Three days had passed since that rainy night. Rikuto lay on the sofa bed, awakened by light pressing against the inside of their eyelids. The morning sun streaming through the south-facing window softly illuminated the entire living room. The rain had completely stopped, and a blue sky stretched wide. As they tried to sit up, Rikuto noticed something was off. Arisa was sitting right next to the sofa bed. Her long, deep crimson waves shimmered in the morning light, swaying gently. She wore a serious expression as she held Rikuto's phone in her hands. Her thumb was scrolling through something. The screen's glow made the gold of her left eye and the red of her right gleam eerily. "[surprised]Arisa...?" When they called her name, Arisa's face snapped up. Then, she smiled brightly. "[gentle]Good morning, Rikuto." That smile was the same as always. But something was wrong. Rikuto hurriedly sat up and tried to take the phone back from her hands. "[scared]Wha—what are you doing with my phone?" Arisa handed the phone back to Rikuto without resistance. But her face was still smiling. "[gentle]Yeah, I was just looking at it a little. Sorry." Rikuto quickly checked the screen. The contacts app was open. The list of contacts. Scrolling from the very top. Their father's number. Their mother's number. Neither had been reachable for over three months now. Next, the names of their club classmates should have been lined up. —They weren't there. Yamashita-san's number was gone. Katou-san's number, and Tamura-san's contact—someone they'd met during a group project for the same class—had all been cleanly erased. That wasn't all. Several other female club members' names had also vanished. Their fingers trembled. "[scared]You deleted them...? Why would you do this?" Arisa tilted her head. Her crimson eyes stared intently at Rikuto. "[gentle]Because... just imagining Rikuto talking to other girls makes me feel like my chest is going to burst..." Her voice began to tremble. Arisa's slender shoulders shook in small, rapid quivers. "[crying]Look only at me. Please. Rikuto, be my Rikuto, and mine alone." Tears wet her pale cheeks. Arisa pressed her face against Rikuto's chest and began to sob. The sweet scent of shampoo brushed past Rikuto's nose. "[crying]I'm lonely. I've been lonely for so long. Rikuto came to me, and I finally wasn't lonely anymore... I don't want to be lonely again." Rikuto was at a loss for words. Anger lodged itself in the back of their throat. But as they touched Arisa's trembling shoulders, that anger slowly deflated. That's right. There's nowhere else for me anymore. This girl is the only one who needs me. "[gentle]...I get it." A voice so weak it surprised even them came out. Arisa lifted her tear-streaked face. A smile slowly spread across her cheeks, still marked by the traces of tears. "[gentle]I'm sorry, Rikuto. But it's your fault, you know? For exchanging contact info with other girls." Her hand squeezed Rikuto's tightly. Slender, slightly cold fingers. The strength in them was far greater than expected. Rikuto looked at the phone screen once more. The list of deleted contacts. Their human connections, being cut away little by little. Well, whatever. Somewhere inside, a part of them thought that. The sun tilted westward, and long shadows fell across the room. Rikuto's phone buzzed briefly. The notification sound for LINE. Opening the screen, a new message had arrived in the group LINE for their club, the "Contemporary Media Studies Circle." *"We're having a drinking party tonight at 'Sakagura Miyabi' in front of the station! Reply if you can make it!"* A message from the club president, Sayaka-senpai. Sayaka, who was also their senpai from high school, was as energetic as ever, her tone bringing a smile to mind. Rikuto's hand, about to press the "Join" button, stopped. From the direction of the kitchen came the sound of a drawer opening. When Rikuto turned around, Arisa was standing there. In her hand, she held a silver utility knife. Her deep crimson odd eyes were wet with tears. "[crying]Don't go... Rikuto." She gently pressed the blade of the utility knife against her own pale left wrist. "[scared]Stop it, Arisa!" Rikuto scrambled to their feet and rushed over to her. But as they approached, she took a step back. The blade pressed against her wrist glinted sharply, reflecting the fluorescent light. "[crying]I... I might not be able to bear waiting alone anymore. Without Rikuto, I might... hurt myself." Her voice trembled. But her eyes were fixed straight on Rikuto. Deep within those gold and red pupils, something was burning. "[scared]Please stop, I'm begging you." Rikuto's voice shook. Their heart pounded a frantic drumbeat deep in their chest. The blood drained from their face. If she really cut her wrist— Slowly reaching out, Rikuto took the utility knife from Arisa's hand. She didn't resist. As the blade was pulled away, Arisa wrapped her arms around Rikuto's waist and collapsed into tears. "[crying]I'm sorry, Rikuto. I'm sorry. But I'm really scared. Just seeing you having fun with someone else makes me want to die." Holding the utility knife in one hand, Rikuto awkwardly patted Arisa's back with the other. Her delicate body was still trembling. "[gentle]...Alright. I won't go." Arisa's face shot up. "[surprised]Really?" "[serious]Yeah." Rikuto opened their phone and typed into the club's group LINE: *"Absent due to poor health."