At this moment, Nakano Nino quietly murmured, "Those jealous girls in class are always saying, 'Yukinoshita-san will probably be stuck as flat as a board her whole life.' They say it so much that almost every girl remembers it—including me."
Then, Nino's expression twisted in disgust. "We're all still just high schoolers. Who can be sure someone won't develop later? Honestly, some people's envy is just revolting."
While speaking, she unconsciously folded her arms, causing her already snug shirt to tighten even more.
Shirase quietly looked away. Easy for you to say—someone so full has no idea how hungry others are.
Generally speaking, girls matured early. Although a second growth wasn't impossible, when it came to Yukinoshita Yukino, the odds really weren't looking good.
Their seats were in the third row from the back. The theater wasn't crowded at all, with barely a dozen people inside.
As the movie started, Nino grabbed a handful of popcorn and glanced quickly at Shirase's face. Seeing him calm, she softly asked, "Given your personality, wouldn't you prefer something with mecha or sci-fi?"
Holding his Coke, Shirase smiled. "The genre isn't important—what matters is who's sitting next to me."
Nino's cheeks turned pink, unable to suppress a satisfied smile spreading across her face.
She didn't dare speak again, turning her attention quietly to the movie.
Shirase really wasn't interested in this kind of film, but if the girl next to him enjoyed it, he was more than willing to accompany her.
Yet, as the movie unfolded, by about the 30-minute mark, Shirase began to sense that something was terribly off.
Beside him, Nino was also visibly stunned, her hand frozen mid-air with her drink, oblivious even to the straw slowly slipping sideways.
"This definitely isn't a simple school romance," Shirase remarked quietly.
Nino's expression turned unnatural. "I had no idea it would be like this. I thought the girl who appeared first was the female lead. I never expected the actual heroine would be…the protagonist's teacher."
In the movie, the female teacher was conscientious and dedicated. She was always sensitive to her students' feelings, guiding them positively and cheerfully whenever they seemed troubled.
And precisely because of that, the male lead slowly fell in love with her.
At around the 60-minute mark, the female lead drunkenly sobbed to the protagonist, "I'm almost thirty now. I have to find time every week to go on blind dates, but they always fail…waah…"
Watching the heroine bawling uncontrollably, Shirase nearly spat out his mouthful of Coke.
Isn't this just a carbon copy of a certain unmarried woman desperately hoping to settle down?
Shirase was absolutely certain: If Hiratsuka Shizuka played this role, the director wouldn't even need to worry about her acting.
Because Hiratsuka Shizuka could perfectly play herself.
Shirase suddenly recalled seeing Hiratsuka-sensei and Yukinoshita Haruno at the ticket counter earlier. If they were watching the same movie in another theater, then…
While Shirase's brain momentarily blanked, Nino beside him was quietly seething.
"They recommended this kind of movie to me? How is this even suitable for a date?!"
This was the film her friends had praised as deeply moving and tearfully healing.
Fine—the acting and story were good, and she could even feel the emotional scenes.
The problem was—she was watching it while out on a date with a boy!
Even though she stubbornly refused to admit aloud that this was a date, her heart had already accepted the truth.
And now, the movie two teenagers had chosen for their precious date turned out to be…this.
Nino felt zero emotional investment—no sense of immersion at all.
Shirase, on the other hand, watched attentively, even amusing himself imagining Hiratsuka-sensei's reaction to this film.
When the movie ended, noticing the girl beside him clearly wasn't in a great mood, Shirase asked, "Didn't like the movie?"
"It's not really dislike. It's just… Never mind, there's nothing worth talking about." Nino bit down on her straw, finishing the last bit of her drink.
Holding back his laughter, Shirase said, "Yeah, it makes sense. We're still students, after all. It's impossible to relate to something like this. Definitely not date material."
Nino pressed her lips together, unwilling to engage further on the topic.
If she'd watched this with her sisters, maybe she'd have felt more involved.
"Give me your trash; I'll throw it away," Nino found an excuse to step away and adjust her mood, not wanting Shirase to notice her internal embarrassment.
Little did she know, Shirase—who knew her extremely well—had already noticed.
Standing by the theater entrance, Shirase waited for Nino. She hadn't returned yet when two fashionably dressed girls approached. They exchanged whispers after stealing glances at Shirase. Then one girl with long, dyed flax-colored hair walked up holding a Coke.
"Hello, could you help me out?" she asked sweetly, smiling brightly at Shirase.
"What kind of help?" Shirase replied.
Seeing Shirase respond, her smile grew wider, and she raised her drink. "The cap on my bottle is way too tight—I can't get it open. Could you open it for me?"
Shirase held out his hand, and she quickly passed the Coke over.
Then, winking secretly at her friend not far away, she asked again with a sweet smile, "By the way, could I get your LINE ID?"
Shirase responded calmly, "So that was your real goal, huh?"
From the very first moment she spoke, Shirase had already seen through her intentions—that was why he hadn't rushed to open the Coke.
The girl put on a pitiful expression. "Come on, just help me out. I already told my friend I'd definitely get your contact info. If I don't, she'll make fun of me."
Shirase raised an eyebrow. "Is this how people approach others nowadays?"
"Yes, yes—please?" The girl showed no sign of embarrassment.
Yet the second she finished speaking, she watched as Shirase suddenly gripped her bottle of Coke and vigorously shook it.
She froze on the spot, completely dumbfounded.
Shirase shook the bottle for a full ten seconds before handing it back, smiling politely. "Sorry, if it's not Coca-Cola, I just can't open it."
Leaving her standing stunned, Shirase stepped past her smoothly, waving at Nino who'd just returned, her expression clearly wary.
"She tried recommending Pepsi to me, but I politely declined," Shirase said.
Nino immediately understood what had happened from the girl's dumbstruck expression. Seeing Shirase had handled it smoothly, she didn't say a word, quietly leaving the cinema together with him.
...
As the two left the theater, another pair of tall women emerged soon after. But unlike Shirase and Nino's relaxed air, these two looked much stranger.
One—the short-haired woman—was stifling laughter behind her hand. Meanwhile, the long-haired woman beside her stared blankly ahead, her whole body seemingly drained of life, murmuring in despair, "Why did I watch this movie? Why does the heroine end up with her perfect romance, while I'm doomed to fail again and again?"
This wasn't a romance film!
This was straight-up science fiction!
This was the cry of agony from Hiratsuka Shizuka's broken heart.
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T/N: jejejejejejejejejejejejeje poor shizuka... wait am i gonna be just like her NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO