Hidden Corner

It was afternoon.

After school, Yusuke Kato headed to the convenience store where he worked part-time, as usual.

Upon entering, he exchanged greetings with his colleagues and then walked into the locker room to change.

Muttering to himself, he removed his black uniform jacket and the white shirt underneath, neatly storing them in his locker before taking out the blue short-sleeved shirt he wore at work.

Just as he was dressing, a sound came from behind him.

"Click..."

The locker room door suddenly opened, and Yusuke turned around. The first thing he saw was a slender, pale hand gripping the doorknob.

Then, he looked up and saw Takada sneaking in like a thief.

Yusuke was momentarily stunned, but he quickly regained his composure and hurriedly buttoned up his shirt, smoothing his collar down and slamming the locker door shut with a "bang."

"What are you doing here?"

With his hand still on the locker door, Yusuke Kato turned and asked Shiori Takada.

"Shh!"

Takada glanced at him, pressed her index finger to her lips in a silencing gesture, then turned her back to peer through the crack of the door with her wide almond eyes. After confirming no one was watching, she relaxed slightly.

"This is the men's locker room," Yusuke stated flatly, emphasizing the last four words.

"Of course, I know that!" Takada retorted, her short blonde hair fluttering as she turned to face him, cheeks flushed.

"I have something to tell you," she said, leaning against the door.

...

At that moment, Yusuke's mind raced with thoughts: "Small space," "Unnoticed corner," "Convenience store," "JK." If these phrases were searched online, they'd likely return countless hits, many with an R18 warning.

"What is it?" Yusuke asked, his black eyes glinting slightly.

"Keep your voice down! What if someone hears?" Shiori Takada hissed, casting him a reproachful look.

'I wish you'd been this cautious before barging in!'

Yusuke thought, speechlessly, but he complied and lowered his voice.

"So, what's up?" he whispered, his voice both hushed and slightly magnetic.

Shiori Takada nodded approvingly, then stepped closer until they were toe to toe. She stood on tiptoes, struggling to reach his ear. "Come closer, I can't reach you," she frowned, her tone tinged with frustration.

???

Yusuke hesitated for a moment, alarm bells ringing in his mind. He quickly stepped back, creating some distance between them.

"What do you want to do?" He asked, his hand defensively across his chest, eyeing Shiori Takada warily.

"What are you hiding from!" Takada exclaimed, stepping forward and grabbing Yusuke Kato by the collar. "Don't move and listen to me."

She spoke in a hushed tone, "Today, I overheard Fangmura on the phone. I only caught bits about 'company,' 'headquarters,' 'inspector,' 'next month,' 'take it seriously,' and the man looked very cautious."

Takada looked at Yusuke, her purple eyes sparkling with anticipation. "So, could this be an opportunity?"

"Maybe we can explain what happened that day to the inspector at the headquarters, so you don't have to leave, Kato-kun... or something."

Before she could finish, Fangmura and another clerk spoke outside the door.

Clerk: "Good evening, Manager Fangcun."

Fangmura: "Oh, good evening... eh? Why are you alone here, Takada?"

Shop Clerk: "Uh, I'm not sure... Shiori was just here; maybe she went to the restroom."

Fangmura: "Impossible."

Shop Clerk: "Huh?"

Fangmura: "I just checked there; she wasn't."

Shop Clerk: "Oh, I see... Do you need help finding her?"

Fangmura: "No, it's okay. I'll take a look inside."

As footsteps approached, Shiori Takada's expression shifted. In a swift motion, she opened a locker, pushed Yusuke Kato inside, hid herself, and shut the door.

Silence enveloped them.

Outside, Fangmura's footsteps grew louder until they stopped right outside the locker room.

After about three seconds, the door creaked open, and Fangcun stepped inside, scanning the room.

It was quiet, and nothing seemed amiss. All the lockers were closed, and only a chair sat in the center.

"...isn't anyone here?"

Fangmura turned back, then sat on the chair, muttering to himself, "I thought Shiori might be hanging out with that Kato kid, but I can't find anyone..."

"Where are you, Shiori-chan? I'm feeling so lonely," he mused, leaning back and resting his hands behind his head.

"Shiori-chan has such a striking figure, especially for her age... I wonder if she has a boyfriend at school. Probably not, or she wouldn't always be with that Kato kid."

"Damn, what's so great about him?" Fangmura grumbled, delivering a frustrated kick to Yusuke Kato's locker.

"Boom!"

"…what?"

The loud bang startled an inaudible exclamation from within.

Fangmura paused, then slowly looked up, his brow furrowing as he stared at Yusuke Kato's locker. He was sure he hadn't misheard. It was quiet, with no noise behind him, and he was alone in the room...

With a suspicious look, he stood silently and reached for the locker door.

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