Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Sulky
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Jane, feeling awkward, set down her knife and started to ask.
"Why here..."
"I'm upset."
But Tora cut her off and spoke first.
"And what's not ordinary about me?"
Jane was floored.
"You call that ordinary right now?"
Even just at this moment, every customer in the restaurant was staring at Tora. His sudden appearance, his complete disregard for his surroundings, and—needless to say—his striking looks.
"I'm done thinking about what other people want."
With that, Tora grabbed Jane's handbag from the chair and her hand, pulling her along.
"Hey!"
Aiden shouted indignantly. Tora merely looked back at him with red eyes.
These days, plenty of people wore red colored contacts as a fashion statement, so naturally Aiden assumed that's what Tora was doing.
But when those red eyes met his head-on, even Aiden—who'd never seen the red eyes of a real, ancient vampire—knew instantly they weren't some cheap lenses.
"Vam...!"
Aiden jolted back in shock, knocking his chair with a clatter. At that, Tora started dragging Jane out again.
"Tora...!"
Jane started to call out, but then thought it might be best for the restaurant's peace if they just left. She turned to Aiden and said,
"I'm sorry. I'll call you."
But with Jane looking half-kidnapped, people were murmuring, wondering if they should intervene. As she was pulled along, Jane apologized to everyone she passed.
"Thank you. Don't worry. He's a vampire I know. It's fine. We're acquaintances."
Finally, the two made it outside.
"Tora!"
Jane cried out, but Tora still wouldn't let go of her.
"Don't make me pull out my gun."
Tora whipped around suddenly and said.
"I cook well."
"Huh? What are you talking about all of a—"
But Tora pressed on with his point.
"No job, but I love kids. Do you know how many clan kids I've raised? And I know this might sound like an excuse, but I've never cheated."
Jane furrowed her brow.
"You're right. It is an excuse. It's because you've never had a deep relationship with anyone—you've just chased after bodies."
"After Nika died like that, I didn't think I could ever love anyone again."
Tora let out the story he'd never told anyone before, like a sigh.
It was then that Jane realized Tora was still holding her bag. His words were so serious, yet the sight was almost comically absurd.
Jane looked at Tora.
"But can you live here? In this city."
Even after signing a contract with MCTC, Tora had avoided leaving the island as much as possible. Public-facing work was mostly left to Rato.
"I can live here."
But Tora's eyes were unwavering as he said it.
"I had no reason to leave the island before. It wasn't that I hated the civilized world. I actually thought it had a lot of interesting stuff."
In truth, Tora quite liked machines and showed interest in phenomena or concepts he didn't know.
While Rato absorbed new ideas out of survival necessity, Tora's was closer to pure curiosity.
Jane shook her head.
"I'll get old fast. In the blink of an eye, I won't look like this anymore."
"That's surprising."
"What is?"
"That Jane's a woman too. Worrying about looks first thing."
Jane bristled.
"I'm just..."
"I don't think the person I love changing a bit would change my feelings. Otherwise, I never would've looked at a human to begin with."
It was a realization that came with age, but Tora wasn't drawn to women's beauty, cuteness, or softness.
He'd mistaken it because Nika was cute and soft, but really, he'd been pulled in by her strong core and fearlessness when they first met.
And since Jane wasn't cute or soft like Nika at all, it had taken him longer to realize his feelings.
Just then, a woman passing by glanced at Tora. Jane noticed that every woman walking by was turning to look at him.
Jane steadied herself.
"I don't want to feel anxious."
"Then don't."
Tora gently took hold of her fingertips, as if asking permission.
"All those women I looked at before? It was because I didn't have just one to look at. Why look elsewhere when I do?"
With that, he squeezed her hand tight.
"But I do regret it now. Living like that, I didn't realize I wouldn't be able to properly look at the one worth looking at when she came along."
But Jane kept her eyes downcast, silent.
The Jane that Tora knew never showed fear or hesitation, no matter the foe—be it him or a terrorist. And now she was afraid.
Then, suddenly, Jane—who'd gone limp in his grasp, letting him hold her hand—gripped his back. The warmth wrapping around his hand made Tora's chest ache.
The next moment, Jane snatched her bag away.
"I'm sorry."
