Chapter 36: The Name Called by Hand
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 36: The Name Called by Hand
Ding-dong! D-d-d-d-ding-dong!
The doorbell rang repeatedly.
It had to be Miyuki.
I rushed to the front door and opened it to find Miyuki standing there with her arms crossed.
She looked angry.
But she was trying her best to hide it.
“Why did you just leave?”
To her low, subdued question, I answered, scratching my freshly dried hair.
“You didn’t seem like you were coming down even after an hour, so I thought you were asleep.”
“I wasn’t sleeping. And you could have just woken me up.”
“I didn’t think there was any need to.”
“Why?”
“Because you’d just be spacing out even if I did.”
At my words, Miyuki flinched slightly.
She seemed to recall her dazed state right after our kiss, and her eyes darted away.
“S-Still... you said we were going to hang out...”
“I was planning to wait for you to contact me when you woke up. I have a car anyway, so it wouldn’t have taken long to get there.”
“...I guess so... Anyway... Matsuda-kun, did you happen to give my sister your number?”
“My number? Yeah, I did.”
“Why?”
Miyuki’s voice rose slightly.
She seemed to be angry about the phone number part. So she wasn’t just pouting because I left without any sense of romance after we kissed?
As I tilted my head in thought, Miyuki shot back at me.
“Are you interested in my sister? Are you trying to make a move on her? Like... are you just going to play with her?”
The moment I heard those absurd words, I had a vague idea of what was going on.
She’s misunderstanding something.
I can feel it... I’ve got a feeling.
It seemed her sister hadn’t explained things properly, which had set Miyuki off.
“What are you talking about... By your logic, am I some pervert who’s trying to make a move on your mother and father too?”
“...What? Why are you bringing my mom and dad into this?”
“Because I gave them my number, too.”
The muscles in Miyuki’s face twisted bizarrely.
An expression that said she couldn’t comprehend.
I scoffed and continued.
“When I was about to go home, your sister suggested we exchange numbers to get closer with our families. Your mother and father thought it was a great idea, so we all did. Why are you getting so worked up about it?”
“...?”
Miyuki just blinked.
She looked like she was trying to process it all.
As she mulled over my words, her face turned white as a sheet.
“I-Is that what happened...?”
Hearing her voice drop so low, it seemed the misunderstanding was cleared up.
“That’s what happened.”
“...Ah...”
She slowly nodded her head as if she’d just realized something.
Cute. So cute I wanted to keep teasing her.
“What do you mean, ‘ah’... I have no idea what you heard to get so angry, but stop making that dumb face and apologize.”
“Apologize...?”
“For misunderstanding me. You did this last time, too. You have these weird preconceptions about me, and it’s pretty damn annoying. Isn’t that one of the things you hate?”
“...I... I’m sorry... I really am...”
Seeing her apologize so readily in a meek, trailing voice, she seemed to be genuinely reflecting on it.
I smirked and gave her a light flick on the forehead, just like I had in her room.
Tuk.
Miyuki immediately covered her forehead.
It couldn’t have hurt, but the pained look on her face was probably out of guilt toward me.
Leaning my elbow against the wall next to the gate, I looked at her and asked.
“Did you walk here?”
“Yeah... I walked...”
“That was a smart thing to do in this heat.”
“I-It didn’t take long...”
I clicked my tongue, then immediately stepped outside the gate and pressed the button on my smart key.
Beep!
The car unlocked with a short chirp.
I opened the driver’s side door and spoke to the dazed Miyuki.
“Get in. Let’s go have some fun.”
“Ah, okay...”
Her face lit up as she trotted over and got into the passenger seat.
As she buckled her seatbelt, she asked.
“Where are we going...?”
“Let’s go see a movie.”
“Okay...”
I started the engine and blasted the AC on high. Miyuki’s upper body leaned toward the vent.
She closed her eyes, her face showing relief as the cool air washed over her. Soon, she began sneaking glances at me before secretly bringing a lock of her hair to her nose to smell it.
Worried she might smell like sweat?
Well, you shouldn’t have walked all the way here in such a huff.
You should have called first.
And you need to decide where you stand. Isn’t it about time?
Pretending not to notice Miyuki, I drove toward the movie theater.
* * *
“Customer number 812! Your Single Combo with an upsized Coke is ready!”
At the enthusiastic call of the theater employee, I stood up from my seat where I’d been chatting with Miyuki.
“Matsuda-kun, are we 812?”
Miyuki tried to check the ticket in my hand.
Her face was filled with confusion.
Every time we’d gone on a movie date, I’d ordered the Couple Combo. She must have found it strange that I’d ordered a single this time.
“That’s us.”
“It is...? 812...?”
“I said it is.”
I answered nonchalantly and brought back the tray with the popcorn and Coke.
Miyuki’s expression was gradually hardening.
She seemed to be under the impression that I’d had a change of heart.
Looking at her, I grabbed two straws and stuck them both into one side of the lid.
Then, I nonchalantly held out the Coke.
“Hold this.”
“Ah...”
Letting out a short gasp, Miyuki’s face brightened as she took the Coke.
Even though there were straw holes on both sides of the lid, she saw the two straws stuck in one side and understood my intention and feelings.
