"Why am I here, I barely rested after my shift." 

"Mine's in a couple of hours."

"I have a volleyball match tomorrow." 

Vernon, Minghao and I were completely clueless as to why we obliged Mingyu's invitation to watch the re-release ofThe Artist. It was exactly the kind of film that none of us appreciated, especially Mingyu, and even the fact that he was paying did not help. 

"He didn't even invite me, why am I here?" I whined, turning to Minghao the culprit, who texted me moments earlier that something "urgent" cropped up and that he needed my help. 

"C'mon, it's weird if three guys go watch a French silent romantic film together. Save us Sooyoon." 

While the three of us questioned our priorities and unnecessary loyalty, Mingyu had returned with two large popcorns and four tickets, grinning from ear to ear. I guess the three of us were here for the free popcorn and tickets after all. As Minghao grabbed the box of salty popcorn, Mingyu and I gave him a disapproving look before we entered the cinema together. From the aisle, it was Vernon, me, Mingyu and Minghao, since Minghao was having the salty popcorn to himself. None of us was interested in that.

"I thought you hated romantic films?" I whispered to Mingyu as I dipped my hand into the popcorn for another grab. 

"I'll tell you a secret! Hyeyoung made me pumpkin soup yesterday during our Han River date! That's so sweet of her right? So I thought I would surprise her inviting her to a movie she's excited about. She really wanted to watchi this movie. But knowing me...I need you guys to pinch me if I doze off." He whispered sheepishly to me. 

"Why are you watching it before your actual date?" Beside me, Vernon carefully snatched the popcorn from Mingyu without hitting me in the darkness. I nodded in agreement. 

"I'm just afraid I won't understand the movie or I might fall asleep. So if I watch it first, at least I will have something to talk about." 

"Mingyu, we know you are dumb but you are not that dumb." Minghao directed his last comment at a pouting Mingyu before the theatre dimmed further to the start of the movie.

I couldn't help but remember the horror movie I watched with Mingyu during the "healing trip". The cinema is a hot dating spot for a reason - the darkness always has an interesting effect on your emotion and behaviour. Sometimes you feel a greater freedom in the darkness. You have something to blame for your misbehaviours, your off-handed shrieks that's uncharacteristic of you, you can hold someone's arm without being judged immediately, and if they do you can just attribute your odd gesture to the action in the movie. Yet it also has a way of playing with your emotions - you feel cold from