‣ cinema

@❀┊jiang junmyeon ᵇ "I'm glad I don't deal with grading papers and such." Soohyuk remarked, shaking his head slightly as he took in the evident weariness on the other professor's face. While his job had its own challenges it didn’t follow him home in stacks of papers. “Dealing with students directly can be a handful, but at least I don’t lug work back with me.”

When Junmyeon offered to share his popcorn, Soohyuk’s lips curled into a grateful smile. "Well, thank you for the offer." He had intended to grab a snack before the film but had quickly lost interest when he saw the line at the concession stand. As the lights dimmed and the room hushed, Soohyuk settled back into his seat, glancing sideways at Junmyeon when the professor leaned over to whisper. He raised an eyebrow at the title the other mentioned, confusion flickering across his face. He didn’t have time to process before the male suddenly grew wide eyed, fishing for his movie stub like his life depended on it.

Amusement quickly replaced Soohyuk’s initial confusion. A playful smile tugged at his lips as he watched Junmyeon realize his blunder. Taking the popcorn bucket as it was passed to him, he chuckled softly and turned his attention to the screen. He plucked a few pieces of popcorn and popped them into his mouth, savoring the salty crunch. "Here I was, thinking I’d have someone to watch the movie with." Soohyuk said teasingly, his tone light and filled with mock disappointment. "But it seems like you’ll be leaving me soon, Professor?" He glanced over with a faint smirk, curious if the male would stay or dash off to the theater where his intended movie was playing.

@☼┊wen soohyuk ᵇ "Same here," he sighed, stretching out his legs as he settled into a more comfortable sitting position. One hand steadying the bucket on his lap, he rubbed his eyes lightly with the other, fighting back the urge to yawn. "I woke up early, as always, and came here on a spur of the moment. Grading papers have me exhausted." Seeing Soohyuk's empty hands, he lifted his brows. "No snack for you? We can share my popcorn." His fingers were already opening the bucket, not taking any refusal. "I can't finish it all. That is, if you don't mind." Some were particular about sharing food with a stranger, which Junmyeon respected.

Chuckling softly, ridicule was evident as he responded, "It's a mindless movie all right. Even the title screams it." Meanwhile, the lights dimmed to the lowest setting, and the projector screen resized. A deafening silence fell over the sparsely filled theatre, as the audience laid in wake for the movie to finally play. Joonmyeon leaned in closer to whisper. "Don't get me wrong, we all need movies like this every now and then. But i am surprised you chose this too. 'My Roommate's a Hamster' is going to be quite entertaining." He tittered, louder than what he had expected, causing a loud shush to come from ahead.

The chemistry professor cleared his throat softly before returning his gaze to the screen, the title appearing. He blinked. He blinked again. He turned to Soohyuk with wide eyes. ""Love Wins All'!? The highly acclaimed film???" He was appalled, passing the popcorn bucket to the other to fish for the movie stub in his pocket.

@❀┊jiang junmyeon ᵇ [] As you should lol Thank you!

Soohyuk glanced up as he saw someone approaching his row, a friendly smile already forming on his lips out of habit. His brow lifted slightly in surprise when the man stopped beside him, clearly looking for his seat, and even more so when the stranger turned out to be someone from the academy.

“That I am.” Soohyuk confirmed with a light chuckle, leaning forward slightly and offering his hand. “Nice to meet you, Professor.” His tone was warm and unassuming, the same way he greeted anyone who wandered into his office. And as he settled back into his seat, he observed the other briefly, this wasn’t someone he’d interacted with much, but he remembered seeing him around campus. The chemistry professor, if he wasn’t mistaken and as he introduced himself.

Soohyuk’s smile lingered as he gave a casual shrug. “I came here not really expecting anything, honestly. Just needed a break. I heard it’s good, though.” He kept his voice low, mindful of the others, even if the theater was mostly empty. Tilting his head slightly, he added, “How about you? What brings a professor of chemistry to a mindless movie on a weekday morning?” His tone held a playful note, though he wasn’t poking fun but was just genuinely curious.

@☼┊wen soohyuk ᵇ () claiming this!

Junmyeon got in line for the popcorn, his brain worn out after spending hours on the exam papers he had to grade. Although the examination was lab-based, that had only cut down some of the pages he had to mark, rather than having a completely theoretical exam. Overseeing the practical had been another feat. He was spent. He looked directly at the cashier who had been calling for his attention for the past couple minutes, cheeks pinking at having spaced out, and indicated for the sweet and salty popcorn set. After paying and thanking the cashier, Junmyeon headed for the theatre. A mindless Hallmark-esque movie was what he needed that morning.

Walking into the theater, the professor carefully made his way to his purchased seat, his hands full with a large bucket of popcorn and a large drink. "J15, J15..." he mumbled under his breath, searching the row tags placed at the bottom of the aisle seats. The hall was mostly empty, evidence of a morning showing. Nearing the row, he saw that it had only one occupied seat — a seat taken by familiar face who he'd seen roaming the halls a couple times. With an small smile, Junmyeon squeezed past the other male to plant his in the seat beside the latter. He shifted in his seat to slightly face the other. "Hi. You're the guidance counselor, Wen Soohyuk, right?" He spoke in a low voice, being courteous to the other moviegoers, even though it was just the previews. "I'm Jiang Junmyeon, the chemistry professor. Are you excited for this movie?"

[ Open ]

It wasn’t often that Soohyuk found himself indulging in trends, but the buzz surrounding this particular movie was impossible to ignore. Students and staff alike had been raving about it in passing conversations, and even the vending machine chatter hadn't spared him. At first, he brushed it off with a shrug, chalking it up to the usual overhype. But after overhearing another group passionately dissecting its plot in the cafeteria, his curiosity finally got the better of him.

So, there he was, standing in line at the local cinema, his eyes flicked over the vibrant posters. "A masterpiece of storytelling." one review claimed, while another promised it was "An emotional rollercoaster you won’t soon forget." Soohyuk raised an eyebrow. It better live up to the drama, he thought.

Ticket in hand, he stepped into the dimly lit theater, scanning the sparsely populated seats, it was an early weekday showing, and he liked his peace. Settling into a seat near the middle, he stretched out, slipping his jacket off and draping it over the chair beside him. As the previews began, he leaned back, one hand in his pocket fiddling with a spare candy wrapper. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was expecting, but if nothing else, this was a chance to unwind and take a break from his usual antics. The murmured conversations and the smell of buttery popcorn filled the room as he glanced around, briefly wondering who else might have been drawn to the hype like he was.