Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Trapped
It was almost eight o'clock when the movie ended.
“It’s really beautiful.”
As the bustling crowd walked out of the theater, Momozawa Airi drank sweet juice with a straw and happily shared her thoughts with Matsuda Jinpei.
"Do you think it's pretty, Senior? The part where OO-chan suddenly transforms into a beautiful idol girl."
This part is the highlight of this theater version, and almost most of the audience shared it as a memorable point.
She also really liked this part! She was very happy watching it!
Who doesn’t like a sweet, soft and cute girl!
She gulped down most of the juice in the cup, but Matsuda Jinpei still didn't reply.
Momozawa Airi looked up at him with some confusion: "Eh? Are you listening, Senior?"
What caught my eye was Matsuda Jinpei's slightly complicated expression.
His eyes were fixed on a point in the air, as if he was thinking about something extremely important.
Momozawa Airi: "?"
Momozawa Airi stopped and waved her hand in front of his eyes. "What's wrong with you? Are you mesmerized by how beautiful it is?"
A breeze blew past his eyes, and Matsuda Jinpei suddenly came back to his senses. He lowered his eyes to look at Momozawa Airi who was staring at him with her head tilted.
Her eyes were shining and she stared at him intently.
Even while waiting for him to react, Momozawa Airi was still slowly slurping the juice.
Gurgle gurgle gurgle.
“…”
Matsuda Jinpei, who hadn't been listening at all, blinked and intelligently realized that the other party seemed to be asking him a question.
Matsuda Jinpei asked subconsciously: "What did you say?"
Momozawa Airi, who had just spent most of the day talking about her thoughts after watching the film, said: "..."
She turned around, rolled her eyes furtively, and walked straight ahead: "Nothing."
The slowly moving figure unabashedly conveys the subtext of "I'm angry, but not that angry. If you rush up and comfort me now, maybe I won't be angry anymore."
Matsuda Jinpei paused, vaguely recalling what she had just said. He easily caught up with her and agreed, "Yeah, it's beautiful—I was just thinking about something else."
Momozawa Airi, who wasn't particularly angry at first, exploded in anger: "I'm talking to you about the cute bishoujo idol OO-chan, and you're actually thinking about something else?"
How can I be distracted when she is promoting OO sauce?
Matsuda Jinpei raised his hand to straighten his hair, which had been slightly messed up by the seat back, and said frankly, "Ah, I was thinking about you."
Momozawa Airi: "..."
Matsuda Jinpei lowered his head slightly, a hint of sincerity shimmering in his dark eyes. "And what you just told me."
Momozawa Airi's eyes wandered, and she quickly lowered her head and bit her straw: "... Cunning, quibbling!! Anyway, you didn't listen to me!"
The pitch-black environment of the theater gave Momozawa Airi, who had been hot-headed not long ago, endless courage.
However, as soon as she went out and the bright light shone on her, she began to regret it.
Momozawa Airi took the opportunity to talk about the content of the movie to hide her embarrassment, but at this moment, Matsuda Jinpei exposed her embarrassment.
How could she have said that while watching a movie just now! Isn't that a bit too bold...!
Something about taking a bite... sounds like the embarrassing lines in otome games and girls' comics...
…It’s all because of Senior Matsuda suddenly feeding her popcorn!
It’s all his fault!!
“…”
Momozawa Airi bit the straw unconsciously, and when she thought of her behavior just now, she wanted to escape underground.
Momozawa Airi: qvq
She now finally understood why it was always easy to make wrong decisions at night... although it wasn't very late now.
Matsuda Jinpei raised his hand to rub her head, then walked slowly beside her. "I heard you liked this movie so much. Let's watch the sequel together next time."
Momozawa Airi: "?"
How could I force her to say something that she had never said before!
Spreading rumors...!
"...Don't mess up my hair! Why do you always like to touch my head?!"
When Momozawa Airi threw the drink cup into the trash can and reached out to pat Matsuda Jinpei's hand, his thoughts just came to his mind.
[This posture doesn't mean he's regretting it. 】
No way.
Momozawa Airi: "..."
Her powerful aura suddenly weakened, and her eyes revealed a hint of guilt.
...Patting the head, such an ambiguous and intimate gesture.
Momozawa Airi, who was enjoying the girls' comics, pushed away Matsuda Jinpei's hand in an attempt to cover up her mistake, while secretly expecting a reply from him.
