Chapter 182: The Shadow at Manna’s Kitchen
“This must be it.”
I muttered to myself, kneeling behind the counter of the bar, where the old CCTV drive was tucked between stacks of dusty bottles and cleaning supplies. I carefully pulled it out, wiping a thin layer of dust from the surface. “Gotta check this,” I murmured, my voice low but steady.
The place was silent except for the faint hum of the refrigerator and the rain pattering softly against the window. It felt strange being in the bar during the day — like seeing your teacher outside of school. I plugged the drive into my laptop, my heart thudding faster with every click.
“Okay… yesterday, around 9:30 p.m.” I scrolled through the footage, eyes glued to the timestamp. My breath caught as familiar scenes appeared — me serving customers, Natsuki laughing over his drink, and then—
“Oh, this was the moment Natsuki came in. Not far from this.”
A few more minutes passed. Then the door opened again — and there he was.
Riku.
The sight of him made my whole body tense. His calm, almost casual expression didn’t match the fear that instantly clawed at my chest. He leaned against the counter like he owned the place, his lips moving — and to my relief, the sound quality was clear.
I turned the volume up, listening closely.
> “Riku, you’ve done enough. Leave. And stop bothering my family.”
> “And what if I change my mind?”
> “What do you mean you changed your mind?”
> “I mean... I want your family too.”
Even hearing it again through the laptop made my hands tremble. His tone was calm, but every word dripped with quiet menace.
I quickly cropped the clip, isolated his voice, and saved it on the desktop. Then I uploaded it to my cloud drive — a hidden one, with two-step verification and everything. “Nice… got a clean one,” I muttered, forcing a grin even though my palms were sweaty.
I pulled out my phone and sent a quick message to Keiko:
> Got it. Clear voice and everything. Uploading now.
I leaned back on the chair and exhaled deeply. “One step closer,” I whispered.
Maybe… just maybe, we could finally stop being afraid.
---
That evening, the bar was alive again.
“Heya, Ryuko!”
I turned and found Natsuki grinning at me as he slipped through the door, shaking the rain off his jacket.
“Welcome!” I called out, waving with a towel in hand. “Sorry, Natsuki, today’s a bit crowded. You won’t get your favorite stool seat tonight.”
He chuckled, “I’m fine, though. The usual set, please.”
“Got it.”
The place was packed — the sound of laughter, glasses clinking, and the faint jazz music blending with the rain outside. Maybe because it was storming, people sought shelter here. I didn’t mind. Busy meant normal, and normal meant safe.
After half an hour, I rang the bell. “Your set’s ready, Natsuki!”
“Thanks, Ryuko!” He came up to grab his food, then smirked. “You know, you really need a staff. Somehow this place is getting more popular every week.”
I laughed lightly, wiping my hands on the apron. “I’ll consider it. But you’re here so often you might as well work part-time.”
He chuckled. “Ha! I should, considering I’m practically your biggest investor here.”
“Half of our profit must be yours at this point,” I said.
We both laughed. It felt… good. Normal.
---
By the time the rain stopped, the crowd had thinned. The last group of customers stumbled out, leaving behind only the faint scent of beer and grilled meat. I leaned on the counter, stretching my back. “Man, what a night…”
“Ryuko, got time?” Natsuki asked, swirling the last sip of his drink.
“Hmm? Yeah, you can talk while I clean.” I started collecting empty glasses.
He hesitated before asking, “Who was the guy from yesterday?”
My hand froze mid-air. The clinking glass felt suddenly louder in the quiet bar.
He noticed my silence and quickly added, “Ah, it’s okay if you don’t wanna say. I was just worried. He didn’t look like a friendly customer.”
I sighed, lowering my head. “He… was someone dangerous.”
Natsuki blinked. “Dangerous?”
“That’s all I can say for now. Sorry.”
He nodded, surprisingly calm. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me everything. But… if you ever need help, just ask, okay?”
I looked at him — really looked. There was sincerity in his voice, not pity, not curiosity. Just quiet concern.
I smiled faintly. “Maybe you could help if he suddenly appears again.”
“Sure,” he said, flashing his usual grin. “Count me in.”
I laughed softly. “Thanks, man.”
---
Days passed quietly. No new messages, no suspicious figures lurking around the bar, no strange calls. Maybe Riku was bluffing, or maybe he’d lost interest.
Still, I kept checking the CCTV every night before closing. Paranoia had become part of my routine.
Keiko and I stayed in touch constantly — sharing updates, reviewing the footage, talking about little things to distract ourselves from the fear. It was comforting to know we were in this together.
I kept up my usual Monday routine too — picking Keiko up from her restaurant job, “Manna’s Kitchen,” like always. She always scolded me for being early, but I liked waiting for her — it made me feel… safe somehow.
Today was Monday, February 22nd, 2027.
A normal day. Or so I thought.
I wait across the street and watched the light from Manna’s Kitchen glow warmly through the windows. It was almost closing time, and I could see Keiko inside, wiping the tables. Then there's Aki too helping Keiko.
I smiled. “Almost done, huh?” I muttered.
Then, out of the corner of my eye — a shadow moved.
I squinted.
There, standing in front of the restaurant, under the dim streetlight — was a familiar figure.
Riku.
He wasn’t moving. Just standing there, coat buttoned up, his gaze fixed on the restaurant door.
My breath caught. My hands tightened on the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.
“…No way.”
He was smiling faintly — the same calm, sinister smile I’d seen that night in the bar.
Every instinct screamed at me to stay still, to not attract attention. But my heart was pounding so loud I swore he could hear it from across the street.
Was he waiting for Keiko?
I swallowed hard. “No… not again.”
Not this time.
I grabbed my phone, my hands trembling as I opened the camera. I hit record, zooming in on him.
“Keiko…” I whispered, barely breathing. “Please, don’t walk out yet.”
My eyes stayed locked on Riku — the man who had promised to destroy my life — standing right there under the streetlight, waiting.
And I didn’t know if I had enough courage to confront him…
Or enough time before he made his next move.