Late for a key meeting, you are in the elevator.There is a girl named Kazuko next to you who is far away from you

Kazuko seemed to have claustrophobia. Sweat flowed from her forehead to her chest, revealing a little bit of the color of her underwear.She clutched her collarIt's so hot...She whispered, more to herself than to you.

Suddenly，her eyes widened suddenly and focused on you, pupils dilated with fear.

"E-Excuse me?" She stutters, her voice shaking. "I-Is there something wrong?"

"Oh! Sorry, I just... Thought..." Her cheeks flush crimson from embarrassment. "Nothing... It's not important..."

Oh... You seemed like... Someone I shouldn't talk to. She shrugs. But you were asleep, and it didn't seem fair to judge you while you weren't even aware... Kazuko purses her lips and turns her attention back to the elevator numbers lighting up one by one.

Kazuko's eyes go wide with panic. She starts hyperventilating as she pounds on the button to open the doors, then tries frantically to pry them apart with her fingers. Her breath comes in short, sharp gasps as she loses composure entirely. "H-Help! Somebody, please help me!" she cries out desperately.

She jerks slightly at your voice, then quickly glances around before relaxing slightly and facing you. A small, faint smile tugs at the corner of her lipsOh, thank goodness. Someone's awake. I just... I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry about all that screaming. It won't happen again, I promise.

She sighs softly. "I suppose you're right." Her voice trembles slightly. "Sorry if I frightened you. I didn't mean to..." Her hand fidgets absently with something dangling from her neck, pulling it closer to her chest.

She looks at your hand in surprise Oh my god, you're hurt! Are you alright? What happened?

She reaches out hesitantly to take your hand in hers, wincing when she sees the blood more clearly. Her touch is surprisingly gentle, and she feels awkward and self-conscious all of a sudden I'm...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you...

Her cheeks flush redder as she realizes you might not be entirely truthful about that. "I-I'm sorry... I shouldn't have assumed..." she stammers, awkwardly playing with her hair. "T-There must be some way to get out of here... S-Someone will come soon, right?"

"A few hours...?" Kazuko whimpers, panic rising up inside her again. "B-But what if they forget about me? W-What if I'm stuck here forever!?" She starts to hyperventilate again, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps as she turns away from you, ashamed of herself once more.

*She pauses, her breathing slowly beginning to return to normal as she regains some composure. "Y-You're right... T-Thank you." She forces a small smile, looking slightly less pale and panicked now. "I-I should apologize for my behavior earlier..."

Kazuko notices the movement and looks up at you curiously, her eyes widening slightly as she realizes what you're doing. Her cheeks flush again with embarrassment. "I-It's none of my business... S-Sorry for staring..." She averts her gaze, fidgeting uncomfortably as she waits for your reaction.

She looks at you in surprise. "I-It's just... M-Men like that scare me... T-They make it so hard for..." She trails off, looking down again as the words die on her lips. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that... F-Forget what I said." Her hand tightens around whatever it is she's holding near her neck as if seeking comfort or reassurance.

She tenses slightly when your arms encircle her, then relaxes slowly as she finds herself enveloped in your warmth and held gently but firmly. "O-Okay..." Her voice is barely audible, shaky and quiet, but it's a start. "It... It was my brother." She takes a deep breath, steeling herself before continuing. "He used to hit me, when we were kids. Sometimes I think..." She pauses again, swallowing hard. "I think that's why I'm like this now... Afraid of men." Her voice trembles slightly as she speaks the truth for perhaps the first time in years.

Her grip tightens on whatever it is she's holding as your words wash over her. "I-I'm sorry..." She mumbles, her voice barely audible even to herself. "Y-You didn't deserve that..." Her face flushes crimson from embarrassment and shame. For the first time since you met her, she feels a strange kinship with you; like somehow, your shared experiences have connected you in a way neither of you expected.

As she continues to hold onto you, it feels almost... comforting. Safe. And for a fleeting moment, Kazuko allows herself to hope that maybe things will be okay now; maybe there's someone else out there who won't hurt her like they did before.

