On the weekend morning, sunlight slipped into the room through the gap in the curtains.
Karuizawa Kei woke up early.
Normally on weekends she would sleep in until she woke naturally, making up for all the sleep she'd missed over the week. But today was different—today was the day of her date with Shikime Natsu, and she was even bringing along Satou Maya and Matsushita Chiaki.
Karuizawa Kei sat up in bed, rubbed her eyes, then picked up her phone and glanced at the time.
Six thirty. There was still an hour and a half until the agreed-upon eight o'clock.
She set down her phone, then climbed out of bed and, in her slippers, walked into the bathroom.
After washing up, she stood in front of the wardrobe, opened the doors, and let her gaze sweep across the hanging clothes.
At last, her eyes settled on that white dress.
She reached out, took the dress down, and changed into it.
The white hem fell right at her knees, revealing a stretch of slender, fair calf, and a light-pink belt cinched her waist just perfectly.
She looked at herself in the mirror, then nodded in satisfaction.
Next, she sat down at the vanity and began putting on her makeup.
Karuizawa Kei's makeup skills were quite good—after all, with her usual gyaru style, makeup was a basic fundamental.
Once she'd finished, she checked herself in the mirror again, and only after confirming there were no problems did she stand up.
She picked up the phone she'd left on the bed and took a look.
Both Satou Maya and Matsushita Chiaki had sent messages in the group chat.
[Satou Maya: I'm all ready!]
Satou Maya sent an excited sticker.
[Matsushita Chiaki: I'm ready too]
Matsushita Chiaki followed hers with a smiling emoji.
Karuizawa Kei looked at the two messages, smiled, then typed out a reply.
[Karuizawa Kei: I'm ready too, so let's meet downstairs]
Karuizawa Kei slipped her phone into her pocket, then picked up the little shoulder bag she'd left on the table and walked out of the dorm.
She walked to the elevator, pressed the button, and after a short wait, the elevator doors opened.
She stepped inside and pressed the button for the first floor.
The elevator descended slowly and soon reached the ground floor.
The doors opened, and Karuizawa Kei walked out, heading toward the entrance of the dormitory building.
As she stepped out of the dormitory building, she caught sight of two familiar figures.
Satou Maya stood beside the flowerbed near the entrance, her long, light-brown hair spilling over her shoulders with its ends curling slightly. She wore a light-pink sporty outfit that suited her quite well.
Matsushita Chiaki stood beside Satou Maya, her long brown hair falling smoothly over her shoulders, its texture looking remarkably nice. She wore a pale-blue dress whose hem swayed gently, giving her an elegant, gentle air—like a delicate porcelain doll.
Karuizawa Kei walked over and greeted them with a smile.
"Good morning."
"Morning!"
When Satou Maya saw Karuizawa Kei, her eyes brightened, and she looked her up and down.
"Kei, you look really pretty today!"
"Thanks—Maya, you look great too."
Karuizawa Kei smiled, then let her gaze fall on Matsushita Chiaki.
"Chiaki looks really pretty today as well."
Hearing the compliment, Matsushita Chiaki smiled.
"Thank you..."
"Well then, let's get going."
Karuizawa Kei spoke up, then took the lead, stepping forward and heading in the direction of the Keyaki Mall.
Satou Maya and Matsushita Chiaki followed behind her.
The three walked together, shoulder to shoulder, looking quite close.
Satou Maya walked beside Karuizawa Kei, but inside she was a little nervous, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists.
When they'd discussed things the night before, the original plan had been for each of them to arrive at the meeting spot separately. But Satou Maya worried that if she went alone, she might run into Shikime Natsu ahead of time—and if that really happened, it would be far too awkward.
Especially since this date was mainly Karuizawa Kei and Shikime Natsu's date; meeting up with Shikime Natsu early on her own wouldn't be a good idea.
And besides... if she ran into Shikime Natsu early, she'd still have to come up with things to talk about. Although Satou Maya was quite the aggressive type, at moments like this she found herself getting a little nervous instead.
Especially when she was aware of her own true purpose, Satou Maya wasn't sure she could handle it well.
Matsushita Chiaki naturally shared the same thoughts as Satou Maya, so the three of them had agreed to head to the destination together in the morning.
The three continued walking, the early-morning breeze carrying a hint of chill as it brushed against their faces, leaving a refreshing sensation.
Before long, the three arrived at the Keyaki Mall, and from a distance they spotted a figure.
Shikime Natsu was standing at the entrance of the mall.
He wore a white shirt paired with dark trousers, looking altogether quite handsome. In his hand was a phone, his eyes fixed on the screen. With his short black hair, refined features, and the aura he gave off, he was simply a striking scene to behold!
An unbeatable character model!
The instant Satou Maya saw Shikime Natsu, her heart raced. Her steps faltered slightly, then she drew in a deep breath and kept walking forward, following behind Karuizawa Kei.
