Miyako and the other two found their seats and settled in. Kushida had bought three tickets together, so they ended with a whole row to themselves. Amane's seat was right in the middle.
Perfect for having a girl on each arm… ahem.
Perfect for getting along well with everyone.
Yeah.
What Amane didn't know was that Horikita's seat was just two rows behind her. From that height, Horikita could see every little move Amane made.
The movie started soon enough.
You had to give it to the cinema—they really knew how to pick films that suited high schoolers' tastes.
They'd avoided anything that would twist your stomach into knots.
Even with romantic anime films, they'd specifically filtered out that one master's famously gut-wrenching romance epic.
What Amane was watching now was pretty much what you'd call a pure "fluff" film.
The couple on screen was being all sweet, while Amane sat munching loudly on popcorn.
It fit the mood perfectly.
Just as Amane was wondering why the scene cut away right when the female lead lay on the bed, before the male lead could even join her, her eyes landed on Wang Mei Yu's popcorn.
It was pink!
Looks delicious… no, I mean, it looks really pretty.
Amane was about to ask out loud, but after a quick glance at everyone quietly watching the movie around them, she leaned close to Mei Yu's ear and whispered,
"Meiyu-chan, how come your popcorn is pink?" To both Amane and Mei Yu, the gesture felt completely natural.
But from Suzune Horikita's viewpoint, two rows back, it looked like Amane had just kissed Mei Yu's cheek.
Crunch.
The popcorn box in Horikita's hand was crushed flat.
The popcorn inside was squeezed into a dry, crumpled mess.
Someone nearby shot her an annoyed look at the sound, but after seeing she'd crumpled the box—popcorn and all—into a ball, they all generously decided to let it slide.
They were just… following their hearts.
Mei Yu blinked at Amane's question.
At first, she was puzzled why Amane would ask something like that.
But then she remembered Amane's strict family, where she wasn't even allowed to eat popcorn.
It made sense she wouldn't know.
So Mei Yu leaned toward Amane's ear and whispered back, "Because this is strawberry flavor! It's really tasty—want to try one?"
Squeak… squeak…
Sounded like teeth grinding.
Must've been hearing things.
"Mhm, I'll try some—ahh~" Amane cutely opened her mouth.
Mei Yu's face flushed slightly pink.
She carefully picked up a piece of popcorn and fed it to Amane.
"So sweet~ Meiyu-chan, you're the best!" Amane hugged Mei Yu and nuzzled her affectionately.
"Eh?! A-Amane… isn't this… a little too close…?" Mei Yu's blush spread from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears.
She seemed like the type who embarrassed easily. For someone with zero dating experience, Amane's behavior felt…a bit too intimate.
Still, being praised felt really nice, and Amane smelled so good…No! Wang Mei Yu, don't get captivated by Amane's charm!
She's a girl!
Girls can't…But if it were two girls, what… what would be a good name? Yumiko or Yui… both sound lovely.
Miyako Yui?
That's a really nice name!!!
Wait—what am I thinking?!
To cool her head, Mei Yu started patting her cheeks repeatedly.
"Meiyu-chan, a-are you okay?" Amane asked, startled.
"I-I'm fine…" Mei Yu mumbled, shyly lowering her head.
Beside them, Kushida also heard some odd noises. She glanced over at Mei Yu, red-faced and looking like she wanted to bury her head in her chest, and tilted her head curiously.
She wasn't sure what was going on with Mei Yu, but she looked exactly like a girl blushing from budding romance.
Kushida looked at Amane's popcorn, then at Mei Yu placing her own popcorn between them.
She thought for a moment.
Then she pretty much guessed what they were talking about.
Leaning close to Amane's ear, Kushida whispered, "Mine is caramel flavor~ Want to try some, Amane? It's really sweet."
Caramel!!
Amane's eyes lit up.
She opened her mouth right away.
Kushida, playing along, mimed taking aim and tossing a piece. Thus, she successfully completed feeding the girl named Miyako Amane.
Crack.
Sounded a bit like a plastic cup being crushed.
But who would crush a cup for no reason?
Probably just hearing things again.
A cold drink spilled onto Horikita's lap.
The chill helped her calm down a little.
To think…these people around Amane…they used to act like just ordinary friends.
But now, the moment she distanced herself from Amane, they were already getting this close.
So shameless!!!
After all, even she…had only kissed her twice!
And one of those times, Amane had tricked her into it.
Originally, Horikita came to see if Amane would feel uncomfortable watching a romance movie.
Like…just for example… if she felt like she was missing someone to watch it with.
But here was Amane, a girl on each arm, getting cheek kisses and being hand-fed.
That girl didn't have a single hint of longing on her face!
And here Horikita was, thinking she might comfort Amane…
Seemed now, the one needing comfort wasn't Amane after all.
Maybe she should have a good talk with Amane tonight…
Horikita bit her fingertip.
She'd never backed down before anyone, but now she felt a real sense of crisis.
If things kept going like this, it wouldn't be long before that girl forgot all about her.
She'd really become just "Horikita-san" in her eyes.
That must not happen.
She had to make a move!
Whether it was for her feel…friendship with Amane, or to prove her brother's view of her wrong, she had to take action.
She understood now.
Suzune Horikita could never go back.
Back to when she could endure loneliness all alone. If she had never known what joy felt like, maybe she wouldn't miss it so much now…
Unnoticed, the movie ended during Horikita's reflections.
Amane, all smiles, was discussing the plot with Mei Yu and Kushida.
And as for Suzune Horikita, she could only follow far behind them, alone.
Since they all lived in the same dorm, Horikita had to watch helplessly as Amane—the one who used to buzz around her nonstop, whom she'd found so annoying—now chatted and laughed, hovering around Kushida.
Finally, they reached the dorm building.
Kushida and Mei Yu seemed to be heading to the convenience store to buy something.
Amane was alone!
This was her chance.
If she hurried over now and shared the elevator with her, maybe she could close the distance a bit…
"Miyako-san, please wait for me!"
Holding a stack of books, Shiina Hiyori called out just as Amane was about to let the elevator door close.
"Huh? Hiyori! Long time no see. I didn't know you liked books so much—you borrowed so many…"
Hidden beside the vending machine, Horikita felt her heart grow cold.
Hiyori?
They were already on a first-name basis with a girl from another class?
Just where did all these girls so close to Amane come from?
--+--
T/N: She's just the modern day Elysia, dw.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.