Jan 27, 2022
To:EliteWarrior910
Thank you for your comments EliteWarrior910, I really appreciate it!
Here's my reasoning: Yes, Keisuke *was* trying to get out. As soon as he suspected Hayami (the part where he says "Wait! Did you just trick me?"), he started working on the lock with his steel probe/rod. But he was distracted several times during this process:
1. When Hayami blamed him for her father's misfortune, he actually moved back from the locker door and thus, the lock. 2. When she poured the contents of his bag on the floor, it distracted him again, although he really should have worked harder to get out. A big mistake! But he was also distracted again when 3. Hayami stripped, effectively preventing him from taking photos of her misdeeds.
At that point, he really did his best to escape. However, all these distractions, as well as a balky latch and the early return of the volleyball team, kept him from getting away in time.
Part of the problem here may have been that I didn't elaborate on the fact that Keisuke thought he had a lot more time before the sports teams returned. However, the volleyball practice was much shorter than usual. And isn't it interesting that Hayami seemed to know that?
Having said all that -- if you didn't see the situation as I did (see preceding explanations 😀 ), then I didn't do a good enough job explaining it in the story. Chances are, you're not the only one who thought Keisuke just let things happen. Maybe I can fix it in the rewrite?
Again, thanks for your very helpful comments!
