Translator: RaidenTL
My skin had gotten a little paler.
This wasn't the look of a Blond Tanned Delinquent.
I was already a blond tanned delinquent without the blond hair, and now I was losing the tan. At this rate, I'd just be a regular delinquent.
Still, the upside was that lighter-colored outfits suited me better now, so I decided to take comfort in that.
After leaving the movie theater restroom, I ordered a coffee at the adjacent cafe and waited for Miyuki.
Around 7:50, I saw her coming up the escalator.
She was looking around, searching for me.
It seemed she'd come straight from the arcade without stopping home, as she still had her bag on her back.
I raised a hand to get her attention, and she approached with a bright expression before sitting down across from me.
"When did you get here?"
"About ten minutes ago."
"You're super early."
"I just got here a bit ahead of schedule. You're early too."
"Unlike some people, I'm not the type to be late all the time."
I chuckled at Miyuki's playful jab and pushed the extra Iced Americano I'd ordered beforehand toward her.
"Here, drink this. You look hot."
True to my words, beads of sweat dotted her forehead.
Some of her bangs were stuck to her skin, but her beauty wasn't diminished in the slightest.
Miyuki carefully took the Americano and said, "Thanks, I'll enjoy it."
"Did you come straight from the arcade?"
"Yeah. I only meant to play for an hour, but… I lost track of time playing games with a friend."
Is it that fun hanging out with Tetsuya? Don't make me jealous.
She brought the straw to her lips and took a sip, her face lighting up with bliss.
"Wow… this is so refreshing… Did you get the tickets?"
"Yep."
"What movie is it?"
What else is there to watch during a sweltering summer besides a horror movie?
It's one of the essential clichés of a romantic comedy.
"A scary one."
"Huh…? A horror movie? Matsuda-kun, are you good with stuff like that?"
This was the first time I'd ever chosen to watch one.
It would be better if I knew the plot, so I could at least anticipate the jump scares, but when I played DokiAka, the event simply triggered after a line of dialogue like, 'It was a horror movie,' or 'The moment the ghost first appeared…'
That was why I was more nervous than usual.
"I was going to see something else, but this one had good reviews, so I booked it. Are you good with them?"
"I actually kind of like them."
Right, the trope of the heroine being scared of ghosts is pretty tired.
But DokiAka is packed with those tired clichés, which feels a little unfair now that I think about it.
If Miyuki were a huge scaredy-cat, I could have enjoyed some unintentional skinship events.
As I nodded silently, Miyuki took out her wallet and said, "I'll get the popcorn. Do you want a Coke?"
"Already ordered it. They said they'll give it to us as soon as I show them the receipt."
"How much was it?"
"990 yen."
At that, Miyuki turned her head toward the cafe menu.
After checking the price of the Americano, she started taking bills and coins out of her wallet.
"Here's 1370 yen."
"Don't worry about it. I'll get it today, so you can treat me next time."
Leaving the door open for another date like this made Miyuki's hand freeze.
She hesitated for a moment, then mumbled, "But we should still be clear about money… At the hospital last time, too…"
What's 'yours' and 'mine' between us? If you feel that bad about it, you can pay for the love hotel later.
"Ah, forget it. I hate being so formal. Just get it next time."
"...Alright... Then I'll definitely treat you next time. I promise."
She even emphasized it by repeating the promise… Today's feeling pretty good.
"I said it's fine. Let's go get the popcorn."
"Okay."
I stood up from my seat and slung Miyuki's bag over my shoulder.
Then, before she could say anything, I beat her to it.
"Damn, this bag is heavy… This is why you're not growing taller. Are you even 160 cm?"
Miyuki, who had been about to reach for her bag, bristled.
"I-I'm 162…! It's just that you're so tall, Matsuda-kun, that I seem small…!"
"You're so tiny, stop squirming. When a grown-up offers to carry your bag, you should just say thank you."
"A-A grown-up? What are you talking about…! Stop saying weird things and give me my bag… M-Matsuda-kun! Wait up…!"
Ignoring her, I started walking toward the concession stand. She grabbed her coffee and trotted after me.
Miyuki tried to get her bag back from me for a few minutes, but when I didn't budge, she finally gave up and thanked me with a pout.
She's so cute I want to pinch her cheeks and stretch them out.
I gave her a small smile and handed my receipt to the employee at the counter.
A moment later, our popcorn, two Cokes, and a hot dog came out.
"Number 837, one Couple's Set. Enjoy."
I gave a slight smile and a nod, picking up the popcorn and one of the Cokes.
Then I gestured with my chin toward the remaining items.
"You can carry the other Coke and the hot dog."
"Oh…? Ah, okay…"
Miyuki's face was slightly flushed.
It seemed the word 'couple' had made her blush.
It was a minor plan, not even an appetizer, but it's these little things that build up romantic tension and eventually blossom into love.
Then again, you don't get to see reactions like that after you start dating… I might miss this later.
Still, I have Renka and Hiyori left, so it's nice that I can keep enjoying this.
"Isn't this color a little too flashy…? I like silver, white, or maybe black. They're safe choices."
"Same here. I'm just looking to see what kind of empty-headed person would drive something like this."
"Matsuda-kun. You shouldn't say things like that."
"Alright."
We were chatting while picking out cars during the commercials, but our conversation naturally ended as the movie began.
Screeeeeeech…!