* The finger pressing the send button trembled slightly. Arisa immediately broke into a smile. With a face still wet with tears, she hugged Rikuto tightly. "[excited]Thank you, Rikuto. I love you!" As they wrapped their arms around her back, Rikuto pictured the faces of their club friends in their mind. Sayaka-senpai. The other second-years. Everyone's laughter. The lively atmosphere of Sakagura Miyabi. They could feel their world gradually shrinking down to just Arisa. But maybe that was okay. Because Arisa is the only one who needs me—someone abandoned by their parents—this much. Eleven o'clock at night. Under the dim living room lights, Rikuto sat on the sofa, blankly watching TV. A late-night news program played on the screen, but none of its content registered in their mind. The sound of water came from the bathroom. The door opened. Arisa appeared in the living room wearing only a bath towel. "[gentle]Rikuto..." Drops of water dripped, one by one, from her still-wet, long crimson hair. They fell onto Rikuto's knees as they sat on the sofa, making small stains on their dark jeans. Arisa slowly sat down next to Rikuto. Close enough for their shoulders to touch. Her bare white skin, peeking out from the bath towel, softly reflected the light. A sweet body soap fragrance and a faint wisp of steam rose from her skin. "[whispers]Hey, Rikuto... I want to become yours." Gazing up at Rikuto with upturned eyes, Arisa whispered. Her wet hair clung to her slender neck, and a single droplet of water traced down her collarbone, disappearing into the depths of the towel. Rikuto couldn't look away. Their throat felt dry. They didn't fully understand what was happening. "[scared]Arisa, we're childhood friends—" As Rikuto started to speak, Arisa's slender index finger gently touched their lips. "[sad]No more 'childhood friends.' I want all of Rikuto. Your body, your heart, your past, your future—everything." Tears welled up in her eyes again. But this time, it wasn't just sadness. Something hotter was mixed in. Arisa gently closed her eyes. Rikuto's reason began to melt away. The person before them wasn't a childhood friend. She was just a girl. The only one who needed them. Rikuto leaned in and pressed their lips to Arisa's. The moment they touched, Arisa's lips were softer than they had ever imagined. A warm sensation, mixed with just a hint of shampoo fragrance. It was their first kiss. Arisa let out a small gasp, then wrapped both arms around Rikuto's neck. The bath towel fluttered softly to the floor. The kiss gradually grew more intense, and the two of them collapsed onto the living room floor just like that. "[whispers]I'm scared... but if it's Rikuto, I don't mind what you do. Take all of my firsts." Arisa's trembling fingers unbuttoned Rikuto's shirt. Rikuto touched her delicate shoulders. Her skin, still slightly damp, was astonishingly smooth, as if their fingertips were being drawn in. (*The loneliness of being abandoned by my parents. I have nothing left. But this girl—only Arisa—needs me.*) That thought shattered Rikuto's last shred of reason. Arisa's pale, naked body was exposed under the dim light. Skin that no one had ever touched before. With trembling hands, Rikuto embraced her shoulders and kissed her repeatedly. Their lips traced down her neck, touching the hollow of her collarbone. "[whispers]Just like that... make me yours alone... Remember me with your whole body." Rikuto shed their own clothes and placed their hands on Arisa's slender waist. Her wet hair spread out across the living room flooring. The contrast between her red hair and white skin was eerily beautiful. "[whispers]I'm going in." When Rikuto whispered, Arisa nodded slightly. Slowly, Rikuto's penis entered Arisa's vagina. Her insides were hot and clenched tightly. Arisa let out a small gasp and furrowed her brows. "[crying]It hurts... but I'm happy. Rikuto is inside me." Tears wet her cheeks. Gently wiping them away, Rikuto pushed deeper inside. (*There's no going back now.*) Rikuto thought. The safe relationship of childhood friends had completely ended. As Rikuto began to move their hips, small moans escaped Arisa's lips. Her expression, which had seemed pained at first, gradually shifted to one tinged with pleasure. "[sad]Ah... Rikuto, more... I want to feel more of you." Arisa dug her nails into Rikuto's back. A sensation mixing pain and pleasure raced through Rikuto's body. As the thrusting grew more intense, Arisa's moans grew louder. "[crying]Don't leave me... Stay with me forever..." As climax approached, Arisa said this through her tears. Rikuto pressed their lips to her forehead, damp with sweat, and answered. "[gentle]I won't leave. We'll be together forever." For the first time, they were words spoken of their own will. Arisa's body trembled violently, and her vagina clenched tightly around Rikuto's penis. She reached her peak, letting out a sound like a small shriek. As if guided by those spasms, Rikuto also reached ejaculation. "[crying]I'm coming... Rikuto, inside—" Rikuto released their semen inside Arisa. The hot, cloudy fluid filled her. Arisa's whole body quivered, and her nails dug deep into Rikuto's back. Catching their ragged breath, Rikuto supported themselves above Arisa. With a face messy with tears and sweat, Arisa wore a happy smile. From where they were joined, white semen slowly overflowed, forming a small puddle on the flooring. "[gentle]Rikuto, thank you. Now I've become yours." Arisa whispered, burying her face in Rikuto's chest. The two of them lay naked on the sofa bed. Outside the living room window, the lights of Kichijoji town twinkled in the distance. "[gentle]...Hey, Arisa." "[gentle]What is it?" Staring at the ceiling, Rikuto began to speak in fragments. "[sad]That night my parents ran off in the night... I actually thought about dying." Arisa's body flinched. "[sad]But when I looked at my phone, there were LINE messages from you every day. 'Rikuto, are you okay?' 'It's cold today, so don't catch a cold.' 'I'm always here to listen, okay?'... Even though I kept ignoring them, you kept sending them." "[crying]Rikuto..." "[gentle]While I was reading those messages, dying somehow started to seem stupid. Thinking that there was still someone who cared about me... made me feel like I could try living just a little bit longer tomorrow, too." Arisa cried, her face pres