Life As Hikigaya Hachiman

Chapter 534: The Enchanting Moments in the Cinema

"Senpai, senpai, what are we going to do today?"

In fact, Hachiman wasn't too concerned about what they would do.

After all, a date typically involves the usual activities: amusement parks, watching movies, singing karaoke, having dinner...

As for whether you can take the girl to a hotel afterward, that depends on your own abilities.

"We can go anywhere; I'll follow your lead today."

"Really? That's great."

Hearing this, Iroha beamed with a bright smile.

"Then let's start by watching a movie!"

"Sounds good."

Hachiman didn't refuse this suggestion and nodded in agreement.

Soon, they arrived at a nearby cinema.

As Iroha looked at the movie posters on the wall in the lobby, she considered what to watch. It wasn't long before she pointed to a horror movie. "Senpai, let's watch this one."

"Sure," Hachiman agreed.

He was a bit surprised that she chose a horror movie, but he had no objections. He wasn't picky about what movie to watch.

After buying the movie tickets, popcorn, and soda, they entered the theater. Maybe because of the horror theme, there weren't many people watching this movie; about a third of the seats were occupied, making the large cinema feel somewhat empty.

For the best viewing experience, Hachiman sat in the middle-upper section, and naturally, Iroha chose to sit beside him.

The movie soon began, with the director's and production company's names appearing on screen. Iroha, munching on popcorn, looked at the screen and said, "Senpai, I've seen a lot of horror movies by this director. They're really good. I recommend you watch them too."

Hachiman was slightly surprised to discover that she enjoyed horror movies.

Many people watch horror films for the intense, thrilling atmosphere or the shock and tension of seeing monsters.

However, for someone like Hachiman, who could "physically exorcise" demons, those elements didn't offer much excitement.

As the movie started, the screen depicted a fictional shogunate era where humans and demons coexisted.

However, these demons weren't mere spirits but man-eating creatures.

They possessed immense strength, skin as tough as iron, and ordinary weapons couldn't harm them.

They also had various strange abilities, making them formidable foes that ordinary people stood no chance against.

Still, these terrifying demons had one fatal weakness: sunlight.

No matter how powerful a demon was, exposure to sunlight would turn it to ashes.

Additionally, a civilian organization called the Demon Slayer Corps was constantly fighting these demons.

They trained in a special breathing technique and wielded weapons known as Nichirin Blades. By decapitating a demon with a Nichirin Blade, they could effectively kill them.

For centuries, the Demon Slayer Corps had silently protected ordinary people from the shadows.

Unfortunately, being a civilian organization, they were not very numerous, and some areas inevitably went unprotected.

Thus, the screen unfolded the story of protection and slaughter.

...

The film's protagonist is named Tanjiro, who was originally just a young boy making a living by selling charcoal.

One day, he went out to deliver charcoal to a customer. Since it got late, the kind customer allowed him to stay the night. However, when he returned home the next day, he found everything destroyed.

His family had been attacked by demons, and almost all of them were killed. Only his sister seemed to be still alive. As Tanjiro ran over to save her, he realized she was lunging straight at him.

His sister had been turned into a demon!

In that critical moment, a demon slayer appeared and saved Tanjiro. But just as the demon slayer was about to kill his sister who had become a demon, Tanjiro desperately stopped him.

Tanjiro was convinced that although his sister had turned into a demon, there was still a chance she could become human again.

After much confrontation, the demon slayer was moved by Tanjiro's determination. He discovered that although Tanjiro's sister had transformed into a demon, she retained some human emotions and seemed to remember her brother.

With the guidance of this demon slayer, Tanjiro learned the breathing technique and became a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. He embarked on a series of battles to turn his sister back into a human, to avenge the demons that slaughtered his family, and to break the chains of sorrow.

.....

Though the storyline seemed to be a classic tale of passionate and determined struggle, the film was still a horror movie.

Scenes of demons devouring humans and the brutal battles between demons and the Demon Slayer Corps elicited soft gasps from the audience.

