“I should head to work,” Dad said, his deep voice cutting through the lingering tension. He stood, his broad frame towering over the table, his dark suit impeccable despite the early hour. His stormy gray eyes, flecked with gold, flicked toward me, a silent reassurance that I barely registered.

  “Wait, Ryuji, do you have to?” Mom’s voice was pyful but edged with urgency. She leaned forward, her crimson eyes glinting, her white hair spilling over one shoulder like a cascade of starlight. Even in her cat-themed apron, she looked like she belonged on a runway, her succubus allure impossible to ignore. “We’ve got so much to discuss about Setsuna-chan!”

  Dad paused, one eyebrow raised, his stoic expression softening just a fraction. “About what, exactly?”

  Mom’s lips curved into a knowing smile, but her gaze darted to me, assessing. “Well, even though Setsuna-chan’s just awakened her abilities, she’s still a succubus. She needs to start filling her energy reserves, you know.”

  Her tone was light, but the words hit me like a punch to the gut.

  Energy reserves. She meant that. The Lust Body Curse my status screen had so helpfully detailed—the one that required me to… engage in physical intimacy every three days to avoid crippling fevers and worse. My face burned, and I sank lower in my chair, wishing I could disappear. I’d only been a succubus for a few hours, and already it felt like a cosmic joke. To make matters worse, I had a girlfriend—Akari.

  Sweet, funny Akari with her warm brown eyes and infectious ugh. We’d only been dating a few weeks, and now I was this… this futanari. What if she saw me and ran? What if she hated me? The thought twisted my stomach into knots.

  Dad’s eyes narrowed, catching Mom’s meaning. “You’re referring to what we discussed earlier?” His voice was calm, but there was a weight to it, like he was piecing together a puzzle.

  “Exactly,” Mom nodded, her smile turning mischievous. “She needs to have her first experience as soon as possible. It’s important for her health.”

  My jaw dropped. First experience? Were they seriously talking about this right now? In the kitchen, over cold miso soup? I wanted to scream, but my voice stuck in my throat, drowned out by embarrassment.

  Dad rubbed his chin, his expression unreadable. “Hmm. Very well. I’ll invite him tonight.” He paused, his gaze flickering to me, and my heart stopped.

  “We’ve already sold Setsuna’s first time, after all. It’s only right to follow through.”

  Sold my first time? The words echoed in my head, each one sharper than the st. Sold? To who? My mind raced, panic cwing at me. Were they serious? I looked at Mom, hoping for a joke, but she just nodded, her expression oddly serious.

  “I’ll make sure we’re both prepared,” she said, her voice softening as she met Dad’s eyes. “You handle the arrangements.”

  Dad sighed, a rare hint of reluctance in his posture. “Understood. Lilith, you’ll need to help her prepare mentally. Expin the escort services, the expectations. And make sure she takes the medicine.”

  Medicine? Escort services? My head was spinning. What were they pnning? I opened my mouth to protest, but no words came out. I felt like a bystander in my own life, watching it spiral into something I didn’t recognize.

  “I’ve got it covered,” Mom said, her smile returning, though it was gentler now. “Oh, and honey, on your way to work, could you stop by the clothing shop?”

  Dad’s eyes lit up with recognition. “Her clothes, right. Send me her measurements, and I’ll have something arranged.”

  “Will do!” Mom chirped, her enthusiasm back in full force.

  Dad adjusted his tie, his movements precise, then crossed the room to Mom. He leaned down, and they shared a kiss—deep, passionate, the kind that made the air feel electric. I looked away, my cheeks burning. It was a familiar sight; Dad always kissed Mom before leaving, a ritual that spoke of their unshakable bond. Despite their differences—Mom’s pyful mischief, Dad’s stoic honor—they were perfect together. I’d never seen them fight, never heard a harsh word. They just got each other, in a way I could only hope to understand someday.

  “I’m off, Lilith,” Dad said, his voice low and warm.

  “Be careful, honey,” Mom replied, her eyes soft.

