The long overdue date with Ishikawa Misaki finally arrived. Undoubtedly, Shouichi was super excited to spend some quality time with his girlfriend. In front of the Hoshimashi mall, a cinnamon-brown-haired boy stood idly, waiting for his partner and scrolling through social media on his smartphone.
Shouichi chose a fitted denim jacket layered over a simple tee, paired with sleek black trousers that accentuated his almost muscular frame. To discreetly add an extra five centimetres to his height, he opted for leather boots with thick soles, blending style with practicality. He meticulously styled his bangs, sweeping them back to reveal his forehead, lending a sharp, masculine edge to his otherwise feminine features. As the afternoon sun blazed brightly, he grabbed his trusty sunglasses, completing the look with a touch of effortless cool.
"Shou-senpai!" A sweet voice called out to him. And Shouichi glanced up, searching for the source.
"Hi, Misa-chan." He casually greeted his beautiful girlfriend, wearing his gentle smile. Her unique twin tails bounced up and down as she walked up to him, carrying an air of excitement.
"Link arms!" Misaki shouted and wrapped her arms around his left arm. Their fingers intertwined together like a lovely couple.
Misaki wore a stylish black blouse adorned with a large red bow on the upper chest. For the bottom, she opted for a long skirt paired with glossy black leather loafers. As always, the girl had an impeccable sense of style when it came to dressing up.
"Miss you so much, senpai!" Misaki softly caressed her cheek on his upper arm like an adorable kitten. In return, Shouichi couldn't help but pat her head endearingly.
"You look so good today, Misa-chan." He praised her with a soft tone.
"And you are so cool, today. You look more... manly, hehe!" The black-haired girl responded, giggling in glee. He noticed her hair catching the light, revealing a subtle sheen of dark purple that added depth to its rich tone.
As his height towered over her. "Wow, I must have been over 10 centimetres taller than Misaki now! Thank goodness!" Shouichi remarked happily in his mind.
"So, should we go?" Shouichi asked, gazing down at her.
"Yep!"
***
"Today, we'll watch the Zhutter Part 2!" Misaki proclaimed as she pointed out the poster of the now-showing horror movie. The picture on the wall showed a ghastly figure of a ghost lady through the camera lens.
"Hmm? That sounds similar." Shouichi grumbled ponderingly as if he had seen or heard of this movie before.
"Yes! The Zhutter Part 1 was a great success and so many adaptations!" Misaki eagerly enlightened her boyfriend.
"Is it? I can't remember." Shouichi replied.
"Eh? You never watch it, senpai?" She asked incredulously, her eyes blinking slowly.
"I guess I might have missed it." He forced a weak smile and rubbed the back of his hair awkwardly.
"How could you say you are a horror fan without watching the Zhutter Part 1!" Misaki hissed at him, her cheeks puffing up.
"Sorry! I guess I can watch it later."
"Hehehe, can we watch Part 2 today? Please, please, please!" Misaki pleaded, her voice sweet and playful as she clung to his arm like an excited child.
"I wouldn't mind watching the sequel first. I guess I would still be able to enjoy them." Shouichi rationalised.
"Exactly! There's no need to watch the first part before the second part. So many movies have their own prequels." Misaki's obsidian eyes glinted in amazement, flashing pink gleams in her irises.
"Alright! Let's queue for tickets!" Shouichi suggested promptly.
The couple strolled toward the large screen displaying movie options near the ticket machines. A cashier stood nearby, ready to assist customers who needed help navigating the machines.
"Good afternoon, dear patrons. What kind of movie are you interested in today?" The cashier asked politely.
"Good afternoon! May I have two tickets for the Zhutter Part 2?" Shouichi inquired.
"Yes, which type of seating would you like?" The cashier tapped on the screen showing different types of seats.
"They got standard, premium, special kotatsu? What is that?" Shouichi asked the lady, raising his brows.
"Oh! The special kotatsu is the seating featuring a table with a blanket in the middle." She explained professionally without stuttering a single word.
"Wow!" Misaki's eyes lit up in awe.
"So this seating is the new addition to our cinema. Best for the horror movie experience." The lady further explained.
"Let's take 'em, senpai!" Misaki lightly nudged his side.
"Y~yes, I'd like to take that please for two of us." Shouichi was a bit hesitant but indulged his girl.
"Right away, sir. The movie will start in 15 minutes. Is that okay?" The lady smiled happily and effortlessly tapped on the screen.
"Yes. It works for us." Shouichi replied.
And before Shouichi could react. "I'll take care of this one," Misaki interjected, handing her card to the staff.
Hey, I should pay," Shouichi insisted, his voice firm. But Misaki simply shook her head. "Too late," she teased, sticking out her red tongue to taunt him.
"Sigh, I'll get the popcorn and drinks then," Shouichi sighed. "What kind of popcorn would you like?" he asked promptly.
"Salted caramel and Bloody Mary soda!" Misaki replied gleefully, without missing a beat. The ticket lady handed them the freshly printed tickets.
"Please enjoy the movie," She said with a warm smile, waving them off.
***
"Eh? Stop handing out your card. I'll handle this one!" Shouichi scolded his playful girlfriend, but she quickly took the opportunity and tapped her credit card on the payment machine.
"Too late! Hehehe!" she exclaimed excitedly, a grin spreading across her face — another win for her.
With a satisfied smile, Misaki grabbed her soda and took a sip.
"Sigh, why did you pay for everything... I feel appreciated, but also bad about it," Shouichi muttered, his weary eyes on her.
"Hehehe. Don't worry about it, senpai," she dismissed him with a carefree wave.
"Next time, promise me you'll let me pay," Shouichi said, gazing into her beautiful eyes with determination.
