Vampire and His Pleasant Companions: Volume 2 - Part 10

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After undressing and removing his makeup, Al was driven back to the apartment by Nukariya. Yanagawa had taken Ando to the police station. Come to think of it, during the planning for this operation, Yanagawa had barely made eye contact with Al. It seemed he had taken a dislike to him.

"Thanks to you, Al, we were able to arrest her sooner. We found out that the psychiatric visits Yuuka was supposedly making were actually Ando impersonating her, but the doctor was elderly, and it was a private clinic, so the details were a bit unclear. And as for Yuuka’s boyfriend, she hadn’t mentioned him to anyone, so we had no leads. The messages you found on Yuuka’s smartphone were the decisive evidence. Thank you."

"Glad she got caught," Al said, sinking deeply into the passenger seat. When someone does something wrong, they must atone for it. But it was still sad. A love so intense that it drives one to murder is wrong. Even if you understand that logically, emotions can sometimes be uncontrollable—just like when Al feels an irresistible urge to drink blood.

"Have you ever had an intense love, Nukariya?" 

Kotsukaya chuckled, amused. “Depends on what you mean by ‘intense.’”

“A love... where you’d be willing to die,” Al clarified.

Nukariya shrugged. He didn’t outright say no, so maybe he had experienced such love.

“Do you think Akira’s ever had that kind of love?” Al wondered.

"I don’t think so. As far as I know, I’ve never heard of him being in a relationship. Akira hasn’t changed at all since high school. Even after going to America and starting his current job, he might have aged physically, but he doesn’t seem to have matured emotionally. When it comes to love, I think he’s just an unconscious coward."

"A coward?"

"He says he’s not interested in people, but I think he’s just scared. He doesn’t talk much about himself, and he doesn’t seem close to his family, so he might be uncomfortable with kindness. But he’s also gentle and somewhat of a worrier, so if he started living with someone, I think he’d become attached and find it hard to let go."

Is that... me?” Al asked.

Nukariya playfully winked.

"Normally, Akira would never agree to live with someone, but with an unknown creature like a vampire, even he couldn’t say no."

Nukariya was very concerned about Akira. He was a good friend. Al stared out at the road ahead through the windshield.

“Is it okay if I stay in Akira’s apartment forever?” Al asked after a moment.

"Why wouldn’t it be?"

Al leaned forward slightly from the passenger seat. “Even if I save up money... is it okay if I keep living there?"

"You’ve really taken a liking to being near Akira, huh?"

“I want to stay by Akira’s side... until he dies.”

"Until death do you part? That sounds almost like a proposal," Nukariya laughed. "You should talk to Akira about it," he added.

:-::-:

When Al returned to the apartment, Akira was sitting on the sofa, talking to someone on his phone. To avoid making any noise, Al gently closed the door. Words like "funeral" and "time" drifted from Akira's conversation, catching Al's attention. Maybe it was about work.

After finishing the call, Akira glanced at Al as he came in. “Did your little ghost act work out?”

Akira knew that Al had played the role of a ghost to corner Ando into a confession. Initially, when Al explained the plan, Akira had bluntly asked, "Do you really think such a childish trick will work?"

“Ando-san... was arrested. She confessed,” Al replied, his words halting as usual.

Akira gave a slight nod. "I guess it's good for the family, but it’s probably a relief for the suspect herself too."

“Ando-san... relieved to be caught?”

“Unless she’s a complete psychopath, she’d probably feel guilty for the rest of her life after killing someone. It might be easier for her to repent than to live in constant fear, hiding what she’s done. Though it feels a bit insensitive to say that, considering someone lost their life.”

That might be true, Al thought as he perched himself on the edge of the seat across from Akira. He took a deep breath and gathered his courage. “I... I need to talk to you, Akira.”

“What is it?” Akira asked, his gaze meeting Al’s.

Al was scared to bring it up. Knowing Akira, he'd probably just shoot it down with a quick "No." But remembering Nukariya’s encouragement—"Just talk to him about it"—Al gathered his courage and started to speak.

"Um, I—"

Just then, Akira’s phone rang. He gestured for Al to hold on and answered it. "Have you decided?" he asked impatiently. "Is the family okay with it?" His tone was irritated. He ended the call, his face a mix of anger and something more complex.

Akira suddenly opened the closet and began changing into a suit. It was already past ten at night.

What’s going on, Akira?” Al asked

"Work... maybe," Akira muttered. Even though it was an emergency, Akira’s words were unusually vague. Normally, he would know exactly when a body was arriving, but this time, his uncertainty was strange.

