Our First Date

POV —> Yuna

“Ren… a cinema? Really?” I asked, voice low. “There are going to be a lot of people. And they’re going to stare. And I–”

“Don’t worry. Trust the process...”

“Why do you say that like you’re an evil mastermind?”

His mouth twitched. “Maybe I am.”

I rolled my eyes, but my lips betrayed me and curled into a smile anyway.

The cinema glowed in neon blues as we reached the entrance. A group of teenagers walked past, laughing, not even glancing our way.

My shoulders loosened.

Okay... Maybe this won’t be too scary after all… I mean, we’ll be wearing masks until we’re inside the screening room. Still… people might stare during the movie. I don’t know if I’ll be able to relax…

The moment we stepped into the cinema, the smell of fresh popcorn wrapped around me, and I breathed it in while smiling to myself.

I must’ve looked ridiculous, just standing there and breathing like that, because Ren’s mouth twitched. “Popcorn?” he asked.

I nodded too quickly, then immediately regretted being that obvious.

He bought the biggest bucket available, of course, along with 2 drinks and a sugary snack I didn’t recognize but apparently was “a must.”

We walked toward the screening room, my nerves creeping back in.

“I’m still nervous…” I whispered. “What if someone recognizes–”

“I said don’t worry.” he murmured, nudging my shoulder gently. “Trust me.”

I did… more than anyone.

Still, my fingers crept to his sleeve as we stepped inside.

…and I stopped.

The screening room was empty.

Row after row of empty seats stared back at us like we were early to something that hadn’t started yet.

“Ren…?”

“Yeah?”

“Why is it empty?”

He shrugged like this was a normal human thing to do. “I booked every seat.”

“Y-YOU WHAT??”

My voice echoed back, exaggerated by the empty room.

Ren shushed me, pressing a finger to his lips like I was a child in a library. The audacity…

“You bought out the entire screening?” I hissed. “Ren, that’s… why? That’s too much…”

“Because I wanted you to relax.” he said simply. “No one will stare… it’s just us.”

“And…” he added, a fraction quieter. “...because enjoying this with you… alone… is worth every penny.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I did the only thing my brain could manage. I punched his arm softly.

He made a fake pained noise. “Oww.”

—---------------

We sat in the center row in one of those double seats.

“It feels like a private theater.” I whispered.

“That was the idea.”

I glanced around the empty rows, then leaned closer. “We could… move seats during the movie. Maybe start in the front and slowly work our way to the back. Like, to see where it feels best.”

“Let’s do it.” he laughed. “We have the place to ourselves… it’d be a waste not to.”

The lights dimmed, and the screen lit up as the first ads began to play.

And then… right as I started to relax…. the door creaked open.

Someone slipped inside.

With his hood pulled low and his head down, he tried very hard to be invisible.

“Ren…” I whispered, barely moving my lips. “Did you… maybe miss one seat?”

“No.”

Then why–

Before I could spiral, Ren stood up.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Ren… Don’t start anything.”

I watched nervously as he confronted the stranger.

The guy groaned. “Dude, what do you want?”

Ren pointed at the seat. “You’re in my seat.”

The guy blinked. “Your seat? Bro, god-complex? You’re sitting down there with ya chick. Don’t get on my nerves.”

“That seat is mine.” Ren repeated, tone steady.

“What, do you own the cinema or somethin'?”

Ren paused.

Then said, completely deadpan: “For the next 2 hours? Yeah.”

The guy blinked.

And then, Ren dropped around 150 tickets into his lap.

The man’s soul visibly left his body. He scrambled up so fast he nearly tripped over his own feet.

“Rich people are terrifying.” he muttered as he fled.

Ren came back like nothing happened.

I stared at him.

“Ren… That was kind of cool.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Kind of?”

“Okay, no. Very cool, like, ridiculously cool.”

He smirked, sat down, and shoved popcorn into his mouth like that ended the conversation.

—--------------------------

The movie started. It was a romance that took its time, lingering on small moments instead of big ones.

I learned something about myself watching this movie.

I was apparently incapable of watching romantic movies like a normal person.

