I take a breath to calm my nerves. “Yes. Hello…”

“You look delicious,” he says, stepping back and looking me up and down. “Who dressed you?”

A mannequin. The shop assistant? I bought the shoes it was wearing, too. “I dressed myself, you cheeky sod.”

He breathes a laugh, smirking. “I don’t understand your weird British lingo sometimes, but it’s cute so don’t stop doing it.”

Again with this “cute” business… I’m alright with this, but if he calls me weird, I might be triggered.

“What’s that?” he asks, looking down at the thick paper bag with handles that’s hanging at my side.

“A thank you to the hosts for inviting me to dinner.”

“How thoughtful.”

I lift my chin, haughty. “I’m a thoughtful human.”

“Hm… A Thoughtful Human isn’t nearly as good a book title.” He takes advantage of my gesture and sneaks in another soft, quick kiss. My heart skips. Christ. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt this excited about someone. It’s slightly terrifying.

But I’m grateful, because it seems that my effort yesterday to make the first move has paid off. We’ve been talking on the phone for three weeks, so I was worried that being together in person wouldn’t translate—that we’d be awkward or uncomfortable. Doesn’t seem to be an issue, though.

“Shall we? The temple is only a fifteen-minute walk from here.” He steps forward and smoothly grabs my free hand, clasping my palm. He pulls me forward and my heart is in my throat: half from the sheer thrill of this little bloom of physical intimacy and half from being hyper aware that people are actually staring at us. I’m looking around, my eyes meeting all of theirs, when Jun suddenly stops.

He looks at me, then lifts his head to take in our surroundings and gives my palm a little squeeze. “You’re uncomfortable with this?”

“Ah, well… not really, I—”

Gently, he drops my hand, sliding both of his into his trouser pockets. He smiles. “Understood. Forgive me, Doctor. I’m very old and presumptuous at times. Follow me?” He walks on. I follow him feeling like… what? Shit? A coward? I’m on my first proper date since I can remember when, and with this leggy, statuesque creature. I’m not in the habit of being openly affectionate with another man in public, but… Why the hell should I feel shame or care what strangers think?

I take a few extra steps to meet his long stride. I hesitate, but reach out and wrap my fingers around his wrist. He slows, looking over at me as I urge his hand back out of his pocket. “Not uncomfortable, just… not accustomed.” I smile. Having freed his hand, I slide my palm into his again and grip his fingers. He squeezes me in turn as we continue walking down the pavement.

He’s looking forward, a smirk on his lips. “I was wondering, ‘What happened to the bold man from yesterday?’”

“Well… he was behind a closed door.”

“Then I suppose I’ll look forward to being behind a closed door with you again.”

Fourteen

Jae

“I think it’s too soon for this question to even be on the table,” Junichi says. “Culturally, we’re still not over the disgusting war crimes committed in the 1940s. We’re vampires. We remember shit for a very long time, Jae.”

“I don’t disagree with you—at all. No question there. It’s been in the news a lot though, recently, with the rise of human ailments. Crazy.”

Jun has guided me through the most charming little town lined with cobblestoned roads and weeping willows. It’s lovely and the air feels particularly clean here. Now, we’re navigating up a graveled lane with trees shrouding us on either side. It’s secluded. Silent, aside from our feet crunching against the rocks and the occasional breeze rustling through the drying, brittle leaves. The setting sun looks like firelight glowing dimly all around us.

“Did your family participate in the wars at all?” I ask. “I know from researching that many vampire clans stayed completely clear of both World Wars. Went into hiding, even.”

“We did. I told you before that my clan was based in Hiroshima? We left the continent as soon as the humans declared war on America and traveled to Switzerland through my father’s network. But my father stayed behind and was at our estate when they dropped the bomb on our city. He survived, but he wasn’t ever quite right afterward. It just took a long time for the radiation to finally finish him off.”

“Christ, Jun… that’s awful.”

“Nino’s family was heavily involved in the first war,” Junichi says. “That’s how his mother died. Any vampire that got tangled up in that disaster either starved to death or was captured and experimented on. So for scientists to be bringing up the topic of using our blood for genetic research again… It’s disgusting. The experiments done on us might seem like a long time ago for humans—for their lifespan. But not for us. Let’s try being diplomatic about this topic again in a thousand years. Until then, fuck all the way off.”