"Yes, senpai! You can have the show next time," Misaki replied playfully.
"Good girl," Shouichi said, his irritation melting away. He couldn't stay mad at the pretty girl for long.
"Say ah!" Misaki picked a piece of popcorn and tried to feed him. He obediently opened his mouth.
"How's it?" She asked, eyeing him in anticipation.
"Delicious. The perfect mix of sweet and salty," He commented, nodding in agreement.
"Do me! Do me! Do me!" Misaki urged him to return the favour.
"This is one of the dump stuff you have to do when you date a girl..." Shouichi pondered but decided to do it anyway.
"S~say Aah!" Shouichi picked a piece of popcorn and extended it to her.
"Eh? Misaki!" Misaki seductively sucked them whole. Her pink lips perched softly on his finger. Feeling the moisture of her mouth, Shouichi's face flushed red.
"Umm… Guys… Can I serve the next customer, please?" The popcorn cashier politely urged the daring couple to move sideways so that he could serve the others.
"Sorry!"
Shouichi suddenly realised they were standing in front of the counter this whole time. The couple walked out in a matter of seconds.
***
The kotatsu seating was very comfortable with the electric heating underneath to warm their feet. The air conditioning was working a bit too well, and Shouichi thought it was intentional to create a cold atmosphere. The couple placed the popcorn and drinks on the kotatsu table while enjoying the horror movie with ease.
One complaint was that the table was too large so it created a large gap between the couple and essentially prevented them from leaning on one another.
"Misaki completely adsorbed in the movie. She barely spoke any word." Shouichi thought, stealing a glance at his pretty girlfriend. Misaki's eyes were glued to the screen, so focused it seemed like she wasn't even blinking.
"Misaki is really a big horror movie nerd." He remarked inwardly.
As she noticed his glance, the loving girl smiled sweetly back at him before returning to the screen.
"Hands, please. Shou-senpai!" she asked in a babyish tone, holding out her palm.
"Hahaha, okay." He chuckled, extending his hand, and she took it. Her hand was warm and soft, and he could feel her long fingernails as their fingers intertwined.
As the movie drew to a close, it had a unique twist that led to a heart-wrenching drama that captivated the audience's hearts, compelling them to explore their empathy through the sorrowful perspective of the ghost lady.
Shouichi noticed the girl's soft sob next to him. It appeared that Misaki's gentle heart sympathised and resonated with the moving ending.
"It's so sad, senpai!"
Then the girl abruptly lunged at him and her gentle face buried into his chest. Shouichi put up a manly demeanour as he mewed slightly, knowing it was his time to shine.
"Don't be sad, Misa-chan. It's our sorrow that makes us human. Remember, where there's sadness, there's also the promise of joy." He quoted in a cool, deep voice, which came out a little edgier than he intended.
After taking inspiration from his tall quirky friend, Shinji, he thanked the man in his mind.
"You are so cool, senpai." Misaki glanced up at him with affectionate eyes.
"Thank goodness. My girlfriend is so innocent and pure. If it was Ayane, she would've said it's lame for sure," A sudden thought came to him.
"Feeling better now?" Shouichi endearingly wiped the tear off her cheek with his thumb. Her pinkish cheeks were pudgy and soft, and her eyes sparkled under the screen light.
"Kiss me, senpai!" Misaki urged him and slowly leaned in. Her eyes slowly closed as she seductively stuck out her pink tongue. As their lips merged, their tongues sensually danced in a passionate kiss, exchanging the sweet taste of the honey nectar.
The girl moaned heatedly as her nostrils blew a warm air on his skin. His hunger grew out of control and his veiny hand grasped on the back of her neck to bring her closer.
In response, Misaki wrapped her arms around his head, caressing his hair in an erratic and enticing rhythm. Her body was so close, that he could feel her plump bosoms nudging against his chest.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Collectively, they groaned in pure ecstasy as their moist tendrils curled and twined, exploring every corner of each other.
After a while, Misaki pulled back, her eyes still locked on him, "Umm... Does it feel good?" She timidly asked, feeling the heat on her face. He nodded eagerly, wishing this endearing kiss would never last.
***
The couple wrapped up their date with a satisfying meal at a cozy wagyu izakaya. One thing became clear, though—despite her slender frame, Misaki had a surprisingly hearty appetite that outpaced even Shouichi's.
"I might have to wash my hair after this. Hehehe!" Misaki uttered while putting the slide of beef on a charcoal grill, the burning wood aroma drifted in his nose.
"True that," Shouichi agreed with a grin.
"I'm so happy that I got to hang out with you senpai!" She added, her enthusiastic smile never faltered. She dipped a beef in a black sauce before putting it in her mouth. Shouichi nodded, returning the same sentiment.
"It's still a bit raw…" Shouichi observed.
"Maybe we can go to your place to watch the Zhutter Part 1 after this." The girl suggested him out of a sudden then turning to slurp on her coconut mocktail.
"Is it okay with you?" Shouichi asked in disbelief. Some part of him, the gentleman part, was a bit uncertain whether they were moving too fast with 'things'.
"Absolutely. I wanna spend 24 hours 7 days with you! Fufufu!" She exaggerated and shot him a playful smile. Then lifted her finger, "How about we quit school to cuddle?" She asked as if this was the brightest idea,
Almost spilling a drink in his mouth, "What?! Damn! That's hella crazy…" Shouichi slipped out.
"Well, I'm just head over heels for you, Shou-senpai!" Misaki replied, her eyes gleaming with sincerity.
"Alright, I guess we can watch Part 1 at my place," Shouichi agreed, grinning and crossing his arms.
"Yippy!" Misaki cheered, her face brimmed with excitement.