The city streets hummed with the afternoon rush, a symphony of honking cars and distant chatter that faded into the background as Sundae stepped out of her cramped apartment building. At twenty-one, she moved with the easy grace of someone who once chased adventures without a second thought, her dark hair tied back in a messy ponytail that swayed with each step. The late autumn air carried a crisp bite, laced with the faint scent of rain-soaked pavement and distant food carts, but it did little to shake the quiet ache in her chest. As she walked toward the corner convenience store, her mind wandered to Viel, her childhood best friend turned distant roommate in the same building. They used to share everything—late-night secrets under starry skies, the thrill of sneaking out for midnight snacks—but now, their paths barely crossed. His door stayed shut more often than not, buried in textbooks and ambitions, and she felt the sting of that growing chasm with every silent hallway pass. A pang of loneliness twisted in her gut, sharp as a withheld breath, making her quicken her pace as if movement could outrun the memories.

By the time she reached the store, the fluorescent lights inside buzzed like an unwelcome intruder in her thoughts. Sundae grabbed a carton of strawberry milk from the refrigerated section, its pink label promising a fleeting sweetness amid her turmoil. She paid with loose change, slipping outside to a quiet bench under the awning, where the world felt a little less overwhelming. Cracking open the carton, she took a long sip, the cool, creamy liquid coating her tongue with bursts of tart berries and velvety richness. It slid down her throat like a secret indulgence, awakening a warmth that spread through her body, tingling along her skin in ways that felt oddly intimate. For a moment, she closed her eyes, savoring the sensation—the way it danced on her lips, evoking memories of simpler times with Viel, when they'd share stolen treats and laugh until their sides hurt. But as the flavor lingered, an unexpected flush crept up her neck, her pulse quickening in a rhythm that stirred something deeper, more primal, beneath the surface.

Returning to the apartment building, the familiar creak of the elevator doors echoed her unease as she stepped inside, carton empty in her hand. The hallway was dimly lit, shadows stretching like silent accusations, and by the time she fumbled with her keys at her door, a sharp pain lanced through her lower abdomen. It wasn't like any cramp she'd felt before—intense and throbbing, radiating outward in waves that made her gasp, her fingers trembling on the doorknob. Confusion washed over her as she dropped her bag and hurried to the bathroom, the cool tile floor grounding her as she leaned against the sink. Her reflection stared back, flushed and wide-eyed, the pain ebbing into a strange, insistent heat that pooled between her thighs, igniting a curiosity she couldn't ignore. What was happening to her? The strawberry milk's aftertaste lingered on her lips, now feeling like a catalyst to something forbidden, as if it had unlocked a hidden door to desires she'd long suppressed.

Strawberry addict