“Agreed. Absolutely. As someone with a curious mind, I do hope that one day there can be mutually beneficial, amicable collaboration between the vampire community and the human science community. For the benefit of both parties involved.”

“I respect that. And being part of the younger generation, we have adapted and learned better than our ancestors to live in the present—to take life day by day in order to avoid the weight and burden of time. To avoid becoming embittered and out of sync with the fluidity and progression around us. Even still, we remember.”

I don’t even know how we got on this heavy topic. I think it’s my fault for bringing up the news? We’ve been walking along, and now the path has opened up to an enclosed clearing. Before me stands a mossy, hidden-away temple on a low hill. The stone structure is small, but set against a curtain of trees shrouded in hues of red, orange and gold, the leaves flittering in the twilight. I spin slowly, taking in the entire scene. It’s breathtaking. Peaceful.

“Do you know what I like about you?” Jun says, walking toward me and taking my hand again.

“What do you like about me?” I ask, grinning as he pulls me toward the narrow steps. I genuinely want to know.

“That you help the vampire community. You don’t try to take anything from us or poke at us for your own personal benefit. When the board told me they wanted a doctor to launch this new program for lower vamps at the hospital, I was cynical. I told them, ‘Good luck finding someone that isn’t Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in disguise.’ Experimenting on the marginalized group of us for their own personal benefit. But here you are, sincere and true. I guess anything is possible.”

I’m still smiling like mad when we’re at the top of the stairs. He lets go of my hand and I walk forward to explore. The area feels ancient, but not decrepit. As with everything else in this small town, it’s well maintained and cleanly swept through. Even the fountain at the entrance is in working order—the basin for washing hands is filled with fresh water, and it’s trickling smoothly from the mouths of two small stone dragons on either side.

I take a breath, registering the feathery warmth in my heart. I want to be fully present in this moment. Being in this magical folktale setting with this elegant and provocative vampire… Suddenly, it unquestionably feels like anything is possible.

Setting my gift bag for tonight’s dinner hosts down on the stone, I reach for the fountain ladle to wash my hands. “Have you ever met a proper ranked-vampire doctor?” I ask.

Jun is across from me, mimicking my actions. “Not personally, but I know they exist. Just very rare. Nurses like my mother and Sora are a little more common.”

“Well, vampire doctors aren’t high in demand, are they?” I shake my hands dry before picking up the bag. I walk a little further into the temple grounds, taking in the low, happy chirping of birds in the trees around us when another random thought pops into my head. I turn to look over at Jun. “Do you ever read human novels about vampires?”

“Absolutely not.”

I laugh. I guess I wouldn’t if I were him, either. “You typically date humans… I’m sure you’ve come across some odd ones.”

“Mm. I’m much wiser about who I choose to spend my time with now, but when I was younger and at the outset of my newfound freedom from my father, I made a lot of poor decisions.”

“Like?” I ask, wildly curious.

“Like one male who eventually tried to recruit me for some devil-worshiping cult in the 1970s. Or dating a female who was convinced I was a walking fountain of youth and kept asking if she could taste my blood—‘just once.’ She ended up trying to stab me…”

“Oh God…”

“Another female in the early eighties asked me to come to church with her. She kept staring at me the whole time and later said she was expecting me to burst into flames. She laughed like it was a joke. Ridiculous shit.”

“Wow… Like, was she setting you up to burst into flames? Was she hoping you would?” How bizarre. It took a long time, but finally by the early 1900s, vampires were officially designated as a legitimate species legally recognized by humans across most countries—as opposed to a malformation or experiment gone wrong. A true race biologically and fundamentally different from humans (it’s insane to me that this would even need to be “officially” stated). Despite the mandate, socially… well. There’s a very slow trickle down in attitudes and perspectives, isn’t there?

“Who knows. By the time I hit a hundred, though, I learned how to pick them better.” Junichi winks. “Been smooth sailing ever since.”

Now I’m wondering how long he usually stays in relationships with the humans he dates. Until the spark wears out? Until they get old? But that feels pushy, like I’m digging and I want some framing on this—on what he and I are doing now. Talking for three weeks non-stop, wandering through autumnal landscapes on secluded temple grounds and having dinner with his friends. It feels like, well… I won’t say it. I’ll just enjoy it, for whatever it is.