The bright neon sign of the movie theater gleamed against the cold night sky, casting colorful hues on the sidewalk. Ichika Orimura and his older sister Chifuyu strolled side by side, their footsteps in sync as they entered the building. The evening was rare for both of them. Chifuyu had a day off from her duties as a teacher, and Ichika had somehow convinced her to join him for a movie night—a rare chance for the siblings to spend time together without the usual chaos of their everyday lives.
"Alright, we're here," Ichika said, glancing over at his sister with a soft smile. "Thanks for agreeing to come with me, Chifuyu. I know you're busy, so I really appreciate it."
Chifuyu gave him a half-hearted nod, her usual stern expression softened just a little. "Don't make it sound like it's some huge favor. It's not like I had anything better to do," she replied, though there was a faint warmth in her voice.
The movie theater was bustling with people, and the two siblings found themselves standing in front of the large digital display showing the available films. The choices were endless, and Ichika glanced up at the board, his finger tapping his chin as he pondered.
"How about that action movie?" Ichika asked, pointing to a new blockbuster that had just released. "It looks pretty cool."
Chifuyu raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Action movies? You know how predictable those can be. Same old explosions, predictable villains. You can never get into the plot."
Ichika rolled his eyes. "You're such a critic. How about a comedy, then? Something light-hearted and funny?"
Chifuyu's lips curled into a smirk. "You? Want to watch a comedy? Last time we did, you fell asleep halfway through and started snoring."
"Hey, I wasn't snoring!" Ichika protested, slightly embarrassed.
"Sure you weren't," Chifuyu replied dryly, her gaze still fixed on the movie listings. "Alright, let's get something that isn't completely mind-numbing. How about a romance?"
Ichika froze, his face suddenly turning a little pink. "Romance? That's... that's a bit... y'know, not really my thing."
"Of course it isn't," Chifuyu said with a knowing smirk, her voice teasing. "But maybe it's time you learned what real love looks like instead of those video games you're always obsessed with."
Ichika scratched the back of his head awkwardly, trying to come up with a response. "W-well, what if we went with... a thriller?"
Chifuyu shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine. If we have to watch something, it might as well keep us on edge."
Ichika's eyes lit up as he spotted the title for a mystery-thriller. "There we go! That one looks decent. What do you think?"
Chifuyu gave a curt nod. "I suppose that will do."
As they made their way toward the ticket counter, neither of them realized that they weren't the only ones who had the idea of a movie night that evening.
Meanwhile, in the theater lobby...
Cecilia Alcott, the spirited British IS Academy student, was trying to keep a low profile as she scanned the theater for Ichika. She had decided, rather impulsively, to catch a movie after her training session that afternoon, and it just so happened that her search for a showtime led her to the same theater where Ichika and Chifuyu were planning to watch their movie.
As soon as Cecilia spotted them, her eyes widened in shock. Ichika and Chifuyu were standing side by side, their shoulders brushing slightly, and she immediately misunderstood the situation. Her mind raced with thoughts, her cheeks turning pink as her imagination took hold.
Wait... is this... is this a date? Cecilia's heart skipped a beat. No way, it can't be! But they look so... familiar with each other. Could they... could they really be secretly dating?
Her thoughts spiraled, and she immediately turned to her friends, who had all been following her around. "Girls! Look!" she whispered urgently, pointing toward Ichika and Chifuyu. "Do you see that?"
Houki Shinonono, Cecilia's somewhat reluctant friend, squinted in the direction Cecilia was pointing, her expression growing darker by the second. "What about them?" Houki asked, her tone laced with suspicion.
Lingyin Huang, ever the mischievous one, grinned. "Oh, I get it! Cecilia, you think they're on a date, right?"
Cecilia blushed even more fiercely and clasped her hands together. "Exactly! They're definitely acting all couple-y. Look at them! They're so close!"
"Close? They're brother and sister," Charlotte Dunois pointed out, crossing her arms with a knowing smirk. "I mean, sure, Ichika is dense, but even he wouldn't go so far as to date his own sister."
Laura Bodewig, who had been standing in the background with her usual no-nonsense attitude, raised an eyebrow. "How... do you know that? Have you asked them?"
Cecilia's eyes widened in horror at the thought. "Of course not! Do you think I'd just walk up and ask them if they're dating? That would be... embarrassing!"
Lingyin's grin widened as she leaned in closer to Cecilia. "I don't know, Cecilia. Maybe you should ask them. Maybe there's something they're not telling us."
Cecilia's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I won't let it go. I'm going to figure this out."
Back to Ichika and Chifuyu...
The two siblings had finally secured their tickets and entered the theater. As they walked down the aisle to find their seats, Ichika was once again in his usual position: awkwardly trying to make conversation with his sister.
"Hey, Chifuyu," he began, scratching the back of his head. "Do you ever miss... you know, being normal? Like, before all the IS stuff happened?"
Chifuyu gave him a side glance, her expression unreadable. "Define 'normal.' If you mean before I was stuck trying to teach a bunch of idiotic students who don't listen, then yes. But you and I both know that was never going to be the case."
Ichika chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
They sat down in the theater, settling into the plush seats as the previews began to play. But before they could even exchange another word, a familiar voice interrupted.
"Ichika! Chifuyu!"
Both Ichika and Chifuyu turned in surprise, only to find Cecilia standing at the edge of the aisle, waving frantically at them. Her eyes were wide, and there was an unmistakable look of suspicion on her face.
"What are you two doing here? Together?" Cecilia asked, her voice almost accusing.
Ichika blinked, confused. "Uh, we're... watching a movie?"
Cecilia's eyes narrowed. "You're not... dating, are you?"
The entire theater went silent for a moment as the air thickened with tension. Ichika's face turned crimson. "Wh-what? No! We're siblings, Cecilia! What the heck are you talking about?!"
Chifuyu's gaze remained impassive, though her lips twitched in amusement. "I can't believe you'd even think that. Do I look like I'd go on a date with my little brother?"
Cecilia's face turned bright red with embarrassment. "Oh... I—oh, I'm so sorry! I just thought... I mean, you guys were so close, and—"