Goodbye, Red Beryl

"Then just kill me." For as long as Akihiko can remember, he has struggled with a profound sense of worthlessness. Since childhood, no one has ever truly needed him, leaving him to drift through life without purpose or connection. Pushed to the very brink of despair and ready to surrender entirely, his fate takes an unexpected turn when he is pulled from the edge of death by Kazushige—a vampire condemned to endure an eternity of absolute solitude. Determined to repay the immortal who saved him, Akihiko begins visiting Kazushige regularly, offering his presence despite the vampire's obvious irritation. These persistent visits become a source of deep frustration for Kazushige, who has long resigned himself to isolation. Eventually overwhelmed by the intrusion, he harshly drives the young man away, expecting to finally return to the quiet emptiness he knows so well. Yet, in the silence that follows, Kazushige discovers something unsettling. Akihiko’s clumsy but genuine compassion has awakened a dormant part of his heart, leaving behind an ache he cannot ignore. Rather than finding peace in his solitude, the vampire realizes he is now consumed by a quiet longing to understand the boy who dared to show him kindness.