Vampire and His Pleasant Companions: Volume 3 - Part 9

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The shoot was set to take place at a cemetery park located about forty minutes north of downtown Chicago via the highway. Richard was in the driver's seat of the Rolls-Royce, Akira sat next to him, and Al sat comfortably in the back seat.

Henry, the bodyguard whom Al had attacked earlier that day, apparently stuck close to Richard whenever he worked in L.A. Even though they had left the bodyguard behind, thinking it was safe since this was a discreet trip to Chicago, Richard had hurriedly called him after hearing Al’s story about an intruder on the property. Richard chuckled awkwardly, saying, [“But when he's around, it makes us stand out even more.”]

Henry wasn't joining them for the location scouting. Richard had left him behind to stay with Martha, who was home alone, unsure whether the intruder was targeting Richard or just a petty thief. Henry wasn’t happy about Richard going out without protection, but Richard had persuaded him with, [“I'll be in disguise and won’t do anything conspicuous,”] reluctantly earning Henry’s agreement.

Richard, driving the car, was in disguise: a white-haired wig, a white fake mustache, a checkered shirt, well-worn jeans held up by suspenders, and a baseball cap to top it all off. The overall look was that of a country man who had won a fortune in the lottery but hadn’t changed his lifestyle. The outfit strangely suited him, suggesting that this wasn’t his first time going out in disguise.

[“Oh, by the way, Akira, how long have you two been living together?”] Richard asked from the driver's seat.

[“A year. This guy showed up broke at my place,”] Akira answered.

[“A year, huh? That’s the best time,”] Richard hummed to himself.

[“What’s the 'best time' supposed to mean?”] Akira questioned calmly, to which Richard hesitated, [“Well, you know...”] trailing off.

[“You two get along so well. Ah, to be young and full of passion!”] Richard finally blurted out.

Akira tilted his head in confusion, not understanding. Al, however, guessed Richard was hinting at the idea of lovers who make love two or three times a day. But Al stayed silent, knowing that Akira would get upset if he realized what Richard meant.

With that slightly awkward conversation hanging in the air, the car continued driving, eventually reaching the cemetery in the dead of night. Beside the entrance, a forlorn parking lot, with ruts in the asphalt and weeds poking through cracks, hosted three location buses.

Though there were no streetlights in the parking lot, a few lights were lit, likely powered by a generator, brightening the area. Foldable chairs and tables had been set up beside the buses, serving as makeshift dressing rooms for the actors.

The cemetery gates, normally locked at night, were wide open, with staff hurrying in and out. The usual eerie atmosphere of a nighttime cemetery was slightly eased by the bustle of people, making it feel more like a workplace.

"Hey, Kane!" Mitani waved next to one of the location buses. Al jogged over, his head tilting in confusion. Though Mitani was dressed in costume, he hadn’t done his makeup yet. Since Al had fewer scenes and his shoot was scheduled for later, his call time was the latest. But it was odd that Mitani, who had earlier scenes, wasn’t ready.

"Where’s your makeup??" Al asked.

"Well, about that..." Mitani responded with a sheepish grin.

"We’re in a bind!" A harsh voice cut through the air, making Al jump. Watanabe, Haruna’s manager, was shouting without caring who might hear.

"The makeup artist, Kawashima, might not be able to make it here," Mitani whispered into Al's ear.

"Apparently, Kawashima got food poisoning. She’s been vomiting and having diarrhea, and they had to take her to the hospital. She can’t even get out of bed. Haruna-chan, who had a different meal, made it to the set because she wasn’t affected, but Kawashima was supposed to handle the hair and makeup for all the actors. So, now we’re stuck," Mitani explained, raising his hands in surrender.

"It’s a night shoot, so I could probably manage without makeup. But Haruna-chan and Kane, it’s a problem for them. If we were in Japan, we could’ve arranged a replacement quickly," he added.

Just then, Haruna emerged from the location bus. She was dressed in the protagonist Mahiro's costume and glanced worriedly at Watanabe, who was arguing beside the car.

"Is there really no way she can make it here?" Watanabe's voice grew louder with each shout, and Haruna’s face began to twist as if she were about to cry.

Meanwhile, Sakeiri, wearing a loud patterned long-sleeved shirt and chinos, appeared, walking with a young staff member toward Haruna’s manager.

“So the makeup artist really can’t come?” Sakeiri asked.

Watanabe bowed deeply. "I’m very sorry."

