"Phaga, what are you doing at the hospital?"
Since Phaga had already called her [Phaethon], Belle didn't bother denying it. After glancing around and confirming no one was paying attention, she let out a small sigh of relief and turned the question back on him.
"I'm here with family for a checkup. What about you two?" He tilted his head slightly. "From the sound of it, something happened to Nicole?"
Phaga thought for a moment. Could it be he'd taken too much blood from her back then?
No... he had held back. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to bite Ellen a second time.
"Uh, well... let's just say there was a little accident."
Belle scratched the back of her head with an awkward smile.
Next to her, Anby pressed a hand against her forehead, her voice flat as ever.
"Actually, Nicole woke up not long after we left the Hollow yesterday. That's when we found out you'd sold the honor to Belobog Heavy Industries. Later, Belobog tracked us down at Cunning Hares and offered us eight hundred thousand Dennies as hush money. Nicole got so excited she fainted."
Belle quickly added, "The doctor said she was already anemic, so her body was weak. Add in the emotional shock, and..."
She trailed off. From her tone, things didn't sound good.
But Phaga's attention was elsewhere. His brows lifted, surprise flickering in his expression.
Ellen, too, looked baffled, tilting her head. "Eight hundred thousand Dennies?"
"Yes, eight hundred thousand. Belobog Heavy Industries was very generous."
Anby nodded without catching on to what exactly Ellen found strange.
Uh...
Phaga and Ellen exchanged a look. Both could read the same thought in each other's eyes. Without a word, they nodded.
Best not to tell her.
"So then, with Belobog's money, you should be able to cover the hospital bills, right?"
Phaga did the math in his head. Belobog's 800,000 plus his own 100,000 made 900,000 already.
Assume Cunning Hares had maybe 200,000 saved for emergencies—that'd be 1.1 million total. No way they couldn't afford medical fees.
Right?
Surely Cunning Hares had at least 200,000 in reserve?
...Right?
But Anby slowly turned her head away, avoiding his eyes.
You've got to be kidding me.
Phaga and Ellen stared, mouths slightly open, struck by just how uneven the world could be.
"Hehe..."
Belle quickly stepped forward, shielding Anby behind her. She offered a sheepish explanation. "Well, um... we were on TV, you know? Cunning Hares suddenly looked like a big deal. Then, it was like a drought suddenly hit with rain—every old business partner showed up at once, all eager to settle accounts."
Ah. Creditors had come calling.
Phaga's expression shifted with understanding. She gave Belle a nod to continue.
Belle exhaled in relief and went on. "Then there's the Billy issue—you know, the big robot in the red coat."
"His repairs cost a fortune. Add Nicole's hospital bills on top, and Cunning Hares is completely drained."
"Meow meow meow! Even a brand-new little kitten like me has to help pay off debt now that I've joined Cunning Hares!"
A sly voice cut in. Belle instinctively turned her head. "Nekomata, you're back?"
But behind her—nothing. She frowned in confusion.
Did I imagine it?
The voice came again, this time from behind her once more.
"Ah, back when I was with the Red Fang Gang, I spent all day darting through Hollows, helping the old folks in Canvas Street. Life was lean, but I always managed to save a little pocket money."
"But after joining Cunning Hares, the first thing I had to do was figure out how to pay debts!"
So it wasn't her imagination—Nekomata had just circled around her.
Now the cat stood there with a smug grin, arms folded. In one paw she clutched a wallet, in the other she dangled a photo, blinking as she gazed at Nicole's smiling face.
"Ah, but what can I say? Nicole's my favorite—she's a whole tier above bluefin tuna."
Anby's eyes narrowed. That wallet looked familiar. She patted herself down. Sure enough, hers was missing. Her voice, usually flat, carried a rare edge of anger.
"Nekomata! You stole my wallet again!"
"As they say, once bitten, twice shy. But you never learn, meow!"
"Give it back!"
Anby lunged for the Nekomata.
The little cat danced back, dodging easily, then darted behind Belle. She stuck out her tongue. "Hehe, can't catch me!"
Belle's face went pale. But Nekomata had her pinned, leaving her unable to move. She quickly tried to intervene. "Stop it, both of you."
"It's Nekomata who's messing around. I just want my wallet back."
Anby's voice was cold as she stepped forward again. But Nekomata darted around Belle, circling just out of reach. Anby hesitated to push Belle aside.
With Proxy's frame, a shove might cause a slipped disc.
Belle knew that too. Protecting her waist, she snapped over her shoulder, "Hey, Nekomata! Give her wallet back!"
"Sure, meow!"
Nekomata flashed a sly grin, tossed the wallet toward Anby, but kept the photo in hand.
Not like there was much money inside anyway.
Anby caught it mid-air and shoved it straight into her bag without looking. "And my photo!"
"Hmm? Your photo?"
Nekomata feigned ignorance, holding it up. "But this is clearly Nicole's picture!"
"That... that's a group shot of Cunning Hares! Billy's in it too!"
Anby's voice wavered slightly, as if she'd realized something.
"Billy? Where?"
Nekomata squinted, scanning the picture up and down. No Billy.
But when her fingertip brushed the back of the photo, she felt something stiff.
Like something stiff tucked inside the cardboard.
Turning it over, she smirked. "Ha! Meow meow meow! Billy's folded onto the back."
"T-that's because the wallet's too small. I had to fold it."
Anby's excuse was clumsy, her eyes sliding away.
Nekomata tilted her head, lips in a pout. "But a normal person would just fold it in half, right?... Oh, I get it. If you folded it in half, Nicole would only be half visible."
"Tsk!"
Caught red-handed, even Anby's stoic face turned red with anger.
"Hehe, don't look at me like that!"
With Belle stuck in between, Nekomata playfully slapped Anby's shoulder, grinning. "You like Nicole, I like Nicole—we're on the same side, meow!"
Pfft!
The sound burst out sharp, like steam escaping a kettle. Phaga and Ellen, watching like it was a stage play, saw Anby's face flare bright red, wisps of heat practically rising from her head.
Phaga murmured under his breath, "I thought she didn't have expressions."
Ellen shot him a look, sighed, but kept watching.
Anby suddenly snapped her head up, teeth grinding. "Neko—mata!"
"Wait! Stop! Stop!"
The fury in Anby's voice didn't rattle Nekomata—but it terrified Belle standing between them.
She shouted, exasperated, "As your creditor, I swear—if you two don't cut it out, I'll make Nicole pay your debts instead!"
Silence.
Anby and Nekomata froze like scolded children.
Belle blinked.
Wait... was it really that effective?