Be Happy...

"Dammit! Itch and hunger!"

Certainly not the best way to start a turning point in everybody's life. After all, today this short and mob-looking girl came of age. That's right: I turned 18.

Despite my pajamas looking full of itching powder and my belly full of worms, I still scuffed to the bathroom, taken by sleepiness. I guess I had one of those fever dreams the whole night, and once I reached the mirror, I realized they might not be over.

The late-teen before me has long and bright magenta hair and amber eyes shining like polished topazes. Coming out of her skull, there were a pair of curved horns just like a goat's, and from her coccyx, two giant bat-wings and a forked tail that didn't stop wagging. By taking a closer look, the skin looked light like porcelain, blushed in all the right spots... mainly lips. As I opened the latter, it showed me a set of sharp fangs, protruding enough to pierce a neck. I was dreaming about being some sort of vampire, I guess. Then I turn side-to-side to give a better check, and the body proportions seem fine too. Flat and humble, the way I was always proud about.

After a down nod, I decided to pinch myself to end that delirium, but it didn't work out. Then I pinched harder before I realized I wasn't supposed to feel itchy or hungry in the middle of a dream.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!"

◆◆◆

Aware it was real life, I rushed down the stairs as if I was in a sprint, scratching myself like crazy, until I finally reached the kitchen.

"Mom...! Daddy...!"

"Happy birthday, Aimi-chan!"

There were my parents seated around a cake and totally unconcerned with their only daughter looking like a mistress of hell. In fact, they look more vivacious than ever, and to give an idea, even in their 40s, people mistook them as young adults.

Therefore, I waited a bit, but there was no reaction. It couldn't be just their shock.

"Won't you say anything!?"

"Like what, Darling?" Mom tilted her head.

My father, however, asked, "Sweetie, I thought you informed her about the curse."

"I did, Honey, when Aimi was six." Mom propped her chin on a ladle. "I dunno why she looks so shocked."

"Mom! Dad!" I interrupted, scratching myself all over. "Please!"

"Right, Darling." Mom approached me. "Since this is your 18th birthday, you, like all our family members, have awakened your lilim' form and powers."

"Don't you mean that succubus-type monster?"

"Not quite, Darling." Dad shot a grumpy glare at me while fixing his glasses. "Each vampire clan feeds on one sin. Lilim is a vampire that feeds on lust through fluids such as blood."

I mean, both feed on vitality. Is there any big difference?

"Why else do you think you and your dad are so clingy?"

"Come here... mwah, mwah..."

"Yuuuck—aaah! My tongue is super long!"

While I was panicking with my new forked tongue, Mom gripped her hands and digressed, "I remember how excited you are, always playing the li'l devil?"

"Wait, I remember that! I thought it was a play," I replied. "And why the heck you never spoke about it again!?"

"Our lives don't revolve around it." Mom forced a smile, as if I were the nonsense one. "Darling, there's more in life than sapping lust."

Meanwhile, Dad approached to refute her with a couple of 'evidence' on the cheek (Bleach, please!).

On second thought, I should have noticed something weird about their... 'passion.'

"And we invested so much money on those vampire movies and novels," Dad grumbled.

But I growled, "Yeah, I thought it was you guys pushing your tastes on me...! So, Mom, are you a..."

As I rounded my hands, Mom waved away. "Haha, you're so silly, Darling."

"Guilty, Hahaha..." Dad raised his hand.

So I am the daughter of an... incubus!?

"Wanna see my demon looks?" Dad threatened to snap his fingers.

Luckily I was faster, throwing my hands ahead and waving. "Hell, no! Please! Or I'll really need some bleach!"

"But, Darling, you're scratching too much," Dad remarked. "Better take off this sleepwear. Your demon form cannot stand wearing too much fabric."

Paying attention, I saw some clothes under my pajamas, and since the itch was killing me, I removed the latter, just to reveal the type of lingerie I'd rather die than wear (too late, though). I won't go into details, but the word 'mistress' couldn't describe me better.

"Aaah!" I tried to cover myself (with no avail). "Dad, how do I transform back?"

"You mean to disguise? It may take a whole year to learn, but if you bend your back, you may learn it in time for college..."

The fu—

"But there's a lot you can do... such as flying, having an inhuman condition, blending in darkness... I'm smelling your phenomena from here..."

"You'll have to wait a bit before boosting your shape."

I cast a death glare at my mom right away. I was elegant, thin, didn't draw leers, and looked great in a yukata. I was not self-conscious about my shape.

Maybe noticing my wish to go for her throat, my mom handed me a gift box. "Here, Darling. Your whole new school uniform... lust style."

I opened it, and my jaw hit the floor.

"You shredded my uniform!"

"You have a modesty allergy now. The more skin you show, the better you'll feel."

