"-Okay, assfaces, drug evaluation time," declared the hulking college football team coach on the TV, "Raise your hands if you've done steroids in the last week."

By some incredible stroke of luck, one of my favorite comedies had made its way to Japanese television in this world. This show, possibly a satire or not, was a college sports series that was very much like Animal House, to the point that it was almost a homage to excess and toxic masculinity.

"Excellent," he said after seeing more than half of the football team raise their hands, "Now lower your hands if you have taken steroids and done hard drugs." Only a few people lowered their hands. "Very good. Now, take a knee if you have taken steroids," People were already starting to kneel, "But you haven't done any hard drugs," They stopped, "But you have taken tranquilizers."

For the first time in half an hour, Lilith finally found something enjoyable, as evidenced by her giggles. "I should have gone to America if this is what it's like over there," she exclaimed in delight.

"Only at certain state schools," I responded with a smile, reminiscing fondly about my college days and watching this show with others - not because I'd done hard drugs at those state schools (which I hadn't), but because of the many wonderful memories I had. "The U.S. has much more to offer than just what this show portrays."

"Mm," she muttered, glancing my way as she noticed my smile, "You enjoy this show? I thought you had too much of a stick up your ass to appreciate something this absurd."

"Raise both hands if you have done tranquilizers, you have not done rabies, but you have done alcohol!"

"I'm an enigmatic figure shrouded in mystery," I replied, snorting in amusement at the TV, "If you replaced 'mystery' with out-of-context references and 'enigmatic figure' with someone who just wants to play video games and drink copious amounts of alcohol."

Lilith stared me down, murmuring a quiet, "Uh huh." She tapped her maroon finger against her cheek, her expression thoughtful as she tried to figure out my deal.

"Anyway, this show is one of my absolute favorites," I continued, hoping that conversation would help her open up more. And it seemed to be working. "It won't be winning any Emmy Awards soon, but honestly, who cares? I have a great time watching it, and that's all that matters."

A nostalgic smile rose as I recalled events from over a year ago. "A while ago, when I was in Thailand, a couple of friends and I binged the entire show over a few days. We were exhausted after the last few days and bored and hot, so we just sat in our room in our boxers, sipping beer while watching it on someone's laptop. Good times."

Meanwhile, on TV, the football players discussed the effective methods of detoxifying their bodies in preparation for an upcoming drug test. Surprisingly, they found that tartar sauce was the best way to get cocaine out of your system quickly! Who knew?

"What, did you just waste all that time sitting in your underwear, watching this garbage?" Lilith asked, her expression dubious yet with a smirk. "Are you telling me that you somehow stumbled into a job with the government, despite being a slob?"

"More the latter than the former," I told her, "Though it's a gig that suits me, I like to think."

There was a harsh glint to her eyes now, and her smirk grew predatory as she said, "You think so?" She seemed almost mesmerized by the TV, trying to piece together what was happening. Her voice was barely a whisper as she asked, "Is... is he...?"

Although I had seen this scene play out at least three times already, I still couldn't help but protectively cross my legs in sympathy as I watched the man explain what an oil change is. "What were you saying?"

"Um, right," Lilith continued, her voice laced with skepticism. She cleared her throat before continuing, her expression now one of disapproval. "So you took this job out of some misguided sense of heroism, huh? Like you have to go around saving every poor liminal you come across and then pat yourself on the back for it? I'm sorry, but I'd rather not be another one of your 'conquests,' thank you very much."

Now this, I had expected to some extent. After meeting Rachnee, Lilith was able to quickly and easily detect some of her hidden insecurities, so expecting her not to be able to do the same for me would have been arrogant. Her words still hurt due to the truth they contained, but I had already come to terms with these aspects of myself.

I took a deep breath and sagged into my seat, lowering the TV volume as we drifted into the heavier discussion.