Sakeiri scratched the back of his head, visibly irritated. “This was the makeup artist you requested. Coming all this way and then not being able to work? That’s ridiculous.”

“I’m really, really sorry,” Watanabe kept apologizing, over and over.

“Make sure your team is on top of things. We’re already on edge being overseas for this shoot,” Sakeiri grumbled, then turned to Haruna, who was still nervously standing beside the bus.

"Haruna-chan, come here," he called out.

Haruna approached cautiously.

"I heard the makeup tools are here. At worst, could you do your own hair and makeup?" Sakeiri asked.

Haruna's face contorted immediately. "I’m not good with makeup..."

Sakeiri furrowed his brow. "I see."

"But I’ll give it a try," Haruna said, bravely.

Sakeiri shook his head, "No, it’s fine. If you could do it yourself, we wouldn’t need a makeup artist. Well, this is a problem. We don’t have any other female staff besides Haruna-chan and the makeup artist. We could ask the coordinator to find a local makeup artist, but it’s late. We could postpone, but if it rains tomorrow, we’re done. If we push it back any further, it’ll mess up the whole schedule. This is bad..."

"Hey, Sakeiri!" Two figures approached from the Rolls-Royce—Akira and Richard. Sakeiri’s eyes widened in surprise before breaking into a huge grin.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" He spread his arms wide. "Welcome, Takatsuka!"

"I didn’t come because I wanted to," Akira replied coldly, the way he always did, no matter where they were.

"Not many people would follow someone all the way to an overseas shoot. It really makes me think—Kane-san must be head over heels for you," Sakeiri teased.

"How many times do I have to explain for you to get it through your thick skull? We’re not in that kind of relationship," Akira said bluntly.

Sakeiri brushed it off with a grin. "Well, whatever. That’s not the issue right now."

"Hey! What do you mean by 'that'?" Akira snapped, but Sakeiri merely shrugged nonchalantly. 

"I'm not the type to sweat the small stuff... Anyway, who's the old guy next to you?" 

When their eyes met, Richard smiled warmly. 

"I brought him along because he said he wanted to watch the shoot. His name is..." Akira began, but before he could finish, Sakeiri cut him off with a quick bow to Richard. 

"Oh, is that so? Well, nice to meet you." 

"Hello, nice to meet you," Richard said in halting Japanese, to which Sakeiri, for some reason, responded with a loud "Bravo!" in Italian. 

"Does this old guy understand Japanese?" 

"No, he just knows a few basic greetings." 

"That’s good enough. Actually, we’re short on staff, so this is a huge help," Sakeiri said with a grin. 

"Hey!" Akira stepped forward. "Dick’s just here to observe!" 

"Just watching would be boring, don’t you think? Even if it’s Japan, it’s a real drama shoot—he’ll enjoy being part of it," Sakeiri suggested. 

"Don’t make assumptions based on your standards!" Akira growled, but Sakeiri ignored him and turned to Richard. 

"If you don't mind, could you maybe help out a little behind the scenes? We’re really short on people. Kane, can you translate that for me?" 

Akira was clearly fuming, but Richard turned to him and asked, [“What’s your friend saying?”] Akira answered honestly, [“He’s asking if you could help with the shoot.”] 

Richard’s expression immediately shifted to one of serious consideration, as if he were a seasoned industry professional. [“Hmm, that’s tricky. I don’t really know how Japanese drama shoots work.”] He stroked his chin thoughtfully, and Akira, sensing Richard was overthinking it, translated anyway. Sakeiri waved his hands dismissively like a goldfish flapping its fins. 

"Don’t worry, it’s just some minor tasks like carrying equipment." 

Sakeiri clearly intended to put the great Richard Carlisle to work. Unsure whether to say it outright, Akira hesitated, but Richard prompted him, [“What? What?”] so he bluntly translated, [“It’s just small chores.”] Richard grinned mischievously, like a child who had just thought of a prank. [“That sounds fun! I’ll help.”] He rolled up his sleeves, and Sakeiri let out a sharp whistle. 

"Whoa, the old guy's really up for it!" 

[“Dick, you don’t have to help out this jerk if you don’t want to.”] Akira tried to stop him, but Richard replied enthusiastically, [“I’m not doing it out of obligation. It looks fun.”] 

"Okay, old man, can you go over there and help the lighting crew? There’s an English-speaking guy among the foreign staff." Sakeiri pointed to an area in the cemetery where a dim light flickered. Even though Richard didn’t understand Japanese, he seemed to grasp the gesture and winked at Akira and Al before heading into the graveyard. 

