For some people, everything about a beautiful girl is a gift from the gods—even the faint, lingering scent that clings to her feet after a long summer day spent in tight riding boots. To them, such a thing is not repulsive, but rather… sweet.
Natsukawa Kanade, however, was not that kind of pervert.
He prided himself on being normal—a completely ordinary guy in this regard.
Sure, kissing was one thing, but saliva in any other situation?
Disgusting.
A foreign substance to be resisted, shunned, and cleansed from existence!
And yet, here he was, staring at his palm, where Kasumigaoka Utaha had just licked him.
This woman...!
He refused to believe that it was an accident. If it had been, at most, her tongue might have brushed against his fingertips. But no—this was a direct attack on his palm.
She wasn't a seductive snake, slithering in to ensnare him!
No, this was revenge!
A blatant counterattack for how he had force-fed her popcorn just moments ago!
Kanade's fingers twitched involuntarily as the damp sensation stubbornly clung to his skin. He was starting to hallucinate—the moisture seemed to be spreading, creeping up his wrist, slithering across his arm, invading his very being.
A shudder ran down his spine.
And then, the goosebumps came.
"You… You… You…!"
Kanade pointed at her in shock and horror, words utterly failing him.
Utaha simply tilted her head, batting her eyelashes with an innocent expression that reeked of mischief.
Several seconds passed.
Then, without another word, Kanade abandoned his popcorn and soda, spun on his heel, and marched towards the bathroom.
He needed to purge this cursed sensation before it contaminated the rest of his soul.
—
Meanwhile, Kasumigaoka Utaha had been closely monitoring her Kouhai-kun's every reaction.
At first, she had felt a twinge of nervousness and embarrassment. The act itself had been impulsive, fueled purely by anger and a rush of adrenaline.
But when she saw the way he stiffened up, looking less like a man seeking vengeance and more like a pitifully bullied puppy—
She had to suppress the laugh bubbling in her chest.
The corners of her lips curled upward.
So cute.
Her Kouhai-kun was cute even when he was being bullied.
Still, she wasn't completely heartless. There was a tiny bit of guilt creeping in—though it was mostly overshadowed by the anticipation of how he would retaliate once he returned.
After all, this little battle between them was part of the fun, wasn't it?
To Utaha, love wasn't about one person desperately giving while the other took. That wasn't romance. That was just self-delusion.
No—love had to be equal.
Push and pull. Give and take.
A thrilling back-and-forth where both parties tested the waters, seeing just how far they could go before crossing a line.
"…He's taking too long," she murmured, tapping her fingers against her knee.
Bored, she lazily crossed her legs and rested her chin in her palm, letting her thoughts wander.
She mused over meaningless things to pass the time.
Until her gaze happened to drift toward the popcorn and soda Kanade had left behind.
And suddenly—
Ding!
A wonderful idea bloomed in her mind.
Like this, like this… and then like this…
Smiling to herself, she got to work, moving her hands with slow, deliberate care.
She had just finished her little modification when—
The sound of approaching footsteps.
Utaha quickly sat up straight, adopting an expression of complete innocence.
Kanade returned, his usual impassive face firmly in place, but his sharp eyes immediately caught something.
A certain someone was sitting far too calmly.
A certain someone had an air of suspicious satisfaction about her.
And a certain someone had definitely been tampering with his popcorn and soda.
Though the distance between them made it impossible to see what exactly she had done, Kanade didn't need to know the specifics.
He just knew.
So, he narrowed his eyes slightly but kept his expression neutral.
With all the nonchalance of a veteran strategist, he walked back to his seat at a relaxed pace, as if nothing was amiss.
"The movie's about to start soon," he said casually, picking up his bucket of popcorn and soda as if completely unaware of her schemes. "Let's get in line."
Utaha blinked at him.
No reaction?
No hesitation?
For a moment, she wondered if she had been caught—but then, seeing how smoothly he grabbed the food, she smirked internally.
Perfect.
"Alright," she responded, her voice smooth as silk as she followed him toward the ticket gate.
—
Since it was an old movie and a weekday, the theater was practically deserted.
The two of them almost had the entire place to themselves.
