"You can't always leave it to me. You should have your own opinions. So, what do you like?"
"I like watching horror movies."
Takashi: "…That won't do. Pick something else."
"Why?"
Kotonoha tilted her head in confusion.
"Well… uh…"
Takashi couldn't think of an excuse. He didn't want to admit he was scared of that stuff.
"Takashi, don't tell me you're scared?"
Kotonoha seemed to pick up on something and smiled gently at him.
"If that's the case, then let's choose something else, okay?"
Who would've thought you'd be good at passive-aggressive teasing?
"Scared? Are you kidding? Me, scared of that stuff? Let's go watch it!"
Takashi made up his mind. Worst case, he'd just close his eyes the whole time.
Ten minutes later, the movie was underway.
Takashi gripped the armrest tightly with one hand, eyes squeezed shut, not daring to open even the slightest gap.
Kotonoha, on the other hand, was watching intently, so focused she didn't even notice Takashi letting go of her hand.
'He's such a coward.'
Sitting on Takashi's left, Koyasu Tsubame found his behavior amusing.
It had been a long time since the haunted house incident. Koyasu Tsubame had long moved on from the trauma Watanabe Takashi caused.
Now on break, seeing the horror movie she'd looked forward to for months was finally out, she came to watch it.
Her seat just happened to be next to Takashi.
Just earlier, she'd accidentally bumped into his firm elbow and was startled, thinking she'd run into that haunted house elbow guy again.
"Aaahhh!"
A few minutes ago, Koyasu Tsubame was still laughing at Takashi, but as she looked up and the camera zoomed in on a ghost's face, she immediately screamed.
She was the type who was both scared and obsessed with horror.
Terrified of horror movies and haunted houses, yet addicted to watching and visiting them.
In horror films, she'd be the one who insists on going into the haunted place after being told not to.
Instinctively wanting to grab something in fear, Koyasu Tsubame reached for the armrest.
But what she touched wasn't the firm feel of a seat.
Takashi was already frightened, and Koyasu Tsubame's sudden scream made him jolt in terror.
When Tsubame's hand landed on his, he instinctively thought it was Kotonoha's, and muscle memory kicked in—his fingers interlaced with hers, gripping tightly.
Koyasu Tsubame, overwhelmed with fear, didn't notice at first.
But as the fear gradually faded, she suddenly realized that her hand was being held.
She turned to look and saw that Takashi still had his eyes shut.
"Hey, you've got the wrong hand. Your girlfriend's over there."
Tsubame blushed and whispered to Takashi.
But her voice was too soft, and Takashi didn't hear her at all. She waited a while but he didn't let go. Instead, he gripped even tighter.
In no time, Tsubame's palm was sweating.
'Is he really that scared?'
She muttered inwardly but didn't pull away, letting Takashi hold her hand as she leaned back to keep watching the movie.
But she found she couldn't focus at all.
Her attention was completely on that hand being held by Takashi.
'This is so weird.'
Holding another girl's boyfriend's hand right under the girlfriend's nose—this sense of guilt made her cheeks burn.
It felt exactly like knowingly becoming the "other woman."
Unable to watch the movie, she turned her gaze to Takashi.
Since his eyes were closed, she wasn't afraid of getting caught, and openly stared.
In the dim light, his facial features were clear and well-defined. A few stray hairs fell over his broad forehead, giving him a touch of casual charm.
His eyebrows were thick and strong, slightly raised, hinting at confidence and determination.
It wasn't until she saw Takashi that Tsubame finally understood the meaning of "a face like jade, sword-like brows, and bright, starry eyes."
Takashi's good looks weren't those of a typical Japanese pretty boy—they were bold, proper, and classically handsome.
The cinema's ambiance was already intimate, and with the couple in front not even watching the movie, just cuddling and kissing, the mood was thick.
Tsubame started to feel like she was on a date with her boyfriend.
Even if that "boyfriend" belonged to someone else.
She glanced at Kotonoha.
She was completely engrossed in the movie, totally unaware that her boyfriend had been "borrowed."
It was obvious—she was really there to watch the film.
…
The movie ended. The lights came on. Kotonoha turned to Takashi with satisfaction and said, "Takashi, today was really—"
Halfway through her sentence, Kotonoha noticed Takashi and Tsubame's hands still tightly clasped, as if no force could separate them.
The light in her eyes dimmed instantly, turning bottomless like a black hole—she looked just like a character descending into darkness in an anime.
'Maybe I should cut off her hand. She touched Takashi.'
Staring hard at Tsubame's hand, a terrifying thought flashed through Kotonoha's mind.
But the thought vanished just as quickly.
Suppressing the dangerous impulse, Kotonoha gently nudged Takashi. "Takashi, the movie's over. Wake up."
Takashi opened his eyes and, realizing the movie was finished, immediately perked up. "That movie was pretty meh."
"Takashi, you're holding someone else's hand. Let go quickly."
Kotonoha gently reminded him.
Takashi looked down and saw he was indeed holding someone's hand. He looked up and realized it was Tsubame.
She seemed to be asleep from watching the movie?
Was the horror movie that boring?
"I thought she was you."
"It's fine, let's go."
Takashi let go and reached for Kotonoha's hand.
But Kotonoha lightly dodged, changed position, and took hold of his other, untouched hand. Smiling, she said, "Let's go."
"Are you jealous?"
"No."
"I think you're definitely jealous."
The two bickered like a couple as they left.
Once they were gone, Tsubame immediately opened her eyes.
"Thank goodness I'm smart."
She hadn't actually fallen asleep.
She just didn't know how to face Kotonoha, so she pretended to sleep, hoping to get away with it.
Stretching lazily, she stood up—and turned to find Kotonoha standing behind her like a ghost, staring at her with calm, ocean-like eyes.
The smile on Tsubame's face vanished, her eyes darting around nervously.
The two girls stood face to face, and even the cleaning lady didn't dare interrupt.
Kotonoha spoke first: "I forgot something. Mind letting me through?"
"Ah—oh, okay."
Tsubame looked like a mistress caught red-handed by the wife, blushing deeply as she stepped aside.
Kotonoha walked past her and picked up a bag from her seat, thinking, She really wasn't asleep.
The bag was something she had intentionally left behind.
It was a test to see if Tsubame had really fallen asleep.
Now it was clear—she had just been pretending.
That sneaky little cat.
I really want to chop her up.
"Thanks."
As Kotonoha walked past Tsubame again, she quietly said, "He's mine."
Whether it was meant for Tsubame or for herself, no one knew.
But to Tsubame, it was definitely a warning.
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NAAH I JUST SAID SHE'S SWEET ONE CHAPTER BEFORE THIS LMAOO.
Thankfully, it wasn't directed towards Takashi.
So, the verdict remains.
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20 Advanced Chapters available on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics
Also, please point out my mistakes in the comment, thank you!
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Check out the other translations too
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