As the distributor's logo appeared, a bizarre sound grated on my ears.
This is what I hate about horror movies.
The sound design that builds tension right from the start.
I've got goosebumps already.
The one silver lining was that the theater was packed.
The extra for the event, whom I'd checked on before sitting down, was also sitting right behind me.
Feeling a little relieved, I turned my gaze to the screen and was about to take a sip of my Coke when—
Crunch.
Beside me, I heard the sound of Miyuki demurely chewing on popcorn.
I intentionally flinched, pretending to be startled.
"Jeez…"
I shot a glare at Miyuki, and her eyes curved into crescents as she brought her lips to my ear.
"You're more of a scaredy-cat than you look. And were you about to swear just now?"
Every time Miyuki spoke, her breath tickled my ear.
I can't get an erection right now. This is bad.
"...I didn't, so it's fine. And try to eat quietly."
"I was being super quiet…? Maybe you're just on edge, Matsuda-kun? Are you that scared?"
"Scared? As if… Forget it. Let's just drop it."
I scoffed, gripped the armrest tightly, and started watching the movie.
The plot was basically… students trying to perform an exorcism enter a haunted house and disappear one by one.
It's cliché. But it's fucking terrifying.
Kyaaaaaaah-!
The moment the main characters entered the house, a soul-piercing scream echoed out.
My face twitched, and I prayed for the ghost to just show up already.
But contrary to my wishes, the ghost didn't appear for a full forty minutes.
Thud-!
Crash!
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat…!
Instead, just as the tension would start to ease, all sorts of tricks would be used to tighten the noose around my neck.
Wait, why am I so focused on this movie?
I just need to think about the event.
Just as I managed to calm down and my tension began to fade…
Thump. Thump-thump-thump-thump!
—Kyaaaaaaaaaah!
Along with the heroine's bloodcurdling scream, a horrifyingly scary-looking ghost made a loud entrance, kicking off the movie's main act.
Caught completely off guard, I let out a sharp gasp. At the same time—
"Hyaaaaaak!"
—the woman sitting behind me shrieked and spilled her Coke all over my head.
So the event has finally triggered.
The tightness in my chest loosened.
The distinct brown of the Coke instantly stained my white t-shirt, and ice cubes slipped inside, touching my bare skin.
What a way to cool off in the summer.
"Matsuda-kun…! Are you okay…?"
Miyuki frantically checked on me.
"Oh, what do I do…! I'm so sorry…!"
And the woman shot up from her seat, bowing her head to me repeatedly.
The sudden commotion drew the attention of everyone in the theater.
From here, I had to choose an option…
I could handle the situation my own way, like at the festival, but for this event, I decided to just follow the best option DokiAka provided.
After quickly making up my mind, I turned around and gave the woman a reassuring wave with a smile.
"It's alright. Please, continue watching the movie."
"L-Let me wipe it for you…"
"I was so startled I spilled my own Coke. I was going to get wet anyway, so please don't worry about it."
"I'm really sorry… Let me at least pay for the cleaning…"
Didn't I say not to worry about it? We're in a theater! We have to be quiet!
"It's really fine. Please, enjoy the rest of the movie."
"...I'm so sorry…"
I forced the conversation to an end and used a dry part of my shirt to wipe my hair.
Miyuki tapped my shoulder reproachfully and whispered, "Don't do that. I'll give you my handkerchief, use this to wipe it…"
"I don't need it. It'll dry on its own while we watch the movie."
"Haaah… You're so positive in situations like this… What a mess…"
"Did you get any on you?"
"Just a little on my arm. I'm fine."
"That's a relief."
The wet t-shirt was clinging tightly to my skin, revealing the contours of my body.
Miyuki, who had been sneaking glances at my abs illuminated by the light from the screen, looked at the Coke in my cup holder, and her eyes glinted with realization.
She brought her lips to my ear again.
"Matsuda-kun."
"What."
"You didn't spill your Coke."
"Oh, I didn't. Thought I did."
Miyuki didn't say anything else, just stared at me intently.
You were moved by my consideration for that woman, right? My affection level went up too, didn't it?
I believe it won't be long until I can call her Miyuki instead of Hanazawa.
Pretending to watch the movie with a bored expression, I nudged Miyuki's arm as if I'd just remembered something.
"Hey, Hanazawa."
She flinched, her shoulders jumping.
She must feel guilty for getting caught staring.
"Yeah… what? Do you need the handkerchief…?"
"What are you talking about… That's not it…"
I pulled the leg of my beige shorts forward, showing Miyuki the dark stain in the middle where the Coke had soaked through.
Then, I asked playfully, "Does it look like I got so scared I pissed myself?"
"....."
Was she at a loss for words that I could still joke around in a situation like this?
Only a dry laugh escaped Miyuki's lips.
She stayed like that for a moment, then looked at my mischievous expression and a faint smile touched her lips.
"Yeah… I'll buy you some adult diapers next time."
"They have those?"
"They do. For people like you, Matsuda-kun, who can't hold their pee."
"All this talk about peeing is making me have to go for real. I'm going to the restroom, wait here."
"I'll go with you. I'll ask the theater staff for a towel."
"Do what you want."
"Try saying, 'Would you, please?'"
"No."
She just shook her head at my blunt refusal, a pleased smile still playing on her lips.
Today's event was a bit plain, but it was fulfilling in its own way.
We should get some ice cream on the way back to wrap things up.