When the news broke that the only remaining movie was a horror film, Sister Utahime looked as if her soul had been sucked out. I looked at her crestfallen face and asked.
"What do you want to do? It's a shame we can't watch a romance. Should we go out and do something else? You're not great with scary stuff, are you?"
"Ugh... That's true, but... since we're already here, I should see it through. It's unthinkable to come to such a nice theater and just leave."
'Well... it sounds more like pride talking to me.'
I kept that thought to myself and nodded to accommodate her wishes.
"Let's do that then. Two tickets for Ju-On, please."
The staff member, who had been looking bored listening to our conversation, suddenly brightened up.
"Understood! Excellent choice. We have standard seats and couple seats. Couple seats are a bit more expensive, but they don't have armrests, so you can sit close together. Which would you prefer?"
"Sister, which—"
"Couple seats, please!"
Sister Utahime shouted, leaning forward and cutting me off. I let out an awkward laugh and glanced at the employee.
"Understood. Two couple seats it is. The movie starts in ten minutes, so please take your tickets and head to the theater."
I paid with my card, took the tickets, and stepped away from the counter.
"Touya, shouldn't we go in right now? They said there's only ten minutes left."
"Ah, that. There's always a block of trailers before the movie actually starts, so we really have about twenty minutes. Don't you want popcorn or something? I'm getting some."
Sister Utahime nodded at first, but then she stopped and gave me a suspicious look.
"Really? How do you know that? Didn't you say you've never been to the movies?"
I internally winced, but I kept my face neutral and replied smoothly.
"My mother told me when she came back from the cinema. She loves movies. So, do you want popcorn or not?"
"Aha. I'll have some. We just ate, but there's always a separate stomach for popcorn, right? Hehe."
"Let's go then. We can buy it over there."
Fortunately, she seemed to buy my excuse and followed me to the snack bar.
"Touya, what kind of popcorn is good? I've only ever searched for it online; I've never actually eaten it."
Clinging to my sleeve and trailing after me with questions, Sister Utahime looked incredibly cute—like a little chick wearing miko robes.
"Heh... well, I heard caramel popcorn is the way to go. Shall we try that?"
"Hey! Why are you laughing? I'm just curious. Fine... let's try the caramel. You're getting a drink too, right?"
"Yeah. What do you want? I'm having a coke."
"Ugh... I'm not big on carbonated stuff. Is there any juice?"
Sister Utahime scanned the menu, spotted the orange juice, and pointed.
"That one. I'll take the orange juice."
"Got it. I'll be right back. Wait here."
Luckily, there was no line at the concession stand, so I was able to get our order quickly. As she followed me, clutching the popcorn box to her chest like a precious treasure, I spoke up.
"Let's drop the popcorn and drinks at our seats and hit the restroom. You're definitely going to want to go in the middle of the movie otherwise."
"Wow, Touya, how attentive. I didn't think of that at all."
'Haha... I've been to the movies dozens of times in my past life. A bathroom break before the film starts is the golden rule.'
After leaving our snacks at the seats and visiting the restroom, we settled in just as the fire safety video began to play.
"Sister, if you're scared, you can hold onto my arm. But don't you dare ask to leave in the middle of it, okay?"
"Hey! Are you going to keep looking down on me? I'm not that big of a coward!"
Despite her denial, she was already gripping my arm tightly.
'The movie hasn't even started yet...'
Then, the lights dimmed, and the film began with an eerie sound echoing through the theater. There wasn't anything particularly terrifying in the early scenes, but every time the atmosphere grew tense, she would let out a small whimper and shiver, clinging to me even harder.
"Uugh..."
"Are you that scared already? If it's too much, just look away and eat some popcorn."
When the sound of a cat's cry filled the theater, Sister Utahime's fear spiked. And when the pale, ghost-boy's face suddenly filled the screen, she finally let out a scream and buried herself in my chest.
"Eek! It's terrifying... aren't you scared at all?"
"Me? Not really, to be honest. Maybe it's because I've seen things far scarier than this. Besides, after dealing with Cursed Spirits, a child ghost looks almost cute by comparison."
Upon hearing that, she leaned her head against my shoulder and caught her breath.
"Phew... well, I suppose he does look better than most Curses. But there's just... this vibe. It's scary!"
"Just drink your juice. Having something sweet might help."
