Misunderstood Vampire Bakasane-chan - Chapter 2: What is Love?

“See you later, Bakasane-chan!”

“Be careful on your way home, Bakasane.”

“Thank you for today during PE, Bakasane-san. See you tomorrow.”

“Alright, see you all later!”

Students preparing for club activities, boys chatting in the corner (apparently engaging in lewd conversations every day), and the lucky girl who got to partner with me during the invincible time of PE class – all call me by my nickname. Satisfied with being loved, I wave my hands and jump, showing off a big smile as if to say, “Here’s your beloved Bakasane-chan.”

“Oops.”

Oh no, I overdid it and hit my face with one of my hairtails. Even my prideful cuticles are painful when they hit my eyes. Feeling a wave of laughter behind me, I hurry home, rubbing my eyes.

I merge with the flow of students and reach the shoe lockers. There’s no candy wrapped and left for me today, so I just changed my shoes.

Slipping my feet into my shoes, which haven’t changed size since middle school, I rush out like a fleeing rabbit. I ran to the school gates where he must be waiting for me.

“Hey, Misaki! Sorry for making you wait. Let’s go!”

“Kasane-chan… Whoa, don’t pull my hand like that.”

“Alright!”

I take the hand of Misaki Takano, who was waiting for me, my proudest friend in this life, and start spinning around with her.

I planned to drag her along, but due to the difference in our weights, my pulling strength turned into rotational force instead.

Unlike me, Misaki is tall. If I were to represent us in sound effects, I’d be a “stone,” and Misaki would be a “boom.” Naturally, when I hold her hand to lead her, we end up orbiting each other like the moon.

Round and round we go. It’s getting fun. Let’s do this more.

“Enough, Kasane-chan. If you keep fooling around, I won’t help you study anymore.”

Misaki, frowning with her willow-like eyebrows, scolds me. Hearing her words, I quickly stop and land gracefully.

“That would be bad! If I get any worse grades, my mom will kill me because of Misaki-sensei’s strike!”

“Don’t get too wild, even if it’s fun. Look, your skirt got flipped up.”

“Oh, my bear panties were showing. That’s embarrassing.”

“Sigh… I wonder how you’re not even blushing. Are you the same age as me?”

Misaki complains, but I fix my skirt. It got stuck in my backpack while I was moving. I must have shown my backside to everyone.

Misaki seems concerned, but I’m not that young anymore to worry about being open. Counting my previous life, I’m almost in my thirties. Compared to when I used to show off my small elephant underwear as a child in my past life, this is nothing.

More importantly, I’m more curious about today’s dinner. Following Misaki, who has resumed walking, I ask her.

“Hey, Misaki. What’s for dinner at your house today?”

“Hmm… I think it’s meat and potatoes.”

“Didn’t you have curry yesterday? You’re reusing ingredients! Should I bring my mom over if you’re stuck for recipes?”

“Well, your mom is a chef, so she must know a lot of recipes… But it would be too much to bother her like that…”

“Don’t be silly. We’re close, aren’t we? My mom said she likes you too. She even said she wants to trade me for you. What does that mean, I wonder?”

“Ahaha… I don’t know about that…”

As I tilt my head in confusion, I look at Misaki’s slightly strained smile.

It’s strange. I just wanted to ask about my friend’s dinner situation at home, and now I find myself pondering the meaning of my mom’s words. My mom loves me, so why would she want to trade me for Misaki? Maybe she wants some kind of exchange program. Let kids travel to grow, right?

More importantly, I’m concerned about Misaki, who’s been handling all the household chores since her mom left. I might be lazing around because I’m the daughter of a restaurant owner, but I had to cook for myself in my previous life when no one else would. I know it’s tough.

“Hey, Misaki. If it’s too hard, let me know, okay?”

“No, it’s fine. You taught me a lot before, Kasane-chan. I was saved because you knew so much about household chores.”

“Really?”

Hmm. I remember she was crying in the park because she didn’t know how to do chores, so I helped her out, but I wonder if that was enough to make it all okay. Just a little guidance doesn’t make chores easier. I wish she wouldn’t hesitate to ask for help. She’s stubborn in strange ways.

To reassure Misaki, I boldly claim.

“I can lend you a hand if that helps?”

“Uh, gulp. No… you got it wrong, Kasane-chan! Not your chest, but your hand!”

“My hand? Like this?”

“Wow, that’s so soft… but no, I meant help!”

“Bark!”

