Chapter 28: Get to Work, Vampire Miss!

Part One

Pushing through a dim hallway, a door opens to a bright, simple office, unremarkable save for heavy curtains drawn tight.

“Boss!”
A balding middle-aged man bows ninety degrees.
“You really came!”

“Hey, don’t get the wrong idea, I’m just passing by.”
Despite her vampire powers, Cola, until days ago an “ordinary person,” feels a twinge of nerves facing yakuza in this cramped space.
She crosses her arms, feigning nonchalance.
“This guy said you found something?”

“Yes! I was planning to deliver it to you today!”

“What is it?”
Cola’s curiosity piques.

“A safe. We’ve followed your orders all these years and finally found it in an abandoned building.”
The bald man carefully pulls a red-cloth-covered safe from a cabinet.
“It must be important to you…”

“Uh, cough, did I ever mention the password?”

“No, you never did.”

Cola steps forward, eyeing the lock—not just numbers but an alphanumeric keypad, making it trickier.
“No way it’s that…”
Muttering, she types WAHKL, hesitates two seconds, then hits confirm.
The safe, well-preserved, clicks crisply, and the lid pops open.
The tall, lean man and the bald man keep their heads down, avoiding a peek, while Cola leans in curiously.
“A notebook…”
She flips through it.
“Damn, it’s all in kana, who can read this?! And the handwriting’s like a dog’s scrawl! The old man’s such a pain…”
Grumbling, she skims a few pages, confirming it’s her grandfather’s diary.
But after a few lines, her head hurts.
A diary in kana is like one written entirely in pinyin, with some English homophones thrown in—impossible without context, and even with context, half of it’s gibberish.

“Boss, is it… what you needed?”

“Yeah, I guess.”
Cola nods through gritted teeth.

“Boss… are you working on something bigger? Needing a low-profile civilian identity?”

“Boss! You helped us in secret, didn’t you? The guys pressuring us suddenly backed off, letting us keep this turf!”
The tall, lean man, excited, bows.

“Kazama, don’t presume to guess the Boss’s plans,” the bald man scolds.

“Sorry! I-I just wanted to thank her!”

Cola blinks, confused, about to deny it but seeing their grateful faces, swallows her words.
“Cough, you get it.”

“After last time, I thought hard about your words, Boss. I think I understand… you want Silver Lady Group to stop being a violent organization and run legit businesses, making your plans easier, right?”

“Uh… yeah!”

“Everything’s in your plan!”

“We don’t know your plan, but we’ll support it fully! Any… suggestions for our current business? A direction?”

“Well…”
Cola clears her throat, pacing to the curtains, pretending to think.
“You said there’s about a hundred guys left, right?”

“Yesterday, a few more left. We respect their choice, since Silver Lady Group is already…”

“Still a lot, yeah?”

“Yes… we used our remaining funds to buy this property as our base and waived ten years’ rent for the underground café as our first investment.”

“One café won’t feed that many. How about starting a small housekeeping company? Train them to clean range hoods, unclog pipes, or help people move—physical work they can handle. I know you were yakuza, but even yakuza need to eat, right? You’re not yakuza anymore, so do legit business. Make sure everyone’s fed!”
Cola rambles.

“Yes, Boss! I’ll keep Silver Lady Group going per your plan!”

Honestly, “Silver Lady Group” makes Cola want to laugh, but she controls her face, coughing twice.
“Just don’t solve things with violence anymore. It’s a new era, got it?”

“Yes, we understand!”

“Alright, I’m out.”

“Boss…! You remember me, right? I’m Ohara Kofu. You healed my fatal wound with your blood years ago…! And Kazama Saburo.”
The bald man gestures to the tall, lean one.
“He was a kid then, and you saved him from that terrifying monster!”

“Y-yes…! Boss! I’m Saburo! I swore I’d follow you to death…!”

“Boss, as a vampire, you’re still so young… I’m already old, and Saburo’s grown up. Time spares no one.”

“Oh… humans age fast, huh? I barely recognized you.”

“To a vampire like you, we’re just passersby in your long life…”
Ohara Kofu smiles bitterly.

“No biggie, I kinda remember you.”
Cola lies, tiptoeing to pat his shoulder.
“Keep up the good work.”

“Yes, Boss!”

Part Two

Being a boss feels thrilling, but leaving the office, Cola prefers being a regular civilian.
Back in the underground café, she’s about to find the manager when a lazy “Welcome” drawls behind her.

“Hey! I’m here for the part-time job interview. Where’s the manager…?”

“That’s me.”
A young woman with messy hair squints, sizing Cola up, then widens her eyes.
“Hey, wanna work here as a trap?”

“Huh…?!”

“I know you’re a girl, but your vibe’s perfect.”

“I was a guy!”
Cola blurts out.

“Oh?! Actually a guy? Even better!”

“Sorry, I was joking…”
Cola coughs.
“Slipped out…”

“You’ve got talent! Perfect, just perfect! You passed the interview!”

“Hey, isn’t that too casual?!”

“This is a themed café. We need trap servers!”

“What happened to the last trap?”

“Quit, got too old, moved on with life—such a shame… But a girl playing a trap? No worries about aging out!”

“Is this a legit café?!”

“Totally legit!”

“Then why’s it underground?”

“To avoid noise complaints. We sell coffee, snacks, and warm service, plus a nighttime live house.”

“Live house…?”
Japanese-accented English confuses Cola.

“Lots of bands perform here—famous ones, student groups, unknown acts. Tons of surprises!”

“Got it, the live house is the real deal, but getting a permit’s tough, so you use the café front…”

“Oh—! You get it, girl!”

“I’m Cola… Quantum Cola.”

“Weird name.”

“Not my choice…”
Cola shrugs.

“Formal intro, I’m the manager, Hoshimi Nayuki!”
She shakes her messy short hair.
“Call me Sister Moon here!”

“Hey, Sister Moon… so, I’m hired?”

“Yup, gotta do some paperwork. Wait here, I’ll grab the forms!”

“Alright…”

Part Three

Filling out the forms, Cola feels dazed.
She expected to bomb the interview, already planning to hit a movie theater or pet store next.
But she passed.

“Hm, living in Showa Town, bit of a trek. Okay with the commute?”

“It’s fine, not far.”
Cola shakes her head.
“Can I pick my two-hour shifts?”

“There’s a few time slots, but I usually assign them. Summer break, you’re free anytime, right?”

“Yup.”

“After school starts, only evenings, yeah? Got it. Let’s start you on night shifts tomorrow, 8 p.m. to midnight. Cool? Be on time.”

“Wait, what’s my job exactly…?”

“I’ll explain tomorrow. Oh, I’ll prep your outfit too.”

“Not really making me dress as a trap, right?”

“Of course! Traps are super popular here!”

“What if someone figures it out?”

“No way! Your vibe’s perfect—just be yourself!”

Cola twitches her mouth.
This flaky manager’s got a sharp eye…
But a guy-turned-girl playing a trap?
What is this, a fake-fake-fake trap?