But the moment he opened his eyes, he froze—someone was lying on top of his blanket!
What the—there's something here!?
Chen Yao yelped and tried to sit up.
Oh, you're awake.
In the darkness, the figure let out a cutesy girl's voice.
Chen Yao blinked. "Classmate Kagaribi no Kirie?"
The silhouette straightened, looking down at him. "Chen Yao, quit lazing around. I'm taking you to meet someone."
…
Chen Yao's heart flared; he'd nearly had a heart attack—an exaggeration, maybe, but Kirie had gone too far… wait.
"Kirie, how do you even know my home address?" he asked, puzzled.
"Easy. I sneaked into the teachers' office one night and peeked at the student contact list."
Kirie hopped off the bed, hands on hips, a smug grin on her lips.
That wasn't praise… she'd probably investigated him earlier, suspicious of his odd background.
"No way. What time is it? I need sleep—I'm nocturnal only in nightmares. And breaking-and-entering? Close the window on your way out…"
Chen Yao refused outright; even if Kirie had helped him during the play, sleep came first—tomorrow was Monday.
"…If I stuff a fat red packet in your hand afterward, will you come?" Kirie asked after a pause.
"A-hem, what are you saying? We're close, aren't we? Staying up once won't kill me." The mention of money snapped him upright, bright-eyed.
"Figures you're greedy. It's a hundred-twenty kilometers, but flying'll take half an hour. Behave—I'm carrying you."
Kirie had seen this Undead's money-moth tendencies from his blood; she narrowed her eyes, then moved to the window.
Whatever her mysterious meeting was, Chen Yao had a gaming chair to buy; he changed clothes and marched out.
Without a word Kirie grabbed his shoulders from behind, wings flared, and whoosh—out the window into the night sky.
Mid-air, Chen Yao recalled a déjà-vu: once a gargoyle had carried him while he waved a little flag—now the gargoyle was a pretty girl.
Twenty minutes later a grand estate loomed; they landed at the gates. Kirie pushed the doors. "Come in. And remember—my friend's a good Vampire, just… an anime otaku. If she rants, ignore it."
"So what exactly is your friend—"
The more he heard, the warier he felt, but Kirie had already stepped inside; greed won and he followed.
In the parlor sat a tiny girl, child-delicate, silver-grey hair fluffy like an angel's halo.
Just as he wondered why an angel child was here, she turned, beamed, and chirped, "Ah, you must be Teacher Yokoyama, creator of kura kura of haruta street!"
"That's me… and you are?" he asked, staring at what looked like an elementary-schooler.
"Sophie Twilight, your biggest fan! I've bought every DVD of your series!"
Pink flushed her cheeks; she pressed a hand to her chest and smiled.
So his fan-meet had begun early—in Vampire circles. Chapter 22 – Just an NTL Curse
A Vampire manga fan felt odd, yet an Undead mangaka seemed normal enough. Thus the meet-and-greet commenced in Kirie's Vampire manor.
"Master creator of that magnificent anime, I never miss Friday 9 p.m. broadcasts. Please accept these century-old vintages from my family."
The adorable Vampire presented three bottles of priceless red; her love for the work was genuine.
"Is my stuff really that good?" Chen Yao scratched his head, embarrassed.
"A masterpiece not seen in a hundred years. After Astro Boy and Dr. Slump, kura kura of haruta street moves me most. May it never end!"
Sophie nodded, eyes shining.
"Never end" was hyperbole, and ranking beside those classics felt sacrilegious, yet the praise warmed him.
Ah… back when he'd struggled in the dark world, he'd dreamed of moments like this. "Actually, other Vampires like your work too; they just thought last week's episode too jarring, so they stayed away…"
Excited, Sophie almost blurted more, but seeing Chen Yao's smile crumble, she clamped her mouth shut.
"There—you blurt things when excited. Authors hate hearing that," Kirie sighed.
Seeing her favorite mangaka deflate, Sophie flailed. "N-no! They just disliked the latest tone-shift… they still record every episode—"
One arrow through the heart, two in the back, one in the forehead… the battered Undead waved it off. "I know the last chapter turned light and silly, but it's deliberate. Even sweets need a pinch of salt."
Sophie blinked, then smiled. "Exactly—that flavor's why I love it."
Overall the fan-event succeeded: two Vampires playing host, Sophie never attacked humans and ordered blood online; her mansion overflowed with dolls and figures—a rich, gentle otaku.
"She adores your manga. She'd talk with you for three days straight." Kirie narrowed her eyes. "She may be a Vampire, but don't get any ideas."
"What are you implying? I'm no lolicon," Chen Yao retorted, eyeing the two under-age-looking Vampire girls.
"Hmph…"
Kirie still looked skeptical.
Across from him, Sophie cupped her coffee, ruby eyes studying him. "Teacher Yokoyama, um—"
"Yes, Miss Sophie?"
"I… I might be wrong, but… you feel cursed."
She sipped, hesitating.
"Huh!?"
The moment Chen Yao heard that, he stared at Sophie in shock. Sophie, startled, hastily apologized, "No, I just sensed... I didn't mean anything else..."
"Miss Sophie, can you feel the curse on me?" Chen Yao asked, a little surprised. "Actually, I do think I'm cursed. One curse was stripped away once, but in the modern world I still vaguely feel as though something's hexing me..."
