Chapter 6: The Way One Relationship Changes

"You’ve gotta be kidding me..."

In a world filled with magic and roaming monsters—something far beyond anything I ever imagined—this was what had happened.

On top of that, she’d become an entirely different species… a vampire.

So maybe, logically speaking, it wasn’t all that strange.

But all I could do was widen my eyes and mutter that single phrase.

Then, a thought suddenly struck me.

"A-Are you okay…?"

What I was worried about wasn’t just the fact that she’d been turned into a vampire.

If she’d been turned into a girl by some perverted freak’s hands—

"The way my best friend’s looking at me is so indecent..."

"You serious…?"

Ignoring my concern entirely, Mikoto Hikari struck a deliberately flirty pose.

Though immediately after, She broke into a wide grin.

"You don’t need to worry about that stuff! I told you, right? I didn’t win, but I didn’t lose either. Basically, it was a draw. A draw. I did get turned into a vampire, but the seal on the 'True Ancestor' worked."

She declared it brightly.

"I see..."

"Though it felt really gross...!"

Her tone flipped instantly, her next words laced with bitter disgust.

...I get how she feels.

What popped into my head was a character from a fighting game I used to play.

A muscular vampire in a full-body blue suit—who didn’t want to suck the blood of men, so she’d turn them into women first.

A guy and another guy.

If you were pinned down by someone like that and had your blood sucked...

Yeah, not exactly a scene I want to picture.

"So, yeah, don’t worry so much! At the very least, nothing’s wrong with my body."

With that, Hikari twirled in place.

The ragged cloth draped over her shoulders like a coat fluttered lightly in the air, as if drawn in by her buoyant steps.

...Maybe it’s all just bravado.

But even if it was, seeing her act so cheerful was enough to ease my mind.

And just as I let out a sigh of relief—

"Wahhh!"

A sharp cry rang out across the park.

Slip.

Apparently, she’d stepped on the hem of her black outfit and tripped.

"Watch out!"

I shot up from the bench and reached out my hand.

Thankfully, I managed to catch her in my arms before she could slam into the concrete ground.

But—

"Ow…!"

A piercing pain shot through my left calf, like the flesh was being ripped apart.

It throbbed again and again, each time just as sharp.

Standing became impossible, and I found myself crouching down, clutching at my leg.

"Th-Thanks, Yousuke. But—are you okay!?"

"Y-Yeah… I’m fine."

Hikari quickly pulled back, a hand covering her mouth as she peered down at me.

I, on the other hand, despite what I said, had one eye shut and was wincing in pain.

Sweat trickled down my forehead.

...Maybe the pain was worse than usual not just because I moved suddenly, but because of all the fatigue that had built up.

"I’ll be fine if I rest a bit. …Sorry. You’re the one who went through so much, but I ended up making you worry."

"...No, it’s okay. You saved me, after all. Besides—"

—Besides?

Before I could even ask, Hikari knelt down and reached toward my left leg.

She rolled up the leg of my jeans and touched the scar with fingers so pale they stood out even in the dark.

"W-What are you—"

"Shh. Be quiet."

As I flinched at the delicate sensation of her slender fingers, she quieted me with a gesture—her hand raised to her lips.

I couldn’t tell what she was trying to do—but it must have had some kind of meaning.

So for now, I simply did as she asked and waited a little.

"Haa—"

Hikari closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

What came from her lips next was a language I’d never heard before—no, it wasn’t just foreign, it was something from another world entirely.

Then, the spot where she was touching me began to grow warm.

That warmth turned into light.

The glow that spilled into the darkness felt like sunlight—gentle, comforting, and full of peace.

The light slowly sank into my leg, seeping in and fading away.

And once it had completely disappeared—

"...How is it?"

"What do you mean...?"

I echoed back, then realized—

The pain was gone.

No—more than that—

"...The wound’s... gone?"

"This is magic. You believe it now, right?"

"Y-Yeah."

I replied, barely registering the words as I stood up.

One step. Then another.

My leg moved forward, light and smooth, like it hadn’t in years.

"When I saw healing magic in the other world, I just knew—'With this, I could fix Yousuke’s leg!' Come on, come on, try running!"

Urged on, I picked up speed.

The pain that usually stabbed at me whenever I moved—never came.

"This is incredible...!"

The words slipped out before I could stop them, filled with awe and joy.

—I had to thank him.

That impulse hit me hard, and I immediately turned to Hikari.

She was smiling, clearly satisfied, and said—

"Yeah. Looks like it worked. ...I guess now there’s nothing holding me back anymore."

She murmured it gently.

—Nothing holding her back.

The phrase didn’t fit this moment at all, and it stirred a strange unease in my chest.

"...What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said. Now that your injury’s healed, there’s no reason for me to stick around anymore."

"Wait—are you planning to go back to the other world?"

But Hikari shook her head.

"Mm, that’s impossible. You need very specific conditions to cross dimensional walls. At least, I can’t do it the way I am now."

"Then... where are you going?"

"Somewhere else, at least. Anywhere that’s not here... maybe?"

She answered with distant eyes.

