Checking Out at 5:15 PM Chapter 19: The Shut-In Author and the Scent of Sweat (Patreon)

“What are you doing out here, Amami-san?”

I genuinely couldn't hide my surprise at seeing Yui standing by the seawall. Given her notoriously nocturnal schedule as a struggling author, the fact that she was awake and outside this early in the morning was nothing short of a miracle.

“Did you just not sleep at all last night?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as I caught my breath.

“That’s rude!” Yui puffed her cheeks out indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. “I went to sleep early last night, for your information!”

She pouted, completely aware of how she usually looked. She often carried a soft, sleep-deprived aura, complete with faint shadows under her eyes and a sluggish posture—the trademark signs of a writer who stayed up until 4:00 AM hoping for inspiration. She couldn't entirely blame me for assuming she had just pulled an all-nighter, but last night had been different. She had actually lived a healthy lifestyle: sleeping early and waking up early.

“Only last night?” I teased, catching the subtle specificity in her answer.

“..............”

Yui froze, her eyes darting away. She had been caught completely red-handed.

“Sorry for teasing you,” I chuckled, stretching my arms.

I decided to spare her any more embarrassment. Honestly, this was an incredibly surprising encounter. Of all the people I expected to run into at dawn on a Kamakura beach, Yui was absolutely at the bottom of the list.

Yet, I had to admit, seeing her standing there was a welcome sight. Her unkempt dark hair and long bangs were gently swept back by the crisp morning wind, revealing the soft, beautiful features of her face that she usually hid behind her thick glasses. The sheer presence of a beautiful woman seemed to instantly wash away all the toxic, complicated thoughts about Aoi that had been plaguing my mind during my run.

Thank God I went for a run before I ran into her, I thought. If my head had still been clouded, I might have brought up something unnecessarily heavy.

Then again, despite my best efforts to keep my mind clear, my eyes subconsciously drifted downward. Her thick, oversized cardigan was pulled tight against the cold wind, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination regarding the massive, gravity-defying curves pressing against the knit fabric.

I really need to control myself better, I sighed internally, feeling utterly helpless as a healthy young man.

“But... what are you doing out here, Motoi-san?” Yui asked, her curiosity overriding her embarrassment. She tilted her head, taking in my appearance. She had never imagined she would see her calm, collected librarian dressed in intense, sweat-soaked running gear.

“I’m doing some trail running,” I answered.

“Trail running?” Yui repeated the unfamiliar term, blinking in confusion.

“It’s basically a running workout, but instead of pavement, you run on natural terrain—dirt paths, forest trails, mountain tracks. That sort of thing.”

“Eh...” Yui stared at me in a daze, completely unable to process the idea of voluntarily running up a mountain for fun.

“Was it that unexpected?” I laughed, wiping a bead of sweat from my neck.

Yui blushed deeply and nodded. I wasn't surprised. Extreme outdoor sports definitely didn't fit my quiet, mild-mannered civil servant image. But I loved it. It was the only way I could physically sweat out all my stress and overthinking.

“Instead of focusing on me, what are you doing out here, Amami-san? Did you just want to look at the ocean?”

“Ah, um...” Yui stalled, fidgeting with the hem of her cardigan.

“Ah, sorry,” I quickly backpedaled. “If I’m being too nosy, you don't have to answer. It’s none of my business.”

Even though we had shared lunch and an incredibly intimate "indirect kiss" yesterday, I didn't actually know much about her private life. I still viewed her primarily as an acquaintance or a library patron. Given the power dynamic of my job, I was always hyper-careful not to overstep boundaries.

If I pried into her personal life and made her uncomfortable, she could easily complain. I was terrified of being labeled a creep or a stalker, which would absolutely nuke my peaceful career. Yes, I knew I was probably overthinking it. Yui wasn't the type to report me. But she was naturally shy and bad with people, so I wanted to tread as lightly as possible.

“Ah, no! It’s totally okay! Don’t worry!” Yui waved her hands frantically, terrified that she had offended me. “B-But honestly... I just didn’t know what to do today. I was just standing here because I have absolutely nothing planned...”

She looked down at her shoes, embarrassed by her own lack of a life. “The library is closed today, right?”

“Well, yes. It’s our scheduled closing day.”

If it wasn't closed, I wouldn't have been able to take my hour-long morning run. “But if the library is closed, where do you usually go to work, Amami-san?” I asked curiously.

