"Wanna go on a date with me?"

"Huh?"

***

He knows this man. The famous Kentaro Kyoushi. Kind of a legend, actually. Tsukki has heard of him nearly since he had his first bite. His sire, holding their catch, so she won't be able to get away, looked at how messy was the young vampire and sighed.

"You gotta be more careful with the process, Tsukki," he chucked at the scowl. Tsukki knew this tone, he hated to be mentored. "See, you've got the blood all over your clothes. On your shoes, behind your," Ran ran his finger on the smudge, and sucked the dark liquid from it, "Ear even."

He clicked his tongue. "The accuracy is the way to the long... Well, I can't call this life... Existence..."

Tsukki felt like the blood in his mouth suddenly became sour instead of precious metallic, lingering on every taste bud with a hint of Rosè the woman drank for her dinner, sensation. When Ran took this tone, Tsukki felt like he was back at university. He had this economics professor, Hanagaki-san. The way he held the lecture - you may think he, himself, was responsible for the markets to exist and moving its invisible hand by his own, plump and meaty, short fingers not able even to get a proper grip on the mic he was holding to enhance his voice. So yes, when Ran started to teach him life, Tsukki always wanted to stick earphone buds in. He was only half-listening when a certain name appeared in his sire's speech.

"... The youngest of them, but dangerous nevertheless. Kyoushi is from the vampire hunters family. His mom and dad trained him..."

"Mom? Was she the hunter as well?"

It's not a surprise when a woman becomes a vampire hunter. But a couple... Who made their kid a hunter as well... Now Tsukki was curious.

"Tell me more," he wiped the remains of the blood from his lips.

***

"I just asked you out." Tsukki only stared silently, bulging eyes on the raven-haired man in front of him and squirming uncomfortably in a squishy armchair.

"Date?" He finally managed.

"Yeah. You know, we can grab a coffee or something..."

He gotta be kidding. He wants to kill him, right? Tsukki was really careful not to give away his identity amongst the crowd. No one has ever guessed he's not a human anymore. But this one is a hunter. Has he seen through Tsukki's disguises?

A shiver ran down the spine. If he could sweat like a normal person, his palms would definitely dampen the tissue he was holding. Sometimes vampire nature helps to hide the reactions. But not entirely.

"So," the brunette wiggled the brows. "Will you?"

"Uhh, sorry, but I have a girlfriend," Tsukki mumbles, tearing the poor tissue to the perfect impersonation of snowfall. Damn, even the armchair he was sitting in could play it with more confidence.

"Are you sure?"

Why the fuck he's still here? Can't he take "no" as an answer?

"Cause I can't see anyone by your side - Oh, sorry -" Kyoushi rushed, seeing souring as fast as the beat around Tsukki's face. "I didn't mean to be rude or offend you, I just assumed you're here on your own and open to dates."

Okay. He's either a great actor or this innocent guilty puppy look is absolutely sincere. Tsukki would rather take the first. If his heart could beat, it would be heard in Osaka right now. Who would've thought his Halloween night out would turn into a living horror? Ran always told that's the safest time of the year. Looks like Tsukki's personal god of luck decided to have a nap when Kentaro Kyoushi's gaze was scanning the room full of students in costumes.

"Can I ask you a question though?"

If Kentaro was a dog, he would have his tongue lolled out and jumping around. But he was dressed as Ellie Driver from Kill Bill so just shoved away the patch from the eye and stared at Tsukki, hypnotizing him into saying "yes". If Tsukki didn't concentrate on keeping cool so hard, he would admit, Kentaro looked hot as a nurse.

"What?" Hopefully, he sounded annoyed and not scared.

"Are you bi?"

Tsukki choked on his coke.

***
Kentaro Kyoushi was a simple man. "I want it - I get it" was his motto since he was three. Life is short. Life as a vampire hunter is even shorter. If you beat around the bush, there's a chance... Actually, there are hell lot of chances lost.

That's why when he saw a guy with his hair bleached in stripes, looking incredibly cute in an oversized T-shirt and ripped jeans, sipping soda in the corner of the room, he crossed the room in a few strides and never thought twice before asking him out.

Even his words about having a girlfriend didn't stop Kyoushi. Pffffff... Today he has a girl. But tomorrow's the mystery. He should get his number!

