Volume 2 - CH 32

It is dimly lit and we are sitting in our reserved seats in the dark, cool theater.

After arriving at the theater with plenty of time to spare and handing in our preview tickets to the receptionist, we bring our own drinks and sit in our reserved seats.

No one has popcorn, which is a familiar sight at movie theaters.

This was a special preview. If they were to eat popcorn during a scene that would make them cry, they would be criticized.

When Takayama tried to buy an extra large popcorn, the two girls did their best to stop him.

Let’s not tell anyone that I was about to buy one too.

“It’s about to start, isn’t it?”

Anri, who was sitting next to me on my left, sneakily overheard me. Sugimoto is sitting on my right and Takayama is next to her.

The staff handed us our tickets in order at the reception, so we sat down in that order without any seat change.

“I was glad to hear that we were going to be able to see the show without any problems.”

I turned my head toward Anri and whispered in her ear.

“Yes, thank you. I’m glad I got to see it with Tsukasa-kun.”

――Bi—

It got darker in the theater and on the screen, and the familiar movie-viewing warnings began to play on the screen.

The movie was about to start, and I do not dislike romantic movies.

What kind of movie would it be? I was looking forward to it a little.

The first scene begins at a junior high school where the heroine has feelings for a boy.

There is not a word of dialogue, only quiet music.

The girl has had feelings for the boy for three years at the same junior high school, but they never spoke to each other until graduation.

The boy, however, had spent three years without knowing the girl.

When they entered high school and were in the same class, they began to talk to each other for the first time, and their interaction began.

And over the three years until their high school graduation, they gradually grew closer to each other.

They go to see fireworks together, spend detention alone together at the cultural festival, and do the three-legged race at the gymnastics festival.

They are aware that they like each other.

Their classmates are beginning to recognize this, and everyone is looking out for them.

However, they were afraid that their current relationship would break up, so they couldn’t say just one word, “I love you,” and their days passed by one another repeatedly.

On graduation day, they remain alone in the classroom, only saying, “Let’s do our best for each other,” before parting ways.

I was also moved by the scene where they shed tears so that neither of them would notice the other after they parted.

Suddenly, I looked at Anri next to me and saw that she too had tears in her eyelids.

The tears overflowed and drew a line on her cheek.

I gently put my handkerchief on her cheek and wiped her tears.

She took my hand and put it on her lap.

Anri’s eyes remained fixed on the screen, and we did not exchange a single word with each other, but I somehow felt she said “thank you” to me.

I then looked at Sugimoto, who was sitting on my opposite side.

Tears were welling up like a waterfall from both of her eyes, and she put her own handkerchief to her face and wiped her tears away.

No, I certainly understand that feeling, but it’s not the climax yet.

Can you really cry that much? I thought and looked at Takayama, who was beside Sugimoto.

Surely he’s not sleeping, right?

Sugimoto is short, so Takayama’s face was clearly visible even in the dim light.

Takayama was awake. And he was shedding tears as much as Sugimoto.

I didn’t think it was possible, but was Takayama also moved?

He clutches a white handkerchief in his hand and wipes his tears repeatedly.

I’m the one who’s not crying here, and I’m going to feel out of place, you know.

Anri is looking intently at the screen, but my will is a little taken by the hand in Anri’s grip.

My hand, held firmly by Anri, is on Anri’s soft knee.

Perhaps Anri is unconscious, but I’m a little upset.

In the dark movie theater, I get nervous in a different way as I look at the screen…