The sound of clinking gsses and low murmurs filled Manna’s Kitchen, but something 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 zily, a smirk pstered 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 comes here. This is only the third time I’ve seen him. But every time he does show up, he only ever wants to talk to Keiko."

  I frowned, watching as Keiko let out a forced ugh, her eyes darting toward the exit for just a second. It was quick, but I caught it.

  "Something’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 me, 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 pns 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 time?"

  The three of them stared at me as if I had just suggested something 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 me 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 me.

  I took a deep breath and cleared my throat.

  "Excuse me."

  Keiko turned her head quickly, her eyes widening slightly. The boss, however, barely spared me a gnce.

  "What is it, new kid?" he asked, irritation cing 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 me, his sharp eyes narrowing as if I had personally insulted him.

  "So what?" he scoffed. "I own this pce. You all work for me."

  His words made my blood boil. People like him—so used to power, so used to getting whatever they wanted—disgusted me.

  "But—" I started, only for Keiko to quickly step in.

  "Boss," she said gently, her voice smooth yet calcuted, "it’s getting te. If we stay longer, we’d have to pay overtime wages, and that would break bor ws." She smiled. "I wouldn’t want that to be a problem for you."

  She was good.

  Really good.

  The boss seemed 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 somewhere 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 me 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 mean?"

  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.

  Something felt wrong.

  Really wrong.

  As I stood there, frozen, Aki, Miko, and Ruka slowly walked up behind me.

  "That was weird, right?" Ruka muttered.

  "Super weird," Miko added.

  Aki pced 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.