In the end, Noah, this good baby, could read the mood and decided to stay silent. Since the two, for some reason, didn’t wish to go to dinner yet, then he’d go along with their plans.

And that’s how the trio, with the accompaniment of several bodyguards, ended up going to the west skyscraper where there was a huge cinema. On the way there, every once in a while, there would be a camera flashing their way from the iron-blooded reporters who wouldn’t let one terrorist attack get in the way of their bonus.

Naturally, the trio just ignored them.

Firstly, they were used to media attention. Secondly, they had nothing to hide. And thirdly, in the case of Levi and Maery, they hoped that the footage of today would go out because it could give more weight to their future explanation of the truth behind the change of marriage partners.

In that spirit, to give the media some more juicy shots, as soon as the trio entered the establishment, Maery giddily floated away, “You guys, wait here. I’m gonna go buy us tickets.”

Noah was left standing there dumbfounded and uncomprehending, his hand stuck hanging in the air while reaching out towards his sister, ‘…sis! Ticket purchases are made online! And we didn’t even decide on a movie yet!’ (っ °Д °;)っ

After a moment of awkward silence, Noah turned to face Levi, looking apologetic, “Um… we haven’t gone out together in a while… sis must be really excited, so she… uh…” After meeting Levi’s deep eyes, Noah momentarily forgot what he wanted to say, “…is there a specific movie you wanted to watch?”

Levi naturally shook his head, “Anything is fine.” He wouldn’t be watching the movie anyway; he’d be watching his baby. “Shall we buy drinks and popcorn while we wait for her to get back?”

Noah agreed with an obedient nod, and thus, the two of them paid a fruitful visit to the drink vending machine and the popcorn machine, looking very much like a proper couple on a date.

One acted a bit shy but was otherwise very docile and considerate of the other. While the other switched from looking doting, to looking protective, to looking enamored, to looking like he wanted to eat the little one right then and there, and then back full circle.

When Maery came back from her totally pointless voyage to buy electronic tickets through her communicator, Levi was holding a drink in one hand and a huge paper bucket of popcorns in the other. Noah also had a drink in one hand, but his other was inside Levi’s bucket of popcorn.

Maery felt gratified by the sight and shot a glance of praise in Levi’s direction. So that big dolt wasn’t that stupid after all! He managed to swindle her brother into sharing the same tub of popcorn with him!

Levi, who was actually just helping his baby hold his popcorn like a caring and considerate husband, “…” ‘Please don’t use your own crooked standards to judge my pure heart, thanks!’ (ꐦ ￣︿￣)

With a few taps on her light screen, Maery sent each of their communicators an electronic ticket. And then, without pause, she ushered them towards auditorium 3, “Hurry up, the movie is starting in a minute! It’s not a 3D one, but the old fashioned 2D! No headset, so if we miss it, we can’t rewind it!”

***

The trio made their way towards the row of seats marked with the same letter as written on their respective tickets.

Finding the right row, Noah happily went in, looked at the seat numbers searching for his number and Levi’s, and then froze in place.

With his eyelid twitching, he turned to face his sister, only to realize she had plopped her butt down at the totally different section situated diagonally across from theirs.

Noah switched between looking at the seat in front of him and checking his seat number on his communicator. He checked once, double-checked, and then finally looked awkwardly towards his sister, “Sis… you are in the wrong seat…”

Surprised, Maery turned around to check the number printed on the back of her seat and then shot Noah a reproachful look, “No, I’m not.”

Noah’s lips twitched, “What I meant was… did you send me the wrong ticket?”

“Nope,” Maery chirped very happily from two rows behind and 4 seats to the right of theirs.

Levi looked down at the love seat with his and his baby’s numbers on it and had the urge to cover his eyes with his palm. ‘This pig teammate!! Do you want to give the gig up at the starting line?!’

Blackie, ‘Smooth, real smooth!’

Getting pricked by Levi’s accusing glare and tickled by her brother’s befuddled fluttering of his long eyelashes, Maery coughed, “That… uh… since I was buying the tickets last minute, those were the only ones available…”

Noah blinked, “Oh…” Give him one clue, and he would extrapolate the rest. Beggars can’t be choosers, so there being no good seats left a minute before the start of the movie made sense.

As to why his sister chose to give Levi and him the double seat while she sat further away… well, it was either because she’d feel guilty if either one of the two were forced to sit away from the group, alone and isolated. Or because she definitely didn’t wish to share a love seat with Levi, and Levi wouldn’t be receptive to her sharing the loveseat with Noah while he himself sat at the back.

So, it would seem that the two of them didn’t make up?

With that strangely comforting thought, Noah turned back to console Levi about the strange seating scenario but realized that Levi had long sat down in his seat without any complaints.

Feeling like he was making a mountain out of a molehill, Noah sheepishly scratched the back of his head and obediently sat down next to Levi.

***

Ten minutes into the movie, Noah speechlessly looked at all the empty seats around himself and Levi.

It wasn’t just the seats around them that were empty; the entire cinema hall was half empty!

After a long moment of silence, Noah tentatively asked, “Should we switch seats?”

Levi, who had been pretending to watch the movie, turned to face his baby, ‘…Are you kidding me?’ Now that he'd already sat down on a love seat with his baby, why the hell would he want to move?

Especially after he found out that the movie was a horror movie! What switch seats?? For 10 minutes now, he had been waiting for something scary to pop out so he could justifiably pull his baby protectively into his arms!

Levi, with his poker face in place, stared quietly at Noah for a while. Then he spoke, "Even if they are empty, sitting there isn't right. Those are not the seats we have tickets for. What if their owners are just running late?"

Noah, "…" (￢_￢;) ‘Brother, if you are too lazy to move, just say so. No need to bullshit me.’

***

Fifteen minutes into the movie, chills crawled up Noah’s spine. He felt like a little fluffy herbivore on the chopping board! His trembling form couldn’t help but shrink into himself, edging closer to Levi, much to the other’s satisfaction.

So, the horror movie was that scary, huh?

The horror movie??? No! Noah was disturbed not due to the horror movie playing on the screen, but due to a predatory gaze upon his back!

Maery fanned her flushed face and, with a passionate gaze, kept looking between Noah and Levi. The only thing missing to make her look like a perverted old uncle was a nose bleed and missing teeth!

Noah swallowed down the lump in his throat and whispered in a mosquito voice, “Brother… why is she looking at us like that?”

Levi, with his arm draped around Noah’s backrest, stared straight ahead as if he saw and heard nothing and definitely did not know the retard peeping at them from behind, “Ignore her. I suspect overwork has fried her brain.”

Noah, “…” (°ー° ;)

- Author Note -

I’ve been feeling a bit sick since yesterday. Just giving you guys a head-up in case I suddenly stop posting chapters for a couple of days. It hasn’t reached the point of me being unable to write yet, and I hope it doesn’t. But judging by its current progression…ah, just don’t be alarmed if chapters stop coming; it just means I’m sick and will continue writing after recovering.