As Ruka closed the curtain to block out the glare from the setting sun, she heard a whisper behind her.
“As I told you yesterday, there is a very high likelihood of them targeting you. Walking around at night means exposing yourself to danger. I want you to remember that well.”
So she came here to warn me? Right, it is more dangerous at night since that’s when vampires are active. I should probably avoid night shifts to be safe. Makes perfect sense. It really does, but I can’t just accept that.
“If I don’t work when I can,” said Ruka, “I can’t buy clothes and makeup.”
“What’s more important? Going shopping or preserving your life?”
“If I gotta pick one, then my life matters more. But they’re both important.”
Shijunana kept opening and closing her mouth like she wanted to say something, but eventually she just crossed her arms and leaned up against her seat. “Hmm, so being unable to live normally due to the threat vampires pose is also a problem...”
Ruka thought Shijunana wasn’t satisfied with her answer, but she also didn’t seem like she was gonna argue. She looked more taken aback than anything.
“Until this incident is resolved,” Shijunana said soon after, “I will guard you. When you take an evening shift, please contact me.”
Huh? Really? Well, I mean, that’s really nice of her to offer. I’ll be safe at night and have someone to talk to on my way home. Not gonna complain about that.
“I know that this will cause you some degree of trouble, but please bear with it for now.”
“Trouble? Nah. I’m glad I get to go home with you.”
“Ah...” Shijunana suddenly turned away like she had in the hallway earlier today, but Ruka still had no idea what that meant.
This girl was such a mystery, and that made Ruka smile.
“So what can I getcha?” Ruka asked.
“What do you mean?”
“This is a café, so you gotta order something.”
“Huh...? Ah, I see. My apologies.” Shijunana picked up the menu and started looking it over. The warm lighting in the shop made the contours of her face stand out even more. Her eyes gleamed like precious jewels as her gaze flitted around the menu like a butterfly.
Watching Shijunana made Ruka restless until her patience ran out. “Lemme recommend the CC. Tasty AF compared to other shops.”
“CC refers to cheesecake, correct? But what does ‘tasty AF’ mean, exactly?”
“It means the cake’s so freaking delicious, it’s on a whole other level. One of the owners used to be a pastry chef, and she’s the one who came up with the recipe. Seriously, it’ll blow your mind.”
“Hmm... In that case, I’ll take a baked cheesecake and an original cappuccino.”
“On it!”
After grabbing the menu from Shijunana, Ruka went to the counter to put in her order. She told her boss what they had discussed, and he gave her a conflicted look.
I think he’s really bummed about his wife’s cheesecake clinching the order, instead of his coffee... What the heck. That’s so childish!
When nine o’clock rolled around, Ruka and Shijunana left the café together. The sun had set, but it wasn’t that dark out thanks to the streetlights. With Shijunana right beside her, Ruka felt like she could really relax. On the other hand, Shijunana was constantly looking around and on guard against any vampires or retainers that might suddenly pop up.
If one does show up, will she use that weird power again...?
“So hey, can I use that sparkly silver stuff too?” Ruka asked.
Shijunana’s eyes kept on moving as she replied, “Are you referring to exoforce?”
“Yup. I can fight vampires if I have it too, right? What do you think?” It wasn’t a serious question, but Ruka was a little curious.
“One acquires the use of exoforce through surgical operation and training. The amount you can store and output varies from person to person, but theoretically any human can obtain it.”
“So I can too...?”
“I would not recommend it. Training to use exoforce requires a great deal of time and effort, and you must also swear to abide by the precepts of the hunter alliance.”
“Precepts?”
Shijunana nodded. “Precepts are laws that hunters must follow. They cover a vast array of rules and regulations, but some examples include ‘you must not reveal the fact that you are a vampire hunter,’ ‘you must not discuss vampires,’ and ‘you must not misuse exoforce.’ They have also been revised over time, so newer rules like ‘you are not to appear at public events or talk to the media’ and ‘you are not to use social media’ have been added.”
“Welp, sounds like a no go.” Ruka didn’t even have to think before she said that. I mean, I ended up in a freaking interrogation just trying to keep a secret. No way I can handle all those rules.
Shijunana continued with a chilly look on her face. “Hunters who violate the precepts are punished by the alliance. Any hunters deemed incapable of rehabilitation are surgically stripped of their exoforce before their memories are wiped.”
“Oof...”
