Chapter 7 – End of Childhood

Ｒｅａｄ ​ｏｎ Ｋａ​ｔＲｅａ​ｄｉｎｇＣａ​ｆｅ

“This is as far as I can guide you.”  

After walking for a while, we had arrived at the destination.  

“If we’re seen, it could cause misunderstandings. But before that, wait a moment….”  

The delivery man, who had guided me to a salon in the corner of the alley, reached into his suit again.  

What he pulled out was an aluminum flask the size of his hand.  

Judging by the strong smell of alcohol, it seemed to contain some kind of hard liquor.  

Carrying alcohol in his pocket? Isn’t that a bit too carefree?  

“Kuh, now I feel alive.”  

“You must like alcohol.”  

“Well, it’s not so much that I like it, but more like… it’s a kind of efficiency potion.”  

What nonsense is this delivery man spouting?  

I brought the flask to my nose and sniffed.  

Along with the cold metallic smell of aluminum, there was a slightly sweet aroma, something I felt like I’d smelled before.  

‘…Brandy. Calling it a potion isn’t entirely wrong.’  

I wanted to act like I knew it because it appeared so often in Sherlock Holmes.  

Truth is, I’ve never actually tasted it.  

Still, it’s impressive that I can distinguish alcohol by its smell.  

My body specs are no joke.  

While I was lost in such pointless thoughts, the delivery man opened his mouth to give his final advice.  

“You still have the map I gave you, right? It’d be troublesome if you lost it.”  

“Yes, it’s safe in my pocket. Don’t worry.”  

“You can use it as a pass. It’s kind of a test to see if you can find the lounge on your own, but having it is enough. You wouldn’t have been able to figure it out without my guidance anyway.”  

He wasn’t wrong.  

I folded the paper again and stuffed it into my hoodies’ pocket.  

The delivery man, with his disheveled hair and suit, waved his hand, saying his role ended here.  

And then, he left. He disappeared into the alley.  

‘What does “ciao” even mean?’  

I shrugged and stepped into the lounge.  

Now, I feel like I don’t care what happens.  

‘He said it was an arrangement agency. I have to earn money on my own. Since his role ends here, he probably just showed me a way to survive.’  

Right, given the nature of mediating between vampires and vampire hunters, showing me special favor could be risky.  

If it gets out, people might say they’ve lost their neutrality.  

I’ll have to keep this a secret for now.  

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the jingling bar.  

The sharp smell of alcohol and a sweet aroma hit me immediately.  

* * *  

Under the cold blue neon lights, stepping into the warm yellow light of the salon felt like entering a completely different world.  

At the same time, the heavy pressure of being watched.  

In short, the weight of many gazes.  

It felt like the weight of all those gazes had materialized.  

“……Ugh.”  

The gazes.  

The stares.  

In short, the weight of many gazes was overwhelming.  

In such a situation, you can’t help but become self-conscious about every move.  

How should I make a “natural” expression?  

Where should I put my hands?  

Breathing, the position of my tongue, even blinking—everything becomes noticeable!  

“…….”  

The bar was more crowded than I expected, with at least 20 people.  

Some sat alone in casual attire, while others formed small groups at tables.  

Some even casually carried menacing weapons straight out of a comic.  

It was insane.  

To think such a lawless place existed in the heart of a bustling city.  

‘I can even think calmly about this.’  

My mind didn’t feel normal.  

It’s just…  

It felt too unreal.  

Like a dream.  

As if my sense of reality had been numbed.  

It felt like there was a disconnect between my senses perceiving reality and my brain processing it.  

Then, at some point.  

A murmuring voice came from nearby.  

“Hey, isn’t that a vampire?”  

“Looks like it.”  

“…….”  

I briefly recalled my appearance.  

White hair, red eyes.  

Abnormally long hair.  

I could pass it off as albinism, but…  

The vibe and appearance are subtly different, of course.  

‘And…’  

Realistically, in this world, would there be more albinos or more vampires?  

It was too easy to answer.  

Vampires, as a “species”, would surely outnumber people with rare genetic disorders.  

‘I’m going crazy.’  

I was already on the verge of being exposed.  

“…….”  

But honestly…  

Now, I feel like I don’t care what happens.  

I’ve done crazy things twice, so what’s stopping me from doing it a third time?  

If things go south, I’ll just flip the table again.  

‘No, no… I can’t do that. I came here thanks to someone’s kindness.’  

My thoughts were tangled.  

My flushed face turned pale again, and my expression became surprisingly calm.  

The overwhelming gazes continued until I struggled to climb onto a high chair in front of the bar.  

Seeing me wrestle with the chair, the onlookers finally laughed and withdrew their intense stares.  

‘Damn it, damn it, seriously, this is so messed up…’  

My brain was melting, and I couldn’t think straight.  

I just wanted to escape this horrifying place.  

Considering I’ll have to get used to this space, my future already looks bleak.  

With this many people, I’ll just die.  

I’ll definitely be crushed under the weight of human gazes.  

I feel like I can’t breathe.  

Ah, I just want to run away.  

But I pushed those thoughts aside and handed a piece of paper to the bartender.  

