Soon enough, we stepped out of the restaurant, the warm scent of food still lingering on our clothes. The sky had darkened just a little, dyed in soft hues of orange and purple. I instinctively checked my watch—part of me hoping this strange outing would end so I could retreat back to the comfort of my dorm.
But of course, I knew better. That wasn’t happening. Not with her.
So, I didn’t say anything. I just stood there and waited, hands tucked in my pockets, silently watching Leona as she turned toward me with a glimmer in her eyes.
"Then... shall we go watch a movie now?"
Yep. I knew it. This weird, not-quite-a-date situation wasn’t over yet.
Leona smiled, her eyes crinkling playfully. "What? Don’t tell me you’re already tired, Rin."
I opened my mouth but didn’t bother trying to come up with an excuse. There was no point. She would just talk me into it anyway.
"Rin will buy the popcorn, right?" she added sweetly, walking a few steps ahead without even waiting for an answer.
Her cheerful tone made me chuckle. I couldn’t help it. She really had a way of dragging people along with her pace.
"Yes, yes," I replied, falling into step beside her. "I’ll buy you some."
She turned slightly, her grin even wider now. "Make sure it’s the buttery one. And a large soda."
"Anything else, Your Majesty?"
"Hm... maybe candy, too? The sour kind."
She laughed, and for a moment, the atmosphere between us felt strangely light. It didn’t feel forced or awkward. It just... was.
The kind of moment that made you forget about all the chaos from earlier.
As we walked toward the nearest cinema, I realized something.
Even if this wasn’t a date.
Even if she was just trying to distract both of us from the mess the academy had become lately...
...I didn’t really mind.
The walk to the cinema wasn’t long, but it gave just enough time for the city lights to blink on, one by one. Their soft glow reflected in the puddles on the pavement, left behind by the afternoon drizzle. Students, couples, and townsfolk passed by, chatting, laughing—living their ordinary lives.
Leona walked beside me, hands swinging loosely at her sides, occasionally glancing at the neon signs like she was genuinely excited. Like we weren’t students who had just survived a terrorist attack, or who had watched our professor be taken away in chains.
She turned to me suddenly.
"You ever been to the movies before?"
"Uh... yeah?" I raised a brow. "I’m not a caveman."
"I don’t know," she teased, smirking. "You give off serious ’hasn’t-socialized-in-a-decade’ vibes sometimes."
"With who? Your textbooks?"
"I’ll have you know," I said, a bit too defensively, "I’ve had plenty of human interaction."
She stared at me for a beat.
"...That doesn’t include talking to shopkeepers."
I sighed in defeat, and Leona burst out laughing.
"Okay, fine, maybe I don’t go out much," I admitted.
Of course, she just laughed at my expression.
We walked into the cinema lobby. The place was mostly empty, and the cashier barely glanced up as we picked a film.
We ended up choosing some action-fantasy flick—some loud, flashy thing that neither of us really cared about, but hey, it was something.
Leona insisted it was "good for background noise," whatever that meant.
The theater was nearly empty, which honestly made it better. No gossiping students whispering from the back rows. No judging glances. Just the dim lighting, the quiet hum of the projector, and the two of us sitting near the middle row—popcorn between us, her soda in the cupholder, and me wondering if this counted as social progress or just social confusion.
I didn’t pay much attention to the film. Something about dragons and cursed crowns. What I did notice was the way Leona’s eyes flicked toward me now and then—curious, but never saying much.
Somewhere in the middle of the movie, a strange realization hit Leona like a quiet breeze brushing against her thoughts.
’Wait... is this what people call a date?’
Her heart skipped a beat.
At first, she hadn’t thought of it that way. She was simply too excited—too focused on enjoying herself and making up for last time. Their previous outing had been cut short, and she left feeling dissatisfied, as if something important was missing. So when Rin had agreed to come along this time, she leapt at the chance.
It wasn’t a date. It was just a do-over. A second chance to enjoy the day, eat snacks, and watch a movie with someone she... liked being around.
’Right. This isn’t a date,’ she told herself again, squeezing the cup of soda in her hand a little too tightly.
She risked a glance at Rin, who sat beside her, eyes fixed on the glowing screen in front of them. His expression was calm, unmoved by the romantic subplot currently playing out in front of them. Not once had he looked at her. Not even when she laughed too loudly at a joke or offered him popcorn.
’Why would he look at me, anyway? I’m dressed like a guy. No, I’m a guy.’
......as far as she knew, going out and having fun with a guy friend was pretty normal and definitely not romantic. Right?
Leona slouched deeper into her seat, the bucket of popcorn now sitting untouched on her lap.
’Ugh. Why am I overthinking this?’ she scolded herself. ’This isn’t a romance novel. I’m just... here with a friend. One who’s maybe a little awkward, and dense, and frustrating—but still a friend.’
She peeked at Rin again.
He was quietly chewing on a piece of popcorn, face blank as ever. No nervous glances. No fidgeting. No heart-skipping moments. Just... Rin being Rin.
She groaned softly and pressed the cold soda cup against her cheek, trying to cool the faint heat rising there.
"Huh?" she snapped up. "Yeah, yeah. Just... trying to cool down."
He raised an eyebrow. "You’re cold?"
"No, I’m hot. I mean—I mean I feel hot. Not that I am hot. You know what I mean."
"...You sure you’re okay?"
Leona grumbled something under her breath and waved him off. "Forget it."
Rin gazed at her few moments before looking back at the movie.
And at the same time, Leona sigh and also look back to movie herself with single thought in her mind.