Because she hadn’t turned on the light when she entered the Warehouse, the entire space was submerged in a chaotic darkness, with only a faint sliver of light seeping in from the gap beneath the door, coming from the Corridor.
So, when Kaoru Hoshitani entered and opened the door, his eyes couldn’t immediately adapt to the darkness.
Naturally, he didn’t notice right away that, deeper inside the room, in the corner shrouded by the Shadow of the shelves, a woman had long since been standing there silently—almost half-naked, wearing only her underclothes.
Rika Kawasaki, already accustomed to the darkness with her animal-like, keen Gray Eyes, stood motionless within the Shadow, staring clearly at that vague but familiar figure—
Kaoru Hoshitani was cautiously supporting himself against the cold, rough wall, frowning slightly as he reached out slender fingers, feeling around in the dimness to search for the Old Pull String Switch.
That endearingly confused and at-a-loss look of his made the corners of her mouth, hidden in the darkness, unconsciously curve upward, sketching a predatory arc, full of determination.
She was like a leopard lurking in the shadows, patiently waiting for the prey to walk into her trap at the best possible moment.
When that weak Light Bulb in the Warehouse was finally found by Kaoru Hoshitani and, with a soft “click,” was turned on, the dim light instantly dispelled part of the darkness.
It also clearly illuminated, as he turned his head, those eyes—round and wide with shock and disbelief, damp like a startled young deer—that met her gaze completely unprepared.
Seeing the utter panic and stiffness on the little man’s face, Rika Kawasaki felt a rush of mixed pride and amusement surge up in her heart, silently sighing, as if finally clutching a long-coveted treasure in her hands:
【Finally…caught you…Little Thing, after hiding for so many days, this time you’ve stumbled in all on your own…let’s see how you’ll escape now…】
—————
When Kaoru Hoshitani instinctively turned his head and suddenly locked eyes with that pair of deep, stormy Gray Eyes just an arm’s length away, his mind seemed to empty out in an instant, his thoughts completely short-circuiting, going utterly blank.
Time seemed to freeze at this very moment.
【Why…why is Kawasaki-san here…? When did she come in?! And…and she’s not even…】
Shock and confusion flooded over him like a tide.
He didn’t even dare to linger his gaze, but even if his panicked eyes slipped downward the slightest bit, he could see, with nothing to block his view, that expanse of firm, healthy, sun-kissed skin on the woman’s upper body, along with those powerful, graceful lines, clearly and completely.
The air seemed to be filled with an invasive scent—a mix of sweat and her unique body fragrance.
It turned out, Rika Kawasaki had just finished a busy stint in the back kitchen.
Disgusted by how her bra was thoroughly soaked in sweat, clammy and heavy against her skin, making her feel unbearably uncomfortable, she’d taken advantage of a free moment to slip into the relatively secluded Warehouse, take it off, and cool down a little.
Normally, a woman without a bra would seem a bit naturally relaxed.
But for someone like Rika Kawasaki, who had long maintained an intense fitness regimen and developed extraordinary pectoral and core strength, this simply didn’t happen.
Those full, beautiful curves still held a startling firmness and lift, like an exquisitely sculpted work of art, overflowing with raw, vibrant vitality, composing a visually striking scene beneath the dim light.
“Ah…!”
Unintentionally—or perhaps forced to—having seen a woman’s body, Kaoru Hoshitani blushed fiercely as though scalded by fire, his fair cheeks burning all the way to his ears and neck.
A short, panicked yelp slipped from his lips, like a startled young animal.
He nearly reflexively summoned all his strength to squeeze his eyes tightly shut, his long lashes trembling violently like butterfly wings, trying to block out the sight that shouldn’t have been seen, the one that sent his heart into turmoil.
But what he didn’t realize was, it was precisely this instinctive act of closing his eyes out of shame and panic that caused him to lose the precious final chance to observe his surroundings and find a gap to escape from this now-dangerous Warehouse.
The temporary blindness only heightened his other senses.
All he could hear was his own thunderous heartbeat and, closing in, her presence, marked by her increasingly audible breathing.
Rika Kawasaki looked at the little man before her, eyes squeezed shut as if this could make reality disappear.
A complicated, unreadable glint flashed through her Gray Eyes.
She moved swiftly yet decisively, reaching back to quietly close the old wooden Warehouse door with a “clack,” the faint sound of the latch sliding into place thoroughly sealing them inside.
Only then did she begin to walk forward, step by step, with a hunter’s steadiness and pressure, toward the slender man whose back was pressed so tightly against the icy wall it seemed he wanted to merge with it, eyes still tightly closed.
Her bare feet stepped on the slightly rough wooden floor of the Warehouse, making a clear, rhythmic “tap…tap…” sound that echoed in the small, silent space, each step striking at Kaoru Hoshitani’s taut nerves.
Panicked and at a total loss, with his mind nearly shut down, Kaoru Hoshitani now heard the woman’s footsteps drawing nearer, so close they might have been right beside his ear, her body warmth already wafting over.
It was only then, like waking from a dream, that he realized—
He couldn’t keep hiding here like an ostrich! He had to get out immediately!
The instinct to survive finally overpowered his shame. He suddenly opened his wide, still-moist, panic-filled deer eyes.
But it was already too late.
The instant he opened his eyes, his entire field of vision was almost completely filled by the woman’s healthy, sun-kissed skin just inches away…
That firm, beautiful curve, carrying her body heat and a fierce feminine scent, dominated his sight so completely he could see the fine texture of her skin and the faint flush rising there.
【Can’t…can’t escape…not at all…】
A clear, almost despairing shadow swept across Kaoru Hoshitani’s always-clear, innocent deer eyes, now brimming with panic and helplessness.
In the next moment, his delicate, pure face, along with his slender frame, was utterly engulfed and swallowed by the Shadow cast by the woman’s tall figure, full of possessiveness.
Even the light seemed blocked by her, plunging the surroundings into a deeper darkness…