The theatre room's giant screen lit up, washing the seats in soft glow. Yuni sat down with a little bounce of excitement while Elis lounged back, eyes half on her, half on the remote in Yuni's hands.
"So," Elis asked casually, "what movie do you want to watch? I'll let you pick."
Yuni's face lit up like a child at a candy stall.
"I love horror comedies!"
Elis's lips curved into a slow grin.
"Really? Then our tastes are exactly the same."
Yuni grabbed Elis's hand in pure excitement. "Seriously?" She quickly pulled her hand back, flustered, and tried to play it cool. But her blush gave her away.
Trying to cover it up, she scrolled through the movie list and clicked on one.
"Let's watch Junas – A Secret Dollhouse."
Elis tilted her head. "You've seen it before?"
"Nope! First time," Yuni said brightly. Then her voice dropped into a shy confession. "Actually, my mom's really strict, so I don't get to watch that many movies at home. Most of the ones I've seen were in theatres with Loir."
At the mention of his name, something sharp tugged in Elis's chest. "Just Loir?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light. "You don't have any other close friends?"
Yuni blinked, not noticing the jealousy curling around Elis's words. "Well, I have friends, but none that close. Loir's different. His mom and my mom have been best friends since middle school, so Loir's basically been by my side since birth."
Then she leaned closer to Elis with a mischievous glint.
"Want to hear a secret? I've actually seen Loir's penis… but that was when we were kids."
Elis froze. A storm of possessive anger flared inside her, but she forced her face to stay neutral.
Yuni went on innocently, "Oh! And that handsome boy you saw with Loir today? He's totally Loir's future boyfriend. I think they're already dating."
"They're not future anything," Elis muttered, her voice tight. "They're already dating."
Yuni's eyes went wide. "Really? Wait—then why didn't Loir tell me?"
Elis crossed her arms with a pout she tried to disguise. "Sam's really handsome, isn't he?"
Yuni laughed, completely clueless. "Yeah, he is."
Her laughter was like salt on Elis's open wound. The jealous burn in her chest spread hot and fast. She turned away, cheeks flushed—not from shyness, but from barely controlled envy.
Suddenly, she stood up.
"You watch. I'll go grab popcorn and chips."
Yuni frowned. "No, it's fine! The movie's already starting. Sit down."
But Elis didn't listen. She stalked off to the kitchen, popping corn kernels until they filled the bowl, pulling out potato chips from the cupboard, and grabbing strawberry juice and a couple of beer cans from the fridge.
When she came back, she paused at the door. On the screen, the movie had already slipped into its eerie first act. Shadows flickered across Yuni's face, her eyes wide, hands clenched tight in her lap. She was clearly scared.
A wicked idea sparked in Elis's mind. Quiet as a ghost, she crept up behind Yuni and gently placed a hand on her back.
"Ahh!" Yuni shrieked, nearly jumping out of her seat.
Elis doubled over laughing, placing the bowls on the side table. "If horror movies scare you so much, why even watch them?"
Yuni pressed a hand to her chest, pouting adorably.
"Because that's the fun of it! If it wasn't thrilling, nobody would watch horror movies. And this one's not even that scary. I've seen worse."
Elis raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Then why did you scream just now?"
"That's different!" Yuni huffed. "You startled me. Anyone would've jumped if someone crept up like that." She turned back to the screen, pretending to be annoyed. "Now shh. Focus on the movie."
Elis smirked but obeyed, settling down beside her. The two of them munched popcorn and chips, sipping drinks, the tension of jealousy fading into shared laughter at the silly jump scares on screen.
And though the horror played out in front of them, the real danger was something far more thrilling—the way Elis's heart thudded every time Yuni leaned just a little too close.
To be Continued...