Popcorn, a Movie Theater, and the Late Roommate
Zhou Yu shifted his position, making the sleeping girl in his arms more comfortable.
"Xiao Yu."
Dania mumbled in her sleep.
Zhou Yu looked down at her, sunlight falling on her pink hair.
"Yaya, want to watch a movie?"
"Mm... a movie?"
Dania groggily opened her eyes.
"An old-fashioned one."
Zhou Yu stood up and pulled her to her feet. "There's an abandoned screening room in the logistics storeroom. I happen to have the key."
On the academy's third basement level, Zhou Yu connected the cables in the long-neglected screening room, and a dim yellow light appeared on the screen.
He found a small pot somewhere and set it on a portable heater, holding popcorn kernels and caramel sauce in his hands.
Zhou Yu: (￣-￣)
"When you watch a movie, you have to do it right."
Under the lid, the first kernel popped into a little white flower.
A moment later, a flurry of popping filled the room.
Dania's eyes sparkled, and her face was almost pressed against the lid.
Dania: (✪ω✪)
"They-they're blooming."
"Mm. Once they're done blooming, we can eat them."
Zhou Yu flicked his wrist and lifted the lid the moment all the kernels had popped. He poured in the caramel sauce and quickly tossed the popcorn, filling the room with its aroma.
He poured the whole pot of popcorn into a paper tub and placed it in Dania's arms.
"Careful, it's hot."
Holding the tub, which was bigger than her face, Dania picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. Her eyes narrowed in bliss.
Light and shadows began to flicker across the screen as an old black-and-white film began.
The two sat side by side, with the big tub of popcorn between them.
In the dark, Dania asked quietly.
"Why are they kissing in the pouring rain? Won't they catch a cold?"
"Maybe it's more romantic that way."
Zhou Yu answered casually.
Dania nodded, half understanding, and reached for the popcorn.
In the dark, her fingers touched something warm.
It was Zhou Yu's hand.
Dania's fingers recoiled as if they had been burned, and her cheeks instantly grew hot.
Zhou Yu, however, didn't move away. He turned his hand over and enclosed her cool fingertips in his palm.
His palm was dry and warm.
Dania's heart skipped a beat. She tried to pull her hand back, but he held it tighter.
She stole a glance at Zhou Yu. He was watching the screen, the outline of his profile especially soft in the shifting light.
Dania sat stiffly, letting him hold her hand as her heart pounded wildly.
She didn't remember a single scene from the rest of the movie.
The movie ended, and the lights came on.
Only then did Zhou Yu seem to realize what he was doing. He released her hand and stood up as if nothing had happened.
"Come on. I'll take you somewhere fun."
Dania lowered her head, her face still red, and gave a quiet "Mm."
At the amusement area on the academy's back street, a row of claw machines caught Dania's eye.
"Which one do you want?"
Zhou Yu asked.
"That one, that little bear."
Dania pointed at a brown teddy bear in the corner, half as tall as a person, her eyes full of longing.
Zhou Yu put in a coin and waggled the joystick.
"The claw's grip strength is locked, but there's a delay bug in the physics collision volume."
His gaze was focused as he muttered to himself.
"Use the joystick input delay to make the claw swing a second time and wedge it into the center-of-gravity detection point..."
He pressed the button.
The mechanical claw dropped with precision, caught the bear's tag at a strange angle, and steadily dragged it to the chute.
Thump.
The bear, half as tall as a person, dropped out.
Dania: Σ(°△°|||)︴
"Again."
Zhou Yu put in another coin.
"This rabbit's ear model extends beyond the collision box. I can use that..."
Thump.
"This cat's tail is a separate component. I can use it as a lever..."
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Half an hour later, the claw machines had been emptied.
Dania was buried in a mountain of stuffed toys, with only her sparkling eyes showing. She held the biggest brown teddy bear in her arms, unable to hide the joy filling her heart.
The manager of the amusement area hurried over after hearing what had happened. Looking at the empty machines and Zhou Yu calmly drinking goji berry tea beside them, he wanted to cry but had no tears.
Zhou Yu patted the manager on the shoulder.
"There's a vulnerability in the backend software of this batch of machines. Remember to patch it. No need to thank me."
It was late at night by the time Zhou Yu saw Dania back to her dormitory building.
"Xiao Yu."
Dania hugged the bear, reluctant to part.
"Mm?"
"Today... I had a lot of fun."
"Tomorrow will be the same."
Zhou Yu tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Get to bed early."
"Good night."
Hugging the bear, Dania walked into the dormitory building, looking back every few steps.
She tiptoed to the door of her room and opened it. It was pitch-dark inside.
Afraid of waking her roommate, she piled the toys in a corner by her bed in the dark, then took the bear with her to wash up.
Once in bed, she buried her face in the bear's soft fur and fell fast asleep with a contented smile.
Dania: (⁄⁄＞⁄▽⁄＜⁄⁄)
"Xiao Yu... popcorn..."
In the darkness, Sigelica slowly opened her eyes in the other bed.
She hadn't been asleep.
She had heard the door being pushed gently open, the sounds of someone washing up while trying to contain her excitement, and that contented, rather silly mumble in her sleep.
Sigelica: (;¬＿¬)
She pulled her blanket tighter, turned over, and took out her personal terminal.
The screen's cold light illuminated her bloodless face.
On the terminal's interface, a line of bright red debt figures showed the still-unpaid compensation for the escape room, which she had paid upfront for Zhou Yu.
A new bill for today's amusement park visit had been added.
Listening to the peaceful breathing from the bed beside hers, she hugged her blanket and, for the first time, felt that the dormitory was so cold at night.