I'm Being Threatened by My Sister's Ex-girlfriend. (GL) - Chapter 14
“I see, a movie. A classic choice to start with.”
Stirring her brown sugar matcha latte with soy milk and extra foam, Hakobe said this in a tone that sounded like a sports commentator.
“After that, we’ll eat, maybe check out the mall, and then head back.”
“Definitely a moderate plan…”
“Hey, that’s rude. So, what’s your idea for a top-tier date plan for broke university and high school students?”
“Well, something like walking barefoot on an emotional beach, talking about love and life, maybe?”
“That sounds like a movie. The summer beach is always super crowded.”
Mihama City, as the name suggests, is a coastal city. Just a short bus ride, and you can reach Tokyo Bay. There’s a beach where you can swim, but in the summer, it’s always packed. If you’re looking for a relaxing, emotional experience, it’s probably not the best spot.
Hakobe sighed softly.
“If only it were spring… It’s quieter, and it feels like a last-minute confession.”
“Last-minute… what?”
“A short story by Dazai. Nishino-san, you’re a Japanese lit student, right?”
“Not all Japanese lit students are bookworms, and not all bookworms read Dazai.”
I’m the type of person who mainly reads sci-fi or mystery novels. I didn’t choose Japanese lit for any noble reason. I probably chose Mihama University and the nearby Kaijin University because the stations were the same, though that may not have been entirely by chance.
“What’s the story about?”
“It’s about Jesus Christ and Judas. There are different ways to interpret it, but I think it’s about love.”
“Love.”
“At the beginning, there’s a scene where the two of them walk along the spring seaside.”
Saying that, Hakobe took out her smartphone and started fiddling with it. Her gaze remained focused on the screen as she quietly inhaled.
“‘I just don’t want to be separated from that person.’”
It took a moment for me to realize that it was a line from the novel.
The middle-aged woman sitting next to us glanced back at us with a puzzled expression. Hakobe, however, continued to read aloud without paying her any attention.
“‘I just want to be near that person, hear their voice, and look at them. That’s all I need. And if possible, I want them to stop lecturing me and live with just the two of us for the rest of our lives.’”
The words were unlike anything I’d ever heard before.
It was almost like a confession of love itself.
“‘Oh, if that happens! How happy I would be. I believe in the joys of this world, in the here and now. I’m not afraid of judgment in the next life at all.’”
Hakobe’s voice was calm, yet her eyes, gazing down at her phone, seemed strange. The light-colored irises reflected a translucent film of tears. Under the soft lighting of the café, they sparkled intensely.
A lock of hair slid off her shoulder. The beautiful but poisonous blue color glimmered faintly.
She spoke softly.
“‘Why won’t that person accept my pure, selfless love?’”
She tightened her lips, a faint hint of sadness in her expression.
Suddenly, I felt a deep sadness, an ache in my chest. Her hand, resting on the table, seemed fragile and lonely. It reminded me of transparent frost on black soil in the early morning of a winter’s day.
What would happen if I held her hand? She always touched me, but now that I thought about it, I had never reached out to her first.
When I extended my hand, it felt like it would slip away like a mirage.
Hakobe was just that kind of person.
“───Movie.”
Just as I remembered, Hakobe spoke up. My awareness was pulled back to reality, and the noise of the shop returned.
“So, what are you going to watch?”
“Huh? Oh, well… I haven’t decided yet. I was thinking we could decide together.”
“What do you usually do?”
“Wait a sec, let me check—”
I pulled up the page showing the movie schedule on my smartphone. Hakobe leaned in close, and we discussed which movie would be the best. I talked about the Hollywood actors who play Marvel superheroes, while Hakobe insisted that horror was the true king of entertainment. In the end, we compromised and somehow decided to watch a romance film.
While standing in line at the automatic ticket machine, I thought it felt a bit like a date.
Neither of us bought popcorn. Staring at the screen with the trailers, Hakobe whispered quietly.
“How about a bet, Tsuguno-san?”
“A bet?”
“You see, there’s a high school girl heroine. Do you think she will survive or die?”
“But this isn’t a horror movie.”
“Well, in a Japanese romance movie, the main character is a high school student, and the heroine is a sickly college student. She’s got to die, right?”
“I mean, that’s true.”