The culprit was his "Recognition System"; whenever it met an animated character, their profile would pop up automatically. If it were a cheat gifted to a transmigrator it wouldn't matter, but this thing offers no benefits and just feels... cursed.
"Um, if you don't mind, could you give me a drop of blood? I might be able to identify what curse you're carrying, Teacher."
Seeing how much it meant to Chen Yao, and out of respect for her idol, Sophie asked for a single drop of blood.
Kirie, watching from the side, remarked, "That's rare, Sophie. You usually hate the sight of human blood, yet you'll go this far for Chen Yao..."
Sophie's power was considerable; her ability to taste blood let her see some of its owner's secrets, and she was especially sensitive to magic and curses.
"Uh... I'll close my eyes while you bleed."
Afraid of seeing blood, Sophie shut her eyes with a shudder.
Without hesitation Chen Yao pulled out his fountain pen, pricked his finger, and offered Sophie a drop of blood.
Sophie took the crimson bead; it tasted strongly of iron. When she licked it, the flavor was bitter and sharp, yet oddly fascinating to a Vampire. After a brief analysis she smiled. "I've worked it out, Teacher Yokoyama. It's nothing serious—just an NTL curse."
Chen Yao exhaled in relief. "So it's only an NTL curse..."
"What did you say—an NTL curse!?"
A moment later Chen Yao gaped. What kind of freakish hex was this? Even worse than an Undead curse.
Sophie tilted her head; to her it sounded trivial. "It's simple: without noticing, the host steals other people's girlfriends. You've probably sensed the curse's pull already. Those girls must have met—or will soon meet—their destined partners. The stronger that bond, the more the NTL curse targets them. And if the boyfriend is two-timing, you become the agent who punishes him first. That's all. It won't harm you personally, so don't worry."
Kirie's eyes filled with disgust. "Ugh, so you're that dangerous?"
"No, no! I've no wish to be a villain who wrecks relationships. I value friendship deeply, and the reason my gag manga can move readers is because my values bring joy. A curse like this is just too much..."
Chen Yao sighed. Raised in orthodox Chinese ways, he couldn't condone sabotaging couples. In Lordran he'd treasured friends; now modern society cursed him to snatch lovers—outrageous.
Sophie was taken aback. She'd thought a harmless curse would comfort him, yet Chen Yao resisted fiercely. The mangaka who drew such pure works was indeed a very clean human. "If Teacher Yokoyama wants to fight this curse, Miss Kirie and I will help—if you don't mind."
Moved by his resolve, Sophie promised sincerely.
"Don't count me in," Kirie muttered, annoyed.
"Really? Then I'm counting on you both."
With a curse-savvy Vampire on his side, Chen Yao felt he'd gained a powerful ally and thanked them at once, while Kirie looked put-upon yet helpless.
Yet after hearing Sophie's analysis, Kirie wondered whether they too were affected. Even the usually unflappable Vampire seemed drawn to Chen Yao, and her father was not someone to cross...
Meanwhile, in Gunma Prefecture beneath a dark sky, lights glowed in a villa.
Clack-clack-clack... a handsome young man hammered at a laptop, recording complex data.
"Brother!"
The door burst open and a tall man stepped in, tense. "I heard you're starting Project D ahead of schedule—is it true?"
"Perfect timing, Keisuke. Plans have changed."
The mature, good-looking youth spun his chair and smiled.
"Why? You never alter a plan once it's set."
Takahashi Keisuke sat on the bed opposite, puzzled.
"A legendary NSX has appeared on the mountain roads between Gunma and Tokyo, stirring up half of Kanto. Our RedSuns of Akagi can't wait any longer. We have to launch our Kanto campaign before that NSX throws the whole region into chaos."
Takahashi Ryosuke placed a photo on the desk: a first-generation NSX racing along the passes near Mount Akina and Mount Haruna in Gunma. On a night mountain road, a lone car roared through the darkness, hunting for something...
Tuesday, just as classes ended, Chen Yao's phone chimed with a text.
—This is Gunma Prefecture Traffic Office. At 19:26 on June 14 we recorded your vehicle, plate Gunma 501-78-61, exceeding the limit by 40%. Per traffic law: four points off your licence and a ¥60,000 fine. As your licence qualifies for suspension, attending the designated safety course can waive the suspension.
"Wait, you've got to be kidding me?"
Chen Yao froze—he'd been caught speeding.
Though he always drove carefully, he'd still floor it on empty back roads to get home or deliver manuscripts. Six months without incident, and yesterday a camera had nailed him.
"Damn Japanese traffic cops—when did they install a speed trap on that road!?"
Fuming, he pocketed the phone, anxiety rising.
He now faced a crisis: his licence might be suspended and a ¥60,000 fine loomed.
He needed his honda nsx for school runs and deadlines; without a car he was stuck. Two nights ago Kirie had given him a ¥6,000 gift, and now he'd been fined ten times that—regret hit hard.
With no choice he headed home to think of a solution.
Before leaving he texted Fujiwara Takumi and Takeuchi Itsuki for advice, and by the time he reached home Itsuki had replied.
—Tough luck, but count yourself lucky they're not pressing harder. Attend traffic class after school at the licensed driving school nearby. As for the ¥60,000, the station chief wants to know: fancy working at the station a few days? You'll earn it fast.
Itsuki was again pushing the gas-station car-wash Male Dancer job, and Chen Yao recoiled instinctively.
"I told you—I'd rather die than take that job. Absolutely not."