That’s How We Found Ourselves Watching A Movie Together

It has been a while since I watched a movie in the cinema. Nowadays, it’s all on streaming services, but it’s nice to go to the cinema once in a while.

I had invited Yoshi to come watch a film with me, but while I was waiting for him, he texted me, telling me that something important came up and he wouldn’t be able to make it. A part of what makes the cinema experience fun is that you get to share it with friends and family. Now I was all alone. There were still fifteen minutes before the film started, but I decided to take my seat early. I was sitting on the end of one of the rows since most of the seats were occupied. Since Yoshi didn’t come, the seat next to me was empty, but since it had been booked beforehand, it meant no one would sit next to me; I was thankful since I hoped I wouldn’t be disturbed whilst watching. People began to pour into the room. I eagerly waiting to see what type of person would be sitting next to me.

A woman in a checkered shirt and jeans approached the row. Due to the darkness, and the fact that she was wearing a cap, I couldn’t tell what they looked like until they got closer.

“Excuse me…”

“Ah, sorry—Sensei?

“Kurosawa? Why are—it seems we have a habit of bumping into each other randomly.”

“Yes, I think we do.”

“May I pass?”

“Oh, yeah. Sure.”

After she passed by me, she sat in the adjacent seat. For some reason, I was expecting her to be in the seat next to me.

“It seems we’re neighbours.”

“Y-yeah.” Just because I wasn’t that surprised to see her here didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous at all.

The movie started. It was a comedy-action movie, so the audience was laughing and cheering throughout it all. It was engrossing. Every now and then, I would peek at Sensei to see her reactions to the film; she seemed to be enjoying it thoroughly. She looked at me suddenly, making me whip my head back towards the screen. I then heard the chair next to me creek. Sensei had placed herself next to me.

“It doesn’t seem like anyone’s going to be sitting here, so I decided to take it.”

For the rest of the film, I couldn’t focus since Sensei was in the seat next to me. There was a faint yet pleasant perfume in the air.

There was one scene where Sensei jumped inches off of her seat in excitement. She was like a little kid watching a superhero movie for the first time. Once the film finished, everyone departed their seats, chatting about the best parts of the movie.

“Shall we leave too?” Sensei asked

Before we left, I realised Sensei wasn’t wearing her cap, so I ran back to her seat and found it lying there.

“Sensei!” I grabbed her by the hand to get her attention. “You forgot this.”

“Ah, thank you.” She hid her face behind her cap. “Say, Kurosawa, are you busy right now?”

“No, why?”

“W-would you like to get a coffee with me?”

I found myself at a coffee shop with Sensei. It looked like we were on a date.

“Are you not going to drink that, Kurosawa? It’ll get cold.”

“Ah, yes.” I was so cautious that someone we knew would recognise us that I forgot to drink my coffee.

“So, what did you think of the movie?”

She was making small talk with me. Sensei has no fear!

“I liked it. I mainly watched it because of the main character’s actor. He’s my favourite.”

“Oh my god, he’s my favourite actor too!”

“Really?”

“It’s true! I’ve watched all his films without fail.”

Wow. She must be a big fan of him. I never knew Sensei could get this excited about something before. I progressed the conversation by saying, “Do you come to the cinema often?”

“Yes, I do. I know everything is on streaming nowadays, but going to the cinema every now and then is nice.”

“I feel the same way.”

“I usually go alone, so this is the first time I’ve gone with someone else.”

There was something sad about what she had just said. I truly believed the cinema was a place to go with friends and family. I felt bad for her, so without thinking, I suggested, “Then, if you ever need a cine-partner to go watch a movie with, let me know.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Then… I’ll take you up on that offer one day.”

There was something different about Sensei today. She maintained her casualness, but her face was glowing, and her expressions were more animated. She would sometimes fidget with her hair and try her best not to make eye contact with me for long periods of time. She was paying extra attention to my words and replying to every comment I made. She looked like a normal female adult, and an attractive one at that.

Her phone began to ring. “Ah, duty calls.”

“You still have to go into work during the holiday?”

“Yes. I’ve got some administrative work to complete, so I have to go in sometimes.”

“I see.”

“Well, I’ll leave first. It was nice to see you, Kurosawa.”

“Yeah, likewise.”

After she left, I stayed in the coffee shop for a little longer to comprehend how adorable she was acting today.