Missed my shot, huh?
Missed, missed, missed...
Well, there's more than one way to kill a vampire.
Patience, patience...
That sleuth came to your hospital?!
I assume.
If you two hadn't warned me the other day,
all of my things would have been sitting right there.
Maybe the detective would have killed me.
Not that I have much attachment to this life,
but I haven't fulfilled my promise to Haru-san yet.
I need you to turn somebody and prove to me you're a proper vampire.
I know you can do it.
Fine, fine.
One more thing.
About your parents...
Haru-san and her husband...
They died, both of them.
In her weakened state after giving birth to you,
she refused to consume blood, her food source.
After Haru-san married a human, she stopped feeding on blood.
She must have actually loved him.
I envy that.
He came out of his way to tell me about her death, then passed away shortly after.
He seemed like a kind, sincere man.
You two watch out for yourselves.
Will do.
Well, that was pretty crazy.
So you're the child of a vampire and a human,
and both your parents passed away-
Let's keep things simple, my man.
"My man"?
Turns out the parents I never met are dead. What's there to be sad about?
You know, thanks to you and Kabura,
I'm starting to remember bits and pieces about my past!
Really?!
I remembered I had a favorite spot.
Anything I like, I want to share that with you.
LOOKOUT
KOMORI PARK
PARKING LOT
At first, I didn't know what those were.
"Those"?
Those lights.
I didn't realize that there's a person at each and every one of those lights.
I kept wondering what they all were, glimmering out there.
And then one day, it struck me out of nowhere.
Those are people, I realized.
Like, a whole ton of people.
Whenever I felt lost or uncertain, I'd come here.
And just watch the people.
Just thinking how there are so many of them, each doing their own thing...
It's a thrill, isn't it?
Sometimes I thought if I went closer,
it would turn out they're just a collection of lights, nothing more.
Or that it's pretty amazing that the specks are individuals with their own thoughts and lives.
I'd think about that, and it calmed me down.
The main thing I remember is my very first question.
"What are humans?"
"Why am I not one of them?"
You think I was there, among those lights?
Well, who knows?
If you had been human, I never would have met you, huh?
You know we're gonna live a long time,
so let's go places.
We'll find more favorite spots together.
Sounds great!
Any ideas where?
The ocean, maybe?
Whoa, the ocean!
I've never been!
Me neither.
Aw, jeez...
I can't believe I have to do this.
I guess I've got to.
The illuminated midnight Akari no tomotta midnight
Ego, greed, and regret, they all come and go Ego to yoku to miren ga ikikau
The rain is causing blurred sight Ame ni boyaketa shikai
Wet silhouettes traced by the neon lights Neon ga nazoru nureta rinkaku
Until morning, don't wake up yet Until morning mada samenaide
Time will tear us apart Toki ga hikisaku
Rolled my eyes and said goodnight Akireta kao de goodnight
Thought I'd caught up, turns out to be a mirage Oitsuketa to omoeba mirage
Just like that day, I want to touch you Ano hi no mama de furetai
I've already thrown away my dignity Tokku ni nugisuteta hinkaku
Mistakes happen in the blink of an eye, yeah Atto iu ma ni okoru machigai, yeah
The night is fleeting... Yoru wa mijikaku...
A lighter that has run out of gas lights up Gas gire no lighter ga terasu
How it happened Iikisatsu
Wait a minute, huh Chotto matteya, huh
Well, I have a family and a life to look after Ore nya katei ga atte seikatsu ga atteyana
She won't leave me, uh-huh Hottokante, uh-huh
She was already climbing on me before I lied to her Ore ga uso tsuku mae ni tokku ni matagattera
La di la di la la
The keyhole opens while she hums a song again today Kyou mo hanauta majiri hiraita kagi ana
You always do things your way Honto katte yana
Twenty years ago, I think it started this way Tashika ni ju nen mae mo konna hajimari kata
Ah, I have to choose between an important side in the sun Aa erabanakya daiji na hinata
And a sweet darkness Kanbi na kurayami ka docchi ka
"Write more..." "Motto kaite..."
"Sing more..." "Motto utatte..."
She laughs greedily Yokubatte warau
Just like you have planned, tomorrow is melting away Omae no keikaku doori tokete iku ashita wo
I don't care which way Doudemo iiya wo
As you can see, it ain't stopping no more, ha ha ha Kono toori, mou tomanneeya, ha ha ha
Rolled my eyes and said goodnight Akireta kao de goodnight
Thought I'd caught up, turns out to be a mirage Oitsuketa to omoeba mirage
Just like that day, I want to touch you Ano hi no mama de furetai
I've already thrown away my dignity Tokku ni nugisuteta hinkaku
Mistakes happen in the blink of an eye, yeah Atto iu ma ni okoru machigai, yeah
The night is fleeting... Yoru wa mijikaku...
