The Livestream

Friday. 7:30 PM.

Thirty minutes until they went live.

Mio sat in front of her vanity, staring at her reflection. Reina stood behind her with makeup brushes, doing touch-ups.

"Stop fidgeting," Reina said.

"I'm not fidgeting."

"Your leg is bouncing so hard you're shaking the chair."

Mio forced her leg to stop. It immediately started bouncing again.

Reina sighed. Applied one more layer of powder. "There. You look perfect."

Mio looked at herself. Purple blouse. Hair styled. Makeup applied. She looked... responsible. Like someone whose opinion mattered.

She felt like an imposter.

"What if I mess up?" she asked quietly.

"Then you mess up. You keep going." Reina squeezed her shoulder. "You've survived three hundred years. You can survive one stream."

"Three hundred years of hiding. This is the opposite of hiding."

"Yes. It is." Reina's voice was gentle. "And you're doing it anyway. That's courage."

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Downstairs, Momo cornered Akira in the living room.

"Current viewer count waiting: four thousand," she said casually.

Akira choked on his water. "Four THOUSAND?"

"Could double once we go live. Vampire community's very interested in Boss's announcement." She grinned. "There's a betting pool. Three-to-one odds it's a relationship announcement."

"People are BETTING?"

"It's the vampire community. We bet on everything." She pocketed her phone. "Don't worry about the numbers. Just focus on Boss. You'll be fine."

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7:55 PM.

Five minutes.

The basement was ready. Cameras positioned. Lights set. Two chairs facing the audience.

Mio and Akira sat in their chairs. Hands linked between them.

"Five thousand now," Momo announced. "We're trending."

"Stop telling me the numbers," Mio said.

"Two minutes," Momo called. "Remember: Camera A for direct address. If you need a break, signal me."

Mio's hands were shaking. Akira's heart was pounding.

Reina appeared one last time. "Last chance to back out."

"We're not backing out," Mio said.

"One minute!"

Mio looked at Akira. "If this goes horribly…"

"It won't."

"Together?"

"Together."

"Ten seconds!"

She faced Camera A. Managed a smile that almost looked natural.

"Five! Four! Three!"

Momo pointed at them silently.

The red light came on.

They were live.

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For a moment, Mio forgot how to speak.

Then Akira shifted beside her. Grounding.

She found her voice.

"Hi. I'm Mio. Thank you for joining us tonight." Small breath. "I know there's been speculation. So I'll say it directly: I'm in a relationship. With a human. And I wanted you to meet him."

She gestured to Akira.

He gave a small wave. "Hi. I'm Akira. I'm... the human."

Despite the terror, Mio almost laughed.

"We've been together for a few months," she continued. "I know that raises questions. Concerns. So we wanted to address it openly. Honestly."

The viewer count was climbing. Six thousand. Seven thousand.

Don't think about the numbers.

"Before we start, I want to say one thing." She paused. "I know the community is divided. I know there have been attacks. People dying."

Her voice wavered. Steadied.

"I know some of you think what we're doing is dangerous. Reckless. But I believe we can be better. That vampires and humans don't have to be enemies." She glanced at Akira. "We're proof of that. Imperfect proof. But proof."

Momo's voice came through the speakers. "First question: How did you meet?"

"I attacked him during a video game rage incident," Mio said.

"She was very apologetic afterward," Akira added.

"I sent apology gifts. With cartoon bats."

"The bats were cute."

The chat reacted. Laughing emojis. "Relatable!" "Cute!"

They answered more questions. The easy ones first.

How long have you been together? A few months.

Do you live together? No, but he visits regularly.

Then the harder ones came.

"For Akira: Are you under compulsion?"

"No. The only spell Mio uses is a comfort spell during feeding, which I consented to in writing. It makes the bite feel pleasant instead of painful. That's it."

"How can viewers verify that?"

"They can't. That's the problem." He looked at Camera A. "All I can say is: I'm making this choice freely. I know the risks. I've been warned. I'm choosing her anyway."

Chat reactions split. Some supportive. Many skeptical.

"For Mio: Can you guarantee you won't hurt him?"

This was the one.

"I can't guarantee anything. That's honest." The chat turned negative. Concerned. "Every time I feed, there's instinct telling me to take more. It's biological."

She looked at Akira. "But every time, I choose to stop. I choose rational thought over instinct. I choose him over my nature."

"Is that sustainable?"

"I don't know. Maybe not. Maybe one day I'll fail." Her voice cracked. "But I'm trying. Every day. And I think trying matters."

"Knowing she might fail, why stay?" Momo asked Akira.

"Because the alternative is worse. If we don't try; if vampires and humans don't attempt coexistence; we're stuck in the same cycle. Someone has to try to break it."

"Even if it costs you your life?"

"Even then."

More questions came rapid-fire.

"Are you planning a blood pact?"

"No," Mio said. "Blood pacts are leashes. For both parties. I want Akira to have freedom to leave. Always."

"But without it, you could kill him."

"Yes. And that terrifies me. Every day." Her voice was small. "But I love him. And I think love is worth the risk."