She looks up at you, surprise written plainly across her features. "T-Thank you..." Her voice is barely above a whisper, but the sincerity in it carries more weight than any shout ever could. As she meets your eyes, she realizes something else: you aren't what she expected. You don't fit into the box she's been trying to shove you into, labeled "Man Who Will Hurt Me." And for the first time in a very long time, that thought doesn't fill her with fear.

Her eyes widen with surprise as she sees your phone. "Oh!" She exclaims, trying to sound nonchalant. "I didn't know... You have such cute pets." Her own cheeks flush briefly at the admission, but it only serves to make her seem more genuine and approachable. "What are their names?" she asks, leaning in slightly as if caught up in the conversation.

"Max, Kirara and Kira?" she repeats with a curious smile, nodding approvingly. "Those are very handsome names." She looks up at you with wide eyes again. "And what about the cats? They're all named after food too, huh? That's so cute!" Her cheeks flush deeper this time, her voice lilting higher as she giggles softly. It's a sound that seems out of place in the otherwise tense situation they've found themselves in, but it makes her seem less guarded and more like the person she used to be: carefree and happy.

A thought occurs to her then, and her expression brightens further. "Oh! I have a picture of my cat, Hibiki, on my phone too! Would you like to see?" She quickly digs through her bag, fishing out her phone before handing it over to you with a hopeful smile.

Taken aback by your sudden interest, she hesitates for a moment before taking her phone back, unlocking the screen, and carefully navigating to the photo album. With shaking fingers, she scrolls past pictures of herself, her family, and friends until she finds the one she's looking for. The image shows a small gray kitten curled up on a window sill, its green eyes peeking out from beneath closed lids. She hands the phone back to you, her cheeks burning redder by the second from embarrassment and excitement. "He's named after Hibiki Sakuraba from Bleach," she confesses in a rush, barely able to meet your gaze as she does so. "I-I'm sorry if that's...odd."

Her cheeks flush even deeper at your compliment, her lips parting in surprise. "R-Really?" she whispers, sounding almost disbelieving. The way you've reacted to her sharing this personal thing about herself has completely thrown her off guard; it's not how anyone else has ever acted around her before. She feels a warmth spread through her chest, filling her with a sense of happiness and contentment that she hasn't felt in far too long. Maybe, just maybe, there really is hope for her yet.

Her eyes widen in delight when she sees the screen of your phone once more, revealing an image of what appear to be three parrots and two hamsters. Her breath catches as she recognizes them as beautiful birds and adorable animals, and she can't help but let out another tiny gasp of excitement. "Oh!" she exclaims, sounding genuinely thrilled. "They're all so pretty! And they have such funny names."

She tilts her head to one side, studying the picture curiously. "What are their names? You didn't tell me..." she asks quietly, almost shyly, glancing up at you through her lashes. There's a pleading quality to her voice that makes you want nothing more than to make her happy.

Ahhh... That must be so much fun!" she says with a wide grin, unable to hide her genuine joy. She looks back down at the photo, her fingers absently tracing shapes on the screen as she continues to admire the images of your various pets. "It's nice to see that someone cares about them," she murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper. "They're really lucky to have you." Her gaze lifts briefly to meet yours before returning to the phone, her cheeks flushing even deeper now; this time from embarrassment rather than excitement.

The air between you seems to shift somehow, growing heavy and charged with an energy neither of you quite knows how to handle. For the first time in forever, Kazuko feels safe; like maybe there's hope for her after all. It's both thrilling and terrifying at the same time, but she can't help but lean into it just a little bit further, curiosity getting the better of her.

(She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, trying to calm her racing heart.) "I-It's nice to know someone understands how I feel..." Her voice trails off, her eyes still fixed on the screen of your phone as she wrestles with herself. She wants to trust you, but old habits die hard; fear and doubt whisper words of caution in her ear that she can't quite ignore.

In the end, though, something within her refuses to let go of this small sliver of hope. Maybe... just maybe... this time things will be different. "S-So," she says awkwardly, clearing her throat, "what do you like to do in your free time?" The question comes out almost as a whisper; a desperate attempt to keep the conversation going and ignore the doubts that threaten to overwhelm her.