"You’ve always been pushy and shameless, and that hasn’t changed a bit after all these years," Akira muttered. 

"Call it being friendly," Sakeiri responded, smoothly brushing off the insult and placing a firm hand on Akira’s shoulder. Akira looked suspiciously at the hand, clearly not liking how casually it rested there. 

"...I really am a lucky man. Every time I’m in a pinch, help always shows up," Sakeiri said with a sigh. 

"I have no idea what you’re talking about," Akira responded with a frown. 

Sakeiri turned Akira around to face the staff and actors, gesturing grandly. 

"A savior has arrived! Believe it or not, this guy here is a talented hair and makeup artist... I think." 

Mitani let out a small "Oh!" of realization. 

"That’s right, Takatsuka-san might actually be able to help us out." 

As everyone’s eyes turned toward Akira, he glanced around, clearly puzzled. 

"What the hell are you all talking about? I don’t understand any of this." 

"The hair and makeup artist we brought from Japan had to be rushed to the hospital, and now we don’t have anyone to do the hair and makeup for the cast. Could you help us out, Takatsuka-san?" Mitani explained. 

"But even if you ask me out of the blue like this, I don’t have any makeup tools with me," Akira replied. 

"Oh, we have tools!" Watanabe rushed to the location bus and returned with a large black makeup case. 

"Please, Takatsuka, you’re our only hope," Sakeiri pleaded, hands pressed together in a begging motion. 

"I also think Takatsuka-san is the best makeup artist here," Mitani chimed in, further encouraging him. Staff members had begun to gather, forming a circle around Akira. 

"I get the situation... but give me a moment," Akira said as all eyes focused on him. 

Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Akira slowly opened his mouth. 

"Let me just say this upfront... I’ve never done makeup for a 'living person' before." 

His words sent a ripple of silence through the crowd. Watanabe whispered to Mitani beside him, "What does that mean?" 

"Oh, don’t worry about it!~" Sakeiri cheerfully stuck his thumb up in front of Akira.

◇:-:◆:-:◇

The shoot was scheduled to first film Mitani’s scene, followed by Haruna’s. When Al stepped out of the location bus after changing into a white tuxedo, Mitani was just beginning to get his makeup done.

Mitani sat in a chair, with lights shining on him. Akira stood across from him, with a wide table to his right, on which sat an open, staircase-like makeup box. As Akira checked the various cosmetics, he muttered, “It seems our tastes don’t match at all,” then tied his hair back with a rubber band found in the makeup box and rolled up his sleeves. After clipping back Mitani’s bangs and touching his face to feel the bone structure, Akira frowned.

“Uh... Is my skin acting up or something?” Mitani asked hesitantly.

“No,” Akira shook his head. “It’s just different from what I’m used to. Your skin isn’t bad. No breakouts, and your texture is smooth... By the way, what look are we going for?”

Mitani’s gaze wandered awkwardly. “The makeup artist usually makes me look cool, just like that...”

At that, Akira’s brows furrowed with irritation. “‘Just cool’? That’s the most unhelpful answer I’ve ever heard. Don’t you have an idea of what kind of look you want?”

Mitani looked toward Al for help, but Al didn’t know what to say either. He glanced around and made eye contact with Watanabe. Seeing Al’s pleading look, Watanabe seemed to steel himself and spoke up.

“Since Mitani-san is continuing his role, shouldn’t it be the same look as last time?”

Akira stroked his chin. “If I remember correctly... The previous look was handsome but a bit airheaded.”

Without further comment, Akira started the makeup. Once he began, his hands moved with expert precision. Watanabe, who was standing next to Al, leaned in to watch and said, “Wow, he’s really skilled at this.”

Watanabe then moved closer to Al and whispered, “What does your boyfriend do? Is he a beauty consultant or something?”

He’s not my boyfriend... Al thought but answered, “He’s an embalmer.”

Watanabe tilted his head. “I don’t really get it, but is that some new beauty trend? Sounds cool.”

“Watanabe-san, an embalmer is someone who treats bodies so they don’t decompose,” Haruna chimed in, overhearing the conversation. Watanabe’s mouth twisted in surprise.

“Oh! I remember that from the ‘Mahiro’ manga. An embalmer showed up in the vampire Keegan episode during the first season.”

Suddenly recalling, Watanabe clapped his hands. “Ah, that’s it! I’ve been having trouble keeping up with all these foreign words lately. But how does working with dead bodies make someone good at makeup?”

