Raku slowly pushed the door to his room, the faint sound of wood sliding heard. He entered, placed his bag in the corner of the room, then dropped himself heavily onto the bed. His back hit the mattress instantly, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.
"Haah… finally, I can lie down," he muttered softly.
That peace didn't last long, as the smartphone on the small table vibrated. Raku reached for it, turned on the screen, and read the incoming message.
[Chitoge]: Tomorrow morning, I'll take you around the city. Maybe enjoy some food or places.
Raku blinked for a moment, then wrote a reply.
[Raku]: Alright, thank you for inviting me out.
In the corner of the room, Shinobu sat relaxed on the floor, her legs folded neatly. Her eyes glanced at the phone in Raku's hand, then her lips curled into a slight smile.
"Hahaha… so that's how it is. Looks like that girl is asking you out on a date."
Raku nearly choked on his own breath. "Eh? A date? But… if a boy and girl go out together, is it immediately considered a date? Even if there's no romantic intent?"
Shinobu covered her mouth with her hand, holding back laughter. "Human romance… is often complicated. But clearly, that already counts as a date."
Raku looked at his phone screen again, hesitating a moment before quickly typing.
[Raku]: Is this situation considered a date?
A few seconds later, a reply appeared.
[Chitoge]: Huh?! That's not what I meant! I just wanted to take you around, show you places.
Raku went quiet, then turned to Shinobu. His eyes filled with question marks.
Shinobu chuckled softly, this time more freely. "Hahaha, tsundere. Without a doubt. Besides… tomorrow you'll have to wake up early, right?"
Raku yawned deeply, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "That's true. I'm really sleepy already. Honestly, on holidays, I'd rather sleep all day than go out."
"Go to sleep," said Shinobu gently. "I'll watch over you. But it seems… I need some sleep too today."
Raku turned off the room light. The room was immediately cloaked in darkness, only moonlight seeped through the curtain slits, casting faint lines on the wooden floor. He pulled the blanket over himself, turned his body, trying to close his eyes.
Suddenly, the bed shifted slightly. Shinobu laid down beside him.
Raku half-opened his eyes, his voice soft. "Shinobu… I'll prepare a futon tomorrow. Please don't sleep-talking or kick me again, okay."
"I don't sleep like that, don't worry," Shinobu replied casually, her eyes still facing the ceiling.
Raku finally closed his eyes fully. His breathing slowly settled, the weariness pulling him into the dream world.
Shinobu turned slightly, looking toward the window. The night sky outside looked beautiful, stars twinkling softly. Strangely, that night she didn't feel thirst, no urge to seek blood. Just a calm she rarely felt.
"For some reason… tonight feels different," she whispered softly, almost like talking to herself.
Then she slowly closed her eyes, letting herself fall asleep beside Raku.
.....
That morning, sunlight filtered through the curtain slits, making the fine dust in the air sparkle. Raku stretched slightly, still half asleep. But he soon felt something a bit heavy on his body—as if something was clinging to him.
Slowly, he opened his still-heavy eyes. At first, his vision was blurry, but once it cleared, he found a small golden-haired figure hugging him tightly.
"…Shinobu?" Raku murmured, half in disbelief.
Shinobu's form had returned to her tiny loli state, her face peaceful like a child in deep sleep. Raku stiffened slightly, then carefully moved to release himself from the hug.
"Shinobu, it's morning. Can you move aside?" his voice was gentle but firm.
Shinobu slowly opened her eyes, letting out a small yawn while rubbing her eyes. "Huh? Morning already… it felt so quick. I want to sleep again later, since I could get burned by sunlight."
Raku only nodded slightly. He stood, stretched his body, then grabbed a towel and headed for the bath.
The sound of water falling was calming as Raku washed his hair with shampoo foam. He closed his eyes, enjoying the fresh scent rising from his hair. But suddenly, the sound of the sliding door was heard.
He turned while rinsing his hair, and saw Shinobu standing at the doorway.
"Shinobu? I thought you were still asleep. Are you sure you want to bathe and then sleep again?" he asked, a bit surprised.
"It's my habit," Shinobu answered shortly, stepping in without hesitation.
Raku didn't say much, he simply continued rinsing his hair and then soaked himself in the warm bathwater. He closed his eyes, letting the steam envelop his body.
Shinobu finished washing her hair, then joined in. She placed the towel beside her, then without saying much entered the bath, sitting right next to Raku. Her head slowly rested on Raku's shoulder.
The bath was filled with silence, only the sound of trickling water could be heard.
"…Thank you," said Shinobu suddenly, her voice soft. "I didn't expect to be this calm, not constantly thinking about blood. Strange, even though you're still human… yet I didn't need any ritual to retrieve my separated body parts like usual."
Raku opened his eyes slightly, then closed them again. "You're welcome. But please don't suck my blood every day, okay? That would be troublesome. And… you'll really sleep all day because sunlight burns you?"
"Yes. Unfortunately, that's my weakness as a vampire," Shinobu answered casually. "Though I'm active at night… strangely, last night I really could sleep soundly."
Raku finally opened his eyes fully, glancing briefly at Shinobu. He gently patted the little vampire's head.
"It's alright. Just relax. Besides, I still need to find out who I really am… because of this amnesia," he said flatly, but it felt heavy.
After some time, Raku stood. He took the towel, dried himself, then put on clean clothes. Shinobu also finished soaking and got herself neatly ready.
The aroma of breakfast filled the house as Raku helped in the kitchen. He chopped vegetables, arranged dishes, even prepared plates. The chefs watched with mixed feelings—between surprised and used to it—because even before his amnesia, Raku liked helping out.
Finally, breakfast was ready. Raku carried several trays to the large dining table. There, Issei was already sitting relaxed, sipping tea, accompanied by Ryunosuke. Shinobu was also present, sitting calmly, her eyes scanning the room as if assessing it.
Strangely, that morning felt more lively.
Issei looked at his son as Raku placed the food on the table. "You're quite lively this morning, what's up?" he asked while placing down his tea cup.
Raku sat slowly, then answered honestly. "Chitoge invited me to go out. But… is that considered a date? Because she still says she just wants to show me places."
The table went silent for a moment. Then, Issei stared at him for a while before bursting into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Without a doubt! Yare yare, young man… why is it so hard to admit that's a date? I really don't understand the minds of this generation."
Raku's face reddened slightly, he scratched his head awkwardly. Shinobu, sitting beside him, just smiled faintly, as if laughing at Raku's nervousness.
Eventually, they all gathered at the table. Raku folded his hands, bowed slightly, then said calmly, "Itadakimasu."
"Itadakimasu," replied Issei, Ryunosuke, Shinobu, and the others.
The morning atmosphere was filled with the sounds of spoons, chopsticks, and light conversation. The warmth of family blended with the presence of a supernatural being, yet oddly it all felt natural—as if it had always been that way.
Raku ate slowly, savoring every bite. For a moment, he forgot about the burden of amnesia, his anomalous blood, or the strange encounter last night. That morning just felt… peaceful.