Time Won't Budge
Thump-thump!
Today I had no choice but to wake up swept away in anticipation. Nothing less than the theatrical release date for Little Magician Rumi had been revealed! To be precise, it had been announced once already, only to be pushed back a little by some unspoken incident.
I had told Bora earlier that I wanted to see Little Magician Rumi over vacation, because the movie had been set to open right around finals, just barely before break. Even if tests came easy to me, going to the movies during exam period felt a little off. Coaxing my friends into it would have felt off, too.
But after I told Bora, something strange happened. Oddly enough, the release date for Little Magician Rumi—which had been locked in before vacation—got pushed back. And the timing was perfect. The movie would open on the very day exams ended and vacation began. When I heard the news, I jumped for joy.
Of course, once a film hit theaters it stayed up for about a month, but I still didn't want to run into spoilers. Watching a little while after opening just wasn't as exciting as seeing it right away. There were too many spoilers, and too many reviews went up after release day. Even if I tried not to notice them, I couldn't help it.
Anyway, the delay was a good thing for me. I took Bora's hand and stood in front of the computer, ready to book tickets for the day Little Magician Rumi opened. I could have done it alone, but watching a movie by myself was a lonely, bleak affair, so I had to bring at least Bora—or else Haru, or Maru.
I'd asked Jiyu and Yumi, but unfortunately they said they weren't going. I had no intention of forcing kids who didn't want to see it. I wasn't some elementary schooler with a mean streak who'd drag my friends to the theater against their will.
Bora, though, had been with me through so much up to now. Couldn't she come along? She was the person I'd spent the most time with since I got here, after all... Maybe that's why I was looking at her with glistening eyes. She sat in the chair in front of the computer, booking the movie.
"Bora... can't we watch the movie together?"
I put on the most scrunched-up, wistful voice I could manage. Surely that was the only way she'd give in. Bora looked at me, then smiled.
"Of course! If Hana wants to go, we go together!"
Every anxious daydream from a moment ago seemed to scatter at once. I'd pictured Bora saying no, and myself trudging alone to the theater, popcorn in hand, watching in solitary gloom—and now I didn't have to picture any of it!
"Yay! Bora's the best!"
I bounced around the room, joy written all over me. At least I wouldn't have to watch Little Magician Rumi alone! The only regret was that Haru and Maru said they had work and couldn't come. Still, if I was going with Bora, that was fine.
"Then shall we book the tickets, Hana?"
"Yeah!"
I climbed up onto Bora's lap. Her thighs were soft, with a wonderful give to them, like settling onto a plush cushion. From up there, I stared at the computer monitor.
It didn't seem like the booking window had opened yet, but some kind of special homepage caught my eye. Admin only? It had that expert feel of a page ordinary people weren't allowed to enter. Something about it was different from a normal movie site.
But since she didn't say a word, it probably didn't matter. Without even logging in, Bora clicked somewhere, and the page jumped straight to ticket booking. The odd thing was that when you reserved movie tickets, the seats were usually already taken, weren't they?
Little Magician Rumi ought to have been a popular movie, and yet not a single seat had been reserved. I couldn't help but be shocked. How could Little Magician Rumi be that much fun and not have a single reservation?
"Bora. Why are all the theater seats completely empty?"
I couldn't hold my curiosity in. Bora heard me and laughed.
"This is... how should I put it..."
She seemed to be having trouble explaining. But soon she told me.
"Ha... since Hana came in first in the whole school, this theater is letting you pick your seats first!"
"Really? The theater's the best!!!"
My mood soared. I had no idea why ranking first in school got you first pick of seats, but a good thing was a good thing. From Bora's lap, I set about finding a suitable seat. Being short, the very front row was out.
Even if I threw my head all the way back, I wouldn't be able to see the screen. Come to think of it, whoever laid out theater seating—what were they thinking, putting chairs in the front? They were awful to watch from, and short of a sold-out house, no ordinary person would ever choose them. I was certain even someone two meters tall would never pick the front row.
Sit down and your height was cut in half; they'd have just as much trouble seeing the screen. Seats shoved too far to either side were out as well. The screen would sit too far off-angle. To take in Little Magician Rumi, famous for its dazzling effects, a seat a little above center seemed like the finest choice of all.
I'd considered the exact middle, but with my current short height, even a dead-center seat would mean looking slightly upward. Better to pick a seat a little higher. I pointed at the one I wanted, and Bora nodded and booked it.
"Hana, this one's good, right?"
A perfectly sound, sensible seat was reserved. Some admin-only whatever-it-was popup appeared, but that was already none of my concern. I'd booked the theatrical release of Little Magician Rumi. Now all I had to do was wait! I had no plans to sit around sucking my thumb until the day came.
Since I'd grabbed tickets for opening day itself, I meant to collect as much Little Magician Rumi merchandise as I could. It said that if you cosplayed as Little Magician Rumi and came to the movie, you'd receive a special prize. I'd already collected every piece of Little Magician Rumi goods before, so I was more than qualified.
At least I was starting ahead of the other kids. Getting merch at the theme park last time had been huge—I'd come away with a transformation set most kids couldn't even get a glimpse of. Limited-edition goods they didn't even sell at the mall!
"Hana, you can hold out until the movie starts, right?"
Bora seemed to be underestimating me. She must have taken me for the sort of elementary schooler whose heart pounded so hard she couldn't wait for the movie she wanted. I nodded and thumped my chest, as if to tell her to believe in me.
"Bora, just trust me! I'm not the kind of kid who whines like a little child about when the movie's going to start."
At my words, brimming with confidence, Bora clapped in delight. I had the heart of a proper grown-up. A trial like this was nothing at all.
"Waaaaah!!!"
After Bora booked the movie and left, I didn't even last an hour before I was sprawled on the bed, thrashing. Time refused to move. Only an hour had passed, and it felt as if I'd waited ten. I couldn't get my trembling body under control.
If a single hour was this miserable, how was I supposed to endure days of it? I barely caught my hands, which were shaking like a gambling addict's. I'd stood there not a moment ago, boldly telling Bora to trust me. If I started whining before an hour was even up, how pathetic would I look?
I was getting to the point of wishing someone would take a hammer to my head and send me a few days ahead. A splitting skull would hurt, but if it meant leaping forward, it wasn't such a bad trade. Rather, when I came to, I could rejoice—so much time has already passed!
"Hnnng..."
I decided to kill the time by fiddling with my poor, blameless phone. No matter how I raged or whined, the movie began in a few days. Demanding it open sooner would be useless. I'd heard the screening date was something the people in charge settled among themselves.
And so I spent the whole day doing nothing but wavering over whether to go to Bora or not.