“They don’t just preserve bodies; they also apply makeup to women, for example, before the funeral,” Haruna explained.

“Huh, that’s a rare job. Just thinking about touching a corpse gives me the chills,” Watanabe said, rubbing his shoulders and giving a mock shiver. As they talked, Mitani’s makeup was completed, and Haruna took his place in the chair.

Mitani’s look was slightly flashier than last time, but it was excellent and would look great on screen. Sitting next to Al, Mitani let out a deep sigh.

“I was three times more nervous than usual. Takatsuka-san kept clicking his tongue whenever I moved my face even a little. Every time he did, my heart would skip a beat,” Mitani said, clutching his chest dramatically. Watanabe chuckled.

“That sounds intense. That guy’s ridiculously handsome, so there’s something intimidating about him.”

Akira usually worked on still bodies, so it was understandable that working on a live person was a different experience for him. Still, it would’ve been nice if he were a bit gentler.

“When I heard the makeup artist couldn’t make it, I felt like the world was ending. I’m so relieved it all worked out. We really owe Takatsuka-san,” Watanabe said, patting his chest in relief. Mitani nodded in agreement.

“I’ve been so stressed out with all the chaos about the makeup artist, but now I think I can finally enjoy being here.”

Hearing this, Watanabe chuckled wryly. “Enjoy? Mitani-kun, this is a graveyard.”

“Graveyards are mysterious, though. In America, bodies don’t decompose as fast because of embalming, so they remain underground for years in the same state as when they died.”

Though they were still in the parking lot, Watanabe glanced nervously at the ground beneath his feet.

“And places like this... don’t you think something could show up?”

Al didn’t ask what he meant by “something,” but Watanabe did.

“Sh-show up? What do you mean?”

Mitani smiled. “You know, like a ghost.”

Even though the area was dim, Al could see the color drain from Watanabe’s face.

“D-don’t say stuff like that! That’s scary,” Watanabe stammered, trying to maintain his composure, but his voice shook with fear.

“After I found out the name of the cemetery we’re shooting at, I did some research. I thought it’d be fun if it were one of those haunted places, but it looks like nothing comes out here,” Mitani added, sounding disappointed.

“Not seeing a ghost is definitely a good thing,” Watanabe muttered, but just as he finished speaking, there was a rustling sound behind them. It was only the wind blowing through the leaves, but Watanabe let out a loud scream, “Hiiiii!” His cry was so loud that Haruna and Akira turned to look.

“Watanabe-san, are you scared of ghosts?” Mitani asked.

Watanabe, trying to act tough, replied, “No, I just got startled, that’s all...”

“I see. Personally, I love ghost stories and horror stuff. The famous haunted cemetery I was talking about earlier—”

“Mitani, stop,” Al interrupted, covering his ears. “Scary stories… scary!”

Mitani laughed. “Kane, you love that kind of stuff, though.”

By some divine intervention, Mitani was called over by the staff. As he walked off toward the set, his figure disappearing into the distance, Al and Watanabe exchanged tired glances, sharing an unspoken understanding of the fear they had just experienced together.

Suddenly, the buzzing of a phone vibrated, causing Watanabe to jump with a small scream, “Hyaa!” Realizing it was just his phone, he mumbled, “Excuse me,” and hurriedly left, embarrassed. Now bored and left alone, Al wandered over to Akira, who was steadily working on Haruna’s makeup.

Akira had given Haruna soft, baby-like skin, while subtly defining her eyes without making them too prominent, using brown tones for the eyeshadow. The result was a look that perfectly captured Mahiro’s character—gentle, yet strong.

"Sorry, but..."  Akira, who had been silently applying makeup without uttering a word, suddenly spoke.  "Could you close your eyes?" 

"Why?" Haruna’s slightly upturned pink lips asked. 

"...I’m used to doing makeup on the deceased. I’m not used to being watched." 

"Oh, I see. Got it." Haruna quickly closed her eyes. 

"You have such a beautiful face, Takatsuka-san. It makes me want to keep looking at you." 

"...Thanks." Akira’s reply was so curt that even a bear might have reacted more warmly. 

"Honestly, I’ve been fascinated by how perfect your face is ever since I first saw it. It’s amazing that someone with such symmetrical features exists." 

For a moment, Akira’s hands paused, but then they resumed moving as if nothing had happened. 

"But just when I started thinking about it, I found out you already have a boyfriend. You’re dating Kane-san, right?" 

Akira looked puzzled. 

"We’re not dating." 

"Really? But you’re a couple, aren’t you?" 

