"Kotori, wake up! You're going to be late for school!"
I stirred, my groggy eyelids drawing apart. The world that met my eyes was blurred for a good while. Sunlight filtered in from my bedroom window, an alarm on my nightstand berating an annoying chime in my ear.
Stretching my limbs, I pushed myself up from my stomach and onto my knees. My hair draped over my shoulders as I rubbed at my puffy eyelids, ridding myself of the weariness that ensued. I pressed the snooze button of my alarm then yawned.
After hopping off the mattress, I promptly made my bed then headed towards the window. Parting the curtains, I squinted past the light; the paled colours of grey patterning the sky as well as the distant houses and roads.
No matter the weather, simply looking outside and envisioning the new day ahead of me always lifted my mood and filled me to the brim with energy. But today, that spurt of excitement never arrived.
Sighing, I retreated from the window and slapped my cheeks. Maybe I was still exhausted from yesterday. I guess crying myself to sleep hadn't helped to relieve me after all.
Following my business in the bathroom, I brushed my teeth then applied a little more makeup than usual to rid all sight of my swollen eyes. After struggling to comb and toss my curly hair into a high bun, I slipped on my school uniform.
By the time I hopped down the stairs and entered the kitchen, my mom was setting a final plate onto the table. Sota was already eating from his little bowl and chopsticks, dressed tidily in his kindergarten uniform.
Clearing my throat, I taped up my lips into a wide smile.
"'Morning!" I cheered, drawing their focus to me at once.
"Kotori, why are you sleeping in to the last minute?" Mom demanded, slipping off her apron. "Did you forget to set your alarm?"
"Sorry, I didn't get enough sleep." I laughed it off, rounding over to my usual chair. I inhaled a whiff of the scents wafting into the air and immediately grinned. "These look so delicious! Thanks for the food!"
Once seated, I giddily scooped up a bowl of rice as well as the fish and other vegetables onto a plate. I shovelled it into my mouth without waste, beaming blissfully from ear to ear.
"Your cooking is always the best, Mom!"
"I understand but slow down. You're going to choke."
She took the adjacent seat to Sota's and helped him cut up his fish so he wouldn't accidentally eat the bone and choke.
"So good...!" I muffled through a full mouth, already securing enough for seconds. "Why are you even working as an accountant? You should become a world-class chef instead!"
Although my mom would usually brush aside my daily praise of her cooking with a joke or two, today she remained oddly silent. Alongside Sota, they watched me with rounder eyes than usual.
"Mommy, is Koto okay?" Sota asked.
"I'm perfectly fine, little bro." Leaping from my spot, I shoved the rest of my second bowl of rice into my mouth. "I hafta get going. I'm going to be wate for school."
YOU ARE READING
Welcome to Heaven | ✓
Teen Fiction(A Reverse Harem) || A FEATURED STORY Everything Kotori Teruhashi bakes consistently goes up in smoke, which is ironic considering it's her lifelong dream to become a pastry chef. Nevertheless, like clockwork, she delivers her burned desserts to her...
