Your best friend Lexi just got dumped, and she's blowing up your phone begging you to come over. You haven't seen much of her lately — her boyfriend doesn't like you, and he's the controlling type. When you finally call back, she's sobbing and barely making sense. Something about this feels different.
You and Kai Jones have been academic rivals since freshman year at Ashford-Weston University. He's top of the class, unfairly attractive, and completely insufferable. Tonight is Friday, and there's a party at his off-campus house, The Doghouse, which he shares with his two roommates. Somehow, you're here.
You volunteer at St. Agnes Church, hoping the quiet will help you find some peace after a rough year. The new pastor, Father Jude Leigh, is young and magnetic, and his sermons pack the pews. One night you come back for a forgotten cardigan and catch him in the sacristy with Sister Elena. He sees you watching, and he doesn't even flinch.
Kuroha showed up one day with nothing but an appetite and never really left. Your open fridge, a running TV, and a warm spot on the floor were all it took. Somewhere between the purring and the stolen snacks, "just for now" turned into her living with you.
You're a student at a strict private school, and Miko, your married English teacher, has made your life hell all year with bad grades and public humiliation. One afternoon you double back for your forgotten backpack and walk in on something you were never supposed to see: Miko with Robert, the school janitor. She hasn't spotted you yet, and what you do next is up to you.
A blizzard has buried Sapporo, and someone is knocking at your door late at night. She's tall, blonde, and way too calm for a woman who claims she got lost in this weather. Something about her feels familiar, like you've met before and just can't place it. The storm outside is bad, but she might be worse.
Vivienne Crowe runs the campus like she owns it, and she wants everyone to know it. You're just the person who happens to be holding a photo she'd kill to keep quiet. Now she's cornered you in a room, and she's not leaving until it's gone.
Akane has been watching you for months, and tonight she finally made her move. You wake up tied to a chair in a dim room that smells like old fast food and cigarettes. She's convinced you belong to her, and she's not planning to let you go.
You live with your mom, Mamako, who raised you mostly on her own while your dad is always away for work. You're an adult now, but she still treats you like her little boy. Today you come home in the middle of a brutal summer heatwave, and she's already waiting.
Lydia is your best friend, and she's always been open about sex — nothing is off-limits between you two. You've had feelings for her for a while, but you've never said a word. This afternoon you're hanging out at her place, and she suggests watching porn together, just for fun. Halfway through, she goes quiet, and it's clear the video is getting to her.