“It’s... not decided yet?” Al inquired.

"It's a delicate situation. I don't know if there’ll be a request or not."

Akira looked at Al, his expression conflicted.

"You’ll know soon enough, so I might as well tell you now. Muroi’s mother passed away this evening."

Al blinked in surprise.

"It was a car accident. The Center was informed earlier today that she was in critical condition. Just now, Muroi himself called to request an embalming for his mother."

Since Muroi was still an apprentice, he could assist, but he wasn’t qualified to perform the embalming himself. If it were to be done, it would be by either Koyanagi, Tsuno, or Akira.

“Are you... going to do the embalming, Akira?”

"Muroi requested me, but apparently, his father is against it. He’s never had a good impression of Muroi’s work. The body is supposed to be brought here, but in cases like this, there’s almost always trouble."

As he spoke, Akira tightened his tie and smoothed his hair.

Al took a step forward. “Can I... come with you?”

"No. Stay here."

“I can help... I can clean. It will make things faster,” Al insisted.

"I told you to stay home."

But Al didn’t want to be left behind. They hadn’t finished their conversation, and he didn’t want to be alone. So, despite Akira’s orders, he followed him into the car. Akira was furious—"Hey!"—but didn’t have time to pull Al out, so he drove off.

"Don’t say anything unnecessary," Akira warned, and Al nodded. They arrived at the Center in about fifteen minutes. Akira entered through the back door, punching in the code on the keypad. Al trailed behind him.

"I won’t forgive you for this," someone grumbled, his voice echoed down the dim, quiet hallway, sending a chill through the night air. "I’m taking her back home!"

As they reached the lobby, Al noticed two figures standing there—Muroi and a tall, middle-aged man who looked to be in his late fifties. The man bore a strong resemblance to Muroi, both in height and build.

"It’s not fair to Mom to leave her like that," Muroi’s voice, almost a cry, filled the space.

"It’s not about fair or not. That’s how a body naturally looks. It’s better to leave it as is than to mess around with it. She’ll be cremated in a day or two anyway."

"That’s not natural! She always kept herself well-groomed. She wouldn’t want everyone to see her in that horrible state. It’s not just because it’s my job—I truly believe this is what Mom would want."

You ungrateful brat!” the man roared, raising his hand. Muroi was struck and fell backward.

"Enough already! Don’t turn your mother’s body into a plaything!" Muroi’s father shouted, his voice filled with rage.

Matsumura, the receptionist, rushed out to intervene, but the man’s anger was unrelenting.

“I thought you’d finally graduate from university, but instead, you went off to some bizarre school. I didn’t send you to university to make money off dead bodies, you ungrateful child!”

"You’re the one who doesn’t understand anything, Dad!"

Akira strode into the middle of the confrontation, his footsteps loud and firm.

"Takatsuka-san!" Matsumura called out, looking to Akira for help. Muroi also turned to look. His cheek was red from the slap, his eyes swollen as if he were about to cry. Akira helped the seated Muroi to his feet and then faced Muroi’s father directly, who was glaring at him.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Akira Takatsuka, and I work as an embalmer at this center,” Akira introduced himself, offering a business card. Muroi’s father tightened his lips in displeasure and refused to take the card. Akira calmly withdrew it.

“I’m responsible for Muroi-kun’s training here. Please accept my condolences for your loss,” Akira said, bowing deeply.

“So, you’re the one leading this ghastly business of making money off corpses,” Muroi’s father spat.

"Dad!" Muroi shouted. Akira raised his head and and met the man’s gaze.

"Whether or not to embalm your wife is something I think your family should carefully discuss before deciding."

Muroi’s father seemed taken aback, perhaps expecting Akira to be more forceful.

"I believe that embalming is more for the sake of the remaining family members than for the deceased themselves. If the family does not wish for it, there is no need to proceed with the procedure. Please take the time to discuss as a family how you want to say your goodbyes. If you feel that it’s best to leave things as they are, then that’s perfectly fine. In the West, where burial is common, embalming is mostly done for preservation and infection prevention. However, in Japan, where cremation is the norm, many people do not see the need for it."

Muroi’s father, now wearing a smug expression, turned to Muroi and said, “We’re leaving.”

“Just one thing…” Akira’s voice stopped Muroi’s father in his tracks.

“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation, but I want to make it clear that the embalming techniques Muroi-kun is learning are not about treating the deceased like toys,” Akira’s voice rang out through the hallway.