Her expression was so heartbreakingly sad that Tora couldn't grab her again. Jane took a deep breath and said,
"Separate from work, there's only one life I've ever wanted. An ordinary one. With an ordinary husband and kids, ordinary weekdays and weekends."
Tora felt sorrowful. She seemed convinced he could never give her that.
"But with you, that's impossible."
And that's exactly what Jane said.
"I never knew I had these intense feelings inside me. When women look at you, I want to kill them all."
Tora lifted his head slightly. He'd heard something unexpected...
Jane said roughly,
"This must be how Nika felt seeing Captain Rato."
Before Tora could respond, she raised a hand and added,
"I'm sorry. For bringing up something painful without asking. I'm just stating the truth. My feelings aren't that different..."
Tora gazed at her steadily, then asked,
"Is this a confession?"
"No."
Jane stated it firmly, in a tone too fierce to call a confession.
"That day in the prison, when you drank my blood. I thought it'd be fine to let you drain me dry. No—I wanted you to. With you, I don't feel like myself anymore."
But Tora had to say it again.
"Still looks like a confession to me."
Jane glared at him.
"You're not understanding a word I'm saying."
"No, I get it."
Then Tora cupped her face in his hands.
"That Jane likes me so much it's driving her crazy."
A tremor stirred deep in Jane's eyes.
"I'm going crazy. I'm so happy."
Jane whispered in a voice so small and shaky it was barely audible.
"You shouldn't be happy about that."
He'd once thought he wanted to see how Jane acted around a man she liked.
Now that he was witnessing it, Tora felt like he was the one going mad. Not because her actions were lovable, but because she was.
Asking him not to kiss her now would be the real impossibility.
Tora pulled her hand, drawing her in for a kiss. Surprisingly, Jane didn't resist. She welcomed him even more eagerly.
It felt like a chemical reaction where their lips met.
No, it was closer to souls touching—more than mere physical chemistry. Her quivering lashes, her breath, every strand of hair... all of it was endearing.
Jane pulled back, turning her head as if forcing herself to come to her senses.
"When I'm like this with you, I can't think straight."
"Then don't think."
Tora cupped her face again, overlapping their lips as he spoke.
"Just do what you want."
And he knew exactly what that was.
Words vanished into their mouths.
Tora braced a hand against the wall. He hadn't meant to, but in drawing closer to Jane, he'd pinned her against it.
Jane clawed at him like a hook, wrapping her arms tightly around his.
"Oh, passionate."
Some rowdy passersby whistled as they went by. But the two didn't even hear them.
Jane was astonishingly fervent.
Tora felt a fierce hunger. Not the violent thirst from the prison when blood was scarce, but one so intense it dwarfed that.
But at some point, Jane shoved him away hard. 'Hard' for her was barely a light push compared to her full strength, but she was trying.
"You know what?"
She panted as she spoke.
"Even so, reason's telling me no."
"Jane..."
Jane tensed her arms where she'd pushed him, as if saying don't come closer.
Silence fell. Tora waited a bit longer, but Jane showed no sign of changing her mind. Pushing further today would only make her push back harder.
So Tora said,
"I'll walk you home."
Jane shook her head.
"No. I'll go alone."
She turned to leave, then looked back.
The lit-up night street made Jane glow softly.
"Tora, think about it too. In your life, I'm just a fleeting pass-by."
Hadn't Tora tried thinking that way himself?
But he'd already lived three hundred years. In those three hundred—not something to brag about—he'd met countless women. The only one he'd truly fallen for was Jane.
Excluding his clueless human days when he'd fallen for Nika without ever knowing another woman.
"But for a hundred years, you'll be happier than with anyone. And memories of a happy hundred years aren't something just anyone gets."
"Isn't a hundred years too long?"
Even starting now, it'd be eighty at most. And past ninety in human years, the body didn't function properly everywhere, so not even a full eighty.
But Tora shrugged it off nonchalantly.
"Science keeps advancing, doesn't it?"
Then, in a light tone,
"You know that story? If they figure out how to stop telomeres shortening at the end of genes, humans might not age. Who knows. Telomeres could be the breakthrough. Living forever as humans."
Jane smiled, but couldn't erase the sadness. Optimism like that wasn't enough comfort.
"I'll get going."
And Jane turned and walked away.
But Tora couldn't leave the spot for a while. Jane's scent lingered nearby.