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“…………”
“Um, Kuzuha-chan. We all have days like that.”

Kuzuha-chan was so dejected that I couldn’t help but try to comfort her.
No, “dejected” doesn’t even begin to cover it. You could say she was completely burned out. She looked so devastated that I almost had the illusion the color had drained not only from her fox-colored hair, ears, and tail, but even from the clothes she was wearing.

……Well, I guess it’s understandable.

When we entered the inn and went to check in, the receptionist’s response was just too harsh.

“I’m sorry, but the hot spring has been dry since yesterday… If you’re just staying the night, that’s possible, though…”

It was a problem that must have come as a complete surprise to everyone—even the staff—and Kuzuha-chan’s wish was dashed.
And so, Kuzuha-chan—who just a few minutes ago was in high spirits, even wagging her tail—is now sitting on a plush single-seater sofa in the inn’s lobby, her eyes lifeless.
It’s a bit of a funny sight, but she’s so terribly downcast that my first reaction is simply to feel sorry for her.
The other guests around her aren’t hiding their disappointment either, but her dejection is in a league of its own. Kuzuha-chan’s mood has plummeted so drastically that even strangers are looking at her with concern.

“It seems we can still stay the night, and they’ll serve us meals, too. If you just want to freshen up, I can use my healing magic to do that, so why don’t you eat something delicious, sleep in a fluffy futon, and calm down a bit?”

It’s not like me to comfort someone, but I’m actually a little worried about her this time.
Kuzuha-chan came here to heal a broken heart, to reward herself after a long stint at work, and to make memories with her family. That’s probably why.
The place where she could put those feelings was taken away from her at the very last moment. From the outside, it might seem like just a tiny part of the inn’s pleasures that didn’t come true, but to her, that tiny part is a big deal.
Just as napping is important to me, the bath here was important to Kuzuha-chan. That’s how it is.

“……hell”
“Huh?”

Just as I was about to say something else, Kuzuha-chan muttered something under her breath.
It was so quiet that even I—whose hearing isn’t that bad—couldn’t make it out. I knew it was just her talking to herself, but I couldn’t help but react instinctively.

“…What! The! HELL—!!!”
“Eek.”

And then, Kuzuha-chan exploded.
She sprang to her feet with great force, her previously drooping tail and animal ears bristling as she let out a bark. Taken aback by such a sudden movement, I couldn’t help but let out a cry and stumble backward.
Kuzuha-chan, who had looked colorless just moments ago, was now completely flushed red with bursting emotion. Paying no heed to the stares of the other customers, she stamped her tiny feet on the wooden floor,

“This is a social event meant to deepen our friendship with our friends, after all! My mother even said, ‘It’s best to start by getting naked together—that’s where the real battle begins once you’ve pinned them down!’”
“Doesn’t that mean something completely different?”

I get the feeling there’s a discrepancy between mother and daughter regarding their understanding of past educational practices. Or rather, what on earth is that woman teaching her own young child?

……So that’s what Kuzuha-chan was thinking.

I’d thought she’d brought me here seeking something like sentimentality or rest. But it seems I was a little off.
Our friendship. It seems she also wanted to deepen our bond.

“Um, Kuzuha-chan, can you calm down a little?”
“I can’t possibly calm down! I was so looking forward to this!? Washing each other’s backs in the bath with Arje-san, counting numbers side by side! And of course, after the bath, we’d toast with milk! It’s so promising!”
“I’d prefer fruit-flavored milk… I mean, never mind that. Look, we’re bothering the other customers.”

Most of the people around us were clearly looking at us as good friends, and few seemed to be judging us, but even so, with all those eyes on us like this, I felt a little uncomfortable.
Kuzuha-chan startled at my words and shrank back all at once. She tucked her ears and tail in, making her look even more cowered.

“I-I’m so sorry…!”

Watching Kuzuha-chan start bowing her head repeatedly to everyone around us, I let out a sigh.

…She might actually be doing better than I thought.

