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Introduction
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Bonne journée — Sweets, Complaints, and Reconciliation is the sixtieth chapter of Jun Mochizuki's The Case Study of Vanitas.
This article contains plot and/or ending details for The Case Study of Vanitas.
Read at your own risk.
Summary[]
That private conversation Dominique and Jeanne shared.
Jeanne spoke with perfect politeness and formality, as if following procedure to the letter. She informed that she would be making a report to Luca and thanked Dominique for helping with the investigation of the incident. Jeanne continued and asked Dominique to refrain from returning to Altus for the time being. As the incident had caused Dominique to go around the humans’ Paris and attack the Vampires that Mikhail had caused to go rampaging, any outside parties who would have mistaken information about that might put her in danger. Until Luca could make the details of what happened widely known, Dominique was advised to stay under Count Orlok’s watch. Dominique absorbed this mechanically and solemnly gave her thanks to Luca for his efforts. Jeanne looked down then quietly rose from her seat and went to make her leave. Dominique stood up from her own seat urgently, asking Jeanne to wait. A pregnant pause as Dominique stared at Jeanne with her back turned to her. Dominique apologized. For the awful things she had said to her during the height of that incident.
When she had said she hated her.
Jeanne was silent. She whipped around slammed her fist on the table and desperately asked. Those words Dominique had said then, were they how she truly felt about Jeanne? Her expression read as if even the thought of that being true devastated her. Dominique instantly denied this as truth. Still, Jeanne trembled with distress as she clutched the chair she’d been sitting on. Dominique, averting her eyes with shame, explained that what she told Jeanne was not true. They were the result of her own shortcomings and flaws and the way they haunted her; the inferiority complex within her that flared every time she saw the other woman. Dominique firmly assured Jeanne that it was not her fault in the slightest. Jeanne was confused by this, specifically the “inferiority complex” Dominique described. Growing more ashamed, Dominique admitted to how she saw Jeanne as lovely and strong and captivating, while she herself was the complete opposite.
Jeanne immediately erupted angrily at this. She yelled with vigor that Dominique is “Babel-class captivating.” Dominique was stunned. And she blushed pink as she tried with confusion to decipher what “Babel-class” meant. Jeanne with her head bowed down asked stiffly if it was alright for the two of them to meet again. Jeanne wished to continue eating delicious foods with her, to have tea with her and Luca like before. Dominique stared in surprised. Jeanne pursed her lips and confessed shyly and honestly.
Jeanne really loved Dominique. And in response all Dominique could say was that she loved Jeanne too.
And after that conversation, after the honesty they finally shared with one another.
Across the rooftops of Paris underneath a warm sun and light blue sky, Jeanne skips merrily, each step so light and joyful she may as well be floating.
Currently in Hôtel Chouchou. Noé lifts a bite of tarte tatin to his mouth and eats it, practically glowing with joy as he chews the sweet pastry. Boisterously, Noé tells Vanitas that the tarte tatin is delicious. Vanitas irritably snaps at him for speaking with food in his mouth and Noé, still unwaveringly happy, apologizes. Amelia watches with fondness from behind Vanitas. She makes to depart and return to her duties as a maid. Vanitas thanks her one last time for her help before she leaves the three of them in the kitchen to eat. Meanwhile Dominique takes a bite herself of a slice and is surprised at how delicious it is, to which Noé excitedly agrees. Vanitas quietly watches Noé eat, taking another bite and face flushing with pleasure at the taste. Vanitas leans his cheek against his hand and sighs with exasperation.
Vanitas points to the rest of the tarte tatin still uneaten, to Noé’s excitement as he decides to finish it after dinner. As the two of them banter, Dominique quietly watches Vanitas. She recalls her interaction with Jeanne before the other departed, her asking Jeanne if she didn’t want to see him after he’d been hurt so badly. Dominique had watched as Jeanne stood trembling in place and affirmed with resolve and all the willpower within her spirit. She would be unable to stop herself from hugging him so tightly she’d fracture something inside him if she went to see him, so she would just tough it out. Dominique could only react to this would bemusement. As she recalls that, a quiet lull falls over the table and Dominique thinks to herself that she should apologize to Vanitas herself for causing him trouble with the incident.
Noé calls to her. He point-blank tells Dominique that he loves her.
Dominique and Vanitas choke on their tea. As Vanitas coughs on his side of the table, Dominique turns to Noé with a flustered expression and exclaims why him too. Noé is confused by this. But he takes Dominique’s hand in his, to her surprise, and heartfully tells her. When she is sad, he is as well. And he can’t forgive anyone who hurts her. Dominique is important to Noé because she is Dominique. He wants her to understand this. Dominique flushes, a deep emotion welling up inside of her. Vanitas watches the two of them quietly. Dominique gently bumps her forehead against Noé’s and leans against him. She tells him she knows, she understands, and thanks him.
Noé suddenly starts leaning on Dominique entirely. Dominique, surprised, complains that he’s too heavy before realizing he has just fallen asleep. Vanitas reacts to this mildly. Dominique frantically calls to him for help before Noé starts slipping off her and nearly falls to the floor. After some time and struggling, they manage to carry Noé all the way to his and Vanitas’s room and deposit him on the bed. He snoozes peacefully, laid face down on his bed, out like a light. Dominique and Vanitas both are exhausted from carrying him such a way, even with their combined efforts, and Dominique mutters complaints as Vanitas walks over to sit on his own bed. Reserved, he says it’s natural and Noé would be sleeping for a while due to the shape he’s in, from Vanitas having fully intended to kill him as they fought. He thinks back to when he unhesitatingly slashed right across Noé’s midsection after deliberately manipulating and provoking him into providing an opening.
