Misunderstood Vampire Bakasane-chan

Even if life is a kaleidoscope, when I think back, it feels like there’s been too much happening recently.

Sparkles and chaos, pain. Amidst all this, it’s been tough for me. I think things will continue differently than this; I muse as I finish my tale.

“――――So, that’s what happened?”

My words fluttered about as I spoke. The story progressed smoothly thanks to Ran’s skill in keeping the conversation going, but her expression gradually changed.

It was a mix of suspicion and amazement. Then, with furrowed brows, the tomboyish girl said,

“What, that experience… with vampires and all? That’s crazy cool, and I’m envious…”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I mean, isn’t it romantic? Despite their weaknesses, they’re such strong creatures… And you beat them? I don’t quite get what Kasane-chan means by that.”

“If I had gone all out, it would have been over in one hit!”

“This shorty, really…”

“Mu… It’s true!”

“Yeah, yeah…”

Just let it go. Ran is treating me like a child, and it’s irritating.

But I should be thankful that she’s taking my slightly fantastic story seriously.

Vampires, huh? I never really believed in them. I poke the book’s cover with my not-so-agile fingers as I think about this.

While I find some amusement in my slightly off-center actions, Ran, with a thoughtful expression, pushes up her glasses and continues,

“So, you’re saying Kasane-chan was reincarnated and gender-swapped? That’s why you’re a tomboy, huh?”

“That’s right. But I only realized it recently, so I don’t get all fluttery when seeing girls.”

“What about boys?”

“Now that you mention it, not really. Though I do get excited seeing big muscles.”

“That’s just a preference… Maybe this kid hasn’t hit puberty yet…”

Ran looks at me with pity in her eyes.

That’s quite rude to say, even though I’m amid a tumultuous puberty.

I feared my body becoming curvier, and you wouldn’t believe how much weight training I’ve done.

Unfortunately, as a girl, I didn’t get angular, but thankfully, thanks to my efforts, I didn’t develop much either.

As I nod to myself, thinking this, Ran’s expression turns slightly sad. She’s expressive, I think, as she gently adds,

“But really, you’ve had some tough experiences. Being betrayed by your best friend in a previous life… Don’t you ever distrust people?”

“I was super angry! But he’s not everything in my life, so it’s fine.”

“You move on quickly…”

“Besides, John said he’ll watch for a while, so it’s okay.”

“Oh, the vampire grandpa you mentioned. What happened to him and his daughter… Jane-chan?”

“They seem to be staying in town for a while. I played hide-and-seek with Jane yesterday! Making a chameleon’s tail in the sandbox, she comes up with some fun ideas.”

“Chameleon? But, weren’t you playing hide-and-seek…?”

“In the end, we were making rice balls before a cat! Oh, and we washed our hands, of course. For some reason, Jane sprayed vinegar on hers.”

“I don’t get it… What did you do with the rice balls?”

“We said, ‘A gift for you~,’ and laid them out in front of a dry cleaner’s shop with the cat. I scolded her and made her take them back, though.”

“So that’s where you scold her… What about the cat?”

“It scratched me and ran away while I watched Jane act all bossy with a softball. Maybe it was upset about my lack of supervision.”

“I think the cat was too scared of what you and Jane-chan were doing… Why are you so understanding towards her?”

“Really?”

I tilt my head and rest my chin on the desk.

Jane is not doing anything that strange. She’s just excited to have me, her best friend.

She might be odd. But her father is a vampire, which is strange too, so it’s okay. The rice balls were oddly shaped but tasty.

However, writing future dreams like ‘pilot’ on the wrapped rice balls might have been unnecessary. Introductions should be made to strangers.

At this point, I suddenly thought. I’ve just been talking about myself normally.

I haven’t exaggerated or made the story funny. I am sorry that Ran might have found it boring, so I asked her.

“Hmm… My ordinary experiences might not be interesting to hear.

“No, they were more than wonderful. You’re Yabasaki-senpai’s favorite…”

“Why does Momo-senpai come up now?”

“Well, she’s famously eccentric. Her drawings are incredibly unique, and sometimes she even comes to school in a shrine maiden outfit…”

“Huh? Those drawings are just her way of concentrating on aesthetics, and she wears the shrine maiden outfit because her family is involved in Shinto practices. Sometimes, she wears it to school because it’s a hassle to change.”

“Still, coming in full regalia with a sacred wand and crown doesn’t make sense just because it’s a hassle. Wouldn’t a simple kimono and red hakama be enough?”

“Maybe she’s also fighting off bad guys? Sometimes she beats up weirdos and perverts with that wand.”

“Yabasaki-senpai is really something! Are there ghosts in this world? And perverts around here? That’s disturbing news!”

“There’s a lot to unpack there…”

I quickly tell her that ghosts, though confusing, do exist and that the pervert was handed over to the police, so it’s all good.

Ran looks tired and mutters that every time she opens her mouth, she reveals more and more bizarre information that seems too true to be false.

Well, even if we’re close, there are things we don’t know about each other, and we weren’t that close before, so that makes sense.

But while thinking about this, I become curious about something else.

It’s good that she found my story interesting, but I remember Ran was particularly hooked on the word ‘reincarnation.’

She was eerily serious about it. Recalling this, I decided to ask her why.

“But why were you so interested in my story? Sure, reincarnation is rare, but it’s common in novels and manga, right?”

“Well, normally it would be ‘no’… But compared to Kasane-chan’s story, it’s nothing… I’m also a TS reincarnated person, so I was curious about how others feel.”