“.....”
It’s pretty fun to act differently than usual, make her misunderstand, and then see her reaction after giving it a new meaning.
“We ate a lot today, so I bought the small popcorn on purpose. No complaints, right?”
Miyuki stared intently at the straws and nodded her head frantically.
“Complaints...? None... It’s fine...”
“Let’s go in. It’s almost time.”
“Okay...”
Smiling at a now much more demure Miyuki, I entered the screening room with her.
Since we hadn’t booked in advance and it was the weekend, the theater was packed. Our seats were in the far-left row.
It was a little awkward for viewing the screen, but that was about it. There were practically no other inconveniences.
Miyuki didn’t seem to mind either.
But there was a problem.
A very big problem.
What the hell is wrong with this thing?
The armrest of the theater seat wouldn’t go up.
I wanted to stick close to Miyuki and get in some subtle skinship, so this was an incredibly shitty situation.
The other armrests seemed to move, but the one between me and Miyuki was completely stuck.
I couldn’t help but be suspicious. How could this even happen?
Was I actually not the main character of this DokiAka?
“Matsuda-kun, what are you doing?”
As I shifted my position, trying to lift the armrest, Miyuki asked with a curious look.
Having given up on the armrest that wouldn’t budge no matter how much I struggled, I stared at the theater ceiling with a look of defeat and muttered.
“The world is conspiring against me.”
“What are you talking about...? Want some Coke?”
“Gimme.”
Even though I spoke in a flippant tone, Miyuki brought the Coke to my lips without a word.
She wasn’t telling me to speak nicely today.
After the major event of our kiss, and on top of her huge misunderstanding, it seemed she’d decided to let it slide for today.
After taking a sip of the Coke she offered, I felt a heavy weight on my right arm and glanced to the side.
The man sitting next to me was staring at me with a grim expression.
It was clearly because I was taking up the entire armrest.
The real thrill of a sold-out theater is the armrest battle of wills, after all.
I scowled and glared at the man with menacing eyes.
Before long, the man subtly avoided my gaze and pulled his arm in.
I was giving a benevolent smile to the man who knew his place and had backed down when—
Smack!
Miyuki slapped my left arm with considerable force, and my head whipped around.
“What was that for?”
“What do you mean... I’m so sorry... I’m sorry...”
After apologizing profusely to the man, Miyuki reprimanded me in a quiet but stern tone.
“What is wrong with you...?”
“He started it. He wanted the armrest.”
“So what if you share the armrest...? Is that really so hard?”
“Yeah. It’s incredibly hard.”
“Haa... really...”
Miyuki let out a long sigh as if to say I was impossible, then let out a small laugh at my unfazed expression.
“That’s so like you, Matsuda-kun...”
Her voice was incredibly gentle.
Proof that she wasn’t angry.
Pretending to be in thought as I scratched the side of my head, I lowered the arm I had placed on the right armrest.
As if I had been moved by Miyuki’s kind words.
Watching me, Miyuki’s eyes curved into crescent moons.
It meant she was truly pleased with my action.
As if embarrassed by her reaction, I cleared my throat and placed my left arm on the armrest between us.
“...I’m using this one instead.”
“Okay, use it all you want.”
Miyuki beamed.
She looked happy.
Soon, the emergency exit instructions played on the screen, the theater lights dimmed, and the movie began.
Doo-doom!
The grand drumroll announced the start of an action movie.
On a day like today, I should have picked a sweet romance movie...
It’s a shame there were no seats.
I glanced at Miyuki, who had sunk into her seat and turned her eyes to the screen, and thought that something was missing today as I focused on the movie.
How much time passed like that?
While the main and supporting characters were engaged in some light action and banter,
Tap. Tap.
Miyuki’s fingers touched the back of my left hand.
I turned my head to look at her. After taking a sip of Coke and swallowing, she gestured for me to flip my hand over, and I did as she asked.
Then, Miyuki straightened her index finger and began to poke my palm.
Soon, she started to draw something on it.
No, Miyuki wasn’t drawing a picture; she was writing.
The speed of her finger was quite slow, so when I focused on the sensation, I could easily tell what word she was writing.
【Sorry for misunderstanding today.】
That’s what she was saying with her hand.
She was still bothered by it.
I was about to let out a small laugh at her cute apology, which was coupled with a show of affection, when my eyes widened at the words she wrote next.
【Ken-kun.】
My name.
Not my last name, my first name.
She had clearly written my name.
Any lingering feeling of disappointment vanished in an instant.
She called my name with her hand, but so what?
It was more than lovely enough.
I had no doubt that my name would soon come from those pretty lips of hers.
I was so proud of Miyuki for breaking the ice herself.
The moment Miyuki’s hand slowly pulled away after finishing the sentences, I pursed my lips tightly.
It was because the corners of my mouth kept trying to twitch into a smile.
My face probably looked bizarre as a result... but this was no time to worry about something like that.
When that still didn’t calm me down, I roughly grabbed a handful of the popcorn Miyuki was holding.
Then I tossed it into my mouth and crunched down on it.
Why? Because if I didn’t do something, I felt like I’d cheer out loud without even realizing it.