"I’ve never had any kind of sexual relationship with a man in my life." 

Haruna blinked in surprise, clearly taken aback. 

"I’m going to trace your lip line now, so close your mouth." 

Her pink lips shut quickly, and she tilted her head upwards. Watanabe, who had just finished his phone call, was standing behind Akira, his eyes wide as if he had overheard the conversation. He exchanged glances with Al, who received a sympathetic look from him, as if to say, ‘He’s probably just shy about admitting it in public.’ Al got the impression Watanabe was trying to console him with his eyes. 

Once Haruna’s hair was done, a staff member came to call her for the shoot. As Watanabe accompanied her to the set, only Al and Akira remained near the location bus. 

"You’re the one that will the longest,” facing Al as he sat in the chair, Akira sighed and glanced at his watch.

"I’ll do it quickly, so keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them." 

Al obediently closed his eyes. Akira’s cold, soft fingers slid across his cheeks. Despite Akira’s rough manner and tone, his touch was surprisingly gentle. Al had noticed before how delicately Akira’s fingers moved during embalming, but until now, he hadn’t known what that would feel like. 

The sensation was so pleasant, nothing like the fingers that often smacked him with newspaper, that it sent a shiver down Al’s spine. He couldn’t help thinking how lucky the bodies Akira touched must be... 

"...Hey, do you need something?" Akira suddenly called out loudly, causing Al to open his eyes. 

"Hey!" 

Al followed Akira’s gaze toward the entrance of the cemetery. He saw a shadowy figure for a brief moment before it vanished into the darkness. 

"At least answer if you’re going to sneak around," Akira muttered, clicking his tongue, then roughly turned Al’s face back to the front. 

"Who was it?" 

"No idea. I called out, and they ran off. Must’ve been some rude staff member." 

After spitting out this explanation, Akira tilted his head thoughtfully. 

"Now that I think about it, it was probably a foreign staff member. Maybe he didn’t understand me." 

...Al had a bad feeling. Akira didn’t seem to think twice about the "foreign staff" explanation, but they were at a cemetery, a place where the dead rested. It wouldn’t be surprising if a wandering soul with unfinished business was lingering. 

Al shook his head furiously. Mitani’s talk was getting to him. Ghosts probably weren’t so easy to see. After all, even during his life and as a vampire, he’d never encountered one. 

“Was that really staff… earlier?” Al couldn’t help asking, even though he didn’t want to admit he believed in ghosts. 

"I can’t focus on your makeup. Shut up!" Akira snapped. 

Even though he was scolded, the seed of fear planted in Al’s mind wasn’t so easily removed. When Akira told him to "keep his eyes closed," the thought of not being able to see what was around him made him anxious. He cracked his eyes open just a bit, only to be sternly ordered, "I said, close them," and he tightly shut his eyelids. 

“That staff… maybe was a ghost,” Al muttered.’ 

"Yeah, maybe it was," Akira replied indifferently, as if it didn’t matter at all. 

“Akira, not scared?” Al asked nervously, to which Akira lightly smacked him on the head. 

"You’re practically a relative of a ghost yourself. What are you scared of? They’re creepy, but they don’t do any harm. Living people are way more of a nuisance." 

“You ever see ghost?” 

"Of course not." Akira declared flatly. 

Somehow, Al could imagine Akira scolding a ghost, telling it, "Don’t show up in a place like this. You’re bothering everyone." The thought made him chuckle, but Akira immediately scolded him for moving his face, and Al quickly tightened his expression. 

Akira’s makeup style was... bold. He applied thick and vibrant colors, but when blended together, they became surprisingly natural. In the end, the look was more layered than Al’s previous vampire makeup, yet it was subtler and gave his face a depth and intensity fitting for an evil vampire. 

Once the makeup was finished, Akira, concerned about the makeup on the other two actors, followed Al into the cemetery set. Al, impressed by his own transformation, drew the attention of passersby. "Your makeup is perfect today," a staff member complimented as they walked by. 

Akira meticulously checked over Haruna and Mitani’s hair and makeup, his professional instincts making even slight imperfections bother him. Richard, who had been absent for some time after helping out, was now standing behind Camera 2, shouting things like "No" and "Good" as if he were a director. The cameraman seemed a little annoyed. 

"Takatsuka-san," Mitani approached Akira quietly during a break between scenes. 

"That foreign gentleman who came to observe, I heard he’s your acquaintance. What does he do for work?" 

Akira paused for a moment before answering, "He’s in the film industry." 