A lighter that has run out of gas lights up Gas gire no lighter ga terasu
How it happened Ikisatsu
For a vampire,
an item from their human days that has great personal value is a source of weakness.
Which means exposing their mortal past can lead to certain death.
I have no interest in my past, you know?
What a hassle.
Oh-ho!
So this is the mecca of otaku culture!
I must say, I can hardly contain my excitement!
Stop that, Nazuna-chan. You're embarrassing yourself.
Why did you two tag along, anyway?
Surely you jest! Being the wotaku that I am,
I could never pass up a chance to come here!
Don't say wotaku like you know what it means.
So this is what it's like.
It's my first time coming here, but...
What's the matter?
Well, there are a lot less otaku-looking people than I imagined.
I mean, it's been a while since this town was an otaku-centric place.
Plus with the culture getting more mainstream,
I dunno if there are any walking otaku stereotypes anymore.
What?! No way!
I wanted the "Wait, these types of otaku exist in real life?!" experience.
LIGHT
NOVEL
That's why I came along!
Woot.
WOOT
You're awful, you know that?
Then why don't you go home?
Whoa, not so fast.
You can't risk looking for your weakness alone, remember?
Look, it'll be fine.
I have a lead already.
A lead?
Someone you know?
From the maid cafe?
Well, uh, you know...
Someone I turned.
Oh my word! Milady?
If it isn't Lady Midori!
Ah, as charming as ever, I see.
Nay! Perhaps even more alluring...
But I digress!
Forgive me for babbling on.
A wotaku...
The real deal!
What do you mean, "real"?
Oh-ho? And who might these two be?
I'm Nazuna Nanakusa, a vampire.
Ko Yamori, a human.
This is my first encounter with any vampires aside from milady!
The name is Love Green, human-turned-vampire by Lady Midori.
Pray call me LG for short!
Ko-kun, Ko-kun!
They really talk like that, huh?!
Yeah, I don't believe it.
Lady Nanakusa and Sir Yamori, rest assured I shall remember those names.
Why haven't you introduced him to the rest of us?
That's none of your business, Nazuna-chan.
Lady Nanakusa...
Please understand, the blame is not on Lady Midori.
"Lady"?
I mean, I'm not blaming her.
Vampires are beautiful creatures.
And yet, I must admit mine own appearance is less than ideal.
Her coven must have uncompromising standards of beauty.
Who can blame her for not inviting me amongst them?
Midori, you're just the worst.
What? No! That's not why!
Okay, then what do you have to say for yourself?
Who do you think you are?
Well you see, Love-kun...
You call him "Love-kun"?
He's a great listener and really sweet. And he knows a ton of stuff.
Lady Midori...
But he's never full of himself, and never dismissive or argumentative.
Basically, he's a super nice guy.
Uh, where is this going?
He's so sweet, everyone will want him at our gatherings!
Then he'll belong to everybody!
You've got to be kidding.
And I'll have you know he isn't a creep!
Nobody said he was.
Beautiful eyes!
Super glossy hair!
And just look how flawless his skin is!
And finally, the best part about Love-kun-
There's more?
Stay with me!
It was maybe twenty years ago...
Spare us the flashback.
I'll make it short, okay?!
See, male virgins and otaku creeps are my type.
You literally just said "creep."
Just listen!
KARAOKE
More songs than Open 24
anywhere! hours!
ALL
So I went to an offline meetup for fans of a certain game.
You know, this anime...
Ah, you make some superb observations, milady!
Astute, yet always mindful of other opinions.
Love-kun fell for me right away.
KARAOKE
More songs than Open 24
anywhere! hours!
ALL
And then one day...
Hey, Love-kun?
Yes?
Would you believe me if I said I'm actually a vampire?
Pray turn me at once, milady!
Huh?
What? That's actually kinda cool.
And here we are today.
That really was a short flashback.
Wait...
That's really how it happened?
That was the whole conversation?
You thought she was kidding and joked back, then she actually fed on your blood?
No, that's not the case, Sir Yamori.
"Sir"?
I never thought it was a joke.
It was but a natural reaction on my part.
You see, as a student, I had trouble attending school.
I couldn't conform somehow and failed to fit in with the crowd,
always feeling out of place.
But Lady Midori didn't think any less of me for it.
Whether vampire, human, or something else,
if I get to live alongside her, it matters not what I become.
Whoa...
He's so cool!
And why do you look so smug?
Uh? Did I wax poetic again?
I do catch myself doing that sometimes.
In any case, Lady Midori...
Did you not grace my humble abode for a reason?
Oh, that's right!