That final word—"maybe"—said it all. She didn’t have a clear destination in mind.

Which only made it harder to understand.

If that’s the case, then wouldn’t it make more sense to just live in this town again, like he did a year ago?

And then, as if she’d read my thoughts, she muttered softly—

"Before I came here, I went to see my house. Well... it’s not mine anymore."

"...You saw it?"

"Yeah... Someone else had moved in. I only caught a glimpse, but they looked like a really happy family."

...It was true.

The manager of the apartment Mikoto used to live in had disposed of everything after about six months and put the unit up for sale.

Of course, from a business standpoint, it couldn’t be helped.

But for Hikari, coming back only to find her home overwritten—it must’ve felt like she no longer had a place to return to.

I didn’t even need to imagine how that must’ve felt.

"That’s when it really hit me. In this world, ‘Hino Mikoto’ is already dead. There’s no place for me anymore. ...Well, I mean, I’m not human anymore either."

"But you still came to see me. You told me everything that happened over the past year. If you planned to leave from the start, then why—"

"Yousuke... you were looking for me this whole time, right? That’s why I wanted to tell you what happened to me. And to say... ‘you don’t have to look anymore.’"

I didn’t even have time to protest those words.

She turned her back to me and said—

"I’m glad I got to see you one last time. ...Bye."

—and started to run.

"...Wait."

But I grabbed her slender wrist before she could go.

"...Yousuke?"

Her ruby-red eyes wavered as she turned around.

Only for a moment, though.

"Let me go...!"

"I’m glad you healed my leg. If you hadn’t, I’d definitely be too slow right now."

She glared at me sharply, but this time it was my turn to act unfazed. I didn’t meet her eyes, but I kept her arm firmly in my grasp, and turned her back toward me.

"...If you’ve got no place to go, then come stay at my house. I’m sure my mom will understand once she knows you’re really Mikoto. Even if she doesn’t at first, I’ll convince her."

These were the words I couldn’t say a year ago.

So now, they still had meaning.

"...Thanks, Yousuke."

But Hikari gave a small, wry laugh through her nose.

It wasn’t mocking—it was more like she was laughing at herself, tinged with resignation.

"But there’s a problem. I’m a vampire. I can’t live without drinking blood. ...Do you really think a monster like that can live in this world, let alone with humans?"

"I do."

"...Huh?"

I answered without a second’s hesitation, and her stunned expression made me grin a little.

...What, did she really think I hadn’t thought that far ahead?

If so, she was seriously underestimating me.

"Then take my blood. Whenever you need it, however much you want. I mean, yeah, maybe the idea of drinking a guy’s blood grosses you out... but if you can stomach that, you can live here like anyone else, right?"

From what she told me, being bitten by a man had been a traumatic experience.

Even if the roles were reversed, that kind of discomfort probably wouldn’t just go away.

But if it was someone she knew and trusted—maybe it’d be a little easier.

That’s what I was thinking.

"...Are you serious? Do you really understand what it means to keep giving blood to a vampire?"

"Of course. Actually, I’m pretty sure I’d regret it a lot more if I just let you walk away."

Her question was a mix of disbelief and exasperation.

And I answered her straight, without a hint of hesitation.

...If Mikoto wanted to leave this town of her own free will, with some clear purpose, I wouldn’t have stopped her.

On the contrary, I probably would have supported her.

But clearly, that wasn’t the case.

It just looked like a reckless act born from frustration.

That’s all I could see.

Besides—

If she really wanted to leave, she could’ve just forcefully shaken my grip off.

She definitely had enough strength for that.

After a brief hesitation—

"...Alright then. But you’re the one who brought this up first, Yousuke, okay? You’re the one who held me back, so be prepared to take responsibility!"

For some reason, her ears turned bright red as she turned away with a little ‘hmph.’

I nodded firmly.

Luckily, I’m confident in my physical strength.

I don’t know how much blood she’ll need, but if necessary, I’ll eat liver three times a day.

At least I was ready for that much.

"And, besides, don’t you ever say anything like this to any other vampires! If you do, I’ll never forgive you!"

...Though honestly, I don’t think running into other vampires in modern-day Japan is very likely.

Setting aside pointless worries—

That night, under the full moon, a new kind of relationship was born between Mikoto and me.

"Well, shall we go?"

There was no point in staying in the park any longer.

If I got back too late, Mom would worry.

I said this, but Mikoto only answered with—

"Ah-choo!"

A small sneeze.

"You catching a cold?"

"Ugh... maybe I’m cold."

When I asked, Mikoto hugged herself and gripped the edge of her black cloak tightly.

Honestly, it seemed like an overreaction.

Even though the sun had fully set, it wasn’t cold enough to give me chills.

Besides, she was wearing a cloak.

I thought she’d probably be hot rather than cold.

Or maybe returning from another world takes a toll on her.

Like, maybe the other world was a perpetual summer or something.

Then Mikoto gave an awkward smile and said, embarrassed—

"Ah... no, it’s not that. ...It’s just, I’m not wearing anything underneath. I’m naked."

...Alright, let’s pretend I didn’t hear that.