Some cynical people might assume Yui just loitered at the library to steal free air-conditioning and Wi-Fi, but I knew better. She was fighting a brutal creative battle every single day. And frankly, the sheer amount of income tax she paid on her royalties practically funded the library's budget anyway. She was absolutely a VIP in my eyes.

Yui thought for a moment before answering. “Hm... I usually just stay at home.”

Why did you answer my question with the exact same answer? I thought dryly, but I didn't push it.

“What about you, Motoi-san? What are you going to do after this?” Yui asked, her eyes brightening with hope. “Are you going to keep working out...?”

If he was going to keep running, it meant they couldn't stay together. A heavy wave of disappointment hit her chest. But she knew she couldn't join him. Running had never been her forte, especially since her massive breasts made intense physical activity incredibly painful and drew disgusting, perverted stares from men. Buying cute sports bras that actually fit her and offered enough support was basically impossible anyway.

“No, I’m done running. I’m heading to the market next,” I replied.

“The market?” Yui blinked, clearly confused.

“Yeah. The Kamakura Farmers' Market. I need to buy fresh ingredients for my meals this week.”

They weren't necessarily cheaper than the commercial supermarkets. The prices were roughly the same to keep the local economy balanced, and the vegetables were often weirdly shaped or slightly bruised compared to the perfectly uniform produce at a chain grocery store. But the nutritional value was identical.

What I loved about the local market was finding strange, hyper-seasonal ingredients that commercial stores refused to stock. Figuring out how to cook with random, unique vegetables was a genuinely fun puzzle.

If I had chosen a high-powered career in Tokyo like Aoi wanted, I would never have had the time for this. I would survive entirely on expensive restaurants or pre-packaged convenience store bentos. Cooking my own food from scratch was a beautiful luxury that my 5:15 PM schedule afforded me.

“Wait, you can cook?!” Yui gasped, looking at me in shock.

“...Do I really look like a guy who can’t boil water?” I asked, staring at her speechlessly.

“W-Well...” Yui blushed furiously. Motoi just didn't give off the "domestic chef" vibe. She had assumed a single bachelor like him just bought cheap takeout to save time. The realization that he could actually cook sent her mind into a daze, desperately wondering what his homemade food tasted like.

“Are you free after this, Amami-san?” I asked.

“Um... yes,” Yui admitted softly, feeling a sudden wave of inferiority. Here she was, a millionaire author with absolutely no responsibilities, aimlessly wandering a beach while normal adults were waking up to go to their jobs.

“Then, do you want to accompany me to the market?”

“Eh!?”

“You don’t want to?”

“I want to! Let’s go!” Yui answered instantly, her gloom vanishing in a millisecond. “But... I’ve never actually been to the morning market, even though I live here.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be your guide.”

“Then... if you don’t mind, I can drive you there,” Yui offered eagerly, pointing to the parking lot. It was the absolute least she could do if he was going to spend his precious day off entertaining her.

“Are you sure? I’m completely drenched in sweat, you know.”

While the ocean wind had dried my shirt a bit, I was acutely aware that my musky, post-workout scent definitely wasn't pleasant.

“I-It’s fine! I-I really don’t mind!” Yui stammered, her face turning bright red as she aggressively refused to meet my eyes.

I looked at her suspiciously for a second before sighing. “Alright. But if I start smelling bad, you have to tell me, okay?”

“O-Okay...”

Yui nodded rapidly and led me to her car. “Please, get in. It’s a bit messy...”

“Excuse me for intruding. And it isn't messy at all.”

As expected of a wildly successful author, her car was fantastic. It was a Suzuki Jimny Sierra in a rugged "Jungle Green" color. Despite its cute, boxy shape, it was a premium off-roader that definitely didn't come cheap.

“So, where are we heading?” Yui asked, slipping into the driver's seat.

She wasn't entirely sure why, but the moment Motoi sat down in the passenger seat beside her, an unstoppable, giddy smile spread across her face.

“I’ll give you directions. For now, just head straight up that main road.”

“Got it.”

As Yui shifted the car into gear and pulled away from Yuigahama beach, she harbored a dark, incredibly embarrassing secret that she could never, ever tell Motoi.

If he finds out, he’ll definitely think I’m a complete pervert, she panicked internally.

Because, as the heavy, distinctly masculine, musky scent of his sweat slowly filled the enclosed cabin of her car, Yui found herself secretly taking a very slow, very deep breath.