With a mischievous smile, Hakobe lifted the corners of her mouth.
“How about lunch choice rights as the prize? That way, we avoid arguing over where to eat, and I’ll actually pay attention to the romance movie.”
“Okay. I’m in. Which side are you betting on?”
“Can I choose first?”
“Sure.”
Hakobe picked up a pamphlet in the waiting area, resting her chin on her hand. She thought for a moment and then said, almost effortlessly:
“Alright, I’ll bet she dies.”
Naturally, I bet that she would survive.
The trailer ended. Following the instructions from the mascot, we turned off our smartphones.
The lights dimmed.
I looked at Hakobe’s right hand. It was neatly resting on her knee.
The movie wasn’t as bad as I expected.
The performance of the lead actress, who came from an idol background, stood out in a bad way, but she was good-looking, so it balanced out. I’ve recently realized that I have a soft spot for good-looking women.
Hakobe won the bet.
“I want a hamburger. The seasonal one with avocado.”
She said that and got up from the now-bright seat. The corners of her eyes were slightly red, which made her look oddly cute.
Unfortunately, the seasonal avocado burger was sold out. I chose the double cheeseburger set and sat down on a small chair.
A pair of young girls, probably sisters, ran through the small restaurant, one holding the other’s hand and laughing. A college couple leaned their foreheads together, whispering to each other.
“Here you go.”
On Hakobe’s tray were a fish burger, fries, and a salad. I wondered if she didn’t get thirsty without any drink.
“I didn’t expect it to be a zombie movie.”
“When the heroine died and came back to life after the first fifteen minutes, I was wondering what to do with this bet.”
“At that point, I already won, right? She died.”
“No, no, she came back to life. We need to reconsider the bet. But since she passed on in the end, I guess I can’t complain.”
Hakobe, acting a bit sulky, picked up a fry and tossed it into her mouth. The oil on her lips made them shine.
“What do you think, Tsuguno-san?”
“About what?”
“Whether you’d still date your boyfriend if he turned into a zombie. That’s basically what the movie was about, right?”
Hakobe’s words felt a little too summed up, but she probably had a point.
How much could you continue to love a woman who gradually loses her intelligence and rots away?
I remembered Toudou’s words.
To watch seriously and express your thoughts—wasn’t that the first step toward mutual understanding?
“To be honest, I don’t know.”
I put the straw in my mouth and took a sip of cola. The carbonation bubbled and fizzed in the back of my throat. After a brief hesitation, I continued.
“I’ve never had a boyfriend before.”
“Really? I didn’t know that.”
Hakobe’s response wasn’t full of the usual curiosity or disdain. Instead, it was a natural, understanding reaction, as if to say, “That’s just how it is sometimes.”
It was a response I found pleasant.
I suddenly realized things were getting a little awkward. But then I tilted my head. What exactly was awkward?
“How about you, Hakobe? If your boyfriend—well, if Ichika turned into a zombie, do you think you could still love her?”
“Of course, I would… Or at least, that’s what I want to say. But honestly, I’m not sure.”
Hakobe wiped the mayonnaise sauce off the corner of her lips with her thumb and licked it off.
“The thing is, I can’t really say what I like about Ichika. I can think of plenty of things I don’t like, though.”
“Like how she’s nice to everyone and kind of a people-pleaser?”
“That’s definitely true.”
Ichika was like the sun. Always shining on everyone. But the sun is too bright, and it’s not the best partner for someone.
“I think it probably comes down to her appearance—her face, I guess. And maybe her scent.”
“Scent?”
“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?”
“That’s kind of… weird, don’t you think?”
“Why? Scent is important, right?”
“I get it. I like your scent too, Hakobe.”
“Oh, really?”
After a pause, Hakobe’s potato fell from her hand.
“…Um?”
“Ah, sorry, forget that. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
She really didn’t. It was like a sneeze that slipped out when she wasn’t sick. Probably.
Hakobe furrowed her well-shaped eyebrows for a moment before picking up the fallen potato and continuing to eat as if nothing had happened.
“Anyway, to get back to the point… Honestly, I think a zombie situation would be tough.”
“Tough, huh?”
“That boy is amazing. What he’s showing is pure love, I think.”
She pointed at my drink cup and said,
“I’m really thirsty. Can I have a sip of that cola?”