We've got trouble, Love-kun!
A detective who slays vampires...
Our weakness... I see.
Every good vampire story comes with its own vampire hunter, I suppose.
Right?
Okay, shut it with the otaku talk.
So that's what led to this surprise visit.
Exactly! What do you figure?
I don't think I understand.
See, Love-kun is amazing.
Once he knew I was a vampire, he looked into my past...
into my human days, in meticulous detail.
Like stuff I didn't even know.
I did a thorough investigation,
and whatever personal effects of hers I could possibly find,
I did whatever necessary to obtain them!
Yeah, you're such a Midori stan!
You even knew my body measurements, which was just plain freaky.
Well...
Freaking out milady is a joy in itself!
Okay, you two are perfect for each other.
Anyway, I have no interest in my human past so I never cared,
but who thought it would turn out to be useful?
Letting go of Lady Midori's belongings does pain my heart.
However!
No object is worth endangering milady!
I shall take full responsibility and destroy them all for good!
Love-kun...
Okay, but what about yours, LG-kun?
What's that?
We should look for your personal items too.
I know where he used to live and stuff, but...
Uh, Love-kun?
You see, I investigated my own past as well.
And I have an idea of what my weakness might be.
Really?!
That's great!
Then let's go and-
My personal weakness is...
I live for
Midori!
No, sir!
I shan't ever tell!
Uhhh?
Why the heck not?!
Just spill it, will you?!
Her bosom...
Lady Midori's bosom is pressed up against my neck. Don't you realize these two are trying to help?
Midori-san, calm down!
He looks kinda happy about this!
Man, these two...
6th Night: I'm not asking about the quality!
Why won't you tell us?
If you don't, you could be in serious danger!
So tell me, why are you such a pudgeball?
I didn't think that was possible just from drinking blood!
Is that what we need to be asking right now?
Because twice a week, even now, I partake in fatty ramen with extra everything.
What?!
Is that a big deal?
You fool! Of course it is!
Vampires have no need for any food other than blood.
We have no appetite for it.
For us, blood's just way tastier and our sole source of energy!
And yet you get fatty with extra everything?
That's like eating ramen after downing a shitload of drinks!
That's literally what he's doing.
After I initially got turned,
I spent my days learning the ropes from Lady Midori.
It was around that time
that something other than a memory stirred within me, spurring me on.
Before I knew it, I was eating.
Whether it tasted good or not, that wasn't the point.
I understood it must have been a routine.
Ah, I see.
Here, a flip phone photo from when I was skinny.
Huh, pretty handsome.
Flip phone photo?
Uh, what are we even talking about?!
Yeah, LG-kun.
This is about your personal kryptonite.
Hmph...
HMPH...
Hey, don't give me that.
It's something that he really doesn't want anyone to see.
Something really important to him.
Given that, it's probably something to do with Midori-san, right?
Urk!
URK
He just said "urk."
Is it?
Who can say?
You're kidding, right?
Look at that, he may as well have said yes!
You do always avert your eyes when you're lying, Love-kun.
Doesn't that mean,
if we keep listing all the stuff LG-san might have related to Midori-san,
we'll hit the right answer at some point?
That'll take way too long.
But it should work, right?
Midori's panties or bra?
Dude.
I do possess such items, but I acquired them after I turned, you see.
But you do have them?
We're burning those, too.
Is it something you might wear?
Something Midori-san gave you?
Guys, this isn't a game of Twenty Questions.
Her maid outfit! No, I know! Hair!
Wouldn't that be creepy?
Nail clippings?
Can we get off that train of thought?
Could it be a used straw?
Dammit, this guy.
He's not averting his eyes in the slightest!
Look at them, like he has no secrets whatsoever!
Even though he does.
Maybe we need to veer away from me for a moment.
Oh hey, Love-kun.
Wasn't there a time when you said you wanted to put out a dojinshi someday?
Fwsh...
FWSH...
Hey! He looked away!
Look me in the eye, Love-kun!
Nazuna-chan?
What exactly are "dojinshi"?
It's smutty stuff!
That's not always true and you know it.
Mutual fans of something will pitch in to create
what's essentially a self-published work.
It's not necessarily all smut,
but it does tend to have a reputation for it.
So LG-kun, was the dojinshi you published dirty?
Ah-ha! It totally was!
Wait, then doesn't that mean...
if it's dirty fanfic related to me in some way...
MIDORI KOHAKOBE
FEATURED IN A SMUTTY DOJINSHI
Actually?
Indeed it was!
What the hell were you thinking?!
When I had the hots for you back in university...
CHUO DENKI UNIVERSITY
Oh! Of course those feelings haven't waned.
Get to the point, will you?
