Strike the Blood: The Fourth Progenitor Can't Fall in Love
The Fourth Progenitor Can't Fall in Love
Three months ago, Akatsuki Kojou's life went off the rails. He inherited the power of the world's strongest vampire—the Fourth Progenitor—and now he can't sleep at night, dozes through class, and gets nosebleeds at the slightest provocation. All he wants is a quiet, peaceful life. Too bad the universe has other plans.
When a beautiful transfer student named Himeragi Yukina moves in next door—and then declares herself his watcher, sent to monitor the Fou
Strike the Blood: The Fourth Progenitor Can't Fall in Love - Love Triangle, School Trip, and Unreachable Feelings
The classroom had been strangely restless since morning.
The moment Akatsuki Kojou stepped through the door, the chatter cut off. No—it only stopped for an instant. The next second, several of the boys were grinning, barely holding back laughter.
"What's with you guys?"
Kojou tilted his head. He pushed down his bedhead and headed for his seat. The number of eyes stabbing into his back was clearly different from any normal morning.
"Oh—Akatsuki. Morning."
The boy in the seat in front of him turned around and lowered his voice.
"Heard you were alone with Aiba-san after school yesterday?"
"Huh? How'd you know that?"
"It carried into the hallway. Aiba-san's voice, clear as day—'I like you, Kojou.'"
Kojou scratched the tip of his nose.
"Oh, that. I told her I like Asagi too, and she got mad at me for some reason."
"...Are you being serious right now?"
"Serious about what? Everyone in class likes Asagi, don't they?"
Boy A looked up at the heavens.
"No, that's not what I'm talking about..."
At the back of the classroom, a group of girls had their heads huddled together, whispering.
"Hey, did Asagi really confess to Akatsuki-kun?"
"That's what I heard. And he answered, 'I like everyone too.'"
"What even is that? It makes no sense."
"But Asagi's feelings have been obvious for ages. Was Kojou-kun really the only one who didn't notice?"
"Totally possible. That guy seems clueless about that kind of stuff."
Asagi had her face down on her desk. Her long blonde hair spread across the tabletop. The tips of her ears were bright red.
"...I can hear you, you know!"
Asagi lifted her head and glared at the group of girls. Her turquoise eyes were a little wet with tears.
"Sorry, sorry—we're rooting for you!"
"I don't need your rooting! Just—forget it already!"
Asagi buried her face in her desk again.
Kojou looked at Asagi's back in the seat beside him.
(Why's she so mad?)
After school yesterday, Asagi had told him she liked him. So he'd said he liked her too. What was wrong with that? He had absolutely no idea.
"Hey, Asagi. You okay?"
The moment Kojou spoke, Asagi's shoulders jumped.
"...I'm not okay."
"Why not? I never said I hate you or anything."
"Do you even understand what the word 'like' actually means?"
Asagi glared at him, still teary-eyed.
"Of course I do. You're a good person, and you get along with everyone in class."
"That's not what I mean!"
Asagi smacked Kojou's arm over and over.
Laughter leaked out from all corners of the classroom.
"Kojou, that's rude to Aiba-san, you know."
"Rude? How?"
Kojou looked genuinely troubled.
After school.
When he opened the door to the rooftop, he caught the scent of the sea.
The sky over Itogami Island was blue again today. The sea breeze felt so good it was hard to believe this was an artificial island.
"Kojou. We need to talk."
It was Yaze Motoki who had dragged Kojou up to the rooftop. Kojou's classmate and best friend. He was also Asagi's childhood friend.
"What is it? You're not going to talk about Asagi too, are you?"
Yaze leaned against the fence and sighed.
"You haven't noticed Asagi's feelings, have you."
"Asagi's feelings? I told her I like her too, didn't I?"
"No. That's not it. You don't understand what she meant when she said she likes you."
Yaze looked Kojou straight in the eye.
"What she meant—as a friend, right?"
"No. Romantically. Asagi was telling you she likes you as a man."
Kojou's mouth fell open.
"Romantically... Asagi? Me?"
"Yeah. She's liked you for a long time. Everyone in class knows. The only one who doesn't is you."
