Saiki Kusuo turned his head and saw Ibuki Mio standing there.
Mio loved watching movies and had a plan to watch every single one. She'd originally intended to see this one two days ago but had been delayed until Christmas Day due to unexpected events.
What she didn't expect was running into her arch-nemesis here.
"Saiki... what are you doing here?!"
At the sight of Saiki, Mio's expression shifted from surprise to a mix of fear and disgust.
"What are *you* doing here... Are you following me?"
Mio glared at him suspiciously.
"No, I'm just here with friends to watch a movie," Saiki replied calmly.
He noticed her expression change, sensing her hostility. It made sense after their previous encounter on the rooftop. It was nearly impossible for her to be friendly toward him now.
Still, Saiki felt there was something else in her attitude.
*'If I had telepathy, I'd know what she's thinking... No, I can't rely on my powers too much. They're more of a burden anyway.'*
Saiki thought to himself.
"Friends..."
Mio frowned, looking down in thought before meeting Saiki's gaze again.
"I hate you, but you did stop Ryūen from dropping out..."
*'Stop Ryūen from dropping out? What?'*
Saiki raised an eyebrow. He hadn't heard anything about Ryūen wanting to drop out, let alone stopping him.
"Anyway, I still hate you... Wait, are you watching this movie?"
Mio noticed the ticket in Saiki's hand—the same screening as hers.
The film was niche, with only one showing per day at the school's theater. Saiki had chosen it precisely because it was obscure.
"Yeah."
"I didn't expect you'd watch something like this..."
"It's my choice what to watch..."
Saiki thought.
"Kusuo, are you ready?"
At that moment, Karuizawa Kei called out from a distance, waving at him.
She spotted Mio and paused but quickly approached her.
"Is something wrong, Ibuki?"
Kei asked, her tone serious. The others, unsure of the situation, followed.
"Nothing, just a coincidence," Saiki explained.
Mio's gaze shifted to the group beside Saiki.
*One guy with four girls on Christmas?*
She was stunned. In her mind, Saiki was supposed to be gloomy and antisocial, not hanging out with girls.
And one of them looked eerily like the fortune-teller from earlier...
*Was that a mistake?*
"Let's head in," Saiki said, leading the group into the theater and handing out tickets.
He'd chosen the best seats in the middle row, with all five of them seated together.
However, Saiki took the far-right seat.
He'd noticed Mio's ticket earlier—it was in the same row, right next to their group.
To avoid awkwardness, he chose the farthest seat, minimizing contact with the girls and leaving only one person beside him.
"Saiki, why not sit in the middle?"
Satō Maya asked. She'd wanted to sit next to him but was one seat away.
"It's fine. Maybe someone else will join us," Kei smiled, sitting beside him.
*"So far..."*
Sakura Airi muttered, unsure if she meant distance from the screen or Saiki.
"If no one comes, I'll take the seat next to Saiki!"
"That's too far. Your current seat's better—it's right in the middle."
"I... I just prefer sitting a bit farther."
"Ugh, why am I at the edge? Should we switch?"
The group debated while Saiki glanced at the entrance, wondering why Mio hadn't entered yet.
*'Did she leave because of me?'*
Just as he thought he'd avoided trouble, Mio finally entered. The lights were dim, and she slowly made her way to her seat—right next to Saiki.
"..."
"??? What???"
Mio was shocked to find Saiki beside her. He was equally surprised she'd ended up there.
*'Impossible. I saw her ticket earlier. How did this happen?'*
Saiki checked her ticket and saw her seat number had changed—back to his side!
Earlier, Mio had noticed Saiki's seat and asked the staff to move hers to avoid him. She'd paid extra for the best row but didn't expect him to move too.
*'Damn it. I forgot they were five... Did he predict my move? Is he deliberately sitting next to me to watch me?'*
Mio's mind raced with possibilities.
Saiki, unable to read her thoughts due to his ring, clenched his fist.
*'If only I had telepathy, this wouldn't be an issue!'*
*'Stay calm. I chose not to use my powers today, so I'll stick to it.'*
He forced himself to relax, shifting his gaze.
*'The theater's probably empty. She'll move eventually...'*
But then, more students poured in.
*'???'*
Christmas was prime dating time, and movies were a staple. Other screenings were sold out, making this one popular.
*'Damn it! I forgot it was Christmas! Another miscalculation!'*
As seats filled, Mio had no choice but to stay beside Saiki.
*'Ignore her. I'm here to watch the movie.'*
The film began, and the theater darkened.
Saiki focused on the screen but felt Mio's gaze on him periodically.
*'Stop looking at me...'*
His senses were sharper than average, so he noticed her stares even without telepathy.
The movie felt like a prison sentence.
Mio felt the same, irritated by Saiki's presence.
*'Is he watching me? But he's not looking my way... Does he think he's above me? His actions say he controls me but doesn't need to. Arrogant jerk...'*
Her frustration grew, and she clenched her fists.
Saiki tried focusing on the screen, while Kei's hand occasionally brushed his arm.
*'I can't focus...'*
He placed his hands on his lap, finally able to watch the movie.
*'It's niche, and I don't remember the plot, but the latter half's good. I'm glad I chose this!'*
Saiki smiled.
As the climax approached—the protagonist infiltrating enemy territory—the screen suddenly went black.
At first, students thought it was part of the film, but after ten, twenty seconds, there was no sound or movement.
*'Even artistic films don't black out this long...'*
Saiki sensed something was wrong. An announcement played.
"Apologies for the inconvenience. Due to technical issues, the film is paused. Please bear with us."
The theater erupted in complaints.
"Seriously?"
"Is the equipment broken?"
"Of all days, on Christmas!"
*'Right before the climax?'*
Saiki sighed.
*'Stay calm. Technical issues happen. I'll wait patiently.'*
He closed his eyes, avoiding others' stares.
*'Just a little longer...'*
Minutes passed, but the film didn't resume.
"What if the equipment's beyond repair? Will they cancel the screening? At least we'd get refunds," Satō Maya said.
*'Cancel the screening? No way! If I miss this, I'll have to come tomorrow. Without my ring, everyone's thoughts will spoil the ending! Absolutely not!'*
Saiki made a decision and stood up.
"Kusuo, where are you going?" Kei asked.
"To the restroom," he replied, leaving the theater.
Using X-ray vision and telescopic sight, he found the projection room, removed his ring, and read the staff's thoughts.
*'If we can't fix it, we'll have to cancel today's screening.'*
*'No way!'*
Saiki remotely activated his restoration ability, resetting the projector to the previous day's state. The film resumed.
"It's back! No cancellation!"
He heard the staff's relief and prepared to return, eager to watch the climax.
But as he reached for his ring, another thought entered his mind.
*'The students won't see it coming—the true villain is the second male lead. He's been plotting all along, and the protagonist has to kill him in the end...'*
Saiki froze, as if turned to stone.
*'￥%...￥'*