Naeun (3)
Naeun (3)
The low conversation sounds of people could be heard and on the large screen advertisements were still rapidly passing by before the movie started.
I was holding popcorn and drinks full in both hands.
Perhaps because I was in a state where I couldn't freely use my hands, my body's balance felt unnecessarily unstable.
"Oppa, this way."
Naeun who was walking ahead turned around and looked at me.
She was matching the number written on the movie ticket she had with the seats.
Because she had pressed down even a mask and hoodie hat, her face was almost not visible, but I could tell she was excited.
"Oppa, be careful. The stairs here are a bit high."
"I know."
"You mustn't spill the drinks."
"That's why go slowly."
"Yes."
Even while answering obediently, as soon as she looked ahead she walked a bit faster.
"G row...... no, H row..."
Naeun muttered small and went up one more row.
"Here."
She stopped at a seat that was almost around the middle of the theater.
It was a seat that people commonly said was good for watching movies.
But the place Naeun stopped at wasn't a regular seat.
A seat without armrests between two seats, the backrest also a bit wide, and a seat partitioned off from other seats.
It was a couple seat.
I stopped for a moment looking at that seat.
"......Naeun-ah. Is the seat here correct?"
Naeun looked up at me as if nothing.
"Yes. This is correct."
She turned the movie ticket towards me and showed it.
On the held out ticket, the H row seat number in front was clearly written.
"This...... is a couple seat. Did you know and book it?"
"Yes."
I was speechless at the answer without hesitation.
She sat in the seat and tapped the next seat tuk-tuk looking up at me.
"Why? Sit quickly."
The expression wasn't well visible covered by mask and hoodie, but only eyes were visible.
Her eyes were... really expectant eyes.
That gaze that was just waiting to sit next to.
"......Okay."
I couldn't stand anymore.
From behind other audience members were passing one by one, and the popcorn and drinks in both hands were feeling heavier and heavier.
I carefully entered the inner seat and sat next to Naeun.
To speak of the first impression sitting in the couple seat, it was that it was wide.
The backrest was a bit more cushiony than regular seats, and because of the partitions on both sides, the moment sitting I felt strangely separated from surroundings.
As soon as sitting in the seat Naeun first leaned her body.
"Oppa, give me that."
"What?"
"The popcorn."
Naeun naturally took the popcorn bucket that was held in my hand.
Before I could even say anything, she held the popcorn bucket as if hugging it and carefully received even the warm drink remaining in my hand.
"I'll put this on my side."
Naeun plugged the drink in her cup holder, and put the cola in my cup holder.
"There's no need for you to hold it."
"It's okay."
Naeun hugged the popcorn bucket to her body.
"I'll hold it. Oppa's hands hurt, right."
"It's not that much."
"Still."
Her voice was small but she seemed stubbornly not intending to back down.
I looked at her for a moment then eventually didn't say more.
Only then Naeun seemed satisfied, placed the popcorn bucket on her lap.
The eyes revealed above her mask were curved a very little.
"Tell me if you want to eat."
"I can just pick and eat it myself."
"No."
"Why not again."
Naeun was silent for a moment then put her hand into the popcorn bucket and picked one popcorn.
And slightly held it out towards me.
"I'll give it."
"......"
"So tell me if you want to eat."
Eventually I received and ate the popcorn she held out.
"Done?"
Naeun nodded her head slightly and hurriedly turned her gaze to the screen.
She rummaged the popcorn with fingertips, then soon pulled her hand out without grabbing anything.
On the screen advertisements ended, and emergency evacuation guidance video started to come out.
At the voice explaining emergency exit locations and evacuation methods people's murmuring also gradually subsided.
As the inside of the theater slowly darkened, the presence of the partitions surrounding the couple seat felt more vividly.
Even though there were clearly people around it strangely felt like just the two of us were separately apart.
I tried to adjust my posture unnecessarily.
At that moment Naeun's shoulder touched mine a very little.
And the area her shoulder was touching was increasing more and more.
Looking to the side Naeun had her gaze on the screen.
"Naeun-ah."
"Yes?"
She answered but didn't turn her head.
"You're sticking on purpose right now."
"......No."
It was a lie that was too obvious.
On the screen the movie distributor logo appeared large, and soon the inside of the theater completely darkened.
