Chapter 30: Feels Like We’re Not Close

The café’s break room is a neat, square space.
Being underground, it has no windows. A bookshelf lines one wall, a long sofa and glass coffee table sit in the center.
A Sony plasma TV hangs on the wall, playing static nature scenes even when the room’s empty—almost like a makeshift window.

Despite having spent nights in the same room before, being alone with Liuli in this windowless space feels… awkward.
Like they’re not really close.

“Uh… so…”

“Mm… Miss Cola?”

“Just call me Cola, okay?”

“Eh? Is that alright?”

“We’re close friends now, right? ‘Miss Cola’ sounds weird.”

“W-well… we’ve only known each other a few days… we don’t really know each other that well…”

Cola blinks, totally lost by the red-hairpinned girl’s words.

“I-I mean…! We’re close physically, b-but mentally… it’s like… we’re still…”

“Huh? Did I just hear something wild?”

“N-Nayuki-nee, it’s not like that!”

“Haha, what’s with the weird topic?”
Hoshimi Nayuki sets a fruit platter on the coffee table.
“Here, my treat. Rest up during the day.”

“T-thanks! Nayuki-nee, is this okay…? There’s watermelon… isn’t that for customers?”

“It’s on me. Alright, I won’t bug you two.”

The door closes, plunging the room back into awkward silence.
Cola scratches her cheek, breaking it.
“Liuli, have some watermelon.”

“C-Cola… you first…”

“Nah, I’m not big on watermelon. Ate too much back home.”
Cola spears a piece with a toothpick, holding it out to Liuli, half-joking.
“Don’t tell me I need to feed you?”

“C-can you…?”

“Alright, open up.”

“Ah—”

“How’s the watermelon?”

“Mm… sweet…”

“Is it? I always thought Japan’s watermelons aren’t sweet. Back home’s better—I once ate a whole one in a day. Got a stomachache.”

“I heard watermelons there are cheap.”

“Yeah, in the right place, one yuan per jin—about 20 yen—gets you a good one.”

“So cheap… Why’d you leave where you grew up to come to Japan?”

“Uh… just bored, I guess.”
Cola coughs.
“Wanted to try a new life.”

“I see…”

“So, what’s up with you today?”

“Eh? Nothing?”

“Saying we’re not close—it felt kinda off.”

“N-not that we’re not close… just… we don’t know each other well yet…”

“True, we’ve only known each other a few days. Getting super close isn’t realistic.”

“Sorry…”

“Why’re you apologizing now?”

“For not telling you… I was almost blind before.”

“No big deal. Too excited from becoming a vampire to remember?”

“Y-yeah… Mom asked how I could read the TV from so far, and it hit me.”

“It’s good news, right?”

“Mm! So, thank you, Cola. Without you, I’d probably be blind in a couple years…”

“Haha, funny how vampires, creatures of darkness, brought you back to light. Uh, well, you weren’t blind yet…”

“My life’s completely different because of you…”

“That’s a good thing, no?”

“B-but sometimes I worry… do I deserve this? It feels too happy, like I might die tomorrow.”

“No way, vampires don’t die that easy. Not as tough as werewolves, but our healing’s strong.”

“Mm, mm!”

“So stop with the ‘Miss Cola.’ Just Cola.”

“W-well… Cola, you’ve always called me Liuli…”

“Yeah, ‘Little Liuli’ sound better?”

“Liuli’s fine… Cola? Feels weird.”

“Haha, you’ll get used to it.”

“About yesterday, sorry… I said something harsh.”

“I started it with a bad joke.”

“F-friends saying ‘like’ is normal, right? My fault.”

“So, what’d you think?”
Cola teases.
“Cough, not like romantic like, right?”

“Eh… mm…”

“No way, haha, we’re both girls.”
Cola lies, forcing a light tone, feeling uneasy.

“In your long life, you’ve liked lots of guys, right?”

“Huh? No way!”

“Eh?”

“Alright, Liuli, honestly, I only have about twenty years of memories. I’m not some ancient being… I’m pretty young, in every sense.”

“Eh? You forgot from living so long, or… you lose memories and rejuvenate?”

“Nah, neither.”

“N-neither?”

“Never explained properly.”
Cola spears another watermelon piece, holding it to Liuli’s mouth.
“I just inherited my ancestor’s power. A few days ago, I wasn’t even a vampire. Believe it or not, I’m barely older than you as a vampire.”

“Eh?!”

“That’s how it is. Before this, I was just a normal person.”

“B-but you said you lived…”

“Yeah, grew up there.”

“So, you came to Japan with your parents to study, then… became a vampire by accident?”

“Close enough! But I came alone.”

“C-Cola’s amazing…”
Liuli exhales slowly.
“I feel so much more relaxed now.”

“See? Don’t imagine me as some ancient, scary thing. I’m just like you, ordinary.”

“Not ordinary anymore, we’re vampires!”

“Vampire or not, gotta live properly.”
Cola smacks her lips.
“Without doing illegal stuff, vampire powers are mostly useless.”

“I think they’re useful. Like sensing emotions—it helps me read the room.”

“Haha, that’s handy, though not as cool as mind-reading.”
Cola reaches for another watermelon, but Liuli beats her to it, offering a piece.

“Here, Cola, you eat too.”

“Oh, alright… mm… so bland.”

“Needs salt?”

“Never ate salted watermelon before Japan.”
Cola chews, puffing her cheeks.
“Say, Liuli, you’re socially anxious, right? Why work here?”

“I’m most scared of half-familiar people… don’t know how to greet them… I struggle with social distance.”

“Social distance, huh?”

“Y-yeah… did I cause you trouble before?”

“Huh? Haha, nah…”

“A-at first, it was an accident. Ran into Nayuki-nee on the street, and somehow we started talking…”

“She just talked at you, right?”

“Yeah… Nayuki-nee’s super outgoing. I wanted to escape home, but she invited me to the café…”

“She forced you to work?”

“Mm… the piano drew me in. I only have an electronic one at home.”

“Don’t you get nervous performing?”

“I only play during quiet daytime hours, so it’s fine…”
Liuli smiles softly.
“Also, I wanted to feel it…”

“Feel what?”

“If I went blind, I’d want to be a café pianist.”

“Makes sense, a job you can do blind…”

“You might not get it, Cola. Sometimes I close my eyes, imagining a blind world, and playing feels… immersive.”

“That’s… super optimistic.”

“It’s so when I open my eyes, it feels like regaining something. It’s… happiness only possible before blindness. Without your ‘miracle,’ my future would’ve been bleak…”

“Suddenly glad I can turn people into vampires.”

“Your power could help so many! Turning people into vampires could cure terminal illnesses, right?”

“It can, but I only get three Embraces.”
Cola counts on her fingers.
“You used one, so two left…”

“Eh?! So… a precious one was used on me?”

“Yup.”

“Sorry… I said those things without knowing, so sorry! You were so sincere with me!”

“No biggie, it’s just you not getting social distance, right? Sometimes you feel so close, sometimes far.”

“Ugh… sorry, I’ll try to fix it…”

“No need, that’s just you. No need to be like everyone else.”

Liuli’s face flushes, and she looks away, flustered.
“U-um… I-I’ll teach you about the job!”

“Hehe, shy now?”
Cola leans in to see her face.

“N-no…! C-Cola, don’t tease me…!”

“Ah, sorry, sorry.”

“N-no… that’s not what I meant…”

“Eh? Then what?”

“N-nothing!”

“Hey, riddle girl much…?”