off limits ✧ zb1 applyfic

✧ thirty six

It wasn't that Lilah had been waiting for this day, per se. Rather, she'd been stressing out about it non stop for the past week, so it had of course taken up a lot of space in her head. Somehow, she'd gone over every possible scenario — and impossible ones too, she'd realized, when she'd started making a plan for what she would do if there was a mutant shark attack at the movie theater. It was just a simple movie hang out, and yet, it felt like an appointment for an open heart surgery to Lilah.

At least, she had Narae with her. A girl full of whimsy, seemingly never preoccupied with catastrophic hypotheses. And, also, her only actual friend. As they walked together, arms linked, towards the movie theater, Lilah tried to match Narae's carefree posture. A soft smile resting on her face, her shoulders down, a pep in her step. For a second, Lilah almost felt herself relax.

Unfortunately, that all went out the window when they reached the theater, and Lilah spotted Gyuvin right by the entrance. He stood there, all smiles, his long legs holding him up as he leaned against the wall. He seemed a bit different from usual, his hair a bit neater, his outfit a bit more elaborate, a general sense that he'd... Prepared for this. As if he placed great importance on that outing with her. Lilah swallowed the lump in her throat as she forced herself to breathe slowly, trying to get her heart rate back to normal.

And Gunwook was there, too.

"Oh, you're here," Gunwook was the first to notice them, and he took a few steps closer.

He paused for a second as his eyes zeroed in on Narae. He blinked, looking at her face, then her torso, then down to her feet. His lips pressed into a strange, squiggly line.

"What?" Narae spoke up, tilting her head. "Is there something wrong?"

He quickly shook his head, a veil of color appearing on his cheeks. "No, not at all. I was just thinking that I don't see you in day-to-day clothes very often."

"Ah, you're right! Most of the time, we meet when we’re wearing uniforms."

Lilah observed the conversation with round eyes. Was it just her or was the big, slightly intimidating Gunwook blushing while talking to Narae? She shouldn’t have been surprised — Narae tended to have a strange effect on people, her included. She still remembered how flustered she was every time the younger girl tried to make friends with her. But Gunwook didn't seem like the type to get so easily rattled.

Lilah, though, was that type of person. As Gyuvin walked up to her, a twinkle in his eyes, she immediately straightened up. Something was different, and she wasn’t comfortable with it. Every time he looked at her, she ended up forgetting Gunwook and Narae were there with them. As if it was just... A date. Which it wasn't. So she had no reason to even think about it. Right?

"You look cute," he said nonchalantly, before pointing to the top of his head. "I like the hair pin."

Her hand instantly flew to the hair pin in question, without her brain even consulting her. With embarrassment, she felt her chest tighten and her stomach flutter. He'd noticed. She'd spent a good hour pondering over what to wear, digging through her entire wardrobe for the perfect outfit. She hadn’t done it to impress him, after all, she always liked to dress up. But... Being called cute was a welcome event. Quite a pleasant one at that, she was loathe to admit.

Before she could murmur her thanks, Gyuvin handed her and Narae two tickets. "Here, those ones are for you. Let's go in and buy some snacks before the movie starts!"

With that, Gyuvin spun on his heels and walked into the theater, a bumbling Gunwook following closely. Before entering as well, Lilah took a peek at the ticket, curiosity taking over. Next to the time and viewing room, stood the title. Withering Petals and Whispered Secrets. Her eyes skimmed over the words again and again, before she turned to Narae, her eyebrows raised.