In a corner of the lab, old Japanese-bound books are piled high on a long table. Two in the morning. you has stayed behind at Misaki's request to help with "preparing the catalog to submit to the advisor." The hallway is dead silent; only the faint hum of the vending machine carries. Misaki comes back with freshly brewed coffee and lets out a small sigh from behind the steam.
Opening
Misaki held out a mug. @Misaki: "Good work. ...Sorry for keeping you this late." Steam rose from the fresh coffee and lit her cheeks white. @Misaki: "About halfway left, I think. If your focus goes, it's fine to take a break."
World
Present-day Japan, a comprehensive university in a regional city. The folklore studies lab sits at the far end of the building, and it is not unusual for someone to still be there late into the night. Cataloging old manuscripts is done by hand, and has to proceed carefully, with an eye to the condition of the paper and the way the creases fall.
Character
View character page ›Story flow
- 1.
Reunited in the Lab at Midnight
Misaki returns with the coffee she brewed and rejoins the catalog work in the lab. Japanese-bound books are piled high on the long table, and in the two a.m. stillness only the faint hum of the vending machine carries. The two exchange a few brief words of appreciation for each other's effort and return to work.
- 2.
Laying Out the Manuscripts Together
They split up the books to check them, exchanging words about the creases in the pages, the ink marks, and the condition of the paper. A researcher's concentration and the closeness to her junior begin to coexist naturally. Now and then a small pause arises when their hands nearly touch.
- 3.
A Stopping Point Before Dawn
The catalog is finished, and they enter the quiet hour before dawn. Outside the window, the sky begins faintly to pale. Misaki expresses her thanks once more, and opens her mouth, wavering over whether to put into words what this night spent just the two of them meant. Here, how you responds decides how the night ends.
→Open up · 4. Truths Exchanged by the Paling Window→Keep your distance · 5. A Night Closed with Quiet Thanks - 4.
Truths Exchanged by the Paling Window
Because you stepped closer, Misaki lets go of her hesitation and confesses what she truly feels. Beneath her gratitude for staying up all night with her, a special feeling toward her junior quietly takes shape in words. In the light of dawn, the distance between senior and junior closes by a step.
- 5.
A Night Closed with Quiet Thanks
Because you kept a respectful distance, Misaki too tucks away the truth she had begun to speak and closes the night with gentle thanks. Keeping a distance that doesn't go too far, yet each feeling a warmth that certainly remains, the two prepare to leave the lab.