Breathless in the Dark
The next stop is the movie theater. Coffee, then a film. It's a painfully cliché date course, but honestly, that's more than enough. When you're with the person you love. Just the two of you, pressed close together. Sharing the same space, the same air, breathing in and out while looking at each other. What more could we possibly need? For Uncle, I'm already perfect. For me, Uncle is already perfect. Wanting anything more would just be greed, wouldn't it?
"Since you suggested the theater, I assume you've already thought about what we should watch."
"More or less. I looked up what's getting good reviews lately. Is there anything in particular you want to see?"
The movies Uncle shows me are all the heavily advertised ones these days. None of them look particularly interesting, but none are bad enough to make me angry either. Just the kind of films couples like us would casually pick up on a whim. If we're going to watch something, I'd rather it be... something memorable. Something that stays with us.
"How about this one?"
I point to a poster for a film that's been making waves overseas lately. I've only heard rumors, but apparently it's not something families should watch together. Full of shocking scenes. Uncle stares at the poster, visibly flustered.
"T-this one?"
"Why? I heard it's supposed to be good."
"No, it's just... for the two of us, the content might be a little... embarrassing."
He's clearly bothered by the "No one under 19 admitted" rating. As if that matters. If it were truly dangerous, they wouldn't be screening it in theaters in the first place.
"Movies like this exist for people like us. Couples. Lovers."
I grab his hand and drag him to the ticket booth. But the moment we step into the dark auditorium and take our seats, a sharp, electric sensation runs through me—one I hadn't felt while buying popcorn or drinks. We're really doing something reckless. Even though we bought the tickets properly with my money, even though we're not hiding, there's still that feeling. Not just covering up a mistake, but wondering if this is even allowed.
The movie starts, and the scenes are far more explicit than I expected. I can't help but become hyper-aware of Uncle sitting beside me. Is it okay for a couple who's only just started kissing to watch something like this? There's no rule against new couples watching sex scenes, but still... my palms are clammy, and my heart won't stop racing. Why are they kissing so intensely? Do we look like that to other people? That loud, wet sound filling the entire theater, their eyes growing moist, hearts pounding...
If I tried it again with Uncle, I'd know for sure. If we kissed right now, I'd understand exactly how it feels.
Is Uncle conscious of it too, like I am?
Restless, unable to focus on anything except the person beside him. When I nervously turn my head to check...
"!"
"!"
Our eyes meet in the darkness. An awkward laugh. A sudden silence. Of course. No matter how much we try to ignore it, we can't. If we were a normal couple, maybe it wouldn't matter. They'd probably brush past even more explicit scenes without a second thought. But we're uncle and niece. We can't let it show. I can't let him know my heart feels like it's about to burst. I can't let him realize I've been imagining us in place of the couple on screen.
How do other couples watch this so calmly? Even with friends, I couldn't sit through something this erotic without feeling self-conscious. Though I was the one who suggested it... that doesn't matter now. I can't just sit still.
Gulp.
If it's come to this, I might as well hold his hand. Uncle's probably more composed than I am. After all, he's lived longer than me. And that bitch... she's probably watched movies like this with him multiple times. She must have dragged him here against his will, using that sly tongue of hers. And they definitely didn't just watch the movie. She probably suggested they try what was on screen—touching him, exploring him. Haa...
Next time I see that woman, I'm twisting her wrist.
Of course they must have kissed. Maybe even... I don't want to imagine it, but they've probably had sex. Multiple times. That's what adults in relationships do, after all. Platonic? Don't be ridiculous. Even if Uncle tried to stay pure, that filthy woman wouldn't have let him. With money, with pressure—she would've had her way. Uncle needs to do it with me more... so I can overwrite her completely.
So he forgets that disgusting woman. So he can't even think of her. I'll make him into a fool who only thinks of me, his niece, for the rest of his life. As long as the two of us are happy, nothing else matters. Being happy together is the most important thing in the world.
Pretending to reach for the popcorn between us, I place my hand on his thigh instead. My expression is calmer now than before. I'm not stroking him or moving my hand upward—that would be too much. I'm not her. I just want him to be aware of me. To stop focusing on the movie and direct his attention to the woman sitting beside him.
If I squeeze a little... how would Uncle react?
I'm only wondering in my head for now. Maybe when we're closer than this, I'll ask him. What happens when I massage his thigh. When I'm deeper in his arms. What he'll say. What expression he'll make. I'm dying to know, but for now, I have to stay quiet. Because I'm his good niece. The cute niece who pretends to know nothing.
The scenes on screen grow more intense. The actors are tangled together again, the bed creaking, the screen filled with skin. I shouldn't imagine it, but... what would Uncle be like? From the way he touched me before, would he be that rough with me too? Or gentle, like his usual self? Would the bed creak loudly, or would he move slowly, tenderly? And what about me? If I lose my virginity to him... if we do that... I've never had anything inside me before. I saved myself for someone I love. Would I faint? Is he big? Or average? Given how that slut clung to him, he probably isn't lacking. But if he's too big, I'm scared. I hope it doesn't hurt too much. Women give birth through there, but I don't know anything about that. I know how babies are made, but I have no idea how painful the process is. You can't know until you experience it.
I'm sorry, Uncle. For having such filthy thoughts about you. But please understand. This is my first time loving someone. I don't even know what kind of feelings I'm supposed to have when I meet the man I love. How to look at him. How to treat him. That's why I fantasize about how our love—our relationship—will deepen. Because I don't know. So... you have to teach me properly. How to be your good niece. This fool who only has eyes for you. You have to teach me.
The movie continues, but I can't focus on the plot anymore. It doesn't matter anyway. Spending time pressed against Uncle was enough. I lean my head against his shoulder, my hair brushing lightly against him. His scent tickles my nose—sweat and cologne mingled together. A smell I want to keep breathing in. A scent meant only for me.
I look up. Uncle. Look at me. See? As if our hearts are connected, he turns his head toward me too. He's not interested in the movie either, is he? Right now, the only thing he sees is me. The only thing he knows is me. He's probably imagining us in place of the couple on screen. Did you picture it, Uncle? What I would look like in your arms? My naked body? The sounds I would make? The pleasure you'd teach me?
Our eyes meet, and neither of us looks away. We're not watching the movie. What a waste of money. We just stare at each other... and then, suddenly, we kiss. A kiss that somehow feels inevitable. We already know how sweet it is—we can't avoid it. We just enjoy it. Happily. Just Uncle and me. Your tongue slipping into my mouth, our saliva mixing with soft, wet sounds. Again and again. Just kissing. Just Uncle and niece. An uncle and niece who love each other.