If I could draw well enough, wouldn't I be able to churn out smut and turn myself on?
That was the question I sought to answer, and I spent my days practicing.
Naturally, the subject I hoped to draw was Lady Midori.
This is no good!
After many a day of practice, experimentation, training, and application...
at long last I made it.
MIDORI-CHAN'S CLOSE CALL
East Hall 2-42
All Hail Lady Midori Federation (provisional)
That's right, my dojinshi debut!
With an optimistic 500 copies!
Followed by...
the aftermath!
A whopping 500 copies left over!
Uh, just to check.
You don't actually remember this, do you?
Indeed not.
The details may very well be off, but I'm certain of the gist of it!
I then became a vampire, and discovered them again after a while,
those 500 copies.
I realized right away
that this was mine own work.
Why I must have drawn it.
That none of them ever sold.
For starters, I read it.
What?!
You read it? You mean you touched it?
Well...
The art sucks!
It's like a shoddy copy of my favorite artist's work!
'Twas painful to read.
Really awful stuff.
I'm not asking about the quality!
But it all makes sense now.
Or rather, it's quite a relief.
I realize now it hurt so much to read because it was a physical weakness.
Lady Nanakusa...
I read it.
The art may have sucked,
but it was a great expression of what smut means to you.
So you know...
you can always draw another one.
Uh, Nazuna-chan?
Why would you encourage that?!
I mean, who wouldn't want to read more?!
Uh no, are you kidding?!
Whoa, it's like a proper manga.
The smutty stuff!
You can't read the dirty bits, Yamori-kun!
Sleep tight, until the moment you win the night with those hands Nemure sono te de yoru o kachitoreru made
Sleep tight, until the moment the night Nemure sono me no mae de
Stops you right in front of your eyes Yoru ga ashi tomeru made
Let's play together then! Sontoki wa asobouze!
Dance until the morning comes Odore asa ga kuru made
Can't give up, until that time, I'll keep it all to myself, ah yeah Yuzuren mada soremade hitorijime ni suru, ah yeah
Ay, before I knew it, it's almost 9 PM already Ay kizukya mo ku ji mae
Just dim the lights all the way Shoumei wa kuraku shichatte
Hey, that's all for today Hey, kyou wa mou kokomade
Hey, how dare you say... ...Tte oi! dono kuchi ga nukashiteru
Even if someone carries me into the bedroom Bedroom ni hakobikomarete mo
I won't finish playing at full power Zenryoku de asobi owannee
Hey, now I kind of understand Hey, ima ja nanka wakaru ze
The reason why the adults were making me rush Otona ga sekashiteta wake
Lying upside down Sakasama ni korogari
In the arms of mama, yeah Mama no ude no naka, yeah
You act violently as if you suddenly remembered Omoidashita you ni abare
Towards my head Ore no atama megake
You stand up, and then you wobble Tachiagari furatsuki
The way you cry Nakinagara maenomeri de
And fall forward Taorekomu sugata wa
It's just like me in the morning, yeah Asagata no ore sono mama, yeah
Sleep tight, until the moment you win the night with those hands Nemure sono te de yoru o kachitoreru made
Sleep tight, until the moment the night Nemure sono me no mae de
Stops you right in front of your eyes Yoru ga ashi tomeru made
Let's play together then! Sontoki wa asobouze!
Dance until the morning comes Odore asa ga kuru made
Can't give up, until that time, I'll keep it all to myself, ah yeah Yuzuren mada soremade hitorijime ni suru, ah yeah
Just a little more... Ato sukoshi dake...
Just one more song... Ato ikkyoku dake...
Just one more... Ato hitotsu dake...
Yeah
Just a little more... Ato sukoshi dake...
Just one more song... Ato ikkyoku dake...
Just one more... Ato hitotsu dake...
Until the moment we can share Wakachiaeru toki made
Hey, didja sleep well?
It's another clear night.
The perfect night for self-discovery.
That being said, what do you have to find to get to the goal of a journey of self-discovery?
My idea of self-discovery
is something someone seeks when they're unhappy with themselves and want some direction in life.
Okay, but I feel like going on a journey isn't the answer.
Like, the more immediate stuff is more important.
Ultimately, you go back to your roots and realize your happiness was there all along.
That's pretty typical, right?
Isn't that embarrassing? It totally is!
Well, I mean a trip in itself feels like it's about self-discovery.
Because when you travel, you leave the familiar behind,
and contemplating how you feel about what's different is the whole point, I figure.
And then you come home at the end, and realize that's where you can truly relax.
I think that whole process is a journey of self-discovery.
Wow...
Then I don't have to be embarrassed by saying I'm looking for myself anymore.
So here we are! To look for it.
What's this?
A school?