The kiss started softly, Rina's lips brushing his like a hesitant question. Akira answered by pressing harder, slipping his tongue in to meet hers, his hands gripping her waist tighter as he yanked her body flush against his.

Heat built between them, not just desire, but a raw claim… he was erasing her fear, replacing it with the solid feel of him holding her close.

Rina gave in completely, her arms locking around his neck, her chest heaving against his as she kissed back fiercely.

Their mouths moved, tongues tangling, breaths mixing in hot gasps, all the built-up confusion and terror pouring out in the way she clung to him.

Finally, they pulled apart gasping. Rina's face had changed… no more wide-eyed panic, just focus, total trust, and a burning intensity in her eyes that hit him like a spark.

"I'm yours," she breathed, her lips still brushing his. "No matter what this turns into, whatever comes… I'm with you."

[CHOICE C CONFIRMED: THE HALF-TRUTH]

[REWARD: +200 PP]

[RINA AFFINITY: MAXXED]

[RINA ROUTE UNLOCKED: CONFIDANTE/PARTNER PATH]

[WARNING: RINA IS NOW A POTENTIAL SPIU TARGET]

[BONUS REWARD: +200 PP]

[TOTAL PP: 4080 + 200 + 200 → 4480]

"Well played, darling," Ai purred in his mind. "You've turned a crisis into an opportunity. Though I should mention, Mia is approximately five minutes from the building. You might want to address that situation before it becomes another crisis."

Akira cursed internally. "Rina, we need to talk about…"

The sound of the front door unlocking made them both freeze.

Mia's voice called out cheerfully, "Akira-kun! I finished the errand early! I brought snacks for movie night!"

Rina's eyes went wide with panic. "She can't see me here like this. She'll…"

"Relax," Akira said quickly, smoothing down Rina's hair and wiping away the last traces of her tears. "You came over to ask about the basketball team. Completely innocent."

"But I'm crying!"

"Happy tears. You're proud of me for making co-captain. Got it?"

Rina nodded frantically just as Mia opened the door to Akira's room, her expression immediately darkening when she saw them standing so close together.

"Rina?" Mia's voice was dangerously sweet. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to congratulate Akira on making co-captain," Rina said, her voice only slightly shaky. "Got a bit emotional about it. You know how I get."

Mia's eyes narrowed, clearly not buying it completely, but she forced a smile. "How thoughtful. Well, I'm here now, so you can go. Akira and I have plans."

"Right. Of course." Rina grabbed her bag and headed for the door, pausing to look back at Akira. "Thanks for... everything. I'll see you at later."

The look she gave him was loaded with meaning: gratitude, trust, and a promise of more conversations to come.

After she left, Mia immediately moved to Akira's side and wrapped her hand around his arm tightly. "Why was she really here?"

"Exactly what she said. She wanted to congratulate me."

"In your room? Alone? With tears?" Mia's jealousy was clear as day. "Don't lie to me, Akira-kun."

He pulled her into his arms, using the same technique he'd just used on Rina: grounding her with his presence and making her feel his reality. "She's my friend, Mia. Nothing more. You're the one I came home to, remember?"

Mia softened slightly, but the suspicion didn't completely leave her eyes. "Promise me. Promise nothing happened."

"I promise. Now, didn't you mention something about snacks and a movie?"

As they settled onto the bed, Akira couldn't help but think about how much more complicated his life had just become. Rina knew the truth now, or enough of it to be dangerous. She was part of his inner circle, which meant another person to protect, another secret to manage.

But looking down at Mia curled against his side, thinking about Rina's fierce determination, remembering Aoi's shy confession earlier, and Mei-san… then Yuki's repaired route…

Maybe complicated wasn't such a bad thing after all.

—

Akira was deep in sleep. Mia's warm body was draped over him like a blanket, her head resting on his chest and one leg thrown possessively across his.

The room was dark and quiet, peaceful in a way that felt almost foreign, given how chaotic his life had become.

Then his head exploded with sensation.

Not pain… pressure. A buzzing that started at the base of his skull and spread through his entire nervous system like an electric shock. His eyes snapped open, and a system alert blazed across his vision in urgent red text.

[EMERGENCY SYSTEM ALERT]

[GRADE-S GATE DETECTED]

[DISTANCE: 1.8 KM NORTHEAST]

[TYPE: LUST-DISTORTION REALM]

[WARNING: IMMEDIATE RESPONSE REQUIRED]

[ESTIMATED CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IF IGNORED: 500+]

"What the hell?" Akira muttered, carefully extracting himself from Mia's grip without waking her.

"You feel it too, I see."

Akira nearly jumped out of his skin. Ayaka was standing in the corner of his room with her arms crossed, and her crimson eyes were glowing faintly in the darkness.

She was already dressed in dark tactical gear that made her look every bit the supernatural hunter/succubus she was.

"How long have you been there?" he hissed, keeping his voice low.

"Long enough to know you need to be more vigilant if I can just walk in and you have no idea I did." She tilted her head toward the window. "We need to go. Now."

"What are you talking about?"

"I felt the gate open five minutes ago. It's a very, very powerful one… A Ranked or Higher."

"Grade-S Lust-Type Distortion."

"Grade S? That's extremely rare and dangerous. This kind of gate that doesn't just kill people; it corrupts them. Turns them into mindless vessels for the entities inside, feeding them with more power."

Akira glanced at Mia, still sleeping peacefully. "I can't just leave her here."

"You don't have a choice. If we don't close that gate within the hour, the distortion field will expand. It'll hit this building, and everyone inside will be affected." Ayaka's expression was grim. "Including her. You want to see what a Lust-Type distortion does to someone? Trust me, you don't."

[SYSTEM CONFIRMATION: AYAKA'S ASSESSMENT ACCURATE]

[GATE EXPANSION RATE: ACCELERATING]

[TIME UNTIL RESIDENTIAL ZONE CONTAMINATION: 47 MINUTES]

"Damn it." Akira stood up, grabbing clothes from his closet as quietly as possible.

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