Work Text:
"They're making a movie adaptation of Parfait Girls!"
Yuri looks up from her novel. Natsuki is in the seat next to her, nose stuck into the last page of her new manga. Her leg is jumpy and is smiling so widely, Yuri realises that she is smiling as well.
"Are they now?"
"Yes yes yes!" Natsuki drops the manga right over Yuri's novel. "Take a look!"
On the very last page is a glossy pull-out poster with all four main characters sharing a luscious looking dessert, gazing cutely at her. The title is written in such a curly script that Yuri's head spins as she tries to make it out. It is a very bright picture- so bright, Yuri wants to shield her eyes. She turns to look back at Natsuki instead, and their faces are very close; Natsuki is bouncing on her toes excitedly.
"What do you think?" Natsuki asks breathlessly. "You did read the mangas when I lent them to you, right-"
"Of course!" says Yuri, giving the poster another quick glance. "I'm just... um, collecting my thoughts."
"Isn't it exciting?"
"Ah, yes-" says Yuri, in what she hoped was an interested tone. Parfait Girls, in all honesty, was entertaining and she'd laughed at some of the funny bits, but other than that it wasn't really anything special. She'd only finished the mangas because Natsuki always wanted to discuss them the next day.
"I bet they finally get the courage to talk to him- or at least Minori does. She deserves happiness! Don't you think so, Yuri?"
"Oh, definitely," Natsuki's hand is still on her shoulder. "When- when is this in cinemas? I don't see any release date here..."
Natsuki whips out her phone. Yuri puts the books down and opens her mouth to protest, but after a few quick scrolls, Natsuki switches her phone off forcefully and stamps her foot.
"Argh! It’s coming in almost three months! That's like forever!"
Yuri wants to laugh at the pout on her face. Natsuki drops into her chair defeatedly as Yuri suppresses a giggle with her hand.
"It's not that long a wait," Yuri begins.
"Maybe," Natsuki's head slumps to the side. "But my dad's forever."
Yuri's mouth falls open a little. Natsuki's father, as she had heard from Monika, was quite disapproving on many things, particularly of school food and manga.
"He doesn't even give me lunch money, let alone an allowance-" Natsuki sighs. "How am I supposed to pay for my ticket? And if he even lets me out to see it, that'll be the day!"
There is a silence in the classroom. Yuri bites her lip and and slides Natsuki's manga back over to her desk.
"Um...how about... we go to see it together?"
Natsuki sits upright. "What?"
"How about we see the movie together?" Yuri feels her heart skip a beat. Natsuki is looking at her with wide eyes and her mouth is parted, as if she was hearing a love confession.
"I can pay for us. We can catch a midnight screening, you know, while- while your dad's asleep or something," Natsuki still doesn't say anything, though her hands clutch her manga tightly.
Yuri gulps. "It's okay if you don't want to, I understand and... uh... well-"
"Yes!" Natsuki's face lights up, and her arms go around Yuri's side.
-
While the moon hangs over a streetlamp, Yuri stands outside Natsuki's gate. She types a quick text of I'm here and shoves her phone into her bag. No one was supposed to know where they were as of now, and it seemed so vivid and lively, like a daring romantic escape from authories in one of her novels. It sounded much better than simply sneaking out to the cinema.
Natsuki, dressed in a white jacket and skirt, slips through the door and closes it as gently as possible. Yuri waves to her, and Natsuki slides the gate aside.
"Hi," Natsuki whispers, as if her father is in earshot. She looks Yuri up and down. "You... you look cozy."
Yuri flushes, and fidgets with her sweater sleeve.
"I mean that you look really nice! And comfortable and stuff." Natsuki says quickly.
"Thank you," Yuri swings her bag back onto her shoulder, head still bent. "Let's go?"
-
The cinema is a mere few blocks away. There are some other people queuing for midnight shows as well, but it is quiet and peaceful. Yuri gulps as she approaches the counter, a hand tightening on her bag strap, the other clutching money. Natsuki takes her wrist.
"Let me," she says, and steps up to the counter to buy their tickets. Yuri's heart relaxes and she blinks- it was as if Natsuki had read her mind. She exhales deeply. Natsuki returns a moment after, a popcorn bucket in her hand. She hands Yuri one of the tickets.
"There was some extra, so..." Natsuki gestures to the popcorn. "I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all."
"I'll share it with you."
"That sounds nice," Yuri smiles. "Thanks."
Natsuki looks taken aback for a moment, but she smiles back.
-
Natsuki kicks the exit door open and chucks the empty popcorn bucket in the trash, fuming with rage. "Oh my God, that was shit!"
"Ugh," Yuri groans, tugging after her. "I can't believe that happened."
"Alice gets the boy? And all Minori gets is strawberry ice-cream to the face? What the fuck!"
"Ah, I was rooting for Minori! And I sort of want my money back," Yuri jokes.
Natsuki bursts into laughter, doubling up and wheezing. Yuri holds onto her shoulder as she starts as well. It was such a giddy, lovely thing, she thought, to be laughing in the cinema corridor exit at two in the morning.
"Thank you," Natsuki says, half-laughing and wiping at her eye. She reaches up to place a hand on Yuri's shoulder as well. "For- you know. Everything. I'll never forget this."
"I'll never forget this either." Yuri feels her face going pink, and Natsuki not breaking her gaze on her. "A shame that the movie was bad though-"
Natsuki pushes herself up onto her tiptoes and kisses Yuri softly. It is a closed-lip kiss, and it is as light as a cloud, but sets Yuri's heart racing madly. Natsuki's hair is a lovely pink sky and she is right in the center of it. Yuri pulls her closer and kisses back, and when Natsuki's lips part just a slight inch apart, Yuri feels herself burning. So let me burn.
"Do you still want to borrow the rest of the manga?" Natsuki whispers after she pulls away, her forehead still touching Yuri's.
"Yes."