“Is that from the word ‘hand’? Yeah, you’re good at imitating a dog! But stop it; it makes me want to hug you!”

I whine and look sadly at Misaki, who’s shrieking in distress. She’s such a beauty, but what a waste. Misaki looks so cool usually.

But then she got all confused when I joked about helping with hands, and now this chaos. Was my dog imitation that realistic?

I’ve always liked animal cookies, so maybe that’s showing through.

But Misaki doesn’t like dogs. Alright, let’s try this.

“Meow?”

“Those puppy dog eyes are so charming! Ah, I can’t resist anymore!”

“Whoa!”

“I’ve had a rough time.”

“Sorry… I got a bit too excited…”

“It’s okay. But I didn’t think you hated cats, Misaki.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

As I straighten my limp twin tails, I glance sideways at Misaki, who seems to be getting flustered again.

She’s emotionally unstable and peculiar, which makes her interesting and why I like her.

Responding seriously to Misaki’s unclear question, I say:

“Huh? I thought you were so troubled by my imitation because you hated it.”

“You’re always off the mark, Kasane-chan… I got excited because I liked it.”

“Hmm… What do you mean? Does liking something make you excited?”

Misaki’s words don’t make sense to me.

I thought liking something would calm you down, make you smile, and feel fluffy.

Or it’s like how I get excited when saying goodbye to classmates. But this is different; it’s about excitement just because you like something.

“Of course! I’m always excited around you, Kasane-chan!”

“Huh…”

“Did you just ignore that!?”

“No, I just thought Misaki might be sick, but now you’re saying excitement equals liking…”

“Sick!?” Misaki looks shocked, but seriously, that sounds like a medical misunderstanding. Maybe she’s got palpitations or a cold.

Constant excitement harms the body, so I hope she recovers soon.

But leaving that aside, if liking directly leads to excitement, then only one person makes me feel that way.

“Is there someone you’re interested in?”

“Yeah, there’s someone who makes my heart race.”

“Who? What kind of person?”

That raised chest, bursting quadriceps, and his smile showed excellent facial muscles.

I’ve always loved muscles. If that’s what liking means, then that’s right.

And the person I feel this for the most is my former best friend. I start telling the astonished Misaki about Hikaru.

“He’s a 29-year-old, probably single guy. Lives alone. Said we could start as friends.”

“That’s two red flags already! A high school girl with a guy in his late twenties is wrong, and ‘starting as friends’ indicates more than just friendship!”

“Yeah, he was talking about being a contractor and vampires. Maybe he’s got a case of chuunibyou.”

“That’s strike three for being too delusional. Change! Kasane-chan, you shouldn’t be involved with such a person!”

Misaki makes a big X with her arms, protesting. But I’ve already contacted him and recently rekindled our weird friendship.

Despite her protest, I look straight into Misaki’s dark eyes and honestly say:

“But I want to be friends with him.”

I truly do. If the reason I am who I am is because of him.

Even if Hikaru has changed a bit, my feelings haven’t. I want to be friends again, to be silly together like before.

I tilt my head, feeling a tail’s tip hit my knee.

Misaki has quieted down, and the atmosphere feels heavier.

But it’s probably my imagination. The azaleas sway in the wind, and the sky is filled with clouds.

Misaki, who hasn’t collapsed, mutters softly:

“What do you like about him, Kasane-chan?”

What do I like? That’s easy to answer. He was my best friend. He’s in my memories, important to me.

What I loved about him was that sparkling proof of my past. If asked what I like…

“Everything!”

That’s the only answer.

I smiled very beautifully.

“So… I see.”

But why does the mood feel even stranger?

It’s not just heavy; it’s damp. Misaki’s smile seems off, too.

“Huh?”

Confused, I tilt my head again. This time, my hair falls nicely over my shoulder.

Suddenly, Misaki, with a much bigger chest than mine, blurts out something odd:

“Kasane-chan, you’re being deceived by that guy.”

Her eyes whirl around. Where’s the focus? I feel dizzy.

Her strange behavior and words.

I understand that Misaki is misunderstanding something.

“I’ll help you.”

As she offers this unnecessary help, I put my hand on my chin and think.

“Hmm… I don’t get it! But it’s fine!”

Beside her, staring intensely, I decided to give up on understanding.

The weather, good or bad, doesn’t matter. The world keeps spinning without caring about it.

So, even if things are a bit off…

“It’ll work out somehow.”

It must be true because I trust my friends.

“Hehe.”