"For real..."
Kojou scratched his head.
"So what about you? Do you like Asagi as a man?"
"I like her. She's a good classmate."
"That's not what I'm asking..."
"Then what? I've never even thought about dating Asagi or anything like that."
Yaze's shoulders slumped in defeat.
"You really don't get it. I'm starting to feel sorry for Asagi."
"Feel sorry? Did I do something wrong?"
"It's not that you did something wrong—it's that you didn't take her confession seriously, and that's what hurts her the most."
"I did take it seriously. I told her properly that I like her as a friend, didn't I?"
"All right, enough. There's no point saying anything to you for a while."
Yaze sighed and started walking toward the rooftop door.
"Hey, Yaze! Is that it?"
"That's it. Until you figure out how Asagi feels, I'm not saying another word."
Yaze left without looking back.
Kojou was left alone on the rooftop.
(Asagi likes me... as a man?)
The sea breeze stirred Kojou's hair.
(No, but—this is Asagi we're talking about. That Asagi?)
Kojou remembered Asagi's face from yesterday.
Her bright red face, lit by the setting sun. Her trembling voice.
"...Was that for real?"
His murmur was carried away by the wind and vanished.
In the shadow of the rooftop door.
Himeragi Yukina stood frozen, her back pressed against the wall.
A black bob cut. A sailor uniform from Saikai Academy's middle school division. A small notebook in her hands.
(Senpai and Aiba-senpai...)
Yukina clutched the notebook to her chest.
This was a surveillance record. As an apprentice Sword Shaman of the Lion King Organization—a national agency under the Japanese government tasked with monitoring and countering demons—it was her duty to document the movements of the Fourth Progenitor, Akatsuki Kojou.
(My mission is to watch over senpai. That's all it's supposed to be.)
Something deep in her chest ached sharply.
Yaze's words echoed in her head.
"Asagi was telling you she likes you as a man."
"She's liked you for a long time."
(Aiba-senpai really has feelings for senpai...)
Yukina bit her lip.
(Why does it hurt me this much?)
She had to focus on her mission. She knew that, and yet her heart wouldn't stop churning.
She remembered the way Asagi smiled at Kojou.
That morning, in the hallway of the apartment building.
Between the two of them was a distance Yukina could never close—the distance of being classmates.
(I'm the watcher. And yet—)
Yukina opened her notebook.
Today's date. Kojou's activity log.
But the hand holding the pen trembled, and she couldn't write a thing.
"...Why do I feel so restless?"
Yukina's murmur reached no one.
That night.
Yukina sat on her bed in her room.
The only light was a small indirect lamp. The dim glow cast shadows on the walls.
(Today's mission was a failure.)
The surveillance record was almost completely blank.
(I have to document senpai's movements, but my head was full of Aiba-senpai.)
Yukina hugged her knees.
"Why do I feel so restless?"
The same words she'd murmured on the rooftop that afternoon.
But no answer came.
The depths of her chest felt heavy.
Every time she pictured Asagi's face, something around her heart tightened.
(This isn't an emotion I need for my mission.)
(As a Sword Shaman, letting personal feelings interfere is disqualifying.)
(But I can't stop it.)
Yukina buried her face in her pillow.
"...Why?"
Her voice was muffled and shaking.
A few days later.
The homeroom teacher, Minamiya Natsuki, entered the classroom.
A petite woman in a frilly dress. She looked like a middle schooler, but she was Kojou's homeroom teacher—and a national attack mage as well.
"All right, quiet down. I have an important announcement today."
The classroom fell silent at Natsuki's voice.
"Next month, our school trip to Miyako Island has been approved."
After a beat of silence, the classroom erupted.
"For real!? Miyako Island!?"
"Yes! The ocean!"
"Miyako Island! That's the best!"
Kojou grinned at Yaze in the seat in front of him.
"You're so simple."
"But it's Miyako Island! The ocean, the food—it's gonna be awesome!"
Kojou was delighted, utterly without guile.
By the classroom window. Asagi listened to Natsuki while quietly clenching her fist.