"Ah, I thought so," Mitani nodded. 

"For an amateur, his comments were really spot on. He sounded like a pro." 

"Maybe," Akira replied vaguely. He then spotted Sakeiri patting Richard’s shoulder in the distance. 

"Hey, hey, don’t get in the way of the cameramen. Amateurs shouldn’t interfere with the professionals, okay? If you understand, go over there," Sakeiri said, tapping Richard on the shoulder.

The scene looked like a novice challenging a heavyweight pro wrestler, and Akira couldn’t help but wonder if it was really okay. But Richard didn’t seem to mind being handled so roughly, cheerfully walking over to Akira with a bright smile.

[“It’s quite fun, really. It reminds me of when I used to shoot independent films. Back when I first transitioned from acting to filmmaking, I didn’t have much of a track record on the production side, so it was tough to gather money and people.”]

“Hey, old man! We need you over here after all!” 

Even though Richard didn’t understand Japanese, he seemed to recognize the word "old man" referred to him, as he quickly ran over to Sakeiri. Akira, watching Richard’s retreating figure, muttered, "Well, if he’s enjoying himself, I guess it’s fine." 

Other than the delayed hair and makeup, the shoot was progressing fairly smoothly, but it was now past 2 a.m. Even for scenes that would only last a short time in the final broadcast, location shoots always took a lot of time. Most of the equipment, aside from the cameras, was rented, and it wasn’t exactly easy to use. The American staff had to keep asking questions and figuring out how to operate everything. 

Every time there was a break in shooting, Akira would quickly make adjustments to Haruna and Mitani’s hair and makeup. Since they were living, their body heat caused the makeup to smudge more easily, and Akira grumbled, “It’s much harder than what I’m used to.” 

Al, meanwhile, dozed off in a foldable chair while waiting for his turn. He was likely exhausted from running around all day. In the beginning, knowing Richard was watching him, he’d been enthusiastic about his performance, but as the shoot dragged on, his tension gradually eased. 

[“You’re working late, aren’t you?”] 

A voice whispered close to Al’s ear, startling him so much he almost jumped out of his seat. When he looked to his side, there stood Kyiv, dressed in black jeans and a white T-shirt, his monochrome appearance blending in with the night. 

[“Wh-what are you doing here...?”] 

[“I was bored, so I decided to drop by. Mitani told me where the set was.”] Kyiv smiled as he glanced around the shooting site. [“Looks fun.”] 

[“It feels like an independent film,”] he added, the scene evoking nostalgia for Kyiv, who had been involved in the film world in the past. Like Richard, he saw the production of this Japanese drama as having a strong "handmade" quality. 

[“I wanted to talk to you, too. Are you heading back to Japan after this shoot?”] 

[“Yeah.”] 

[“Do you remember what we talked about the other day?”] 

Al gulped. 

[“About how drinking my blood might make you more like a real vampire. When are you going to try it?”] 

[“I... I’m not sure.”] 

[“I don’t understand why you’re hesitating. There’s no risk, and if it works, everything would improve.”] 

Al looked down, unable to respond. Kyiv sighed. [“If you don’t talk to me, I won’t know what you’re thinking.”] 

[“From what I can see, you’re living a pretty restricted life. Thanks to Akira’s full support, you’re managing, but this stable lifestyle won’t last forever.”] 

Al felt a sharp pang in his chest, as if his heart, which shouldn’t have been beating, was aching. 

[“If Akira were to quit his embalming job, you’d be in trouble right away. He’s human, after all. What if something happened to him? He could die in an accident tomorrow. What would you do then?”] 

Kyiv’s tone was calm, almost fatherly, as he spoke slowly. 

[“To avoid that risk, you should try to get a bit closer to being a real vampire. That way, you could make better use of your body and live more freely.”] 

Kyiv wasn’t wrong. If Al drank his blood and became a full-fledged vampire, a lot of his problems would probably disappear. 

“Kane-san, you’re up!” 

A staff member called out to him from beyond the lights. 

[“Oh, I... I have to shoot now,”] Al mumbled, quickly standing up from his foldable chair. 

[“I’m staying at the same hotel for a while. If you change your mind, give me a call.”] 

With that, Kyiv melted into the darkness. As Al watched him disappear, a voice suddenly called out next to his ear, startling him again. 

“Kane-san,” a young staff member chuckled at Al’s reaction. 

“Being back in your home country must make you more relaxed than usual, huh? Anyway, it’s time for your scene.”

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