10:10 PM
Megumi had fed on some random sotobano and was now sitting in front of the window.
"Good evening, love!" Megumi started, smiling.
"Evening, Megu! Everything okay? You know, you could've come to Kanemasa today," she commented in a sweet tone.
"Sorry, I was tired... Anyway, I ran into Tohoru and Natsuno, as well as Kaori and her brother," the boy replied, finishing up his bedtime preparations.
"Oh! What did Yuki say?" Megumi asked.
Victor checked his phone and saw the little indicator confirming that Megumi loved him. But still… she wasn't completely on his side. She was halfway there… even after everything she had seen. That crazy girl still loved him?! Well, she still loved him even after he tore up her letter. And besides… she was his first crush, right? You never forget your first crush, and it's always the hardest to let go of. Victor knew that well. How long had it taken him to understand that? Two years? Three!? No—four! But now it didn't matter. He was going to let her hear the recording.
"She was just a pathetic pain in the ass, obsessed with me, and I'm glad she's dead! At least she's not annoying me anymore with her 'Oh, Yuki-kun…' If she ended up in some Christian-style yokai hell, then good! I'm happy!"
"He thinks that of me?! He really thinks that of me?! That bastard! He's happy I'm dead!? Well, I don't want him around us! And honestly, I don't even want that idiot Tohoru! Let them do their gay stuff in their gay house with their gay video games!" Megumi snapped.
"HEY! HEY! First of all, video games aren't gay… and second, Tohoru's not gay—he wants to sleep with Ritsuko!"
"Victor… Natsuno can go back to his beloved city! I don't care about him anymore!" Megumi shouted, standing up abruptly.
"Megumi, calm down, I'll always be here by your side!" Victor hugged Megumi through the small window.
"Why are you the only one who understands me!? Why does it have to be a stranger!?" Megumi muttered, sobbing.
"I think it's because I know what it's like to be bullied just for being yourself," he said, loosening the hug and kissing her on the lips.
It wasn't just Megumi's first kiss—it was Victor's as well.
"Well done, champ! Now invite her inside and bang her like a rug!" the deity laughed before adding, "I can't believe your first kiss was with some third-rate vampire from another universe—a crazy yandere stalker, no less! But hey, I'll shut up now. I don't want to ruin the moment!"
Megumi picked up a rock and threw it into the air.
"Crazy yandere, huh, you shitty deity?!"
"You're lucky I'm not petty, or I'd fry you so hard you'd turn to ash," the deity chuckled before his laughter faded into the night.
"So now you know who sent me here…" Victor muttered.
"Yeah… and he totally ruined the moment! Anyway… well, goodnight! Love you!"
Victor sat on the edge of his bed, scrolling through his phone's timeline.
"Just a few days left before Tohoru is at risk of dying. I need to find a way to save him… but without killing the shiki that's going to do it… That would mess up the plan I have in mind… Wait… maybe… maybe! I have an idea! Hahaha!" Victor muttered to himself, searching on the Shiki-Wiki for ways to keep vampires away.
14 September, 4:10 PMVictor entered Tohoru's house with a smile.
"Hey, Tohoru, am I bothering you?" Victor asked as he stepped inside.
"No, no! Come on in! Is that a gift?" Tohoru asked, noticing the envelope in Victor's hands.
"Yeah, some lucky charms. You're a great friend, but man, you've got some bad luck!"
"Bad luck?!" Tohoru repeated.
"Well, you live with Masao," Victor replied.
The two burst into laughter.
"Come on, he's not that bad!" Tohoru commented after a moment.
Victor pulled out a crucifix and hung it over Tohoru's bed, then placed a small Buddha statue on the nightstand and sprinkled some strange red powder over the doorway.
"What's that?" Tohoru asked.
"Crushed red brick powder—they say it keeps evil away! Actually, before I leave, I'll put some on the front entrance too, okay?" Victor smiled, then hung a traditional Japanese lucky charm by Tohoru's window.
"Hey, who exactly are you protecting me from? A nuclear war with China?" Tohoru laughed.
"My friend… don't worry! Nothing's gonna happen to you! Buddha will protect you, the kami will smile upon you! And you have to become a dad! And experience future video games! And maybe even become a YouTuber!" Victor said, finishing his work.
