Chapter 44: I Heard You Like It If I Do This

"Finally arrived."

Dark night.

Although different from the Empire she lived in, the scale seemed larger than the capital.

A woman muttered while looking around the city center where she currently stood.

She didn't even care that everyone around her was staring at her, whispering, "Is that cosplay?"

White hair looking slightly young, wearing a robe that could be described as not modern clothing.

A staff as tall as herself, which didn't match her body, was set upright as if slightly stuck in the ground.

Various questions arose in her mind.

"Did you really come back because you liked a world like this?"

Did he like this weak world where not even a handful of mana could be felt?

He was young back then, I wonder how Hwain (Fire Human) has changed now.

'Curious.'

How strong could he have gotten in this weak world?

Still, wouldn't Hwain remain the strongest?

Based on the overwhelming growth potential that allowed him to ascend to the position of the strongest in our world in a short period.

"Hwain..."

Her voice reciting the word 'Hwain' was slightly flushed, as if excited.

She recalled herself seducing the young Hwain back then, almost reaching a relationship similar to lovers.

Although the excitement disappeared as they crossed the boundary of life and death, leaving only camaraderie as comrades.

'I want to see him soon.'

However, there is one strange thing.

The mana in the atmosphere is only a handful, so why can't I feel the mana of someone as strong as Hwain?

Don't tell me Hwain is suppressing all his mana to avoid revealing himself?

'No. Hwain wouldn't do that.'

At least, it was clear that some change had occurred to him.

The multiple mana swords that brilliantly embroidered the view before her eyes.

And his figure wielding all those mana swords freely was still unforgettable.

Not feeling his mana to this extent was something very strange.

'Even a remnant scent should remain...'

Deciding she needed to investigate a bit, she emitted light on the spot and disappeared in an instant.

And the people who took photos were puzzled looking at their phones.

"Uh, what? Why isn't she in the picture?"

In the photo taken wondering if it was some cosplay, the figure of the woman wearing those strange clothes was nowhere to be found.

"Wow, that's dope."

"Hey, go talk to her."

"You go. Don't bullshit me."

Whispering sounds could be heard from the surroundings.

Today's wake-up time: 8:00 AM.

The start time of the movie I agreed to watch with Jin-wook: 12:50 PM.

"When will he come..."

And the time I arrived in front of the movie theater: 12:00 PM.

After asking Jin-wook when he was coming, I was waiting for him with my hands in my pockets.

When will Jin-wook come?

Still, since he's a man, he must have dressed up quite a bit wanting to look cool today, right?

"I want to see him quickly."

I felt a bashful smile forming on my face automatically.

Is this feeling I'm feeling right now something I can feel because I'm a woman?

Or is it because I'm looking forward to what will happen with Jin-wook today?

I couldn't touch my face fearing the makeup Si-hyun Unnie took care of would get ruined, but...

"Jin-wook-ah, come quickly."

Anyway, I waited for Jin-wook in front of the movie theater.

How long did I wait like that?

About 15 minutes? 20 minutes?

A bus passed in front of my eyes, and from afar, a voice called my name, "Eun-ha-ya!"

Hearing the voice I waited for, I turned around.

'Keep this in mind. Originally, men tend to treat women easily if they think the woman falls for them easily, so you must absolutely not smile at a man too easily or anything like that.'

'Do I really have to? Jin-wook is so kind.'

'Tsk. There's a reason Unnie is saying this.'

Then, the conversation I had with Si-hyun Unnie came to mind.

The lecture telling me never to look easy to a man so that the man would become more desperate and cling to the woman...

"You came?"

The moment I saw Jin-wook's face, I couldn't hold back a bright smile blooming on my face.

As I waved my hand happily to welcome him, Jin-wook froze for a moment seeing my appearance.

"Why?"

"Ah, that, no..."

I could know why immediately.

Probably because I was so pretty that it couldn't even be compared to usual.

I know too, Jin-wook-ah.

I looked in the mirror earlier and saw it.

"Let's go in quickly. I waited 20 minutes."

"Why did you come so early?"

"Just because."

I briefly debated whether to link arms with Jin-wook.

But still, this is the first moment meeting as the opposite sex, not as friends.

Thinking it might be a bit too much if I looked too easy, I felt shy and just quietly held his hand.

"Just because I wanted to come early."

"Because you wanted to see me?"

"No."

As I held his hand, he naturally wrapped his hand around mine gently.

Walking side by side with Jin-wook, we headed inside the movie theater.

