When Rui-san walked ahead, she sat down in the middle seat of the front row.

A little late, I sink into the seat next to her.

There is someone sitting next to me. I usually dislike it, but today I didn't mind. Come to think of it, this is the first time I've come to see a movie with someone.

When the screening time eventually arrives, the auditorium darkens. A buzzer sounds. In that moment, consciousness is transported from the real world to the world of the story.

An image was projected onto the screen.

From there, I watched a movie for about an hour.

As it was written on the sign outside, it was a coming-of-age movie.

The high school protagonist who can transform into anyone other than himself. He, who stands out in class, would change into boys and girls he disliked and play pranks.

One day, the protagonist develops an interest in a girl.

She was the girl from the next class who was kind to him even when he was his usual unremarkable self. But he didn't know how to interact with her as his true self.

So, he decided to disguise himself as the central guy in the class to interact with her. By using someone else's words, he was able to talk to her smoothly.

However, the situation takes a sudden turn.

She ended up getting close to the boy from the class she had been pretending to be in. All the goodwill the protagonist had built up through their previous interactions was completely taken away.

If he disguises himself as a boy from the class and talks to her, it will increase her favorability towards him. The protagonist tries to talk to her as his true self. But the words won't come out. Because he has lived his life too much as someone else, he has built nothing in his own life.

The protagonist, intending to tear the two apart, disguises himself as him and commits evil deeds. By doing so, he plans to disillusion her.

But in the end, he held back. Because he didn't want to see her sad.

The protagonist realizes at that moment that he had fallen in love with her for the first time.

And realizing that he is the one who can make her happy, he steps back.

At the end of the story, the protagonist is finally able to face her and talk to her as his true self for the first time.

As the conversation flowed, she told the protagonist that it felt like they had spent a long time together.

From now on, he will live his own life instead of living as someone else. At the same time, the power to disguise himself as others will be lost.

It was that kind of story.

After the screening ended, we left the theater and entered a nearby café. Once we were seated and the coffee arrived, Rui-san broke the silence.

"How was the movie?"

"I don't know how to put it, but I just couldn't get into the protagonist."

I said.

"He keeps moping around, he's so self-centered, and the screen is always so dark."

And then, I continued to ramble on about the parts of the movie that caught my attention.

The characters, the direction, and the plot development. I talked about everything I thought. I mentioned the good parts, too, but basically, it was more critical.

"I see. So that's how you were looking at it."

"How was Rui-san?"

"I found it interesting."

Rui-san said with a smile while resting her chin on her hand.

"I also loved the clumsy protagonist."

The moment I heard those words, I suddenly came to my senses. My face turned hot, just like when I realized my answer was wrong during a test.

"I'm sorry for something."

"Huh?"

"No, it's because I criticized the work that Rui-san thought was interesting."

I was overwhelmed by a sense of urgency, as if I had denied her entire sensibility. I might have trampled on something important to Rui-san.

"Isn't that what splitting the bill is for?"

"But, I wonder if it would have been better to empathize."

"Someone who only gives me 100% affirmation is boring."

Rui-san said that and then smiled softly.

"I like listening to other people's favorite things, but I also like listening to their dislikes just as much. Dislikes reflect a person's values more strongly. Plus, I get to know perspectives that I don't have. So, Yuito-kun's story was very interesting."

Rui-san stares straight at me, narrowing her eyes. She leans on the table with both elbows and supports her chin with both hands as she speaks.

"I'm glad. I invited Yuito-kun to the movies."

There was no sign that she was offended. On the contrary, she seemed happy and satisfied. I found myself relieved by this.

"Also, I was thinking while watching the movie..."

Rui-san suddenly murmured.

"The protagonist from the movie earlier looks a lot like Yuito-kun, doesn't he?"

"Look like me?"

"Yes. Like being clumsy and having a gloomy side. Pretending to sulk, but deep down being kind and honest."

"Does Rui-san see me that way...?"

I feel complicated.

But then it clicked. The reason I couldn't stand the protagonist in the movie was that he was too much like me.

I hate myself. If I could, I would want to escape from myself. That's how I feel.

But.

I suddenly remembered.

What Rui-san said earlier.

I remember that.

And then, we explore the intention.

Knowing that I don't know the answer.

Chapter 13: Going to Watch a Movie ②