After getting their tickets checked, Natsukawa Kanade and Kasumigaoka Utaha made their way into the dimly lit theater, guided by a staff member. The seats they chose were in the front section—spacious, connected, and offering an optimal view of the screen.
The massive screen before them was still dark, waiting for the film to start.
Utaha stole a glance at him.
Heh.
Now all she had to do…
Was wait.
=====================
Surprisingly, aside from them, only two other couples had entered the theater. However, neither pair seemed particularly interested in the movie. One couple disappeared into a far corner in the back row, and the other settled into the opposite corner, as if drawn to the shadows.
Kanade couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Did they even come to watch the movie?
Of course, he wasn't some kind of moral enforcer. What other people did with their movie tickets wasn't his problem.
He just had to focus on restraining himself.
—
Before long, the film began.
Initially, Kanade remained on high alert, fully expecting his scheming Senpai to make her move at any moment. He could still vividly remember the suspicious way she had been hovering over his popcorn and Coke earlier.
But as time passed, he noticed something unexpected.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, the epitome of mischief, wasn't doing anything at all.
In fact, she was completely focused on the screen, her attention fully absorbed by the movie.
Kanade blinked.
Was this an act?
He wasn't convinced.
Still skeptical, he cautiously reached for a handful of popcorn, keeping a close eye on her. The buttery crunch filled his mouth as he watched her from the corner of his vision.
No reaction.
She didn't even flinch.
Kanade slowly chewed, waiting for something—anything—to happen. But nothing happened.
His paranoia wavered.
Had he misread the situation? Was he just being too suspicious?
His fingers reached for another handful of popcorn before his thoughts snapped back into place.
Wait.
The popcorn.
His mind rewound to the moment he had returned from the bathroom—when he had clearly caught her doing something to his food.
And now he had already eaten some of it?!
His hand froze mid-air.
Although there hadn't been any immediate consequences so far, he refused to take any more chances.
No more popcorn.
No more soda.
From now on, he was strictly observing.
Yet, despite his newfound resolve, Utaha remained eerily quiet. She hadn't said a single word since the movie started, her gaze unwavering, posture unchanged.
Kanade found himself stealing occasional glances at her, expecting to catch some hint of her usual mischief.
But there was nothing.
She was completely immersed.
The more he watched her, the more he felt something was off.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't the usual Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Something was—
—Then the sound from the screen abruptly changed.
Wet noises.
Heavy breathing.
Soft, heated moans.
"...?"
Kanade's brain momentarily lagged.
His eyes snapped toward the screen.
What he saw made his soul leave his body.
A scene of passion—raw and unfiltered—was playing out in full view.
Young lovers entangled, their bodies pressed together in an undisguised display of desire.
"...!"
Wait, wait, wait—!
Kanade immediately recognized the film.
It was Norwegian Wood.
He had read the book before, so he knew what kind of themes it explored.
But still—
Shouldn't they have toned things down for the movie adaptation?!
Wasn't this supposed to be a public screening?!
His gaze flickered around the theater.
Empty seats.
Dim lighting.
And then—
A faint, rhythmic noise from behind him.
Drip. Squish. Squelch.
Low, suppressed gasps.
Subtle shifting of fabric.
Kanade's expression twitched.
...Is there a leak in the ceiling or something?
No, wait—
It wasn't that kind of leak.
Realization struck him like a lightning bolt.
Those weren't sounds of water damage.
Those were the sounds of two couples doing exactly what he suspected they came here to do.
Kanade clenched his jaw.
He didn't want to think about it.
Didn't want to acknowledge it.
Didn't want to breathe the same air as it.
Instead, he desperately shifted his focus to the only thing that mattered right now—
Kasumigaoka Utaha.
This was dangerous.
If she reacted out loud, it would be social suicide.
So he turned to her, praying—begging—that she would keep quiet.
And that's when he saw it.
Her face, flushed.
Her eyes, shining with excitement.
Her lips, parted ever so slightly—
And then, in a hushed, enraptured voice, she murmured:
"That's right... That's how it is... Love, sex, life... Inspiration is constantly pouring out..."
Kanade: "..."
This woman.
Was.
Completely.
INSANE.
He exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down his face.
This night was turning into something else entirely.
************************
6 chapters incoming!!!!!!!!!
I hope this version is okay, Random Debuff.