The movie we booked was a Dark Hero movie that was rising in popularity these days.

Depicting a hero wearing a mask and a bat symbol on his chest confronting his nemesis.

"They say this is fun these days."

"Really?"

"Ah, you might not know since you're not really interested in movies. I picked this because it has the best reviews among those screening these days."

There, Jin-wook glanced at me.

Just as I was thinking there were no posters for romance movies like the one we watched last time...

A voice asking what to do came from the side.

"If you don't like it, shall we change to something else?"

"No, let's watch this."

"Caramel for popcorn?"

"Yeah."

Like that, we bought popcorn and drinks, and managed to enter the theater 5 minutes before the movie started.

Knowing that I dislike people sitting nearby, the seats Jin-wook booked were a two-seat row in the left corner.

As I sat in the wall seat first, Jin-wook sat in the aisle seat, completing a seating arrangement where I seemed trapped.

"Jin-wook-ah."

"Huh?"

"Did you sit on the aisle side... on purpose?"

"Why are you getting anxious again suddenly."

I leaned on Jin-wook's arm looking at him like that.

We've done everything anyway.

What's there to look easy or not.

"Just, wondering if I'm trapped like this until the movie ends."

"Me, trap you?"

"Yup."

"...If you said that to be funny, it's a success."

Just do it if you want to.

Lean if you want to lean.

Right, Jin-wook-ah?

"It's starting."

Still, not wanting to disturb Jin-wook watching the movie, I straightened my body that was leaning on his arm.

Before starting, I grabbed a handful of popcorn and ate them one by one.

Soon, the lights in the theater went out, and the movie began with a window of a glass building shattering.

Crash-!

"Eek."

Of course, the explosion sound when the glass shattered would just give ordinary people a feeling that something exploded.

But for me, it was enough to startle me momentarily.

As I was startled, Jin-wook was surprised too, asking, "Eun-ha-ya, why?"

"Th-That, the sound was too loud..."

"The explosion earlier?"

"Yeah."

Although I can release the body strengthening by releasing telekinesis...

My senses were unavoidable no matter how much I tried to restrain them myself, so I had no choice but to be surprised.

I didn't know when watching the melodrama movie before because there were no such exploding scenes.

"Want to wear this?"

Jin-wook handed me the orange earplugs he uses when studying.

At that moment, another explosion sound was heard, and I flinched.

"I brought it well, right?" Jin-wook smiled at me.

"Yeah."

Of course, there is a downside that I can't hear the characters' small dialogue well.

But simply not being startled by the banging sounds was very satisfying.

Plus...

'Didn't know, but looking at him do this, he's become quite manly.'

Since I couldn't focus on the movie.

I could look at Jin-wook enjoying the movie alone and think this and that.

Not bad.

"Ah."

At that moment, realizing I was staring at Jin-wook too absentmindedly, I quickly turned my head.

Fortunately, the movie seemed quite immersive, as Jin-wook was engrossed in it, not even eating popcorn.

I was just sucking on the cola while staring at the screen where only sounds of fighting were faintly heard.

'Empty.'

Soon, I put down the cola bottle, which felt light as if empty, on the armrest and leaned back.

Is that movie that fun for Jin-wook?

In the movie, the hero was riding a bike chasing an enemy in a truck.

And the villain was chasing the truck the prosecutor was riding in using a hijacked large trailer.

The so-called chase scene was in full swing.

Actually, I didn't want to disturb Jin-wook's movie viewing.

Since he was watching so happily, I felt sorry to interrupt.

But, no matter what, we came out here on a date.

Although the plan changed from just watching a movie lightly to meeting up properly.

"Oh?"

I slid my hand and brought it to the bare skin between my skirt and boots.

Smiling slightly, I placed Jin-wook's hand on top of it. At Jin-wook's quiet words asking, "Wh-What are you doing," I put a finger to my lips saying 'Shh'.

"What are you trying to do."

"I heard guys like it if you do this..."

Jin-wook made a flustered expression at my sudden action.

But perhaps realizing he had been too indifferent, instead of taking his hand off my thigh, he extended his arm and pulled me toward him as if wrapping around my shoulder.

As I pushed the popcorn aside slightly, since it was a couple seat without a center armrest, I could stick right next to him.

"Hehe..."

I hugged Jin-wook's arm tightly and was able to spend the time in the movie theater satisfactorily.

Since I'm a woman, not a friend...

This much is okay, right?