Even Watching a Movie with My Junior, I'm Still an Outsider
Thanks to Kim Hayun tugging me along with her arm firmly hooked through mine, I was savoring the heavy, satisfying bliss of it all.
"Oppa, you're getting popcorn, right?"
We'd already reached the snack stand on the seventh floor, and she'd let go of my arm.
Just like that, in the blink of an eye, my happy time was over.
Tch.
It had been nice, but now it felt disappointing.
I smacked my lips and nodded for no real reason.
"Of course I'm getting some. What about you, Hayun?"
"If I wasn't eating popcorn, I wouldn't have come to the theater."
"Right?"
"Yep."
And just like that, we decided to get popcorn.
Or so I thought.
"Oh, but we gotta get tickets first before snacks, yeah?"
Come to think of it, she was right—we hadn't gotten our tickets yet.
I mean, we could've grabbed popcorn first, but it'd be a hassle operating the kiosk with stuff in our hands, so Kim Hayun and I headed to the ticket machine.
"That one you mentioned before, right?"
The one that came up during club orientation. The movie about a beautiful affair.
But Kim Hayun wagged her index finger side to side.
"Oppa. What do you think of first for summer?"
"What?"
"Horror movies. Horror movies. Super scary ones!"
Her words made me freeze for a second.
Because.
...We're watching a horror movie?
I wasn't really into that stuff.
The last horror movie I'd seen wasn't even in a theater—it was some edited clip on a streaming site, and even that was just a plot summary with the scary parts cut out.
"......"
It wasn't that I was too scared to watch them.
Really, I wasn't.
Anyway... I wasn't thrilled, and my face must've shown it.
Kim Hayun stared at me for a moment, then smirked.
"Huh? Oppa, you can't handle horror movies?"
Her eyes were saying it all.
'You're not that kind of guy, right, oppa?'
"Hayun."
For some reason, words slipped out on their own.
I swept my bangs back dramatically, full of bravado.
"I've run ops in minefields. You think a little horror flick can scare me?"
"Hmph... really? Then it's fine if we watch it?"
"Yeah. Go ahead. If you get scared, cling to me all you want."
I didn't need to add that last bit, but I threw it in to advertise my tetots.
Kim Hayun looked up at me, her eyebrows curving into soft half-moons.
"Got it. If a scary scene pops up, I'll scream and jump into your arms?"
"As much as you want."
As much as you want, my ass.
I didn't want her clinging to me—hell, I was praying for the opposite.
I hoped the movie wasn't that scary as I watched her from behind, buying the tickets at the kiosk.
Whatever. Since she got the tickets, I'd cover the snacks.
One bucket of popcorn, cola, and a few packs of those sweet-salted squid legs.
"Oppa, did you know?"
Kim Hayun hugged the popcorn bucket as she spoke.
"They say kissing after honey butter popcorn feels amazing."
My eyes dropped down at that.
The bucket had "Honey Butter" printed big and bold.
I see.
No wonder it was the theater's bestseller.
One more useless fact added to my collection. I chuckled.
"Tried it?"
I wasn't probing or anything. She said it like she'd experienced it, so I asked.
But Kim Hayun's face suddenly flushed red.
Like admitting she'd never kissed was embarrassing.
"...Huh? Oh, n-no. ...I haven't."
Her voice got smaller toward the end.
"...W-what? Why? I might not have kissed anyone!"
Then she suddenly revved up again.
Her cheeks burned as she growled cutely, looking scratched.
"W-what about you, oppa? Have you?"
"Nah, me neither."
Not just honey butter kisses—never even a regular one.
It felt weird saying it myself, but I'd been all about studying back in school.
...But still.
Thinking about it, it kinda felt unfair.
Everyone else did uniform dates as actual high schoolers.
Why was I, post-military college student, doing this fake date for an essay, and not even a real one?
Lost in thoughts of the world's unfairness, I felt her staring.
I turned, and.
"...You haven't either. ...Why pick on me?"
