I Just Want a Single Ending [61]
Seeing her reaction, Kamigawa Saku teased with a lighthearted tone.
"Very surprised," Ikuyo Kita admitted with a nod.
After all, Kamigawa Saku was practically a legend in their year.
It was easy to see why—not only was he good-looking, but he was also an excellent student, always polite and considerate. With all that, it was nearly impossible for him not to be popular.
Even Kita had heard about him countless times from her friends—things like what type of girl he might like, or whether he'd reject a confession if someone were bold enough to ask.
And yet, despite all that, here he was, saying he'd never even been to the movies with a girl before. It just didn't add up.
"I'm not that kind of guy," Kamigawa defended with a grin. "I've never even had a girlfriend, much less gone on random dates. I'm not some flirt or a player."
Barring any surprises, he didn't expect to have a girlfriend anytime soon. He was all but resigned to facing the "single ending" with a smile.
"Oh, I didn't mean it like that!" Kita shook her head quickly. "It's just… I can't believe I'd be the first girl to come to the movies with you. You're so popular!"
Kita's shock only deepened at the realization—Kamigawa Saku had never had a girlfriend?
Seriously?
"I didn't expect to be here with you either, Kita-san," Kamigawa replied thoughtfully, "but I'm really glad."
Kita gave a soft laugh. "Hearing that makes me feel honored."
"Oh no, I don't think 'honored' is the right word. Honestly, I should be the one feeling that way," Kamigawa waved her off.
"I'm not worthy of that either," she said, brushing it aside with a chuckle. "Anyway, it's a rare outing to the movies—let's make sure to enjoy it."
With that, Kita finally shook off the lingering awkwardness from their accidental hand-touch.
In truth, she'd been distracted by that big tub of popcorn ever since she'd bought it.
The so-called "couple's combo" she'd chosen wasn't exactly subtle, and just observing the other moviegoers made one thing clear:
Only couples bought this combo, sharing popcorn and even feeding each other sweetly.
No other pair of non-dating friends—especially one of each gender—would get this.
In fact, most guy-girl pairs at the movies weren't really just "friends" to begin with.
Which was why, when her hand brushed against his, her mind had suddenly been flooded with all those images of couples.
She'd been too caught off-guard to think of anything to break the tension and had ended up scrambling for a distraction.
"Yeah, you're right."
As his words fell, the movie began.
To avoid another awkward moment, Kamigawa consciously reduced his popcorn-grabbing frequency and made a point to observe Kita's timing.
The movie's plot was simple: a handsome protagonist tries to get a girlfriend by randomly picking a girl to pursue. Despite putting in a lot of effort, nothing seems to work, making him doubt his popularity.
What the main character doesn't know is that the heroine is a tsundere—a stubborn girl already won over by his attempts, but too prideful to show it.
Thus, they're caught in a hilarious romance, filled with endless misunderstandings.
---
One Hour into the Movie
Kita noticed that Kamigawa was only occasionally reaching for popcorn, and when he did, he was extremely cautious about it. She leaned over and whispered, "You don't have to be so careful with it—go ahead and eat as much as you like."
That accidental hand-touch earlier had been her first close contact with a guy, so her reaction had been… intense.
But now, her shy self had died down. There was no reason to worry about it anymore.
"Got it," Kamigawa replied in a low voice.
Since she'd given the green light, he figured there was no need to hold back.
He turned his attention back to the movie, taking a few pieces of popcorn now and then.
Without either of them focusing on it, their hands occasionally brushed, but neither seemed to mind anymore.
This is still embarrassing!
Every time their hands touched, Kita tried to keep her face neutral, though her heart was racing.
Her shy self had definitely revived!
---
Meanwhile, Kamigawa's attention had shifted to the film.
As the story progressed, the plot was taking a strange turn.
When the protagonist realized the heroine wasn't interested in him, he gave up and started pursuing other girls.
But when the heroine saw him with someone else, her typical tsundere behavior twisted, morphing into something darker.
No longer aloof and hesitant, she became a full-blown yandere, chasing him down in an obsessive, even dangerous, way.
The lengths she went to for him—threatening to kill him if he didn't reciprocate her feelings—made it clear this wasn't normal courtship.
The tone of the film started to shift into something distinctly eerie.
There were still moments of comedy, but the scenes were increasingly leaning toward horror territory.
So, this must be the 'horror element' they mentioned, Kamigawa thought, watching a scene where the heroine, without a key, easily broke into the protagonist's apartment, flashing a creepy smile as she cooked him dinner.
In the end, the heroine's relentless pursuit paid off, and the protagonist, touched by her devotion, finally chose to be with her.
It wrapped up with a surprisingly happy ending.
I honestly thought the heroine was going to kill the other girls, then kill the guy, and go down with him in some dramatic final act.
Despite the lack of a twist ending, Kamigawa still felt satisfied with the movie.
After all, he'd learned something important:
Don't try to pursue someone just for the sake of it!
After all, you could never truly know a person's hidden personality.
But, of course, he didn't have to worry about any of that.
Movies were movies, and reality was reality.
There was no way the "dateable" girls his system hinted at would ever be as intense as that heroine.
Even if one of them were, it wouldn't matter.
From the beginning, he'd never intended to pursue any of them romantically, treating them all simply as friends instead.
When the credits rolled and the theater lights came up, Kamigawa turned to Kita as they walked out. "So, what did you think of the movie?"
Kita thought for a moment, then smiled. "It was pretty fun—had a good time watching it!"
"Same here."
Kamigawa nodded, smiling as he took in her cheerful expression.
See? Look how bright and sunny Ikuyo Kita is.
Absolutely nothing to worry about.
---
T/N: Foreshadowing?
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
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