The sound of clinking glasses and low murmurs filled Manna’s Kitchen, but sothing was off. The restaurant had closed earlier than usual—because of him.
I stood near the kitchen, watching Keiko sit across from the boss, her posture unnaturally stiff. His fingers tapped against the table lazily, a smirk plastered across his face as he spoke to her.
"Aki... how is the boss?" I asked, lowering my voice.
Aki, who had been here for over a year, leaned closer and whispered, "Honestly, I don't know much. He rarely cos here. This is only the third ti I’ve seen him. But every ti he does show up, he only ever wants to talk to Keiko."
I frowned, watching as Keiko let out a forced laugh, her eyes darting toward the exit for just a second. It was quick, but I caught it.
"Sothing’s going on between them, right?" I asked.
Aki sighed, crossing her arms. "Yeah… but Keiko never talks about it. I just have this feeling—like she’s afraid of him."
That was all I needed to hear. A bitter feeling swirled inside , and before I could stop myself, my hands clenched into fists.
Keiko looked… trapped.
---
The clock struck closing hour, yet the boss remained seated, still chatting with Keiko.
"Damn it, he's taking forever," Ruka muttered from behind the counter.
"Poor Keiko," Miko sighed. "She looks exhausted."
Aki groaned, rubbing her temples. "I had plans after work! But nope, here I am, being held hostage in my own damn job."
I looked at the others and asked, "Can't we remind them that it's closing ti?"
The three of them stared at as if I had just suggested sothing insane.
Miko leaned in. "Uh, you can try, but it depends on the boss’s mood. If he’s in a bad one, well…" She dragged her finger across her throat in a slitting motion.
Okay. So, worst-case scenario? I get yelled at. Punched? Maybe even fired. Big deal. I wasn’t afraid of guys like him.
I squared my shoulders, ignoring the other staff's silent attempts to not cheer on as I approached the boss’s table.
Every step closer made my skin crawl.
And then I saw it—his hand.
It was on Keiko’s.
Tightly.
A surge of disgust ran through .
I took a deep breath and cleared my throat.
"Excuse ."
Keiko turned her head quickly, her eyes widening slightly. The boss, however, barely spared a glance.
"What is it, new kid?" he asked, irritation lacing his voice.
I exhaled slowly, forcing a polite tone. "I just wanted to let you know that the restaurant is closing."
The boss finally turned to look at , his sharp eyes narrowing as if I had personally insulted him.
"So what?" he scoffed. "I own this place. You all work for ."
His words made my blood boil. People like him—so used to power, so used to getting whatever they wanted—disgusted .
"But—" I started, only for Keiko to quickly step in.
"Boss," she said gently, her voice smooth yet calculated, "it’s getting late. If we stay longer, we’d have to pay overti wages, and that would break labor laws." She smiled. "I wouldn’t want that to be a problem for you."
She was good.
Really good.
The boss seed to consider her words, clicking his tongue before finally leaning back. "Hmph. You’re right."
I let out a quiet breath of relief.
Then, he smiled.
"Let’s go sowhere else, then."
Keiko’s expression barely faltered, but I caught it. That slight hesitation.
"...Okay," she finally said.
Wait—what?
Go where?
I watched as the boss got up, fixing his expensive suit while his assistant trailed behind him.
As Keiko stood up, she turned to and whispered, "Ryuko, close up with the others. I’ll handle this."
Handle what?
I felt a deep, gut-wrenching sense of unease.
Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed her wrist.
She gasped softly, surprised.
Her hand was trembling.
"Are you sure?" I asked quietly.
She tilted her head slightly, forcing a smile. "What do you an?"
I could see it in her eyes.
She was lying.
Before I could say anything else, the boss’s impatient voice cut through the air.
"Keiko! Hurry up!"
She gently pulled her hand from my grip.
"I have to go, Ryuko," she said softly. "Thanks for your help tonight."
And then she walked away.
The heavy restaurant doors swung open, and she stepped outside.
Sothing felt wrong.
Really wrong.
As I stood there, frozen, Aki, Miko, and Ruka slowly walked up behind .
"That was weird, right?" Ruka muttered.
"Super weird," Miko added.
Aki placed a hand on my shoulder. "Ryuko… we can’t do anything about it."
I clenched my fists.
Like hell, I couldn’t.
As the doors shut behind Keiko, I made a decision.
I wasn’t going to let this go.
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