Chapter 1135: Interlude · Arcueid's Date (Part 3)

They exited the cinema.

Honestly, the romantic movie they watched wasn't particularly boring. It conveyed what it needed to, and it wasn't a waste of the ticket price.

But could a film that focused on themes and understanding really be interesting to the True Ancestor princess?

Shinji wasn't sure.

"..."

Arcueid walked silently beside him.

The uncomfortable silence gnawed at Shinji, and he felt he had to break it.

"Um, Arcueid?"

He had gotten so used to her chatter and carefree behavior that her sudden silence was quite disconcerting.

"Mm, it was fun, Shinji!"

"Huh—?"

Fun—really!?

"Uh, Arcueid, what exactly was fun?"

"The cinema was fun! It wasn't boring at all like you said it would be. From what I knew, cinemas were just places for trivial fantasies, but it was different from what I imagined!"

Her lively and cheerful tone, combined with her bright expression, left no doubt that the princess had genuinely enjoyed herself.

"Sitting in the dark, hearing sounds, and even though the sounds were loud, they weren't annoying. Plus, you were right there beside me, which made it even more fun."

Was that all?

"What about the movie itself?"

Shinji wondered if she had even watched the movie or if she had just enjoyed the dark atmosphere—after all, a sunless, shadowy environment was precisely what Arcueid was most comfortable in.

"The movie was great too! When you let me play video games, I thought maybe humans are better at fantasizing than we are, and now I'm sure of it. You can make something fictional seem real. If I had to compare, the illusions I create are more like tricks to entertain children. I'm impressed."

"...Ah, really?"

Shinji was a bit taken aback.

He recalled that Arcueid supposedly had a thing for movies, but back at home, whenever he invited her to watch something, she'd always seem disinterested. Could it have been the atmosphere that was off?

"Huh? You don't look too happy. Did you find it boring?"

"Me? I'm okay with it. It wasn't boring, but it wasn't anything special either. I've just seen too many movies like that. But it's fine as long as you like it. If you did, we can come again sometime. By human standards, though, it wasn't exactly a great movie—it'd probably score around a 6 out of 10."

"Only 6? No way! That movie was fantastic!"

Arcueid exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

"Look into my honest eyes—I'm not lying. Trust me, truly great movies are several times better than that one, but only a few come out each year. We just weren't lucky with the timing for this one."

"...Wow!"

She was so taken aback that she froze. Just before they had watched the movie, she had been grumbling coldly, but now even a film of that caliber had her bouncing with childlike excitement.

"Was the one you tried to show me at home one of those movies that's many times better?"

"Yeah, Titanic. It's one of the top romance films. But you were too busy playing games when I called you to watch it, so I gave up."

"Too bad. If I'd known it could be this much fun, I would've watched it."

Shinji consoled her.

"It's not too late. We've got plenty of time to watch it in the future."

"Mm, you're right. Thank you, Shinji!"

"No need to thank me."

Seeing her so happy made Shinji feel like the day was well spent.

"So, Shinji, where are we going next?"

"Next, let's get something to eat."

"Good idea! I want to try the local specialties."

This was one of Arcueid's interests. Despite being a vampire, she was obsessed with human food and particularly enjoyed devouring everything in sight with a voracious appetite. Shinji always found himself at a loss for words when watching her eat.

Luckily, Shinji was a bit of a foodie himself, and having someone to eat with was always enjoyable. With Arcueid, there was no need to worry about leftovers; her near-limitless capacity made her the perfect clean plate advocate.

This time was no different. With plenty of money to spare, Shinji ordered a large spread. He ate about a quarter of it while Arcueid devoured the rest.

After finishing, she mimicked Shinji by patting her stomach, even though there wasn't the slightest bulge. She even picked up a toothpick and put it in her mouth, although she hadn't gotten anything stuck in her teeth. She looked thoroughly satisfied.

"That was fun! So, where are we going next?"

"Do you have any places in mind?"

Initially, Shinji had planned to visit all three major date spots, which should've been enough to last until evening. Yet, it was only 2 PM, and they had already completed the itinerary. With no immediate ideas, he handed the decision over to Arcueid.

She rested her cheek on her hand and tilted her head to one side.

"Hmm, let me think. What's that over there?"

They had chosen to eat at a restaurant on the upper floors of a tall building, giving them a clear view of the surrounding area. With Arcueid's superhuman eyesight, it was like she had a bird's-eye view of the small city.

"That?"

Shinji cast a vision-enhancing spell on himself. "That's a park. Just a regular public park."

"And that?"

"That's a train station."

"What about where we're staying?"

"It should be in that direction, but it's blocked by that taller building."

"And what's that place with all the people gathered?"

"That's a school."

"It looks interesting. Why don't we go there?"

"No can do. The students are in class right now. We'd disturb them if we went."

"Oh, I see. Then what about that colorful place to the left?"

"That's an arcade."

"An arcade? Perfect! Let's go there. It sounds like fun!"

"Of all places, you choose the arcade?"

Shinji chuckled. If cinemas were considered prime date spots, arcades were practically the opposite—unless both people were into gaming.

But considering Arcueid's love for video games, this spot might be a good fit. As long as she didn't get too carried away.

"Alright, let's go. It's been a while since I've been to a place like that. Time to see if I'm still any good."

"Oh, oh! Let's hurry up and play till evening!"

"That's fine, but no using superhuman abilities, okay? We don't want to cause a scene."

"I know that! You underestimate me, Shinji. Don't think I'm some clueless woman."

"You haven't caused trouble before? Like breaking things or making money appear out of thin air?"

"That doesn't count! I'd just woken up then and wasn't used to everything. This time, I'll be fine."

Letting out a confident huff, Arcueid stood up and left her seat.

Where does her confidence even come from sometimes? Shinji wondered.