One day this summer. Glancing at the window, something black was stuck to the screen. Going closer, it was a rhinoceros beetle.

Summer, huh. As a kid, this would have sent my excitement through the roof, but as an adult the reaction is a calm “Oh, a beetle.” Still, since it had come all the way to our house, I decided to put it in a bug cage and keep it for a while.

I bought sawdust and insect jelly at a 100-yen shop. The setup should be enough. But beetles have a surprisingly distinct smell. Keeping one indoors is a bit much. So I put the cage on the doorstep, out of direct sunlight. Problem solved. ...Or so I thought.

The summer beetles gathered on their own

Two days later. Stepping out the front door, another beetle was stuck to the outside of the cage. “Hm?” Where did you come from? Might as well put this one in the cage too. That makes two. But the next morning, another one was lying on the doorstep. ...What's going on.

It's completely beetles gathering on their own. Are they drawn by the smell of their kin? The sweet smell of the insect jelly? Or is information like “that house serves food” being shared in the beetle world? Is there a social network? KabutoGram. No idea.

Two days later, for some reason, it increases

After that, even a female flew in. Before I knew it, there were five or more. It started with one, and now it's completely a small beetle apartment complex. And this way of increasing somehow resembles the feeling of investing.

At first it was supposed to be “just 100 shares for now,” but while saying “this should be undervalued,” “let me pick up a bit more,” and “I definitely won't increase it any more,” the number of shares held somehow grows. This time, though, it isn't KAZUKIN adding. They're entering the portfolio on their own.

And not only males—females joined too. Diversification is progressing on its own. Before long, the cage was full. It's completely beetle concentrated investing. That's not great from a risk-management standpoint. For the lively individuals, I decided to realize profits into nature... no, release them. “Take care,” I said, letting them go. But the next morning, a different individual was on the doorstep again. ...The pace of new listings is wrong.

I don't know about any more than this

Fortunately I had a few cages and split them up, but I can't manage any more than this. It's beyond the issue of insect-jelly costs. So from now on, even if new beetles appear, I'll basically leave it to nature. The beetle hotel is no longer accepting new reservations.

But this time I thought again that beetles are really strong. For their size, the gripping power is incredible. When you catch one and it wraps its legs around your finger, it honestly hurts. “Ow ow ow.” Especially trying to remove a beetle clinging to the cage mesh is hard. I pull very carefully, but even pulling so hard I wonder “won't its leg tear off if I pull any more?”, it still won't let go.

What is this grip? In stock terms, it's like a small-cap whose finances and earning power turn out to be oddly strong when you look inside. Don't underestimate it by its size. The moment it clings to your finger, you learn its true ability firsthand. A grip PBR can't measure.

If they were fist-sized, it'd be genuinely scary

Here KAZUKIN suddenly thought. What if beetles were fist-sized? Even at the current size, there's this power. If they grew to fist size and flew to my doorstep at night with a Bzzzzzoom, what then?

It would surely be more than a summer tradition. It would be the level of the news reporting, “A giant beetle was confirmed in the city today. Please refrain from nonessential outings.” If one were stuck to the front door, I couldn't leave the house. If it grabbed my finger, I'd be properly injured. It would be no longer insect collecting but pest control.

Thinking about it, beetles were born in an exquisite size. Good looks. Good horns. Good power. Good summer feel. By Ore-shiki rating, a pretty good blue-chip. Just one caution. I don't recommend concentrated investing in five or more.

Summary

This summer, for some reason beetles gathered on our doorstep. I never found out why. The jelly? Their kin? Coincidence? But I learned one thing. Beetles are more power-type than you think. I'm really glad they weren't fist-sized.

KAZUKIN Rating

  • 🪲 Power of gathering — ★★★★★ (they increase without being asked)
  • 💪 Grip and power — ★★★★★ (my finger genuinely hurts)
  • 📊 Diversification — ★★★☆☆ (males and females join on their own)
  • 💰 Insect jelly costs — ★★☆☆☆ (it adds up quietly)
  • 😮‍💨 Gladness they weren't fist-sized — ★★★★★ (really glad)