“Thank you…”
This barely audible expression of gratitude fell as lightly as a feather, tinged with the tremor of survival after a catastrophe and a complex emotion difficult to describe.
Although something… not so pleasant had happened earlier, that sudden kiss still left a tingling numbness on his lips, but Kaoru Hoshitani was not someone who failed to appreciate kindness.
He would not, simply because he had been forcefully kissed, harbor any deep resentment or harsh blame toward the woman before him—this woman who had just pulled him back from the very edge of a real nightmare.
He understood what mattered most.
No matter what, if Rika Kawasaki hadn’t arrived like a godsend and burst in just in time tonight, he couldn’t imagine what terrifying, life-ruining scene he might have experienced next.
Compared to that total destruction that could have happened, the earlier moment of losing control, though it left his heart in chaos, now seemed… almost understandable.
“Mm…”
Faced with the man’s sincere, yet oddly shy gratitude, Rika Kawasaki averted her gaze a bit uncomfortably.
She raised her hand, gently scratching the side of her nose with a knuckle, trying to hide her own unsettled feelings.
She cleared her throat and steered the topic back to the present.
“Can you… walk on your own now? It’s almost closing time. If we keep staying here and don’t come out, Grandfather Kawasaki might find it strange. He might even come looking for us himself.”
She did her best to keep her voice steady, her eyes glancing over the man’s still somewhat pale cheeks and slightly trembling fingertips.
“I can… Let me try… Ah…”
Kaoru Hoshitani answered softly, letting out a faint sigh, as if trying to release all the fear and helplessness pent up in his chest.
He loosened his tightly wrapped arms from around his knees, his fingers already a bit stiff.
His fair toes carefully slid into the wooden sandals that Rika Kawasaki had just found in the corner and neatly placed in front of him.
Then, using his hands for support on the icy edge of the toilet tank, he tried to stand up.
But, still shaken and thoroughly drained both physically and mentally, he had barely managed to stand up when his legs suddenly felt weak and wobbly, as if he were stepping on thick cotton—unsteady and powerless.
His vision even went black for a moment, and he stumbled forward uncontrollably, about to fall awkwardly onto the cold, hard floor.
Fortunately, Rika Kawasaki, who had been keeping a close eye on him the whole time, reacted instantly.
She took a big step forward, her strong arms quickly reaching out and catching his swaying body in time.
Her palm was warm and firm, the feeling of solid support transmitting through the thin fabric of his kimono and keeping him from injury.
“I’ve… I’ve troubled you again, Kawasaki-san… I’m really sorry…”
With her help, Kaoru Hoshitani managed to stand up, a faint flush rising on his cheeks from the brief physical contact.
He kept his hand hovering on Rika Kawasaki’s well-toned forearm, and as soon as the dizziness faded a little, he quickly withdrew his hand as if burned, a bit awkward as he tried to avoid the searing heat and overwhelming presence of the woman beside him.
“It’s nothing. Just a small thing.”
Rika Kawasaki noticed his quick retreat, a shadow flickering in her gaze, but she showed nothing on her face.
She simply withdrew her hand and spoke in a flat tone.
“Let’s head out.”
In this way, the two left the restroom—filled with the smell of blood, disinfectant, tobacco, and a lingering hint of something ambiguous—one after the other, maintaining a delicate distance between them.
The comparatively fresh air in the corridor gave Kaoru Hoshitani a small jolt of energy.
By now, the hands of the old wall clock on the wall had quietly slipped toward eleven at night.
Most of the customers had already left the shop, leaving only the scattered sounds of tidying up.
Mr. Kawasaki, who was wiping down the counter with a rag and still wondering why his granddaughter and Mr. Hoshitani had disappeared together for so long, looked at the two as they emerged one after another, a hint of puzzlement on his face as he asked with concern:
“Rika, where did you go just now? I haven’t seen you for a while.”
“Ah… Grandfather,”
Facing her grandfather’s probing look, Rika Kawasaki replied as usual, her well-prepared explanation flowing smoothly without a trace of guilt.
“The restroom door in the back suddenly broke for some reason. I wanted to see if I could fix it for now, and Mr. Hoshitani happened to be nearby, so he helped me take a look.”
Her tone was calm, even tinged with a bit of helplessness about the “malfunction.”
