Tear Jerker / Call of the Night

Because even a cute, funny romcom about a boy falling in love with a vampire isn't immune to some sad moments.

This page contains unmarked spoilers. You Have Been Warned!

Anime

Episode 3

• Yamori and Akira seemingly grew apart throughout their school years since they were placed in different classes. Akira expresses regret that she did not try harder to stay in touch with him.
• A subtle one, but when Akira asks Yamori why he started Skipping School, he explains that, though he was doing fine when it came to grades, one day he simply didn't enjoy it anymore.
  Yamori: I feel bad that I never told you, but I don't really know how to explain it. I thought I was getting by fine at school, but then I just couldn't be bothered anymore. I wasn't having fun. When that suddenly happens, how are you supposed to deal with that emotion?
  • Akira shows hints of chronic depression when she replies by telling him that she feels the exact same way, both at home and at school, and that sometimes she's uncertain if her friends are still her friends. She then asks Yamori to return to school with her since it's not fun without him.
  • Nazuna asks Akira why she did not try to contact Yamori sooner. She doesn't answer, but the question seems to hit a little too close to home.

Episode 4

• We get a glimpse of Akira's daily routine, in which she goes about her day almost mechanically with a stoic look on her face. This contrasts with all the times she meets with Yamori; at the very least she's able to smile in his presence.
  • Just like Yamori, Akira seems to suffer from insomnia, waking up before it's even midnight.
  • Right before falling asleep at Nazuna's apartment, Akira notes to herself how she hasn't said goodnight to anyone in ages since she always falls asleep so early.

Episode 6

• Shirakawa explains to Yamori that her job is only a little exhausting, but as she goes on it becomes clear that she hates her job, that it's destroying her and that she dreads the very thought of having to go back to the office. It gets so bad that she breaks down in tears and screams that she doesn't want to go back. Almost as if on cue, her boss calls her back to the office, causing Shirakawa to prepare to leave the building in resignation. As Yamori ponders if it's ok to let her go, he suddenly sees himself in Shirakawa and absolutely refuses to allow her to leave.
  • Shirakawa later argues that Yamori can't possibly put himself in her shoes since skipping school and not going to work are not the same thing, and that being an adult means putting up with stuff even if makes you cry. She says all these things as she tries to hold back her own tears.
  • From her comments on her company's drinking parties, it can be inferred that Shirakawa is sexually harassed by her boss and/or coworkers when they get drunk, after which they have the nerve to pass it off as a joke. Shirakawa puts up with it but is understandably disgusted and, as a result, she goes out of her way to make sure they don't learn her address.

Episode 9

• Seri's predicament is surprisingly heartbreaking. While she already implied that she didn't like her status as The Vamp, episode 9 reveals how directionless in life she was. She makes offspring because it was expected of her but never found joy in it and anything else she tried to do did not work out. She grew to see Akiyama as a friend, but any relationship outside of propagation was frowned upon. This was why she did not answer any of Akiyama's messages. She resolves to instead kill him but immediately reveals that she never intended on carrying it out. When telling Akiyama to forget she ever existed, she breaks down bitterly.

Episode 11

• The missing teacher's plight: ten years ago, he fell in love with a vampire, who in turn bit him and turned him into her offspring. Unfortunately, the man had no idea that vampires were real, and at first he couldn't believe that he had turned into one. Then, he began to feel it: the thirst for human blood. Unwilling to prey on other humans, the man simply kept away from people, but the more he starved himself, the harder it became to contain his hunger. Eventually, he decided to hide at his old school during the night, confident that the place would be empty. At some point he learned that vampires would die if they did not feed for ten years, so he resolved to endure his hunger in order to keep his hands clean. The hunger and the isolation slowly chipped away at his mind, but he still managed to endure. Until the final night, that is, when Yamori and his friends ran into him after sneaking into the school. No longer able to contain himself, he savagely lunged at Akira, who was saved in the nick of time by Yamori smashing a chair on his face. The blow managed to knock some sense back into him, at which point he lamented that he had faltered on the final night and begged the kids to run away before he lost it again.
  • Anko is quite understanding of his plight and grants him a Mercy Kill, but where Yamori sees it as a Kick the Dog moment, Anko sees it as putting him out of his misery: instead of dying of extreme hunger, she allows him to peacefully die as a human. How does she do it? By placing a small ring in his hand that reminds him of his humanity; the implication is that it may have been a wedding ring. And if his ability to immediately recognize it is any indication, it may have reminded him of a relationship that did not end well.
  • The man mentions that the woman who turned him into a vampire actually tricked him, and bemoans that he was a fool for falling in love with her. Imagine, if you can, how it must feel to fall in love with someone, only for them to turn you into a monster against your will.
  • Judging from Anko's tone of voice, this isn't the first time she's run into such a scenario. How many other vampires out there suffered the way he did?
• Yamori is completely shocked at the events that unfolded: until now, based on his own experiences, he believed that vampires could be nice, if slightly alien at times. Here, he was forced to realize how naive it was to believe that all vampires were like that. As he returns home, he admits that what Anko told him was true: that he knew absolutely nothing about vampires.

Episode 12

• Still reeling from the events of the last episode, Yamori instinctively pushes Nazuna away after she comments that she "was nearing her limit" and "close to losing it completely". Nazuna immediately realizes something is wrong and asks Yamori to talk to her about it.
• Nazuna opens up to Yamori and, in a moment of uncharacteristic sincerity, tells him that being a vampire has been nothing but boring for her.
  Nazuna: Being a vampire's just boring. I'm sorry I lied to you. It's been decades since I became a vampire, but I've never been anything but bored. I just wait for time to pass as I spend each shallow, meaningless day.

Manga

Chapter 34

• Akira's internal monologue reveals that, much like Yamori, she also put up an act of being an honors student. While that wasn't always the case, at some point she just couldn't be herself anymore. Akira even speculates that playing with boys all the time as a kid has alienated her from the rest of the girls.
• When Sakura asks Akira about Yamori, she asks her if they're friends. Akira is not even certain about that at this point.
• Ultimately, Akira encourages Sakura to confess to Yamori, reassuring her that it'll probably be fine. Later, however, she overhears two of her classmates harassing Yamori for rejecting Sakura's confession.
  • When pressed for a reason, Yamori can only apologize. The girls find his apology to be insufficient and ask him why he rejected Sakura since he must've known that she liked him, only to get outraged as he replies that he had no idea. One of them even asks Yamori if he has no emotions, which leaves him utterly stunned.
    Yamori: ...Am I weird?
  • Akira is left horrified at the whole incident, and blames herself for not realizing that Yamori was putting up an act like her. She wanted to apologize, both to Yamori and to Sakura, but froze in place when she realized that she had no idea how and that it might end up making things worse. Then, out of nowhere, Yamori stopped going to school, leaving Akira unable to apologize at all and crushed by her own guilt.
    Akira: I only did it to make myself feel better, but for Ko, who ended up dumping Sakura-chan... I must be horrible.