Time Flies

Chapter 4 - Apex Predator

"I can't decide whether we should go see a movie or have dinner first, Kiyotaka-kun," Satou said as the duo chatted while strolling through the park. Prior to that, she dragged him to a boutique and a perfume store to do some window shopping. While he didn't mind seeing her dress that was en vogue and being forced to dress up as well, he swears he nearly died from the stench of a variety of perfumes assailing his nostrils. Kiyotaka also wondered why Matsushita and Satou both wanted to see him dressed in tuxedos... or bit their bottom lip after seeing him. It must have been a girl thing, so he didn't ask even though it unsettled him a little. He did allow them to snap pictures of him after they promised not to spread them around. He trusted Satou at the very least, given her demeanor in the music center. Matsushita, not so much. He couldn't get a read behind her fake perverted nature and big sister persona, other than her rampant curiosity that would probably get her killed one day. He wondered whether probing her was worth the effort or not. That being said, if she ever does leak anything, he'll get Horikita to expose her in four-Kei or whatever Professor called it. A carrot-and-stick method if you will, because Horikita definitely wants to reach Class A. Matsushita being the carrot, of course.

"...Maya, we were just in the mall," Kiyotaka remarked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Satou stuck out her tongue and hit the side of her head, "Oop! My mistake! Sowwy Kiyotaka-kun,"

"Regardless, to answer your question, I think it would be better to see a movie before having dinner. We'd have more things to talk about, then," Kiyotaka explained his logic. The two had conversed for a long while, so they were bound to not have many topics left to talk about. Kiyotaka was not the type of person to gossip much, and Satou didn't want to ruin his perception of her, even though he secretly didn't mind listening to her speak about trivial matters about herself and their classmates. At the very least, an enjoyable cinematic would be an excellent prompt to talk about.

"Is there anything in particular you want to watch?"

"Hm, is there anything you recommend?"

"Let's see, the cinema's playing Tokyo Godfathers, Silent Tokyo, Bad Santa, Home Alone, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Oh, and—"

While Satou was listing names of Christmas movies counting with her fingers, Kiyotaka had noticed Ichinose with a few of her classmates taking a leisurely stroll across the park as well. One in particular looked like Kei's doppelgänger, only with coffee-colored hair, one was the glasses-wearing boy from the Rabbit Group last summer, and the last was Kanzaki. Suddenly, the four of them stared back at him. For some reason, Ichinose and Kei of a different palette seemed to gasp, and Ichinose stretched out a hand towards him and Satou.

"—and The Nightmare Before Christmas," Satou finished.

"I think we should watch the last one," Kiyotaka answered as he turned back towards his partner, "It sounds pretty interesting."

"Great! That's one of my favorites! ...Along with the other sixty-four movies," Satou said with a cheesy grin.

The duo turned a corner and started walking back towards the direction of the mall. Or rather, that's what was supposed to happen. They suddenly heard a skidding sound and looked back to find the Kei clone rushing at Kiyotaka, knocking over a pair of bikes next to a building. Confused, Kiyotaka took off his overcoat and ran away from the approaching threat.

Meanwhile, Satou dutifully picked up her companion's overcoat and waited for a minute. Suddenly she was swept off her feet by Kiyotaka, picked up in a princess carry before he dashed away. Satou looked up towards him and couldn't help but admire his tranquil features, enhanced by his sweat made to glisten by the afternoon sun. His hair looked unbelievably silky, similar to her and her fellow gyaru companions who take special care of their hair. His oh-so alluring lips, a pale pink that she wanted to taste. His irresistible scent that reminded her of the ocean's waves, mixed with floral notes of citrus and jasmine. Her hands seemed to naturally interlace around his neck. She had become a full-blown Kiyotaka simp. (Ignore that last sentence.)