"What a fucked up story," Kaito groaned. "Kokichi's parents are long-dead, but he's still agonizing over 'em. And he's got a whole organization to back him up? Shuuichi, I don't mean to be negative here, but you're in some deep shit."
"I'll kill him and that will fix things." Maki stood to her feet once more, simple mind trained towards the easiest option. "Otherwise, there's no way you can go on living."
"Guys, I don't think that's the right way to think. And Maki, what are you even saying? You're human, you're no match for a vampire hunter whatsoever."
Maki shifted uncomfortably in her seat, prompting Kaito to cough awkwardly into his sleeve, as well. It was true that compared to Shuuichi, the two of them weren't nearly as remarkable. Sure, Kaito made up for it by doing intensive training (although as a future astronaut, he had to be physically healthy no matter what), and Maki was a different kind of athletic (she could measure up against vampires if she really tried, honestly) in general, but neither of them were strong enough to take on Shuuichi on their own.
And once they first found out about his vampirism, they really tried to take him on. Maki remembered those failings clearly enough, and scoffed in light of them. "What's your point? Vampire or not, when someone attacks you like that, you don't just take it lying down."
"I didn't," Shuuichi snapped. He bit back with more vigor than usual, the innate bloodlust within him flaring at her challenging tone. He kept the worst of it under wraps as he spoke with renewed benevolence, almost apologetically. "I was about to get rid of him, but then he jumped off the rooftop to chase after me! And I couldn't just—couldn't leave him there to die."
The two of them were quiet after that. Shuuichi understood their feelings to the point where he let the silence envelop everything, hoping their thoughts were more organized than his own. Yet in those few moments of hesitation—where the world became so loud around their hushedness, cars in the streets and construction ongoing in the apartment complex behind them—everything seemed to solidify at once.
Kaito spoke up first. "Of course you couldn't. The man literally—literally—tries to kill you and you still show him mercy. What the fuck, Shuuichi?"
"For once, I agree with Kaito. Even if you didn't want to kill him, you should've dumped him in a ditch somewhere. Instead, we ran into him here. So you mean to say that—"
"I brought him here? Yes, that's true."
Maki sighed. "You idiot."
"Okay, so, what's the plan?" Kaito asked while leaning forward. His hands were clasped and his eyes were narrowed, seemingly determined to take on this new dilemma with Shuuichi—almost as if Momota's fragile humanity wasn't a huge restriction to helping out, in the first place. "Because if you were gonna interrogate the dude, he's long gone. Maki and I ran into him before you came back, and he was quick to get outta here."
Shuuichi nearly withered at this realization: Kokichi was gone, and since he lived to tell the tale, he certainly wouldn't let himself get caught off guard by Shuuichi's tactics a second time. At least, not without a fight, and despite their contrasting natures, Shuuchi really didn't want to come to blows with Kokichi.
But a hunter was a hunter, and for Kokichi to be a vampire hunter was a frightening prospect, despite Shuuichi knowing the reality of it firsthand. Shuuichi always heard rumors and stories from other fellow vampires, but he'd never encountered a real hunter before. As a result, he couldn't tell if others were stronger or weaker than Kokichi, or if Kokichi was a special brand of hunter, himself.
Something within Shuuichi said the latter was true, however, and that Kokichi was unlike any other hunter of his caliber—if there were others of his caliber. Because all he brought to battle were silver daggers and a disarming smile, as well as a natural power that exuded from him, defying the childish innocence he wore like a well-crafted mask. He talked about games and promises, exacting vengeance and anger in one fell swoop. If it weren't for Shuuichi's own mind games, he'd be nothing more than a stabbed-to-death, bleeding mess of a body left for police to find overnight. Or worse, his own uncle, who already had to deal with the loss of Shuuichi's parents, in addition to Shuuichi himself.
There were so many things to consider, and Shuuichi finally understood that he couldn't do this alone. Even if two of his most trusted friends were human, he had more connections outside of them, and if he played his cards right, he could gain their assistance without having to endanger their lives.
"I definitely...have something in mind. But before I can do anything, I need to find out more info. About Kokichi, about whatever organization he works for. All I have to go on is our interactions with him so far, and your testimonies."
"And his scarf," Maki said. She grabbed the black-and-white checkered cloth from Kaito, and threw it at Shuuichi, who caught it without stumbling. "Kaito snatched it off of him. It's possible that it's unrelated to his gang or whatever, but I seriously doubt it."
