Ch.95Episode 20. A Happy Day (2)

[“Ryosuke, did you avoid me yesterday?”]

[“Not really.”]

[“Then why did you ignore me when I called out to you?”]

[“Well… um. I didn’t hear you.”]

[“Liar!”]

The female protagonist puffs her cheeks as the male protagonist tries to brush it off.

Watching these two fresh-faced high school students sitting across from each other and chatting early in the morning, I hear the sound of someone munching on popcorn beside me.

Yeon-hwa was eagerly watching the movie while eating popcorn.

She had been fidgeting before the movie started, but once it began, she found her composure and hadn’t taken her eyes off the screen even once.

She mechanically puts caramel popcorn into her mouth while enjoying the film. The popcorn container was already less than half full. She was eating all that by herself.

At this rate, she won’t be able to eat lunch.

“Yeon-hwa.”

“…Oh, yes?”

When I call her name in a whisper, she responds with a slight delay. She must have been so focused that she didn’t even hear my voice.

Her eyes, reflecting the light from the screen, sparkle as she looks at me. Meeting those eyes full of life, it feels as if she had been waiting for me to call her.

“Don’t eat too much popcorn.”

“Why?”

“You won’t be able to eat lunch later.”

“But it would be a waste to leave it. You bought it for me, oppa.”

She seems to have gotten used to calling me “oppa” now.

Or maybe it just came out naturally because she’s distracted by the movie?

“Then can I have some?”

“Since you bought it, you don’t need my permission.”

“Alright.”

I grab a handful of popcorn.

As soon as our conversation ends, Yeon-hwa focuses back on the screen. I also turn my attention back to the movie while eating the popcorn.

By the time the story reached its middle, Yeon-hwa’s container was completely empty. She put it down on the floor without taking her eyes off the screen.

With her hands now free, she naturally rests her arm on the armrest, boldly claiming the one between us.

As I quietly look at her arm, I feel the urge to tease her.

“Heep!”

She jumps in surprise when I gently scratch the back of her small, cute hand. She quickly covers her mouth after letting out a gasp loud enough for everyone in the theater to hear, and nervously looks around.

The surroundings were quiet. Everyone was focused on the movie. Yeon-hwa lets out a sigh of relief and glares at me.

“W-what are you doing…!”

She demands in a small voice. She lowered her voice, conscious of the other moviegoers.

How can someone so polite be so cheeky with me? It’s a bit vexing. It makes me want to tease her more.

“I just felt like it?”

“Y-you just felt like it…! I-it’s distracting from the movie, could you please stop? You can do it later.”

“Oh. I can do it later?”

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant.”

“Why not? I want to.”

“I said nooo…”

Her resistance weakens gradually. Does that mean she doesn’t dislike it?

Still, I couldn’t keep disturbing her when she was so invested in the animated film. Anyone, no matter how nice, would get annoyed if I kept it up.

“Alright. I won’t bother you.”

At my indifferent response, Yeon-hwa keeps glancing at me nervously. Don’t tell me she thinks I’m upset about this?

“Um… d-did you want to continue?”

Yeon-hwa asked carefully, leaning toward me.

“No, it’s fine. Let’s just watch the movie.”

“I-I didn’t dislike it. But the m-movie is important too… You understand, right?”

Isn’t this her saying it’s okay to continue?

I’m trying not to laugh. I understood she wanted to focus on the movie, but I decided to pretend I didn’t.

“Really?”

I scratched the back of her hand again with a mischievous smile. Each time, she flinches and squirms. She could move her arm away if she didn’t like it, but she never removes it from the armrest.

“Hnng…”

A small sound escapes her lips, as if she’s ticklish.

Feeling bolder, I gently place my hand over hers after scratching it. Carefully, so as not to startle her.

“Eep!”

But even that seemed to be intense skinship for her, as she jerks noticeably. I smiled playfully at her widely opened eyes.

“I-Instructor…! W-what are you doing all of a sudden…!”

“I’m not your instructor today, am I?”

“…Yujin oppa.”

“Good girl.”

“Oppa… um, your hand…”

I pretended not to hear her and kept my hand where it was. Yeon-hwa kept looking back and forth between the screen and our joined hands.

Her clueless expression was so funny.

I barely managed to suppress my laughter behind my hand as I watched Yeon-hwa’s adorable reactions.

I enjoyed watching her fidget uncomfortably until the end of the movie.

I had prided myself on not touching students, but when she shows reactions like this, I couldn’t resist.

Honestly, how could I hold back when it was more enjoyable than the movie itself?

* * *

“Uung!”

The movie ended, and we went outside. As soon as we stepped into the bright area, Yeon-hwa glared at me with her cheeks puffed up.