“Because it’s very convenient.”
Jinpei Matsuda raised his eyebrows and casually gestured to show the difference in their heights.
“It’s very convenient to get on.”
Momozawa Airi: "…………"
Momozawa Airi: "...I don't want to go with you to see the sequel!! I'm going with someone else!!"
As she spoke, she protected her head with her arms and ran forward.
Matsuda Jinpei: "...Huh? What did you say?"
The "what did you say" just now still implied a bit of confusion, but the "what did you say" this time was full of extremely obvious dissatisfaction.
Airi Momozawa ran wildly while challenging: "Lululululu——"
As a result, he was quickly caught up by the other party.
The hair was once again attacked by Jinpei Matsuda's claws.
…But she also messed up the hair that Jinpei Matsuda had just fixed, so that’s fair!
*
Not long after.
The sanctioned Airi Momozawa felt extremely aggrieved as Matsuda Jinpei handcuffed both her wrists and prevented her from causing any more trouble.
Momozawa Airi complained: "You're cheating. This is a turn-based game. How can you just not let me make a move?"
Matsuda Jinpei easily held both of her hands with one hand, and said as if it was a matter of course: "As long as we can win."
Momozawa Airi: "..."
As they were playing and fighting like elementary school kids, they happened to come to the game hall near the mall.
There is a row of various claw machines by the door.
Momozawa Airi caught a glimpse of this and excitedly suggested, "Hey, hey, senior, let's go play that, okay?"
Her hand was held by Jinpei Matsuda, so she couldn't point anywhere. She could only pout and indicate the location of the claw machine to Jinpei Matsuda.
Matsuda Jinpei raised his eyebrows slightly, deliberately misinterpreting her meaning, and said slowly and nonsensically, "You're acting cute all of a sudden. You're also playing tricks, right?"
Momozawa Airi: "..."
Momozawa Airi couldn't stand it any longer and grunted through gritted teeth: "...I was showing you the location of the claw machine!!"
Matsuda Jinpei let go of her hand, glanced at the claw machines nearby, and nodded: "Okay."
Momozawa Airi wanted to volunteer to raise her hand to touch the joystick, but was stopped by Matsuda Jinpei, who said, "It's your birthday tomorrow, so of course I'll catch it and give it to you."
“…” She hesitated to speak, and finally agreed slowly.
So, Momozawa Airi came over and watched Matsuda Jinpei playing the claw machine from a close distance.
Matsuda Jinpei calmly adjusted his sleeves and said confidently, "Which one do you want?"
Momozawa Airi looked around and pointed at a claw machine not far away: "I want that dog."
Matsuda Jinpei nodded, touched the control lever with familiarity, and calmly promised: "You will be able to hold it soon."
——This “immediately” seems a bit long.
The tokens were almost all used up, but Momozawa Airi still had nothing.
The claws of the claw machine were thrown down again shakily.
Touch the dog again.
Catch the dog again.
Shaked again.
The dog fell again.
The claws wobbled up again and returned to their original position.
Once again nothing happened.
Momozawa Airi: "..."
Matsuda Jinpei: “…”
Momozawa Airi blinked her eyes and turned to look at Matsuda Jinpei with a very sincere expression. "Senior, you are so good at catching goldfish, I thought you were also good at playing claw machines."
Matsuda Jinpei: “…”
Momozawa Airi commented sweetly, "You're such a slut."
Matsuda Jinpei: “…………”
Matsuda Jinpei decisively passed the buck: "This claw machine is not good."
Momozawa Airi looked innocent: "Huh - really?"
She admired Matsuda Jinpei's slightly embarrassed look with satisfaction for a long time, then pushed him confidently: "Get out of the way, let me do it."
She glanced at the distribution of dolls in the claw machine with extraordinary skill.
Insert coin: "Hehe, then I'll start."
Operation: "Hmm, this is good."
Hands on hips: "Hoho, I got it."
Waiting: "Ahhh, very stable."
Bending over: "Hey, it's out!"
Show off: "Look! The puppy I caught! Isn't it so soft, big and cute!"
Finishing the fight: "I caught him in one go!"
Finally, he laughed at her as if it was his fault: "Jinpei Matsuda, you can't do it."
Even the first-name version that gets carried away.