"A what?" Tohoru asked.
"Uh?! Oh! Nothing, nothing! You'll understand when you're older… at least 15!" he laughed, heading for the door.
"You're leaving already?" Tohoru asked.
"Yeah, my uncle is waiting for me at the clinic! And don't move anything I placed here, okay? Even if you have guests over! Got it? Good! Bye!"
Before stepping out, Victor sprinkled some more crushed brick powder at the entrance, then waved goodbye.
On his way through the streets, Victor ran into Tatsumi, who was just loafing around, pretending to be the friendly neighborhood guy—in other words, acting like an idiot.
"Hey, my favorite doctor!" Tatsumi called out.
"I'm not even a doctor yet! Otherwise, why would I be working under my uncle?" Victor replied loudly, making sure the old folks and passersby could hear.
"Good point, doc!" Tatsumi laughed.
"You're an idiot, Tatsumi," Victor said, patting his shoulder before lowering his voice, "Ever thought about becoming an actor?"
"Back when I was human, they said I had talent! But now, my life is devoted to Lady Sunako!"
"Your choice! But I think you could've been really famous," Victor commented before heading toward the clinic.
9:30 PM
Victor was scanning the timeline with interest. The Kagura Festival would still be the big turning point… but there was still a month and a half to go. A month and a half of things to do. He loved Shiki, he loved Megumi… BUT HE HATED THIS PLACE! Seriously, it was the most boring place in the universe—damn it.
"Evening, sweetheart!" said a familiar voice.
"Evening, Megu! Already eaten?" he asked, putting his phone away.
"Yeah! But the bastard I drank from tasted awful! Maybe it's the meds he takes… or what he eats," Megumi replied, making a disgusted face.
"Hey, you could be a walking blood test machine if you tried!" Victor laughed.
"Idiot!" Megumi replied, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder.
"You seem in a good mood. What happened? Did Tatsumi give you a raise or something?" Victor joked, knowing full well shiki didn't use money.
"I got revenge on that asshole Natsuno!" Megumi grinned widely.
"Megu, what did you do?! And it's weird to hear you call him 'Natsuno'—and insult him, too!" Victor said, getting comfortable on the bed while Megumi leaned against the wall.
"I just left him a note full of well-thought-out insults! That'll teach him to be a jerk!"
Victor facepalmed and sighed deeply, checking the timeline again. The major events hadn't changed… except for Tohoru's death. It was gone. A good sign.
"What's up!?" Megumi asked, crossing her arms under her chest.
"Megu, technically, you're DEAD! DEAD! Holy and blasphemous! You shouldn't be leaving traces around that you're still alive!"
"Don't worry! I didn't tell him I'm a shiki, or that you're my boyfriend and all that! I just insulted him!" Megumi responded, laughing.
"Okay, well, he probably suspected you were stalking him even after you died, huh? At least you know you're insulting him! Right?"
"Yeah! But before you and I... you know... I want to have a little fun at his expense!"
"A selfie of the two of us giving him the middle finger while kissing!?"
"A what!?" Megumi asked, tilting her head.
"I'll show you!" Saying that, Victor grabbed his phone and took a photo next to her.
"Nice! I'm so photogenic!"
"Yeah, you're really beautiful, honey... but what you did is very, very stupid! Do you know that!?" Victor commented.
"Oh, it's not true! I just played a prank."
"That's why I'm 25 and you're still 16, Megu! Come on, use some judgment in that head of yours, tucked between those cute pigtails!" Victor commented.
"Okay, big brother!" she replied, sticking out her tongue.
"Avoid doing stupid things like that, okay!? The situation is already a mess! The shiki verse is what it is! Don't make things harder for yourself, okay!?"
"Alright... but you're ultra protective!" Megumi commented, pouting.
"Hey! That's my job as your boyfriend! To protect you! Even if you're a shiki! Right?"
Megumi softened her face and smiled. "Thank you... but seriously, a stranger from outside this village had to take care of me!? From another universe, no less! But thanks for doing it! I'm going for a walk and to drink with some idiot walking around at night... but don't they know there are shiki out here!?" she giggled.