Chapter 22: Date With Chinatsu (2.7)

I, Suwano Yuzuha, was walking with my friends on the way to the movies. We were about to watch a romance movie, which honestly wasn't my taste, but because my friends, Tsubaki Youko and Yoshida Kana, wanted to watch it, I had no other choice.

Tsubaki Youko was a girl with a plain appearance, but she was still better looking than many other plain girls out there. She was slightly above average. If you considered 50% as average, then she was at about 55%. She was a cute girl. If she put in a bit more effort into dressing up, she could easily raise that percentage to 65% or even 70%. She was quite timid though, which was why she didn't wear makeup.

Yoshida Kana, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of Youko. She was easy-going and had a leader-like personality among the girls in our class. She often assumed the role of a leader for the girls, and they willingly followed her. She also had a bit of a rebellious streak. Kana frequently arrived late to school and was sometimes absent from class, usually because she was off somewhere with her boyfriend.

You might wonder why I was hanging out with these kinds of people. Well, it was due to circumstances.

During my three years of high school, I realized that a person who remained isolated could never truly thrive. To survive, and maybe even thrive, you needed to connect with others. The same applied to high school life.

High school was like a microcosm of society, and much like in the real world, there was a social hierarchy in place. If you found yourself at the bottom of that hierarchy, you were an easy target, ripe for being preyed upon by those stronger or more cunning. If you somehow managed to climb too high, you became a prime target for others who wanted to drag you down, steal your spot, and claim it for themselves.

Where did I want to stay in this intricate social web? Right in the middle. Not low enough to be preyed upon, but not high enough to attract unwanted attention. So, I chose to associate with someone like Kana. She was the queen bee of our school, high up on the social ladder. Being the girlfriend of a powerful delinquent and having a large group of followers, she made for a perfect host for a social parasite like me, seeking nothing more than a quiet, uneventful school life. If I stuck with her, others would likely assume I was just her lackey. I had no desire to get caught up in the hierarchical drama of high school.

I didn't consider Kana a friend. Once I was done using her, I would sever ties without hesitation. I assumed Youko had a similar mindset; she was using Kana to maintain her position in the middle. I supposed that even though she appeared timid, Youko had a cunning mind.

I was blowing a bubble with my gum, hands tucked inside the pockets of my hooded jacket as I stood in line. It was then that I noticed the boy I had seen earlier was right in front of me in the queue.

"Why are we watching something like this, Chinatsu? Can't we pick something else?"

"This one is really good, I promise. It's the best movie currently showing! Plus, you'll absolutely love it!"

"Are you certain about that? I'm not exactly a romance enthusiast. I lean more towards action."

"Well, there's a hint of action in this one too. I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

I figured, just like me, this boy didn't have a particular fondness for romance but was compelled by circumstances. And... was it just my imagination, or did he bear a striking resemblance to Kurogane? His aura was distinct from the guy I knew in middle school, but could this really be him? I refused to believe it.

"Ah, right, popcorn," the girl said, suddenly realizing they hadn't grabbed any. "Tsubasa, why don't you go get the popcorn? I'll hold our spot in line."

The boy seemed to hesitate for a moment before responding, "Well, can't you go? I mean, you know what you want, right?"

The girl didn't seem to appreciate the boy's reluctance. She gave him a playful but stern look and said, "Come on, Tsubasa, be a gentleman for once. It won't hurt you to get us some popcorn."

The boy grumbled, "Why do I have to be the one to do it? It's not like I'm your servant or anything."

She smirked and retorted, "Oh, really? You're the one who said you'd do anything for me earlier."

"Well, yeah, but... fine, I'll go get the popcorn."

With a triumphant grin, she handed him some money. "Great! Here's the cash. Get us a large popcorn and maybe a drink too."

The boy reluctantly accepted the money, muttering something under his breath. He then made his way to the popcorn stand, leaving the girl behind in line. It was evident to anyone watching that she had a certain level of control over him, like she had him on a leash of some sort.

My own friends, Youko and Kana, were chatting nearby, oblivious to the little drama unfolding in front of us. I decided to focus on them for now, but I couldn't help but steal occasional glances at the boy as he made his way back with the popcorn.

He looked so much like Kurogane, and if I heard it correctly, the girl called him Tsubasa. Lost in thought, I didn't realize that I was staring at him as he approached.

"Sorry, miss, if this seems like I'm cutting in line, but this is where I truly belong. My girlfriend just ordered me to buy popcorn for her."

Thinking I might be upset about him cutting in line due to my stare, he explained himself.

I continued to scrutinize him up close, but even though I was near, I couldn't see any traces of the guy I used to know. Was this...really Kurogane Tsubasa? I couldn't bring myself to accept it. Why? Was it because he had changed so much? Or perhaps because I didn't want to believe that Kurogane had a girlfriend? I couldn't figure it out.

"No, it's fine," I replied.

"Thank you," he said.

The girl then chimed in, "Talking to a girl right in front of me, I see... Do you want to be castrated that badly?"

"And how on earth did you come up with that just because I was apologizing?"

"Talking to a girl while you're on a date with me is a crime itself, Tsubasa."

"In that case, I won't talk to any other girls for now. I promise."

"Good."

The boy turned around and faced away from me, so I couldn't see his face anymore. I couldn't help but wonder if this was really Tsubasa. I desperately wanted to believe otherwise.

As I continued to stare at the backs of the couple in front of me, I decided to lower my head. Seeing someone who looked like Tsubasa with another girl was causing an ache in my heart.