  “I will.” With a final gnce at me—steady, reassuring—Dad headed out, the door clicking shut behind him.

  The kitchen felt quieter without him, but the weight of their conversation lingered. Sold my first time? Escort services? Medicine? My stomach churned, and I gripped the edge of the table, trying to anchor myself. What kind of world had I stumbled into?

  After choking down the rest of my breakfast—miso soup and rice, which tasted like cardboard in my nervous state—I swallowed the small, bitter pill Mom handed me. “For your energy,” she’d said vaguely, brushing off my questions. I didn’t have the strength to argue. My mind was too full, too chaotic. I needed something normal, something to ground me. So, I grabbed my phone from the counter, its familiar weight a small comfort.

  The screen lit up with notifications, and my heart skipped a beat. Akari.

  Her name filled the messaging app, a flood of texts that made my chest ache. Are you okay? I’m so worried. Please answer when you can. There were 69 messages, each one ced with concern. Sixty-nine. I snorted despite myself. Of course, it’d be that number.

  “Mom,” I said, gncing at her as she washed dishes, humming a tune. “How long was I out?”

  “Hmm?” She looked up, a soapy pte in her hands, her crimson eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Oh, about three days. Why? Did Akari-chan blow up your phone because she was worried about her precious Setsuna-chan?”

  “Y-yeah,” I mumbled, my face heating up. “She sent, like, 69 messages.”

  Mom ughed, a musical sound that echoed through the kitchen. “Sixty-nine? Oh, that’s adorable! You’d better reply before she thinks you’ve ghosted her!”

  “I know, I know,” I said, already typing. My fingers hesitated over the screen, unsure how to expin… everything. Finally, I settled on something simple.

  [Sorry for not replying, Akari-san. I was unconscious for a bit. Feeling better now.]

  Ding

  A reply came almost instantly, and I blinked. Was she waiting by her phone? Akari was in the same university as me, studying literature while I muddled through general studies. Today was a weekday—didn’t she have css?

  [Are you okay now? I was SO worried!]

  Her words warmed me, a flicker of light in the chaos. She cared. Really cared. I smiled, typing back.

  [Still a bit weak, but I’m okay. Sorry for scaring you.]

  [Don’t apologize! I’m just gd you’re alright. But you owe me a date to make up for it!]

  A date. My heart fluttered, then sank. A date meant seeing her, showing her… this. My new body, my new self. I took a deep breath, my fingers trembling.

  [I’ll pn one, promise. Also… I need to tell you something. It might change things between us.]

  [What? Don’t tell me you’re dumping me!]

  Her reply was half-joking, but I could feel her worry through the screen. I rushed to respond, my heart pounding.

  [No way! I’d rather die than break up with you. I mean it.]

  [Whoa, so dramatic! Should I cry now? :P]

  I ughed, a small, shaky sound. That was Akari—always teasing, always lightening the mood. She thought I was joking, that whatever I had to say was no big deal. But I knew the truth. When she saw me—white hair, glowing eyes, and… everything else—she might not feel the same. The thought made my chest ache, like a weight pressing down.

  Mom’s voice broke through my thoughts. “So, what’s Akari-chan like? Spill the tea, Setsuna-chan!” She was drying her hands, leaning against the counter with a grin that screamed trouble.

  “Mom, stop,” I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “It’s… complicated.”

  “Complicated’s my specialty,” she teased, but her eyes softened. “You’ll figure it out, sweetheart. You always do.”

  I wasn’t so sure. The memory of Dad’s words—sold Setsuna’s first time—echoed in my mind, cold and unsettling. What did that mean? Who was “he”? And what was this medicine supposed to do? My new life as Setsuna was a maze of questions, and I was already lost.

  I gnced at my phone, Akari’s pyful texts glowing on the screen. Whatever came next—curses, escort services, or mysterious buyers—I wasn’t ready to lose her. Not yet. I clutched the phone tighter, a small anchor in the storm, and steeled myself for whatever my parents had pnned.