I watched her sip through the straw for a moment before turning back to the screen. The movie was reaching its climax, and the theater was filled with the sound of gasping and stifled screams from the audience.
'Wait a minute. Cursed Spirits... they're born from the negative emotions of humans, right? Don't tell me one is about to manifest here.'
I scanned the surroundings. Sure enough, small Cursed Spirits were beginning to sprout from the concentrated fear. Of course, since this was artificial fear generated by a medium, they were extremely weak—hardly enough to cause actual harm to a human. Sister Utahime was so focused on the film she hadn't noticed yet. I formed a subtle hand seal and whispered under my breath.
"Round Deer (Enroku)."
Normal people wouldn't be able to see it anyway, but since the Curses weren't even worth a proper summons, I manifested a miniature version of the deer and perched it on my shoulder. Just the positive energy emitted by this tiny Round Deer was enough to exorcise every weak Curse in the theater instantly. Only then did Sister Utahime notice the shikigami and eyes went wide.
"Wait, why? Did a Curse appear?"
"Yeah. I think they manifested because everyone was so scared. They were tiny, barely Grade 4, so don't worry about it and just watch the movie."
"Okay... I'll trust you, Touya."
She spoke in a vulnerable, exhausted tone, leaning heavily against my shoulder as I settled back into my seat. I realized that the truly frightening scenes had mostly passed, yet Sister Utahime was clinging to me even more tightly than before. When I glanced down at her after she let out another staged 'Eek!', I realized she was actually suppressed a smile while pretending to shout.
"..."
"..."
"I mean... it really is scary..."
"..."
As I stared at her with a look of silent accusation, she let out a sigh and whispered in my ear.
"Fine, okay. I was just... remembering how it used to be. I wanted to keep holding onto you. Is that so wrong? When else am I going to get to cling to you like this?"
I was caught off guard by how honest she was being. I quickly tried to brush it off as a joke.
"No, I mean... I was just looking. You can stay like that. I was just teasing. By the way, what did you mean by 'how it used to be'? You mean back when we were kids?"
"Yeah. Back then, you were smaller than me... and now you've grown so much."
As she said that, she scanned me from head to toe. Her gaze felt... different. A bit like Mei Mei's look. I looked away and focused on the screen. I could hear her swallowing nervously beside me, but I bit my lip and ignored it.
Eventually, the movie drew to a close. Just as the ghost filled the entire screen for the final jumpscare—
"Kyaa!~♥"
With a sound that was too sweet to be a scream and too sharp to be a sigh, she threw her arms around mine. I was left speechless by the soft sensation and the way she was now looking at me with a blatant, mischievous smile.
Even as we left the theater, she refused to let go of my arm.
"Sister. Are you going to stay like this all day?"
"Hmm? Like what?"
She tightened her grip, feigning ignorance.
"This. Right now. You're not acting like your usual self today."
"Hmph. So, do you hate it?"
"No. Of course not. It's just... I'm wondering why the sudden change."
"...I'm just worried others might get ahead of me."
Sister Utahime bowed her head and whispered so softly I couldn't catch it.
"Huh? What was that?"
She lifted her head, forced a smile, and shook her head to change the subject.
"Oh, nothing. More importantly, that movie was fun, wasn't it? I think I finally get why people watch horror. It's scary while it's happening, but it feels refreshing once it's over."
"I suppose. It was fun. What should we do next? Do you have anything in mind?"
"I was thinking we could go to a cafe and talk... but I want to do other things too... I want to try billiards, and bowling..."
Seeing her tentatively list things out made her look so endearing that I laughed.
"Don't feel rushed. We can come out again later and do whatever you want. How about we go to a cafe, do either billiards or bowling, and then have dinner before we go back?"
"Yes! I love that. So, we're definitely coming out together next time too? Just the two of us?"
"Yeah, I promise. Now, let's head to a cafe. I'm sure you have a lot to say."
I led her to a nearby cafe. After ordering our drinks, we talked about everything—the movie we just saw, recent missions, plans for future outings, and other districts we wanted to explore. Sister Utahime really did have a lot on her mind.
"Next time we get a longer break, let's go back to Kyoto and see the festival. I miss going every year. Back then, we used to visit the Zenin estate too. How is Naoya doing?"
