"I-I-I'm sorry!" Kouhei stammered, scrambling to get off the person he had crashed into. When he finally got back on his feet, his heart nearly stopped. He realized who he had bumped into—it was Saionji Hina, the girl he was in love with. "I didn't mean to..."
It wasn't even his fault, so why was he apologizing? Well, Kouhei wasn't exactly at the top of the food chain. He'd learned to keep his head down, to apologize first so the people above him wouldn't make his life hell. That's just how he'd survived until now.
Wait... if she was the one he bumped into... did he accidentally kiss her? Holy shit. This was something Kouhei had only ever dreamed of, and now it had actually happened—by accident, but still. Even so, as incredible as it seemed, he knew what he did was wrong. He deserved to grovel at her feet and beg for forgiveness.
"What the fuck did you just do?!" a voice shouted before Kouhei felt a fist slam into his face. He hit the floor again, hard.
Dazed and confused, Kouhei's world spun from the punch. Before he could even process what happened, the guy who hit him yanked him up by the collar, forcing Kouhei to look him in the eyes. His assailant's face was twisted in fury, veins bulging from his temples as he gritted his teeth like he was ready to murder someone.
"What the fuck did you just do to Saionji, huh?!"
It was the same guy who had tried to invite Saionji to karaoke yesterday, the one who had just celebrated his birthday with most of their classmates. Most—because Kouhei wasn't invited. And, of course, Saionji hadn't accepted his invitation either.
"I-It's just an accident! I didn't mean to—"
Before Kouhei could even finish, another slap crashed across his face. His cheek stung as he clutched it, eyes wide in shock. He stared up at the guy who hit him, completely rattled.
"Don't you dare try to pass that off as an accident! It's obvious to me you just did something shitty to her!"
It was an accident, as far as Kouhei was concerned. But Takahashi wasn't buying it, not even for a second.
"T-Takahashi-kun, I swear, it was all just an accident!"
"Shut the fuck up! I've known from the start that you've got a thing for Saionji. You always stare at her like a fucking creep, pretending to be asleep while you ogle her. You think I haven't noticed? You think people don't know about your pathetic little crush on her? And now, you're trying to weasel your way out of this by calling it an 'accident'? Cut the bullshit! You did this on purpose!"
Takahashi's voice was booming, his bloodshot eyes glaring daggers into Kouhei. Rage dripped from every word. Meanwhile, Saionji just stood there, silently watching Kouhei with eyes wide in shock.
"Why aren't you dead yet?" she asked suddenly.
"Huh?" Kouhei froze, his heart skipping a beat. Dead? Why the hell was she asking that?
Before Kouhei could even begin to process what she meant, Saionji stepped forward and touched him. Her fingers brushed against his skin. Nothing happened. Then, without a word, she reached out and touched Takahashi.
However, when she touched Takahashi…
"Ngh...?! W-What the fuck...?!"
Takahashi doubled over, his body jerking forward like he was trying to hide an erection. His face twisted into a bizarre expression, something between confusion and agony. Then, with a loud thud, he fell backward, writhing on the ground. Kouhei's eyes widened as he noticed a dark stain spreading across the crotch of Takahashi's pants.
"Come with me," Saionji said flatly, grabbing Kouhei's arm before he could even fully process what was happening. She led him away, her grip firm but not painful.
They climbed the stairs up to the rooftop, and once there, Saionji turned to face him, her expression unreadable.
"What you just saw earlier..." she began, her voice cold, "don't ever tell anyone. Understand?"
Kouhei swallowed hard. "Uhhh... the thing you did to Takahashi-kun?" His voice trembled. That was the only explanation. Whatever she had done to him by just touching him… it was unnatural.
Saionji's expression didn't change. "That's right. A few more seconds, and he would've been dead," she said in that same detached, matter-of-fact tone. "It's hard to control this, you know."
"This…?" Kouhei asked, his confusion deepening. Her words hung in the air, heavy with an ominous weight.
Saionji's crimson eyes bore into him, cold and piercing. She looked at him like he was guilty of something.
"I was born with the ability to give intense pleasure to anyone I touch—man or woman. At the same time, I drain their life. That's why I can't touch or get close to anyone." Her voice was calm, as if she were talking about the weather. "What happened to Takahashi… he experienced an overwhelming, non-stop orgasm just from me touching him. If I had held on any longer, he would've died from it."
Kouhei stood there, more confused and stunned than ever. Saonji's revelation was overwhelming, but in a way, it made sense. She'd always kept her distance from everyone, never letting anyone get too close. The only people she seemed to interact with regularly were those in the student council, but even then, Kouhei had no clue if they were actually friends outside of that setting.
"He could've died easily if I did anything more sexual to him," Saonji continued. "Like kissing or, you know, sex. Anything intimate like that, and it's game over for them. Honestly, I guess you could call me a succubus."
"A… A succubus?"
"You know what that is, right?" Saonji's lips curled slightly, like she was amused by his shock. "You look like the type who believes in that kind of stuff."
That hit Kouhei hard. Sure, he was an otaku, but he never actually believed in things like demon girls or succubi. He knew how to separate reality from fiction, which made this revelation feel absurd. A succubus? Saionji? Really?
"B-But wait, if you can kill someone just by touching them, then why am I not...?"
"That's exactly what I'm wondering." Saonji shrugged casually. "I've been alive for fifty years, and I've never met anyone immune to my power. So, maybe you just got lucky. A fluke, a weird anomaly in probability."
Saonji turned away. "I saved you from that boy," she said, her voice cold as ice. "So you'd better keep this a secret. If not, I'll kill you." As she glanced back over her shoulder, her crimson eyes glinted with a terrifying intensity that sent a shiver down Kouhei's spine.
He felt his heart pound in his chest, a mix of fear and awe flooding through him. "Ye... Yes, I will!" he stammered, the words tumbling out before he could think.
With that, Saonji finally turned away, but as she pivoted, one foot caught awkwardly on the other.
"Wha—!?"
Kouhei's instincts kicked in as he watched her begin to fall, the world slowing around him.
"Ah?! Ah!!"
In that fleeting moment, adrenaline surged through him. He rushed forward, drawing on a reserve of speed and strength he had never tapped into before. He wasn't athletic by any means and had always been slow on his feet, but this moment ignited something within him. He had to reach Saonji before she hit the ground.
In a heartbeat, he closed the distance and managed to catch her just in time. Her body collided against his, the impact jolting him as he wrapped his arms around her to steady her.