Akira squeezed her hand on camera. "I love her too. Even knowing she's dangerous. Because she fights her nature every day to be with me."

The chat exploded. Half swooning. Half convinced it was manipulation.

"Wait, someone's asking…" Momo paused, clearly amused. "Can vampires and humans have children?"

Mio blinked. "That's... actually a good question."

"And?"

"Theoretically possible but extremely rare. There are like, three documented cases in recorded history." She shrugged. "We haven't really discussed it."

"Should we have?" Akira asked.

"Maybe? That's a future conversation."

Despite the tension, several people in chat were laughing. "PRIORITIES!" "Asking the real questions!"

More questions. Some hostile.

"Aren't you just proving traditional vampires right? That progressive methods are dangerous?"

"No," Mio said firmly. "Traditional methods: compulsion, memory erasure, that's what's dangerous. The difference is they hide it. Erase memories. I face consequences."

"This publicity stunt makes all vampires targets!"

"Or it shows humans we're capable of change. Of being more than monsters." She leaned forward. "And someone has to start. Why not me?"

The chat was getting heated. Traditional vampires pushing back. Progressive vampires supporting.

"What would you say to vampires who think you're a traitor?"

Mio was quiet. Then: "I'd say I'm trying to save us. Vampire population is declining. We're endangered because humans got better at hunting us. We can adapt or we can die. I'm choosing to adapt."

"And to humans who are afraid?"

"I'd say your fear is valid. We ARE dangerous. But we don't have to be enemies. We can choose different. Both sides can."

They talked for nearly an hour. About consent. About fear. About hope.

And through it all, they held hands. Visible proof this was real.

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Finally, Momo spoke: "Last question: What do you want people to take away from this?"

Mio thought for a moment.

"That change is possible. That we're more than our worst instincts. That trying matters, even if we fail, trying still matters."

She looked at Akira. Then the camera.

"And that love can exist between predator and prey. If both sides choose it. Every day."

Akira added, "We're not perfect. We'll probably mess up. But we're trying to prove coexistence is possible."

"Even if we're the only example right now," Mio said, "maybe that's enough to make someone else try. And eventually…"

"Eventually it's not an exception anymore," Akira finished. "It's normal."

Mio faced the camera one last time. "To the vampires watching: I know this is scary. But we're dying out. We need to change or we'll disappear. Please consider that."

"And to humans: I know we're frightening. But some of us are trying. Please give us a chance."

Small smile. "That's all I can ask. A chance."

"Thank you for listening," Akira added.

Momo ended the stream.

The red light went off.

Silence.

Then Mio burst into tears.

Relief tears. The kind that happen when you've been holding your breath for an hour.

Akira pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder.

"You did it," he said quietly.

"We did it," she corrected.

Reina appeared. "Final viewer count: twelve thousand. Sixty-three thousand chat comments. Trending on every major vampire platform."

"Is that good?" Akira asked.

"It's unprecedented."

Momo scrolled through analytics. "Reactions split. Forty percent supportive. Thirty percent hostile. Thirty percent undecided."

"Better than expected," Mio said, pulling away. Her makeup was ruined. She didn't care.

"There are already response videos being planned," Momo continued. "Traditional vampires calling for debates. Progressive vampires pledging support. Several humans asking how to donate to your cause."

"We don't have a cause…"

"You do now." Reina's expression was serious. "You just declared yourself publicly. You're the face of progressive vampire-human relations now."

"Oh," Mio said quietly.

"You did well. Both of you. Honest. Vulnerable. Real. That matters."

"Will it be enough?"

"I don't know. But it's a start."

Ren phased through. Left a note. Phased out.

Reina read it. "Security sweep complete. No immediate threats. He's monitoring chatter."

"So we're safe? For now?"

"For now."

Mio leaned against Akira. Exhausted. Terrified. Hopeful.

"We really did it."

"Yeah."

"The chat was SO mean though…"

"Boss," Momo interrupted. "Do NOT read the chat. Focus on the good comments. Someone said you're 'relationship goals.' There's already fanart."

"Fanart?!"

"Very cute fanart."

Despite everything, Mio laughed.

They'd done it. Gone public.

And they were still alive.

Still together.

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Later, after Reina and Momo left, Mio and Akira sat on the couch.

Reality setting in.

"My coworkers definitely watched," Akira said.

"My entire community watched."

"Your mother probably saw clips."

"Don't remind me."

Silence.

"Do you regret it?" Mio asked.

"No. Do you?"

"No." She took his hand. "But I'm scared. Of what comes next."

"Me too."

His phone buzzed.

Tanaka: Watched the stream. You're either very brave or very stupid. Probably both. Be safe.

He smiled. Showed Mio.

Another message from his mother: We need to talk. Call me tomorrow.

He winced. "That won't be fun."

"I'm sorry."

"My choice. I'll handle it."

They sat in comfortable silence. Processing.

"Tomorrow's going to be interesting," Mio said.

"Tomorrow we deal with consequences."

"Together?"

"Together."

Outside, the city continued its normal night.

Unaware that two people had just declared war on centuries of tradition.

Unaware that everything was about to change.