Several days had already passed, and Akira had nearly forgotten his true purpose.
Day after day and night after night, he talked with the friends who now treated him as one of their own.
The routine had slowly become familiar to him.
His connection with Lyra had grown especially close through their chats — conversations that often stretched until the early hours of dawn.
In his mind, Akira justified every exchange as nothing more than a calculated move: he was learning Lyra's deepest desires so he could tempt her and bring her under his power.
Yet with each passing day, he came to know Lyra more intimately.
And something strange began to stir inside him.
Joy.
A joy far greater than anything he had ever experienced.
This happiness could not be compared to the dark satisfaction he gained from his wicked acts. It was an inexplicable kind of joy — one he could not understand.
Akira found himself wondering what kind of happiness this was, for it felt entirely different from the pleasures he had always known.
The following day, while walking home from school, Akira encountered one of Lyra's female classmates — Touru. Since they shared the same route home, the two began talking as they walked.
It had been quite some time since Akira last indulged his desires with a girl. The urge rose quickly. He toyed with her, and with little resistance, Touru fell completely under his control.
Together, they made their way to Akira's house.
The moment they stepped inside, Akira pulled Touru close and kissed her with ravenous, almost desperate hunger.
Something happened between them that afternoon.
That evening, Touru got dressed again. She looked satisfied, even pleased with what had taken place. Before leaving, she said goodbye.
Akira felt a surge of satisfaction from the encounter.
But for the first time, a wave of regret washed over him.
Suddenly, thoughts of Lyra flooded his mind — her bright smiles, her playful and cheeky personality. The images refused to leave, lingering vividly in his thoughts.
Akira let out a deep, heavy sigh.
He was utterly confused.
He had no idea what this feeling meant.
"Why does it feel like I'm feeling guilty for what I just did?" he muttered to himself, irritation clear in his voice.
A little while later, just before going to sleep, he checked his phone.
A new message from Touru was waiting.
"If you want, I can come over again after class tomorrow. I really enjoyed what happened earlier."
"See you tomorrow," Touru wrote, followed by a lewd photo of herself.
For the first time, Akira felt no excitement at the sight.
Instead, a quiet sadness settled in his chest — a strange longing.
It was as if he was waiting for a message from only one person.
But there was none.
With that empty feeling lingering inside him, Akira finally fell asleep.