Skip to content
Inkroost
Join Free
Dead Hours
Ch.9: The Last One
Wide night shot inside a 24-hour Japanese convenience store, seen from behind the register. Kaito, a tired clerk in a striped apron with a KAITO name tag, stares down at a long blank receipt curling from the register. Rain streaks the front windows.
Medium close-up of Kaito holding the long blank receipt up close to his face, eyes narrowed with sudden intense focus. Store shelves blur behind him.
Kaito leans toward Rin with grave seriousness, still holding the receipt. Rin, a small teenager in a hoodie under her apron with a RIN name tag and one earbud in, stands unbothered, filming him on her phone.
View toward the store's glass sliding doors as they open, rain outside. In the foreground Kaito snaps upright behind the counter, wide-eyed and braced, hands flat on the counter.
A drunk salaryman in a rumpled grey suit, loosened tie, and thick square black glasses sways at the counter, setting down a single can of coffee. Behind the register, Kaito stares at the lone can, his face falling into despair.
Close-up of Rin holding her phone up toward the viewer, filming, with a bored half-lidded expression and a tiny smirk. The store is blurred behind her.
The sliding doors open again and the same salaryman steps back in, reaching sheepishly for a forgotten clear plastic umbrella by the door. In the foreground Kaito deflates, shoulders slumping in deadpan disappointment.
Silent panel. Close on Kaito alone behind the counter, staring flatly at the sliding doors, a single exaggerated sweat drop on his temple, mouth a flat line.
Rin stands unbothered beside Kaito, still filming on her phone. Kaito clenches the blank receipt with quiet desperation.
The sliding doors open a third time to heavy rain. A small soaked stray cat stands in the doorway, dripping, looking up into the store. In the foreground both Kaito and Rin freeze mid-motion, eyes wide.
Kaito crouches by the open sliding door, holding it for the small soaked stray cat and gesturing it inside with a resigned, defeated expression. Behind him, Rin films the moment on her phone.
Wide shot mirroring page one, from behind the register. The soaked stray cat now sits on the counter eating from an open food container, the abandoned receipt curled on the floor. Kaito slumps empty-handed in the background while Rin films the cat with a tiny smirk.
/ 12
/ 12
Wide night shot inside a 24-hour Japanese convenience store, seen from behind the register. Kaito, a tired clerk in a striped apron with a KAITO name tag, stares down at a long blank receipt curling from the register. Rain streaks the front windows.
Medium close-up of Kaito holding the long blank receipt up close to his face, eyes narrowed with sudden intense focus. Store shelves blur behind him.
Kaito leans toward Rin with grave seriousness, still holding the receipt. Rin, a small teenager in a hoodie under her apron with a RIN name tag and one earbud in, stands unbothered, filming him on her phone.
View toward the store's glass sliding doors as they open, rain outside. In the foreground Kaito snaps upright behind the counter, wide-eyed and braced, hands flat on the counter.
A drunk salaryman in a rumpled grey suit, loosened tie, and thick square black glasses sways at the counter, setting down a single can of coffee. Behind the register, Kaito stares at the lone can, his face falling into despair.
Close-up of Rin holding her phone up toward the viewer, filming, with a bored half-lidded expression and a tiny smirk. The store is blurred behind her.
The sliding doors open again and the same salaryman steps back in, reaching sheepishly for a forgotten clear plastic umbrella by the door. In the foreground Kaito deflates, shoulders slumping in deadpan disappointment.
Silent panel. Close on Kaito alone behind the counter, staring flatly at the sliding doors, a single exaggerated sweat drop on his temple, mouth a flat line.
Rin stands unbothered beside Kaito, still filming on her phone. Kaito clenches the blank receipt with quiet desperation.
The sliding doors open a third time to heavy rain. A small soaked stray cat stands in the doorway, dripping, looking up into the store. In the foreground both Kaito and Rin freeze mid-motion, eyes wide.
Kaito crouches by the open sliding door, holding it for the small soaked stray cat and gesturing it inside with a resigned, defeated expression. Behind him, Rin films the moment on her phone.
Wide shot mirroring page one, from behind the register. The soaked stray cat now sits on the counter eating from an open food container, the abandoned receipt curled on the floor. Kaito slumps empty-handed in the background while Rin films the cat with a tiny smirk.
Create a free account to save your reading progress automatically.

Chapter complete

You finished Ch.9 of Dead Hours. Nice roost to rest at.

Be the first to rate

Sign in to rate this series.

Series Page

You've reached the end of this series — it's all caught up. Follow it to hear when new chapters land.

← Ch.8: The Sign Says Closed
Text Version A written companion to this chapter — for accessibility, screen readers, and search.

Page 1

Scene: The convenience store at around 3 AM, viewed from behind the register counter. Shelves, glowing coolers, and a magazine rack fill the room. Rain runs down the front windows; the street outside is dark and empty. Kaito stands alone at the register, looking down at a long white receipt curling out onto the counter. KAITO: That's a lot of paper.

Page 2

Scene: Kaito lifts the curling blank receipt close to his face, his tired eyes narrowing into deadpan concentration. The store shelves are soft and out of focus behind him. KAITO: One customer to a milestone.

Page 3

Scene: Kaito leans in toward Rin with deadpan intensity, gripping the blank receipt. Rin stands beside him, unimpressed and half-lidded, holding her phone up to film him. She has a light bob with dark roots and one wireless earbud in. KAITO: The next person matters.

Page 4

Scene: The automatic glass sliding doors at the store entrance begin to open, rain visible in the dark street beyond. In the foreground, Kaito snaps bolt upright behind the counter, eyes wide, both hands flat on the surface, braced for whoever is about to walk in. SFX: Ding.

Page 5

Scene: A drunk salaryman enters — rumpled grey suit, loosened dark tie, thick square black-framed glasses, thinning combed-over hair, swaying slightly. He sets a single canned coffee on the counter. Behind the register, Kaito looks at the one can, his deadpan face sinking into quiet despair. KAITO: One short.

Page 6

Scene: Close on Rin, phone raised toward the camera as she films. Her expression is flat and half-lidded with the faintest smirk. The store blurs behind her. RIN: He's manifesting.

Page 7

Scene: The glass doors slide open a second time. The same salaryman — same grey suit, loosened tie, square black glasses, combed-over hair — steps back inside, reaching sheepishly for a clear plastic umbrella he left by the door. In the foreground, Kaito's shoulders slump as he deflates. KAITO: His umbrella.

Page 8

Scene: A silent beat. Close on Kaito alone behind the counter, staring flatly at the doors. A single exaggerated sweat drop runs down his temple; his mouth is a flat line. No dialogue.

Page 9

Scene: Rin stands beside Kaito, phone still up and filming, entirely unbothered. Kaito grips the blank receipt in both hands with quiet desperation. RIN: It's just a number.

Page 10

Scene: The glass doors slide open a third time onto heavy rain. A small, soaked, bedraggled stray cat stands in the open doorway, dripping and looking up into the store. In the foreground, both Kaito and Rin freeze mid-motion, eyes wide. SFX: Ding.

Page 11

Scene: Kaito crouches by the open sliding door, holding it for the small soaked cat and waving it inside with one hand, his face resigned and defeated. Behind him, Rin holds her phone up, filming the whole thing. KAITO: Welcome.

Page 12

Scene: A wide shot from behind the register, mirroring the opening page. The stray cat now sits contentedly on the counter, eating from an open food container — Kaito's dinner. The long receipt lies curled and abandoned on the floor. In the background, Kaito slumps, empty-handed and defeated. In the foreground, Rin films the cat on her phone with a tiny smirk. RIN: Our millionth customer.

Inkroost