Time Passes

Ultimately Futaba decided on just waiting it out, and hoping that nobody comes ends up seeing her. The timer for her laundry eventually finished but Futaba still was fearful of being discovered and stayed where she was. Eyelids growing heavy and too nervous move even a micrometer, Futaba would doze off.

By the time Futaba woke up, she felt immense dread, noticing it was not only dark out, but how cold she was. And while miraculously nobody had come to use the laundromat (let alone notice her) her anxiety got the better of her as she curled up even tighter and began trembling. A minute of this passes, at first nothing changes, Futaba decides to work up some courage to try getting to retrieve her clothes.

Right before she begins uncurling her form, her heart almost skipped a beat the moment her ears pick up footsteps.