If a sweet scene played, I leaned onto Ren’s shoulder without thinking.

If a dramatic scene hit, my hand inched toward his like it had a mind of its own.

And when the couple on screen kissed, I sat up like someone had thrown cold water at my face.

Ren glanced at me.

I stared at the screen with absolute seriousness, as if I was analyzing the plot like a professional critic.

“...You okay?” he whispered.

“I’m fine.” I whispered back far too quickly.

He made a quiet sound, like he didn’t believe me.

A minute later, I leaned back down until my shoulder touched his, then let my head rest against him.

…

Halfway through the movie, I realized I wasn’t watching it anymore.

I was listening to him breathe.

---------------------

When the credits rolled and the lights slowly came back up, I blinked like I’d been waking up from a dream.

“That was… really nice.” I whispered.

“Yeah. It was.” he said gently.

Outside, the night air felt cooler than it had in days.

We walked slower on purpose, like neither of us wanted the date to end too quickly.

But as the building came into view, a thought I’d been pushing aside came back to me.

“Ren…” My voice came out quiet. “There’s something that’s been on my mind lately.”

He stopped in his tracks and looked at me.

“I know you and Sakura told me not to look…” I continued, fingers curling at my side. “And I haven’t. I promise. But… I keep thinking about it anyway. It’s about… the internet.”

“Yuna… not tonight.”

“So… it’s bad?”

I know Ren couldn’t lie when it mattered. He never did.

He sighed.

“It’s… mixed. But the loudest part? Yeah, it’s bad.”

A bitter laugh almost escaped me, but I swallowed it.

“Of course…” I whispered. “It would be too easy if people just believed the truth.”

Ren’s jaw tensed for a moment.

Then he exhaled. “They’re calling it staged.”

I stared at him.

“They’re saying the photos were planned. That the stream was a marketing move. The timing of everything was just… too perfect. That the birth–” he cut himself off.

“...They’re saying it was fake.” he finished, quieter. 

“So..." I whispered, a hint of sadness creeping in. "I finally tell the truth… and they... they just call it a lie?”

Ren’s eyes held mine.

“Yes. And when you lied…” he said, just as quietly. “...they believed it instantly.”

It was so cruel it almost felt poetic.

“Listen.” he said gently. “The internet isn’t something you can reason with. Chasing its approval will only tear you apart.”

My throat tightened. “So what do we do?”

Ren’s gaze didn’t waver.

“We take some time off. Not just 2 days, not a couple of weeks… But as long as we need.”

He went on without pausing, like he didn’t want to give me time to fall apart.

“The money I’ve saved over the years finally means something now. We can focus on Koharu. On your recovery. On the case. And if it takes a year or two for everything to be settled in court… fine. We’ll be okay.”

“And you? Your channel... your career… what about that?”

Ren smiled faintly.

“I already had my career.” he said. “I already did the ‘internet’ thing. I can survive without it to be honest. I wasn’t really happy doing it these last few years anyway.”

He lifted a hand… hesitated… then gently brushed his fingers over my knuckles, easing my clenched fists open.

“If there’s something you want to do… then do it. You told me you wanted to be a singer?… Do it. We’ll figure out the rest together.”

“...Yes. That was the dream my father always laughed at.”

Ren leaned in, forehead to forehead again.

“Do it…” he continued, his expression serious. “But for now… we can focus on our little girl.”

Our little girl…

I nodded against his forehead, tears slipping free before I could stop them.

“We let the internet scream into the void…” he continued. “...We let the court do its job. And we build something that doesn’t belong to anyone else but us.”

His hand slid into mine, squeezing once. “Okay?”

I nodded again. “Okay.”

We stood there, infront of our apartment, hands intertwined. Forehead to forehead.

Then, Ren’s gaze dropped to my lips… just for a second.

I felt it like a spark through my ribs.

“Can I…?” His voice was barely above a breath.

My heart stumbled.

I swallowed, heat creeping into my cheeks.

“...Yes.” I whispered.

Ren moved really slowly, like he was waiting for me to meet him halfway.

I moved just enough to show him I wanted this too.

And when his lips touched mine… I felt it…

A promise, sealed quietly.