It was something else entirely and they leave...at some point

(chapter originally by Phantom Pen on writing.com)

"Probably just a dog." answered another voice. "The city's full of strays."

Minako heaved a sigh of relief (internally, at least), glad that whoever was around the shrine hadn't decided to look into the noise any further. She was less glad, however, that the intruders didn't seem to be walking away. Rather, their footsteps were slowing and settling around the shrine area, as if they weren't planning to leave any time soon. Minako heard the clicking of a lighter followed by the sound of a sharp intake of breath. Whoever was out there was apparently using the shrine as a smokers' hangout...

The trembling high schooler could only wait, facing the ground and contemplating her situation. Here she was, naked as a jaybird, blocks and blocks away from the dorms, with who knows how many strangers so close they'd have an eyeful if not for the offertory box. She couldn't risk making another noise, lest her "company" fail to write it off as a dog again, so her only auditory comfort came in the form of eavesdropping on their conversation. It honestly wasn't anything special, just small talk, complaints about the workplace, their assessment of some of the women they knew (which didn't help Minako's comfort), and their thoughts on the newest episode of their favorite show.

As the night wore on, Minako became more acutely aware of how cold Iwatodai could get in the evenings. Doing her best to keep from shivering, Minako tried to focus on something else; particularly, the feeling of the rough concrete on her sensitive skin. Usually the most of her skin touching concrete was her hands, and occasionally her feet, but her entire front side was a different story. In a way, the rough texture of the concrete against her soft flesh was almost... exciting. Minako's mind stalled for a second at that thought. Was she... was she getting turned on by this? No way, that would be ridiculous! She was just tired, and her mind was going weird places because of it. Yeah, that's the right answer, absolutely...

In any case, the conversation between her uninvited company wore on and on, and Minako lost track of time. More than that, Minako lost track of her body's own condition, compromised as it was by the late hour and the chilly air.