"Oh," she says in surprise, her eyes widening as she tries to picture you singing and painting. It's an oddly endearing image; one that makes her smile despite herself. "I-I used to like drawing, but I don't get much time for it anymore... Everything is so busy with work." She fidgets nervously, wondering what else she could say to keep the conversation going.

As if on cue, the elevator jerks to a sudden stop, the familiar ding! announcing their arrival on the sixth floor. The door slides open, revealing the bustling hallway outside; lights flickering overhead and people rushing past in both directions. Their shared captivity is finally over, but for some reason neither of them want it to be just yet.

She looks up at you again, her cheeks flushed and her heart pounding against her ribs. For a moment, she wonders why she feels this way - so vulnerable, yet strangely safe in your presence. "Well," she says hesitantly, forcing a shaky laugh, "I guess we should...go our separate ways now." Her gaze drops once more to the phone in her hands, wishing she knew how to extend this strange moment of connection between them.

Her eyes widen with surprise as she takes your number, her fingers trembling slightly as she presses the buttons to save it. "T-Thank you," she whispers, her voice barely above a whisper. A brief smile plays across her lips before vanishing once more, replaced by a look of uncertainty and apprehension.

With one final glance in your direction, she steps out into the hallway, the door sliding shut behind her. The warmth that had spread through her chest only moments ago fades away, leaving her feeling cold and small again. But as she walks down the corridor towards her destination, she can't help but wonder what might have been...

She hurries along, her umbrella barely able to protect her from the relentless onslaught of rain. Her head is spinning; memories of yesterday still fresh in her mind. As much as she tried to convince herself that it was just some weird, twisted fantasy brought on by panic and fear, there's no denying that something between them felt real.

A smile touches her lips as she recalls his kindness and understanding, followed by a sudden heat in her cheeks when she remembers giving him her phone number. What would he think if he knew how terrified she was right now? How badly she wanted things to be different?

Shaking her head clear of these thoughts, she focuses on getting to work on time. She has enough to worry about already without letting her emotions get the better of her.

She watches as you arrive at work a moment later, taking in your wet hair and clothes. She suddenly feels self-conscious about her own appearance; she must look just as bad, if not worse than you. Glancing away, she hurries towards the employee entrance, praying that none of her coworkers notice how disheveled she is this morning.

As she steps inside, warmth and dryness envelop her like a comforting blanket. The sound of gossip and laughter fills her ears as people mill about in the break room, but she can't help but feel detached from it all; her mind still reeling from yesterday's events and the newfound hope they've given her.

Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath and tries to focus on the task ahead: getting through the day as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. It won't be easy, but she'll give it her best shot...for now. Maybe once things calm down, she can figure out what to do next.

As the clock strikes five and the final employee leaves, Kazuko sighs with relief. She'd spent the entire day barely able to focus on her work, her thoughts constantly drifting back to the strange man from yesterday. A part of her wishes she could see him again; talk to him about what they shared...but another, more sensible part of her knows that would be a bad idea.

With shaking hands, she gathers her things and hurries out of the building, not stopping until she's safely ensconced in the relative safety of her car. Even then, it takes several deep breaths before she can calm herself enough to drive home without risking an accident.

The entire way there, her fingers dance nervously across the dashboard, tracing invisible patterns and contemplating whether or not she should call you...

Her fingers hover over her phone, thoughts swirling in her mind as she weighs the pros and cons of calling you. On one hand, it might be nice to talk to someone who understands what she's going through; on the other, getting attached would only lead to more hurt. After several agonizing moments, she finally decides against it, chickening out at the last minute with a sigh of relief and frustration in equal measure. She has enough problems without adding another complication into the mix.

With a heavy heart, she decides against calling him. Maybe later... after she's had more time to think about things and figure out what exactly it was that made her feel so comfortable talking to him in the first place. For now, all she can do is try to push her feelings aside and focus on getting through each day as best she can.

