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Chapter 8 – First Date
“Was there a movie theater inside this outlet mall?”
“Yep.”
Hearing Erika’s reply, they move towards the outlet mall that opened up recently near this station. Ryou who saw the basket in Erika’s hands said.
“That seems heavy, should I carry it?”
Erika who understood Ryou is looking at her basket declined in a hurry.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s heavy.”
Ryou laughed unintentionally because of Erika’s words.
“That’s why I said I’ll take it.”
“Ah, b-but…”
“It’s fine, look. I have reasonable confidence in my physical strength, and I’m empty-handed.”
While saying so, Ryou grabbed the basket off of Erika’s hands.
“Ah…, sorry and thanks.”
Erika hangs her handbag over her shoulder while saying so.
“Aah…, this is really heavy. What’s in it?”
Ryou said so while slightly surprised that the basket was heavier than he expected.
Erika who sees that says worryingly.
“Is it alright?”
Ryou laughed again.
“If it’s unreasonable for me, it should be even more unreasonable for you. It’s alright, I was just surprised because it’s heavier that I thought. So, what’s inside?”
While saying so, Ryou easily moves the basket up and down to show its fine, Erika let out a breath of relief and said with a smile.
“Is it fine if it’s a secret?”
“Secret? Well, fine…, will I know later?”
“Yes, later.”
Saying so, Erika smiled while looking at Ryou who is curious.
“You, what do you want to see?”
When the two arrived at the movie theater and are checking what is showing, Ryou asked Erika.
“Me? What about Sakuragi-kun? …more than that, today is supposed to be for thanking Sakuragi-kun, so isn’t it fine for Sakuragi-kun to choose?”
“Saying it like that makes it sound like a holiday.”
Smiling wryly, Ryou looks at what is showing and thinks there isn’t anything he strongly wants to see.
“Yeah, you can pick.”
Erika says laughingly.
“Is that so?”
“Please decide.”
“Then… this one?”
Erika pointed towards an action one.
Fighting recklessly inside a train against terrorists, an American movie giving off a sense of speed.
Ryou who checked seems to be surprised and says to Erika.
“An action movie? I was thinking it would be a romantic movie.”
This time Erika was surprised at what Ryou said.
“Would a romantic one have been better?”
“No, it not like that. I just thought that girls would want to see a romantic one.”
Hearing that, Erika laughs while denying so.
“That girls would choose romance, Sakuragi-kun has quite an outdated way of thinking.”
Ryou received a shock being told so.
“An outdated thought was said.”
Seeing the exaggerated Ryou, Erika laughs strongly.
“After all, isn’t it outdated?”
“Umm, is it so?”
Ryou listens with his arms folded and a strangely serious face.
“Yes, outdated.”
Erika who said so matched him with a serious face.
“Then, let me revise that.”
Ryou nods when saying so
“Revise it.”
and Erika nods as well. When the two look at one another, they laughed.
When purchasing the movie tickets, Erika was going to pay because it is a reward for Ryou. When he said he can’t have a woman treat him to a movie, after all he invited her, so he will pay, the two began to quarrel. In the end it was decided to share the expenses equally.
Sitting inside the movie theater, usually Ryou doesn’t eat in the morning, but since he was thinking about breakfast he became a bit hungry and decided to get up and buy something from the stands.
“I’m going to the stalls, want anything?”
Erika thinks a little
“Then, ice tea please.”
“Okay, and food?”
“I’m not hungry so it’s fine.”
“Then, wait a moment.”
“Yees.”
Towards Erika’s again good mood reply, Ryou once again makes a curious face,
As expected, the stall just before the movie is crowded. Ryou who advances smoothly was able to purchase the things, after receiving the tray he returned to his seat with quick feet.
It was still bright when he enters the theater.
Returning to his seat, there was once again men whispering while looking at Erika. Ryou felt dispirited.
Ordinarily in such a situation, surely for him to return alone would be understandable, Ryou let out a sigh.
Looking in Erika’s direction, she isn’t showing signs of caring very much and is looking at her phone. The men in the surroundings were whispering to each other, Ryou sensed there to be feelings of great admiration overflowing.
Returning to his seat next to Erika, disappointment from the surroundings was transmitted through the air, but Ryou ignored it.
Noticing Ryou before he sat down, Erika looks up from her phone and smiles.
“Welcome back.”
At the same time that Erika smiled there is an audible gasp here and there, Ryou smiled wryly.
“I’m back, here’s the ice tea.”
“Thanks, how much was it?”
When Erika says while receiving the ice tea, Ryou waves his hand to stop her from taking out her purse.
“It’s fine.”
However, Erika shakes her head.
“It’s no good, how much?”
“It’s really fine, and I can’t remember it’s cost anyway. Besides, it’s troublesome putting away small change in a wallet.”
Saying to that extent, Erika who is still a little troubled said.
“Then, later on when you’re taking out your wallet I’ll pay.”
“It’s okay.”
“Splendidly stubborn aren’t you?”
Erika says with a frown.
“Nah, don’t you think it’s different? Couldn’t it be said that you’re the stubborn one?”
“Nothing like that,”
Looking at Erika who suddenly turned her head the other way, Ryou smiled wryly.
“Here, you can eat from this if you want to.”
He points to the french fries on the tray while holding a hot dog in the other hand.
Turning her head around with a bit of a sulky expression, Erika mutters thanks.
Pulling herself together, Erika looks in turn between the french fries and the hot dog in Ryou’s hand then tilted her head.
“Is that all?”
“Hmm?”
While biting on the hot dog Ryou replied wandering what it was.
“Is that much enough?”
Erika who has seen Ryou eat an unbelievable amount during lunch, was thinking while looking at the single hot dog and fries which was purchased.
Ryou who noticed the meaning, muttered an “aah”.
“I usually don’t eat in the morning and only have coffee. Since I thought about breakfast today I was a bit hungry.”
“You only have coffee in the morning?”
“Yeah.”
“Isn’t it bad for your body?”
“Maybe.”
“So it’s better if you eat?”
“That’s right.”
When Ryou gives noncommittal responses, he felt a little bit of a displeased aure coming from behind Erika and said.
“W-what is it?”
“Are you going to eat properly?”
“A-ah. I understand. I’ll do so when possible.”
“That’s no good, eat properly.”
“Are you my mother!?”
Ryou retorted reflexively.
“Will you eat, or won’t you?”
Erika says while drawing near to Ryou.
Ryou’s retort was ignored.
“Eh, ignored? Y-yes, I’ll eat. I’ll be sure to eat (when possible) in the morning.”
Because Erika’s back aura was growing stronger, Ryou made sure to reply politely.
“Really?”
“Yes (perhaps)”
Ryou answered with a sincere expression.
It seem that Ryou’s sincere expression was successful as Erika’s aura slowly disappears. Feeling relieved Ryou offered fries.
“If you like, here.”
With Erika’s feelings having changed, she say thanks for the food and picks up a fry to eat. Chatting while waiting for the movie to begin, the theater darkens, the movie advertisements begin and when they were over the movie began.
In the middle of the movie, the clichéd accident of their hands crossing while reaching for a fry (would it usually be popcorn?) didn’t occur.
However, though they aren’t mutually aware regarding their hands on the armrests, the two did not put their hands on the armrests.
Thanks for doing this Chapter ^_^