"Not everyone gets to face the end in the way they would have wished. Some pass away after long illnesses, becoming frail and emaciated, while others die unexpectedly in accidents. In the case of accidents, the body is often damaged, sometimes beyond recognition, to the point where a closed-casket funeral is necessary. Our job allows us to restore the appearance of a deceased person who was once vibrant, even if they were emaciated or injured, so that they look like the person their loved ones remember. It’s our job to bring the deceased closer to the image their loved ones want to remember and the way they themselves would want to be remembered. I believe that our work is noble."

After finishing his speech, Akira bowed once more to Muroi's father and placed a hand on Muroi’s trembling shoulder.

"Go home and discuss this with your family again."

Matsumura quickly returned to the office and came back holding a large envelope. She handed it to Muroi's father.

"This is information about our Center. If you don't want it, feel free to throw it away."

Muroi's father, though still displeased, took the material.

"...I don’t want this."

Muroi muttered under his breath.

"If I go home now, we'll just go straight into the wake and the funeral. He won't listen to anything I have to say. He never has."

"Muroi!"

Akira's scolding voice made Muroi bury his head in his hands.

"I absolutely don’t want this. That crushed face—it’s not my mother. That’s not my mother. I don’t want anyone to see her like that. I don’t want anyone to see her!"

Muroi collapsed to the floor, sobbing. His father could only stare at his son, who was now crying like a child.

:-::-:

Muroi's mother, who had been taken home once, was brought back the next morning. This time, the request was for a formal embalming. Muroi came to the break room in the morning to deliver the news, looking relieved. Al, who had been listening beside Akira, also felt genuinely glad that Muroi's wishes had been fulfilled.

"My father was against it until the end, but my sister and brother... they wanted to see our mother looking beautiful..."

With tear-stained, red eyes, Muroi bowed his head to Akira. "Takatsuka-san, please take care of her," he said. Muroi also expressed a desire to assist in the procedure room, but Akira stopped him.

"Don’t."

When Muroi insisted, Koyanagi, who had been listening, stepped in.

"I also think it’s better if you don’t."

"But..."

Seeing that Muroi was still unconvinced, Koyanagi gave him a gentle smile.

"You know how women don’t like to be seen while putting on makeup? I think it’s the same with this. Just leave it to Takatsuka-san, and if there’s anything you don’t like, you can complain all you want afterward."

"Hey, what’s this about complaints?"

Muroi managed a slight smile and agreed to leave everything to Akira.

Akira warned that it would take time due to the extensive facial reconstruction. Muroi waited in the lounge, refusing to go home, occasionally keeping Al company, though his mind seemed to be elsewhere. After about five hours, Akira came to the break room to call Muroi. When Muroi stood up, his legs were trembling slightly. Al quietly followed him to the CDC room.

"I saw the photos, but I couldn’t tell her makeup preferences. For now, I’ve kept it light."

Inside a rectangular Japanese-style coffin lay the woman in a pale blue kimono. As soon as Muroi looked at her, tears began to stream from his eyes.

Koyanagi had mentioned that the entire face had been practically gouged out, leaving only part of the jaw, but there was no trace of that now. Her eyelids were gently closed, her cheeks were plump and naturally flushed, and her lips were so glossy that they seemed ready to speak at any moment. She was incredibly beautiful, but there were also signs of aging, appropriate for someone in her fifties. Her expression had been restored to one of peaceful slumber—an expression that embodied tranquility.

"Takatsuka-san, you’ve gone overboard."

Tears from Muroi’s eyes fell into the coffin.

"She looks about five years younger..."

"Really? Should I make her look a bit older?"

When Akira moved to adjust her appearance, Muroi quickly stopped him. "This is perfect."

"That’s the face of my mother that I love. Lately, she’s been really self-conscious about her wrinkles... Haha... She’s probably shocked to look so beautiful at the end."

Muroi touched his mother’s face. Then, he collapsed by the coffin and began to cry loudly. Akira stood by him for a while, but then he pulled a chair over and tried to get Muroi to sit down. Muroi resisted slightly, but then clung to Akira from the front.

"Muroi."

"Th...thank you."

Akira didn’t pull away, letting Muroi hold onto him. Watching this scene, Al felt a swirl of emotions in his chest. He understood that Muroi had gone through a lot and that he was sad. But why was he seeking comfort from Akira? Was it because Akira had embalmed his mother? Because Akira was his boss? Or because Akira was someone he cared about?

Al wondered if Muroi knew. Akira couldn’t turn away from someone truly in need, someone who was truly sad. But if Akira showed him kindness like this, Muroi would only fall deeper in love with him.

After crying on Akira’s chest for a while, Muroi bowed his head once more, thanked him, and took his mother home. Al stayed perched on Akira's shoulder all day, not returning to his human form until much later. Even when Akira complained that he was heavy or annoying, Al didn’t move. Seeing this, Tsuno laughed and said, "Al's being really clingy today."

:-::-:

A little after 10 PM, Nukariya dropped by Akira's apartment. He had come to give an update on Ando. As they talked, the conversation naturally shifted to Muroi.

"So that happened, huh? Your junior had a rough time too," Nukariya said, nodding slowly as he sipped the coffee Al had made, sitting across from Akira on the sofa.

"I know about embalming because you’re in this line of work, but even within the precinct, there are plenty of people who don’t know what it is. It’s not surprising that your junior’s father had some prejudices."

"To those unfamiliar with it, the idea of preserving a body might seem bizarre," Akira murmured. Earlier that afternoon, he and Matsumura-san from the reception had attended the funeral of Muroi’s mother. Al had followed Akira’s car to the funeral, perching on a tree branch a little distance away, quietly observing the ceremony.

"I heard she was in a terrible state because of the accident, but her face looked so beautiful."

"It really did look like she was just sleeping. She had such a peaceful expression."

Akira overheard several people saying things like that as they left.

"When I went to the funeral, Muroi’s sister and brother thanked me. They said, ‘Thank you for making her look so beautiful.’ Apparently, they were shocked when they first saw her after the accident. They told me they were really glad the embalming was done. Muroi even handled some of the makeup touch-ups himself. It seems his siblings now understand what kind of work he’s aiming to do. As for his father... he said that when he saw how happy his kids were to see their mother looking beautiful, he couldn’t say anything more."

Al had noticed the intensity in Muroi’s gaze as he watched Akira leaving the funeral. Akira hadn’t noticed it. It wasn’t strange for Muroi to watch him, but the affectionate look in his eyes made Al feel uneasy.

Speaking of emotions, the case involving Yuuka had been fully resolved. After confessing during the fake play, Ando seemed to have lost her composure and readily admitted to the crime.

"Killing the woman because her boyfriend broke up with her is a short-sighted motive, but the fact that the woman was her client might have fanned the flames of her anger. Apparently, Ando was the one who introduced them because the boyfriend asked her as a fan. She probably never imagined that her fiancé would betray her and start dating Yuuka. The guy should’ve properly broken up with Ando, but it seems he left things ambiguous. No matter how free love may be, you still need to draw the line somewhere."

Nukariya had said this, and the conversation fell into a contemplative silence.

Suddenly, Al realized that this might be the perfect moment to bring up the conversation he had been wanting to continue, especially with Nukariya present.

Akira... I have... to talk,” Al began.

Akira’s brows furrowed visibly. “If this is about wanting to buy clothes, the answer is no.”

"Why?"

"Because I bought you what you wanted last time, and then you complained about it non-stop. If you want something, save up your allowance and buy it yourself."

"That... Akira... not cool... didn't tell me."

"I asked you at least three times, ‘Is this okay?’ Your sense of style is so flimsy that it crumbles the moment someone says it’s uncool."

Al bit his lip, trembling at the harsh truth. Nukariya tilted his head and said, "I’m not following the conversation..."

Al then explained the incident where he wore a "Beautiful Girl" T-shirt and got laughed at in the studio. Nukariya’s expression became complicated.

"Well, ‘Beautiful Girl’ might be easily misunderstood... generally speaking."

"But he wanted it," Akira cut in. "I even suggested alternatives like 'Akihabara' or 'Neko-mimi' (Cat Ears), but he insisted on the other one."

"Akira, those are pretty unique options too..." Nukariya remarked coolly.

"What’s wrong with that? Akihabara is just a place name, and Neko-mimi are cute, aren’t they?" Akira defended himself. As Al listened to their back-and-forth, he remembered that this wasn’t the conversation he wanted to have.

"I... my talk... not clothes."

Al sat on the sofa with his legs folded under him in a formal Japanese sitting position, seiza, because he had heard that’s how Japanese people speak seriously.

I... want stay... in Akira’s mansion... always.”

"What kind of spoiled nonsense is that?" Akira yelled back. It felt like the timing might have been off, but once the words were out, there was no taking them back.

Save money... but... want stay... here.”

"Do you really think you can keep relying on others like this and still make it on your own in the future?"

"Akira, don’t just scold him outright. Why don’t you at least listen to what Al has to say?" Nukariya stepped in to mediate.

"Listen to what? This is just him being spoiled. What’s this about wanting to stay even after saving up money? A person only truly matters once they become independent!"

"I... not human!" Al shouted.

"I don’t want... work, save money, live alone... none of that!" Al clenched his fists, speaking as clearly as he could manage.

I... want... to belong.”

Both Akira and Nukariya fell silent.

I want... someone by my side. I... like Akira. Want... stay close.”

A loud bang interrupted Al’s confession as Akira slammed his hand on the table.

"Don’t think everything will go your way just because you want it to. What’s this ‘I want to stay by your side because I like you’ nonsense? That’s just the height of spoiled."

"Not spoiled! Liking someone... staying close... natural!"

"It’s one thing if you’re a couple or lovers, but that’s not what we are."

“Then… be my lover!” Al blurted out.

Akira fell silent for a moment.

Stay close... I... as lover.”

Akira pressed a hand to his head, visibly frustrated. “You’re giving me a headache. What’s going through that thick skull of yours, you stupid bat?”

I’m serious! I like Akira... Be lover! Please!” Al pleaded.

“Idiot! You can’t just force someone into being a lover!” Akira snapped back.

"Akira doesn’t accept... so... I push!"

Nukariya, sensing the escalating tension, stepped between them like a referee, raising his hand. “Akira, calm down. Al might not be fully grasping the nuances of the language he’s using…”

I... understand. Be lover... means sex!” Al declared, his determination clear. 

Akira's face turned darker than Al had ever seen before. Nukariya quickly pulled on Al's clothes. "Al, maybe we should go talk over there,” he suggested, trying to defuse the situation.

Akira... bad with humans... I’m vampire... perfect,” Al continued, oblivious to Nukariya’s attempt to redirect him.

Akira swiftly rolled up the newspaper in front of him and smacked Al on the head with a sharp whap



No! Nooo!” Al protested. 

"I'm going to teach you, so you'll never be able to say something so ridiculous in front of me again!" 

"Stop! Noooo!"  Al cried, dodging as Akira pursued him around the room.

Nukariya, feeling sorry for Al, who was running around clutching his head, stepped in to stop Akira. Al watched the enraged Akira from the corner of the room. Akira wasn’t interested in sex, and he didn’t have any prejudice against gay people. Al couldn’t understand why Akira was so angry about something he wasn’t interested in. But there was only one thing that came to mind...

"I… I don’t care… either way," Al decided.

"Put it in... or it go in... either's fine."

What the hell are you talking about?!” Akira demanded.

"About... sex, I mea—" Before he could finish speaking, a thick book was hurled at him like a heavy weapon. Al quickly dodged to the right, narrowly avoiding danger.

“Get out, you idiot bat!” Akira roared.

Amid the tense situation, a drawn-out electronic tone began to ring. It was Akira's phone. "Hey, you’ve got a call," Nukariya urged, and Akira, still fuming, answered the phone.

As he listened, Akira's expression grew even darker. Anger upon anger is a terrifying thing.

"A second season for the vampire drama? Like I care about that," Akira snapped, abruptly ending the call. Then another ringtone, different from Akira's, started to play. It was Nukariya's phone.

"It's from Sakeiri. That's rare."

Nukariya answered. After talking for a bit, he covered the mouthpiece and murmured, "Sakeiri wants to get in touch with Al."

"They’re going to continue the vampire drama that Al was in, but with a different lead character. They want Al to continue playing the vampire role..."

Akira snatched the phone from Nukariya, yelling into it, "I just turned you down! Stop being so persistent! Enough already!" He then handed the phone back.

“Everyone’s just so selfish and stupid!” Akira fumed, ruffling his wavy hair and waving his arms in frustration like an enraged lion. Al knew that, despite how scary Akira seemed when angry, he was truly a kind person. That’s why, from the bottom of his heart, Al wanted to become Akira’s lover—before someone else claimed Akira and before Al had any regrets.

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Comments

  1. I feel like maybe Akira has some trauma with sex? Maybe? I’m shocked Al was so forward with the confession 😭 but I can understand since he’s been anxiously watching muroi and akira interact lol

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  2. I think Akira has some trauma with people in general, he doesn't like getting close to anyone, Nukariya was he's only friend before Al showed up, and I really liked how earnest Al was in his confession

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