Chapter 10: The Train Journey

(Part One)

Starting from Akihabara, they ride two stops, then rush to Platform 5 to catch a train that looks like an old-school CRT TV—called the Rapid Urban, per Liuli, like China’s Fuxing or Hexie trains.
Cola’s head spins from all the twists and turns, trailing Liuli like a lost chick.

The train’s packed at first.
They barely snag a spot near the carriage connection.
The seat’s small, but both are petite, so they squeeze in.
With too many people, Cola doesn’t bother with her phone, just closes her eyes, enduring weird smells, praying for the station to arrive soon.
Gradually, the chatter fades, the carriage quiets, and when the multilingual “Omiya Station” announcement plays, hurried footsteps echo.
Opening her eyes, the train’s nearly empty.

“Hmm…?”

“Feeling better, Miss Cola?” Liuli whispers.

“So many people gone.”

“Gets emptier the further we go.”

“Quiet’s nice.
Can see the scenery…”
Cola gazes at the blue sky and scattered buildings outside, breathing easier.
“How long till we’re there?”

“About an hour to Takasaki.”

“Then transfer, right?”

“Yup!
Platform 6 at Takasaki, take the Ryomo Line to Maebashi.
From there, it’s a three-kilometer walk to my place… maybe thirty, forty minutes?”

“Huh?
Walk?”

“Or… fly?”

“No, I mean… take a taxi.”

“That’s expensive.”

“…Guess we’ll walk.”

“Can’t we fly?”

“More tiring than walking.”
Cola rolls her eyes.

“But walking’s sunny.”

“Should’ve bought a parasol in Akihabara…”

“They sell them after we get off, at a convenience store.”

“Oh, right, you know the place.
Take me later.”

“Sure!
I need one too!”

“Do you hate the sun more now?”

“Hmm… not really?
Just worried about tanning.”

“Hey, vampires don’t tan.”

“But aren’t there dark-skinned vampires?
Tanned ones…”

“That’s fan fiction!
Or maybe they were Black before turning.”

“Makes sense—” Liuli’s eyes light up.
“So I don’t need sunscreen anymore?
No burns at the beach?”

“…But the sun still makes you sluggish.”

“No biggie, as long as I don’t tan!
Being a vampire’s great—eternal youth, no tanning…!”

“But you get addicted to Cola…
Wait, that’s just our bloodline…”

(Part Two)

The train’s high-speed hum is sharp at first, grating the ears, but you get used to it.
With fewer people, Cola sprawls across her seat, staring out the window.
In Japan so long, this is her first trip outside Tokyo.

It reminds her of arriving at the airport.
Everything felt novel then—even the airport train was exciting.
The sky was clear blue, clouds soft and white, people polite and friendly, everything peaceful—not like a disaster-prone country.
A year later, she’s jaded about Japan and its people, finding it all dull.
But now, she recaptures that initial wonder.

—Like a traveler, seeing everything with fresh, unbiased eyes.
Despite her body’s drastic change, it brought a new identity.
No more worrying about failing college exams and losing her visa.
“Lose a horse, gain a blessing…”
She comforts herself in Chinese, chuckling.

Her reflection in the glass—a silver-haired, red-eyed girl—catches her eye.
She stares.
Being pretty has perks: a bad mood fades when you see your face in the mirror.
At least until she gets sick of it.

“Miss Cola, Miss Cola?”
Her sleeve tugs.
Liuli waves a bulky gaming console, smiling.
“Wanna play Mario Kart?”

“Mario Kart?”

“Yup.”

“Why’d you bring that?”

“Gets boring otherwise.”

“Isn’t it huge?
Switch 2, right?”

“Yup!
Felt big at first, but I’m used to it.
Bigger screen’s comfier.”

“You’re a Nintendo shill, huh?”
Cola jokes, glancing at an imaginary camera.
“Pay me for the ad… or at least don’t sue for infringement.”

“Come on, it’s split-screen for two!”

“On a train?
Won’t it shake?”

“Put it on my lap—like this.”
Liuli props the console on her legs.
“See?
Stable~”

“Uh… ahem, pretty stable.”
Cola shifts her gaze from Liuli’s legs, clad in sheer black thigh-highs, and clears her throat.

Liuli’s in a thin black hoodie dress, short skirt, and knee-high stockings, her “absolute territory” peeking out, her pale skin tempting.
“Here.”
Liuli detaches the right Joy-Con, straps it, and hands it to Cola.
“Play it sideways—ever played, Miss Cola?”

“Nope, my newest Nintendo was a 3DS.”

“No worries, I’ll teach you~”

“Ahem, I’ll figure it out…”
As a gaming “otaku,” Cola doesn’t want to seem like a noob.
“It’s just joystick to move, A-Y-X-B for skills or drifting, right?”

“Nope, A’s accelerate, B’s brake and drift.”

“Cough… I-I knew that.”

“Ready?
Pick a character, and we start.”

“Let’s see…”

“Eh, choosing Bowser?”

“Yup, special meaning to me.”

“Eh?
What meaning?”

“Ahem… I’ll explain later…”

(Part Three)

11:24 AM.
Cola and Liuli arrive in Maebashi via their final transfer.
Japan’s administrative setup confuses Cola—prefectures are like provinces, but cities are smaller.
Maebashi’s like Gunma’s “capital,” its liveliest spot.
But compared to Tokyo, it’s quiet.

Playing games on the train made the trip bearable.
Stepping out, Cola breathes deeply under the blazing sun, spreading her arms to embrace the city she’ll live in for a while.

“Phew, home!
I grew up here.
Gets boring after a while, but coming back after a trip, it feels great.”

“That’s hometowns.
You only miss them when you leave.”

“You too, Miss Cola?”

“Yup, I miss my hometown a lot…
It’s way hotter than here—”

“Eh?
Really?
Here it gets to 37, 38 degrees.”

“That’s nothing.
My hometown hits 42, 43.”

“?!
Not hot?”

“Hot as hell.”

“We’re tropical vampires?”

“Nah, it’s not that tropical…”

“Miss Cola!”

“Huh?”

“There’s a convenience store.
Get a parasol?”

“Yeah, let’s.”

“What color?”

“Parasols come in colors besides black?”

“Yup, like red, deep red!
Perfect for vampires!”

“Plain black’s fine…”

(Part Four)

Japanese convenience stores are like mini service hubs—you can buy stuff, eat, even withdraw cash.
They have one or two ATMs for various bank cards, though with fees.
With banks less common than back home, it’s super convenient.
Japan’s not big on mobile payments; many shops take only cards or cash.

For ease later, Cola uses her grandpa’s bank card to withdraw 30,000 yen.
Heading to grab a parasol, she sees Liuli hopping over like a bunny.

“Miss Cola, look!
They’ve got cute plush toys!”

“…What’s that?
A bat?”

“Yup!
Vampire symbol!
First time seeing this style, gotta collect it!”

“No, no, who said bats are vampire symbols…?”

“Eh?
Aren’t they?
Vampires turn into bats, right?
Can I?”

“Absolutely not!
Our true form’s just this—no bats!”

“Aw… they’re cute and fluffy…”

“Are they…?”

“Yup!
Not cute?”

“Eh, kinda…”
Cola eyes the plush bat shoved in her face, leaning back.
“Pretty realistic.”

“Realistic’s cuter…
Miss Cola, I really can’t turn into a bat?”

“Nope…”

“Then what’s our bloodline’s real symbol?”

“Before, I didn’t know.
Now… for our bloodline…”
Cola’s gaze lands on the fridge.
“Probably Coca-Cola…”

“Hmm… any Cola-shaped plush toys?”

“You’re really obsessed…”