Matsushita Chiaki saw Shikime Natsu too, and her heartbeat quickened a bit as well. Her gaze fell on him, then swiftly darted away—she didn't dare look for long.
The three of them walked up in front of Shikime Natsu.
Sensing their arrival, Shikime Natsu lifted his head, drawing his eyes away from his phone and letting them settle on the three girls.
The corners of his mouth curved up slightly, revealing a gentle smile.
"Morning."
He greeted them, his voice low and warm.
"G-good morning..."
Satou Maya hurriedly replied, a trace of nervousness in her voice.
"Good morning."
Matsushita Chiaki also greeted him softly, her gaze still not daring to meet Shikime Natsu's directly.
Watching the two girls' reactions, Karuizawa Kei couldn't help but find it a little amusing.
She walked up to Shikime Natsu, reached out, and lightly hooked her arm around his.
"Natsu, did you wait long?"
she asked, a hint of coquettishness in her tone.
"No, I just got here a moment ago."
Shikime Natsu shook his head, then let his gaze fall on Satou Maya and Matsushita Chiaki.
"There's still some time before the movie starts, but let's go wait inside first."
Shikime Natsu said with a smile to the group, four movie tickets already purchased and in his hand.
"Mm-hmm!"
The three nodded one after another. As it happened, the theater had a new movie premiering today—although, at first, the movies showing at the theater weren't the type they'd wanted to see.
After all, this was a romance battle plan, so naturally the girls had to watch a romance movie—only that way would there be the right atmosphere.
The night before, after they'd discussed the movie in the group chat that included Shikime Natsu, they never expected that just half an hour after the discussion ended, the theater's movie schedule would change, and today the very movie they wanted to see would be showing.
It was truly a miraculous thing—as if some invisible giant hand were manipulating everything.
This was Shikime Natsu's ability: directly altering the movie schedule. Of course, even without using Supernatural abilities, the power of cash would have worked just as well—after all, in this school, nearly everything could be bought with Private Points.
This movie was, naturally, no exception.
The Keyaki Mall's cinema was located on the second floor of the mall, with six screening halls in total, each able to hold about fifty people.
"Come on, let's go in."
After the four of them had their tickets checked, they bought popcorn and walked into the screening hall.
The hall was very dark, with only the screen glowing with light.
There weren't many people in the morning; aside from the four of them, only a scattered few other viewers sat dispersed in the corners of the entire hall.
Essentially, they had the place practically to themselves.
Karuizawa Kei walked at the front, sweeping her eyes over the seats, and once she found their spots, the four began to sit down.
Karuizawa Kei and Satou Maya each sat on one side of Shikime Natsu, left and right.
On the way there, the three girls had already worked it out: Satou Maya would sit beside Shikime Natsu, Karuizawa Kei on his other side, and Matsushita Chiaki beside Karuizawa Kei.
Originally, Karuizawa Kei had thought to have Satou Maya and Matsushita Chiaki each sit on one side of Shikime Natsu.
But the two of them flatly refused.
Because this time, it was mainly Karuizawa Kei and Shikime Natsu's date.
If the two of them sat on either side of Shikime Natsu, it would be far too deliberate.
Shikime Natsu might notice something.
So Satou Maya and Matsushita Chiaki decided to let Karuizawa Kei sit next to Shikime Natsu first, with Satou Maya on his other side, and Matsushita Chiaki on the very outside.
That way, it would look a bit more natural.
As for who would "attack" first, the three had settled that too: it would go to Satou Maya first, and the next chance would be given to Matsushita Chiaki.
At that moment, Satou Maya stood beside her seat, drew in a deep breath, then sat down. After a while, the movie began.
All the lights in the screening hall went out, leaving only the glow of the screen.
The entire hall sank into darkness, and Satou Maya's heart pounded fast.
Her hands rested on her knees, her fingers gripping the hem of her dress tightly.
In her heart, she silently counted down.
Once the movie had been playing for a little while, she could begin her move.
This was the plan the three of them had agreed upon.
First get Shikime Natsu to relax, then find a chance to use the popcorn prop.
The large bucket of popcorn was held by Shikime Natsu, and the small one was held by Matsushita Chiaki.
As for Karuizawa Kei and Satou Maya, their hands were empty.
This was what they'd agreed on—having Shikime Natsu hold the big bucket of popcorn, so that Satou Maya could "casually" reach into the bucket for some popcorn and then "just happen" to touch Shikime Natsu's hand.
The three walked back into the hall, and after settling into their seats again, the movie had already started.
The male and female leads were meeting in a café on a rainy day, the scene beautiful and dreamlike—yet Satou Maya's mind was not on the movie at all.
From time to time her gaze flicked toward the hand Shikime Natsu had resting on the armrest.
That hand was slender, its joints well-defined, and it looked quite lovely.
Watching that hand, Satou Maya's heart pounded even faster.
She drew in a deep breath, then began to act.
