Erika yawned as she sat up in bed, her golden hair spilling over her shoulders in a messy wave. Her blue eyes blinked sleepily, catching the dim light barely seeping through the curtains. For someone with vampire blood, darkness was supposed to be comforting. But being only a part vampire, she didn't exactly hate the sun, just a bit irritating. Maybe it was thanks to her grandmother and her father, who are both humans, she never met her father, but she heard he was human as well.
Blinking slowly, she pushed herself up and was immediately surrounded by overwhelming softness, her entire bed was packed with an army of stuffed animals, dolls, and plushies, piled so thick that her body had practically sunk into them. Right in front of her face was the familiar, worn little Eevee doll, the one Akira had given her. She couldn't help but smile faintly.
"...Not exactly dignified for a vampire," she muttered, half-burying her face into the Eevee plush.
Most vampires, she'd heard, chose to sleep in cramped and shadowy places. Some liked narrow coffins, others strange, enclosed spaces like closets. She'd even heard a bizarre rumor that some actually slept in cardboard boxes. But Erika had always resisted the idea.
When she'd asked Akira for advice, he suggested this instead: "Why not try filling your bed with plushies. It will feel cramped enough."
And so she did, and it turned out to be a pretty good idea, she can sleep comfortably here.
The clock on her bedside table read 7:30 AM. Normally, Erika wasn't a morning person at all. In fact, if left alone, she could probably sleep until noon without guilt. But today was different. She'd forced herself awake much earlier than usual because she had promised Akira they'd go to the anime event together. And when Akira got excited about something, it was impossible to say no.
Akira was her best and really, only friend. She had met other children her age, like the Togi siblings, Seichiro and Shiro, but something always felt off. It was as if there was an invisible wall between them. With Akira, though, she could just be herself.
"Sigh… To be honest, sometimes I feel like I'm the normal one when I'm with him, even though he's human and I'm a vampire," Erika muttered to herself. Akira, her best friend, was undeniably strange. He was the smartest person she knew, yet there were times when she also felt like he is an idiot.
He acted on impulse and thought about the consequences later, like the time he nearly caused a flood, or when he built a hoverboard that lost control and flew off to who-knows-where. Then there was the time he tested a hair-styling ray gun on her, which made her hair come alive and move like Medusa's snakes.
"Seriously, why did I even let him test that on me? I think he did it on purpose," Erika grumbled, recalling her poor decision. She had agreed because, well, most of Akira's inventions actually worked. But there were times when they blew up, and she got the feeling he did it on purpose, most likely because he thought it was fun.
"I just hope nothing stupid happens today," she wished aloud. But deep down, she didn't really mind. Ever since Akira entered her life, things had been a lot more fun. Before, she had been alone. Now, she had a friend who accepted her for who she was.
Determined to enjoy the day, Erika got ready and headed down to the hall of her house, only to find her brother, Iori, already sitting there, sipping a drink.
"Oh, Erika-chan, you're up quite early. Are you excited for the anime expo, or are you more excited to meet Akira-kun?" Iori asked with a smirk.
"What are you drinking, Oni-san?" Erika ignored his teasing and focused on the glass in his hand.
"Oh, this? Just my morning cup of blood. You should have some too, since we're going out today," Iori said casually, as if talking about morning coffee.
"I'll take mine later," Erika replied, making a face. She still didn't like drinking blood.
"Oh? And what will you do if you lose control from blood thirst while you're outside? Maybe ask Akira-kun? Knowing him, he'd probably agree." Iori smirked smugly.
"I will not drink directly from anyone! I have blood packs for emergencies, and I will never drink Akira's blood! So don't even joke about it!" Erika snapped, her face burning with frustration. She knew Akira well, if she asked, he would probably say yes without hesitation. But she never wanted to do that, especially not with him. He was her best friend, and crossing that line was something she could never take back.
"Fine, fine, I won't joke about it anymore. Just eat some normal food. Akira might already be waiting," Iori said, raising his hands in surrender.
Erika didn't say much, but she sat down to eat breakfast quickly, knowing Akira had likely woken up early and could already be waiting for her.
After finishing her meal, Erika stepped outside, the morning sun warming her golden hair and making her blue eyes shimmer. Across the quiet street stood Akira's house, a black gothic mansion that looked like something straight out of a horror movie. It was a stark contrast to her own white house.
"I always wonder why his house looks more like where a vampire would live," Erika muttered.
"I know, right? I thought the same thing when I was little. But you know, his family is scarier than you think," Iori said ominously.
"Huh…?" Erika was dumbfounded. As far as she was concerned, Akira's family was never scary. Akira was an idiot, and his parents were always kind to her. Just as she was pondering her brother's words, a white puppy emerged from Akira's house.
The puppy was adorable, with fluffy white fur that gleamed in the sunlight. But what truly caught Erika's attention were its eyes, vivid purple, glowing like tiny amethysts. She tilted her head, confused. She had never seen a puppy with eyes like that before.
"Did Akira get a new puppy? He never told me. Is this the surprise he mentioned?" she wondered. Curious, Erika crouched in front of the little dog. "You're so cute! I've never seen a dog as adorable as you. Hey there, cutie, what's your name?" she asked, smiling softly.
The puppy wagged its tail and tilted its head, looking almost… smug. Something about it felt oddly familiar. Its white fur was eerily close to Akira's hair color, and those purple eyes reminded her of someone she knew very well.
She reached out and gently picked up the puppy, cradling it in her arms. The little dog seemed perfectly at ease, looking up at her with sparkling purple eyes. Erika frowned. "Where's Akira, though? He's not usually this late."
"I'm right here, Erika," the puppy spoke directly to her mind, its voice unmistakably Akira's.
"AHHH!" Erika screamed, her grip loosening as she instinctively hurled the puppy away with far more force than she intended.
The little dog flew through the air, but instead of crashing to the ground, it twisted mid-air with an elegant somersault and landed gracefully on its feet. It shook itself off, looking completely unbothered.
Erika stared, wide-eyed and frozen in place. The puppy turned to her, still wearing that smug expression.
"HAHAHA! Man, that was totally worth it! You should've seen your face, it was priceless!" the dog laughed.
It finally clicked, and Erika's face turned red, both from embarrassment and frustration. "WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" she screamed, her voice loud enough to shake the neighborhood.