.

Rinne: Oh? Awesome, that’s the spirit! Just how I like it ♪

HiMERU: Amagi, please wait.

Rinne: Aahn? What’s up?

HiMERU: -- Won’t there be trouble if we take on a job without running it by the agency first? HiMERU thought that’s how it is for us.

Rinne: Don’t sweat the small stuff. We should be able to talk that out with the agency later! Don’t we have enough of a track record to allow for those kinda negotiations? It’ll work itself out.

It’s a critical moment to see if our little Kohaku-chan can net us a job, after all.

...Hmm? Speakin’ of which, doesn’t it... -- Yeah, it feels like a gamblin’ parlor in here!

Kyahahaha ☆ Am I right, am I right!? Alriiight! Let’s bet on whether or not Kohaku-chan is gonna be able to get a job for us!

Kohaku: Hah? How idiotic…

HiMERU: -- Amagi… To think that you’d turn this into a gamble… Even HiMERU is disgusted.

Niki: Rinne-kun, I guess the bet is off, huh~?

Sorry for the wait~. HiMERU-kun and Kohaku-chan, here’s your coffee and hiyashi-ame*.

Rinne: Ah! Why didn’t you bring me a drink!? Shouldn’t it be common sense for you to bring me my drink first!?

Niki: Owww! Owowowow! Don’t put me in a headlock! It’s not like you ordered anything in the first place, right, Rinne-kun!?

Rinne: Whether I ordered a drink or not, you shoulda brought me one either way! Oraora~♪

Niki: Please don’t ask the impossible of me~! GyaAH!? Owowow!? It seriously hurts!

Rinne: This is my passionate hug of love! Except it’s limited to your noggin only! Isn’t your head just spinnin’ from happiness, Niki? Revel in it some more, you little shit~♪

Niki: My head is spinning for other reasons, though~! Cut it out for real, Rinne-kun…

Ah, now I’m seeing stars!? Isn’t this real bad!?

HiMERU: -- That’s enough, Amagi. Well, HiMERU thinks it’s not a good idea to decrease the number of members in our unit at this point…

Rinne: Aahn? ...Hmm, guess you’re right.

Niki: Puhah! I almost crossed the River Styx just now…

HiMERU: By the way, Shiina, what makes you think Amagi’s gamble won’t come into existence?

....That said, HiMERU also hesitates to approve of that kind of gamble.

Niki: Hmm? Ah~, no. That’s not what I meant by that~?

I was just saying, since you can easily get a job just by opening HoldHands and scrolling through it for a minute, it won’t make much of a wager...

Kohaku: ...Now that you say it, you’re right. What gives, Rinne-han, were you tryna let me win?

Rinne: Gyahahaha ☆ As if I’d ever make such a boring bet! Equal terms is what makes a gamble interestin’!

That’s right! As you say, as things stand right now, Kohaku-chan’s got the advantage. That’s why we’ll give him a “handicap”!

HiMERU: A “handicap”...?

Rinne: Y’know how racehorses get weights strapped to their backs before they enter a race as a handicap? Somethin’ like that!

And Kohaku-chan’s handicap is namely -- me! Go ahead and applaud~☆

Kohaku: You’re leavin’ out somethin’ here. After all, you’re my handicap every day already. That’s how much of a nuisance you are.

Rinne: Heyheyhey, don’t be so cold. Rinne-kun’s gonna cry, y’know?

Well, in any case. I’ll go out and try to find a job as well. It’s a match between me and Kohaku-chan to see who can get the better job!

I bet I can find the best job! And I’m sure you’re bettin’ on yourself too, Kohaku-chan.

And of course, there’s gonna be a penalty game² for the loser ♪

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* Hiyashi-ame is a cold, refreshing beverage from the Kansai area Kohaku hails from. It’s made of dissolved malt syrup, water and ginger and then chilled.

² Penalty Game