Checking Out at 5:15 PM Chapter 33: The Venus Flytrap and the 5:15 PM Promise (Patreon)

Women are incredibly troublesome, yet I couldn’t deny their absolute charm.

Even as I walked away from the staff room to return to my desk, my pulse was still slightly elevated. It was difficult not to be completely swayed by the physical temptations of the women I worked with.

If I was being completely honest, there was a selfish corner of my mind arguing that I didn't need to take these temptations so seriously. If an attractive woman was actively throwing herself at me, why exactly was I fighting so hard to refuse?

Especially since the woman aggressively testing my boundaries today was a married housewife.

Wait. That is a bad idea.

If I wanted a peaceful, stable life, actively seeking out a romantic relationship was already a risky gamble. But having an illicit affair with a bored, married Kamakura housewife? That was practically a guaranteed ticket to getting stabbed, losing my job, or getting completely destroyed in a scandalous legal battle.

Yet, some men had unique, terrifying fetishes that I would never understand. And as I thought about that, my mind involuntarily drifted back to Reiko’s chilling words yesterday—when she casually mentioned that her husband wouldn't mind if I made a move.

“What exactly are you thinking about with such a serious face?”

“..................”

My heart completely stopped. I looked down, instantly recognizing the sharp, beautiful face of my former girlfriend.

“Nothing,” I replied instantly, forcing my face back into a perfect mask of civil-servant boredom. “I was just surprised to see you here.”

“Really? Weren’t you just standing there in absolute awe of my beauty?”

Aoi was as completely, unashamedly narcissistic as ever. Yet, looking at her, I honestly couldn't argue. She was undeniably breathtaking. If she stood on a street corner in Tokyo, men would likely line up just to have the chance to court her.

But I knew her better than anyone. I knew that beneath her polished, elite PR persona, it was incredibly difficult for her to actually open her heart and trust someone. Knowing that made me feel a complicated mix of worry and deep, selfish relief. I worried because I knew finding someone who truly understood her would be difficult. But I was relieved because I knew it would likely take a very long time for her to find a new boyfriend.

It was pathetic of me not to completely wish for my ex-girlfriend’s immediate happiness. But men are inherently petty creatures. If I didn't feel at least a pang of selfish jealousy, then my feelings for her over the last few years would have just been a lie—proof that I was only with her because I had been lonely in university, impulsively dating the first beautiful woman who gave me attention.

But it wasn't a lie. I had truly loved her.

“You got here early,” I noted, completely ignoring her narcissistic bait.

“Of course I did! Your library is going to become my most frequent client, after all!” Aoi hummed happily. “I am patiently waiting for Kacho to approve millions of yen in bulk book orders from me!”

“......................”

There were a dozen sarcastic things I wanted to say, but I held my tongue. As sneaky and manipulative as her sales tactics appeared, I knew firsthand how incredibly brutal the PR industry was. Working for a massive publishing conglomerate was a pressure cooker that actively drove people insane. If you couldn't hit your massive sales quotas, the company would ruthlessly throw you aside. So, I never judged how aggressively she pushed her pitches.

“If you’re here for business, then you need to speak to my boss, not me,” I said professionally. “Let’s go meet Kacho now.”

“Okay!”

Aoi nodded readily. We were both working adults; being professional meant prioritizing our jobs so we could finish early and actually rest.

“You’re still planning to clock out exactly at 5:15 PM today, right?” Aoi asked, falling into step beside me.

“I am.” I shot her a sideways glance. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing~!” Aoi grinned, a terrifying, mischievous spark in her eye. “I just really want you to do the silly pigeon voice for me again and read Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus~!”

“.................”

“Please, let me drive the bus!” she mimicked the book perfectly, fluttering her eyelashes at me.

“...Do you enjoy torturing me?”

“You’re so cute when you're embarrassed~!”

“....................”

I took a deep, steadying breath to calm the sudden, violent spike in my blood pressure. Back in university, if she teased me like this, I could just pull her close, kiss her lips, and physically shut her up. Now, that option was completely off the table.