Dominique watches Vanitas’s solemn expression. She tells him it isn’t his fault. Vanitas raises his head in surprise. Dominique takes the blame for their fight upon herself, saying it was her fault—she stops herself. Vanitas stares at her with a furrowed brow in the silence. Dominique hesitates for a moment then she purses her lips and finally admits: despite all that, Noé still bears some of the blame himself as well. Vanitas’s eyes widen in shock. Dominique goes on, unable to stop now that she has started. As happy as she is to have him worry for her, his actions were entirely reckless. He charged directly into danger while knowing nothing about his enemy Mikhail. Though she can’t speak herself, she is a member of the House de Sade and thus her getting into trouble in the human world is a matter clearly serious enough that he could have gone to Count Orlok for help. Or even at the very least gone to Vanitas first before just jumping in headlong himself. Vanitas stares stunned in the aftermath of this thorough and ruthless criticism. Then he perks up back to life and exclaims his complete and unconditional agreement.
As Noé sleeps blissfully and curls up against his pillow, his childhood friend and companion continue to loudly complain about him over his head. Vanitas rants that Noé had ran in fueled entirely by anger and nothing else, which only resulted in him being incapacitated and forced to drink the boy’s blood. If Noé had acted more carefully and thought more thoroughly instead of walking directly into a clear trap, Vanitas might have been able to handle the situation differently. A pause. Vanitas petulantly purses his lips. Then he admits maybe he couldn’t. But still, he continues to complain. Noé’s sense of danger seems to completely disappear the moment it is himself who is in danger. Only in the short time they’ve been together, Vanitas has firsthand witnessed so many times Noé has almost died. Dominique vigorously nods her head. She suspects that Noé on some level thinks of himself as unkillable. Vanitas tells Dominique about in Gévaudan when Noé ate some food he was given and had been drugged as a result. Dominique is shocked to hear this as she had repeatedly emphasized to Noé the danger in accepting food from strangers.
Out of nowhere. Simultaneously, in both of their minds. A vivid and deeply accurate image of Noé, face blank and uncaring, declaring with no shame that because Jean-Jacques had told him his name already he no longer counted as a stranger. Completing missing the point about danger. Vanitas and Dominique put their faces in their hands, absolutely certain he would say such a thing if posed such a question.
Back and forth Vanitas and Dominique continue, their complaints and comments and compliments about Noé seamlessly weaving between and alongside one another’s. Him wanting to resolve conflicts peacefully but willing to jump to violence without hesitation. Him getting lost instantly without ever realizing he has gotten lost. Frustration and affection in equal measure emerging from both at once. Him walking into the personal space of others without a thought. Him being so kind and nice with no awareness to the effect he has on others’ feelings. His endless stubbornness. His straightforward nature, so unwavering it’s unfair. Every aspect of Noé that makes him Noé. Together they rise and rise until they eventually reach the exact same conclusion—
Vanitas and Dominique stop. They turn to stare at each other. They realize how they’ve been saying the exact same things. And finally, at the same time, just as they reached the same answer together regarding Noé, at once they come to see one another for who they are.
An ally. In how insufferable Noé is.
For the first time since their less than civil meeting, Dominique and Vanitas reach an amiable place: complaining together about Noé. Vanitas is impressed that she understand so well, the feeling of being around Noé, as is Dominique who compliments his observations on Noé despite their difference in race and short time together. Immediately they move on to trading information about the man, the specific grievances they personally have had but had no one else to commiserate with before until now. All the while Noé sleeps in total ignorance on the bed beside them.
Time passes. Noé wakes up and exits the room still bleary-eyed and waking up from his slumber to see Amelia greeting him out in the hallway. Giggling, she tells him that if he looking for those two, Vanitas and Dominique have already gone out together. Noé blinks in sleepy confusion.
Out in the city seated together at a cafe, Vanitas and Dominique are animatedly gossipping together about the one subject they share that is so unifying it has eliminated all malice between them. Noé.
Characters[]
- Jeanne
- Luca Oriflamme (Mentioned only)
- Dominique de Sade
- Parks Orlok (Mentioned only)
- Noé Archiviste
- Vanitas
- Amelia Ruth
- Mikhail*
- Jean-Jacques Chastel*
(*) - Denotes that the character did not appear physically, but as a part of another character's memories.
Terms[]
- Hôtel Chouchou
- Paris
- Altus (Mentioned only)
- Babel Incident (Mentioned only)
- House de Sade
- Gévaudan (Mentioned only)
Trivia[]
- Bonne journée is a term in French that means "have a nice day."
References[]
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| v - e - t | The Case Study of Vanitas Chapters |
|---|---|
| Parisian Excursion Arc | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 |
| Bal Masqué Arc | 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 |
| Hunters of the Dark Arc | 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 |
| The Beast of Gévaudan Arc | 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 34.5 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 38.5 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 |
| Amusement Park Arc | 44 • 45 • 46 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 54.5 • 55 • 55.5 • 56 |
| Miel Incident Arc | 57 • 58 • 59 • 60 • 61 • 61.5 • 62 • 62.5 • 63 • 64 • 65 |
| Intermissions | 15.5 • 46.5 • 51.5 • 60.5 |
| Volumes | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 |
| Omake | Vanitashu no Karute • Romance is a✰LOVE MISSION • Confessional Counseling Office |
| Other | Author's Notes |