Remia de Volte
I heard someone calling me.
"Benefactoooor…"
"Uuugh…"
"BENEFACTOR!!!"
The shout snapped my eyes wide open.
"Wake up!!"
When I opened my eyes, Remia was shaking me awake.
Ow.
My neck stung, and when I looked at her, Remia kept avoiding my eyes.
"Get off me."
"Y-yes, ma'am!"
I got up and checked the mirror — there they were, two puncture holes in my neck.
*Sigh…*
Wait, why was I here? When I asked why she'd come over, Remia said she'd come because she wanted to hang out with me.
"I can't play with you today. I have somewhere to go."
The moment she heard that, Remia flopped down and gazed up at me with the most pitiful eyes imaginable.
Ugh.
'That face is straight-up cheating…!'
"Fine, tag along if you want…"
The instant I gave permission, Remia bounced right back to her usual self, hopping around and declaring she'd make me breakfast.
Hold on — breakfast?
Remia, a creature who apparently survives on blood alone? Making breakfast?
I gave her a look of pure skepticism, and she must have felt it from the kitchen, because she puffed herself up and told me to just trust her.
'Absolutely not.'
I crept up behind her while she was cooking.
"What are you making?"
"I-I'm making you a rolled omelet!"
Didn't we agree to speak casually yesterday?
When I asked, Remia realized she'd forgotten, and awkwardly tried again. "Um, I'm making you a rolled omelet."
Since casual speech seemed hard for her, I told her to just talk however she was comfortable with — and she instantly flipped right back to formal.
"Are you planning to make me eat the shells too?"
"Th-that's…!"
Apparently embarrassed, Remia shooed me out of the kitchen.
*…It's my house, though.*
And so, breakfast was complete.
'What… is this…'
A rolled omelet studded with bits of eggshell, rice that had gone to porridge from too much water, and ham burnt to a crisp.
"…"
I stared at the plate without eating, and Remia's voice wavered.
"Why aren't you eating? Do you… do you hate my cooking…?"
Who could eat this? But I couldn't just throw it out without even tasting it, so I squeezed my eyes shut and bit into the burnt ham.
"Mmph…!"
Salty. The saltiest thing I had ever eaten in my entire life.
I bolted to the sink, rinsed my mouth out, and glared at Remia — who was happily polishing off the food herself.
'Am I the weird one here?'
No, impossible. Something was deeply wrong with this ham.
"Remia, did you put something in the ham?"
Remia chewed thoughtfully, cheeks full.
"Mmm… I snuck a piece while I was cooking it, and it was kind of bland, so I added a pinch of salt."
Salt. On ham. The ham was already salty — and she added salt on top of that?
"And you think that tastes good?"
Remia just smiled beatifically and said it was delicious.
"Aren't you having any, Benefactor?"
"I usually skip breakfast…"
"I seeee… Mmm, then I'll make sure to stock some cereal for you from now on."
When I thanked her for the gesture — maybe a touch too sardonically — Remia blushed and looked away.
'Hold on.'
Why was she talking like she was going to be cooking for me every day? I stared at her, and Remia tilted her head, clearly having no idea what I meant.
"Time…"
Realizing I had to leave soon, Remia threw open my closet, saying she'd pick out an outfit for me.
'Oh no — those are all men's clo—'
Remia looked at my clothes. Then she turned her head toward me, slowly, so slowly.
'Did she figure it out?'
"What… is this? Why are there… why are there men's clothes…?"
"W-well, you see…"
Tears began welling up in Remia's eyes.
"I-I thought I was the first one… Eep! W-was I just the mistress all along…? *Sobs*, hic!"
H-how was I supposed to explain this? And wait — mistress?
"N-no, it's not that…"
"Then what is it…!"
Should I tell her? Would she think I was a freak? But Remia had also awakened and had her body changed, too — I trusted she'd understand. I slowly opened my mouth.
"I, um… the thing is… I used to be a guy."
"…Pardon?"
Remia stopped crying, and every ounce of her attention locked onto me.
"I was a guy, and then I awakened, and… I turned into a girl…"
Trusting she would understand, I poured out everything I'd never been able to tell anyone — how I'd grown up an orphan, how I'd worked part-time at a convenience store, how the awakening had turned my life upside down.
"That's it…? Hee-hee."
Remia burst out laughing. Then she came over and wrapped me in a tight hug.
I leaned into her, into the soft warmth of her chest, and listened to her voice.
"It's okay now, Benefactor. That turned out to be nothing at all."
Her comfort made my nose prickle strangely.
"Th-then I guess I have no choice but to tell you my story too…"
To be honest… I wasn't born a vampire. I was just an ordinary student.
One of those shy, quiet kids you find in every class.
Then, in my third year of middle school, a boy confessed to me. But it turned out he was the one a popular girl in our class liked.
Strange rumors started spreading through school.
Little by little, the other kids began keeping their distance, and it started with small things. Small acts of bullying.
But I endured it. Because I had one friend…!
We'd talk only to each other, walk home together, just the two of us. Then one day, I'd left my wallet in the classroom and went back for it.