"But... but..."

"We informed the school last week." Mom held the tatters up to me. "No worries, it's fine."

The teachers aren't the problem! What about my classmates...! Urrrgh!

At that point, I just resigned myself to the madness and sat up to eat the cake...

""Wait, Darling—""

That I spat on the spot.

"The cake's just symbolic," Mom warned.

"Yeah, you can't digest food anymore," Dad added.

"What!? But you eat all the time!?"

"To be polite." Dad turned up his nose. "Later I throw everything up."

"And it would be weird if he was the only one not eating."

"So what do I feed—"

I stopped the moment I realized that was a stupid question. Everybody who knows how vampires feed.

"Honey, you must aim for the lust source, the sacral chakra right on the..."

My porcelain face turned beet-red once my dad whispered the unwhisperable in my ear.

"No, no, no, no..."

"Sorry, Darling," Mom cooed, "that's why we were insisting you should get a girlfriend."

"Yeah, and that's exactly why I didn't want to get a—wait, did you say 'girlfriend'!?"

My parents exchange glances.

"I mean, you never told us about finding any boy cute..."

"Sweetie!"

"Just about the cute girls..."

"Mom!"

"And you always get so shy around—"

""ENOUGH!""

Next, my dad murmured something in my mom's ear. Reading his lips, I could swear he said 'she didn't realize yet.'

I'll give them a piece of my mind later. Right now...

"Arrrgh, I'm starving!"

"So better hunt someone to feed."

"I'm not an animal...! And I have no idea how to..."

"That's why we showed all those movies," Dad blunted. "Trust in your guts, Darling."

"You're an adult now," Mom scolded. "We can't coddle you forever."

"And you just transformed, so your body needs to replenish a lot of energy," Dad informed. "More if you use your powers..."

That's why I feel like I haven't eaten in days! I'll muddle through it... somehow.

It happens in manga all the time: a monster who resists their urges for centuries on end, mainly when their loved ones smell like luxury cuisine. The media is full of vegan vampires.

"But be ready: lust is intoxicating. It may get you a bit 'flirty.' You may overstep."

"I'm strong-willed," I announced with my hand on heart. "I shall not become a debauched beast."

My parents muffled chuckles.

"Darling, I put all you need in your backpack. Security comes first."

"MOOOOM!!!!"

◆◆◆

A voracious rumbly crossed the streets.

"Hang in there, Aimi!"

However, if it was the only reason for people to stare at me, it would be fine. With no option, I was going to school dressed like a succubus, and standing out is the last thing you want in... I can't think of a decent place on Earth where standing out that way could be positive.

Is there any way to avoid these gazes... It's almost suffocating... but I need to go over... this?

I slapped my face remembering the bat wings coming out near my 'crack.' Why didn't I just fly to school from the beginning?

So I bent my knees to propel myself up, and instantly I was many floors up from the street. I didn't even know how I did it. I just followed my guts (thanks, Dad!).

The wind hitting the body, the lack of sound, the solitude... It felt great. Next, I thrust myself forward, just to feel the air against my face.

I'm the queen of the...

Shortly after, I returned to the ground... My stomach started to devour itself.

Oh yeah... that's why.

I thought my situation couldn't be any worse... Wrong!

"Excuse me, lady!" Someone put a hand on my shoulder. "May you come with me?"

A pervert!? I wish so. It was a cop. Looking around, I noticed I landed on a playground, not dressed like I had good intentions.

"Please, officer! I can explain!"

"Oh, you will. Come with me."

It took me half an hour of explanations and a phone call to my parents, but that detour was worked around.

◆◆◆

I accomplished the impossible: I arrived at school in time for classes!

It felt like the satisfaction of completing an RPG quest. The struggles and suffering were finally over...

"Groan..."

Except for hunger, which I'd almost forgotten for one sec...

"Who's that exhibitionist?"

Not to mention the gazes...

"She looks easy."

And leers!? Urrrgh, there goes the upside of a modest build.

I just rushed my pace through the schoolyard, but midway...

"Look at the wanton."

"You have no shame."

"Let's move. Easy girl incoming!"

I started to feel the weight of standing out. I was used to having no friends. I'm an otaku, after all. But I'm not gonna lie: I'd sell my soul to become invisible again (do devils have souls, by the way?).

"Hey, hottie. Give me your number."

The last clown felt weird, though. His smell made my stomach growl compulsively like a child demanding a snack.

He smells tasty... Hey, whoa! Aimi, what were you thinking!? Could it be my predatory instincts...? Arrrgh! Don't be a debauchee! You can suck something better.

Luckily the idiot looked as delicious as a breath mint, so it was easy to ignore him. Still...