"Yeah, the guy's dressed up like he works in an insane asylum. Or a circus. Or some weird mix of the two," Kaito agreed. "We can help out, too. I can ask around and see if anyone knows him. Maybe he's got social media?"
"Kokichi is too smart for that," Shuuichi said. He stared thoughtfully at Kaito, until he stared past Kaito, and through the walls entirely. His mind was working at a fast pace and the real world meant nothing to him, so long as the gears within kept turning. "But that's not a bad idea. You two should take this easy, alright? Leave the heavy lifting to me."
Maki frowned. "Fine. Just don't get caught up in too much, okay? You're a vampire, sure, but you're not invincible. If Ouma gets the jump on you, and we're not there—"
"I promise that won't happen." Shuuichi's golden eyes were determined, or troublesome, as Kokichi would put it. However, as he looked at Maki, they were also sincere, bright with the possibilities that came from his fateful encounter with Kokichi, rather than the fear that would have dominated any other person alive.
Then again, Shuuichi wasn't as weak as he looked. Maki nearly forgot that, herself, but was reminded by his kindness. She spared him a small smile.
"I'm holding you to it, then."
.
.
Shuuichi normally didn't bring personal belongings with him when he went out. The only exception was his cell phone, which was his main method of communication between his friends, humans and vampires alike. Otherwise, he left everything at the agency, either locked away in a company drawer, or kept in a private room beyond public usage. With the shadows at his side, Shuuichi could go most anywhere in the city, and if he really wanted to, he could return home in a moment's notice.
Though, revealing himself in the midst of a crowded city street was less than ideal. He thought back to his fight with Kokichi, and how much of an effort Shuuichi took in order to avoid the major traffic on the streets and on the sidewalks, and how he chose to take their fight to the skies because of it. Like Kokichi said, Shuuichi could easily survive any fearful mob's movements, or even taken a hostage of his own so Kokichi would have no choice but to back off.
Yet those were actions deserving of a monster, and Shuuichi was really trying to prove himself beyond that monstrous capability. He wanted to believe that in spite of his vampirism, he was a decent person at his core, one misguided by his nature and his inevitable thirst for blood. But as a person, he felt less whole these days, to the point where it was as if he was separated from himself. Almost as if Shuuichi the Vampire and Shuuichi the Person were two different people, and the person faded as smoke into shadow.
So he stalked the streets with nothing but his phone, which buzzed at the appearance of a new notification. Shuuichi paused and ducked into a nearby café, squeezing into one of the seats before checking his phone.
good morning! can i talk to you about some personal problems? nothing too troubling or deep, i promise. it's okay if you're busy, too! just lmk!
Shuuichi smiled at the mere thought of Kaede. The two of them have been friends since high school, and she was more adamant than anyone else about having him outgrow his shyness, abandoning his hat which he used as a defense mechanism. So the fact that he continued to wear the hat all the way past high school and further past graduation was nothing short of devastating to her, but she was too kind to ever scold him about it.
Of course, he'd probably get an earful from her today, when she saw him and noticed that the hat was gone. And the reason for that being? Well, he couldn't just explain the entire Kokichi situation to her, given her status as a human and one that wasn't completely involved in the vampire world.
Although, Rantaro wasn't a jealous type, so he shouldn't mind much if his girlfriend is advised by someone other than him on such matters. Shuuichi sighed as he responded with a text of his own: sure. over the phone or did you wanna meet up? i'm out in the town today!
Usually, Kaede was busy with work (full-time pianist, part-time barista) on weekdays, but she seemed to be on break because she replied in an instant: perfect! let's meet up! my shift ends at 12:00!
Currently, it was 11:45, and Shuuchi knew the exact place where Kaede worked. It was several blocks away from him, however, and there was too much traffic everywhere for him to get there early, or even on time.
Shuuichi slipped into the bathroom—a single room in the back of the café—and kept the door unlocked. He flipped the lights on, straightened out his clothes, and watched the door carefully as the shadows began to envelop him.
One particular entrail of darkness flailed around him, lashing like a whip in the door's direction, causing him to use his mental fortitude to divert the shadow before it made contact. Part of him worried that someone else would come barging in, and so he tried to envision his new destination quicker than he usually did. His heart beat faster, and faster, and faster, still, until he couldn't hear anything else over the deafening rhythm of his pulse.
