Misunderstood Vampire Bakasane-chan

I usually have little money on me. One reason is that I just don’t use it.

When I get New Year’s money, I often hand it over to my mom, who always says I don’t cost her much. But what’s the point of carrying around money I don’t use? Paper bills are too light; they don’t make my muscles happy.

Would coins feel better? Collecting enough of them might have some weight. Thinking about it, maybe the rich people of the past were all muscular.

I’ve heard of muscle-based politics; muscles have always moved the world.

“Phew, this feels good.”

While pondering all this in the heat, I scoop up some water and splash it on my face for extra warmth.

Yes, I’m in a bath. And not alone.

“Ugh, Kasane… you look so sultry.”

Misaki, with a towel over her eyes, is here too. She’s almost submerged in the hot water, turning red. I wonder if she’s okay.

I, seen as a suspicious person’s companion, feel odd glances but let it slide off me.

“I was surprised when Misaki refused to go on a date and pulled out free tickets to a super public bath. But I’m glad I came along. It’s so relaxing.”

That’s right. Soaking in the same bath with someone who’s not family, if not in a hot spring, then in a public bath. And here I am in a super public bath, lured by a free ticket.

Misaki knows exactly what to use to hook me. I find dealing with money a hassle and don’t need it, but I can’t resist the word ‘free.’ After all, nothing is cheaper than free. No need for calculations; I had to bite.

I didn’t quite get the ‘date’ part, but maybe Misaki, as a friend, wanted to share a bath, like sharing a meal. Perhaps she was a thief in a past life.

“But Misaki, having a nosebleed at the sight of my naked body, you’re really troubled. You had to soak in the water like a pervert. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. Just the smell is quite enjoyable.”

“Really?”

But when I undressed in front of her, Misaki exploded.

Seriously, it was like a face explosion. She bled profusely. Misaki collapsed, my mood plummeted, and the changing room was messy.

Somehow, we both calmed down and after realizing my nudity was the cause, I was about to leave. But Misaki stopped me, blindfolded herself with a towel, and undressed.

So here we are, sitting in a hot bath chosen for its few people. How did this happen?

But enjoying the smell in a place that’s not even a hot spring? Misaki must be used to coming here and bringing those free tickets. She sniffs around me, her face flushed.

“Sniff sniff… Ah. The ‘Kasane soup’ around me is tempting… Oh no, Misaki. If I taste that, I’ll become a real pervert.”

And so she says, my supposed best friend. ‘Soup,’ that’s an interesting idea. I’m impressed.

Blinking, I shift the towel around my long hair and say to Misaki, who seems delirious from the heat.

“Yeah, with everyone in here, the water must be full of human ‘broth’…”

“Eh, Kasane?”

‘Soup,’ indeed. There could be a flavor to this water, with so many people coming in and out.

Curiosity, or as a daughter of a restaurateur, it’s important to taste-test. Jokingly, I say,

“Maybe I’ll taste this ‘soup’?”

I thought it would be just salty, and with a grin, I joked about it.

But Misaki panicked, almost losing her towel in her haste to stand up from the bath.

“Don’t do such a naughty thing! Ah!”

“Ahh!”

And then, looking straight at my nude body as she tried to stop me…

“Pfft…”

She burst into another nosebleed. Luckily, the blood flew towards an empty part of the bath, but it spread far and wide.

“Kyuu…”

And then she fainted from overheating. She sank into the water, looking like a murder victim. The scene was gruesome, and while everyone around was buzzing, no one came close.

“Wait, am I supposed to clean all this up?”

That’s how it all happened.

“Sigh. I’m tired.”

And then, sometime later, I found myself alone in the bath, relaxing in the bubbles. The fatigue from explaining and cleaning up myself was melting away in the comforting warmth.

By the way, Misaki had lost quite a bit of blood and was feeling dizzy, so I let her rest in a massage chair. She shook her chest as it got massaged, but she seemed okay, responding faintly to my concerns.

After all the commotion, I decided to enjoy the free bath as much as possible and started to relax.

“It’s a shame I couldn’t enter the men’s bath… Being halfway developed is a nuisance.”

I didn’t mind which bath I used, and with recent memories making me feel more boyish, I was still stopped from entering the men’s bath due to my female body.

Glancing around, I saw nothing but naked bodies, but sadly, not much muscle. Mostly just breasts. A bit disappointing for me.

“Huh?”

However, among them, there was a striking figure that caught my eye. I casually approached the girl, who seemed to come from across the sea, soaking calmly in the electric bath next to the Jacuzzi.

“Hey, you there.”

“Oh… Are you hitting on me? Just so you know, I’m an antique, not for sale.”

“No, it’s not like that. I just wanted to ask how the water feels.”

“Hmm… well, this ‘electric bath’ is quite stimulating. How about yours?”

“Bubbly.”

“Pfft… That’s as obvious as it looks.”

The woman laughed elegantly. Her skin was so pale it seemed she’d never been touched by the sun, with light blonde hair dripping wet.

I thought to myself that she must be popular as I replied.

“But that’s just how it is, right? Warm and bubbly. Doesn’t that sound pleasant?”

“Maybe so… Hehe. You’re interesting. More than I heard.”

“Huh? You’ve heard of me before?”

“Yes. By the way, I’m not ‘you there’; I’m Ikus Crux.”

“Right. I’m…”

“Futaba Kasane, right? I know.”

“Hmm.”

Her knowing my name wasn’t surprising. Somehow, this Ikus knew about me before we even spoke. But did I stand out that much?

I’m a genius and cute, but did I seem that noticeable? It’s embarrassing.

Ikus chuckled and then said,

“I’ve been hearing about you a lot lately. But seeing you in person is unexpected.”

“Heh! I bet Bakasane-chan seemed like a cool beauty, right?”

“Yes, the complete opposite, but that’s what’s charming.”

The opposite of cool and beautiful… maybe hot and cute? That’s not bad, especially since I’m all warm right now.

As I was feeling satisfied with that, Ikus narrowed her scarlet eyes and said,

“Ah, if you were a drop of ink on a white plate, you’d stand out beautifully.”

She hugged her shoulders and shivered slightly. Was she cold despite being in the bath? No, it seemed different.

It felt like the ecstasy I’d seen somewhere recently.

“Black ink?”

“Hehe… I prefer crimson.”

Black and then crimson… our tastes and insinuations seemed different.

“Hmm.”

I thought Ikus seemed a bit like Hikaru.

“Sigh…”

Riding my bike home, I reflected on the day. After parting with Misaki and Ikus at the spa, I leisurely enjoyed the afterglow of my long bath on the short journey home.

It was hard to see at night, but I avoided flowers underfoot and stepped on the gravel. I like this somewhat rural town next to my own. You can see the stars here.

I don’t understand constellations, but admired the attractive, twinkling sky as I rode along.

“Oops.”

“Oh, sorry about that.”

“No, my fault.”

I nearly bumped into someone, a mistake not typical for me.

I apologized immediately, and the older man tipped his hat and smiled in the moonlight.

“No, I was relieved. This could have been a chance for fate to intervene. Demand compensation or something, right?”

“I don’t need that.”

“Why not?”

He tilted his head, seemingly having come from afar.

I couldn’t quite understand him but felt I couldn’t lie to this man. Something was off; the blue in front of me was distorted.

Well, no point in beating around the bush. The truth is, I only carry a little money. Another reason for that is…