Chapter 1: The noise in the women's restroom.

"Please ring up these items for me."

On scorching summer days like this, convenience stores are still an excellent choice for many people. The line of customers waiting to pay was long and continuous. The young man at the cash register was swiftly tallying up the purchases, his movements incredibly fast, with constant beeping sounds. At the same time, a bright smile always adorned his face, and the phrase "Welcome to 10&3" was ready to greet each customer who walked in.

Just then, another young man emerged from the changing room, apparently also an employee of 10&3, and had just finished changing into his uniform. He approached the cashier and said, "It's my shift now, Edward. Take a break."

"Okay," Edward replied, glancing at his watch while switching positions with the new arrival. It was precisely one o'clock in the afternoon, and he had to hurry to the Winmart mini supermarket to make it in time for his shift from two in the afternoon until ten in the evening.

"Running another show elsewhere?" the new employee who took over from Edward playfully asked. Edward responded, "That's right, now I'll be moving to another spot."

"Sometimes I wonder if you're human or not. You're too productive; you seem tireless. You truly are a 'part-time king,' working at every part-time job on our campus," the new employee remarked jokingly.

"Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment," Edward replied, quickly heading back to the changing room. He was afraid of being late.

But as Edward was completing the final steps of changing clothes, the notification sound of an email on his phone suddenly chimed. Edward checked his cellphone while putting on his shirt since he usually had many emails to expect.

To his surprise, it was an email from the library. He had applied for the librarian position two weeks ago but didn't expect to receive a response. But this unexpected joy arrived in such a surprising way!

Edward couldn't contain his excitement and jumped up with joy. This is his dream. He has always wanted to work in a place with many books, a quiet place, and even closer to his dormitory. The salary at the library is also very high, equal to all his other part-time jobs combined, so that's what Edward has always dreamed of.

Without much hesitation, he quickly resigns from his old job and prepares to go to the library. On the way, Edward excitedly rode his bike to the library to explore his new job. Arriving at the library, Edward looked around with curious eyes. He had always dreamed of working here because it had many things he liked: books, a quiet space, and immersing himself in the scent of old books, creating an intriguing feeling for him.

While Edward was absorbed in his observations, at that moment, a sweet female voice suddenly sounded, "Hello, are you the new hire?"

Edward, startled, quickly turned towards the source of the voice. His startle, anxiety, and embarrassment made the woman standing before him flinch. She smiled warmly and extended her hand to Edward, saying, "Hello, I'm Olivia, a psychology lecturer and library manager."

Olivia? The name rang in Edward's mind, shocking him. She was a Queen in the school—beautiful, young, talented, and gentle. Although Edward's major also included psychology, he had missed her lectures due to his part-time work.

Edward looked at Olivia, a girl with hazelnut brown hair, gentle curls, and a beautiful and mature face. She wore a purple dress that made her skin stand out even more.

"Oh, hello, I'm Edward. I'm glad to have been accepted for this position," Edward replied.

Olivia nodded and guided him to start his work.

"The work here is also very light. Cleaning the floors and taking out the trash are taken care of by the janitors. Your job is just to organize the bookshelves, do inventory, and clean them up a bit. The first requirement I have for you in this position is that no book should go missing. Pay attention to everyone in the library, see if they return the books to the shelves or come to you to have their names recorded in the borrowing list. The second requirement is to retrieve all the books after the borrowing period, and if you find any late, missing, or damaged books, you should immediately contact the borrowers. And the final requirement is cleanliness. I don't want the books here to be covered in dust or be damaged by insects."

Olivia instructs diligently, and Edward listens attentively.

"Yes, I understand."

"Now, let's start with cleaning and sorting the books on the shelves. Our school has received a considerable number of new books this week. I have a class now, so I can't stay here. Do a good job, and I'll evaluate your performance later."

"Yes."

After speaking, Olivia leaves.

Edward began cleaning and sorting books on the shelves with dedication and enthusiasm. He worked while humming softly.

The tranquil space allowed him to immerse himself in his thoughts and melodies. Most of the students who came here were for studying, so apart from the sounds of keyboard typing, page flipping, and note-taking, there were hardly any other noises.

At that moment, when Edward looked up, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure passing by. She seemed so normal, almost like his girlfriend. Edward hurriedly chased after the girl, but when he stepped out from the bookshelves, the figure had disappeared. He touched his head, and suddenly, he remembered something.

Edward took out his phone and opened the messaging app. His girlfriend's messages were always pinned at the top, and this morning at nine o'clock; she messaged him, saying she would come to the library to study in the afternoon.

But she might have already left, and that figure could have been her or not. Edward thought it wasn't a big deal; everyone should have their own private space, and so did his girlfriend.

Thinking that way, he immediately returned to his work. As the evening approached, Edward began tidying up and preparing to leave. However, before leaving the library, he used the men's restroom for a quick break.

But as he approached, he heard a strange sound from the women's restroom.

At first, Edward didn't know what to do. His heart raced within his chest, and curiosity filled his mind.

But the sound grew louder and more intense, making it impossible for Edward to pretend he knew nothing. And then, in this increasingly silent space, he heard a man's voice and a woman's moans.

This compelled Edward to go inside.

What if a girl was in danger in there?

Recently, incidents of sexual abuse on university campuses have increased. Without thinking much, Edward rushed towards the restroom, where the noises came from.

He pushed open the door, but at that moment, the scene that unfolded before his eyes left him wide-eyed, shocked, disbelieving, and the world around him seemed to collapse.