“……”
“……”
Several minutes quickly flew by as we both stared at each other unsure of what to do next. Keeping her pushed beneath me on the couch in an embarrassing pose wasn’t going to be good for either of us mentally. I twisted a little to pull back from her without crushing her beneath me.
“…!”
I have no idea how my movement came across to her—she squeezed her eyes shut with firm resignation. She turned her head to expose her neck and flattened her lips in a straight line. Seeing her tremble with fear made me want to punch myself. What good would come of scaring her this much?
“…Sorry. It was a joke,” I said, sitting up. I helped Azusa to her former sitting position. I got up and sat down in the leather upholstered chair on the other side of the room. She shouldn’t be scared if I stay this far away.
“You don’t need to drink?”
“I’m good.”
“Is your health okay?”
“I’m as healthy as can be.”
“Then what was that about just now?”
“…It was a joke,” I said, thinking I’d have to be out of my mind to tell her the truth. Of course, I was prepared to be berated for angering her.
What I received instead was her relief-filled voice, “Thank goodness. I’m glad you aren’t sick. I heard from Ichi that all vampires will be in a crisis when they don’t have blood, so I was worried you had fallen ill because you needed blood. I did contract with you even though I may not be the best person for the role—I am prepared for you to drink my blood when necessary, so please tell me whenever the time comes! Oh, wait, should I have asked if your impulse to drink blood has returned first?”
She really should get her head checked for being kindhearted to a fault. With how scared she was, her ability to internally worry about someone other than herself makes my head ache. It’s not like I’m starved to the point of forcefully taking someone’s blood nor do I get any kicks from that kind of sick pastime.
“I’ll think about it.”
She gave a satisfied nod in response to my short brush off.
That time will likely never come. I did just fine my entire life until now. I should be fine without blood from now on too, I thought then shook my head to get rid of the feeling I wasted a good opportunity.
“Now that I think about it, have you never had a drop of blood until you drank mine?” Azusa suddenly asked.
I’m at a loss on how to answer her. I’ve got my reservations on telling her the truth, but lying isn’t in my character either. I mulled over both options and decided to go with the former.
“I’ve drank before. Right before my coming of age ceremony.”
“Coming of age ceremony?”
“Yeah, put simply, the day we make our first contract. I’ve already told you how vampires awaken around their twenties, right? One or two years before that, those of us whose bodies are almost completely vampire will contract with a partner chosen for us in advance. As you know, we must drink the other person’s blood on two separate occasions to establish the contract. We drink the blood once two or three days before the ceremony, and once more on the day of it to fully establish the contract. I skipped the second time, but I did drink the first time.”
“Was the other person your lover then, Kouya?”
“Leina? Fat chance,” I snorted remembering the woman who was the epitome of a snarky priss. She was the type who drained the life out of you just by being in the room.
“But they say men and women who contract get romantically involved and whatnot…”
“Ah, that? Our first contract is just a temporary holder until either side finds a better partner. Some people do end up getting married to their first partner, but a lot don’t. Depends on the pair, really. Incidentally, the contract will dissolve itself in time if you don’t drink their blood for a while, making it easy to break off.”
“I see…” Azusa responded in a voice sounding both relieved and disappointed. I scratched my head.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. I’m feeling kinda…strange is all…”
“Are you the one who’s sick tonight?” I asked and walked over to her, putting my hand on her forehead. It was a little on the warm side, but probably a normal human temperature. “You seem okay for now, but you should give it a rest for tonight and return to your room if you don’t feel good.”
“I don’t want to!”
“Flaunting about however you wish right after what I did to you…” I grumbled.
“What? Did you do something terrible to me?”
I clicked my tongue before I could stop myself. I don’t believe I’m in the wrong about this one. Azusa cringed at the sound and drew back from me.
“I’m worried about tomorrow! Please let me stay just this once!”
“…Why does it have to be me?” I said, implying she should go smack Ichi awake.
“Fine, I’ll go to Subaru’s room then. He might still be up.”
Her logic made no sense, so I stopped her. I pushed her back in her seat with such speed even I was taken by surprise.
“……”
“……”
“…On one condition. Tell me about yourself. You can stay only as long as you’re talking.”
“Okay!”
Good answer.
Azusa happily went on about what kind of teachers and friends she had at her old school. Unlike mine, her school life was normal and pleasant, which made me envious while at the same time I felt like I was experiencing everything through her colorful stories. It also reminded me I was the one who ripped that life away from her.
In her stories, Azusa was just as strong, cheerful, and a little weird as she is now. I got a different impression hearing about it directly from her than I did from the biannual reports from my spy.
I’m glad I asked her to tell me about herself, was my honest reaction.
It was a spontaneous suggestion on my half, but I’m glad I had such a good idea. I was somehow entranced as I listened to her.
“…And then, that…teacher did that…and then…um…”
“Azusa?”
I glanced toward Azusa to see her nodding off. Her body swayed with a fixed rhythm every time her head bobbed forward.
“…What to do with you?”
I could have carried her to her room, but she said she couldn’t sleep. It’d be a shame if I carried her there only for her to wake up and not be able to fall back to sleep. I snatched a fleece blanket from my bed and put it on her.
“Only this once. I mean it.”
I knew she wouldn’t answer me, but I had to say it.
✦ ✦ ✦
“KOUYA! Forgive the intrusion! Azusa is missing! Do you know where she is?” Ichi bellowed, bursting into my room pale-faced first thing in the morning. I was already awake and changed, but Azusa was still sound asleep on the couch.
Ah, crap, I instantly thought—and with good reason.
“K-K-Ko-Kouya! What did you do to Azusa?! Why is Azusa here? Don’t you dare tell me you did something to her?!”
“…I haven’t done anything.”
I can’t claim I haven’t done anything at all, but I haven’t done anything worthy of concern.
“Please answer me this instant! Why did you let her sleep here? I was even starting to have a little faith in you! This is why men are! This is why men are just so!”
Apparently, I brought out Ichi’s misandry. Ichi woke up Azusa in a flurry and scuffled out of the room with her as if it were on fire. Upon seeing the wall shake with how hard she slammed my door behind her, I dismally decided to eat breakfast alone.
As expected, the details of the night were transmitted from Azusa to Ichi and Ichi to Subaru, who intruded on my one-man breakfast to tease me like the buzzing menace he is. I should have hit him harder.