Chapter 26: Caring for Idiots Is Everyone’s Duty

Part One

The dim yellow streetlights don’t block the moonlight, letting silvery beams flow through the alley.
Cola grabs a few oden skewers from a convenience store, taking one chikuwa for herself and handing the rest to Inuyoi Saeko, waiting across the street.

“Today’s meal was awesome! Vampires are loaded, huh!”

“Just didn’t wanna see an idiot starve.”

“Idiot’s fine, as long as I’m full…”

“Giving up resistance that fast?”
Cola teases, blinking.
“When’s your grandpa back? Or you’ll be starving again tomorrow.”

“Can I crash at your place for food?”

“You’re shameless…”
Cola smacks her lips.
“I don’t have cash to feed you every day.”

“As long as I’m fed, you can beat me up!”

“I’m not into that.”

“No worries, wounds heal fast! Whips and chili water? Totally fine!”

“Masochist, huh?”

“It’s fair trade! If you’re in a bad mood, Miss Cola, you can whale on me—just feed me!”

“Even in a bad mood, I wouldn’t hit people. I’m not that awful.”
Cola droops her eyelids.
“How’d you find me, anyway?”

“Um… vampire magic residue.”

“Magic residue? That easy to track?”

“And scent tracking! I’m good at it, but your vampire scent’s faint, so it took days of city-wide searching—”
Saeko sniffs hard.
“Yup, not my mistake, you smell like soda…”

“Huh? For real? Too much Cola lately?”
Cola mutters, sniffing her hair.
“No smell… uh, maybe some sweat.”

“Werewolves smell what humans can’t! Mm… this tofu’s so good… phew… full…”

“Say, when your grandpa’s back, he won’t come after me, right?”

“Huh? Um… he’ll probably watch you. You seem nice, but what if it’s a disguise? If you kill, me and Grandpa will fight you to the death!”

“Still don’t trust me, huh?”

“Think I’m an idiot? A little food buys me off?!”

“Want a sausage?”

“C-can I really?!”

“…Too easy.”
Cola smacks her lips.
“Kidding, not buying.”

“Such a mean vampire!”

Part Two

Bickering, they arrive at Cola’s building.
She points to the third-floor room.
“Hey, wolf… werewolf miss.”

“Hmph, finally treating me to sausage?”

“You were thinking about that the whole walk?!”
Cola’s mouth twitches.
“Next time…”

“Promise!”

“Fine… Anyway, this is my place. If you’re in trouble, come find me.”

“Huh? You live in such a normal place?”

“Sorry I can only afford a cheap apartment,” Cola says, rolling her eyes.
“Oh, there’s another vampire nearby. Can you sense her?”

“Mm… faint magic, only noticeable up close, totally different from you.”

“That’s my Embraced vampire…”

“Whoa! You’re not good after all, turning a human into a vampire?!”

“Listen, she was already dead, so I turned her.”

“Reviving the dead is an even bigger taboo!”

“She died saving me, I couldn’t just watch her die—thought I was human and took a knife for me.”

“I see… but newborn vampires crave blood. Can you control her, Miss Cola?”

“Chill, she’s like me, only drinks Cola.”

“How much did the Cola company pay your clan…? Capitalists are wild, getting vampires to drink soda…”

“Nothing to do with damn capitalists!”

“Miss Cola, Pepsi or Coke?”

“Coke.”

“Oh, Coca-Cola’s the sponsor…”

“I said it’s not a sponsor!”
Cola gives Saeko a pitying look.
“Alright, go home, I’m sleeping.”

“Vampires sleep at night?!”

“Gotta fix my schedule, I’m getting a job soon.”

“Wow, a broke vampire.”

“You’re one to talk!”

“When Grandpa’s home, I get plenty of allowance!”

“That’s his money, not yours.”
Cola rolls her eyes hard.

“Huh? Isn’t Grandpa’s money mine? It’s for me to spend…”
Saeko nibbles her finger, then steps back, standing straight.
“Well, Miss Cola, bye! Feed me again next time!”

“I’ve never met someone so shameless…”
Cola grimaces, waving off her unexpected dinner guest under the dim streetlight.
Then a headache hits.
She has a feeling this girl’s gonna keep showing up to mooch food…
“Vampire hunter, my ass… totally useless.”

Part Three

Maybe the food’s digested, or using telekinesis drained her, but climbing three floors leaves Cola winded.
Panting, she fumbles for her key, only to notice a shadow by the door.
Looking down, it’s Liuli, leaning against the door, head tilted, fast asleep.

“Liuli, Liuli?”

“Mm…”

“Why’re you sleeping here?”

“Huh…?”
Liuli groggily opens her eyes, blinking at Cola, then suddenly remembers something and jumps up, banging her head on the doorknob.
“Ow!”

“Careful! You okay? Hurt?”

“Mm… fine…”
Liuli rubs her head, face flushed, stepping aside.

Cola pushes the door open, flips on the light, and asks, “Why’d you fall asleep at my door?”

“Sent you tons of messages, no reply…”

“Huh? When?”
Cola checks her phone—dozens of LINE messages from Liuli.
“Cough, didn’t check while walking back…”

“Mm… thought something happened, so I brought Mom’s tempura… uh, it’s cold now.”

“If I didn’t answer, just go home. Why wait so long?”

“Was… worried…”

“About what?”

“N-nothing…! Oh, Miss Cola, did you… eat with a friend today?”

“Uh… kinda, not a close one.”

“…Miss Cola, you like tall girls…?”

“Huh? Why ask that?”

“Eh? Just… popped into my head… random!”

“Honestly.”
Cola coughs.
“I’m kinda into lolis.”

“Ehh—?”

“Not the creepy kind, just… I like shorter girls, around my height, my favorite type.”

“Eh, eh!?”
Liuli’s face turns beet red.

“What’s up? Your face is so red.”

“I-it’s hot…! Y-yeah, so hot… the weather…”

“Speaking of, Liuli, you’re exactly my type.”

“Eh, eh!?”
Liuli, flustered, shoves the tempura box into Cola’s arms, turning and nearly crashing into the door.
“S-sorry! I’m not ready!!”

“…Liuli, Liuli!”
Cola freezes, chasing to the door but stopping short.
“Did I tease too far…? Treated her like Wolf Girl… Liuli’s sensitive… damn, did I make it awkward? Liuli, Liuli—! I was joking!”
Cola shouts from the railing, but Liuli’s gone in the dark.
“No, no, can’t talk like that again… might lose a friend.”
Cola sighs.
“If I were still a guy, that’d sound so sleazy… gotta watch what I say, not everything’s a joke…”
Back by the window, sipping Cola, she reflects.
“Mo Ke, teasing ‘cause you’re into someone’s looks? Not cool. What if she took it seriously? This body can’t take responsibility for girls. Even if it could… phew… I dream of a pretty girl liking me, but I’m not ready for love. Hurting anyone’s no good…”
She rubs her cheeks, sighing deeply.
Even craving love, she doesn’t want to be flippant.
After hesitating, she messages Liuli:
“Sorry, Liuli, was just joking. My ‘like’ is like how you like vampires, nothing special.”
Expecting no reply until tomorrow, her phone buzzes.
Liuli’s response is quick.
“Miss Cola, sorry, I made you worry… I was just a bit scared…”
“No, no, don’t be scared, I’m not gay, haha!”
Cola sends a half-hearted lie.
“So, so sorry!”
“Uh… what’s that mean? Feels like there’s more to it…”