Emi Ashiana is 24, unemployed, and not really sure what she wants do with her life. When a friend invites her to a dance club, Emi doesn’t expect much. But what she finds will change her world! Emi isn’t much of a party girl, but she decides to give clubbing a try…and ends up hiding in a corner after her friend ditches her to flirt with a guy! Emi figures the night is a bust, but then an exciting woman comes to her rescue. Kei is a DJ, and her effortless self-confidence captivates Emi. Is this the start of something special or just a wonderful one-nighter?
Although the relationship between the main characters starts off quite intensely and shallow, it gradually deepens as it continues. I really enjoyed this story of a 30-year-old DJ and a woman in her twenties still figuring out what she wants from life. Kei is very confident, and Emi extremely demure, and it's satisfying to see her come out of her shell over the course of the story. I was pleasantly surprised by the non-sexualized nudity and fade-to-black sex scenes. Despite being written by a male author, After Hours doesn't seem to cater to the male gaze.
