Checking Out at 5:15 PM Chapter 42: The First Step Forward (Patreon)

“Thank you for stepping up and taking on this trouble, Motoi.”

Misaki stood by my side in the employee parking lot behind the library, genuinely thanking me for volunteering.

“No, it’s completely fine, Kacho,” I replied smoothly, wiping my hands on a cloth. “Should I go back inside and help them load the inventory, though?”

There were several heavy plastic crates of curated books that needed to be lifted and physically loaded into the back of the van. I was just standing near the brightly colored truck after finishing the standard mechanical pre-check. Since I currently had nothing to do, I figured I should probably help the senior staff cross-check the inventory list.

“No, absolutely not. Let them handle the physical labor,” Misaki scoffed, her tone dripping with disappointment toward her senior staff. “If they mess up the inventory sheet, the responsibility is entirely on their heads.”

She was completely exasperated by the older coworkers who had actively shirked responsibility the moment an unexpected crisis hit. She might not be able to force them to take on the driving route, but their cowardly reaction was incredibly disappointing. Meanwhile, Motoi—the youngest rookie in the building—had effortlessly stepped up and solved the crisis.

Well, isn't this normal? I thought to myself.

Our qualifications and career mentalities were fundamentally different. While driving a massive commercial van through narrow coastal roads might be a terrifying task for an aging, introverted cataloger, it wasn't a problem for me. People just had different strengths.

“But... are you absolutely sure it’s okay for you to handle this route alone?” Misaki asked again, her maternal instinct kicking in. She was genuinely worried about sending her subordinate out unsupervised.

“It’s perfectly fine.”

My answer was completely at ease. Frankly, taking the bookmobile route was an incredibly easy shift. I just had to drive the speed limit, park in designated spots, and wait. How many patrons were actually going to borrow books in an isolated, rural neighborhood in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon?

At best? Two. Maybe one.

The numbers would be abysmally low. But that was perfectly normal. In the modern era, the percentage of adults who actively read physical books for pleasure was dropping. Plus, most able-bodied adults were currently at work.

Yet, even if only one single elderly patron walked up to the van, they were still a precious taxpayer. Everyone deserved equal, fair access to the library's resources.

As for the school stop? That might be slightly more chaotic given the sheer volume of hyperactive kids, but I figured I would survive. More importantly, the local teachers were contractually obligated to act as volunteers to help maintain order inside the van.

“I had the chance to ride along and shadow Sato-san during my first week of training, so don’t worry, Kacho,” I reassured her with a gentle smile.

“Just don’t panic if you make a mistake,” Misaki said, handing me a laminated clipboard. “Here is the official route map. Do not deviate from it.”

“Understood. If I run into any serious trouble, I’ll call you immediately.”

“You have my direct number, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then—” Misaki hesitated, biting her lower lip.

“I’ll be fine, Kacho.”

“...I know that.”

Misaki knew perfectly well that she could trust Motoi’s competence. Yet, she had to admit, a small, selfish part of her deeply desired to hop into the passenger seat and go on the route with him.

Yeah, supervising the bookmobile is technically my administrative duty, too...

When she rationalized it like that, she realized there was no professional reason to hesitate. She could just climb into the passenger seat right now! The two of them could completely escape the stressful, bureaucratic nightmare of the main office and go on a peaceful, scenic drive through Kamakura together—

“Kacho! There’s an error on these procurement documents that you need to authorize immediately!”

“Kacho, what is the status of the budget reallocation for the adult fiction section?!”

“Kacho, the children's section is completely out of hand...!”

“....................”

Misaki took a slow, deep breath, desperately trying to suppress the violent urge to scream as the senior staff completely surrounded her in the parking lot.

“Do your best, Kacho,” I offered a helpless, sympathetic smile.

I actually felt bad for her. I had secretly hoped she would come with me, too. It would have been incredibly fun to skip work and convince her to stop at a secret, seaside food stall along the route.

It was highly unprofessional to suggest an unauthorized detour in a government vehicle, but as a healthy man, I just couldn't help the urge to tempt my gorgeous, strict boss into doing something slightly naughty.

But since Misaki was trapped, who was going to accompany me?

Would I take Reiko, the charming, 39-year-old F-cup housewife?

Absolutely not. If I took her, there was a dangerously high probability we would end up "resting" at a certain secluded lodging. Then again, even if Reiko actively tried to seduce me, I knew perfectly well that I wouldn't do anything stupid during an official shift. Besides, the bookmobile was equipped with a GPS tracker. If I took a detour to a love hotel, City Hall would fire me before the engine even cooled down.

“Do your best out there, Motoi.”

Misaki offered me a rare, breathtakingly gentle smile—one she specifically reserved only for me—before she spun around. The soft aura instantly vanished, and she transformed back into the terrifying "Iron Lady," barking orders and sending the senior staff scurrying in terror.

“Don’t waste my time. Hurry up!”

“Y-Yes!”

As she turned, I couldn't help but notice the elegant curve of her white, smooth nape completely exposed by her tight bun, and the sharp, professional sway of her hips beneath her tailored skirt.

I quickly forced my eyes away.

Let’s just focus on work.

I stopped thinking about inappropriate things and finished the mechanical check on the van while the staff loaded the final crates of books into the back. Just as I slammed the rear doors shut, a flash of movement in my peripheral vision caught my eye.

Someone was hiding in the shadows near the staff exit, peeking nervously in my direction.

I tried to ignore it, assuming it was just a shy patron, but the size of that bosom beneath the dark, oversized cardigan was unmistakable.

“Amami-san?”

“Ah, um! I-I am so sorry!”

