I’m a Telepath, but It’s Tough Because the Cool Beautiful Girl Next to Me Is Having Pink Thoughts - Chapter 24

In a modern world where vampires, creatures far too fictional, actually do exist, humans and vampires are at odds.

Somehow, by a twist of fate, the high school boy protagonist discovers that the girl next door is a vampire. And so, a strange relationship begins to form between them.

As they spend time together, they slowly start to understand each other, and they are eventually drawn to one another. This is a forbidden love story between opposing species, in short.

That’s the summary of the novel “The Vampire Next Door”, recommended to me by Tatsuki.

It’s a pretty cliché story, but I guess that just means it’s a safe, enjoyable read. I’ve never disliked reading, so I finished it quickly.

Just as Tatsuki said, there are parts of a story that can only be expressed in a novel. Especially toward the end, the delicate shifting emotions are something that would be hard to show in a movie or on stage.

Well, I figure the actors are professionals. They’ll manage somehow.

I let out a breath and sank into my worn-out bed.

It had been a while since I finished a book, but it was pretty interesting. The plot was predictable, but the quality was definitely above average.

I sat up and looked at the cover of the novel again.

The heroine of the story, a vampire named “Rouge Leiall”, was pictured on the cover.

At the climax, her being a vampire is discovered by humans, and she’s also rejected by other vampires for falling in love with a human. She and the protagonist run from place to place, but they are eventually cornered by vampire hunters. Using her powers, she immobilizes them both and escapes.

In that moment, she could have killed everyone without hesitation, but she didn’t. Was it because she had developed feelings for the human protagonist? The answer is left unclear, as she disappears.

For some reason, this fictional character reminds me of Tatsuki.

Not that I’m hallucinating him or anything. It’s more like a sense of familiarity and the strange closeness.

Why I feel this way, I’m not entirely sure. Maybe it’s the contrast in personalities.

It’s not that Tatsuki is secretly a vampire or anything, but like Rouge, she has a difference between her inner and outer self.

She seems outwardly like a polite, model student, but deep down, she’s a bit of a mischievous tsundere. Not as extreme as Rouge, but the difference between her public and private self is still striking.

Maybe it’s also how I imagine her visually. Her hair and eyes are nothing like hers, but I can picture what she might be like as a vampire. It’s a strange thought, even to me.

That’s about all I can think of. But somehow, it feels like there’s more to why I feel this way.

Well, maybe it’s also because of Tatsuki’s enthusiastic presentation before the test. That could be why it all connects in my mind.

—

“Hey, Rei-kun.”

As I was staring blankly at a stain on the ceiling, a sharp telepathic message suddenly hit my brain.

There aren’t many people who would talk to me in such a casual tone, maybe Chihiro or that person. Since Chihiro wouldn’t drop by unannounced on a day off, and he doesn’t even know where I live, it had to be the latter. Well, I already knew from the tone of the voice.

…Come to think of it, I don’t think she’ll come by this week yet.

I lazily got out of bed, moving like a sloth, and made my way to the front door.

“…You didn’t have to come all the way here in the evening.”

“Well, I just had a little business with you.”

As usual, the landlady barged in with her carefree tone. Even though the sun had already set, she was wearing her signature red-framed sunglasses.

Being somewhat of a caretaker, she looked around the room while inspecting everything.

“Huh? The kitchen doesn’t seem to be used at all. Are you eating properly?”

“I am… Convenience stores food mostly.”

“Tch~ That’s not good! A growing young man shouldn’t just eat junk like that!”

She mockingly tapped her forehead. It was a completely reasonable point, so I had no argument. I couldn’t help it. This place doesn’t even have proper cooking tools.

“Hey, I can cook for you if you want.”

“Absolutely not. My room would be destroyed.”

I immediately rejected her wild offer. The landlady’s cooking skills are catastrophic. Light a fire, and she could literally create dark matter. Boil something, and it would probably turn into some kind of dangerous acid.

“Tch, so cold.”

She plopped down onto the bed. Even then, the bed barely creaked. Despite being a heavy drinker, she seems way too skinny.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

I sat down in a chair and got straight to the point.

“Oh, you want to know already? Such a curious one.”

She said with a sly grin.

…But behind her dark glasses, her eyes weren’t smiling. If anything, they looked sharp and serious.

“Your telepathy is working right now, right?”

“? I guess.”

After confirming that my strange ability was functioning, she suddenly stood and handed me something.

“…”

“Look at this.”

“Ugh.”

She didn’t speak out loud. She sent it to me through telepathy.

It was a brown envelope. The seal was already broken, so she must have seen the contents herself.

I felt something serious in it, so I silently took it without asking.

There was a letter inside. And on it was,

“The pursuers are on their way. Time unknown. Arrival unknown. Some have abilities. Infiltration is possible.”

The letter seemed to be typed short and to the point.

A bead of sweat formed on my forehead.

They’re moving faster than I expected. Was I really that popular?

“So… that’s why you’re not speaking.”

“If I speak, it’s dangerous. Someone might hear.”

“Here, the only one who could hear you is Jaga-san.”

“That might be true.”

I tried to make a joke, but it wasn’t honestly funny.

This sped up the escape plan a lot.

“Then I’ll just ask you directly. Rei-kun, has anything unusual happened recently?”

“Unusual…”

“Even a small change means we need to prepare.”

The carefree atmosphere from before vanished. The landlady’s aura felt serious, like old times.

Feeling a bit pressured, I tried to recall recent events.

…But I didn’t even need to think hard. Things have definitely been changing lately.

Being singled out in class. Standing out in ways I didn’t want.

And it all traced back to Tatsuki.

Does that mean the unusual change she’s talking about is because “I got involved with Tatsuki”?

…But I couldn’t believe it somehow. Without my telepathy, I might have doubted her cool, mysterious aura. But since I could read her mind, there was no way she was just another human.

She wouldn’t deliberately let me daydream pink thoughts to make me careless.

…At least, I had no reason to think that.

“…No, nothing in particular.”

Even so, I denied any unusual changes. Probably… Not because I was attached to her.

“I see…, alright then, just stay on guard for now. They might come at any time. Be ready to run.”

The landlady said this with a somber look. The air in the room started to feel heavy, too.

Of course, it wasn’t like I could just force it to feel bright and cheerful.

Feeling awkward, I turned toward my desk.

When I looked down at it, it felt like Rouge’s crimson eyes were staring right back at me.