"Just a little... can I stick?"
Her voice was so small it was buried in the music flowing from the screen.
"Just while watching the movie..."
Naeun said that and huddled her body.
"Haa..."
I clearly had to refuse.
But at her trembling felt from the side I eventually didn't say anything.
Whether she took that silence as permission, Naeun slowly stuck her body more.
Shoulders touching, the warmth beyond the hoodie is felt vividly.
"Thank you."
"Just watch the movie."
"Yes..."
***
To express the movie content in one word, it was a classic romance movie.
A story of a man and woman who met by chance opening their hearts to each other little by little, growing distant because of a small misunderstanding, then eventually meeting again at the end.
There was nothing new.
Scenes that seemed like I'd seen them somewhere continued and dialogues also flowed in a predictable direction.
But strangely it wasn't boring.
Rather than the movie being special it could be seen as just mixing the clichés well.
"It's over."
"......Yes."
She still had the popcorn bucket placed on her lap, touching the edge of the empty bucket with her fingertips.
"How was the movie?"
"Yes?"
When I asked her fingertips stopped.
"The movie."
"Ah......"
Naeun moved her gaze towards the screen for a moment.
The ending credits continued going up and actor names and production staff names passed quickly in white letters.
"It was good"
"What."
"Just......"
Naeun trailed off.
I looked at her quietly.
"You don't remember the content."
"......"
Naeun's shoulder flinched very small.
That was a sufficient answer.
"You said let's watch a movie."
"I watched."
"What did you watch."
"......"
Naeun couldn't answer.
Instead only the eyes revealed above the mask slowly lowered.
"You were only looking at me."
"......Just a little."
"A little?"
"Not a lot......"
The end of words got smaller and smaller.
I sighed because it was absurd.
"It's not that it wasn't fun."
"While not even remembering the content?"
"That's......"
Naeun hesitated for a moment then said in a very small voice.
"Because oppa was next to me."
"......"
"I was distracted."
At those words I couldn't say anything more.
Naeun was tightly holding the empty popcorn bucket with both hands.
It was the bucket she had been holding throughout the movie saying she'd take care of me.
But it seemed she hadn't seen almost any of the movie content.
Naeun carefully looked up at me.
"Still it was good."
"What."
"We sat together."
She said that and smiled very faintly.
"That's enough."
That word again.
'That's enough.'
'It's enough that you watched me.'
'It's enough that you were with me.'
She acted like a person who even if I just permit one very small thing takes it as everything.
"Oppa."
"Why."
"I......"
Naeun looked around for a moment.
Most people were getting up from seats and heading towards the exit.
The inside of the theater was gradually brightening, and the darkness that had been covering the couple seat was also slowly disappearing.
"Can we go to another place too?"
"Another place?"
"Yes."
She looked down at the empty popcorn bucket slightly then said again.
"To eat."
"Now?"
"Yes."
"You even had a stage today. Aren't you tired?"
"It's okay."
"What's okay about being okay."
"It's okay if I'm with oppa."
That word came out so naturally that I lost my answer for a moment.
Naeun didn't avoid her head even seeing that reaction of mine.
"I reserved a quiet place nearby."
"......Reserved?"
"Yes."
As expected it wasn't impromptu.
From the beginning she didn't intend to just watch the movie and end it.
"When did you prepare all this."
"While preparing for the stage."
"You did this too while preparing for the stage?"
"Yes."
Naeun nodded her head small.
"I wrote down the things I want to do with oppa after today ends."
"It's a restaurant."
Naeun added.
"I booked a place with not many people."
"Naeun-ah."
"Oppa."
Naeun cut off my words and carefully held my hand.
Because the lights inside the movie theater were on the back of her hand was faintly revealed.
A small and white hand but the strength holding me didn't easily let go.
"Just today."
"......"
"Today, can I do a little more of what I wanted to do?"
The eyes revealed above the mask were looking at me.
Eventually I slowly stood up from the seat.
"......Let's go."
Hearing those words Naeun's eyes curved very small.
"Yes."
Naeun took the empty popcorn bucket and without letting go of my hand moved her steps towards the exit.
The ending credits were still going up on the screen.
But Naeun no longer looked back at the screen.
Only she was quietly smiling holding my hand.