Then he opened his eyes, and he was in the alleyway next to Starbucks.
Shuuichi smiled as he walked towards the entrance.
.
.
"Shuuichi!" Kaede squealed as she went in for a hug. He beamed at her, and held his arms out as she embraced him. After a few good squeezes, she let go, and ushered him outside of the café. "Oh, I should've asked if you wanted something to drink. Sorry!"
"It's fine," he reassured her. The two of them went to their usual hangout, instead, which was a locally-owned bookstore just around the corner. It was a lively place, with plenty of comfy chairs and study tables for public use. And with a constant stream of people going in and out, there were new books, old books, and rebound books of every kind. Shuuichi eyed a particular copy of Sherlock Holmes before he and Kaede sat down.
They preferred to sit on two plush armchairs in the corner of the store, with a circular table in between them. Kaede placed her things on the table, and Shuuichi set aside his phone, as well. "I know you said it wasn't too troubling, but you don't have to say that for my sake," he said. "What's wrong, Kaede?"
"I meant, like, it's nothing that you should really worry over." She fiddled with one of the charms hanging from her backpack as she frowned. "My family is fine, my health's pretty good, and I haven't been fired…"
Shuuichi nodded, bearing all those things in mind. Usually those would be things considered as personal problems to most people, so if Kaede was fine in those regards, he could only think of one thing she'd be worried about. "Is it—"
"It's Rantaro."
Ah. Shuuichi had a suspicion that Kaede and her boyfriend had been going through relationship troubles lately, but he was also friends with the boyfriend in question. Shuuichi and Kaede were friends since their first year of high school, and he only met Rantaro less than a few years ago, as an extension of Kaede. Even then, he bonded with Rantaro in more ways than one: namely, their shared vampirism. It was an important trait that Kaede happened to be aware of—you had to know if you were dating a vampire, after all!
Still, Shuuichi hadn't heard anything from Rantaro's end about his and Kaede's relationship going south. Then again, he literally had no experience in this field (something that he agonized quite often over), and in retrospect, would be someone ill-fitting to give advice.
But what else were friends for, if not to give advice when each other needed it most? And from the frown on Kaede's face, and the dimness in her rosy eyes, Shuuichi could tell she needed it. "Did you two have a fight, or something?"
"It's not really a fight." She dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand. Shuuichi also attuned himself to her heartbeat, which was going steady in spite of natural nervousness. In short, she was telling the truth, and so with the worry of secrecy dispelled, Shuuichi reverted his attention to her words. "Mostly, I think it's my fault. Lately, I've been doing more charity work: fundraising concerts, music festivals, volunteering at hospitals and those kinds of things. I go where I'm needed these days."
Shuuichi knew this. One of the many things he admired about Kaede was her selflessness towards other people, and how even though her own life was already so busy (she threw a party not too long ago, and before that she roped Kaito into helping her with community service for three days straight), she always made time for those in need. Rantaro was a pretty laid back guy, too, so surely he could understand that Kaede had obligations outside of him.
Then again, despite his good looks and pretty-boy charms, Rantaro was never a bad, jealous, or unfaithful person. At least not romantically, but Shuuichi was certain that applied to other aspects in life, as well. He said, "Right. Do you think that he misses you, then? Is he acting differently?"
She bit her lip. "That's the thing. I asked him as much, but he swore that he's fine with all my projects and he doesn't mind. But even then, I can just tell that something's off, y'know?"
"Like what?"
"For the longest time, I wasn't sure. I mean, it's not like I abandon him for good, or anything." She laughed at the very idea of it. "He sleeps over at my apartment half the time. I visited his house and had a sleepover with his sisters just last week! Everything seems fine, but there's something under the surface. How do I explain this? It's like, like pianos usually take center stage in a performance, but in this case, Rantaro is a bass guitar flying under the radar." Kaede pouted. "No one would notice if they weren't already used to the sound."
Suddenly, Shuuichi felt his stomach drop. It was an uncomfortable feeling, and he couldn't resist the urge to shift in his seat, hoping to find some comfort in the well-worn plush material. Instead, he felt like he was sinking, and his eyes were downcast as a flood of thoughts came over him.
Kokichi's existence proved that vampire hunters were up on the rise. Was Rantaro having worries that a human couldn't possibly allieve? In that case, it wasn't Kaede's fault for not measuring up to some standard in his mind, rather, it was an external problem that required a fellow blooddrinker and his blood-drinking insight.
