Trill questioned Yugo and the others with the condescending air of a self-proclaimed expert lecturing children.
As for how they responded to his question...?
"Eh? No, I don't really have a favorite bug or anything."
"I actually hate them. It’s incredibly annoying when they fly around while I’m trying to work."
"If we’re talking about creatures with shells, crabs are harder and stronger! Therefore, crabs are superior to insects!"
"Don't ask me."
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
"Ah! Brother’s heart has been shattered by their cruel answers! Pull yourself together, Brother!"
Faced with such cold responses, Trill let out a loud cry and collapsed on the spot, devastated by the dismal evaluation of his beloved insects.
While he remained unable to recover even as his younger sister Rielle comforted him, Yugo—the only one seriously considering an answer—continued to ponder, muttering to himself.
"Hmm, a bug I like... I'm not an expert, but there are a lot that I like..."
"Hou!? Ho-ho-ho-hou!? You actually have quite a bit of promise! That’s a good thing, yes, yes!"
Basking in the gaze of Trill, who had found his only ray of hope, Yugo ignored him and seriously contemplated his answer.
Truth be told, insects were an incredibly popular motif for heroes. The first Masked Hero to ride a beloved Iron Steed had been based on a grasshopper.
Besides that, insect-type combining and support mecha appeared all the time. Even just looking at it from a hero motif perspective, Yugo was struggling to decide on an answer.
A leader-type bee? Maybe a free-spirited dragonfly who wasn't bound by anything? A sharp-edged scorpion wasn't bad either, but he still had a soft spot for the classic grasshopper... After agonizing over it, his hero otaku thoughts combined with his own tastes as a boy to narrow the candidates down to two.
"Maybe a Kabuto or a Kuwagata...? After all, those are every boy’s dream, right?"
Insects with glossy carapaces and either a powerful single horn or sharp double horns—the Rhinoceros Beetle and the Stag Beetle.
Found all over the world, these insects possessed a charm that firmly gripped the hearts of children and never let go.
Both Kabuto and Kuwagata were frequently adopted as hero motifs, so they were undoubtedly popular.
I feel like they've been using Kuwagata more often lately, but if you start combining them with too many other insects, the budget is going to tank... While he was thinking about things only a hero otaku would understand, Trill, who heard his answer, spoke with eyes sparkling.
"Wonderful! You have great potential! Truth be told, we also believe that the Kabuto and the Kuwagata are the strongest insects! Every day, we are moved by the magnificent power worthy of the title King of the Insect World!"
"A powerful single horn to lift and flip the enemy! Sharp double horns to pinch and toss the opponent! Both are lovely and cool!!"
"...Yugo, what do you intend to do? It seems your careless remark has flipped some strange switch in these two."
"Hmm... it looks that way, but I don't think there's much to worry about."
Once an otaku's switch was flipped, they became nothing but a nuisance. Yugo, a hero otaku himself, knew this all too well.
Just as Yugo said this to Marcos—who was reacting with exasperation at the sight of the Trill and Rielle siblings starting to talk passionately about insects again—Trill spoke to him.
"I shall tell you even more wonderful stories! Once you hear what we have to say, you will surely realize the splendor of insects as well!"
"You're lucky! To be chosen by my brother... you're truly lucky!"
"Ah... I appreciate the sentiment. But it looks like I'll have to ask for that next time."
Yugo pointed behind the siblings as they closed the distance toward him.
When they turned around, they saw a group of Insect Museum security guards rushing toward them.
"You two, a moment? You're disturbing the other guests. Please come with us."
"Oh? Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh...?"
"Oyoyoyo? Oyo...!?"
"Bye-bye! Until the day we meet again!"
Yugo sighed as he waved goodbye to the siblings, who were instantly apprehended as suspicious persons by the guards and escorted away.
His companions also engaged in conversation with exasperated reactions toward Trill and Rielle, who had been intense in a way they didn't quite understand.
"Honestly, what was with those two? I understand getting passionate when your hobbies are involved, but that was clearly going too far."
"Ahahaha... well, I guess things like that happen. Let's just be glad it was us they got tangled up with."
"You're right. It looks like the problem is solved, so I'll report in. Come on, let's get back to our posts."
Marcos and the others discussed how they were truly unlucky for a suspicious person to appear on a day like this, but were glad it was resolved without any major issues.
While Anhel reported the resolution of the incident using the provided communication device, Melt, who was about to return to her post with the others, noticed Yugo standing still and called out to him.
"What’s wrong, Yugo? Did something happen?"
"No, it's just..."
In response to Melt's question, Yugo muttered vaguely with a somewhat sorrowful expression.
Melt caught her breath as she sensed the tragic atmosphere in his heart from his profile. As Yugo lowered his head, he spoke.
"...Hearing that just now made me think a little."
"What? What did you think?"
To be honest, she had no idea which part of the previous conversation could have caused Yugo to make such a face.
Nevertheless, as Melt maintained an attitude of standing by Yugo, who seemed to be harboring some sort of grief, she stared intently at him. Yugo stared off into the distance and whispered.
"...I just wonder how the plot of that new Sentai is going..."
"Okay, then I'm going back first. Come join us when you've calmed down, Yugo."
She didn't quite understand, but there was one thing she did know. This was what people called Yugo's "weird state."
When he was like this, it was best to leave him alone. Having made that judgment, Melt instantly regained her composure, left the distant-eyed Yugo behind, and ran back to her companions.
"Hearing about Kuwagata and Kings reminded me... Judging by the recent developments, wouldn't it be about time for an Additional Warrior to show up...? No, maybe the flow of time is different between this world and that one, so I wonder how it's going...?"
Left alone, Yugo muttered questions that no one would answer as he imagined the exploits of the heroes from the new Sentai—of which he had only obtained pre-release information—and desperately wished he could have seen it with his own eyes.
While wondering if the program might be broadcast here by some mistake, he too began to run to catch up with his friends.