The Force of Gravity ✅

Chapter Nine

June 3rd, 2027

Miori wasn't used to the overnight shift. She didn't like the overnight shift. There wasn't as much paperwork that needed to be done and there was almost no one around. She was back on the second floor but at a different desk with a different Section Chief with whom she almost never saw. Since she had started her new position on that Monday she had seen the Section Chief a total of three times; at least once per night and usually in greeting. She didn't even see him at all on Wednesday night. She couldn't even remember his name, nor did she know where his office was. They would just say "good evening" and he would wander off and not be seen again.

And she would be left all alone in a dark, quiet office with almost nothing to do. At most it would take her two hours tops to finish her work, then she would be left staring aimlessly at her computer screen. She didn't dare browse non-work related websites because she didn't want to give Kenshin another reason to fire her again. And she didn't bring a book or play on her cell phone in the event her Section Chief decided to finally make an appearance and caught her. Thus giving another reason to fire her again.

The sudden shift in hours, and being idle for long periods of time, was incredibly exhausting. But this was the job she had chosen and Miori knew that she had to suck it up for the time being.

I should get another cup of coffee. Miori went to pull up the chat to send a message to her Section Chief to let him know she was leaving her desk briefly, but she flushed when only saw her former Section Chief's name in the chat history. Since her new Chief had yet to send her any messages, they had no log history. Damn. I don't know my own Section Chief's name so I can't look him up!

Miori groaned quietly and rubbed at her eyes. The clock on the wall said 01:22 . Her dinner break wasn't for another forty-odd minutes. "I'm so tired," she complained aloud. She quietly she recovered herself and moved her mouse so that the monitor wouldn't go to sleep.

Sleep...I usually sleep at this time. Ugh, what was I thinking taking this job? The Shachō hates me and the Fuku-shachō...Junichiro. Miori closed her eyes and leaned her cheek against her palm. I heard...the rumors said that Junichiro had switched to the overnight shifts at the same time as me. But I haven't seen him since I started. So the rumor must be false then...right?

"If I told you that I was about to divorce my wife...would that make any difference?"

"It would be my greatest wish for Junichiro to be happy. And to be happy with the right person."

Junichiro wanted to be with her. And Junichiro's wife—ex-wife—encouraged her to be with Junichiro. But Miori was deeply conflicted in her heart. Junichiro was the one who hurt her. He gave in to pressure from his parents and discarded her like garbage. But...

But he said he loves me. And he finally—finally—stood up to his father over his treatment of me. Everyone seems to want us to get together except for his parents. And I...

She couldn't deny that she loved Junichiro. She couldn't deny that she never stopped loving him, even after he hurt her so deeply and she rushed off to impulsively marry someone else just so she would be married before him. She knew this, and it made her feel like a monster.

I don't deserve it. No matter what I feel, or what Junichiro feels for me, I don't deserve it. Not after what I did to Ohta.

*

Junichiro thought he would scream, and he was glad that it was the middle of the night where no one could hear him shout into his cell phone. "She hasn't been home since Monday and she has my number blocked," he said sharply. "How is it possible in this day and age that you can't find one woman?!"