She looks just like the female protagonist from the movie we just watched, puffing her cheeks like that.

“Because of Instructor… I mean, oppa, I couldn’t properly watch the movie!”

“You said you didn’t dislike it?”

“I didn’t dislike it, but…! Still, that was too much! I can’t remember anything about the movie, so I wasted the ticket money!”

How typical of Yeon-hwa. Her point of complaint was strange.

She should be questioning why I held her hand, but instead, she’s upset about not remembering the movie.

“I remember it though.”

“That’s unfair!”

“Then you do it next time.”

“I definitely will! You idiot! Yujin!”

“It’s oppa.”

“…Oppa!”

I patted the head of this reluctant girl. Again, she accepts it gladly, though her expression remained unresolved.

“Shall we go get something to eat?”

“What about apologizing for teasing me?”

“Sorry.”

“There’s no sincerity at all!”

She crosses her arms to show her dissatisfaction, but now it just looks cute to me.

“Really? Then I’ll buy you lunch as an apology.”

“I don’t want to keep getting treated.”

“No way. You agreed to leave everything to me today.”

“…Then let’s go somewhere cheap.”

She seemed to feel uncomfortable whenever I spent money on her. It was quite admirable.

“Where?”

“Hamburgers!”

“Sure.”

A safe choice.

We moved to the department store connected to the movie theater. We went straight to the hamburger restaurant on the first floor, placed our order, and sat down at a table facing each other.

“What should we buy as a gift?”

“Hmm. I’m not sure what my mom likes. She never answers when I ask.”

“What does your mother do for a living?”

“She used to work as a model and at a trading company, but I’m not sure about now.”

She’s probably unemployed now.

I thought cynically to myself while looking around at the people passing by.

“How about clothes as a gift?”

“Clothes… Hmm. That wouldn’t be bad, but wouldn’t it be too burdensome?”

“Maybe.”

For a moment, whiskey crossed my mind, but no matter what, giving alcohol as a gift to a parent seemed inappropriate.

“Then how about cosmetics? Perfume might be good too.”

“Oh. Perfume is a good idea. She’ll think of me every time she smells it!”

That sounded like something you’d say to a potential boyfriend.

Given Yeon-hwa’s lack of immunity to men, she probably didn’t say it with any particular intention.

Still, throwing out lines like that without thinking makes it easy for other men to misunderstand.

“That sounds good. Shall we go look at perfumes then?”

I thought a simple cake and bouquet would be enough. Of course, I wouldn’t be giving them myself; I’d assign that role to Yeon-hwa.

“Sounds good.”

After talking about the gift, we were chatting casually when the buzzer went off. As I was about to get up, Yeon-hwa pressed down on my shoulder.

“No way!”

“Huh?”

“Since Yujin oppa is treating me, I’ll go get it. Next time when I treat you, you can go. Got it?”

“Are you already thinking about our next date?”

“N-not particularly?!”

She froze at my words, looking away with a voice crack that made me burst into laughter.

Ah, really, I’m going to be laughing all day because of her.

Embarrassed by her strange voice, she hurries toward the counter with quick steps. When she returned with a tray full of hamburger sets, her face was flushed red up to her neck.

“W-what?!”

Perhaps my staring made her uncomfortable.

She raises her voice. It was just cute, like a disgruntled Maltese yapping.

“I didn’t say anything. Are you picking a fight?”

“No, I’m not. Just… your gaze was kind of pervy.”

When I slightly lowered my voice, she immediately became timid. She muttered while nervously chewing on her innocent cola straw.

“I was looking because you’re pretty. It’s a bit much to call me a pervert.”

“Pfft!”

*Cough cough!*

Yeon-hwa spat out her cola and coughed. She hurriedly turned her head and wiped her mouth with a tissue.

“W-what’s with you today? Why are you acting like this since the movie theater? You were never like this at the academy.”

“What do you mean? It’s your mother’s birthday.”

I answered nonchalantly while eating french fries. Yeon-hwa shot me a resentful look before sighing.

“Instructor, you’re such a prankster. You’re so immature.”

“Don’t you like it?”

“No. I don’t. It’s pathetic.”

“Really?”

“Well. Um. Yes…”

Losing strength in her words, she mumbled as she put the hamburger in her mouth.

She probably thought she could avoid answering if her mouth was full of food.

Still, I had no intention of pressing her further. The point of teasing is to not actually make someone uncomfortable.

“Eat a lot.”

“If I eat too much, I’ll get fat.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure to roll you around plenty.”

“…You really are an instructor. Cold and merciless, just like the cruel organization you belong to!”

“This is all because I care about Yeon-hwa.”

“…”

She fell completely silent, blushing at the word “care.”

I inwardly chuckled as I watched her stuff her cheeks with hamburger like a hamster.