Y-You Said You Wanted to See It....

“…….”

Why did the longer the theater trailers played, the more I wanted to run away?

Why did it remind me of the time I made the huge decision to ride the Viking, only to regret it as soon as I got on and try to run away right afterward?

-Squeeze.

But I couldn't run away like I had back then, because I felt sorry for the idiot beside me, so I squeezed Han Seojin's arm even tighter and steeled myself once more.

…Somehow, hugging him like this makes me feel at ease.

It feels like I'm making a place I can lean on, like I can run this way if I want to escape.

“I-it's starting to hurt a little….”

“S-Sorry….”

When I hugged him a little tighter, Han Seojin said it hurt, and I jumped in surprise and loosened my grip a little.

…W-Why am I so nervous?!

‘I-It's just watching a movie.’

The problem is that it's a horror movie, but still, I just have to watch it like any other movie.

Why am I trembling so much? It's just a movie.

If anything, I should use this chance to make sure I never get startled by anything horror-related again—

“Oh, I guess it's starting.”

“…!”

As the theater lights suddenly went out, I grabbed his arm as if I were clinging to it with my whole body.

-

--

---

“Eeeek?!”

At some point, I was clutching that arm as tightly as a lifeline, with my face buried against it and my whole body trembling.

The spine-chilling sounds reaching my ears left me unable to think straight. I couldn't decide whether to cover my ears or hold on to that arm, so I just froze.

B-But you said it wasn't scary…!

I didn't know how big the gap was between what I considered not scary and what other people considered not scary, but I could at least tell that people must be pretty numb to fear if they thought this spine-chillingly terrifying movie wasn't scary.

‘S-Should I run away now?’

It was already a foregone conclusion that I'd have nightmares.

As I wondered how I could escape this movie, I considered leaving the theater even now, but eventually gave up.

Han Seojin was my only support right now. Could I really manage outside by myself?

It wasn't as if there'd be no sound outside, so I'd obviously flinch and tremble every time I heard it. Now that I'd already faced the truth, could I really endure even those tiny sounds?

Since I was firmly on the side of thinking I couldn't endure it, I couldn't do that.

‘But I can't stay like this the whole time….’

If I let go of his hand, I'd have to keep listening to those creepy sounds, but if I covered my ears, my own nature would make me suffer because I'd have to grab onto something every time something scary appeared.

What should I do, what should I do—? Anxiously, I cracked one eye open and peeked at the screen, but the instant I saw the monster's face, I squeezed my eyes shut.

‘I-I don't know…!’

“S-Sorry!”

I sprang out of my seat and dove straight into Han Seojin's arms, grabbing his body instead of his arm this time.

I couldn't really think through what on earth had made me choose this, but I just felt like I had to do it.

…Especially since doing this made me feel somehow more at ease, I hugged him as tightly as I could, like someone desperately trying not to fall off a cliff.

“Are you scared?”

“Y-Yeah….”

“Want to leave?”

“….”

Maybe seeing me like that worried him a little, because he asked in a serious voice instead of his usual high-pitched, playful one. I stared blankly at his face, then—

When Han Seojin asked if I wanted to leave, I hesitated a little, then shook my head to tell him I didn't want to go.

“Y-You said you wanted to see it….”

It would be one thing if only I left, but this idiot would definitely leave with me.

It was a movie he wanted to see, and I didn't want him to miss it because of me, so I shook my head.

“Want me to cover your ears?”

-Nod, nod.

When Han Seojin raised his hand and asked if he should cover my ears, I nodded to tell him, please, do it.

Han Seojin's soft hands immediately covered my ears, and he leaned forward from the backrest so I could hug him more comfortably.

-Thump, thump.

My heartbeat was so loud that the space felt quiet, as if Han Seojin and I were the only ones there.

Even with his hands over my ears, the movie's sound wasn't completely blocked, and I couldn't help flinching whenever it seeped through.

The more it seeped through, the deeper I burrowed into Han Seojin's arms, lowering my head as far as I could so no one could see me.

