# The Second Monster

> What do you think is inside this can?

2026-06-16 · #poem · https://rxxuzi.com/blog/the-second-monster

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This is something I noticed while living my life.

Monster Energy was 15% off on Amazon the other day so I bought a case of Ultra Fantasy Ruby Red. Grapefruit flavor. Zero calories. Zero sugar. I like it better than the white or the green. It's easy to drink and the taste is good. Citrus undertone.

But there's something uncomfortable about drinking two in one day.

You can't sleep at night. Still, I wanted another one. The first I drank after my morning gym session, fresh out of the shower. The second at 3 p.m.

The first can is a choice. The second can is a pattern.

There was guilt. I can kill random players in GTA and feel nothing. But the second zero-calorie Monster makes me feel something.

What is this?

A 1.5-liter Pepsi wouldn't do it. Is it the price? Two cans ran me 380 yen. That's less than lunch. A good lunch is six Monsters. Is it the caffeine? The office coffee I drink every day has about the same amount. Is it the sugar? This one has no sugar. It's healthier than Coke.

Two cans. One I can explain. The other I can't.

I am caught between this strange drink and the suffering that comes from opening a second identical can.

The can is half empty now.

What's inside this pink Monster?

A mysterious liquid. Stress. Eye strain. Stimulant. A small planet. A black Enter key.

What do you think is inside this can?