The theater lights dimmed.
The screen lit up.
But Yuuki couldn't focus on the film.
Arisa sat beside him, her shoulder barely brushing his, sipping from a shared drink like it was no big deal.
Like they were just two people on a normal date.
Like she wasn't a rental.
Like this wasn't all pretend.
She laughed at a dumb scene. Not the practiced, polite laugh she used on clients.
A real one. Soft. Dorky. Honest.
Yuuki stared at her more than the movie.
He didn't even realize he was doing it until she caught him.
"What?" she whispered, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing," he lied.
She leaned in. "You've been looking at me for ten minutes, and the plot just introduced a talking cat with a chainsaw. You good?"
He smirked. "Just thinking."
"Dangerous."
Then… silence. Not awkward.
Heavy.
"Can I ask you something?" she whispered, eyes forward.
"Yeah."
"What if this wasn't my job?"
She looked at him. "Would you still sit here with me?"
Yuuki didn't answer right away.
Then—
"I forgot this was supposed to be fake."
Her breath caught.
And for the rest of the movie, their hands rested beside each other—close enough to touch, but still waiting for someone to be brave first.