The cinema lessened the awkwardness of a date. In the darkness, no talking happened and pressure to act, somehow, lessened as all attention went towards the screen. The movie had great reviews and was about lovers caught in the zombie apocalypse, desperate to survive. Gore and jump-scares formed most scenes, which Chi Sying hated. Lu Ming watched her friend nervously fidget and grab hold of Dong Fai in fear. It was funny how quick her mood changed.
Earlier, she looked ready to murder someone and be part of a horror movie. At the sight of Li Jun, who covered his face with a mask to hide from fans, she became furious. Poor Dong Fai didn't know how to handle it and Lu Ming's heart sank when she saw him lose hope. Chi Sying needed a kind, infatuated soul like Dong Fai; she chose too many bad boys that broke her heart. So, Lu Ming willingly ruined her own evening by accepting Li Jun as her date. If her sacrifice meant Dong Fai got a chance with Chi Sying, so be it.
That was how Li Jun and Lu Ming shared a popcorn and sat side-by-side in the theatre. Lu Ming, despite the situation she didn't want to be in, found comfort in Chi Sying's text before the movie: if you tries to do anything, you know where to kick him. The suggestion made her giggle.
On screen, the couple found a temporary safe haven. Full of hope, they shared a passionate kiss. It made Lu Ming scrunch up her face; watching romance felt embarrassing. She hated it. Where was the gore? Could the blood come back? A zombie needed to stop the couple before it escalated.
"Do you hate kissing?" The hot breath of Li Jun tickled Lu Ming's neck, speeding up her heart rate.
"Yes. No? I don't know. I get uncomfortable watching that stuff," Lu Ming blubbered, feeling blood rush to her cheeks.
Li Jun leaned in and a mix of spices, coming from him, filled her nose. He was too close. She felt his body warmth radiate towards her.
"Strange. Women usually love romantic gestures like that. I bet you haven't dated before so never tried it."
"I-I have so!" Lu Ming bursted and saw a few people nearby turn to quieten her. How embarrassing. Stupid Li Jun and his intimate questions. "I meant that romance is full of lies. In movies, it is all fake and I always wonder how awkward filming would be especially if they are dating someone else."
"I can assure you it is thrilling. I am an actor after all."
"Let's just watch the movie."
Despite playing it nonchalant, Lu Ming felt anything but that. For some reason, Li Jun made her skittish. He moved back slightly so she remained conscious of his presence. They accidentally touched hands while grabbing popcorn from a shared bucket and her heart skyrocketed. Yet, it felt unnatural as if someone else controlled her emotions. A voice told her to run far away from the playboy; he was dangerous.
The credits came onto the screen and dim lights illuminated the room. The male lead died protecting the girl and it finished with her running into the distance. It was a good ending and Lu Ming swallowed the lump in her throat. The demand for a zombie to stop the romance came true and instead of making her relieved, it made her want to cry. She bit her lip to prevent embarrassing herself in front of everyone. This was why she preferred watching movies at home.
Li Jun put his face mask back on and pushed Lu Ming to leave. This forced her to go ahead of Chi Sying and get caught in the crowd. They weaved out of the theatre room into the main hall.
"We left the others behind!" Lu Ming complained.
"They will catch up. Eventually."
"What does that mean?"
"It is their first date and I may have... persuaded things to happen."
Lu Ming looked at Li Jun, even more confused. Did he talk with Dong Fai? When? They never sat next to each other. What did he persuade them to do? As Lu Ming wondered this and stared, ignoring the counter in her head, she saw Li Jun's true face reveal itself. It looked the same as a few nights ago but as another second ticked by, pink swirls tarnished his grey eyes.
"Here they are," Li Jun exclaimed and saved Lu Ming from blurting out something. She looked away immediately.
Chi Sying looked flustered, her cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling. Meanwhile, Dong Fai had smudged lipgloss on his lips and was shyly smiling. A puzzle piece clicked in Lu Ming's mind why Li Jun made her leave. Just like the movie, Dong Fai and Chi Sying shared more than words. The realisation made Lu Ming blush.
"Where to next?" Li Jun asked.
"We were planning on going home and..." Lu Ming mumbled but lost her sentence, seeing Chi Sying's face drop a little. She obviously really liked this guy. When was the last time she acted so girlish and sweet about it? This wasn't the Chi Sying Lu Ming knew. Usually her friend played it cool and made the guys desperate. This evening kept becoming stranger and stranger.
Dong Fai made a suggestion. "There is a light show on the river tonight. If you wanted, we could-"
"We will take my car there," Li Jun interrupted and began walked, gently pushing Lu Ming to stay beside him.
"I guess we are going," Lu Ming mumbled. Li Jun's hand rested on her back, guiding her along the path. His touch felt too hot. "You can let go now."
"What if I don't want to?"
Lu Ming deduced that Li Jun was a demon in a man's body, with the sole purpose of annoying her.
Out of character, she snapped back. "Then I will make you one-handed instead!"