“What!?”

That’s not something insignificant at all. I can’t believe she’s experienced the same pattern as me.

Ran is indeed a rare girl. Or maybe she’s a rare young man or even an older man.

I had a feeling, but I’m genuinely surprised.

In the world of reincarnation, there are no rituals or rules. It just happens suddenly.

The last memory of my previous life was eating curry at the family table. The next thing I knew, I held my new parents’ hands with my tiny palms.

Maybe I was shocked and died from the spiciness of the curry and reincarnated; that would be new. Ran said this with a lonely smile.

Her intertwined fingers seemed to be struggling to express something. While sensing she’s hiding something behind that smile, I chuckle and reply,

“So that’s why you didn’t want my family’s curry even though I recommended it. It must be a trauma for you. Even though I said, it’s sweet and delicious.”

“Ahaha… Yeah, I know it’s sweet. Because Kasane-chan likes it, Yui-san―Bakasane’s mother―would make it that way. She’s that kind of person.”

“Huh? My mom isn’t all that sweet; she’s quite strict. But… even knowing that, can’t you eat curry?”

“At first, it was hard to eat anything. When I became aware of my reincarnation, I suddenly developed a trauma about eating, and my worried parents consulted Yui-san first.”

“My mom?”

I’m surprised to hear an unexpected name.

My mom always greeted Ran kindly when she came to the shop.

But I didn’t realize my mom was doing anything special for Ran.

And she could have mentioned it to me, too. My mom can be quite secretive.

I take a deep breath to calm down and encourage her to continue.

“Yui-san patiently talked to me, even though I vomited everything I ate. She not only talked but also stroked and hugged me… She wanted to show me that the world could be a kind place for someone trembling in a new world.”

“My mom…”

Hearing her story, I think it’s just like my mom.

She scolds me when I do something weird, but she often strokes my head and gives me treats.

Sometimes, she disappears, and now I realize she is doing acts of kindness like this. Somehow, this makes me happy.

But the girl in front of me continues with a sad expression.

“Kasane-chan might not understand since you reincarnated in the same world… but when the world is different, the smells and tastes are a bit off. Everything I eat feels strange.”

That’s the downside of reincarnating in a different world.

When the world fundamentally changes, it’s natural to feel differences, even if there are similarities.

I think it’s terrible that she had to go through this, and it makes my heart ache.

“The delusion that I might die again if I eat, and the realization that it feels wrong when I eat it… It was tough.”

“That sounds awful…”

It’s horrible. Seeing Ran in front of me, looking so pained, just remembering it, I can’t even imagine how hard it was for her.

It’s upsetting that all this happened without my knowing. I truly wish I could have done something. My mom, who kept quiet about it, seemed a bit mean.

But then I think, she looked happy eating fried rice in the shop. Hoping, I look up at Ran.

Finally smiling, she says,

“But that’s why I’m grateful to my parents and sister, who didn’t abandon me in my suffering, and Yui-san, who developed recipes that perfectly suited my taste buds.”

“If it were my mom, she’d say, ‘Don’t worry about anything, just come and eat.'”

“Yeah… She’s that kind of person. I used to hang out there a lot in middle school… Honestly, I used to be jealous of Kasane-chan.”

“Jealous of me?”

I’m surprised to hear the word ‘jealousy,’ which doesn’t seem to suit Ran.

I don’t think I’m that great to be envied. Sure, I’m the strongest and a cool beauty. Ran seems great herself.

As I misunderstand, she continues with a smile,

“Yeah. It’s unfair, right? Being the child of such a kind person, living carefree.”

“Uh… That hits a weak spot… My mom can be strict, but she’s kind sometimes… She’s a good parent. But I don’t want to switch places with her daughter.”

“I know. Besides, I’m not cut out to be someone’s child.”

“Huh?”

I’m puzzled.

Being a child is easy; just act selfishly and be loved.

Not being able to do even that…

“Because, after all, I’m just a parasite who stole the life of Ikegaya Ran.”

That thought is saddening.

You can be happy just by choosing to be. Turning your back on happiness within reach is such a waste.

But I know some people can’t grasp that warmth. In my previous life, I was surprisingly bad at it.

The girl who was once a boy in front of me seems to feel the same, haunted by her past, ambiguously smiling and saying,

“Sometimes, isn’t reincarnation just monopolizing two lives? Maybe there was a girl who was meant to be happy somewhere.”

“That is…”

“Yeah. It’s just a different perspective. I don’t know. But once I thought that, it’s over. My legs just freeze.”

The illusion that everything might crumble beneath your feet is terrifying. Believing that living is wrong, you can’t even take a step once you know it.

Sadly, Ran couldn’t be kind to herself. Trying to be nonchalant, she continues,

“Well, in fiction, I can enjoy it without thinking about such things. At first, I was just looking for a way to return, but that’s why I like the isekai reincarnation genre.”

“Return, huh…”

It’s a true story that sounds like a lie. She probably wants to deny it.

But that’s also losing oneself.

I start to feel a headache.

“Yeah. I’m living my life happily, but that’s why I sometimes think I should give it back to my original self. I always feel that way.”

“That’s not good.”

“Yeah. It’s not good. But there’s nothing I can do.”

“There’s nothing I can do,” Ran says with a near-tearful face.

She has concluded deep in her heart. But…

“There’s no such thing.”

I insist strongly.

Surprised, Ran’s eyes widen.