Brought to you by Noir

Episode 17

“Well, then I’ll be off to hang out with my friends, right?”

“Yes, take care.”

“I think I’ll be home before dinner.

“Yes, I understand.”

Now then, today is the day we promised to hang out together.

I told Karen in advance that I would be going to hang out with my friends today, so this morning everything went quite smoothly.

When I told Karen that I would hang out with her friends, she accepted me with the most beautiful sculptured smile I’ve ever seen.

I left the house and headed for the station closest to Sakuragi-san’s place.

When I searched around the decided meeting spot, I found Sakuragi-san, who was restless even though it was 30 minutes before the meeting time.

“Sakuragi-san, I’m sorry I’m late.”

“I — I just came early. You don’t need to apologize.”

Since she came here this fast, does that mean she was really looking forward to this?

If so, I’m happy.

“Well then, shall we go.”

The two of us start walking side by side. But since it was a day off and the two of us were going out alone … it was almost like we were on a date. Thinking that made my heart pound fast.

I wonder if Sakuragi-san wasn’t feeling the same.

Thinking that, when I glanced at her face, contrarily, I saw her taking peeks at me while having her bright red face.

“I — I guess I’m looking forward to the movie.”

“U—Unnn”

With an indescribable sense of distance, we arrived at the movie theater within a few minutes walk.

Since I had already decided on which movie to watch, everything went smoothly.

“Ah, Umm Yuugao-kun”

“What happened?”

“Would you like to eat a bucket of popcorn with me? Y–you see, I can’t eat it all by myself even if I take it.”

“Sure, okay”

“Can I have the caramel?”

“yep, okay”

To ask for the caramel one. As expected of Sakuragi-san, excellent.

After carrying the popcorn and juice for the two of us, all we had to do was to wait for the movie to start.

“I — I feel quite nervous.”

Nervous? Why do you feel nervous about watching a movie?

Her face had a red blush while she was fidgeting.

Then, a few minutes later, the movie started after the usual warnings that appears before the screening.

Apparently, it was a story about an ordinary everyday boy as the main protagonist and the heroine with stage 4 cancer.

I was so drawn into the story from the beginning that I became absorbed in the movie in no time.

.

I-I wonder what will happen next.

And right at that time…

Sakuragi-san’s hand gently touches mine.

I was frozen for a few seconds, but… this is… 

The content of the movie slowly flew out of my head.

“I looked at Sakuragi-san, but it was dark enough that I couldn’t see her quite well.”

Did you perhaps say you’re nervous because you were embarrassed about going to hold my hand? Thinking about that even makes me shy and embarrassed too.

I didn’t really understand the movie’s contents after that point. Still, when the movie ended and the lights came on, Sakuragi-san’s face was red, and she was looking down while still holding onto my hand.

End Of Chapter