It was the tail end of summer vacation. A few days had passed since we had begun staying at my old house.
As I was finishing up the dishes after dinner, Ms. Shizune spoke to me.
"By the way, what sort of places have you taken the Young Lady for sightseeing?"
"Well, let’s see..."
I went over the places Hinako and I had visited over the last few days.
"I see. The shopping district and a beef bowl restaurant."
"Yeah. Also Yuri’s house and the school I used to go to."
"Those must all be very novel experiences for the Young Lady."
"I think so. Hinako seemed to be enjoying herself."
However, for someone like me who had done nothing but work part-time jobs until meeting Hinako, I was reaching the limit of places I could show her. Hinako planned to stay at this house for a while longer, but I was already fresh out of ideas.
"Opportunities like this don't come around often, so I’d like to show her more variety, but... are there any other good spots?"
"Let me think... To be honest, I believe the place the Young Lady wanted to visit most was Itsuki-san's home. As for other interests..."
Ms. Shizune pondered for a moment before answering.
"How about a movie theater?"
"...A movie theater?"
It was certainly the kind of place a typical high schooler would enjoy. However, for a certain reason, my response was a bit noncommittal.
"Was that not to your liking?"
"Oh, no, it’s not that. I’ll go suggest it to Hinako right away."
I walked over to Hinako, who was sprawling out comfortably on her futon.
"Hinako."
"Mm...?"
"Do you want to go out somewhere with me tomorrow?"
◆
"Whoa..."
The next day. Following Ms. Shizune's advice, I brought Hinako to the movie theater.
"So, this is the theater."
"It’s amazing. Such a strange atmosphere..."
I wasn't sure if that was the right word for it, but "strange" might actually be the most accurate description. It was an exciting sort of dimness—a unique mood rarely felt anywhere else.
"Well, let's head in."
"Mm!"
With Hinako already looking excited, I led her toward the ticket machines.
"Let's see..."
I began navigating the touch screen.
Purchaser information... Should I be checking this on my phone?
Points... I wasn't entirely sure how they worked, but if it was a good deal, I should probably sign up for a membership.
"...?"
Under Hinako’s puzzled gaze, I somehow managed to get two tickets issued. I let out a small sigh of relief, feeling a minor sense of accomplishment.
"Itsuki, by any chance... do you not know much about movie theaters?"
"Ugh."
She’d seen right through me.
"...Sorry. To tell you the truth, this is my first time at a theater, too."
"I see... Why were you keeping that a secret?"
"Well..."
Until I met Hinako, I’d lived in poverty, and I never had the luxury of spending money on movies. We weren't in a relationship where I needed to hide those things anymore, but...
"...I guess I just wanted to act cool, or something."
I wanted Hinako to enjoy herself without worrying about my lack of experience. It was a small, trivial bit of ego.
"H-Huh... I see..."
For some reason, Hinako turned away from me. Was I imagining things, or were her ears turning red?
◆
Eventually, showtime arrived, and we took our seats.
"Hinako, you can sleep if you want, okay?"
"I’ll be fine. I slept for twenty hours yesterday just for today...!"
That was way too much sleep. Come to think of it, she’d been asleep right up until we left the house; so that was the reason.
"Wait, if you took precautions, does that mean you already knew about theaters?"
"I didn't... Shizune told me that people sometimes fall asleep in them."
I wondered if even Ms. Shizune visited the cinema for a break now and then. If that was the case, I felt a little bad. I probably should have invited her along.
After a while, the movie started. I’d asked Hinako beforehand if there was anything she wanted to see, and she’d told me "anything is fine." I thought I’d picked an orthodox romance that a girl would enjoy, but...
(...Hm?)
There was a lot more physical contact between the actors than I’d expected. Actually, it was a Western film. I was sure I’d picked a Japanese one...
(This is bad... I picked the wrong movie!)
In my haste to do something unfamiliar, I must have made a mistake with the reservation. No wonder there weren't any other students around.
This movie was definitely for adults...!
『Kyle. I love you.』
『Yeah, I love you, too.』
『Let's be together.』
『I could wish for nothing more.』
The young couple was shown in a massive close-up as they moved into a steamy scene. It wasn't rated R-18, so nothing graphic was actually shown, but the atmosphere certainly got the point across.
This was awkward.
I instinctively glanced at Hinako beside me.
"Zzz..."
Thank goodness—she was asleep. I was surprised she’d nodded off so quickly after bragging about her preparation, but this time, her habit had really saved me.
◆
After the movie ended, we took a leisurely walk home.
"Still, to think that man was the mastermind... I was surprised."
"Mm....I can't believe he couldn't take off his power suit."
I’d meant to mutter that to myself, but Hinako chimed in with her own thoughts on the plot.
That was strange. I could have sworn she was asleep the whole time.
"...Hinako, were you awake?"
"N-Not really... I just, felt like that was the case."
Hinako hurriedly looked away.
I see—she was just trying to play along with the conversation. It felt like a rather specific detail for her to just guess at, but prying further would only make things awkward, so I decided not to think about it.