Chapter 205: Senpai, Is Something Wrong with You?

No matter how curious she was, Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't outright demand to touch him—that would make her seem like some kind of pervert, wouldn't it?

And so, all she could do was patiently wait for an opportunity, though such chances are rare. As they ambled toward their destination, she couldn't come up with a better plan. Before she knew it, they had arrived.

The walk wasn't long, and there was no rush either. They had strolled to the cinema at a leisurely pace.

The theater was nearly deserted, so quiet it felt almost eerie. Whether it was due to its remote location or the time of day was unclear.

Although this area was technically part of Tokyo, it was noticeably more secluded compared to the bustling city center. The surroundings were dominated by old-style residential buildings, with little sign of urban development. Despite this, the area still had all the essential amenities one might need.

At the ticket counter, Kanade double-checked the movie schedule. After confirming everything was in order, he decisively purchased two tickets.

As a good companion for movie-watching, popcorn was a must. Drinks, however, required consultation.

"Senpai, do you want a drink?"

"No need," Utaha said promptly, shaking her head. She wasn't fond of overly cold beverages.

Kanade nodded, then turned to the clerk and ordered, "Two popcorns and one large Coke, please."

The clerk, a timid-looking girl who appeared to be about Kanade's age, quickly went to the back to fetch their order. Kanade suspected she might also be a high school student working part-time after school.

It didn't take long for her to return with their items.

"H-here you go. Please take your order…"

As Kanade accepted the items, he noticed the girl glancing at him repeatedly. When their eyes met, she quickly looked away.

She's really shy, Kanade thought, amused.

Turning back, he walked over to Utaha and handed her a tub of popcorn. Just as he was about to suggest they sit down and wait, Utaha crossed her arms and said in a disdainful tone, "As expected of Trash-kun. You can't even hide your desires, radiating hormones everywhere you go. You're just like a peacock flaunting its feathers."

"???" Kanade froze, a dark expression clouding his face. Before he could retort, he followed her gaze back to the counter, where the clerk stood, leaning slightly forward as if trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. When their eyes met, she hastily straightened and pretended nothing had happened.

"…" Kanade immediately understood what was going on.

He sighed, tugged at the corner of his mouth, and led Utaha to a seat farther away from the counter, deliberately avoiding the girl's line of sight.

"Even though you're acting indifferent, you're secretly pleased, aren't you?" Utaha teased, her mood visibly improving as she watched him "prove" his innocence. "After all, boys are just like that. It doesn't matter who or what the admirer is—being liked by a female makes you feel oh-so-important, doesn't it?"

"Would you please at least limit your accusations to humans?" Kanade shot back, exasperated. If he didn't, she might actually start implying he had a thing for non-human creatures.

"Ha! Just as I thought. You're a walking hormone machine, ready to strut whenever a girl shows interest. My advice? Congratulations, now go get a permanent fix."

"Don't twist my words like that!" Kanade grumbled. Sure, he felt a tiny bit pleased deep down, but he hadn't shown it at all! In fact, he'd even distanced himself to avoid misunderstandings. So how had he still ended up getting roasted?

If he'd known this would happen, he might as well have stayed put and secretly enjoyed the attention.

Seeing that Utaha was about to say more, Kanade panicked. Without thinking, he grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into her mouth, saying, "It's good. Eat more, Senpai."

"Mmph…!"

With her mouth full, Utaha could only make muffled sounds of protest. Satisfied, Kanade turned away, pretending to examine a nearby poster with intense interest.

After swallowing, Utaha was ready to scold him but suddenly realized something: He just fed me… didn't he?

Sure, his motive might not have been pure, but this was the first time he'd ever fed her of his own accord without her explicitly telling him to. And the fact that he'd used his whole hand… his fingers had definitely brushed against her lips.

A peculiar idea popped into her mind.

"My mouth is empty again," she declared with mock seriousness. "If it stays empty, I might start saying something you don't like."

"???" Kanade turned to her, confused.

Utaha pointed at his popcorn, then at her mouth, silently urging him to understand.

Surely he gets it now, right?

"But you have your own, don't you? Why eat mine?"

Utaha: "…"

Seriously?! She almost suspected he was being obtuse on purpose, trying to make her spell it out. Fine, two can play at this game!

"Because yours tastes better."

"That makes no sense," Kanade said, shaking his head. Nonetheless, he swapped his popcorn tub with hers.

"There, happy now?"

"???" Now it was Utaha's turn to feel baffled. Then, irritation flared up again.

He's definitely doing this on purpose!

Fed up, she shoved her tub back into his hands, crossed her arms, and huffed, "Now I don't even have hands free to eat."

"…" Kanade stared at her smug expression, momentarily speechless.

Finally, he managed to say, "You're this unwilling to eat by yourself? That's just lazy, Senpai!"

Utaha bristled. Lazy? You think that's what this is about? You're unbelievable!

She gave a cold snort and refused to respond, settling into a silent standoff.

Faced with her stubbornness, Kanade sighed in defeat. Reluctantly, he picked up a couple of pieces of popcorn and moved to feed her again.

But as he held the popcorn out, Utaha suddenly leaned forward, her tongue lightly brushing his palm before taking the popcorn.

Then she leaned back, a playful smirk on her face. "Serves you right."

Kanade: "…"

Are you a child?!

And how can you do something like that without the slightest shame?!

Notes-Read all chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X