"I admit that you are right about some of those points," I said, tired. "It is true that I tend to go beyond what is required to help people, even when I should probably just let it be. But I guess I like seeing people happy. That's why I make bad jokes, tweak my persona to better interact with different personalities, or lend a helping hand. It doesn't matter if I am called a 'white knight' for that."

Lilith's eyes fixed on me as she spoke dryly, "Wow, someone who is honest with themselves. Still, that means you only rely on others for your happiness."

"So what?" I challenged, "You're guilty of the same thing, pranking people for your pleasure. Taking advantage of their misfortune to bring you joy. If you say I can't judge you for that, how can you honestly judge me for doing something similar?"

Lilith was still for a moment, frowning. She eventually turned away, covering her eyes with turquoise hair.

"I take back my words," she mumbled, "You're not being honest with yourself, are you? Are you attempting to create a bond by finding something we have in common? Don't bother. We have absolutely nothing in common."

"We both like the same show," I replied, gesturing back at the TV, "Boom, something in common right there."

"Congrats, we laugh at the same crappy jokes!" Lilith cried sarcastically, rolling her eyes, "Aren't we just peas in a pod!"

I groaned at that, not even trying to hide my exasperation.

"Look, is it so difficult for you to understand that I want to form a meaningful relationship with you?" I asked, taking off my sunglasses and placing them beside the coffee table. I hoped that this simple demonstration of faith would make her understand. "Why do you feel unworthy of anyone's atten...tion..."

My voice trailed off as my eyes were drawn to her swirling finger that seemed to materialize before me.

"Fuuuuuck..." was about all I could bring myself to mutter.

"Bad call there, buddy~" Lilith sang, a shit-eating grin plastered on her face as she hypnotized me.

I was so stupid. Dropping my guard like that, what was I thinking? Wait... why was I stupid? I can't... remember... hard to... think...

"It seems you humans have not yet learned this lesson," purred the girl, who was now the only person in the world to me, "Never trust a devil. Most people don't, yet you were foolish enough to think otherwise. I hope you can take this wisdom to heart now."

The static in my head was buzzing loudly, and I could barely make out any other sound. Then, all of a sudden, a sharp noise pierced through the static, like a thunderclap that rolled through the sky amidst a heavy downpour. Instinctively, I held onto that sound, clinging to it like a lifeline that could lead me out of the fog that had clouded my mind.

"You seriously expect me to believe anything you say?" Lilith continued, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she slowly crawled towards me across the couch. "All you men seem to have ulterior motives, trying to take advantage of girls to fulfill your sick fantasies. Well, if that's the case, then a taste of your own medicine shouldn't hurt, right?"

Her words profoundly affected me, causing a loud and strong ringing in my mind. It was like a jolt of electricity that ran through my body, lifting the mental fog that had been hindering me. Finally, I was free from her spell, and I regained my composure, though I had no idea how. I could figure out the specifics later.

"I'm sorry."

Lilith froze.

"W-What?"

"I'm sorry," I repeated, staring her in the eyes.

"For- No, wait." She shook her head, glaring at me furiously and gritting her teeth. "How'd you break free so easily?!"

"For whatever happened to you that made you feel that way," I explained, "I'm sorry."

Lilith's words were full of emotion as she stumbled over her words, rage and confusion evident on her face. "I don't want your pity," she spat out, her voice rising in anger, "you--!"

The sound of the front door swinging open stopped her in her tracks.

"I'm home!" called out a girl's voice.

Lilith snarled, her fingers gripping the couch's upholstery tightly before nervously biting her lip. She shot me one more menacing look before abruptly turning to face the source of the voice.

"Welcome home!" she greeted in an overly-cheerful voice.

"Oh, Lilith, you're here!" the girl exclaimed as she entered the living room. "I didn't expect- Oh!" she gasped in surprise, her eyes widening as she took in my presence. She was an average-looking girl with long black hair, wearing the high school uniform I had grown accustomed to seeing on most teens in town. This must've been Hisui, then. "I'm sorry, I didn't know we were having guests..."

