Blaine’s expression turned grave as the topic from earlier resurfaced in his mind. That same issue had been tormenting him all evening, keeping him from taking even a single peaceful breath. Wasps. The wasp gang.
According to Panthiana’s report, the ones who had not only destroyed Blaine’s hive but were also still roaming around the area were none other than the dwarf hornets. The name might sound cute, but their appearance and brutality were anything but. These bastards were second only to the giant hornets in size—fierce predators that were the very embodiment of terror among honeybees.
“So, about that, Bee-Bee…”
“Ah, wha—?!”
“Would it be possible for us to leave as soon as the sun comes up?”
His voice was trembling, moist and delicate like dew, every breath laced with fear. His silver-glinting eyes were now glimmering with a sheen of transparent tears. Like a frightened child diving into his mother’s arms, he buried himself into Blaine’s chest, rubbing his lips against the stiff bump beneath.
“Mmh…”
Why? Why in the world did it now feel like the spot where his stinger used to be began to tingle and ache every time that spider touched his chest? He had no idea. He wanted to cry—but he couldn’t bring himself to push the spider away. So Blaine simply cradled Hurel tightly in his arms and gently patted his back and head. Maybe he really was scared because of the wasps. Who wouldn’t be?
“Hurel, in that case, I’ll ask General to protect you. His family is safe, so you can all hide out at Gen’s place. Even wasps wouldn’t dare mess with a herd of rhinoceros beetles.”
“……”
Always with the unexpected response. Hurel buried his cold, expressionless face deeper into Blaine’s broad chest, sighing silently to himself.
“But what about you, Bee-Bee? I can’t go alone. I’m too worried. Please, let’s leave this place together. Okay?”
“But… there’s still something I need to figure out.”
“Bee-Bee.”
In a voice more resolute than ever, Hurel lifted his head and cupped Blaine’s cheeks tightly with both hands. Then he pressed their lips together with firm pressure. His sharp yet quiet eyes locked onto Blaine’s as he spoke, deliberately and calmly, one word at a time.
“Bee-Bee, I’m sorry, but your hive is already gone. I understand how you feel, but chasing after it is a waste of time.”
The honeybee flinched, his eyebrows twitching, and his face looked like he was about to burst into tears. But instead, he bit down on his lip and held back, cautiously wrapping his arms around Hurel’s waist.
“Even so… there’s something about all this I just can’t accept.”
Of course, Hurel, having seen the same things and heard the same accounts, already knew exactly what Blaine was getting at. He clicked his tongue inwardly. Of all times, why did that damn intuition have to work only in situations like this?
“First off, the ones who attacked our hive were dwarf hornets. They’re notorious even among wasps for being especially cruel. They don’t just wipe out a place in one go—they give it time to recover, and then they raid it repeatedly. Ruthless bastards.”
“…You know quite a bit about wasps, Bee-Bee.”
“Well, it’s basic stuff. You learn it in school. Any diligent student would know.”
He felt Hurel’s warm, soft breath tickling his chest, but Blaine forced himself to keep a steady front. Clearing his throat, he pressed on, voice strengthening with conviction.
“Even if, by some freak chance, they really did wipe out the entire hive, it still doesn’t make sense. When we went to the site, there wasn’t even a scrap of wax left. Not a single grain of wing dust. Wasps go after honey and larvae—not adult bees. Killing adults is just a means to an end.”
“Maybe everyone died defending the young… and the ants took the bodies.”
“Even the broken wax pieces?”
Blaine’s retort shut Hurel up. As he spoke, he felt his own conviction growing stronger, his voice more certain with every word. He was so absorbed in his deductions, he failed to notice Hurel’s shifting mood.
“And the biggest thing—Bertie gave his testimony. He said he was almost kidnapped. He even saw the actual scene unfold.”
“Your friend was drunk, wasn’t he? Probably just hallucinated. Or maybe he made it up to cover his own fear. Even that pretty butterfly of his said the same thing.”
“But if what he said was true, it would explain all these weird inconsistencies. If the dwarf hornets suddenly changed tactics and started enslaving our kind like those slave-driving ants…”
So that’s your grand theory, Hurel mused silently, unfazed. Oddly enough, he didn’t even feel particularly angry. Maybe it was because there was something oddly endearing about the serious, focused look on Blaine’s face as he tried to solve the mystery, his expression so earnest and intelligent.
Of course, he had zero intention of supporting any mad idea like, “I’m going to stay here, find out the truth, and rescue my comrades!” Honestly, the fact that he’d tolerated Blaine’s antics up until now was already a miracle. Who knew he was capable of such mercy? Truly, living creatures weren’t great at objectively assessing themselves. Hurel calmly acknowledged this ridiculous thought as he pulled the honeybee closer.
He’d given him more than enough chances. He’d try asking nicely one last time—and if that didn’t work, then it was time to do things his way. As Hurel was carefully forming his plan in his mind, Blaine hesitantly grabbed his wrist.
“Oh, by the way, Hurel.”
“…?”
“There’s been something bugging me since earlier…”
Hurel, in no rush at all, snuggled his face into Blaine’s chest. The more he pressed into those firm, muscular pecs, the more springy and satisfying the resistance. He looked up with wide, round eyes, patiently waiting. Blaine opened and closed his mouth several times before clearing his throat.
“When we were at Panthiana’s house, um… were you okay?”
“Yes. The tea was lovely, and she was very kind.”
“…Really?”
Blaine’s voice, already not very loud, dropped even lower.
“And she’s very beautiful, too.”
“Oh… she is, isn’t she? She’s the most stunning creature I’ve ever seen!”
He made sure to emphasize “the most” and darted glances at Hurel’s face, searching for a reaction—but the spider’s expression didn’t change at all. Getting nervous, Blaine licked his lips and pressed on like a creature on the edge.
“I’ve known Pansey for a really long time. We know everything about each other—no secrets at all.”
“I see.”
“Even when we were little, she was the prettiest in the village. We used to hang out all the time. When we were larvae, we’d stay up playing all night without even realizing how late it got… then get scolded for coming home too late…”
“I bet you were adorable as a kid, Bee-Bee. Of course, you’re still cute now.”
That wasn’t the kind of comment he was fishing for. Not that he had any clear idea what kind of response he did want to hear.
“She was always really aloof, too. Other kids used to call her the Ice Queen. She’d sit there all smug, ordering everyone around with just a tilt of her chin. But like you saw earlier—she’s super nice to me. Nicer than she is to Bertie, even…”
“Bee-Bee.”
The sudden cold, hard tone cut him off. Blaine gulped and looked up at Hurel, heart pounding with a weird mix of dread and anticipation.
“You know… I’ve been thinking. Are you doing this on purpose?”
“…?”
Huh?
“You know what you’re doing, don’t you?”
Because there’s no way your timing could be this perfect otherwise.
Hurel placed his palms on either side of Blaine’s face and leaned in, voice low and chilly. He’d thought Blaine was just naive—but this bee was sly. There was no way all those adorable little interruptions were just coincidence. Not when they conveniently happened every time Hurel was about to try something… slightly rough. If he had been doing it on purpose, then every single one of his actions and words so far suddenly made perfect sense.