(School trip. Miyako Island. This is my chance.)
Asagi's turquoise eyes glinted.
(This time, I'll tell him properly. I'll tell Kojou how I feel.)
Asagi stared at Kojou's back, her resolve firm.
And then, the night before the school trip.
The apartment hallway was wrapped in the quiet of night.
Yukina stopped in front of her own door.
In her hands were the cooking utensils she'd borrowed. She was on her way to return them to Kojou's room.
(Senpai's probably already asleep.)
Just as Yukina reached the door of Kojou's apartment—
"Kojou! Here, I made you a bento! Eat it tomorrow morning!"
It was Asagi's voice.
Yukina froze.
She peeked carefully around the corner of the hallway.
Asagi stood in front of Kojou's door. Her long blonde hair glittered under the hallway lights.
In her hands was a cute little wrapped package.
"Asagi? What are you doing here at this hour?"
Kojou opened the door and poked his head out.
"...We have the school trip tomorrow, right? So I made you a bento."
Asagi's voice sounded a little embarrassed.
"You? You can cook?"
"How rude! I can do it if I try!"
"Sorry, sorry. Thanks, Asagi."
Kojou took the package.
"...Hey, Kojou. There's something I want to talk to you about during the trip."
Asagi looked up at Kojou through her lashes.
"Something to talk about? What, so formal?"
"...Um, this time, I want you to really listen to me."
Asagi's cheeks were red.
"Sure, fine. We'll talk on Miyako Island, nice and slow."
"Really!? Promise!"
Asagi's face lit up.
"See you tomorrow, then! Good night, Kojou!"
Asagi waved happily and walked away.
Kojou looked at the package in his hands and scratched the tip of his nose.
"Asagi's homemade cooking, huh. Tomorrow morning's gonna be something to look forward to."
Kojou went back inside.
Silence returned to the hallway.
Yukina couldn't move from behind the corner.
(Aiba-senpai gave senpai a bento...)
(Something she wants to talk about during the trip...)
Her chest tightened painfully.
(That's definitely the continuation of her confession.)
(Aiba-senpai really does love senpai.)
Yukina gripped the cooking utensils in her hands.
(I'm just going to return these to senpai. That's all.)
Yukina took a deep breath and knocked on Kojou's door.
"Oh, Yukina. What's up?"
Kojou opened the door.
"...These are the cooking utensils I borrowed. I came to return them."
Yukina held them out without looking up.
"Oh, thanks for going out of your way. Miyako Island starts tomorrow, huh. Can't wait!"
Kojou said it with a smile.
Yukina couldn't lift her head.
"...Do you smile at anyone like that, senpai?"
Yukina's voice was small and trembling.
"Huh? Not just anyone... I mean, you're my neighbor, Yukina."
Kojou tilted his head.
"...Because I'm your neighbor. Is that it."
Yukina murmured.
"Yeah. You're my neighbor, and Nagisa's classmate. And you're a good person, Yukina."
Kojou smiled without a care.
Yukina's chest ached.
(A neighbor. My little sister's classmate. A good person.)
(That's all.)
(Of course that's all I am to senpai.)
"...Tomorrow's meeting time is seven a.m. at the school front gate. Please don't be late."
Yukina spoke quickly.
"Yeah, I know. Have you finished packing too, Yukina?"
"...I have. Good night."
Yukina gave a small bow and returned to her own room.
She closed the door.
And crouched down right there.
(Why did I ask something like that?)
(Whether he's going to date Asagi-san...)
Yukina remembered the words that had come out of her own mouth, and her face burned.
(What was I trying to ask senpai?)
(That's not a watcher's job.)
Yukina buried her face in her knees.
Her heart was so loud.
After a while, Yukina went to the washroom.
Her face in the mirror.
Her cheeks were red.
Her eyes were a little wet.
"...Why am I making a face like this?"
Yukina asked the girl in the mirror.
But no answer came back.
(I don't understand.)
(I can't put a name to this feeling.)
(But my chest hurts.)
Yukina gently placed a hand over her heart.
It was still pounding.
(Tomorr
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