Her cheeks were puffed out happily for some reason.
She twirled her hair ends, grumbling at me.
I hadn't meant anything by it, but she took it as teasing.
"Why the sneaky casual speech?"
"...Not sneaky. Straight-up."
She said it so boldly.
If she'd played innocent, I'd have flicked her forehead playfully, but this? No comeback.
"My legs hurt. Let's sit over there."
The movie wasn't starting for a while anyway.
I nodded toward the waiting area with chairs.
"......Okay."
Kim Hayun replied cutely, her face especially red.
Two things I realized on this uniform date with Kim Hayun.
First.
Two full-grown adults wandering a theater in school uniforms? It draws tons of stares.
I'd felt glances before when with her, but today, in matching uniforms?
Everyone we passed gawked, eyes wide, checking us out.
"Oppa, you don't have a diffuser at home, do you?"
Second.
"Seemed like it last time."
Kim Hayun acted totally used to the stares.
I found it kinda burdensome, but she? Like it was normal.
Ignoring everyone, eyes only on me, chatting away.
Maybe because of that, I got used to it over time.
By the time we entered the theater, I could respond normally.
"Nope."
"Why not buy one?"
"Don't cheap ones make your place smell weird?"
"Nah, that's old stuff from when we were kids. Modern ones are all good."
"Hmm, really?"
Huh.
Mom had nagged about my scent lately, so I'd been thinking about smells.
Might as well grab one.
As I pondered seriously, Kim Hayun leaned in toward me.
"Or should I get you one?"
Our seats, by the way.
The back-row couple seats, no armrest between.
"You let me crash at yours last time, so as thanks."
I tried ignoring her subtly sweet scent wafting over.
Rubbed my nose and replied.
"No need to thank me for that...."
"Why not? Hotel stays cost a fortune. A diffuser's a steal compared."
True, but.
My place wasn't some fancy pension.
A two-room officetel, way below average home level. Was it gift-worthy?
"I'll get a nice-smelling one. Put it in the living room, okay?"
Before I could refuse her solid reasoning, she pressed on.
Hard to say no. I nodded meekly.
"Okay. Thanks."
"...Hmph."
'Guess I should get her something later.'
The diffuser was payback for the sleepover.
But just taking without reciprocating? Looks bad.
Plus, with so few people in my life, this junior was precious.
To keep things going, trading gifts with excuses was smart.
...Sounds too calculating, though.
Really, "maintaining relations" aside, I just wanted to give her something out of pure liking.
Who gifts someone they don't care about casually?
Not that I was trying to date her or anything over-the-top.
......
Deep in thought, that's when.
"Oh? It's starting."
With a nearby audience member's words, the ads ended, and the famous studio logo hit the screen.
And right then.
"Oppa, after the movie."
Kim Hayun, shoulders brushing mine, whispered.
"How about dinner, then baseball? Sound good?"
"Huh? Baseball?"
"Yeah. Lotte vs. LG today."
Lotte and LG.
The near-bottom feeders (minus one joke team) vs. the league leaders.
Outcome's obvious.
Of course it'd be an LG blowout. She must be an LG fan to suggest it.
"Sure. But you like baseball, Hayun?"
"Yeah! Love it. A ton."
"Really?"
Somehow, it fit.
She'd worn a baseball cap and jacket set to the convenience store last time.
"Do you like baseball, oppa?"
Her face lit with subtle hope.
Me? If it's like or not, yeah, I like it. Not enough to go to games like her, though.
"Yeah."
"Really? Which team do you root for?"
"Hmm, no real favorite team...."
"Ah, so you just like watching baseball, not a fan of any one?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Hmmm. I see...."
She pouted her lips a bit.
'Disappointed I'm not an LG fan?'
No favorite team, and she looked a tad down. Seemed like it.
As I guessed, watching her expressive face.
"Oppa, then."
She slipped her arm through mine smoothly.
And in a super sly whisper.
"Wanna root for Lotte with me?"
"......"
Scarier than any slasher line in the movie.