The next day, I worked as usual.
This time, I was on the night shift with Nana—and another girl named Acha. She wore glasses, had brown hair, and was a bit taller than Nana, though still petite. She was the friendly type, always chatting easily with everyone.
As soon as she noticed the awkward tension between Nana and me, she teased with a grin, "Hey, what did you two get up to last night?"
I shrugged, trying to sound casual. "Nothing, really."
Nana quickly chimed in, "We just walked home together."
Acha raised an eyebrow, not fully convinced. "Hmm, I don't buy that."
I glanced up and noticed a floating panel above Acha's head.
[Affection: 55%]
Not bad.
Looking back at Nana's panel, I saw she was at 71%.
Maybe numbers between 50 and 60% meant "friends," and 70 to 100% meant "Lover"?
That made some sense.
Suddenly, Nana whispered softly, "About last night… can we do it again?"
I almost choked on my own breath.
'Wait, what? You're asking first?'
I tried to play it cool. "Sure, why not? But why don't we just start dating?"
Nana blushed deeply. "If I do, my dad will hear about it and make me quit this job."
I nodded in understanding.
"So…" I said, "How about after work, then?"
She shook her head. "Maybe tomorrow—we have the same day off."
I watched her shy smile and thought she looked absolutely adorable. Honestly, I wanted to "devour" her right then and there.
But I just smiled and agreed.
Then we went back to work, just like any other day.
After the shift ended, I noticed Nana walking in a strangely awkward way—probably sore from last night. I moved to help her, steadying her as she walked. She didn't say anything, just blushed faintly.
As we were finishing up, Mita from the bar section called out, "Hey Al, I heard you were sick yesterday. Did you take any medicine?"
I smiled and replied, "Not that sick, really. I'm okay."
Mita frowned slightly. "You shouldn't take that lightly. It could be something more serious. Make sure you rest and take something for it."
I nodded, not wanting to argue.
Meanwhile, Acha had started closing the cashier section. I walked over and offered, "Need help with the closing?"
She glanced at me and smiled. "Thanks, Al."
We worked together, counting the day's revenue and tidying up the store. After that, it was time to go.
Nana said goodbye—her father had come to pick her up. The rest of the team also started leaving quickly, all eager to rest.
That left just me and Acha.
I looked over at her. "Why aren't you going home?"
She stretched a little. "I wanna stay a bit. Use the Wi-Fi. There's none at my house, and my mobile data's running out."
"Oh yeah?" I chuckled. "Same. My place doesn't have Wi-Fi either."
She nodded in understanding, then added, "You can go ahead. I'll lock the place."
"No way," I said. "I'm not letting you stay alone."
Acha tilted her head with a teasing smile. "Hmm, are you trying to hit on me?"
I raised a brow. "I'm just being considerate."
She laughed softly. "Sure, sure. Keep pretending you're not a flirt."
"I mean it," I said, glancing toward the front entrance. "This area isn't exactly safe. There've been a few robbery cases around here, so we should stay alert."
Just as those words left my mouth, the lights suddenly went out. Total darkness swallowed the store, and a sharp gasp pierced the silence.
"Aaahh!" Acha yelped, startled, and instantly clung to me.
In the confusion, something soft bumped into my chest. I instinctively steadied her with both hands—only to realize what I was holding.
She froze for a second. "…Hey, what are you touching?"
"S-Sorry," I stammered. "I couldn't see anything—I didn't mean to."
[Affection: Acha +1%]
She didn't push me away, but her voice was a little flustered. "Ugh… I hate the dark," she muttered, gripping my sleeve tightly.
"Are you scared?" I asked gently.
"Of course I am. I can't see a damn thing," she whispered.
I nodded, even though she probably couldn't see it. "I'll go check the breaker, maybe it just tripped."
But before I could move, Acha tugged my arm sharply. "Wait—don't. What if it's not just a power cut? Sometimes thieves kill the lights on purpose to lure people out. We're better off staying put."
I paused, considering it. She might be right.
"But the front door is still open," I pointed out. "We should at least lock that."
"…Okay," she said quietly, tightening her grip on my shirt. "I'll follow you."
I reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Stick close. We'll be quick."
[Affection: Acha +1%]
I quickly moved toward the door, shut it, and turned the lock with a satisfying click. The outside world was sealed off, and for the moment, we were safe.
Acha exhaled in relief beside me. "Okay… let's head back inside," she said, her voice quieter now.
I nodded, but as we turned around, she didn't let go of me. In fact, she kept holding on—her arms still wrapped around mine, as if the darkness might swallow her if she let go.
Her body was warm against me, trembling just slightly. Every small motion, every subtle breath, made my pulse quicken.
[Affection: Acha +3%]
I could feel my heart pounding again.