Chapter 27: How to Wake a Sleeping Girl

I was heading straight toward the side path that led to the river, but on the way, I ran into a familiar face.

It was that girl with the slow, drawn-out way of speaking who had talked to me a few days ago when our test results were handed back.

...Lately, she’s been hanging out with the same group as Hikari. It’s possible she was with her earlier.

Thinking that, I called out to her. But she simply raised a finger to her lips, paused for a moment as if pondering, then slowly shook her head.

"...Hmm, I dunno~? At the very least, I don’t remember seeing her on the way here~."

"...Really?"

"Yeah~. Maybe you two just missed each other? I’d love to help look for her, but I’ve got some group work to do, and I’m kinda pressed for time~. Sorry~"

And with just that, she trotted off toward the campsite before I could say anything to stop her.

...So we crossed paths, huh?

That possibility hadn’t occurred to me.

Given her personality, it seems more likely that she’d be off somewhere else rather than just staring blankly at the river.

With that thought, I turned to head back the way I came—and—

“Wahp—!”

Something warm and slightly clammy smacked me in the face, and I let out a small startled yelp.

“W-What the heck is this...?”

I reached out instinctively and grabbed it.

It was a small, black creature, just about the size of my palm. The moment I caught it, it started squeaking noisily.

—A bat!

I let go immediately, just as something sharp bit into my fingertip.

“Ow—damn it...!”

It was the one that flew into me, and now it’s biting me like I’m the one at fault? What is this, a scam artist?

I wanted to complain, but it’s an animal. It’ll probably just fly off soon anyway.

Eyes stinging with pain, I looked up—

And was greeted by an unexpected sight.

The bat was circling around me like it wanted to get my attention. And when it noticed me staring at it, it dove at my face again.

"...Don’t tell me... it wants me to follow it?"

I dodged just in time, muttering something that should’ve been impossible.

But the bat hovered skillfully in place, gave a small nod in my direction, as if to say I was right.

...I’ve never heard of someone being able to communicate with a bat.

It was a stupid idea—but for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to ignore it. And so, I found myself running down the side path, desperate not to lose sight of my bizarre guide.

And then, what I saw at the end of the path—

Scattered remnants of apples strewn across the ground—

And the silver-haired girl collapsed in the river.

"...Are you okay!?"

I ran down the slope shouting, but Hikari lay face down in the water, completely unresponsive.

What the hell happened?

Panicking, I scooped her up. Her body, now even more fragile than before, felt alarmingly light in my arms, and the fear only intensified.

I looked down at her—

“What... what the hell...?”

The words slipped out of my mouth in a daze.

Just earlier, her skin had been flawless—pale and translucent, without even the faintest sunburn.

Now it was covered in gruesome burns, as if she’d been doused in acid.

Her face, which usually lit up with cheerful expression to match her cool voice, was twisted in a mask of pain—so pale, she looked like a corpse.

Her body was chillingly cold to the touch. The only sign she was still alive was the faint wheezing of her breath, barely audible.

—Vampires must never touch running water.

That old bit of lore floated into my mind.

And judging by what I saw, there was no doubt that this was the cause of her condition.

Because the only thing injured was her body. Her gym clothes were soaked and clinging tightly to her skin, but otherwise, they were intact.

“Damn it...!”

Was she going to die like this?

An inescapable dread welled up inside me like stagnant sludge. Shaking it off, I hurried down to the riverbank.

The sound of splashing water grated on my nerves more than it should have.

Carefully, so as not to worsen her injuries, I gently laid Hikari down on the ground. In my mind, I kept repeating the same words to myself: Stay calm.

…Calm down.

I’ve seen something like this before—just once.

It was after school on Hikari’s first day at her new school.

She’d gotten a minor burn from the sunlight, but she had laughed it off, saying that as long as she replenished her magic, she’d heal right up.

Of course, there’s a big difference between a minor burn and whatever this is.

Still, if I do the same thing now, maybe—just maybe—

“…Sorry.”

Touching the lips of someone unconscious felt wrong somehow, so I mumbled a quiet apology. Then I brought my right arm to her slightly parted mouth.

I pressed it firmly against her fangs, and without hesitation, those sharp points pierced my skin.

“Come on… please, drink…”

A small voice escaped her lips—“Mmh…”—probably from the sudden rush of liquid in her mouth.

She didn’t wake up, but she began swallowing in slow, reflexive gulps.

…Please let this heal her.

With that hope in my heart, I pulled her cold, nearly frozen body into a tight embrace, trying to warm her as much as I could.

…How much time had passed since then?

After confirming with a quick glance that Hikari’s wounds had healed, I began carrying her back up the slope on my back.

Just as I emerged onto the main path—

“N-Nitta-kun!? Where have you been!?”

A panicked voice called out, and I turned to see Gōenji running over with a frantic expression.

“You weren’t coming back, so I went looking for you with Koshimizu-san. We were starting to think something had happened… Wait, your face—are you okay!?”

“S-Sorry… I didn’t mean to worry you. She’s unconscious, but she should be fine now.”

It was true—too much time had passed for a simple search mission.

No wonder the other group members had gotten anxious. I really did make them worry.

But the time I’d spent wasn’t for nothing. The worst was over.

Of course, that didn’t mean I could let my guard down—but her complexion had improved a lot. Gōenji’s concern would surely prove unnecessary.

...Or so I thought.

“No, I am worried about Adigan-san on your back, but that’s not what I meant! I’m talking about you! You look like a corpse—wait, what happened to your arm!?”

“I… I was attacked by a wild animal. But I chased it off, so it’s no big deal. Really, it’s just my arm that got hurt—right?”

Trying not to cause more worry, I forced a bright expression and gave a half-baked excuse.

But Gōenji looked at me like he was staring at a ghost. He quickly reached out to support me in alarm.

…Do I really look that bad?

It’s true—I’ve never given Hikari that much blood before.

Even while she was still recovering, my head had started pounding, and waves of nausea hit me like my insides were being ripped out.

That said, it wasn’t enough blood to cause anemia, and I didn’t feel like it should have had that big of an effect.

Somehow, none of it felt real. Gōenji’s words sounded distant, dreamlike—floating away…

“Sorry, Gōenji… Can I ask you to carry Hikari for me…?”

“Y-Yeah, of course…”

But now that I’d finally rejoined them, a wave of exhaustion hit me all at once. Hikari, who should have been light, suddenly felt far too heavy.

At this rate, I couldn’t even stand upright.

I managed to pass Hikari off to Gōenji properly, but the moment I did, the strength drained from my entire body. I collapsed to my knees, unable to resist it.

“H-Huh…?”

“N-Nitta-kun!?”

I think I slammed my face into the ground, but I couldn’t feel any pain at all…

As Gōenji’s desperate voice rang out, I quietly lost consciousness—just like that.