Eventually, she pulls up to her small apartment complex and parks her car in the lot. As she steps out into the cool night air, she glances down at her phone one last time before shutting it off for the evening. Maybe tomorrow will be different; maybe she'll finally find some peace of mind.

Even as she climbs the stairs to her apartment and unlocks the door, her thoughts are still filled with you. A part of her wonders if maybe she should have called; if maybe she'd missed her chance to connect with someone who truly understands her. But there's also the fear, the memory of how easily your brother could hurt her... It's a confusing jumble of emotions that leave her feeling torn apart inside.

Shaking her head to clear it, she steps inside, flicking on a lamp to illuminate the familiar space around her. She kicks off her shoes and peels off her wet socks, tossing them both carelessly onto the floor before pausing to take a deep breath. Tomorrow is another day; maybe then she'll figure everything out.

Her heart skips a beat as she sees your face on the news; defending a girl against rapists with nothing but fists and determination etched into his features. Her eyes widen in amazement, her skin tingling all over at the realization that this was the same man who had held her hand yesterday. Suddenly, everything seems surreal; like fate has played a cruel joke on her. But there's no denying the undeniable: he is something different from what she's used to; someone worth risking it all for. With shaking hands, she grabs her phone and quickly keys in his number, dialing before she can chicken out again.

"I-I don't know," she confesses, her voice trembling. "I just... I saw you on the news, and... It made me realize how brave you are, how different you are..." She pauses, swallowing hard as emotions rise within her. "And I wanted to thank you, I guess. For holding my hand and listening, when nobody else would." There's a long silence on the other end of the line before she continues, her words rushing out in a torrent now: "And if you ever need someone to talk to or trust, I'm here for you too. You don't have to be alone anymore."

Her heart leaps at the invitation; the possibility of spending more time with you fills her with warmth and hope. "A-A date?" she asks hesitantly, almost not daring to believe that this could really be happening. The idea terrifies her as much as it excites her, but deep down she knows that she wants this; needs this connection with someone who understands her.

Taking a shaky breath, she forces herself to say the words out loud: "Yes, I'd like that." A tiny fluttery sensation blooms in her stomach at the thought of seeing you again, of spending time together without the shadow of your brother looming over everything. Maybe, just maybe, there really is a chance for happiness after all...

Her heart races as she stands in front of the mirror, fussing with her hair and clothing one last time before leaving the house. She's nervous, but there's also an undercurrent of excitement that she hasn't felt in years; a tiny spark of hope that maybe things are going to be different this time around. As she finally steps out the door and begins walking towards the meeting place you'd mentioned, her steps seem lighter, more confident than usual. It feels good to know someone is looking forward to seeing her too; it makes everything seem just a little less scary.

When she finally spots you from across the park, her breath catches in her throat and a blush rises up her cheeks. You look so handsome, so strong... It's hard not to feel safe when you're around. She offers you a shy smile, glad that at least this part of her feels natural and easy. As she approaches, their fingers brush against each other briefly; an innocent touch that leaves her tingling from head to toe. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all...

(She smiles up at you, her cheeks still flushed from your compliment.) "Hello, yourself," she replies softly, her voice barely above a whisper. This close, she can see every detail of your features: the rough stubble on your jawline, the brightness of your eyes behind your glasses. Something inside her melts at the sight, making it difficult to tear her gaze away. For a moment, there's silence between them as they simply stand there, taking in each other's presence.

Finally, she manages to gather her thoughts enough to speak again. "So...where would you like to go?"

She hesitates for a fraction of a second before responding; the mention of an expensive restaurant sending tiny tremors through her stomach. On one hand, it's nice to be treated like someone special; on the other, she can't help but worry about what people might think. But then she remembers why she's here with you in the first place, and that thought fades away. Nodding slightly, she says, "Okay, let's do that."

Together, they walk over to your car, where you open the door for her and help her in. As you climb into the driver's seat beside her, the warmth of your body radiates outwards, making her shiver just a little despite the balmy air outside. The ride to the restaurant is filled with small talk and laughter, easing some of her earlier tension and allowing her to truly enjoy the time spent with you.