Discovered, Yui stumbled out of the shadows, frantically bowing and apologizing.

“No, it’s completely fine. You don’t have to worry, Amami-san.”

“Are you... going somewhere, Motoi-san?”

While Yui felt incredibly guilty for creeping around the staff-only parking lot, her overwhelming curiosity had gotten the better of her. She stared up at the massive, brightly colored bookmobile. The sides of the commercial van were painted with vibrant murals of books and a giant picture of the library's official mascot: a cartoon squirrel wearing oversized reading glasses.

“Is that... Ratamaru-kun?” she asked softly.

“It is,” I nodded, looking fondly at the mascot.

Ratamaru-kun was a brilliant municipal marketing creation. The design was a hybrid. It was based primarily on the Pallas's squirrel (Taiwan risu)—an invasive but undeniably cute species frequently seen running along the telephone wires in Kamakura. But conceptually, it was based on Ratatoskr, the mythical squirrel from Norse mythology who scurried up and down the world tree, Yggdrasil, carrying messages.

To bring knowledge to the people.

That was the underlying philosophy of the mascot. Why was a mascot necessary? Simply put, it made the imposing, silent library far more approachable for children and families. Whenever a kid saw Ratamaru-kun, they instantly thought of the library, driving up municipal foot traffic and justifying our annual budget.

But marketing strategies aside, I was genuinely glad to see Yui standing up straight. Without her usual defensive hunch, she was undeniably gorgeous.

Her thick, dark hair cascaded heavily down her back. Her thick-rimmed glasses had slipped slightly down her pointy nose, making her look incredibly cute and endearing. But without a doubt, her most dangerous feature was the dramatic, hourglass curve of her body, which she was currently failing to hide beneath a baggy, dark dress and an oversized cardigan.

Despite her aggressive attempts to look frumpy and invisible, I had to admit she was naturally, effortlessly beautiful.

“Did you finish your writing for the day, Amami-san?” I asked casually.

“Ah?!”

The casual question violently threw her off balance. She flinched, her eyes widening in pure panic.

“I’m sorry,” I quickly apologized, misinterpreting her reaction. “I just saw you inside earlier, typing incredibly intensely. I assumed you hit a good stopping point.”

I thought she just didn't like people watching her work process.

“I-I see...”

Yui let out a shaky, massive sigh of relief. Motoi had absolutely no idea what she had been writing.

If he actually knew the content of her frantic typing session, she would never be able to show her face in this library again. If she had just been writing a normal, vanilla romance, it would have been fine. But she knew exactly how scummy, dark, and aggressively erotic her distorted draft was. It was a miracle Motoi didn't know he was the main character.

“I-I’m just taking a short break,” Yui stammered, desperate to change the subject. “But more importantly... are you actually driving this bookmobile, Motoi-san?”

“I am,” I nodded, patting the side of the van. “I’m taking over the Kamakura coastal and inland route for the afternoon.”

“Ah... is that really okay? Do you know how to drive it?” Yui asked, her eyes darting between me and the massive vehicle.

“Don’t worry. I have the proper license class. And the job itself is incredibly easy. I’m doing the exact same circulation work, just sitting inside a van instead of standing behind a desk.”

“I see... so, you won’t be in the library at all for the rest of the day...”

Yui’s voice dropped, laced with heavy, undeniable disappointment. She had finally gathered the terrifying courage to leave her desk and actively seek him out to talk, only to discover he was leaving the building entirely.

“Hmm...”

I looked down at her gloomy posture. I knew it was a sudden, incredibly unorthodox idea, but before my brain could filter my words, the offer slipped out.

“Do you want to come with me?”

“Eh?” Yui froze, her head snapping up. She looked completely stunned. “...Is that actually allowed?”

Beneath the thick lenses of her glasses, I could see a brilliant, unmistakable glimmer of pure excitement shining in her eyes.

“Yes, it is.”

I honestly hadn't expected her to agree so quickly. But at the same time, I thought this might be a good opportunity for her. If she was truly trying to break her creative slump, she needed new experiences. Escaping her dark, isolated corner and experiencing the outside world was exactly the kind of stimulus a writer needed.

“You can just register at the front desk as a community volunteer to follow me,” I offered smoothly.

“...What about your coworker?”

Yui hesitated, biting her lip. While the idea of going on the bookmobile with Motoi was incredibly exciting, if there was a senior librarian or a male driver inside the van, she would immediately back out. With her severe social anxiety, she knew she couldn't comfortably make small talk with a stranger in a confined space.

The only person in the entire world she felt completely safe talking to was Motoi.

“There is no coworker,” I replied, unlocking the passenger door. “I’m completely alone today.”

“Eh?”

“Don’t worry. The workload is light. There will probably only be one or two elderly patrons at the neighborhood stops. And when we hit the local school, the teachers are going to act as volunteers to help, too.”

“Eh? We’re going to a local school?”

“Just one. An elementary school deep in the Nikaido district.”

“Nikaido...”

Yui recognized the name. Nikaido was a famously quiet, wealthy, deeply forested inland area in eastern Kamakura. It was secluded and beautiful.

“So, do you want to go?” I asked softly, holding the heavy passenger door open for her.

“.....................”

The thought of essentially going on a scenic, private drive with him was a scenario she had never even dared to daydream about. She knew she lacked the courage to ever invite him out herself. And waiting for another miraculous coincidence—like bumping into him during his morning run—was impossible.

If she actually wanted to get closer to him, she realized she had to do something terrifying.

She had to take a step forward.

Yui took a deep breath, looked up at him, and offered a firm, determined nod.

“Yes. I want to go.”

And with those simple words, for the very first time in her life, Amami Yui finally took the initiative.