"Are you okay?" The blonde splattered coke all over his white T-shirt and now reminded the kitten, that got splashed by a passing car in dirty road waters. He even hissed angry catishly, trying to shake away droplets off the fabric and hands. Kentaro tried to intervene but scooted a bit away, noticing the warning glare.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

'He's fucking hot when he's like that - off his guard, I should get at least a date.'

"Look, I know I may be way too pushy, but I just really like you." Why does it look like the cute blondie is panicking?

"Y-You? Like me?" The guy definitely was on the edge of fainting, judging by how pale he was.

"Um, yeah?" Kyoushi felt awkward and he couldn't remember when was the last time someone literally gulped at his admission. "I mean, it's okay if you have a girlfriend and not looking for anyone. But maybe you'll just agree to hang out sometimes?"

***
Is he crazy or something? Or did he really didn't notice anything? He is supposed to be the best of vampire hunters!

Tsukki's mind was racing. He needs to get away asap and he better find a damn good reason if he didn't want to have a vampire hunter that killed over a thousand of Tsukki's kind by the age of twenty chasing after him. Tsukki didn't know what was the number now, but Kentaro sure didn't stop his mission, right?

He's what, in his early thirties?

And from the point he was sitting, Tsukki couldn't see a single damn scar on Kentaro's face or hands, or legs, bare open in that nurse outfit. Of course, he maybe used makeup to cover them, but it's a very precise job - to hide battle scars. Or the bites. Tsukki would know, escaped from a few vampire hunters himself, and had his sire puncture his skin. He was lucky enough though, cause the last made the scars different. Now everyone thought Tsukki had some trouble with self-harm and never assumed two thin lines that appeared on his wrist had something to do with vampires. People usually averted their eyes and rushed to change the subject when they saw them. But he was careful about covering them anyway.

He couldn't believe famous Kentaro Kyoushi would just skip the fact that the lines are perfectly parallel and have two round spots at their beginning. He surely would've known what a vampire bite looks like. Tsukki unconsciously put the palm on the place of the bite and mentally hit himself in the head. He is supposed to draw the attention away, not show his scars directly.

"H-How do you get to this party?" He blurted, finally deciding to steer the conversation away from himself and the fact that he was asked out by a legendary vampire hunter. Maybe he'll be able to push him away in a more gentle manner.

Tsukki didn't want to look very suspicious. He knew the hunter's breed - they're ready to shove garlic right under your nose or touch you with the silver ring when they shake your hand. They double-check literally every single sign if they have the slightest doubt you're not fully human.

Tsukki was lucky enough. His tolerance to usual ways to detect vampires was very high. He once knew a girl who went retching all the blood she drank because the guy she bit had garlic risotto for dinner the day before. And the guy who had half of his face burnt because he was stupid enough to sleep in the kitchen after he just killed the owner. He was so full that fell asleep right on the silver knife and woke up a couple of hours later with his face looking like a house fire survivor.

Though these two were extreme cases of vampire misfortune, the hunters used all the measures to be sure when they felt the prey. When Tsukki once got himself caught, two of them were really surprised nothing could hurt him.

Tsukki only laughed at the garlic garland one of them was wearing on the neck. As for verbena water - when the younger hunter sprayed him, Tsukki just put on the show, licking it off the lips and fingers. Even the UV lights they brought didn't cause them serious damage. Sure, vampires are slightly more tend to get sunburns and around one-third of them could die exposing themselves without fully dressing. But not him.

So yeah, he would know about how vampire hunters usually treat anyone they suspect.

Not the best experience anyway. So now he was pretty adamant about talking Kentaro away from his initial intention.

"Y-Yeah, so how did you get the invitation?"

***
"He what?!"

"Stop laughing! It's not funny!"

Ran was howling with laughter. He didn't stop for the whole five minutes, interrupting only to drop another question on the Tsukki's interaction with one the most feared vampire hunters in Japan. Only to get into another fit of giggles and chortles. By the end of Tsukki's tale, he was stomping his fist on the table.

"And you told him you're dressed up as vampire hunter because they don't draw attention to themselves?!" Ran swept away the tears in his eyes. "Always knew you had it in you, Tsukki. Did you get his number though?"

"Didn't you listen? He practically forced me to save it in my phone." Tsukki was frowning, not sharing his sire's joyful mood in the slightest.

Ran's face straightened suddenly.

"We should use it to our advantage," he said.

"What? Wasn't it you, telling me that's one of the hunters' strategies - to get the victim to fall for them and then kill?" He gawked at Ran.

"That's true. But the game could be played by two, ain't it?"

That's how Kentaro looks, btw, according to AI