Chapter 623: Chapter 418: Things Couples Should Do
Come to think of it, it seems like they really haven’t done "what couples should do."
Fushimi Roku actually wanted to put "xxoo" at the front of their date plans, not because he’s lecherous, but simply because he’s a homebody and doesn’t like going out much.
Besides, Tokyo is under martial law now, where would they go on a date?
If Minamoto Tamako has other indoor date ideas, Fushimi Roku is willing to cooperate fully.
"Then let’s watch a movie together."
Fushimi Roku got up, rummaging through the tapes under the TV cabinet. These days, watching movies means renting box tapes and playing them on a VCR.
"What do you want to watch?" he asked without turning his head.
Minamoto Tamako discreetly pulled out a tissue, hurriedly tidied up her hair, tugged at her clothes, and sat upright on the edge of the sofa, saying, "Anything is fine."
"Hmm, there’s ’Tora-san’s Story’, ’Lupin the Third’, ’101 Proposals’, ’Incapable People’..." Fushimi Roku sifted through the tapes one by one.
"Then ’101 Proposals’ it is." Minamoto Tamako said.
Fushimi Roku was fine with that; he’d watch anything. These were tapes he’d rented while buying a game console, some of which he’d seen, some he hadn’t.
Click.
Fushimi Roku inserted the tape into the machine, and a crisp sound came from the cassette. The TV showed "Loading." He stood up, drew the curtains, and turned off the lights, making the living room dim and hazy.
"W-why turn off the lights?" Minamoto Tamako twisted her toes, feeling a bit anxious.
"Turning off the lights to watch a movie creates ambiance, and the screen won’t glare," Fushimi Roku said beside her with conviction. "Haven’t you noticed that cinemas always turn off the lights before the movie starts?"
"I-it seems like that," Minamoto Tamako said.
A few seconds later, the TV started playing, and the screen became the only source of light in the living room, shining on the two sitting on the sofa.
They both seemed a bit uneasy.
Minamoto Tamako rested her hands on her knees, forcing herself to sit up straight, but she still kept her head down, looking small and shy;
Fushimi Roku crossed his one leg over the other, appearing relaxed, but he was shaking his leg and his thumb kept rubbing against the side of his forefinger.
"101 Proposals" is a classic pure love story they hadn’t seen before. Minamoto Tamako chose it mainly because the title suggested it was about love, thinking that watching a romance might add to the atmosphere.
Fushimi Roku hadn’t seen it either; he didn’t even remember renting this tape. The shopkeeper probably recommended it strongly, so he casually tossed it into the shopping basket and rented it along with the others.
The opening plot of the movie involves a funny misunderstanding.
Tatsuro Hoshino, a 42-year-old section chief at a construction company, had failed 99 matchmaking dates due to his ordinary looks and dull personality. On his 100th matchmaking day, he mistakenly took cellist Shibuki Kaoru as the matchmaking partner.
Kaoru had shut herself off emotionally after her fiancé Makabe Youji died in a car accident on the eve of their wedding three years ago. This matchmaking was merely to appease her mother’s urging.
Upon their first meeting, Kaoru was moved by Tatsuro’s sincerity. When they parted, she encouraged him "not to give up on pursuing happiness," not realizing this casual remark would change their fates.
Perhaps the protagonists’ struggle resonated with them, and the two gradually became engrossed in watching.
Tatsuro fell in love with Kaoru at first sight and began a somewhat "awkward" pursuit:
He spent his entire year-end bonus on lottery tickets just to discuss "life after winning" with Kaoru; to help Kaoru retrieve owed performance fees, Tatsuro offended a client, costing his chance to promote to section chief... When Kaoru hesitated for fear of losing another loved one, Tatsuro stopped a speeding truck in traffic, using his life to prove he wouldn’t suddenly disappear like Kaoru’s fiancé, breaking her fear of "death equates to losing."
Minamoto Tamako stared at the screen in a daze, subconsciously grasping Fushimi Roku’s hand tightly. She watched Tatsuro shout loudly, her heart racing along:
"I won’t die!"
"Because I love you, I won’t die!"