COTE: Horikita Is My Childhood Sweetheart

Chapter 139: Why is it completely different from what is said on the Internet?

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"I don't mind sharing a bucket of popcorn with you, Rin-san, so please return the other one!" Karuizawa said, her tone a mix of pleading and insistence.

"If I say I do mind, will you be angry, Karuizawa-san?" Rin teased, noticing her puffed cheeks and the wronged look in her eyes.

Seeing her reaction, he quickly added with a gentle smile, "I'm just kidding. I don't mind at all. I was just teasing you."

"Don't tease me," Karuizawa murmured softly. "I'll take it to heart."

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. I promise."

From this brief interaction, Rin realized something about Karuizawa. Despite her seemingly strong exterior, she was actually fragile and sensitive, caring deeply about others' attitudes and opinions.

This wasn't the type of girl you could casually tease—she'd remember your jokes for a long, long time.

"Then let's return one bucket of popcorn and just keep the other," Karuizawa suggested, her voice softening.

"Alright," Rin agreed readily.

Having eaten lunch just over an hour ago, he wasn't particularly hungry and didn't really want popcorn. However, he'd heard from others that buying popcorn and cola was a must when going to the movies, so he had bought them—despite never having been to a theater before due to his financial situation.

Wanting to be considerate, he'd purchased two buckets, thinking it might be better for Karuizawa. After all, their relationship was still just that of ordinary friends, and Rin had assumed she wouldn't want to share. Little did he know, Karuizawa had no such reservations.

The two of them approached the counter.

"We'd like to return this bucket of popcorn," Karuizawa said. "We only need one."

"No," the salesperson replied curtly, shaking his head.

"Why not? We haven't even touched it!" Karuizawa protested, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Even so, once sold, popcorn cannot be returned," the salesperson stated firmly.

Karuizawa, clearly upset, was about to argue further when Rin gently pulled her hand.

"Let me handle this," he said calmly.

"Hmm," she murmured, stepping aside reluctantly.

The salesperson crossed his arms, looking at them with disdain. It was clear he had no intention of accommodating their request.

"Can I return it or not?" Rin asked again.

"No," the salesperson replied, his tone resolute.

"Then I'll file a complaint," Rin said, pointing at a sign behind the counter. "The sign clearly states that if you're not satisfied, you can return or exchange the popcorn."

"I... I'm new here and didn't know that rule..." the salesperson stammered, his confidence wavering.

"So, can I return it now?" Rin pressed.

"Yes, you can!" the salesperson relented.

With that, Rin successfully returned the untouched bucket of popcorn, and the personal points he'd used to buy it were refunded.

"Come on, let's head to the theater," Rin said with a small smile.

"Hmm," Karuizawa replied, now in a much better mood.

The two entered the theater indicated on their tickets and took their seats.

Although it was a Sunday, there weren't many people in the theater—just four or five couples scattered throughout. Thanks to this, Karuizawa had been able to choose good seats for herself and Rin, with no one sitting nearby.

Rin settled into his seat and took a sip of his cola. The icy drink felt refreshing and soothing.

Soon, the ceiling lights in the theater dimmed, and the movie began.

While Rin's attention was fully on the screen, Karuizawa couldn't help but steal glances at his face.

The dim light from the movie cast flickering shadows, subtly illuminating Rin's features. His handsome face, partially obscured by the darkness, appeared both alluring and mysteriously captivating.

Karuizawa, completely captivated by Rin, felt her cheeks grow hot as his handsome features struck her once again. Embarrassed by her reaction, she quickly grabbed her cup of Coke and took a big sip.

The cool, refreshing drink helped suppress the joy and excitement bubbling up in her chest.

"Karuizawa, get it together!" she thought to herself, silently encouraging herself as she held the Coke straw between her lips. "Don't forget the strategy you read online! Come on!"

Determined not to lose herself in Rin's charm, she refocused her efforts.

However, her attention never returned to the movie. Instead, her focus stayed entirely on Rin—specifically, on waiting for him to reach for the popcorn.

But... to her dismay, Rin appeared completely absorbed in the movie. He didn't drink his Coke, nor did he touch the popcorn.

Karuizawa waited patiently for ten more minutes. Finally, the moment she had been waiting for arrived—Rin reached out for the popcorn.

Just as his hand touched the popcorn, Karuizawa pressed her palm gently onto the back of his hand.

Her soft, warm touch made Rin turn toward her in surprise, his eyes questioning.

Meanwhile, Karuizawa gazed at him with shy, watery eyes, just as the online guide had instructed.

What she hadn't accounted for was how genuine her shyness would be. Karuizawa wasn't acting—her bashfulness was entirely real. As someone who had never been in a relationship before, it had taken immense courage for her to execute this plan.

Rin hesitated, his confusion evident. After a brief pause, he withdrew his hand, taking a handful of popcorn with him.

"...?"

Karuizawa's shy expression gave way to confusion. Why wasn't Rin reacting the way the online guide had said he would?

According to her research, when a girl's hand accidentally touched a boy's, he was supposed to become shy, his heartbeat racing.

So why did it feel like the only one who was flustered and whose heart was pounding... was her?

This was, in fact, the truth.

When Rin felt her hand touch his, he wasn't shy—just puzzled. He couldn't understand why Karuizawa was looking at him with such a shy expression. He hadn't done anything that should make her feel embarrassed, had he?

Shrugging off the moment, Rin ate the popcorn and turned his attention back to the movie, leaving Karuizawa frustrated. She grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into her mouth, trying to channel her disappointment into eating.

Fine. If the popcorn strategy failed, I'll just eat!

And eat she did.

Once she'd given up on her plan, Karuizawa found her attention slowly shifting toward the movie. Before she knew it, she, too, was engrossed, just like Rin.

Two hours passed, and the movie came to an end. As the credits rolled, Karuizawa blinked in surprise.

It's over?

She realized, with a pang of regret, that she'd only managed to execute her popcorn strategy once.

How did I get so distracted by the movie? she thought, internally lamenting her lost opportunity.

Beside her, Rin stretched, looking relaxed. Turning to her, he noticed the peculiar expression on her face.

"Karuizawa, why do you look like that? Didn't you like the movie?"

"It was... beautiful," she replied hesitantly.

"Then why the strange expression?"

"Because it was so beautiful," she muttered, trying to save face.

"Really? Well, the movie's over. Let's go," Rin said, picking up his unfinished Coke and popcorn.

"Oh."

Karuizawa followed him out of the theater, her mood sullen as she trailed behind.

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