Momozawa Airi held the soft dog stuffed animal in front of her, holding a paw in each hand, and manipulated the dog like a puppet, making it wave at Matsuda Jinpei.
"You can't~ You can't~ You can't~ Look at the puppy doll I caught~ How cute~"
She happily poked Jinpei Matsuda's chest with her dog paws.
Matsuda Jinpei: “…”
Matsuda Jinpei: “…………”
Matsuda Jinpei: “………………”
The elementary school chickens started pecking at each other again.
*
Momozawa Airi and Matsuda Jinpei were walking to the train station in disheveled (?).
Momozawa Airi's hair was messed up and the bow tie on her chest was crooked.
Jinpei Matsuda's curly hair was just as messy as hers, and his coat was pulled askew.
Momozawa Airi: "You are so childish."
Matsuda Jinpei: "You're not bad either."
Momozawa Airi said righteously: "I am younger than you, you should give in to me instead of bullying your junior."
She hugged the big stuffed dog and buried her face in the fur. "Dogs are still the best."
“…”
Matsuda Jinpei hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand to comb her hair neatly.
Glancing at the dog doll, he couldn't help but think of the smooth, textbook-like claw machine scene he had just witnessed.
"Are you so good at catching dolls?"
Momozawa Airi was already used to having her head rubbed by Matsuda Jinpei, and she had no reaction to him fixing her hair: "Yeah, I'm really good at playing claw machines."
She tilted her head and saw that Matsuda Jinpei's movements when he was fixing her hair were awkward, stiff, and a little cautious.
He looked focused, his brows slightly furrowed.
...I don't think he's the type who's good at combing girls' hair.
Momozawa Airi suddenly had an idea and tentatively said, "Oh, it hurts. You pulled my hairpin."
And he cooperated very well by making an aggrieved expression.
"Senior, can you please be gentler?
"..." Matsuda Jinpei's movements froze, "You were so ruthless when you pulled my hair."
Although he said this, his strength became gentler.
Momozawa Airi understood.
Um.
Acting cute is really effective against Jinpei Matsuda =v=.
This is what I will do from now on, hehe.
Feeling the gentle touches on her head, Momozawa Airi hugged the dog tightly and spoke slowly, "Matsuda-senpai, when you're not bullying me, you're still very gentle, like a real mature senior."
The implication is - he is not now.
Matsuda Jinpei: “…”
The truly mature senior, Matsuda Jinpei, opened his mouth slightly and was about to say something when Momozawa Airi suddenly raised her hand——
Rub the big stuffed dog against his face.
Jinpei Matsuda's face suddenly sank into the soft stuffed animal: "......?"
Matsuda Jinpei nimbly tilted his head and regained his freedom: "Childish ghost."
Airi Momozawa held up the dog stuffed animal and said confidently, "This is for you."
Matsuda Jinpei: “?”
He was stunned, swallowed the joke, and looked down at Momozawa Airi.
The hairpin on her head was a little crooked, and although he had combed her hair, there were still some messy strands of hair beside her cheeks.
She was completely unaware and gave a somewhat silly smile.
"It's a gift for Senior."
"..." Matsuda Jinpei paused and quickly continued, "Tomorrow is your birthday."
The implication is why you should give him a gift.
Momozawa Airi tilted her head slightly and said seriously, "Generally speaking, when people receive a gift, they tend to remember the whole story."
"People with good memories might be able to slowly recall some of the events of that day."
"Well...senpai, you celebrated my birthday with me in advance. I'm very happy. The next time we meet, I'll be a year older."
"I will definitely remember this day, but I hope you, Matsuda-senpai, will remember it too."
Momozawa Airi stuffed the big dog stuffed ...
"Besides, I originally wanted to grab this to give to you. Who told you to perform the doll-grabbing show in front of me? I had to watch such an interesting bamboo basket and water-drawing show for so long, but it was all in vain, hehe."
She smiled and pointed at the big dog that looked a little fierce.
"I feel like this guy looks a bit like a senior. He seems a bit tough to mess with, but actually..."
Momozawa Airi pondered for a long time, then commented, "It's actually quite soft."
Matsuda Jinpei: “…”
He lowered his eyes to look at the doll in his hand, and curled the corners of his mouth imperceptibly.
"...I'll catch you a bigger one next time."
Momozawa Airi retorted seriously: "Stop bragging, Matsuda-senpai, you are not good enough."
