"Classmate Kagarino, hey, are you still awake? School's over already."
The last class of the afternoon ended.
Called by a classmate, Kagarino Kirie withdrew from the simulated space.
"Mm… I'm fine."
"That's good."
The girl smiled at her, then picked up her bag and left.
Kirie rubbed her eyes and checked the time on her phone. 3:40.
Next was club activity time. She was part of the literature club at school, which only had a handful of female members.
The activities were simple. Reading, chatting, eating snacks, and drinking black tea.
'Mmm, that was a really nice dream.'
Kirie felt that the simulator was truly fascinating.
Inside the simulated space, the boundary of time became blurred. Several hours, even dozens of hours, could pass inside, while in the outside world only a single class period went by.
And her mind was not tired at all. Instead, she felt even more relaxed.
She picked up her schoolbag.
Kagarino Kirie prepared to go home. On LINE, she sent a message to the head of the literature club.
The general meaning was that she had something to do today and could not attend the club activity.
A few minutes later.
Renka: Understood.
"As brief as ever, the president's messages."
As Kirie put her indoor shoes into the shoe locker, she casually searched on her phone for information about Kitahara Toru.
If nothing unexpected had happened,
In the simulated world, she had adopted a very remarkable boy.
"Piano prodigy, popular male actor, wow, that's something else." Kirie browsed through more detailed information and discovered that Kitahara Toru had stopped most of his entertainment activities half a year ago and was now just an ordinary male high school student.
"Played bass on the street a few months ago, hmm… recently into music, frequently seen at… Shimokitazawa's [Hanaboshi], Shinjuku's [lolf], and ShukaHigh School."
She had to admit, his looks were indeed handsome.
That little boy in the simulation would grow into this in a few years.
Maybe I should find a chance to approach him privately. It feels like it would be interesting.
Kagarino Kirie rested her phone against her chin. As if thinking of something amusing, a mischievous smile spread across her face.
She did not think about it for long.
She left the girls' high school.
By the time she returned to her upscale apartment near Ochanomizu Station, half an hour had already passed.
Living alone, the place was a bit messy, but still fairly neat.
She hired a cleaning company every week. As a popular female novelist, Kagarino Kirie never bothered doing things herself if money could solve them.
After finishing dinner.
Kirie lay on her bed in the bedroom, and her consciousness once again entered the simulation.
Inside the dim simulated space.
"I'm back again."
Kirie noticed that after she left, the story progressed very slowly.
Even if she slept in reality and then reentered, the simulated plot would not advance much.
The simulation process was somewhat like the dating games otaku liked, although she had never really played them.
[This year.]
[Kitahara Toru is 12 years old and has reached the age to enter middle school. Unlike his peers, his early years spent in the entertainment industry have made him very mature in thought, considerate of others, and highly polished in social interactions.]
[There is just one thing you find slightly hard to accept.]
[Recently, he has been constantly asking you one question.]
[Onee-chan, when are you going to eat me?]
[A joke you made when he was little seems to have been firmly remembered by Kitahara Toru. Humans always remember the most trivial things with surprising clarity… you sigh inwardly.]
[This day, after finishing dinner.]
[When you are about to drink some blood as dessert, Kitahara Toru stands not far behind you.]
[You speak and say: ]
[1. "Do you want to drink some too?"]
[2. "If you don't want to die, stay away from me."]
[3. "Have you finished your homework? Midterms are coming up soon, right?"]
[4. Simulate personally.]
Kagarino Kirie did not make a choice immediately.
She wanted to try simulating it personally.
This seemed like it would be very interesting.
She chose 4.
◇
In the classically styled kitchen.
Kitahara Toru looked at the silver-haired girl not far away and stepped closer by two paces.
"Onee-chan, I already added blood into the red wine from dinner."
For vampires, only blood was essential. Other foods were mostly for satisfying the palate.
Kagarino Kirie first glanced around, then felt the seemingly endless power surging within her body.
Mmm… so this is what being a vampire feels like. Amazing.
Finally, she looked at the boy in front of her and revealed a sly, mischievous smile.
"I'm not full yet… is that not allowed?"
The realism of simulating personally made Kirie a little immersed. She liked supernatural things.
Kitahara Toru took two steps forward.
Very quickly, he cornered the girl.
"Y-you, what are you doing?"
Kagarino Kirie panicked slightly, lifted her head, and looked at the boy who was just a bit taller than her.
Without answering, Kitahara Toru pulled open the collar of his Western-style uniform, revealing the enticing pale neck beneath.
Kagarino Kirie immediately felt an alluring, or rather appetizing, scent rush into her nose, flowing along her senses straight into her brain.
She swallowed unconsciously.
Compared to the blood pack in her hand, the blood flowing inside the boy before her was the real treasure… her soul told her so.
No, no.
Kagarino Kirie shook her head slightly.
A vampire obsessed with men's blood was the most pathetic kind.
"…I want to repay you."
Kitahara Toru stepped closer again.
Kagarino Kirie stared at the neck within arm's reach.
She stayed silent for over ten seconds.
Under the temptation of her urge to drink blood, Kirie slowly pressed her soft, pink lips close.
Chu~
She revealed her small fangs and slowly pierced in…
A slight pain, accompanied by a strange pleasure, rushed into Kitahara Toru's mind.
Gulp~~
The sound of swallowing was faintly erotic. Combined with the unique fragrance on the girl's body, it made Kitahara Toru sink into it.
For vampires, drinking blood and sex were acts on the same level.
For some reason, this saying came to Kitahara Toru's mind.
A few minutes later.
Kagarino Kirie gracefully wiped the blood at the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief.
"Thank you for the treat."
Kitahara Toru felt the slightly numb sensation at the wound.
For a moment, he wondered if he might have masochistic tendencies.
"Was it good?"
"It was… pretty good?"
Kagarino Kirie did not want to tell the truth. She was afraid the boy in front of her would push his luck.
"Onee-chan, can you give me a reward?" Kitahara Toru showed a mischievous smile.
"What do you want?" Kirie asked suspiciously.
"Since you're a Onee-chan who's been in dozens of relationships, you should have experience with kissing, right?"
"Hmph, of course. I've seen more men than the bread you've eaten."
Driven by her pride, Kagarino Kirie turned her head away and said with a red face.
"Onee-chan, can you close your eyes?"
"What for?"
Kagarino Kirie closed her eyes. "Like this?"
Wait, this kid is not going to steal a kiss, is he?
Toru looked at her delicate, doll-like face, her slightly trembling long eyelashes, and her silver twin tails, and could not help wanting to take her precious first kiss.
He thought about it carefully for a while.
In the end, Toru gave up on this tempting idea, took out his phone instead, and prepared to take a picture of the girl cutely asking for a kiss.
"Click."
After the flash, Kagarino Kirie opened her eyes.
Then she heard the boy's slightly disappointed voice.
"Why didn't the photo save?"
Kirie looked at him like he was an idiot and mocked him. "Because I'm a vampire, you little dummy."
Vampires cannot be properly captured by camera lenses. That is common knowledge.
◇
[After this incident.]
[Every night, you drink the boy's blood. You have never tasted anything so delicious. His sweetness intoxicates you…]
[When you think about how, decades later, you will lose such a delicious source of food, you feel a little lonely.]
[As food, you truly hope he can live a little longer.]
[You sincerely wish this in your heart.]