Nami

Demon Boy’s intense gaze bored into mine sent shivers down my spine—a reaction that my body had never experienced before. Unable to look away, I found myself intrigued by the figure whose beauty must have hypnotized whoever crossed paths with him, adding more reasons for me to make the decision to avoid him as much as possible. 

“Huh, this is interesting. Is it possible that it’s love at first sight?” Shiokawa-san smirked, one eyebrow shooting up, and a sly smile splashed across her face.

As though free from a spell, I finally blinked and averted my eyes, feeling my cheeks blush from whatever motive. I put a hand over my chest, the erratic rhythm of my heartbeat leaving me even more confused. 

Why do I feel like disappearing? Why do I feel embarrassed? 

The girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes seated next to Demon Boy glared daggers while pointing a well-manicured finger at me. She scoffed, “As if. Yuu-kun would never fall in love with a dull nobody like her.”

“Hey, you shouldn’t say that, Emica,” scolded Watanabe-san. 

As the pressure of being the center of attention was too much for me to bear, I pushed my chair back and abruptly rose to my feet with the tray of food in my hands. 

“Nami-chan?” Shiokawa-san was confused. 

“Excuse me.” I walked away from the table without sparing the group of friends a single glance, eager to be alone. I disposed of the leftovers of my lunch and left the cafeteria. 

To my relief, I found refuge in the small yet charming garden located at the back of the main building, which I assumed also belonged to Mori Senior High School. I flopped down onto a bench and exhaled deeply, my shoulders relaxing and my heartbeat slowing back to normal. 

“Who is that boy? Is he really a demon? Did he see my angel form? Does he know who I am? Is he a spy sent from the demon realm to kill me? Is he going to hurt me? Am I in danger?” I asked the questions to myself, the fear of being discovered and caught lingering in me.

My stomach growled loudly, making me regret not finishing eating my lunch before I left the cafeteria. 

“I would kill for a chocolate bar right now,” I grumbled, closing my eyes. “I want to go home.”

* * * 

“Nami-chan, are you okay? You disappeared after you left the cafeteria,” Watanabe-san said the second I reached my desk in the classroom, the concern in his voice prompting me to at least give him a small smile in return. As I did not utter a word, he continued, “I’m sorry that Emica was so rude to you. The truth is that she has been in an on-and-off thing with Yuu-kun for a year now, and she is extremely jealous of other girls because she’s scared of losing him.” 

I frowned, unsure of what he was talking about. “On-and-off thing? What does that mean?”

His expression mirrored mine as he responded with a question of his own. “You don’t know what an on-and-off thing means? Have you never been in one?”

I shook my head. 

“It’s like a friends-with-benefits relationship.” He smiled.

“What is a friends-with-benefits relationship?” 

Why are humans so complicated? Why do they use so many difficult terms? 

Watanabe-san opened his mouth in surprise. “You don’t know what a friends-with-benefits relationship is?”

I shook my head again.

He sighed, “Are you the type of girl who spends her time studying, studying, and studying?”

“Not really.” 

He squeezed his eyes, suspicious. “Who are you exactly?”

I am an angel struggling to get used to living in Tokyo as a human, but I cannot tell him that.

“My name is Nami Fukuyama,” I stated, emotionless.

Watanabe-san burst out laughing. “You’re weird, Nami-chan, but I like you.”

“Is… being weird a bad thing?” I hesitated, tensing a little bit.

“Not at all.” He winked.

Demon Boy’s face popped into my head, his hazel eyes taking over all of my thoughts. 

“Do you mind if I ask you a question about your friend?” I took the opportunity that I was managing to hold a conversation for more than one minute to find out more about who I felt would most likely give me headaches in the future.

Watanabe-san perked up, visibly interested. “What friend?”

“The one the rude girl has an… What do you call it again? An on-and-off thing? Is that it?” 

His lips curled into a mischievous smile as he mumbled, “So it really was love at first sight on both sides. That’s a first.”

The teacher entered the classroom, therefore ending our talk before I could pry for information about Demon Boy.

Thankfully—or not, I was forced to spend the next hour immersed in activities with my classmates as a form of bonding or something like that, which kept me busy enough not to think about those hazel eyes that took my breath away.

* * *

I arrived at my apartment at six-thirty in the evening, socially drained, physically exhausted, and emotionally scarred—the latter thanks to Demon Boy’s face that kept haunting me every five minutes.

“It was only the first day of school, and I already hate my life as a teenage human,” I murmured while dragging my feet to my bedroom, longing for my sweet, oh-so-sweet bed.

“You have finally arrived, Little Sis.” Souma waltzed in nonchalantly, his human form featuring a handsome young man with long black hair, black eyes, and dimples on his cheeks whenever he smiled. He was also wearing a suit. 

I gasped, “Souma? What are you doing here?” 

The last time I saw him was when I left the Kingdom of Angels, and to say that I was surprised to see my dear brother in the human realm was an understatement. 

“It’s your fault, you know. Why haven’t you visited me at the castle? I have been waiting to hear news from you since you came here,” he pouted, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

I sat on the edge of my bed. “To be honest, I have been having a hard time adjusting to life as a human because no one told me that they have so many complex emotions,” I complained, a part of me wishing that my brother would come back another day so that I could take a bath and sleep.