Matsuda Jinpei: “…”
*
There weren't many passengers on the tram, and there were empty seats everywhere.
They sat in the corner seats.
Jinpei Matsuda held the dog stuffed animal in his arms and tilted his head to listen to the station announcement.
...It's still quite a while.
He took out his cell phone and checked the time, realizing it was already late.
"I'll take you home later."
For a long while, there was no movement around.
Jinpei Matsuda tilted his head in confusion.
Momozawa Airi closed her eyes, lowered her head slightly, and hugged her schoolbag to her chest.
Her head nodded gently like a tumbler, and she seemed to have fallen asleep.
"..." Just as he was about to repeat his words, Matsuda Jinpei stopped and tilted his head a little more.
The peaceful sleeping face of Airi Momozawa appeared before him.
Her thick eyelashes trembled slightly and her hair fell on the side of her neck.
Completely defenseless.
“…”
Jinpei Matsuda looked at Momozawa Airi who kept nodding and felt that her sleeping posture seemed a little uneasy.
He hesitated for a moment, then reached out his hand, trying to let her lean on his shoulder.
Just as his hand stretched out a short distance, the direction in which Momozawa Airi nodded suddenly changed, and she fell to the side away from him.
It was about to hit the seat with a bang.
Matsuda Jinpei: “?”
He quickly put his arm around Momozawa Airi's shoulders and pulled her closer to him.
The series of movements were a bit hasty, and Matsuda Jinpei failed to control the strength for a moment and used a little too much force.
He thought Momozawa Airi would lean steadily on his shoulder, but she fell straight into his arms.
——Finally, she leaned against the dog stuffed animal in his arms.
Jinpei Matsuda held the soft dog stuffed animal in his right hand and the soft Momozawa Airi in his left hand, his body stiffened for a moment.
There is indeed a difference in the physical touch between girls and boys.
Momozawa Airi feels much...softer than him.
It smells nice.
Matsuda Jinpei placed his fingertips on Momozawa Airi's shoulders and subconsciously reduced his strength.
He lowered his head slightly and looked at the other person's sleeping face so close to him.
Perhaps because she lowered her head, her cheeks looked round.
Momozawa Airi must be really tired. Even though she was shaken a little just now, she is still sleeping soundly.
Feeling the soft touch on her face, she even rubbed it slightly unconsciously.
The tram continued to shuttle through the city, and outside the window was a night scene with a hint of coolness.
Momozawa Airi suddenly moved her head and frowned slightly.
The ponytail she had casually tied up while eating was now poking at the back of her head, making her feel a little uncomfortable when she slept.
Jinpei Matsuda released the hand holding the dog stuffed animal and raised his hand to pinch the hair tie.
Gently pull it downwards.
Momozawa Airi's long, smooth hair suddenly fell like a waterfall on the side of her face, gently rubbing her cheek.
And the palm of Jinpei Matsuda's hand.
Jinpei Matsuda originally wanted to put the hair tie on her hand.
But for fear of waking the other person up, he finally put the hair tie around his wrist.
Seeing the hairpin on her head, Jinpei Matsuda took it off as well.
It’s still that little “Airi Exclusive”.
He pondered for a moment and casually clipped it to his collar.
...That way I won't forget to return it to her later.
“…”
After doing all this, Matsuda Jinpei's gaze was fixed on her face, moving slowly.
forehead.
A slightly furrowed brow.
A faint teardrop mole at the end of the eye.
tip of the nose.
Slightly flushed cheeks.
Some messy hair.
lips.
Matsuda Jinpei's slightly possessive gaze slowly moved downwards, finally stopping steadily on the other's rosy lips.
After a while, he raised his hand and touched Momozawa Airi's eyebrows.
The other person's eyelashes lightly touched his slightly burning fingers.
Feeling the strange touch on her face, Momozawa Airi subconsciously wanted to turn her head to the side, but was gently held still by Matsuda Jinpei.
After a moment, she relaxed again, her breathing became steady, and she leaned softly in Matsuda Jinpei's arms.
Sticking to the soft dog stuffed animal.
Jinpei Matsuda gently and slowly smoothed Momozawa Airi's slightly wrinkled brows with his fingertips.
It was winter, but he suddenly felt a warmth rising from the bottom of his heart.
It looks like it's going to snow outside the car window.
...Winter will soon pass.
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