I thought she’d be a little more down, but she doesn’t seem that way at all. Maybe I was worrying too much.
That’s not to say she isn’t sad—of course she is—but Kuzuha-chan seems more positive than I’d expected. As I revised my opinion of her, I gave a slight bow to the people around us as well.
It wasn’t my fault the commotion started, but Kuzuha-chan is my partner. Doing this will probably leave a better impression on everyone. After all, we’re both pretty girls.

“Ufufuf. You two get along so well.”

Suddenly, someone spoke to us from behind.
Well, with all the commotion we’d caused, it’s only natural that someone would say something. Since both Kuzuha-chan and I are petite girls, we’re easy to approach in that sense, too.
So, without any suspicion, I turned around—and was completely overwhelmed.

……Huge

I almost said it out loud, which would have been rude—that was a close call. I swallowed it back, so I’m safe.
The person who appeared behind me was huge in every sense of the word.
First, her height. 170—no, maybe a little more than that. She’s more than a head taller than me. She’s probably on the taller side for a woman.
From her green kimono, which was half-undone and exposed her shoulders, her large breasts—which still looked a bit constricted—demanded attention. Ms. Fernot was big too, but this woman is something else.
And yet, her overall figure wasn’t bulky; her proportions were so good that you could tell even through the furisode, a garment that typically hides the body’s contours.
Her lustrous black hair was long and adorned with a red floral hairpin. Rather than being pinned up, it was arranged purely for decoration, and her hair itself was straight.
She held a Japanese umbrella in her hand, and overall, she gave off the vibe of a bewitching kimono beauty. Although she’s wearing her kimono in a relaxed, casual style, she doesn’t come across as vulgar; rather, it looks as though she’s simply wearing it with great flair.

“…So huge.”

Kuzuha-chan, what exactly are you referring to?
I feel like calling her out on that, but I also understand why she’d say it. In fact, I had to hold myself back—my first impression of the woman standing before me was also “big.”
Her height, her bust. And one more thing that could be described as “big”: her “coffin.”
For some reason, she’s carrying a large coffin on her back, strapped through a belt like a backpack.
The coffin looks out of place against her otherwise traditional Japanese outfit. It gives her a slightly eccentric air, but even setting that aside, she’s a beauty.

“…You are…”

But more than any of those distinctive features, there were three things that caught my eye even more strongly and intensely.

The shallow, pointed ears peeking out from her black hair.
The striking double front teeth that were visible through her smiling mouth.
The color in her gentle, drooping eyes—a healthy flush.

“Oh my…a vampire like Satsuki-chan? That’s quite rare.”

A fellow vampire. Her words confirmed my suspicion.

…I never realized there could be such a difference in size among vampires.

In more ways than one, the size difference is extreme.
It’s not that I’m upset or anything, but I felt a sense of injustice. I patted my own small chest, let out a half-hearted “Huh,” and looked up at her. She deepened her smile and spoke to me again.

“It’s rare for a vampire to be out and about during the day!”
“No, that goes for you too.”
“No, no—Satsuki-chan here is a half-baked daywalker who can’t handle direct sunlight. Without an umbrella, I absolutely, positively can’t go outside!”
“Oh, is that so? Um…”
“B-b-but more importantly! You two are both so adorable… Haaa! How lovely—a silver-haired loli vampire and a kimono-clad loli fox girl giggling and having fun! Just watching you two makes me so happy, so let your big sister treat you! You have no right to refuse!!”
“Wait, hold on—”
“W-what is wrong with this person!?”
“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet? Satsuki Ichinose—that’s Satsuki-chan’s name. There, you’ve memorized it. Now let’s go eat some dango—yes, right now!”

Without even a chance to get a word in, Kuzuha-chan and I were dragged off together.
I was actually curious about what other vampires were like, too. But more than anything, it’s a hassle to resist this kind of person every time, so I gave up right away and decided to just go with the flow.
She’s a little weird, but if she’s treating me, I guess that’s fine. Yay, I love free meals.