Souma laughed, entertained by my misery. “I get what you’re saying, but humans are amazing, aren’t they? They know how to be genuinely happy.” He paused, a shadow of sorrow crossing his eyes. “Unlike us, angels, who pretend to be good and perfect for the sake of our kingdom.”

“Pretend to be?” 

“Anyway, you look good in that outfit.” He smiled and approached me, putting a hand on my shoulder. “How was your first day in school? Did you make any friends?”

I rolled my eyes and shrugged. “Heh. It was okay, and no, I did not make friends, obviously.” 

“How come?” He sat beside me. 

I shrugged again. 

“You need to be more friendly, Little Sis. A smile wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

“Why should I smile when I do not feel like doing it?”

“Why shouldn’t you smile when you are having an incredible experience that most angels will never have?”

“I am here against my wishes, and you know it.” I lay on the bed, my eyes fixed on the white ceiling above me.

“Judging by your words, I think it’s safe to assume that you haven’t gotten used to the human realm yet and want to return to the Kingdom of Angels as soon as possible, am I correct?”

I bit my lower lip to stop myself from cursing everything and everyone, as I got extremely ill-tempered when tired and hungry, which was the case right then. 

I wish I could eat ice cream for dinner and chocolate cake for dessert. 

I glanced at my brother, who was busy typing on a smartphone. 

“Since when have you had a smartphone?” I asked.

“I bought it when I came to Tokyo last year,” he responded without taking his eyes off of the device. 

“By the way, why are you wearing a suit? Is it not too fancy for a casual visit to your dear sister?” I teased, slightly amused by his choice of attire. 

 He arched an eyebrow. “And who said that visiting you is the only reason why I have come to Tokyo?”

I immediately sat upright, my interest piqued. “Are you dating a human?” was the first thing that came out of my mouth.

He burst out laughing. “I wish, but no. I am here on business under Father’s order.”

“I was not aware that Father had business with the humans.”

Souma stopped laughing and stared deeply into my eyes, his expression serious. “There are many things you’re not aware of, and it’s better that you stay in the dark for your own sake and protection,” he asserted, ominous.

“Huh?” 

“So, did any of your schoolmates catch your attention?” He ignored the question marks popping up over my head. 

I gazed at him in silence for ten seconds before deciding not to press him to elaborate on the weird statement, as I was too tired to talk about whatever serious subject he had in mind. Instead, I went with the flow, replying, “Nope. Although, I think I met a dem—” I shut my mouth abruptly, unwilling to finish the sentence. 

Demon Boy’s face popped into my head for the fiftieth time, awakening butterflies in my stomach and making my heart beat faster. As I touched my chest, I wondered why my body reacted that way whenever I thought about whoever or whatever that thing was, and by thing, I meant the boy.

“A dem?” Souma frowned. “What is a dem?”

I panicked for reasons unbeknownst to me, leading me to come up with something as outrageous as what I blurted out next—“a demanding teapot in the cafeteria.” I blinked rapidly as my own brain struggled to understand why in the world I could not find a better lie—at least one that made sense.

My brother just kept looking at me, visibly… amused, perhaps? Or was it disappointment? Concern that I might have lost my sanity? I could not quite tell.

He opened his mouth and repeated my nonsensical response slowly. “A demanding teapot in the cafeteria?”

“Well… uhm… yes… I mean…” I fidgeted with my fingers. 

He enthusiastically patted me on the back, beaming. “Lucky you, Sis. I’ve always wanted to meet a demanding teapot, whatever that means.” The last three words were almost inaudible.

I let out an awkward laugh before standing up and starting to make my way to the door. “I am going to boil water for my instant noodles. Would you like to eat with me?”

He scowled. “Are you eating instant noodles every night?”

“Me? I would never,” I smirked, pretending to be offended. “Most nights, I cook healthier food, I swear.” I laughed.

Souma followed me to the kitchen. “You are different from when you left the Kingdom of Angels, Nami. That’s a good thing.”

“Different, how?” I filled a small pot with water and placed it on the electric stove. 

“You are more carefree. Although, I believe you haven’t noticed it yet.”

“You are imagining things,” I grumbled while grabbing two packets of instant noodles from the cabinet.

“If you say so…” 

“Do you want eggs in your instant noodles?” I opened the refrigerator only to find out that I was out of eggs.

Oh, bother. I need to go to the grocery store tomorrow after school. Or perhaps I should order some online? 

Souma chuckled. “Nah, I’m good, thanks. I don’t like eggs.”

I glanced at him, surprised. “You don’t?”

He shook his head. “I never did. I thought you knew that.”

I focused on the kettle, silently scolding myself for not paying enough attention to my brother’s preferences. What kind of sister was I?

“How are things in the castle? Are Father, Mother, and Sora safe?” I remembered to ask about my family members—one more reason to scold myself for being so detached from life, as it should have been my first question when I met Souma. 

“They are fine. In fact, let me tell you about…” 

My brother’s voice faded away as I got lost in my thoughts. 

Why did I not inform Souma about Demon Boy? What stopped me from talking about him? Why do I feel the need to hide this information for as long as I can? 

As I closed my eyes, I could only try to convince myself that I was not mesmerized by Demon Boy’s gorgeous face, even though deep in my heart, I knew I was kidding myself in an attempt to bury my true feelings, as I always did. 

* * *