…M-My heartbeat is so loud. I hope he can't hear it.

==========

…In the end, I just trembled in Han Seojin's arms until the movie was over.

‘Am I crazy?! Why on earth did I decide to do something like that?!’

I couldn't think about anything but the shock of the movie until we got back to the theater lobby, but once we got outside, I felt so ashamed of what I'd done that I gave an idiot a few light smacks.

If this idiot hadn't dragged me here just to get a tiny discount, none of this would've happened…!

‘…B-But still. Even though I did something so embarrassing, I'm grateful he didn't say anything about it.’

I wondered if hitting him was too much, so I stopped.

-KakaoTalk!

“W-Wait a second. Hold on, idiot….”

As I walked along thinking that, the sudden KakaoTalk chime from my phone startled me. I asked him to wait a moment, then turned on my phone and checked the message.

After all, the only people who'd message me on KakaoTalk were Mom and the idiot beside me.

[Mom: Siyeon, I don't think I'll be able to come home today.]

[Mom: Seojin's mom is on a business trip, too, so sleep with Seojin tonight.]

[Mom: (A picture of a rabbit making a heart with its ears)]

[Mom: Love you!]

“…Huh?”

The moment I saw Mom's message, I froze, then looked at it again to make sure I wasn't seeing things—

‘Sleep together…?’

Remembering the embarrassing things I'd just done, and how I'd woken up hugging Han Seojin the last time we'd shared a bed—

“Why? What did your mom say?”

“…She said…”

“Hm?”

“She said to sleep together! You idiot!”

In the end, I snapped and shouted it out, then headed home as if I were running away.

I could see the idiot moron following me, shouting, “Wait up!” but that was none of my business…!

==========

“It's been a while since I've been here!”

“…….”

I may have just blurted it out and brought him along, but now that I was actually at my house, I felt like I was doing something I shouldn't.

Of course, we'd shared a bed before and even hugged each other in our sleep, but that was when we were eight!

Six years had passed since then, and the fourteen-year-old Seojin and I were completely different from the kids we'd been back then.

Han Seojin had become so much more manly, and maybe because my chest had grown a little, too—

I felt self-conscious around him and thought it was silly, but I still held onto a tiny hope that we could sleep as cozily as we had back then.

…I was incredibly embarrassed when I woke up that time, but I'd never slept as well as I had that night.

Of course, if I tried to do something like that while fully conscious, I'd go crazy and want to die.

-Growl.

“Ah.”

“Are you hungry?”

“…….”

As I was thinking about that, my stomach growled, and my face went hot. Without saying anything, I opened the fridge.

…I-I still have to eat.

Honestly, other than a little popcorn and some cola at the theater, I hadn't eaten anything today.

I usually skipped breakfast, so by this time I was normally starving, but with so much happening today, I'd completely forgotten.

I looked for something simple to make, then took out eggs and sausages and started getting things ready to eat with rice.

I usually prepared much less than this, but there was a gluttonous idiot pig beside me right now.

It wasn't because I planned to eat this much; it was only because I figured that idiot would eat this much.

“D-Do you understand?”

“Yeah!”

After my little protest, Han Seojin nodded emphatically as if he understood, and I immediately poured oil into the frying pan and started cooking things one by one.

“It's delicious!”

“…Really?”

“Yeah! I wish you could make it for me for the rest of my life!”

“…Y-You think so…?”

I struggled to keep my smile under control, and ate even less rice than I usually did.

…I-I don't want to look like a big eater.

Of course, since we usually ate together at lunch and such, he probably had some idea how much I ate, but even so, I didn't want to earn the title of a girl who ate a lot right now.

So, even though I was still a little hungry, I left some rice and handed it to Han Seojin, bringing dinner to an end.

I watched Han Seojin eat with relish, then took the bowl he held out after saying, “Thanks for the meal!” and went to wash the dishes.

‘There are still about three hours until bedtime….’

Now, I just have to hold out until it's time to sleep a little later.

If I can just endure it somehow, nothing bad will happen… right?