He glanced up to meet her worried expression, and sighed heavily. "No, I understand now. Lately, there's been a lot of...vampire activity in the city."
Kaede's frown deepened. "Okay, well—"
"Vampire hunters, to be exact."
Her frown fell off completely, replaced by a blank expression of fear. "What? H-Hunters? Those really exist?"
Shuuichi was taken aback, but tried not to show it. "Of course they do. Did Rantaro never tell you?"
"It's not that he didn't tell me, but he said that hunters were mostly a thing of the past, and that few of them existed today." Her hands were clenched into fists on the table, and she spoke through gritted teeth. "You don't think he's in trouble, then? And what about his sisters? Mika and Seira and—"
"I...I'm jumping to conclusions," Shuuichi murmured. "I've been hearing rumors and I, well, I know someone that got attacked recently."
Lying wasn't his forte, but Kaede was too rattled to see through him, for once. Her eyes were blown as wide as saucers. "What?! That's terrible! Are they okay?"
Shuuichi thought of the silver blade that was once lodged into his shoulder, and the way his body bled pink around its harmful edge. The rest of him was black and red, as it should be, but the sting of metal was real and palpable. He did his best to not look bothered as he reinforced his lie with a grimace. "They're fine. They made it out with their lives, but not before telling me about it. And so, if Rantaro seems distant, maybe...maybe he's thinking about this, too."
"Oh my God," she groaned. "Oh, Shuuichi, that's awful. What should I do? What can I do?"
"Stay calm, first of all. A-And, well, I guess...leave it to me. I'll talk to Rantaro and find out what's really going on. The hunter thing is the worst case scenario," he reminded her. "I only said it so you would consider it. I wasn't trying to scare you or anything."
Kaede nodded, inhaling deeply in an attempt to calm herself down. "You're right. I-I'm sorry for freaking out on you. Honestly, I thought about that as a possibility—that maybe Rantaro was doing some vampire stuff that was kinda dangerous—but I couldn't wrap my head around it."
Why hasn't he bonded with you yet? Shuuichi thought. Unlike Himiko and Tenko, he's in no rush to solidify this relationship, but he's been dating Kaede for years, now! Everyone is different, and yet…
"You can rely on me this time, Kaede! I mean, you can always rely on me, but I guess some times are better than others, and, uh—"
She cut him off with a tiny laugh, and a gentle hand placed over his. "Thank you, Shuuichi. I appreciate the help, and you're right: I can always rely on you."
He turned pink at the compliment, but took it in stride. "You're welcome. I'll try to live up to your expectations, then."
"Great! I know I just totally brought the mood down, but maybe you and I can get out of here and grab some lunch, or something." She stood to her feet and slung her backpack over her shoulders. It was fluffy, pink, and cute—just like the rest of her ensemble. "I have until 1:30, since my coworker took a longer shift yesterday, so if I take my time today, it'll even out. Shall we?"
She held out her hand to him, and Shuuichi found it funny that she did the exact same thing once before, when they were high schoolers—when Shuuichi was nothing but a loner who hesitated before jumping right into the offer of friendship. Kaede made it easy, though, with her kind words, genuine laughter, and true loyalty. Back then, Shuuichi admitted to having a crush on her, but it was a classic "friendship so strong that the feelings were mistaken for romance" kind of thing, and they both accepted the fact that they didn't need to date or kiss or anything in order to be close.
But in moments like these, where her lips were painted and her eyes were bright, Shuuichi couldn't help but think that if she had never met Rantaro all those years ago, then it would be him at her side, instead. He'd invite her to his apartment and they'd watch detective movies late at night. While Rantaro was too busy to help Kaede with her projects most of the time, Shuuichi would drop everything to help her, basking in the warmth that she gave off—his own personal sun.
Yet if she was the sun, then he was the moon, and their union was never meant to be.
He accepted this fully—and everything else about Kaede Akamatsu—as he grabbed her hand with a smile. "We shall."
.
.
"Why are you going through the cabinet?" Maki asked Kaito. The two of them were still at the detective agency, standing in the back room that Shuuichi took them in to in the first place. They were just about to leave, but Kaito insisted they stay, all while he rummaged through the furniture.
His eyes were trained to his phone, which was face-up on one of the counters. "Because I'm trying to find—aha!" He grinned at Maki over his shoulder. "Found it."