"Naoya... she seems fine. Since I'm rarely home, she clings to me like glue whenever I drop by the main house. From the moment I arrive, I have zero personal time. I mean, it's nice since she's my sister and I haven't seen her in a while, but I'm a bit worried. I wonder if she'll ever find a man like that."
"Ahahaha... true. Naoya always did adore you. It's been that way since you were kids. I used to think she'd end up crying and begging to marry you one day."
"No way. I think it's just because I looked after her so much when we were young. Still, the thought of her dating some other guy actually makes me a little annoyed. Though, if he's a man who can handle her personality, I guess I'd have to respect him."
"Is that so? Hmm... well, I'd like to see Naoya's face again after all this time. Should we head out? I want to try bowling! We can save billiards for next time."
"Alright. We should burn some energy if we're going to have room for dinner."
We found a bowling alley nearby. It was my first time too, so I took a brief lesson from the staff alongside her. If Sister Utahime hadn't spoken up, I probably would have accidentally reinforced my body with cursed energy and destroyed the lane.
"That could have been a disaster, right? You almost had to pay for a whole new floor."
"Tell me about it. But Sister, you're actually good at this?"
"Hehe. Maybe I have a hidden talent? Should I quit being a sorcerer and become a pro bowler?"
Sister Utahime seemed to have a natural knack for bowling. Though, I'm certain her father would never allow her to quit her path as a miko or sorcerer.
"Wouldn't you have to become a full-time miko anyway if you quit being a sorcerer?"
"I guess so. Regardless, I'm better at this than you, aren't I? Hehe. Call me 'Lady Utahime'."
"Ack. What a humiliation. To think there's something I'm worse at than you..."
"What?! You want to die? Why you..."
I caught her arm as she lunged at me in fake outrage and laughed.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! So please, can we not use cursed energy in here?"
--------
After finishing our game and having a proper dinner, we finally made our way back to Jujutsu High. In the taxi, we sat together reflecting on the full day we'd spent.
"If only there weren't so many missions, we could come out like this more often. It's a shame."
"Tell me about it. It'll only get busier once I'm officially Special Grade. I hate it. I don't trust the Higher-Ups at all... Sigh."
"Speaking of which, wasn't your very first mission's grade miscalculated? Mei Mei-san said if it had been any other freshman, it would have been incredibly dangerous. It's lucky it was you."
"Yeah. Well... what's the point of complaining? It's not like I can just tear down the whole system and replace it."
As we vented our frustrations, the driver dropped us off at the foot of the mountain path. We hiked back up, reported our return to Yaga-sensei, and arrived back at the dorms.
"Sister, thanks for today. Get some rest. I'm going to wash up and pass out too."
"Mhm... you worked hard too. I had so much fun today. Thank you. For spending time with me."
"Don't thank me, we're family. Let's go out again when we both have a day off. Go on, get some sleep."
"Yeah. Let's go again..."
Despite her words, she didn't return to her room. She stood there, fidgeting, before suddenly lunging toward me. Before I could process what was happening, her face was inches from mine, and her lips pressed against my cheek. I felt a soft, fleeting warmth followed by a small 'chu' sound. While I stood there frozen in shock, she turned bright red and dashed away toward her room.
"T-Today was really great, Touya! Rest well!"
She vanished without a trace. I stared at the empty space she had just occupied, my mind racing.
'...What was that? Does Sister Utahime actually like me?'
------------
"Uaaagh~ I'm so bored. Hey! You got any good ideas?"
"Uh... what kind of ideas do you mean, My Lady...?"
"Big Brother hardly ever comes home anymore, y'know? Life just ain't worth livin' like this. What am I supposed to do?"
"The Young Master... is attending school, isn't he? Since he's all the way in Tokyo, it's only natural you can't see him."
She nodded at the attendant's words, her expression sour.
"D'ya think I don't know that? Sigh... Forget it. Scram."
"But My Lady... isn't it time for your sparring session with the Clan Head? You really should be heading back..."
Ignoring the attendant's plea, she fell deep into thought. Suddenly, a grin spread across her face as if she'd been struck by a brilliant revelation.
"Hehehe... Yeah, that'll do it. Fine. I'm goin' to see Papa. Get out of here. We're havin' a family meeting today!"
Whatever scheme she had cooked up, only she knew the details.