Okumura's Place

They walked side by side, a sight that caught the attention of everyone they passed. Students from their school turned their heads, eyes widening in disbelief, as if they couldn't process what they were seeing.

Kouhei, on the other hand, had no idea what was happening. His mind raced with thoughts. Had all his luck drained out for this one moment? If he hadn't crashed into her earlier, there would be no connection between them at all. But was this stroke of fortune a blessing or a curse?

"Can we try holding hands?"

"Wha...?!"

Saionji's sudden question made Kouhei nearly trip over his own feet. Holding hands? That was the last thing he'd ever expected to hear from someone like her.

"I just want to test something. Or no?"

"I-I-It's not that I don't want to, but..."

He could feel the weight of every stare on them. It was like being on stage, about to face public execution. Some of the people gawking at them were their own classmates. If they held hands here, it would be like announcing to the entire school that they were dating.

But Saionji didn't seem bothered by any of that. Without a second thought, she grabbed his hand, her fingers intertwining with his. Kouhei's face flushed crimson as a jolt of heat surged through his body at the simple touch.

"You really don't die..." Saionji muttered, her eyes narrowing slightly as she glanced at him.

Kouhei blinked in confusion, his mind spinning. Die? He had no idea what she meant by that. But then she dropped a bombshell, revealing that she was some sort of succubus. A single touch from her could send most men into a climax—and if she kept touching them, they'd die from it. Yet Kouhei? He wasn't even close to death.

The realization hit him like a truck: something about him was... different. But in a twisted way, it was the reason he could even hold Saionji's hand right now.

"Okumura Kouhei," Saionji's voice broke through his thoughts, and her grip on his hand tightened, sending a shiver up his spine. "Where do you live?"

Kouhei blinked, his mind swirling with confusion. Why is she asking where I live? It didn't make any sense. One moment, she was saying they should walk together, and now she wanted to know about his place? Normally, his heart would've skipped a beat at something like this, but right now, all he felt was a cloud of confusion wrapping around him tighter.

"You don't want to?" Her voice was sharp and cold, cutting through his thoughts. There was no warmth, no interest—at least not in her tone—but her eyes… her eyes told a different story. She really wanted to know.

"Uh, it's... not far," Kouhei replied, his words coming out stiff, awkward. He could feel the pressure in his chest. "Just a few turns and we're there. H-How about you, Saonji-san? Where do you live?"

"It doesn't matter where I live," she replied, her voice flat, like she was stating a fact. "All that matters is where you live. I want to go to your place."

His stomach flipped.

"Eh?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Her eyes locked onto his, piercing through the fog in his mind. "I said I want to go to your place."

"W-Why?" The question tumbled out of him before he could stop it, his brain scrambling to make sense of her words. Why the hell does she want to go to my place?

"Why?" Her eyes didn't waver. "Because I want to know where the guy who can handle my ability lives." She paused, letting the words hang in the air before continuing, "I want to get to know you better."

Even though her face remained blank, Kouhei could feel the sincerity in her words. And for some reason, that made him blush.

***

Saonji and Kouhei arrived at his apartment complex. It wasn't anything fancy—just two floors, and his place was on the second.

"This is your place, huh?" Saonji said, her eyes scanning the nameplate on the door.

"Y-Yeah," Kouhei stammered. "I-I live here alone." He tried to sound casual but the nervousness slipped into his voice. "Our house is kind of far from school, so my aunt thought it'd be better if I stayed here on my own."

"Aunt?" Saonji raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, yeah," Kouhei scratched the back of his neck. "My parents died when I was young, so my aunt's been taking care of me."

His aunt had taken him in after the accident that claimed his parents' lives. She had always been there for him, making sure he had everything he needed. In fact, because of Kouhei, she never really had time for romance, staying single all these years. She was just as hopeless at love as he was. But right now… it felt like Kouhei was the one pulling ahead.

"Can we go inside?" Saonji asked, staring at the door as if she could already see right through it.

"E-Eh? Y-You want to go inside? M-My apartment?"

"Yes," she said, no hesitation in her voice.

"B-But... this is a guy's place!" Kouhei blurted out. "A-And you're a girl! S-Shouldn't you, you know... have boundaries or something? Like, as a girl?"

He couldn't stop his mind from racing. A guy and a girl, alone in an apartment—what if someone saw them? No matter how innocent it was, it would look bad. People would talk, assume the worst. It didn't matter how much he tried to justify it, a boy and a girl walking into an apartment together screamed trouble from every angle.

"I don't really care about boundaries," Saonji said, her voice cool and unfazed. "Didn't I tell you? I want to get to know you better."

Her eyes locked onto Kouhei with such intensity that he knew there was no point in arguing. There was no stopping her. So, with a deep breath, he just gave in.

Kouhei opened the door, glancing inside to make sure everything was tidy. Living alone had taught him to keep things relatively clean, and thankfully, the apartment was spotless. It was pretty big for just one person, almost as if it were meant for a whole family, but right now, it felt smaller with Saonji standing there.

"Uh, would you like something to drink?" Kouhei asked awkwardly, watching as she casually inspected the room.

"I want to take a shower," Saonji said bluntly. "Can I?"