Of course, even though it was a romance film, before bringing Seiya to the theater, Yuko had made sure to check that there weren't any adult or restricted scenes in it.
Otherwise, there was no way she would've taken Seiya to watch it.
Don't be fooled by the fact that she was a doujin artist—when it came to Seiya's mental and emotional well-being, Yuko was very careful.
When she worked on her illustrations, she always forbade Seiya from entering her room, just in case he saw something he shouldn't and got "corrupted."
However, what Yuko didn't know was that while Seiya looked like a child on the outside, his soul was far more mature than hers.
Everything Yuko understood, Seiya understood too. And everything she didn't, he understood even better.
In fact, all those "secret" books Yuko kept hidden? Seiya had already seen plenty of that kind before.
As for his impression of them… well, Seiya could only say, "Not bad, but nothing special."
Yuko's art style was flawless, but when it came to concepts, her imagination was still too limited.
In simpler terms — she wasn't perverted enough to truly capture the taste of the hardcore fans.
But he couldn't really blame her. Yuko was still a young woman — pretty, talented, and a virgin at that — so it was natural for her to lack certain… inspiration.
As someone who'd been quite the "veteran" in his past life, Seiya had plenty of ideas and scenarios he could suggest.
But given his current age and status, there was no way he could do that — unless he wanted to be branded a little pervert for life.
Soon, the lights dimmed, and the movie began.
Since it was a romance film, the early parts followed the typical formula. It wasn't bad, but nothing particularly outstanding either.
Before long, the story reached the scene where the heroine, as a child, was chased into the mountains and attacked by a wild wolf — the film's first real climax.
In the original anime, the kendo boy's fight against the wolf was an intense and thrilling scene.
But anime could depict anything through art — even surreal or unrealistic battles could be brought to life beautifully.
In live-action, though? That was a different story.
Having a child fight evenly against a ferocious wolf — not even most adults could pull that off believably.
So, anime fans already expected this part to be heavily altered or cut entirely.
However, the moment the huge screen lit up with the image of that boy — bamboo sword in hand, eyes blazing with defiance and determination — the entire audience froze.
"This… this isn't animation? Are you kidding me? That's Souya himself come to life!"
"Someone tell me that kid's CGI — because if he's real, then I've wasted my whole damn life! If I had to fight that kid, I don't think I'd even win!"
"Holy crap, that's insane! Whose child is this? Some secret heir from a kendo family? What's he doing guest-starring in this movie?"
Gasps filled the theater.
Even though everyone knew that movie theaters should stay quiet, when the screen showed Seiya blocking the wolf's jaws with his bamboo sword — the beast's saliva dripping down onto his face — several people couldn't help but cry out in awe.
Most of the anime fans present were your typical chūnibyō types, and seeing Seiya's sharp movements and relentless fighting spirit lit a fire in their souls.
They began shouting that the boy on-screen was Souya himself — the kendo boy protagonist of the film.
The theater briefly erupted into chaos, so much so that staff had to come in to shush everyone before it finally quieted down again.
For a two-hour movie, a five-minute battle might sound short — but those five minutes were enough to captivate everyone completely.
When Seiya's character finally lost strength and fell off the cliff, the entire audience sighed in unison.
Especially Yuko — who was sitting right beside Seiya.
From the moment the fight began, she had been gripping Seiya's wrist tightly, her knuckles white with tension.
If Seiya hadn't already strengthened his body thanks to his shared abilities, a normal five-year-old's wrist would've been crushed by her grip.
And when the boy on screen fell helplessly from the cliff, Yuko — completely lost in the moment — suddenly grabbed Seiya and pulled him into her arms, pressing his face tightly against her chest.
His head buried between her breasts, Seiya caught a whiff of her floral scent — but that quickly gave way to a suffocating sense of pressure.
"Yuko… I can't breathe… It's just a movie scene… but if you don't let go… I'm really… gonna die…"
Hearing his muffled voice, Yuko snapped back to reality and realized how hard she was squeezing him.
Seeing Seiya's face flushed and gasping for air, she quickly released him and stammered, "S-sorry, sorry! I just got so caught up in it. The kid in the movie looked exactly like you… and I never imagined little Seiya could act so well! For a moment, I really thought you were in danger!"
Even though Seiya's part in the film had ended, Yuko still hadn't recovered from her shock.
Her praise wasn't just polite encouragement — she truly meant it.
The expressions, the movements, the emotion — it was hard to believe that a five-year-old could perform like that.
Now, she fully understood why Mrs. Arima had said Director Ōkawa saw great potential in Seiya.
Looking at the boy still sitting on her lap, Yuko gently stroked his hair and smiled warmly.
"I really never expected that our little Seiya would have such incredible talent."
Though Seiya's scenes were over, Yuko and Seiya stayed until the very end of the movie.
Seiya had tried to move back to his own seat, but Yuko wouldn't let him go — she held him firmly in her lap like a plush toy.
When Seiya glanced at her with a puzzled look, Yuko explained softly,
"I just feel scared, you know? Scared that something might happen to you like in the movie. My sister's still in the hospital, unconscious… and right now, you're the only family I have left.
And besides, you're just a five-year-old child — it's okay to let an adult pamper you once in a while."
(End of Chapter)
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