“I still have a mountain of paperwork to finish before I clock out. Let’s talk about dinner after my shift ends.”

“Roger that!”

“Is it actually okay for you to wait around for hours? You’ll just be wasting your time. Or do you plan to take a sightseeing trip around the city?”

That was one of the few perks of being on an elite sales team. Once you finished your client meetings during a long-distance business trip, the rest of the day was practically yours to expense and enjoy.

“I’ll probably wander around and scout the local cafes to see if there are any opportunities for secondary sales pitches in the area,” Aoi reasoned analytically.

Her ambition was truly terrifying. If she could successfully lock down a massive municipal library contract, she could easily pivot to pitch the other libraries in Kamakura. Then, she could target local internet cafes that needed massive manga shipments, prestigious private schools with bloated educational budgets, or even trendy book cafes.

“Just don’t force yourself,” I warned softly. “You clearly haven't slept enough, right?”

“Ugh!”

Aoi quickly brought a manicured hand up to hover near her eyes, careful not to smudge her expensive eyeliner. “Is it really showing on my face? I layered my makeup perfectly this morning!”

“No, nothing is showing. Your makeup is absolutely perfect,” I assured her, my tone softening. “It’s just... knowing you, I can easily tell you stayed up all night finalizing the formatting on those invoices for Kacho.”

Aoi pouted, her heart doing a frustrating flip in her chest. She felt completely exposed. But then again, they had dated for years. Motoi practically knew everything about her—including the exact texture of her bare skin.

She violently shoved the inappropriate thought aside, terrified it would make her slip into a dark, melancholic mood. And honestly, she was also slightly angry.

Why?

Because unlike her, who was constantly, painfully haunted by their past, Motoi seemed to have effortlessly moved on. He didn't look like he was struggling with regret at all. It was incredibly unfair that she was the only one secretly hurting.

If she had the power, she wanted to make him feel such intense, crushing regret that he would fall to his knees and cry like a baby. But fortunately for him, she was an elegant, mature woman with a heart as vast as the Pacific Ocean.

She quickly composed herself, tilting her chin up. “You are exactly right. I am always perfect. Don’t worry about me. Though, it seems you really can’t forget about me, considering how intensely you're analyzing my face, right~?”

“.....................”

I let out a heavy, internal sigh. Dealing with her overconfidence was exhausting. “You already know where Kacho’s office is. Or should I formally escort you?”

“Please escort me. It would be incredibly suspicious if a PR rep just randomly waltzed into the private administrative backrooms without a staff member by her side.”

She was right. Even though she had secured a previous deal, she was still a corporate outsider.

“Okay. But by the way, who actually let you through the staff doors just now?” I asked curiously.

“Oh, the woman with the massive boobs who practically suffocated you with a hug after your reading session,” Aoi replied smoothly, flashing me a coy, incredibly knowing smile. “Tell me, Shizuku... did they feel nice? The soft, heavy breasts of a married woman must have been absolute heaven, right?”

“...What the hell are you talking about? Do you honestly think I’m that kind of scumbag?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

“..................”

If Misaki or Yui had accused me of that, they would just be guessing. But Aoi? We had spent years together. She knew every dark, primal instinct buried in my brain—including things I barely admitted to myself.

She knew perfectly well that the soft, gentle warmth of a 39-year-old married woman pressing against me had felt incredibly nice. But I was taking that terrifying truth to my grave.

“Though, I know perfectly well that you were the passive one in that situation,” Aoi added, her eyes gleaming.

“Are you actively trying to mock me right now?” I asked flatly. I knew I had frozen like a deer in headlights during Reiko's hug.

“No, not at all! I actually think your passive nature is your strongest weapon,” Aoi smirked mischievously. “You are an incredibly dangerous, passive predator. Like a carnivorous plant that simply exudes a sweet scent and waits patiently for the prey to throw themselves directly into its mouth.”

I stared at her in total silence.

