Chapter 37: Inside the Theater

Ichin couldn't help but feel that Kasumigaoka was getting bolder with her words.

He shot Utaha a look and calmly replied, "No, I've just seen videos online showing similar couples' seating arrangements in cinemas. And I think you might have a slight misconception about high school life in China. They're really strict about early relationships, and I was always focused on my studies. I didn't have the time or opportunity to go out and watch movies on weekends."

"Is that so?" Utaha nodded thoughtfully and then grinned. "So that means your first time in a couples' seat is with me?"

"Well, although that phrase could be easily misinterpreted, technically, you're not wrong."

Seeing Ichin's unbothered expression, Utaha pouted slightly. "You really are thick-skinned."

"It's not thick skin; it's just that I've come to understand that you never mean anything good," Ichin chuckled, taking a sip of his cola. "We've known each other for two months now, after all."

"That's true, two months already," Utaha echoed with a soft smile as she looked at him.

In the past, Utaha would never have imagined herself going out with a boy like this, much less watching a movie together at the theater. And earlier, she even had the audacity to take over his bed for a nap. But, surprisingly, it didn't feel bad at all.

At 2:10 PM, the entrance to the screening room opened. Ichin and Utaha handed in their tickets and entered the so-called "couples' seating" theater.

As expected, there were fewer seats in this screening room, with each pair of seats spaced apart, explaining why the ticket prices were higher than usual. After settling into their seats, Utaha looked around at the other couples entering the room and remarked, "I was wondering if we might see some different types of people here."

"Huh? What do you mean by 'different types'?" Ichin asked, confused.

"Look over there," Utaha pointed out.

Following her gaze, Ichin saw two men who had entered together and were seated in a secluded corner of the back row.

Ichin quickly averted his eyes, pretending to focus on the still-dark screen, while Utaha continued to sneak glances for a while. Finally, she snapped back to reality, and with the lights still on, she eagerly pulled out her notebook and began writing.

"I never expected such an unexpected find today. Maybe I can use this for the subplot involving the second male lead. Better jot it down," she muttered, scribbling away.

Ichin covered his face with one hand, feeling the weight of his self-inflicted trouble. Why did I ever tell her about that? he thought to himself in regret.

Two minutes later, after jotting down her thoughts, Utaha put her notebook back in her bag and glanced at Ichin beside her.

"Ichin-kun, this seat feels quite different from the regular ones, doesn't it?"

"Well, given the higher ticket price, the service should be a bit better," Ichin replied casually. He turned to look at her, only to realize just how close Kasumigaoka was sitting to him.

Without the usual armrest between them, the double seat was much closer than he had anticipated. From this close, he could see the length of her eyelashes and how pretty they were, unintentionally causing him to stare in a daze.

Noticing his gaze, Utaha's face gradually turned pink, and the blush spread to her ears and neck. Fortunately, the dim lighting in the theater concealed it somewhat; otherwise, Utaha felt she wouldn't be able to stay there any longer. Ichin's unintentional stare seemed to be more potent than she had imagined.

But she couldn't back down now, so Utaha met his gaze, locking eyes with him. The longer she looked, the faster her heart seemed to beat.

Then, with a click, the lights in the theater dimmed completely, and the screen lit up, snapping them both back to reality. As advertisements began rolling on the big screen, Ichin awkwardly scratched his cheek. "Uh, looks like it's starting soon."

"Yeah," Utaha murmured softly, then fell silent.

After the advertisements finished, the movie finally began.

Although Ichin hadn't seen Free Guy before, he was somewhat familiar with it from trailers. It seemed to be about a protagonist who realizes he's an NPC in a game that's about to be shut down, leading him to try and save his world. As the plot progressed, both Ichin and Utaha became absorbed in the story.

The movie was well-made. As a seasoned gamer, Ichin caught several gaming references and took the opportunity to explain them to Utaha, ensuring she didn't miss anything significant. Overall, despite its game-centric setting and in-jokes, it turned out to be a pretty enjoyable popcorn flick, complete with impressive visual effects and action sequences. The lead actor, who played Deadpool, was quite solid in his role.

However, Ichin occasionally noticed that some of the couples in the theater seemed more focused on each other than on the movie, taking advantage of the dark to engage in some risqué activities.

Wow, bold moves, Ichin thought, shaking his head.

He glanced at Utaha beside him. As the movie progressed, she seemed to inch closer without realizing it, lightly leaning against his shoulder, completely unaware of the "activities" happening in other parts of the theater.

Well, at least that's a relief, he thought.

The two hours flew by. When they left the screening room, both Ichin and Utaha were quite satisfied with the movie.

Stretching lazily, Ichin smiled. "That was a good movie. The tickets were worth it."

Utaha seemed equally pleased. The film was enjoyable, and they got to sit in couples' seats. Although there wasn't much more development between them, this sort of time spent together already sparked some creative ideas for her.

They managed to enjoy themselves while also gathering some inspiration—mission accomplished.

After retrieving their belongings from the lockers and leaving the theater, it was already past 4:30 PM.

Ichin turned to Utaha and asked, "Anywhere else you'd like to go?"

Utaha glanced around and pointed to a nearby bookstore. "How about we check that place out? I've finished the book I was reading, so I'd like to find something new."

"Sure, let's go."

Ichin readily agreed. The bookstore was a large, comprehensive one, so it should also have books on software programming.

After wandering around the bookstore for a while, Utaha picked up a new novel, while Ichin grabbed two books on programming.

After their purchases, it was time to find a place for dinner.

…

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