Lilith replied, cutting me off entirely, "He is just some guy from the Cultural Exchange who came to check on me. He was leaving, hee hee!"

Yeah, don't think I can't see the sweat on your face there, Lilith. I'm not that clueless. Also... was she blushing? What the hell?

Whatever. It was probably for the best that we left it at that for now. There was always next time.

"I suppose I was," I sighed, pushing myself up from my seat and making my way out, "I'm Akihiro Bando, by the way. Nice to meet you."

"Hello, I'm Hisui Hinazuki," she said with a friendly smile and bowed. "I'm so glad Lilith had someone to keep her company while we were away. Unfortunately, our busy schedules mean we can't always be there for her, and I feel a little guilty about that..."

"It happens," I shrugged, "Though she really shouldn't be cooped up here alone for so long. If no one's in the house, you could try dropping her off at Sports Club Kobold to hang out there. There are tons of things to do and other liminals as well, plenty to keep her occupied."

"If you could stop talking about me like I'm not here, that'd be great!" Lilith called out.

I chuckled at that. "Yeah, sorry about that," I apologized, rubbing the back of my neck, "Anyway, I'm heading out. See ya soon, Lilith."

"Mm."

I spared one last glance at Lilith before leaving. When Hisui looked at her, it was as if she were an entirely different person. Her every gesture was more animated, her voice filled with energy, and her eyes gleamed with... I couldn't identify it. Joy?

I had not expected Lilith to be such a complex matter. Her words, while I was in a hypnotic state, disturbed me greatly. To further understand her, I sought to learn more about her past, though I had an ominous feeling that I would not like what I uncovered.

"That went well," deadpanned Doppel, apparently materializing out of the shadow of a tree as I stepped outside.

"Thanks for looking out for me, by the way," I retorted, hands in my pockets. The two of us started to make our way down the street and back to the Cultural Exchange building.

"Eh, you had it under control," Doppel replied dismissively. That made me quirk an eyebrow.

"You thought so?" I pressed, "Even while she was hypnotizing me?"

"Like I said," she continued, folding her arms, "You had it under control."

"But I shouldn't have," I argued, "so how did I escape it? It wasn't due to some 'heroic willpower' or anything. Something else must have been at play here."

Doppel gave me an odd look, her black and gold eyes scrutinizing me intently. After a moment, she sighed. "Yes, it is possible for a human to resist hypnosis if they dedicate themselves to honing their mental fortitude through years of rigorous training. Many humans have successfully resisted a devil's mind control before."

"But I haven't had any training in that area," I said, pondering and attempting to make sense of the situation. "Could this be why language barriers no longer seem an issue for me?"

"Probably," Doppel shrugged. I could tell she had some insight into my predicament. "Looks like something got into your head while you were on your way here, most likely."

"Something messed with my head," I murmured, finding the thought incredibly unpleasant. "While I was in the Far Side..."

"Careful, Aki," Doppel warned. The fact that she was warning me immediately set off alarm bells. But still...

"Everything keeps pointing to the Far Side," I continued, feeling relieved that I finally found someone who could explain what was happening, "What exactly is the Far Side?"

Doppel came to a standstill, her hair lifting in the stillness. I stopped in my tracks, perplexed by her indecipherable expression. When she pivoted to meet my gaze, a chill ran down my spine. It wasn't because she had taken on a more menacing shape. It wasn't because her features had become distorted by a powerful emotion such as rage. What sent a chill through me was the utter lack of anything in her eyes. There was nothing there, complete emptiness, even though her face stayed the same as it had always been.

The Shadow People. The Faceless Ones. Those and more were what they called the shapeshifters of this world. For the first time, I felt like I was genuinely meeting one for the first time.

"You really that curious?" she asked hollowly. A tendril of silvery hair rose to my forehead. "Fine then."

Contact. And then, a bright white light engulfed me utterly.

To be continued...