“I, too, believe those methods are extreme. But when an individual possesses such great power, wrongdoing is an obvious possibility. There is also a risk of our abilities being weaponized in military conflicts among humans. And so, restrictive rules are necessary.”
So those precepts are to keep vampire hunters from running wild. Well, I get it. Just look at that whole fight between her and the retainer yesterday. But wait...
“Uh, didn’t you do a bad, then? You told me all that stuff about you guys!”
Shijunana shrugged. “Exceptions are allowed under emergency circumstances. As such, I should have the opportunity to defend myself... Of course, that will have to wait until other hunters arrive. It’s not something you need to worry about.”
She sounds so calm, but that’s not okay. I mean, she’s been fighting vampires all this time. It had to be tough—she’s got a scar on her cheek and everything. And she doesn’t even get anything for making it through all that! And if she breaks their precepts, she has to defend herself?!
“Hey, Shijunana-san, why’d you become a VH anyway?” Ruka asked.
Shijunana furrowed her brow. “By VH, do you mean vampire hunter? Why do you ask?”
“I mean, this whole VH thing... How should I put it...?” Ruka mumbled and trailed off. She didn’t know how to put her feelings into words—or even what exactly those feelings were—but maybe she didn’t need to. If she did, she would probably end up arguing against the whole concept of vampire hunters and the system surrounding them. Saying stuff like that would be like denying who Shijunana was, though, and Ruka definitely didn’t wanna do that.
But keeping my mouth shut is frustrating too...
“I became a vampire hunter in order to carry on my grandmother’s will,” said Shijunana.
Oh, phew. At least it doesn’t sound like she got forced into it.
“My grandmother entered the world of hunters after her husband was murdered by a vampire. Even after completing her quest for vengeance on that vampire, she devoted her life to protecting humanity from those monsters... I really admired her, so I became her apprentice. My parents were fiercely opposed, however.”
Ruka heard the hint of self-deprecation in Shijunana’s voice and put the pieces from her story together. So that’s why she’s living alone. But I get how her folks feel. Like, one day their daughter suddenly says she wants to put her life on the line fighting monsters... Of course they’re gonna try to stop her. She ignored them, became her grandma’s apprentice, and threw herself into such a violent world. I’m sure they still don’t know what to do about all that.
Yeah... This whole system the vampires hunters have is really bugging me. They’re in danger all the time, but since they’re chained down by those precepts, they can’t even use their skills how they want. It wrecks their relationships with their families too. There’s, like, nothing good about this!
Ruka looked up and saw Ginka Shijunana staring at her.
“Even so, I am proud of what I have accomplished as a hunter. No matter what anyone may say, the hunter alliance’s mission to protect the innocent is just, and I have saved numerous lives since becoming a hunter. I most certainly do not regret my decisions.”
Ruka couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful and noble silver hunter as she walked down the street, her rhythmic steps in perfect sync with her elegant and efficient motions.
I swear, the more I get to know her, the more I feel at ease.
“You really worked hard,” Ruka said, and she meant it.
For some reason, though, Shujinana’s expression looked stiff. “Fighting vampires was simply my mission as a hunter, and eradicating them would not have been possible without the power of the entire hunter alliance. Furthermore, I suspect we may have overlooked a surviving vampire. I certainly do not believe I am worthy of praise.”
“No way, you’re totes amazing, Shijunana-san. You can do all this crazy stuff, but you don’t brag at all. Respect.”
“Any hunter is capable of using exoforce. And I do not boast about my techniques because I follow the precepts. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Nuh-uh, nope. Not buying it.”
Shijunana turned away with that same stiff look on her face.
Does she think I’m just saying that to be nice? Ruka was worried, but then she noticed Shijunana’s ears were a little red. “Wait. Are you embarrassed?”
As soon as Ruka asked that, Shijunana suddenly picked up her pace. Ruka caught up and tried to catch a glimpse of her face, but she turned her head away.
That reaction told Ruka she was right. A sly grin spread across her face. “You’re a total cutie, Gin-chan!”
“You should respect your elders.”
“Whoa, you’re bringing up age now? We’re classies, y’know?”
“Classies...?”
“’Cause we’re in the same class! So we’re, y’know, pals! Buds!”
Ruka tried to get in front of Shijunana, but she got embarrassed and pulled ahead. So Ruka picked up the pace, only for Shijunana to move faster too. The scenery around them went by in a flash as they kept going.
Come on, you can at least stop for a sec!
Their game of tag lasted all the way until they made it to Ruka’s house.