However, for Hachiman and Iroha, these scenes were not particularly frightening.

Hachiman's confidence in his metaphorical demon-slaying abilities meant he wasn't easily scared. As for Iroha, who was accustomed to horror films, these visuals were of little concern.

Noticing Hachiman beside her, Iroha's eyes sparkled with a mischievous idea. "Oh, how scary~~!" she exclaimed softly, reaching over to hug Hachiman. She nestled against him, moving as if trying to melt into his arms.

Hachiman raised an eyebrow at her antics. Hey, we're here to watch the movie, not get handsy. Besides, your face doesn't look frightened—more like you're enjoying this.

Gently flicking her forehead, Hachiman spoke with feigned annoyance. "Sit properly, please."

"Oh~~" Iroha pouted as her scheme failed, reluctantly letting go.

The movie was over 120 minutes long, and as it reached a slower part, many audience members started taking restroom breaks. Having had too much soda, Iroha felt a bit uncomfortable and turned to Hachiman. "Senpai, I'm going to the restroom."

"Okay," Hachiman nodded.

As she stood up to pass in front of him, the dim lighting caused her to accidentally trip over Hachiman's foot. Losing her balance, she fell backward and ended up sitting in Hachiman's lap.

Suddenly having something soft in his lap startled Hachiman, but he quickly asked, "Iroha, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Senpai," Iroha's voice came from nearby. Relieved, Hachiman realized the awkward situation—she was sitting in a rather precarious spot.

Because there was only a thin layer of tight jeans between them, Hachiman could distinctly feel the smoothness and elasticity of the girl's sitting on his lap.

Just as Iroha was about to stand up, she seemed to stumble over something again and fell back into his lap.

"Ah, meow~"

The smoothness and elasticity returned, but Hachiman found no joy in it this time, as the situation was becoming quite awkward.

He felt a certain reaction stir, and feared that if it continued, things could get even more uncomfortable.

Iroha, realizing something felt odd beneath her, adjusted slightly. "Senpai, I'm sorry, I think I sat on your phone. I hope I didn't break it."

Phone?

With a curious look, Hachiman was at a loss for words. Noticing his silence, Iroha assumed he was upset and offered awkwardly, "Why don't you check if it's okay? If it's broken, I'll buy you a new one."

Take it out? That's not something to discuss openly.

"It's not a phone," Hachiman responded, his tone slightly tense.

"Huh, not a phone?" Iroha blinked in confusion, but with her education, she quickly realized what she was sitting on.

Could it be that she was sitting on 'that'?

"..."

The air turned still. Despite her usual playful nature with Hachiman, Iroha was still quite innocent in many ways, and this situation left her flustered. Her face rapidly turned crimson.

"Senpai, I'll just go to the restroom."

With that, Iroha quickly extricated herself from Hachiman's lap and hurried to the theater's exit.

After a while, she returned to her seat, her face slightly damp, suggesting she had splashed water on it to cool down.

With the prior incident fresh in mind, Iroha refrained from her usual physical antics and settled quietly in her seat. Though the movie continued, it was clear her thoughts were elsewhere.

After all, such an incident wasn't anything major, right?

We were both still clothed, and I've heard that in crowded trains in the morning, these sorts of accidental touches are not uncommon.

Relax, it's nothing... probably.

Besides, isn't my goal to make senpai like me? Maybe this will even help things progress more smoothly.

Yes, exactly.

With this thought, Iroha covertly glanced at Hachiman, hoping to gauge his reaction.

To her disappointment, Hachiman's expression revealed nothing—no hint of fluster or lingering emotion. He was simply looking ahead at the screen.

Seeing this, Iroha felt a tinge of frustration.

Hmph, senpai is too much. Even though this beautiful girl just sat in your lap, you seem completely unfazed. Not even a bit of reaction?

Noticing her gaze, Hachiman turned his head, looking a bit puzzled.

"Iroha, is something wrong?"

"Nothiiing~~" she replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

The with a hint of displeasure, turning her attention back to the big screen.

The movie continued to play.

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