“Clack—”
The old, unlocked sliding door was suddenly pushed open from the outside without any warning.
A shock like icy electricity instantly surged down Kaoru Hoshitani’s spine, causing every muscle in his body to tense up and his limbs to stiffen.
He instinctively whipped around to face the doorway, his heart pounding wildly and erratically in his chest.
At the door stood Rika Kawasaki’s tall and imposing figure, almost completely blocking the frame.
She was backlit by the dim, warm glow of the izakaya behind her, her features lost in shadow and impossible to discern clearly—only a sharp and powerful silhouette remained.
The warehouse’s interior was already dim, with just a small high window letting in the faint reflected light from the adjacent kitchen.
Now, most of the light outside was blocked by her figure, leaking only through the edges of her body.
Along her shoulders, arms, and the sides of her legs, a soft golden rim of light outlined the smooth and athletic curves.
These scant beams filtered through the dusty air inside the warehouse, creating several hazy columns of light that happened to fall right over the pale skin of Kaoru Hoshitani’s body—skin that was otherwise mostly hidden but stood out starkly in the gloom.
“Ah…”
A short, almost strangled sound slipped uncontrollably from Kaoru’s lips, a helpless and startled noise from deep in his throat.
The moment his brain fully registered the reality of “being seen,” a burning heat surged through his cheeks, ears, and neck, racing all the way down to his collarbone. The exposed skin instantly flushed a vivid red.
Kaoru could feel every inch of skin exposed to the air tighten reflexively; his pores shrank under the twin stimuli of cool air and burning embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Rika Kawasaki, standing in the doorway, had initially intended to push the door closed the moment she realized someone was changing clothes inside.
But for some reason, her hand on the door suddenly felt as heavy as if weighted by a thousand pounds, utterly immovable.
Her cold, distant gray-black eyes slightly dilated as they adjusted to the dim lighting in the warehouse.
Her gaze, as if magnetically drawn, fixed uncontrollably on the sudden flash of pale skin illuminated faintly by the dim light…
In the low light, the gentle rise and fall of the man’s chest and the taut lines of his waist and abdomen were clearly outlined by the backlight.
His usually covered, lean yet supple body now appeared almost fragile in its translucent whiteness, emanating a unique purity under the combined effect of the intruder’s gaze and the dim light.
His cool, jade-like skin was smooth and tight, with a faint healthy blush reminiscent of rosy light blooming within white jade.
His shoulders were straight without being overly broad, connecting to a slender, swan-like neck; the slight protrusion of his Adam’s apple was perfectly placed, like a delicate sculptural curve with youthful angles.
His collarbones traced the most elegant arcs in the world—deeply hollowed and sharply defined beneath thin skin, casting faint shadows, a place where light and shadow lingered endlessly.
His hips were rounded and firm without excess, his thighs evenly long and slender, muscles thinly wrapped around bone, forming sleek lines.
His calves displayed slender and tight curves, extending down to slim, bony ankles.
Time seemed to stretch and freeze in that moment.
The warehouse’s piled-up clutter cast vast, silent shadows around them, and the air was heavy with the mingled scent of grain, sauce, and aged wood.
After what felt like a full five seconds, Kaoru Hoshitani was the first to break free from the overwhelming shock and shame.
Carefully and with minimal movement, he unfolded the navy-blue yukata he held, now creased from being clutched tightly, trying to cover as much of his skin as possible.
He took a deep breath, forcing down the trembling in his voice, and tried to sound composed as he addressed the woman still frozen in the doorway:
“Uh… Kawasaki-san, I’m changing right now. Could you please close the door…?”
Suppressing the wavering in his tone, his long eyelashes blinked rapidly with a mixture of pleading and embarrassment as he looked toward Rika Kawasaki standing in the backlight.
Only then did Rika seem to snap back to reality, pulled abruptly from her daze by his voice.
With a “shut,” she forcefully slammed the door closed, separating the two spaces.
But completing such a simple action seemed to drain all her strength, as she leaned against the shut door, her chest rising and falling with slightly heavy breaths.
Inside the now dark and silent room, seeing that Rika had finally closed the door, Kaoru’s tense shoulders instantly slumped as he let out a long, relieved breath.
After all, he had been completely defenseless facing such a tall and imposing woman—it was natural to feel intimidated, painfully aware of his vulnerability and being scrutinized.
Without wasting time, he quickly put on the navy yukata, took another deep breath to calm the lingering flush on his face, then reached out and slowly pushed the door open to step out.
As soon as he emerged, Kaoru noticed Rika Kawasaki had not left but was leaning against the wall by the door.
She seemed to be catching her breath; hearing the door open, she turned her head.
【Why is Kawasaki-san still standing here…?】
Their eyes met, and Kaoru felt an awkward flutter, considering the recent misunderstanding.
“Uh…”
He pressed his slightly dry lips together, about to awkwardly say something to ease the tension when Rika beat him to it.
Her voice was lower and hoarser than usual.
“I was just watching out for you, so no one else opens the door… and also, sorry about earlier…”
Her expression remained stern as ever, but despite the calm tone, the redness at her ear tips betrayed her emotional turmoil.
“Oh, I see…”
Hearing her words, Kaoru’s elegant, distant-mountain-colored brows lifted slightly as a faint smile tugged at his lips, though he quickly suppressed it.
“Thanks, Kawasaki-san. It was my own carelessness before. It’s not your fault. Let’s just… pretend it never happened.”
Seeing the man before her smile so naturally, Rika felt as if something lightly squeezed her heart, skipping a beat.
This strange and unfamiliar feeling sent an inexplicable flutter through her chest, and she quickly dropped her gaze, her thick lashes concealing the emotions swirling beneath, avoiding his too-clean and gentle eyes.
“All right, I’m going to work now, Kawasaki-san. You should go change.”
“All right, I’m heading to the front now,”
Kaoru, sensing the delicate mood, quickly changed the subject.
He noticed Rika still clutching the gym tank top and shorts, guessing that she had also meant to come in and change, not knowing anyone was inside, which led to the misunderstanding.
“Kawasaki-san, you go change. No one will bother you now.”
He stepped past her, a light breeze stirring—the faint, clean scent of the man’s body drifting by…