She was probably entirely correct. To Aoi, I was basically a human Venus flytrap—exuding a calm, reliable, completely unthreatening aura that naturally attracted silly, unsuspecting bugs who happily flew straight into my jaws to be swallowed whole.

Well, Aoi was definitely a silly bug who flew into my trap once, I thought defensively.

Aoi sighed, looking at my annoyingly calm, handsome face. She knew exactly why those bored Kamakura housewives were throwing themselves at the circulation desk. They were daydreaming that this quiet, intensely attractive librarian would suddenly pull them out of their miserable routines and bring a violent spark of romance to their monochrome lives.

“If you have enough free time to stand there comparing me to a bug-eating plant, you should probably be working,” I noted dryly.

“Okay, okay! I won’t bother the super-busy, highly favored Kamakura librarian anymore!”

“.............”

I sighed inwardly. Managing my ex-girlfriend’s chaotic energy was infinitely more exhausting than reading to thirty screaming toddlers.

“Still,” Aoi’s voice suddenly softened, completely dropping the teasing tone. “You really did do an incredible job reading out there today.”

“...Thanks.”

“As a reward, come a little closer to me.”

“Hmm?”

Before my brain could even process what was happening, Aoi stepped directly into my personal space. She tilted her head, leaning in as if she was about to press a soft kiss directly to my cheek.

My eyes widened in pure shock. I froze completely.

But right before her lips made contact, she suddenly stopped. The wicked, teasing smirk returned to her face in full force.

“Pervert~!”

She reached up, her soft, manicured index finger lightly tapping the tip of my nose. The sudden, intoxicating rush of her Le Labo perfume completely invaded my senses, short-circuiting my brain for two solid seconds.

“Did you seriously think I was actually going to kiss you here? Geez, you really are narcissistic~!”

“.................”

Who exactly is the narcissistic one here?!

I rolled my eyes violently, trying to ignore how fast my heart was beating. She constantly praised her own beauty, yet called me narcissistic for falling for her trap.

But as I looked down at her in annoyance, my eyes accidentally drifted. Because she had leaned so far forward to tap my nose, the collar of her crisp silk blouse had slouched open.

Gravity did the rest.

I was given a sudden, completely unobstructed view straight down her shirt. I caught the stark, beautiful contrast of her delicate white lace bra against her pale skin. And there, pushing slightly against the sheer lace, was the soft, unmistakable swell of her chest, topped with a beautiful, faint hint of pink.

My breath hitched.

Unfortunately for me, Aoi was far too observant. She instantly noticed the subtle drop in my gaze. Instead of covering up or screaming, she just sent me an incredibly naughty, knowing smile, adjusting her collar slowly to torture me.

“....Should I escort you to Kacho now?” I asked, my voice slightly strained.

“Please.”

I was incredibly grateful she decided not to loudly accuse me of staring at her chest in the middle of the hallway. Completely at her mercy, I acted as rigidly polite as possible and guided her to the back office.

I knocked twice on the heavy door and opened it.

“Kacho, the representative from K-Publishing has arrived.”

Misaki looked up from her spreadsheet, instantly slipping into her Iron Lady persona. “Oh, please send her in, Motoi.”

“Yes, Kacho.” I stepped aside, looking at Aoi. “Right this way.”

“Thank you so much for your assistance, Motoi-san,” Aoi bowed perfectly, her voice dropping an octave into pure, flawless corporate politeness.

She acted as if we were complete strangers meeting for the first time. Neither of us wanted anyone in this building to know about our romantic history.

Of course, what I didn't know was that just thirty minutes earlier, Aoi had already accidentally slipped up and confessed our entire relationship history to Yui.

“You’re welcome, Hayami-san.”

But just as Aoi brushed past me to enter the office, she leaned close to my ear.

“Don’t forget about tonight, okay~?” she whispered, her breath sending a shiver down my neck.

“....I won't.”

I closed the door behind her. I leaned back against the wall and let out a long, heavy sigh.

Yeah. For now, it seemed it was going to be completely impossible for me to escape this ex-girlfriend of mine.