She walked closer to see what it was he found, and stood still at the sight of it: an aluminum briefcase filled with silver daggers. As far as they knew, silver was a harmful material to vampires, and the only people that weaponized it were hunters. So what was their best friend and known vampire doing, hoarding a supply of silver for himself?
Maki wanted to ask as much, but her face must have worn the brunt of her confusion, as Kaito answered her unspoken question without missing a beat. "Apparently, half of these are from Kokichi."
"That bastard," she hissed. "We should call the police on him."
He rolled his eyes. "And tell them what? Officer, can you arrest that guy? He attacked my best friend, who is a vampire, who also happened to save his life, and who basically disposed of all evidence of the attack, although we got these cool knives to show you as proof? As if."
"As if we'd say that much to an officer, to begin with," Maki grunted. "Fine, you have a point. But if we're not using this as evidence, what are we using it for?"
"Shuuichi said we should take them, just in case. Not to kill vampires on purpose, but as self-defense." Kaito rubbed at the back of his head, frowning. "If hunter activity is on the rise, then so is vampire activity. And, uh, in a city crawling with bloodsuckers, only a couple of 'em are friendly to us."
"Hmph. Very well." Maki armed herself with the dagger, handling it deftly before strapping one to the side of her right boot, as well as concealing one underneath her skirt.
Kaito couldn't look away if he wanted to, and seeing a flash of her inner thighs as she moved did nothing for his already-blushing face. He coughed into his sleeve, as if that would do anything to stifle the heat burning within. "Jeez, show off, much? I forget that you're certified in actual self-defense."
"And basic martial arts."
"Right, and that. Well, uh, I'm a normal fucking person, so I don't know what the hell I'm gonna do with these." He looked a little disturbed at the sight of such blades. One of these pierced Shuuichi, right? To think that the edge could dig into his skin, tear apart his meat, and cause him to bleed…
"If you want, I can...help you…" Maki's voice became quiet at her own admission, and she matched his redness with her own flustered shade. "But if you don't take this seriously, then I'll kill you."
"Uh, sure, you can 'help' me." Kaito sighed. The days were much easier when Shuuichi was just Shuuichi, and not also a vampire, but he guessed friendship was like that, sometimes. Being a friend meant sticking it through, even when things got weird, and things got out of hand when they weren't supposed to. But if Kaito ever wanted to get out of this arrangement, all he had to do was say the word. "Maybe after some lunch? I'm fucking starved."
Maki concealed her daggers effortlessly, again, and placed a hand over her stomach. "Hmm, I feel the same. How about the restaurant across the street? We can split the bill."
There was once a time where Maki despised human interaction, and becoming friends with Kaito and Shuuichi was a great chore by itself. While she wasn't a ray of sunshine by any means, Maki had certainly grown from that time, if her willingness to initiate conversation was any indication of it.
Kaito smiled big, unable to conceal his true feelings any longer. "That sounds great! Let's get the hell out of here, yeah?"
Maki nodded in agreement. "Yeah."
.
.
"So, about your hat…" Kaede knew the best time to ambush someone was when they were inside a booth finishing lunch together, where they'd be trapped in more ways than one.
Shuuichi found no comfort in the atmosphere of the busy restaurant and gulped. "Kaede, I can explain—"
"I begged you for years to take it off, and now some rando steals it from you? And to top it all off, you don't want to wear a spare hat, either, because it just doesn't feel right? Did I hear that correctly?"
"Yes," he muttered. "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry I was so stubborn about it, but I swear, I would've taken it off by myself at some point!"
She scoffed. "Really?"
"Really!"
"I don't believe you."
"I'll make it up to you, then. I promise."
"Oh, you will." Kaede wiped her face with a napkin, gathered her backpack, and stood to her feet. "I should get going soon. Don't wanna be late for work."
"Right!" Shuuichi sprung up and wiped his mouth with a napkin, as well. "So we should—"
"Oh, but would you look at the time? I have to leave right this minute, or else I'll be late. And if I'm late, I don't want to think about what my boss will do as a punishment." She smirked, before saying, "You'll take care of this bill for me, won't you Shuuichi?"
Kaede waved him goodbye, a sight that Shuuichi became so familiar with, but so grateful towards, all the same—even if it did cost him thousands of yen on an overpriced lunch, in the process. Both him and his wallet cried out in agreement.
"S-Sure!"
