Late for a key meeting, you waited by the elevators.
When the doors opened, a flustered woman named Kazuko stepped in.She locked eyes with you for a fleeting second before distancing herself at the opposite wall.
The elevator moved painfully slow. Kazuko's forehead glistened with sweat; her breaths were shallow and rapid. Then the elevator stalled.
As you hit the emergency button, the temperature spiked.
Kazuko clutched her collar, her discomfort escalating as she slumped against the wall.
It's so hot...
She whispered, more to herself than to you. Her eyes widened suddenly and focused on you, pupils dilated with fear.
“Are you ok?”
"I'm fine, really." She stammered, clearly not believing herself. "Just... a little heatstroke, I think." Her face flushed even deeper as she realized how foolish she sounded. "Stupid of me to wear this outfit today..." She tried to smile reassuringly at you, but it came across more as a grimace.
With shaking hands, she reached into her purse and pulled out a handkerchief, using it to wipe the bead of sweat from her forehead. "I apologize for my appearance," she muttered. "This never happened in the simulations..."
She glanced at the emergency button again, biting her lip nervously. The elevator seemed to take even longer to respond this time. "Do you... think they'll get us out of here soon?" She asked, unable to hide the tremor in her voice.
“It honestly depends on the managers of this building; no telling if they actually have monitors for the elevator or not.”
A look of panic briefly crossed Kazuko's face at your words before she tried to compose herself. "I-I see... Well, I suppose we should wait patiently then..." She cleared her throat nervously, trying not to sound so frightened. "M-My name is Kazuko, by the way. We've met a few times in passing at work."
She glanced around again, visibly shaking, as if expecting something or someone unseen to appear out of thin air and rescue them from this predicament. Her breathing had yet to return to normal; each inhale sent a fresh wave of dizziness through her. It was clear that she was seriously stressed out by the situation.
"I-Is there anything I can do to help?" She managed to stammer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Anything at all..."
“My name is Dane. And unfortunately, there’s not much we can do except wait…”
Kazuko nodded, still trying to remain composed despite the intense fear she felt welling up inside her. "I-I understand." She took a deep breath, steadying herself as best she could against the elevator walls. "W-We should probably talk about something... to take our minds off of this."
She paused for a moment, trying to think of a topic that wouldn't make either of them uncomfortable or anxious in their current situation. "Um... So, you like working at the library, right? I mean, you must see lots of interesting books and things..." Her voice trailed off as she struggled to find the words; she was so nervous that it made conversation nearly impossible.
She glanced over at Dane hopefully, willing him to engage in conversation with her and help distract from their dire circumstances. "D-Do you have any favorite books or authors?" She finally managed to choke out.
“I enjoy almost any book, honestly. Every book has something interesting in it, and I love the smell of books too… what about you? What sort of books do you like? I know most girls who come to the library just grab romance or BL books…”
Kazuko was visibly relieved by the change in topic and responded with a small smile. "I do enjoy romance novels, actually," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "They're such sweet escapism from the daily grind of life." She paused for a moment before continuing, her cheeks flushing slightly. "But I also like mysteries and thrillers... something with a bit more suspense."
She glanced down at her hands, picking at a thread on her skirt as she continued to try and calm herself. "As for my favorite authors," she said, searching for the right words, "I suppose I admire anyone who can really pull me into their world, make me feel connected to their characters... even if it's just for a little while."
She lifted her head, meeting Dane's gaze briefly before looking away again. "What about you? Do you have any favorite genres or authors?" She asked, her voice still shaky but genuinely curious now. It was easier to focus on something else when the fear was this overwhelming.
The elevator continued to remain motionless, and despite their best efforts at conversation, neither of them could quite forget about their precarious situation. The heat in the small space was becoming almost unbearable, making it difficult for Kazuko to think clearly or focus on anything other than the sweat trickling down her spine.
“As far as preference, I enjoy fantasy also; more specifically, the Isekai genre. You know, where they get reincarnated in a whole other world and get another chance at life? I… I’d like to be able to do that, and not look so cute. Girls like the hot guys, and the most compliments I get are about how much I look like the submissive cutesy sissies in their BL books…”
Kazuko listened carefully as Dane talked about his favorite genre, nodding in understanding even though she'd never heard of it before. "That must be interesting," she said quietly, unable to hide her envy. She would give anything for a second chance at life, free from the constant anxiety and fear that seemed to plague hers.
As he continued to speak about not being able to escape his appearance, even in another world, Kazuko's heart ached for him. "I'm sure you're not as cute as they make you out to be," she offered, her tone sincere. "And besides, what's wrong with looking like a girl? I think it's lovely." She smiled reassuringly at him, hoping that he would believe her words.
The elevator remained still for what felt like an eternity; the silence between them growing more and more uncomfortable as they struggled to find something else to talk about. The heat was becoming nearly unbearable now, making both of them sweat profusely and breathing hard. It was clear that their efforts at conversation weren't enough to distract from the fact that they were trapped in this small, stifling space.
Kazuko took another deep breath, trying to find her courage as she spoke again. "Listen... I don't know if it will help or not, but I want you to know that you can trust me. If there's anything you need from me, any way I can help... please, just let me know." Her voice trembled slightly as she said this, revealing the depth of her sincerity.
For a moment, their eyes met, and she saw something in his expression that she hadn't expected: hope. It was fragile, like a tiny flower growing through