The bartender, with a well-groomed mustache, glanced at the torn notebook paper with the map and nodded, putting down the glass he was polishing.  

“…Seems there’s a traitor.”  

“A traitor, huh? That’s an interesting way to put it.”  

“I’ll be direct. For now, you’re a guest, but your treatment may change depending on your answer.”  

I want to die. I want to die. I want to die.  

I felt the gazes focusing on me again.  

It was too much attention for my small back to bear.  

“Why would a vampire dare to step into this place so boldly? Is it an attack? How can you be so confident?”  

When your head gets hot, brain cells start dying from the heat.  

If the brain is what keeps humans human, then I’m currently a primate.  

Thanks to that, I blurted out something utterly stupid and out of place.  

“…Just a glass of brandy.”  

“Oh?”  

When your brain is overloaded, you often lose control of your body.  

My brain wants to run, but my body insists on staying here.  

My body and mind are out of sync.  

My consciousness is already floating around like a deconstructed art piece, losing its original structure.  

Now, I don’t care anymore.  

Let it flow.  

Whistles echoed from around the room, perhaps in admiration of my boldness.  

If I were in my right mind, I would’ve fainted five times already.  

I would’ve fallen off this ridiculously high chair, hit my head, and become a laughingstock.  

I wanted to applaud my own boldness.  

Surprisingly, my expression remained blank.  

Perfect. The epitome of calmness, acting like a strong person.  

I just want to say screw it all and run away.  

But if I run now, everything will fall apart.  

From now on, I have to do it on my own.  

“I came… to arrange something.”  

I stumbled over my words.  

“…….”  

Suddenly, the atmosphere felt colder.  

My brain was screaming for someone to kill me.  

“I need some money.”  

But I maintained an astonishing composure, brushing off my stumble as if it were nothing.  

Now, even I don’t know what I’m thinking.  

The bartender seemed to notice my stumble and frowned slightly, but he shrugged and smirked.  

Then, he turned his gaze behind me.  

“Check if his tail’s been stepped on.”  

At the bartender’s words, two idle men in the corner, who had been watching me expressionlessly, melted into the shadows like ghosts and disappeared.  

Less than five minutes later, they reported that there was no issue outside.  

Thorough.  

“So, she really has no ulterior motives? A vagabond? A drifter?”  

“Well, let’s just say she’s alone for now.”  

Ah.  

Ah, damn it.  

Ah.  

I feel like I’m going to die! I feel like I’m going to die!!  

I’m so embarrassed, I could die!!  

I might actually die.  

My heart and mind are already at their limit, overloaded to the point of explosion.  

My brain has melted.  

This is no longer a situation I can control.  

This time, my dazed eyes weren’t glazed over.  

My limit had been breached, so outwardly I looked normal, but I was like a powder keg about to explode.  

The bartender, fiddling with his mustache, shot me a glare and handed me an A4 sheet.  

It contained simple personal details, a codename, and the minimum information needed to operate in this industry.  

I guess they decided to trust me for now.  

Still expressionless, I took the pen.  

“Impressive. To remain so calm in a place surrounded by enemies. Your self-control is almost artistic.”  

Thanks for the compliment.  

The bartender didn’t understand my state.  

My body wasn’t under my control, and I was barely holding back the urge to die.  

I feel like I’ll die of shame.  

I feel like I’ll be crushed under the weight of others’ gazes.  

Do human gazes carry physical force?  

“Why aren’t you writing anything?”  

The bartender’s question to me, who was blankly staring at the paper.  

I paused for a moment and said,  

“…I want to know myself too.”  

Damn it.  

To spout such cringy words in front of everyone.  

Now, I’ve given up.  

Even an untimely relapse of middle-school syndrome was understandable.  

I thought even a monkey high on a truckload of meth wouldn’t be as out of it as me.  

“You’re an interesting one. Alright, this is enough. We’ll investigate everything later anyway. I wondered why this vampire was so docile….”  

The bartender clicked his tongue and sent the paper somewhere.  

Literally, “somewhere.”  

Whether it was teleportation or not, the paper disappeared in a flash of blue flame.  

“I don’t know what you vampires expect, but I hope you don’t die.”  

“More importantly, the brandy?”  

“…Coming right up.”  

A panacea was essential. My mind needed a proper buzz.  

In Sherlock Holmes, brandy always appeared like this.  

So, pretending to know what I was doing, I decided to just drink it.  

“Phew.”  

The glass the bartender handed me was small, but it was more than enough for me.  

With a blank gaze, blank movements, and a blank mind, I picked it up and drank it.  

The warm buzz turned my face red.  

But the “clear” image of me reflected in the mirror behind the bar was surprisingly rational and dignified.  

Staring at the mirror, I suddenly noticed two shadows approaching from either side. Through the mirror.  

A man in an aloha shirt and sunglasses, and a hunched, gloomy woman.  

They took their places on either side of my high chair and spoke to the bartender.  

“Hey, old man. About what you just said, can you tell us too? Someone’s been through the battlefield? Sounds like an interesting story.”  

“…….”  

The bartender clicked his tongue again and turned away.  

In the mirror, I still stared at them with a blank expression.