Her Happy Smile Makes People Swoon

Maybe it was because it was 3 PM on a Saturday when people were either at work or staying home. As a result, when they boarded the train, there were still some empty seats available.

"I thought we'd have to squeeze into the train, but it's nice to find seats," Kotomi said with relief after sitting down.

She had been in a rush from home to the station, and now she could finally relax.

"You didn't have to rush so much, Kotomi."

"I couldn't make you wait for me. By the way, Kato-san, the yakiniku place you recommended—Anshima Yakiniku—was really good! My sister and I loved it when we went yesterday."

Kotomi reminisced about the delicious yakiniku from the previous night. Whether it was eating the meat directly, wrapping it in egg rolls, or eating it with lettuce and rice, each way was satisfying. If they ate too much, they would drink some iced oolong tea to refresh themselves before going back to the meat.

And the atmosphere at Anshima Yakiniku was really nice. Eating in a place with a good atmosphere always made you eat more.

"I'm glad you liked it. I have a membership card for Anshima Yakiniku that a friend gave me. Next time, we can go together," Megumi said with a soft smile, perfectly executing the art of mentioning a "friend" that didn't exist.

As Kotomi excitedly told her how much she enjoyed the yakiniku, Megumi couldn't help but think of the photos she had secretly taken yesterday. The happiness on Kotomi's face in those pictures was like a fine wine, intoxicating anyone who saw it.

"Sure!" Kotomi agreed enthusiastically, like Little Red Riding Hood walking right into the wolf's trap.

Seeing Kotomi agree, Megumi's smile deepened. She reached out, almost unconsciously, and gently brushed Kotomi's snow-white hair.

"Huh? Kato-san? What's wrong?"

Surprised by the sudden touch, Kotomi instinctively shrank her neck, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Realizing she had moved too hastily, Megumi retracted her hand and reassured her with a gentle smile, "Don't worry. I just noticed your hair was a bit messy and wanted to fix it."

"Oh, I see. Thank you, Kato-san."

"A girl should take good care of her hair, especially hair as beautiful as yours, Kotomi. Your silver hair is like snowflakes falling from the winter sky. I've always wondered, is your hair dyed?"

Kotomi shook her head and explained, "No, it's natural. My mom also has white hair, so I inherited it from her."

She had been asked about her white hair since childhood, so when Megumi asked, she was quick to explain.

However, she did tell a small lie. Kotomi knew that her mother, Akina Izumi, had dyed her hair white specifically for her. But she hadn't shared that detail with Megumi.

She felt it was a family matter, and since she and Megumi were still just friends, there were some things she wasn't ready to reveal.

Even to her mother, she pretended not to know, maintaining the pretense of her parents' well-intentioned lie.

"Kotomi, your white hair is so cute. Have you ever thought about growing it out?" Megumi asked with a smile.

Not long ago, Yukinoshita Yukino had asked Megumi the same question.

"I haven't really thought about it. I've had short hair my whole life, so I'm used to it. Growing it out suddenly might feel uncomfortable," Kotomi replied. She really liked her current short white hair, which reminded her of Sirius, the stoic maid character she admired.

"Keep watching the skies, and you'll find Sirius!"

But what would she look like with long hair?

Like Ayanami?

"By the way, Kato-san, what movie are we watching? Did you buy the tickets already, or are we getting them at the theater?"

"I bought them online. I got yours too. As for the title, you'll find out when we get to the theater," Megumi said mysteriously.

Could it be a romantic movie?

But two girls going to see a romantic movie on a holiday…

It would certainly lead to some interesting thoughts~

When the train arrived in Roppongi, Tokyo, they got off and wandered around for a bit before heading to the cinema.

At the cinema, Megumi scanned a QR code on her phone at the automatic ticket machine, and two tickets popped out. She took them and handed one to Kotomi.

Kotomi glanced down at the ticket and finally saw the movie's title.

—The 108-Headed Shark.

"Uh…" Kotomi was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected this to be the movie Megumi wanted to see!

She instinctively turned her head to look at the poster next to her for The 108-Headed Shark.

The familiar font, the familiar poster design, the familiar ocean, and the familiar multitude of gaping shark mouths…

It was the same old formula, the same old taste.

Well, well, who would have thought that shark movies from her previous life still existed in this world?

And not only had they survived, but they had also surpassed the original, evolving the shark heads to a grand total of 108!

Seeing the poster with its 108 shark heads, for the first time since reincarnating, Kotomi felt the weight of the world's changes.

She remembered that in her previous life, the series had only reached The Five-Headed Shark. But after reincarnation, the series had escalated to The 108-Headed Shark.

The company behind these movies really loved sharks.

Are shark movies bad? Well, the ratings were usually low.

But for some reason, whenever Kotomi saw a shark movie poster, she felt a strong urge to buy a ticket and watch it.

Not for the plot, but just to enjoy some popcorn and soda while watching the director's latest take on mutant sharks and how they wreak havoc.

Now, with the shark heads evolving to 108, it seemed the series' director and writers never failed to surprise the audience.

Thinking about it, Kotomi suddenly understood why Megumi liked watching B-movies in theaters.

It couldn't be helped; it was just so fun to watch while munching on popcorn and sipping soda.

"Kotomi, don't you like shark movies?" Megumi asked, noticing Kotomi's stunned reaction to the poster.

Kotomi quickly shook her head. "No, no, I like them too. They're fun to watch when you want to relax. I just didn't expect the series to update so quickly. The shark heads have evolved to 108."

"Haha, I heard the company got a huge sponsorship recently. The director is already planning The 209-Headed Shark, Godzilla vs. Killer Shark, and a new series called Flying Zombie Shark."

Even though the ratings would probably be low, who could resist watching a movie with titles like those?

"Sounds like it'll be the same old formula, the same old taste."

"Shall we watch them together when they're out?"

"Sure, sure!"

After putting away the tickets, Megumi suggested, "Our movie doesn't start until the evening. Why don't we find something to do in the meantime? Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"

Kotomi, who had clearly already planned, pointed to an arcade near the cinema, excitedly saying, "There's an arcade! I want to play Taiko no Tatsujin and Street Fighter!"

"I'm not that good at Street Fighter, but Taiko no Tatsujin? Now that's something I'm good at!"

As they walked toward the arcade, Megumi deliberately slowed her pace, pulling out her phone to check the availability of hotels in the Roppongi area.

No matter which hotel she checked, there were plenty of available rooms.

This put Megumi at ease as she smiled and put her phone away, catching up to Kotomi.

Now, all she had to do was wait until they "accidentally" missed the last train home tonight.