As I got close, I heard voices inside.
I slid the classroom door open, and there was my one and only friend — chatting and smoking cigarettes with the girl who bullied me.
I pretended I hadn't seen anything and walked out.
She was still my friend, after all. But…
From the next day on, she never spoke to me again.
I was fine! I had my kind, playful little brother, and Mom and Dad were there at home.
And then… I survived that miserable school life, and I finally graduated!
I thought it was over.
But the rumors and the bullying didn't stop even in high school. I wanted to drop out — but whenever I looked at my parents' faces, I couldn't bring myself to say it.
Then, the summer of my first year, we took a family trip to a mountain valley. It had been drizzling on and off all that day.
I was a little scared of the water, so I stayed out and just watched.
My family waded in and played.
And then — my little brother, my only little brother, got swept away by the current!
Mom and Dad saw it happen and threw themselves into the water after him.
I stood there shaking, hugging myself. I was a coward — I couldn't follow them in. All I could do was pray to the sky.
Please let them live. Please let everyone be safe.
I was a coward, so I couldn't do anything. In the end, we held a funeral.
I thought no one would come…
But the kid who bullied me in middle school showed up!
And she stood there laughing at the memorial photos.
Serves you right, she said.
I couldn't take it. I killed her.
I think that was when I awakened.
The police took me in, and they ran some strange tests — and then my crimes were wiped away, just because I was an awakened.
I-I thought I was going to prison…
I was a monster now, so I thought… I thought society would lock me away from everyone.
But it didn't. So I think… I'm the one who started keeping my distance instead.
I'm still scared to talk to people. But with you, Benefactor… I think it's okay…
With that, Remia hugged me tight.
"…"
What was I supposed to say to that? Are you okay? It wasn't your fault?
No.
Trembling, I hugged her back as hard as I could.
"I-I'm not going anywhere…"
Remia seemed terrified of people disappearing from her life. That's why she clung so hard to someone she'd only just gotten close to. That's probably why she'd cried over the men's clothes, too — terrified that if she wasn't first in my life, she'd be cast aside.
"Remia…"
"Yes…?"
What could I give her? Remia lived alone in that huge mansion, behind a door to society that she herself had shut.
I wanted to let her out. I loosened my arms, and Remia loosened hers in turn.
*Thump.*
We flopped back onto the bed together.
"Should we… live together?"
Remia fought back her tears.
"Yes…!"
She wiped her eyes, and the lively Remia came bounding right back.
And then something changed in her gaze.
"So you were a man… heh-heh."
Remia crawled toward me where I lay on the bed. Then she climbed on top of me and settled onto my stomach.
*Pressss.*
She put her full weight on me. My stomach felt squeezed — but it didn't feel bad.
"How is it?"
If anything…
"Nngh…"
'So the second I say I'm okay, she starts pulling THIS kind of stunt?!'
Biologically I was a woman now, but my mind was still a man's, and this was extremely stimulating. Remia, straddling my stomach and looking down at me with a wicked glint in her eyes — I averted my gaze as fast as I could.
"Fufufu, where are you looking?"
"S-stop it."
At that, Remia immediately climbed off. The pressure on my stomach vanished and…
'Ah…'
I felt a little disappointed.
'What the hell was I just thinking?!'
"Shall I do it more?"
"I d-don't need it?!?"
Come to think of it, there was one thing I'd completely forgotten.
Ah—
I grabbed my phone in a panic.
I was a whole hour late already.
*Riiing… riiiing…*
"Hello?"
"I-I'm so sorry! I'll be right there!!"
*Zap.*
Shooting a glare at Remia, I threw my clothes on and scrambled out the door.
"Benefactor, take me with youuu!!"
"*Hah, hah…*
We made it to the Minerva Workshop, and I rushed straight inside.
"Welcome, come on i— oh my, if it isn't Sea!"
"*Hah… hah…* I'm so sorry. It completely slipped my mind."
Yuseul waved off the apology and asked what had brought me by.
"Um… could you sell this for me?"
I handed her a bottle filled with my Coco Palm-flavored blood.
"Coco Palm flavor…?"
Yuseul squinted at the lettering on the bottle, puzzled. "Curious? You can take a little sip if you want…"
Yuseul popped the bottle open and took a drink —
"S-Sea, you really are made for alchemy."
Something in Yuseul's eyes shifted. She made a strange little humming sound and began advancing on me, slow and deliberate.
"That's far enough!"
Remia sprang out from behind me and blocked her path.
"Hmm? And who might this little missy be?"
"I'm not little…!"
Remia glowered at her, but Yuseul parried everything with effortless, easygoing grace.
'So this is the staring contest of women, huh…!'
Yuseul pleaded with me for an exclusive contract — but I couldn't mass-produce the potions yet.
"Someday. I promise…"
"Th-thank you, Sea!"
Yuseul threw her arms around me.
And I, quite subtly, buried my face deeper into her chest.
"B-Benefactor…?"
Ah—
The light in Remia's eyes went out.