Will these 'succubus instincts' make me feel attracted to deviants... Arrrgh, it may set a flag, but it couldn't get any worse!

No sooner said than done, moments before I reached the building, a gust of wind blew against the yard. It wasn't strong enough to lift regular skirts, but the same couldn't be said of one shredded by a nonsense mother.

For that long instant, a flood of sensation hit me: shame, deep blushing, faith's death, hate to the world, indiscreet leers, hunger...

Just like that, the crowd surrounding me looked like an all-you-can-eat. Thus, I ran away from that delicious buffet.

◆◆◆

I guess the second period was over... maybe the third. I can't tell because I was too busy sobbing in the toilet. It was the average reaction of realizing you became an inhuman monster who may pass away by starvation soon.

I just stopped once I felt a delicious aroma in the air. Probably some freak using the toilet.

Two minutes later, no flush, no tap water, nothing. So I watched through the gap, and there was a pair of feet standing in the middle of the bathroom, and paying closer attention, I could hear a weak humming.

Under the impression that whoever that person was, they wouldn't leave the toilet so soon, I left the cabin, and there she was. The girl before me was somehow the next step of my bland fellows' evolution. Like me, she had an average short stature: no way small like a child, but far away from a model. Her face didn't seem to be ugly, but the coke-bottle glasses prevented further appraisal. Her clothes were heavy, while her skirt was longer than necessary in our school. She looked like the type who hides her looks on purpose, to not be judged (I get it, sis), but all I could think was...

Yummy.

"Hino-san, are you drooling?"

I was, so I cleaned it right away to ask. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to ask if you're fine." The meal twiddled with her fingers. "You didn't show up in class, so..."

Propping my chin, I analyzed the feast, who did look familiar.

"It's me, Amano Kiyoka. I seat behind you in class."

"Oh, yeah, Amano-san." I feigned to remember her.

What an astonishing social invisibility of yours... Still, why do you smell so flavorsome? It's even difficult to remain standing before such a fragrance.

An awkward silence unfolded, making it harder to restrain myself before that tasty girl, until she stuttered.

"L-Look, about your—"

"It may be hard to believe, but this outfit is a health matter!"

"You're a l-lilim now. The teacher already explained that in class... a monster girl who feeds on people's l-l-lust..." Amano rubbed her hands. "I mean the incident—"

Clutching my head, I fell to my knees right away. Amano's scent almost made me forget the trauma from earlier.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry..."

"Don't be... but I don't think you were there..."

I would remember such a strong scent.

Amano just showed me her phone. One, two, three... At some point I stopped counting the posts and only swore to leave social media for good.

"S-So I just thought you might want to borrow mini shorts... in case... well..." Amano tapped the fingers.

After 'bugging' a moment, I cracked the floor in a slam. It's so obvious! Why am I such a moron!?

"I don't like wearing skirts, so I'm always wearing one." Amano held out the clothing. "B-But you need it more than I do..."

"Thank you very much for the spare shorts."

But the moment I tried to pick up the clothing, Amano held it back. It wasn't spare.

"It's fine." I grabbed the shorts. "It's the thought that counts, treat."

"Treat!?" Amano fiddled with the shorts.

I waved my hands non-stop, adding, "I'll treat you later."

I immediately put on the shorts, just realizing the deep flushed Amano covering her eyes after the act. Still, I could swear she was peeking through her fingers.

"Anyway, let's go..." Amano rushed, turning around so fast that she left something to fall.

I dashed to pick the book and give it back, but the moment I touched Amano's shoulder, my whole body faltered.

"Wh-What!? Are you all right!?" Amano held me weakly. "Let's go to the infirmary!"

"No, I'm fine." I pushed the feast away. "I just need a second."

While taking a breath, I turned to the book, and I immediately recognized it.

"'So I'm a Scorpion, So What?'!?"

Now it makes sense: the tasty smell is the stink of a filthy otaku.

"Pl-Please! Give it back!" Amano tried to take it off my hands. "It's too... too..."

"Cool!" I admired the artwork while pushing Amano's head away. "I love this series!"

"You do!" The shine in Amano's eyes almost blinded me. "It's l-like, so nasty, but—"

"The script is genius. The plot, dialogues, battles, cast... It's peak writing!" I geek out, clenching my fists next to Amano's face.

She, on the other hand, also approached, balling up her hands. "But the characters are the best. Full of monster girls... like that one in volume 8, the—"

"Blah, blah, blah..." I stopped my ears. "I don't have this volume. It was sold out and I hate digital editions."

But Amano approached me with an innocent and vivid smile that could be only described as 'winsome.' At that moment I was sure that she was a hidden beauty.

"If you come home with me, I'll let you borrow it."

I couldn't help but think that it was the sheep inviting the wolf for dinner.