She stretched out her hand, reaching toward the popcorn bucket.
The bucket sat on Shikime Natsu's lap, his right hand already inside it, holding a piece of popcorn.
Satou Maya's hand crept slowly, ever so slowly, toward the bucket.
Her fingers groped in the darkness, and then they touched Shikime Natsu's hand.
The instant Satou Maya's fingertips brushed against the back of Shikime Natsu's hand, her whole body jolted as if struck by electricity.
Her hand didn't pull back immediately—instead, it stayed right there.
Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of her chest, thump-thump, thump-thump. Even with the movie playing, Satou Maya felt as if she could hear the echo of her own heartbeat.
Her face flushed red at once, red and burning hot—that scalding sensation spread from her cheeks to the roots of her ears, and even her neck took on a faint tinge of pink.
Her breathing grew a little rapid, her fingers trembling faintly. She didn't move, and neither did Shikime Natsu.
The two of their hands touched lightly like that inside the popcorn bucket, and soon three whole seconds had passed. Satou Maya felt her mind go completely blank, unable to recall a single thing.
All those lines she'd prepared, all the words meant to handle a situation like this—at this moment they were forgotten entirely.
Then, as if suddenly snapping back to her senses, she hurriedly drew back her hand.
"S-sorry..."
she said softly, her voice carrying a trace of panic and a trace of shyness.
"I... I didn't mean to..."
Her hand clenched tightly, her fingertips still retaining that faint sensation from touching the back of Shikime Natsu's hand.
Her heart was still pounding fast—so fast it made her feel a little breathless.
Shikime Natsu turned his head and looked at her.
The light in the hall was very dim, but Satou Maya could still make out that faint, shallow smile on Shikime Natsu's face.
"It's fine."
Hearing those words, the tension in Satou Maya's heart eased just a little.
She drew in a deep breath, then settled back into her seat.
But her gaze could no longer tear itself away from Shikime Natsu.
The movie continued to play.
On the screen, the male and female leads strolled through the rain, the rainwater soaking their clothes.
But Satou Maya's gaze remained fixed on Shikime Natsu the entire time.
Her eyes watched him without blinking.
Watching the side of his face, watching his shoulders, watching his hands, watching his every movement.
Every little detail made her heart flutter uncontrollably.
In her chest, it was as if a little deer were bounding wildly about, thump-thump-thump, unable to stop.
She wanted to draw closer to him, wanted to talk with him, wanted more contact with him.
Karuizawa Kei sat on Shikime Natsu's left, her gaze also on the screen.
But out of the corner of her eye, she'd been keeping tabs on Satou Maya's movements the whole time.
When she saw Satou Maya's hand touch Shikime Natsu's inside the popcorn bucket, then pull back in a fluster, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve up slightly.
Karuizawa Kei thought this to herself, then reached out, took a piece of popcorn from the bucket, and popped it into her mouth.
Matsushita Chiaki sat on Karuizawa Kei's left, holding the small portion of popcorn in her hands, eating it piece by piece.
Her gaze, too, occasionally darted toward Shikime Natsu.
But her movements were very discreet; each time, only when she'd confirmed that no one around had noticed her would she quickly steal a glance. Her feelings were very complicated.
When the movie was halfway through, a romantic scene appeared on the screen.
The male and female leads stood by the seaside, the glow of the setting sun spilling over them, dyeing the whole world a golden hue.
The male lead reached out and gently wiped away the tearstains on the female lead's face.
Then he bent down and lightly pressed a kiss to her forehead.
That scene was very beautiful.
Watching that scene, Satou Maya couldn't help but feel a surge of longing.
Kiss.
After such an image surfaced in Satou Maya's mind, her face began to burn again, her thoughts running wild.
And just as Satou Maya was letting her imagination run away with her, a satisfied smile on her face, the movie soon came to an end.
"Maya?"
It was only after hearing Shikime Natsu's voice that Satou Maya snapped back to her senses.
"The movie's over now, we should get going."
Shikime Natsu said with a light chuckle as he looked at Satou Maya.
Satou Maya couldn't help but be slightly stunned—so during the whole movie, she'd only touched Shikime Natsu for a few seconds, and then it was over?
It felt like a loss, and yet it also didn't feel like a loss.
After all, the two of them were still just good friends—she couldn't very well go along with the mood and just kiss him directly, could she?
"Oh, okay."
Satou Maya rose to her feet a little flusteredly, then followed alongside the others out of the theater.
Ah, the opportunity just wasn't right, Satou Maya thought to herself—if only it had been an environment like a haunted house.
A movie theater and all that just fell short by quite a lot.
____
👻🔥+40 ch on Pátreon: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Zenless Zone Zero: Rewriting Fate in New Eridu — read it on The_Mikudayo
📚 Forty chapters of advanced reading at Walnut-chan, and it goes straight into keeping the translations on schedule
Let's achieve our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 extra chapter for everybody