“Oh, I see…”
Grandfather Kawasaki looked at his granddaughter’s composed expression, then at Kaoru Hoshitani, who stood beside her with his head down and looking a bit tired. Not suspecting a thing, he nodded.
“If the door is broken, I’ll call someone to fix it tomorrow. No need for you two to worry about it.”
As if suddenly remembering something, the old man turned to Kaoru Hoshitani, speaking kindly:
“Oh, right, Mr. Hoshitani. Your girlfriend, Miss Saita, seems to have drunk a bit much. She’s still resting in the private room and looks to be asleep. Why not let Rika drive you home? It’s late, and it’s not convenient to walk with someone who’s drunk.”
“That’s… too much trouble for you, no—”
As soon as Kaoru Hoshitani heard the suggestion that Rika Kawasaki should drive him and his drunken girlfriend home, memories of what had just happened in the restroom flashed through his mind, especially that intense kiss.
He instinctively wanted to refuse.
Letting the woman who had just shared such intimate contact with him drive him and his girlfriend home—just thinking about it made him feel unbearably embarrassed and flustered.
But before he could finish his polite refusal, Rika Kawasaki had already agreed naturally, cutting him off:
“Okay, Grandfather, I understand. I’ll make sure they get home safely.”
Grandfather Kawasaki’s smile became even more kindly at her reply. He looked at Kaoru Hoshitani, his gentle expression leaving no room for argument.
“Mr. Hoshitani, there’s no need to be so polite. It’s late, and it’s not safe or convenient for you to help your drunk girlfriend home on your own.”
The old man’s reasoning was perfectly sound, leaving Kaoru Hoshitani with no way to protest further. He could only lower his gaze, hiding the turmoil in his heart, and murmur his thanks.
“…Then, sorry to trouble you, Kawasaki-san.”
After thanking Mr. Kawasaki again, Kaoru Hoshitani walked heavily to his locker, retrieving his bag.
He took a deep breath, then reached out and pushed open the door to the private room where his girlfriend and coworkers had been dining.
A wave of mixed smells—leftover food, alcohol, and perfume—hit him.
Inside, the table was in disarray. The other coworkers had apparently already left.
In the innermost seat, his girlfriend Aina Saiten lay sprawled across the clean tablecloth of the low table, fast asleep, her cheeks flushed an abnormal shade from the alcohol, her breath heavy with the smell of drink.
As he approached, the strong scent of alcohol emanating from Aina Saiten became even more distinct, making Kaoru Hoshitani unconsciously furrow his brow.
Aina Saiten’s alcohol tolerance was never great; she was the type to get drunk after just a little.
While workplace culture in Japan wasn’t as pushy about drinking as in some places, tonight she had clearly had more than usual, leaving her dead drunk and out cold.
Kaoru Hoshitani stood quietly by the table, looking down at his girlfriend, who was completely oblivious to the outside world in her drunken stupor.
His hands at his sides unconsciously clenched into fists, nails digging slightly into his palms with a prick of pain.
He pressed his well-shaped lips tightly together, his long, butterfly-like eyelashes casting a small fan-shaped shadow beneath his eyes, cleverly hiding the surge of barely concealed disappointment and faint reproach deep in his gaze.
Clearly… his girlfriend was just nearby, yet he’d almost been violated by another woman, forced to experience something terrifying.
And as his official girlfriend, the one who should have been his strongest support, she was still “peacefully” passed out here, lost in an alcohol-induced slumber, completely unaware of his danger and pain.
Although… objectively, she really hadn’t known and couldn’t have predicted what had happened.
But if she hadn’t drunk so much tonight, if she had been present when she should have stayed sober, doing her duty as his girlfriend to protect and be with him—maybe… that awful thing wouldn’t have happened at all?
This thought slithered into his mind like a poisonous snake, bringing a sharp sting.
Just as he stood there, complicated emotions in his heart, Aina Saiten, who had been fast asleep on the table, seemed to sense someone approaching.
With difficulty, she lifted her heavy eyelids, her blurry vision struggling to focus for a while before she finally saw clearly the figure standing quietly at her side—her boyfriend, Kaoru Hoshitani.
Immediately, her drunken, slightly unnatural face broke into a silly, satisfied smile. Slurring her words, she said:
“Mm… Kaoru… is… is that you… Are you done for the night… I… I’ve been… waiting for you… to go home together…”