Chapter 33: The Smell Of Popcorn
Nyarai and Jowdie having fun as they have Mellow offscreen confirm if cat paws do smell like popcorn.
For reasons unknown, Mellow starts several different jobs to visit Club Nighthawk to meet Nyarai. To his horror, Nyarai remembers him as a fan of Muko and spends most of her time teasing Mellow with threats of violence. When Jowdie arrives to prevent Nyarai from hurting him, Mellow attempts to make the best out of the situation.
- Actually Pretty Funny: Nyarai and Jowdie burst out laughing after Mellow smells Nyarai's feet and confirms that they do smell like popcorn. Nyarai is so amused that she develops a liking towards Mellow.
- Bad Liar: Mellow tells Nyarai that he used to be Muko's fan, but he gave up on her because the Spotter article confirmed that she's not into doggies and that she has a cat fetish. He then became a fan of Nyarai when he saw her defeat Adelgund. Nyarai knows that he's lying, but lets him tell his story out of amusement.
- Badly Battered Babysitter: Mellow babysits four babies at once. The babies cry, pull at his face, and bite him. Naturally, Mellow has to bear with it.
- Call-Back: Miho returns and she makes another Spotter article.
- Miho interviews the Cafe Carrots staff on how Kalita wrecked the place back in Chapter 5.
- Miho interviews the homeless people Kalita saved back in Chapter 28.
- Cool Big Sis: Jowdie bought Nyarai the Gem-Encrusted phone she has, she teaches her how to be a hostess, and she makes sure Nyarai doesn't do anything rash with Mellow.
- Death Glare: Nyarai glares at Mellow to let him know that he's going to smell her feet or she will hurt him with them.
- Demon Head: Nyarai pulls one that looks like a flaming version of her face when she yells at Mellow to read the Spotter article.
- Determinator: Mellow takes multiple jobs to get enough money to enter Club Nighthawk to meet Nyarai.
- Embarrassing Nickname: Nyarai calls Mellow square face and she also calls Harry fish face since she doesn't know their names. She eventually calls Mellow by his first name by the end of the chapter.
- Fantastic Racism: As revealed by Jowdie, even with Nyarai becoming the Masato Champion, the prejudice against Wilds still lingers. It doesn't help that Nyarai gives herself a bad image with her hostess job.
- Foot Focus: While Nyarai does provide this across the comic, this chapter does this up to eleven with how Nyarai teases Mellow.
- For the Evulz: Nyarai bullies Mellow, and assaulted her previous clients out of boredom and sadism (as implied by Jowdie).
- Gem-Encrusted: Nyarai's phone returns. Once again, nobody pays attention to the Spotter article because of how tacky it is.
- Gratuitous Japanese: Jowdie says Kanpai when serving champagne to Mellow. Kanpai means cheers in Japanese.
- I Kiss Your Foot: Discussed by Jowdie who mentions that cat paw pads smell like popcorn and encourages Mellow if Nyarai, being a cheetah, has the same popcorn scent by smelling her feet. Then enforced by Nyarai who relishes on the opportunity to bully Mellow after Jowdie spent most of the chapter denying it. Played straight when Mellow does it and confirms that Nyarai's paw pads do smell like popcorn.
- It Amused Me: Nyarai knows that Mellow is lying to her with that exaggerated tale of his unrequited love for Muko. However, she's clearly amused by his exuberance that she listens to his tale before letting him know that she was aware that what he was saying was bullshit.
- It Was a Gift: Nyarai's Gem-Encrusted phone was bought by Jowdie. She noticed Nyarai wanted it but wasn't going to buy it because of her cheapness. So Jowdie bought it and gave it to Nyarai as a gift.
- Kick the Dog: Nyarai spends the entire chapter bullying Mellow. While she knows that Mellow is a fan of Muko, it's clear that he's not a threat, but she delights in invading his personal space, showing him a Spotter article that further damages Muko's reputation, and even threatens him into smelling her feet. It is implied that she was going to kick him in the face out of sheer boredom and sadism had Jowdie not arrived in time.
- According to Jowdie, Nyarai bullied all of her clients since becoming the Masato Champion and then ended each visit with a kick to the face. It's the main reason why Nyarai is unpopular as a hostess by the time Mellow visits her and why Jowdie has to interrupt on their time together as to prevent her from repeating the same mistake.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Nyarai needlessly assaulting her customers has decreased her popularity as a hostess. Mellow is her first client in a long time.
- Made of Iron: Mellow gets manhandled by babies and run over by a car, and yet he's still fine enough to visit Club Nighthawk. For comparison, he's not as athletic or physically fit as Muko.
- Marshmallow Hell: Mellow's first meeting with Jowdie ends with her breasts on his face.
- Morality Pet: Despite being annoyed by Jowdie interrupting Nyarai's time with Mellow, Nyarai doesn't do anything bad to Jowdie, because she's her Best Friend and acts like a Cool Big Sis to her in the hostess business. Nyarai even takes Jowdie's proposal of having Mellow smell her feet with a smile on her face.
- Noodle Incident: Apparently, Nyarai had increased reception as a hostess since the Masato Match with all of them ending with a foot to the face according to Jowdie. Unlike the hippo, it is implied that they didn't do anything to warrant the violence and that Nyarai was bored or in a bad mood.
- Not So Above It All: Jowdie may be the Token Good Teammate of the Cyclone Crushers, but she's not above suggesting something daring like having Mellow smell Nyarai's feet to see if they smell like popcorn. She even smiles sadistically when Mellow is forced to beg Nyarai for it.
- Slasher Smile: Nyarai gives a short one before ordering Mellow to smell her feet.
- The Scrooge: According to Jowdie, Nyarai wanted to buy her phone case, but she was too much of a cheapskate to do so, forcing Jowdie to buy it for the cheetah as a gift.
- Spit Take: Mellow spits his drink when Jowdie suggests he smell Nyarai's feet to see if they smell like popcorn.
- Those Two Guys: Deconstructed for Mellow. Since he and Harry were the only fans Muko had at the Masato Match, Nyarai was able to remember them, thus risking his safety.
- Title Drop: Jowdie mentions the rumor of cat paw pads smelling like popcorn.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Miho interviews the homeless people that Kalita saved in Chapter 28. The raccoon confirms that she was a member of the Roda Kira Gang and that she was present when they burned their homes. Later subverted in the next chapter when it's revealed that the answer was edited to incriminate Kalita.
- Villainous Friendship: Despite being the current antagonists of the arc, Nyarai and Jowdie are shown getting along perfectly.
- When She Smiles: Nyarai gives Mellow a genuine smile after earning her respect. She even calls him by his name as well.
