Chapter 51 - HORROR FILM

"Wait here." Yun Jinghan told her and scuttled away, leaving her near the array of chairs but instead of occupying an empty spot, she moved to the other side.  

With her eyes following where he headed to, Luo Jingyi breathed air out of her lungs. The last time she'd been to the cinema was four years ago. Remembering why she smiled at the memory.

When Yun Jinghan craned his neck to check on her, he saw that mesmerizing arc on her face. She was looking at his direction but obviously past him. Wondering what could she be thinking and smiling about, his eyebrows perked up.

"I hope it's not a man." He whispered under his breath.

After paying, he wrestled the snacks from the attendant who kept staring and winking at him, giving signals the moment he appeared at the counter. Thanking her, Yun Jinghan gave out his Colgate-smile. At an instant, the plastic cup she was holding dropped, its content pooling onto the floor.

"What are you doing?" The manager bellowed, embarrassing her. He turned to Yun Jinghan and apologized and prepared the drinks he wanted which Yun Jinghan grabbed, smirking at the same time.

Luo Jingyi who woke up from that trip down the memory lane saw all that happened and commented, "She's too naïve."

Maybe if she didn't experience heartbreak before, she might be affected by his charms. Because whether she admitted it or not, Yun Jinghan was really dashingly handsome.

"Especially when he smiles."

'Huh?' She was confused about why she suddenly voiced that out. Shoving it off somewhere to process later on, she made a comment when he neared. "That was intentional."

"Smiling? Why? Are you jealous?"

Luo Jingyi rolled her eyes.   

"Okay, I understand. In the future, I will only look and smile at you." He teased. 

Luo Jingyi patted his arm. "That's not what I meant. Ah! Forget about it."

Cussing inside her head, she walked away leaving him chuckling in amusement.

"What are we wat—" Luo Jingyi meant to ask but the corner of her eyes caught the movie poster at the door. He transferred the bucket of popcorn on her hand.

Yun Jinghan transferred the red and white striped box filled with popcorn - to her hand. Lifting the two tickets that Amy bought from his pocket, Yun Jinghan handed them to the staff. He originally meant to book the cinema just for the two of them but his assistant argued it would be a bad idea. According to Amy,  Miss Luo would find it altogether suspicious. Thus, he decided against it.

"Let's go." Touching her arm, he ushered her inside, briefly sensing her flinch at the contact before she distanced herself.

A female staff who couldn't stop glancing at them showed where their seats were.  Shaking her head, she mumbled. "Another one."

"What?" He returned in response to that strange look Luo Jingyi shot at him.

"Nothing."

Their seat was in the middle of the room. Luo Jingyi liked it because they were neither away from nor near to the screen and the speakers. Upon entry earlier, she noted that the room was half-filled with moviegoers of different age ranges. 

…..

Every minute that passed, irritation grew bit by bit on Yun Jinghan. Screams and gasps of horror wafted around them, intermingling with the sound effects of the movie booming on the speakers. Contrary to what Amy had sold him and what's happening around them, Luo Jingyi's attention on the screen never wavered. 

His eyes darted here and there and noticed that all females were clinging to their partner every time the scary part appeared.  And their partner would hug and console them.

But unlike them, Luo Jingyi was watching intently and unaffected.  There was no tugging of his hand or hugging him in fright as Amy supposed. She was genuinely enjoying the film.  

Yun Jinghan placed the popcorn on her lap to disrupt her but she returned it to him immediately. "You can have it."

With a petulant expression written all over him, Yun Jinghan scooped a handful and swallowed at once. Then he choked, coughing them out.

Luo Jingyi swiftly faced him, lifted the soda from the cup holder and gave it to him. One hand was already patting him on the back.

"Why are you eating them all at once? It's not like someone's going to snatch them from you." She scolded.

Seeing her softened expression, Yun Jinghan silently flushed down whatever annoyance that loomed in him early on by sipping the content of the cup. There was mirth in his eyes as Luo Jingyi continuously stroked his back while another hand was cleaning off the pieces that fell on his clothes. When her hand went down further and accidentally touched a certain part, he suddenly straightened, feeling electrocuted. 

Discomfiture inundated her. She felt embarrassed and she shied away, putting a great distance between them.  

Luo Jingyi was flustered. Seeing one in the hospital was different from touching it.  She fanned her face. 

'Wait a minute. Why am I embarrassed? It was an accident.' She recalled. Perhaps it was a ploy to make herself better. 

Amidst the noise around, an awkward silence ensued between them. It was Yun Jinghan who broke it out like nothing happened at all.

"Don't you feel scared?" He asked after perceiving she calmed and returned to her usual demeanor. She was back to watching.  

"No."

"Well, you see most people are frightened with horror films."

She gave him a thin smile. "I'm not most."

Yun Jinghan heard her stress on the last word. Slightly, he nodded repeatedly in agreement. "Yeah. You're different."

A thought vaguely passed her head so she retracted her gaze from the front. "Are you?"

"No!" His answer came quick and loud as if he didn't want to be branded as a wimpy kid.

"Don't worry. This movie's effect is really good but there's no such thing as ghosts. And even if they existed, humans are scarier. You should be more worried about the living who would stab you from the back."

Yun Jinghan grasped that the last sentence had double meaning but he let it go.

She suggested, "We can leave if you want."

"No. You like it so let's finish it to the end." He replied. His eyes flickered with a smile.  

'Yun Jinghan,  you are an idiot for acting childish.' 

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