What the hell? He really was an unpredictable guy. He scrunched up his face like he was so annoyed, but his affection rating went up. Was he a pervert?
“What movie are we going to watch?”
“This one.”
“Don’t joke around.”
“I’m serious, it’s this one?”
“…….”
Joel looked back and forth between me and the movie poster I was pointing at.
“You really want to watch this?”
“Yeah.”
The movie I chose was 『Halloween』 from 1978. It was a horror film about a murderer named Michael Myers who returns to his hometown after 15 years and kills people.
I wasn’t keen on horror movies, but it still seemed better than sitting alone with Joel watching a romance film. And besides, it was a movie from 30 or 40 years ago, so how scary could it be? The corpses would all look fake anyway, right?
“You’re the one who said you wanted to watch it. Don’t regret it.”
“Yeah, I picked it. I won’t regret it.”
Joel leaned toward me and warned me several times before trudging off toward the ticket booth. I hurried after him.
“I’ll pay!”
“It’s fine. On dates, the guy is supposed to pay for this kind of thing.”
“But I’m a guy.”
He put on this pretentious voice trying to sound all cool, and it was utterly obnoxious. What? The guy pays? I furrowed my brow slightly, and only then did Joel seem to ‘suddenly’ remember that I was a guy.
“…….”
Joel’s gaze slowly scanned me up and down from my feet to the top of my head. No matter where you looked, there wasn’t a single part that wasn’t male.
“Right, you’re a guy…….”
“So I’ll pay.”
“It’s fine! If you pay, what does that make me, a girl? Huh? I’m paying, so just stand there quietly and wait.”
“I told you I’m a guy.”
“Usually the bigger one is more of a guy, so shut up and just wait.”
Joel grabbed both my arms to stop me from walking toward the ticket booth, then pushed me back and said that. I watched his back getting farther away toward the ticket booth and let out an incredulous breath. What do you mean the bigger one? Have you seen mine? Have you?!
It was absolutely ridiculous. But damn it, that bastard Joel Gomez’s nickname was ‘Big D’. I already knew too well what that D stood for, so I ended up looking at Joel’s crotch area. Though all I could see was his butt.
Feeling like I’d get called a pervert by Joel again if I kept this up, I quickly looked away and went to buy popcorn instead of tickets.
Joel had an incredibly good appetite, so I bought both the drink and popcorn in the largest size. Joel, who came back after buying tickets, let out a “Huh.” when he saw the popcorn and drink I was holding, but he didn’t complain.
“What drink did you get?”
“Mountain Dew.”
“Good choice. But why only one? Don’t tell me…… you’re planning to share a straw with me? Huh?”
Joel glared at me like I was some shameless person, taking half a step back. What an absurd bastard!
“I didn’t buy one for myself because I’m not going to drink!”
I had already eaten and drunk plenty at the family dinner. There wasn’t any room left in my stomach for more.
“I’ll buy you one, so drink.”
“It’s fine. I won’t drink.”
“I won’t count it as a debt!”
I carefully grabbed Joel’s arm as he headed toward the concession stand. The popcorn and drink cup I was holding were so big I couldn’t move my hands freely. Joel turned around, looked down at me, and even though he yelled “Hey!” he very carefully removed my hand using both of his hands. It seemed he didn’t want to spill the popcorn either.
Since I couldn’t stop stubborn and ill-tempered Joel now, I shouted from behind, “Get the smallest size!” And what Joel Gomez brought back was the largest size Mountain Dew.
* * *
“Hk!”
There was a reason 『Halloween』 was considered a masterpiece, and I had been too dismissive. Unable to scream, I trembled with my shoulders shaking before closing my eyes.
Come to think of it, I think this was my first time watching a horror movie…… I hadn’t watched many movies to begin with. I wasn’t a student preparing for film school entrance exams, but a student who had been preparing for medical school entrance exams since before elementary school, so what occasion would I have had to watch movies?
“Urk!”
I cautiously opened my eyes and made eye contact with the empty pupils of someone Michael Myers had killed. ……I should have just picked a romantic comedy or romance. What made me think I could enjoy a horror movie…… It was the sin of underestimating 1970s Hollywood filmmaking technology.
When a dark screen appeared, I felt somewhat relieved, but I was scared not knowing what might jump out. And just as I was hunching my shoulders up high and shrinking my body, something tapped my arm. I nearly shrieked “Wah!” in fright. Thank goodness I didn’t forget this was a movie theater.
“Idiot. You’re being loud.”
It was Joel who had firmly grabbed my arm. Joel pulled me to the side and whispered in my ear. Look, I’m sorry for disturbing your movie watching, but I didn’t do it on purpose! I didn’t know it would be this scary……
“Aah!”
I finally couldn’t hold it in and screamed out loud. Even though it was an old movie theater showing an old movie, Joel and I weren’t the only ones there. I was so embarrassed for disturbing the other people filling the seats that heat rushed all the way to my ears. Especially when I heard a sigh from beside me.
