Don’t worry. You’re a vampire, right? Ignore human convenience.

 

“Friend… What do you mean…?”

…So that means… me and…

“It’s exactly as I said. I never intended to make you my familiar. I just met with you occasionally.”

“Ack-kun…?”

“Oh. That’s me. Akiyama.”

“But… don’t vampires interact with people to increase their familiars? Why with Ak… Akiyama-san…?”

“I’m tired of it. It’s boring. But who can I tell? I’m exhausted from the idea that every human interaction must lead to romance. But I don’t know how to communicate like a normal friend. Unconsciously, I act in a way to make the other person fall for me. Oh, if I push now, this person will fall for me. Before I know it, that’s all I think about. I’m tired of it.”

“So, that’s why, Ack-kun, I’m sorry for deceiving you. Let’s stop meeting. It’s for the best. We can’t be in the relationship you think we can, and we can’t stay the same either. No progression, no status quo. Let’s pretend it never happened, Ack-kun.”

Pretend it never happened? That’s impossible. What happened, happened. You should know that, Seri-san. Because I’m sure, Seri-san…

“Seri-san. What do you really want to do?”

“Huh? I said, let’s pretend it never happened…”

“So, you planned to kill me? To make it as if it never happened…?”

“…Yes.”

“You said dealing with a mentally unstable person was annoying, but Seri-san, you’re the unstable one! In fact, the so-called mentally unstable person isn’t that unstable!! They’re relatively normal!!”

“Oh, it’s Akiyama.”

“You enjoy being friends, and because you don’t want to ruin that relationship, you want to kill!! Such extreme behavior!! At least, as fellow mentally unstable individuals, why not talk about it first?”

This is a conversation between Seri, Kou-kun, and the unstable person from “Call of the Night”.

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What do you think is the most important thing, or rather, the strongest weapon to protect yourself in life?

2022: Self-Esteem
2023: Resilience

For the past few years, I’ve been asking myself this question and pondering it continuously. As a result, in 2022, I concluded that “self-esteem” was the strongest weapon to protect myself, and in 2023, it was “resilience.”

Currently, in 2024, my answer is “worldview.”


“Uh… Ack-kun, like I said earlier, I’m a vampire.”

“Y-yeah.”

“Humans are either familiars or food. So, I can’t date you. Nazuna and Yoru-kun over there are friends, but that’s quite unusual. Normally, it’s not allowed. Humans and vampires can’t be friends. So… sorry. Goodbye today… huh? I don’t want to stop being friends~~.”

“Seri-chan!?”

“Wah~~ It was so much fun~~.”

“Th-thank you! Really!? I also… had fun… but I fell for you… I was prepared to be heartbroken. But it’s no good. I don’t want to be apart from you. Please make me your familiar.”

“…Are you sure? Your current life might be gone.”

“It’s fine. Thank you. You thought about me because we’re friends, right? But it’s okay. You’re a vampire, right? Ignore human convenience.”

This is a conversation between Seri and the mentally unstable person from “Call of the Night”.


During an interview, Steve Jobs suddenly became displeased. Jobs was upset because the interviewer had put a cover on the iPod that Jobs developed. Normally, an interviewer having a product one developed would make one happy.

Jobs became displeased because the interviewer was using a cover to prevent scratches.

“People who put covers because they dislike scratches are missing the point. Scratches are proof that it’s yours. Scratches are beautiful…”

These are Jobs’ words.


Many people see scratches as undesirable, but one can have a worldview where scratches are beautiful, no, where scratches signify one’s uniqueness, and take pride in them.

Of course, both scratches on a cherished object and wounds on one’s heart make one feel down right after they happen. That’s perfectly fine. There’s no problem with that.

One should accept all rising emotions without denial and fully embrace them. After that, use the past (wounds) that occurred to shape the future.


“There are no facts, only interpretations.”

These are Nietzsche’s words.

If you think your life is boring, it’s because you are making it boring.


  1. Event

  2. Interpretation

  3. Emotion

  4. Action

People act based on the above sequence. And when those actions become habits, they shape life.


Events don’t influence people; the interpretation of those events changes emotions, which in turn changes actions.


I have the theory that experiencing life’s accidents in the early stages, like in one’s teens or twenties, is beneficial.

Compelling characters in manga and movies always face adversity. We empathize with them as they overcome it, and before we know it, they become our favorites.

France, which won the 1998 World Cup, had Zidane sent off in the first match. Spain, which won the 2010 World Cup, lost their first match. Pep’s legendary Barcelona couldn’t win in their debut, and rumors of dismissal arose quickly.

And recently, Argentina, who won the 2022 World Cup, lost to Saudi Arabia in their first match.


Even if it becomes a wound, you can turn that wound into an opportunity to create the future. If you do that, the wound becomes your badge of honor.