Chapter 16: That's Probably Her Name For Now.

Okay, this is fine. I just have to come up with an excuse. I'm good at that. I'm good at making things up, yeah? I have to make up a story to explain who, how, and why the hell there's a gothic loli waking up from a (suspiciously vampiric) coffin to an exorcist.

Sigh...

This rushed feeling… and the tingle all over my skin. I don't think these are my doing. Doesn't feel like me. Now that I think about it, if it's really me, I wouldn't care if Ayane finds out about the vampire. Better yet, she could help me kill it. We will save the world. The hero wins and the villain dies again.

But that's not the case. For some reasons, I'm worried now. For both of them. I don't want anyone to get hurt.

My body wants me to lie. After all, I don't want any conflict in my life now.

Let's just… not fight.

It sounds naïve but if I can make it happen, I will try to do so.

And naïve is human. I'm no soldier anymore. I do things with my heart.

Therefore, I need to think of a story.

It's already good enough that the vampire is not completely oblivious to the situation. An outsider is here. So she wouldn't risk herself being caught out before. I don't know, whatever she's planning. Her fangs are pulled back in and she buries her nail in her palm and covers her pointy ears with silver fluffy hair.

She's sober now. I worry it'd not be that long before she accidentally reveals she's a noble lineage of vampires and has woken up to conquer the world before her father did.

If anything, I learned from watching her for one week is, she gets drunk with pride. If anyone says, 'The vampire is so cool!' She'd instantly throw everything to say, 'you're damn right, we're cool. Vampires are the perfect creature ever to walk in this world!'

My eye bags itch.

This is probably the worst incident to have happened in the occult clubroom so far. But I'm planning to get out of it. As you can see, they have made progress; I have successfully calmed the two girls who differ from one another by two worlds and taken them to the couch.

I take a seat on the opposite couch, "I will explain."

Because I can't now. What's the best story anyone could have told that would avoid the two of them knowing that they are sitting on a couch together despite they're a vampire and an exorcist?

Ayane makes a face of a thousand questions.

The vampire makes… well; I think she's hungry. She makes a questioning face… only that's not a mystery to me. She probably thought Ayane was a food I brought in. One signal from me, the vampire is ready to be full.

I'll try not to act as if giving a signal.

"Look," I begin, trying to keep the tone calm. "You two might have a lot of questions right now. But I'm the only me. I can only answer so much..."

"Good enough for me," Ayane says. And then raises her hand as if we're in a classroom.

"You don't have to do that."

"It's only courtesy."

Well, with that strict look on her face, I don't think I can change her mind.

"Ayane." I play along.

She drops her hand and begins as she glances at the girl beside her. "I remember what you say very well. That there's yet no student joined the occult clubroom." Her finger points to the right. "So who's this? Your mistress?"

I don't even have a wife yet. How can I have any mistress? And also, look at her. I'm not a pedophile.

The vampire glares at her finger and pushes it back to its owner. "I let you know, I hate people pointing at me! It makes me look like a petty criminal!"

Well, you did murdered the mosquitoes.

As Ayane pulls back her finger she says, "Whatever...", but then her eyes catch sight of the gothic dress of a century ago.

Ayane raises her hand again.

I sigh, "But I didn't even answer your first question."

Ayane frowns. "Then I'm going to raise this hand until I can ask my next question."

Well, this is problematic.

The vampire stares at Ayane's hand… and after a train of thoughts (I assumed) she pouts, dimpling her cheek.

And with that, the vampire sticks out her hand.

If I have to guess, I think the vampire doesn't really know why Ayane raised her hand. She just takes it as a challenge, mainly because she's pushing her arms up at maximum.

Ayane doesn't like the fact that the vampire is copying her. The vampire has created a contest out of it.

I rub my forehead.

Ayane starts, "What are you doing?"

The vampire replies, "Doing the same thing you're doing."

"I want to ask first." Ayane looks at me, hoping I am picking the right person. That's her, of course. "Sensei," she asserts.

"Like I said, I have yet to answer the first question--"

"No, that is not acceptable!" The Gothic loli shouts, cutting me. Her eyes lock one with a gleaming red. "Pick me first, Human. I'm better. You have to!" Her arm tightens up in the air.

…

They are like peroxides and combustible materials. I think my brain is going to explode. "Okay, you two can drop your hand now. I will answer all your questions," I say.

The two glare at each other.

When Ayane drops her hand, the vampire follows.

Ayane spots the weirdness in the vampire's last sentence, "Human? Really?"

This vampire… She's making this hard for me.

I rush into the conversation and look at the vampire. "I—I told you to call me Sensei."

The vampire shakes her white hair. "No thanks. I will not call you by that name."

"Sensei… is not my name."

"The more reason for me not to say it. My father said, 'say nothing you don't know' and I took it deep in my heart."

Okay?… Sensei just means teacher. Everybody knows that. And that's exactly is in Ayane's head right now.

Ayane mumbles, "What the hell is wrong with this person..."

I sigh. "There's nothing wrong with her." By this time, I've come up with a story to use. I just have to deliver this carefully.

I start, "Ayane, as you can see. She's," I point my hand toward the vampire, "is totally a student like you, too."

"No I'm no—" The vampire is about to say something that'd doom my story... But I also have a plan for this.

I loudly shout in my mind, knowing that she could hear it if I intend to reach her.

I'LL FIND YOU HUMAN BLOOD!

The vampire is taken aback for a few seconds and sits down quietly.

Fu… I never knew shouting inside was more tiring than using the throat. I'm just glad she's actually smart and knew what my intention was. We just made a deal.

Ayane tilts her head. "But she's not wearing our uniform."

I laugh wryly. "That comes with a reason."

"Hm," Ayane glances from me to the vampire and back to me, "Okay, whatever. But that doesn't answer my first question. Who's she?"

I give the vampire a look, hinting that if she can say her own name, that would be better—only if she has remembered it.

The vampire shakes her head.

I guess not.

We must do this the hard way.

"Is there anything wrong, Sensei?" Ayane asked .

"Not really."

"So?"

I clear my throat.

Make up a story.

Make up a name.

I don't know the name of a small vampire with white hair, red eyes, a snob, and will conquer the world.

But I can make a name for the vampire who's always complaining; who always messed up the chess pieces; who adores her father but still rebels; who I spent time together in this room for this one whole week.

The vampire eyes gleam again... She does that when she's expecting something.

And that helps me a lot by coming up with her (placeholder) name.

"Her name is… "

Remelia.