One step forward, two steps back

Part 5 The movie

The group had just finished lunch and were now on their way to the theater. 'Okay, this is no big deal, it's just some love movie ... probably ... I can do this.'

"So ..." Cozzy began. "Um, what movie are we watching again?"

"That's still a surprise." Takagi said as she turned around and began walking backwards. "Both of you will find out when it starts."

"Both of us?"

Takagi pointed to Takagawa and smiled.

"Wait a sec." He turned to Takagawa. "You don't know either?"

Takagawa shook her head as Takagi smiled. "Don't worry, Nishikata and I picked out a great one."

"I did very little 'selecting' after you restricted the genre."

"There were plenty of choices, you simply didn't want to look through them all."

Nishikata sighed as they approached the counter. "Yeah, but we still need to get tickets."

They began walking up to the counter when Takagi stopped Cozzy and Sumire. "You two wait here, we'll be right back."

Cozzy and Sumire watched, both feeling a little nervous about being left alone again.

"Takagi!" Nishikata called. "Come on, we need to pick seats."

Takagi ran up and glanced at the touch screen with Nishikata. "Wow." She said as she stared at the screen. "There seems to be ... not many seats left."

"Tell me about it." He said as he began searching for a set of four. "Here, C13 thought C16." He paused as he glanced at the screen once again. 'Actually ... I might have an idea.' He glanced lower on the screen and noticed that G15 and G16 were also free. He tapped C13 and 14, then moved his hand to right above G15 and 16 and turned back to the others. "Hey guys, you alright with C13 through C16."

"Uh, sure?" Cozzy replied.

"Okay." Nishikata tapped the screen without looking at it, then turned and hit the submit button.

"Hm?" Takagi mumbled as she glanced at Nishikata.

"Is something the matter?" He asked.

Takagi looked at the screen for a moment; Nishikata knew that she had to have noticed the seats he picked. "If I know you like I think I do, then I don't think anything is unintentional has happened, but I am surprised." She paused as she looked him in the eye. A playful smirk appeared on her face and Nishikata knew that he had picked the right seats. "Then again, this wouldn't be the first time I was wrong about you this week."

"Yeah, it wouldn't." He fed money into the machine and collected the four tickets, making sure to separate them by which he was giving to Sumire and Cozzy, and which he kept for himself and Takagi. "Okay, are we all ready?" He asked as they walked back to the others.

"As ready as we'll ever be." Cozzy replied.

Nishikata handed them the C13 and 14 tickets, while he 'absentmindedly' handed Takagi one of the other ones. "Uh, actually, I think I'll get a snack really quick." 'This is perfect.' He thought to himself. 'Seeing as we just ate, no one else will want to eat anything, so I'll have the perfect excuse to not go in with them.' He glanced at Takagi. 'She should also know, so it's only a matter of time before she-'

"I actually need to use the bathroom." Takagi added.

'Right on cue, I guess this is one of the times when her ability to practically read my mind comes in handy.'