Classroom of the Elite Volume 7.5

Chapter 2.2: Ibuki's One Misfortunate Day

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka POV

Part 2

Coming to the movie theater is not a strange thing for me to do. Because I
periodically visit it over the holidays. For people, some may consider the
expenditure of points on the appreciation of movies as a waste but it's an
unexpectedly important thing to have various interests too. As for me, movie appreciation is becoming a hobby of mine.

On top of it being ideal for relaxation, it also allows me to absorb new
knowledge. Frequently, I have had my inquisitiveness stimulated by having a
movie touch upon various subjects.
But even so, it's not like the movie I will be watching today is a movie made
with such expertise. It's not a painfully sweet romantic movie that's watched
by couples in the midst of Christmas fever either.

It's an action movie focusing on a small conflict between countryside mafia.
There are days when I simply want to empty my head and watch the story.
By the way, although the screening of this movie would end today, by no
means is it a long-running masterpiece. It was a hopeless, B movie. As a
result, I was able to reserve a seat with ease over the net but I continued to
fret over whether to go watch or not, and ultimately on the last day of its
screening, carried by a different purpose, it was a movie I had decided to go
watch too.

After a brief interaction with the receptionist, I designated the time and movie
I'll be watching. I was handed over a laminated sheet with the seating chart
printed on it. By the way, a miscalculation occurred here. The seats in the far
back I usually use for movie appreciation seemed to be full and there did not
appear to be much free space.
Just with a slight delay in the screening of the scheduled popular movie, it
seems the customers have turned their focus to this movie instead. On top of
that, perhaps it's also because Christmas is near, but most of the seats were
being reserved in sets of two.

Rather than not watch anything at all as a couple, let's watch at least one. It's
probably something like that.

Feeling the center of the large opening in the front row would make it easy to
watch, I told the operator that. As I did, luckily enough there seemed to be
several vacancies in the center region, and I succeeded in securing a seat. I
wonder if the popularity of the seats at the far ends have something to do with
the presence or absence of couples? I don't know the circumstances of the
movie theater in that regard.

Since there was still roughly around 20 minutes until the screening starts, I
decided to kill time in the corner where pamphlets were displayed. And
around 10 minutes before they started admitting people in, I entered alone.
From behind with a clatter, student couples enter. Sitting in the center of the
front row, I patiently wait for the movie to begin. The seats around me begin
to fill up from a relatively early point. I directed my gaze at the screen.
Before the actual movie starts, I quite enjoy watching the preliminary
announcements of movies soon-to-be screened.

That's why before those preliminary announcements occur, I always make
sure to be at my seat. Rather than watching it from the TV in my own room,
it stirs greater interest in me as to what movies I should watch next.
That sort of big screen is extraordinarily charming and it's no exaggeration to
say that I've brought myself to the movie theater with that as my purpose.

However, right now, in the theater it's not a cheerful movie commercial that's
happening but rather commercials of convenience store goods that are being
played. Turning over soft and full rice with a spoon or scenes where crispy
sea moss is being burned on top of nets. And footage of children eating
completed rice balls also played.