Doors

Prologue

I awoke to the familiar whining I hear first thing in the morning.

"Oneeeeeeee-chaaannnnn! You're going to be late!!!"

Then followed by the constant rocking of my body.

When I thought it was enough, I sat up, resembling the undead.

"I'm up....." I mumbled. "Finally! I thought I was going to have to call mother!" I shuddered at the thought of mother. I opened my eyes to the small, brown-haired girl standing in front of me wearing an apron under her middle school sailor uniform. That annoying girl was my sister, Naomi.

"Sis, I hurry up! I also made breakfast!" Her blue eyes gave me a glance that told me she was clearly getting tired of our daily routine. Well, at least hers, since I don't do much.

Today was the first day of a new start. After studying hard to pass the transfer exam, I was finally able to move schools. I used to live outside the city, and my life really isn't interesting before that.

Except the fact that I am literally a demon's offspring.

But I lived a fairly quiet life, that of a regular human, so that's pretty much all I know. We came from a large, suburban neighborhood on the outskirts of the Tokyo prefecture. But it wasn't THAT quiet. I didn't really have friends, but it wasn't because I was antisocial or anything, I just wasn't interested in close relationships with humans, because I was different. I did have friends, but they were more like acquaintances. Occasionally me and my mother visit the demon world to see my dad, who currently takes residence there.

I honestly don't know why he simply doesn't want to live with my sister, mom, and I, but I never questioned it.

Nor the fact that we've never talked about our origins with Nao-chan.

Satisfied with last night's long bath, I grabbed my new school uniform that was hanging in front of my bedroom's closet door and put it on. Then I did a twirl around the mirror. Huh. The skirt was a bit shorter than my old school's, but it wasn't too bad.

I went down the stairs leading to the first floor, where the living room on my left connecting to the kitchen on my right. The front door was between them after passing a narrow hallway. All the curtains were open, and the morning sunlight leaked throughout the entire first floor, along with the scent of Nao's familiar cooking. The air smelled of miso* soup, okayu*, cooked fish and some pickled vegetables. Seems she made a bigger breakfast today. To my surprise, as I entered the kitchen, breakfast was bigger than I thought. Bread, eggs, vegetables, and natto*. And she was boiling green tea.

"What's the occasion?" I asked.
"New school"
"Is that something to celebrate about?"
"Just an excuse to eat!"

Her face lit up, spreading a smile on my face. Nao's happiness is contagious. Mid-meal, I glanced at the clock.

Holy shit.

The bell rings at 8:30. It was 7:40.

"Got to run! Sorry Nao! Thanks for the breakfast!!!!" I grabbed the toast in my mouth and grabbed my school bag. I ran out the door.

I barely had enough time to look and find my first classroom. The teacher, a small young woman with a bowl cut, told me to wait outside for a minute until she motioned me to come in. She left the door open a little bit.

The class did their morning routine. Then the teacher spoke. "Class, we have a new transfer student." She motioned for me to come in.

"Why don't you introduce yourself?"

*Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup consisting of a stock called "dashi" into which softened miso paste is mixed. Many ingredients are added depending on regional and seasonal recipes, and personal preference. 

*Oyakodon, literally "parent-and-child donburi", is a donburi, or Japanese rice bowl dish, in which chicken, egg, sliced scallion, and other ingredients are all simmered together in a sauce and then served on top of a large bowl of rice.

*Nattō is a traditional Japanese food made from soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis var. natto. Some eat it as a breakfast food. It is served with soy sauce, karashi mustard and Japanese bunching onion.