“Get up.”
Joel whispered in my ear again and then pulled my arm to lift me up. Popcorn spilled down from the popcorn tub I had been holding.
The movie hadn’t even been playing for 30 minutes yet……!
I wanted to stop Joel from dragging me out of the theater, but since I’d learned movie theater etiquette impeccably, I couldn’t open my mouth. Only after we completely exited the screening room did I grab Joel’s arm and say,
“The movie still has a long way to go!”
“We can watch the movie again later, so just follow me out. I don’t want to deal with my date pissing themselves.”
“Who’s pissing themselves……!”
Joel pushed my head and started walking toward the theater entrance on his own. When I hesitated without following, he even turned around and frowned at me.
His expression seemed to say ‘Aren’t you coming?’ and I had no choice but to move my feet while still holding the popcorn tub. Ah. I left the drink at the seat…… I should clean it up…… But going back in now to get it seemed like it would be more of a nuisance, so I just followed Joel out.
“Where are we going?”
“Just follow quietly. Get in.”
Joel climbed into his car’s driver seat and glared at me standing still, and just as he was about to place his hand on the horn, I hurriedly went and sat in the passenger seat. Fortunately, the loud honking didn’t end up echoing through the old movie theater parking lot.
Since we’d left after watching only about 30 minutes of the movie, it wasn’t even 6 o’clock yet. I had to part ways by 7:20 at the latest, so what should I do? Where are we going?
I fastened my seatbelt and just held the popcorn tub while watching Joel’s mood. Joel, oblivious to my feelings, kept sticking his large hand into the popcorn tub I was holding, stuffing his mouth full of popcorn, and crunching away.
I had been waiting for the right moment to speak for a while, and when the car stopped on some forest path full of trees, I couldn’t overcome my anxiety and ended up blurting it out.
“I have to leave by 7:20.”
“What?”
Joel, who had just been turning off the ignition, scrunched up his face. It seemed like he was saying it didn’t make sense. It didn’t make sense, but…… it’s important to me. Knowing that saying I was going to David’s party would only anger him more, I just moved my lips before pulling out the most plausible excuse I could.
“Well……! A relative elder is suddenly coming to our house……! So we’re having dinner together. I’m sorry. The adults decided this after the date time was set, so I couldn’t say no…… Plus, my hyung is getting married soon! So we need to talk about various family matters related to that, and they said I couldn’t be absent as a family member……!”
“Got it.”
Joel dismissed my rambling, scattered explanation with a very short answer.
“Is it okay…?”
“What wouldn’t be okay about it?”
Joel raised one eyebrow. Right, there’s no reason it wouldn’t be okay. It’s not like Joel and I are dating because we really like each other, and I still don’t know why he accepted the date…… But for some reason, I seemed to feel a bit dejected. Since I didn’t understand why I was feeling this way myself, I looked out the car window and changed the subject.
“But where are we?”
“We came here before.”
“Before? When? Ah…… This is that place? The lake?”
“Yeah.”
I hurriedly got out of the car following Joel. Walking into the forest path, I finally saw the familiar lake. Coming in the afternoon, I almost didn’t recognize it.
“So it was here…… Amazing.”
“What is?”
Since the sun was low, the sunlight wasn’t sparkling like it had that morning. But I still liked the rippling water surface and the somehow nostalgic smell of water. I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent, then looked at Joel and raised the corners of my lips.
“I was thinking I wanted to come back here during the day.”
“…….”
For some reason, Joel had a bewildered expression. Was he surprised that I had thought about wanting to come back here? It made sense since he’d dragged me here so forcefully back then.
I didn’t understand why, but Joel’s gaze, which had been alternating between me and the lake somewhat blankly, suddenly stopped on me. And when he took a step closer, I dropped the popcorn tub in surprise.
Joel’s hand was cupping my cheek. That warm body heat was sudden. Why, why is he…… Just as I was flustered, a system window appeared.
NEW!
‘Joel Gomez’s affection rating has increased by 1!
NEW!
You have completed the quest!
<First Date with Joel Gomez!>
Brave you! You asked Joel Gomez, Bluedale High School’s hot guy, on a first date!
To successfully and romantically conclude your heart-fluttering first date, please raise Joel Gomez’s affection rating by 3♥ or more! (Only applies during the date)
Joel Gomez’s affection rating increase [3/3]
【※Reward: Joel Gomez’s affection rating +15♥※】
NEW!
‘Joel Gomez’s affection rating has increased by 15!
Joel’s affection rating jumped up by 16 in an instant. Since it was 60 before, that meant it was now 76, the highest number excluding family.
“J-Joel?”
The blank gaze of Joel looking down at me was bewildering. And at that moment, Joel leaned down toward me.
