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Dead Hours — Stuck, Page 7

By Inkroost · Published

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Transcript

Inside the store, Kaito paces in front of the refrigerators. Kaito: “It’s too quiet.” Rin faces Kaito across the counter. Rin: “You hated it.” Kaito points forward and shouts, “I KNOW what I hated!” An older man in a cap carries a crate through the entrance, humming: “♪ Hm hm hmm-hm... ♪” Outside, a van is parked at the curb beside the store. Caption: “Dawn.”

Image description

Kaito paces through the quiet store, shouts at Rin as she looks at him, and then they watch an older man carrying a crate enter while dawn light shows outside.

About this chapter

At 2:47 A.M. the shop's ceiling speaker gets stuck looping the same four-note jingle, and Kaito's attempts to stop it (a ladder, a broom, head office's hold music) only make it worse until he is conducting it. At 4:58 it cuts out mid-note and the silence is unbearable. At dawn Tetsu walks in humming it, and all three finish the shift humming together.