Whispers of Destiny

Chapter 12: The Movie, The Moments, The Maybe

Kotone was looking forward to the weekend. A new movie was coming out—something he'd been eagerly anticipating for weeks—and it was the perfect opportunity to hang out with his friends. He had already invited Kaede, Dahyun, Mayu, and Yooyeon to join him for a movie night, hoping to make it a fun, laid-back evening with everyone. They had been talking about it for days, and he couldn't wait to have the gang together. Or so he thought.

On the day of the movie, the inevitable happened.

First came Mayu's message: "Sorry, I need to finish my economics project. I won't be able to make it." 

Kotone sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. That was understandable—Mayu had been busy with her coursework lately, and it wasn't surprising that economics had her tied up.

Then, Kotone turned to Dahyun, who was sitting on the couch in their shared apartment. "So, you still good for the movie tonight?" Kotone asked, tossing him a casual glance.

Dahyun, who had been fiddling with his phone, paused. 

"Uh, actually," he said, running a hand through his hair, "I've got to head back to Daegu for a family thing tonight. Sorry. You should still go, though. Have fun."

With Dahyun out of the picture, Kotone checked his phone one last time. 

Yooyeon had also messaged: "Family dinner. Can't make it, bro." Kotone groaned, realizing his movie night was quickly turning into a solo mission.

With a resigned sigh, he checked his phone again. Kaede had yet to reply. Maybe she'd be able to come.

A few minutes later, Kaede's message appeared: "I can still make it! Everyone else is busy, huh? Let's enjoy the movie together!"

Kotone grinned, feeling a little better. At least one person would be there. As much as he liked hanging out with his friends, he didn't mind the idea of spending time with Kaede one-on-one. She was always fun to be around, and besides, there was no way he was going to miss the movie.

The two of them met outside the theater later that evening. Kotone was already holding the tickets, his usual playful grin on his face.

"I was starting to think this was going to be a solo mission," he said, teasing her.

Kaede laughed as they walked toward the entrance. "I guess we'll have to make the most of it, right?" she said, smiling up at him.

"The others are really missing out."

As they entered the theater, Kotone went all out to make the best of the situation. He bought their favorite snacks—popcorn, of course, and a giant soda for each of them. Kaede raised an eyebrow at the amount of food he was getting, but smiled anyway.

"You're going to eat all that?" she joked.

Kotone winked. "Of course. Gotta fuel up for a good movie experience, right?"

Kaede rolled her eyes but couldn't stop herself from laughing. Kotone's carefree attitude was contagious, and despite everything that had gone wrong with the plans, she found herself feeling excited about the evening.