Chapter 13: Bathe Together?!

(Part One)

Liuli’s house is close to the apartment Cola picked—just a five- or six-minute walk.
Follow a small ditch straight ahead, no turns needed.
It’s a typical Japanese two-story detached house, not too wide but not cramped either.
A narrow bike path runs on the right, and an overgrown vacant lot sits on the left.
Such unremarkable plots are often for sale in Japan, sometimes cheaper than expected.

Liuli, dragging her suitcase, stops at the door, adjusts her bangs, and presses the doorbell.
A toot-toot sounds, followed by quick footsteps from inside.
The sliding door opens a crack, revealing a young woman’s face.

“Little Liuli’s back?”

“Yup, I’m home!”

“Uh… hi, big sister.”
Cola, clutching her backpack straps nervously, forces a smile.

“Oh, such a sweet talker, I’m not that young!”

“Huh?”

“Miss Cola, this is my mom.”

“Oh… sorry!”

“No worries, no worries—who’s this?”

“This is my new friend from Tokyo.
She rented a place nearby, but the paperwork’s not done, so I invited her to stay with us for a few days—okay, Mom?”

“Of course!
Come in—what’s your name?”

“Just call me Cola.”
Cola scratches her cheek awkwardly.

“Can I call you Little Cola?”

“Uh… s-sure…”
Cola shudders; it’s her first time being called “-chan” in Japan.

“Great~ come in!
These slippers okay?”

“Anything’s fine… luggage by the door?”
Cola struggles to haul her oversized suitcase into the entryway.
“It’s kinda big…”

“By the door?
Won’t that make getting clothes inconvenient?”

“Clothes are in my backpack, it’s fine…”
Cola pats her bulging backpack, stuffed with her laptop, clothes, and daily essentials, making it heavy and lumpy.

“Then put it in this corner?”

“Sure, thanks.”
Cola’s not rude, just not a fan of excessive honorifics.
Some courtesy’s needed, but too much feels sarcastic.

“Mom, is there hot water today?”

“Yup, want to bathe, Little Liuli?”

“Yup!
Got any milk bath bombs left?”

“A few.”

“Great~”

“Shall I run the bath?”

“Yup, I’ll take my stuff upstairs first.”

“You ate lunch, right?”

“Yup.”

“Have fun in Tokyo?”

“Uh?
Yup!
Super fun!”
Halfway up the steep stairs, Liuli turns back.
“Miss Cola, put your backpack in my room?”

“Oh—sure, uh, steep stairs…”
Cola, looking around, snaps to attention and nods awkwardly.

“Sorry, the house is kinda small.”

“It’s fine, steeper stairs save space…”

The second floor’s about half the size of the first.
Besides the balcony, the rest is Liuli’s room.
Pushing the door open, Cola’s stunned.
The walls are plastered with vampire posters—not a patch of bare wall left.
Besides posters, vampire plushies—bats and cute vampire girls—hang everywhere.
Oddly, no male vampire merch in sight.

“My room’s a bit cluttered, let me tidy up!”

“Cluttered’s an understatement—walls covered, floor packed, even the wardrobe’s topped with figures.”

“Ehehe… my precious collection.”

“No male vampires?”

“I love vampires, but I prefer girl ones, so I only collect those!”

For a split second, a bad feeling creeps into Cola’s heart.
The room smells sweetly of a girl’s scent.
Clothes hanging on the wall are mostly black or red—Liuli’s clearly obsessed with those colors.

“Backpack by the door okay?”

“Yup!”

“Phew… finally some relief.”
Cola rubs her sore shoulders, feeling lighter.
The day’s exhaustion eases, and she grows curious about the figures in the cabinet.
It’s a small display, crammed with figures—some vintage, others new.
Not all look like vampires.

“So many hair colors for vampire characters.”

“Yup!
Modern vampire characters differ a lot from traditional ones.
But silver hair and red eyes are the most authentic!”

“This one’s pretty.
What’s it from?”
Cola asks casually.

Liuli rattles off, “That’s Krul from Seraph of the End.
Next to it is Laika from Vampire Princess, and that one’s the sisters from The Vampire Dies in No Time.”

“Vampires and shut-ins go surprisingly well together…”

“Staying home all day ‘cause they fear sunlight?
Such a cute trope!”

“Cute?”

“Yup!
It’s a moe point!”

“Too bad we don’t fear sunlight—no moe point there,” Cola teases.

“That’s a contrast moe!”

“You’ve got an answer for everything…”

“Little Liuli—bath’s ready!”

“Coming!”
Liuli shouts toward the stairs, then looks at Cola expectantly.
“Miss Cola, wanna bathe together?”

“Huh?”

“C-can we?
Bathing with a vampire miss is my life’s greatest wish!”

“No, no, you’re a vampire now too!”

“It’s not the same…”

“Uh… not really appropriate…”

“Best if you could turn into a fluffy bat and bathe with me…”
Liuli mumbles, head down.

“You’re a furry?!”
Cola yelps.
“I told you, I don’t turn into bats!”

“Eh—”

“Don’t look that disappointed!”

“S-sorry…”

“No need to apologize!
God, what’s with you Japanese?!”

“So no bathing together?
The tub’s too small for two…”

“…So you still want me to be a bat?”

“Can you?”
Her eyes sparkle again.

“No—way!”

“Ehhh—”

Liuli’s drawn-out, genuinely disappointed voice echoes as she heads downstairs.
Cola pats her flushed cheeks, sighing.
“Just a girl with weird hobbies and no boundaries with other girls.
I can’t think impure thoughts…
Bathing together’s for after we’re dating—cough, or married.
Whose surname would the kid take…?”

Cola’s thoughts spiral wildly again.

(Part Two)

In the bathroom, the water’s warm—not too hot, perfect for the summer heat.
The milk bath bomb has dissolved, turning the water a tempting milky white, with a rich, sweet milk scent.
A half-drunk Coca-Cola bottle floats on the surface, bobbing with the ripples.
Liuli leans on the tub’s edge, staring at her reflection.

No different from usual—no sign she’s a vampire.
If not for the silver-haired, red-eyed girl upstairs, she’d think it was a dream.
“Vampire, huh…”
She pinches her cheek.
“Phew… so exciting, my dream came true.
But… vampires should drink blood, right?
No blood, are we really vampires?”

Suddenly, her eyes glow faintly in the mirror.
Her black pupils turn orange-red, golden patterns swirling within.
At first, she stares curiously, but her gaze grows unfocused, murmuring “blood” repeatedly.
She rises from the tub, as if under some mysterious control, her will gone.

“Blood… I’m a vampire who craves blood… I need the blood of pure maidens… sweet like fine wine…”

(Part Three)

Admiring the figures, Cola hears the door open and glances over.
Liuli, dripping with milky liquid, walks slowly toward her, unclothed.
Her orange-red eyes glow faintly, golden patterns swirling.

“Whoa…!”
After two seconds, Cola realizes and shuts her eyes.
“L-Liuli!
Y-you’re not w-wearing…!”

Before she finishes, a soft body tackles her, pinning her down.
Sharp teeth graze her neck, rubbing slowly.
Liuli, breathing hotly, murmurs as if possessed, “I’m a blood-bathed vampire… I need pure maidens’ blood… sweet like wine…”

“W-what’s wrong?
Liuli!
Wake up!
D-don’t touch there!”