My Japanese Childhood Friend Is Too Flirty - Chapter 141



140. Wedding, Honeymoon, and Just the Two of Us…. (2)

“Bride, please look straight ahead. Groom, move closer! Okay, we’ll take it now. One, two, three!”

—Click!

“Yes. That’s it. Thank you for your hard work!”

“Thank you!”

“Ah, thank you!”

Aki and I bowed our heads deeply. With this, the group photo shoot, the last event on the schedule, was also over.

I navigated the throng, offering kind words to each cloud of acquaintances and relatives, until most had drifted towards the hotel buffet. Then, I approached Aki.

She, too, looked a touch weary, having been besieged by her own well-wishers.

“Aki, you’ve done well. Was it trying?”

I gently smoothed a strand of her pink hair, smiling.

A slow bloom of a smile spread across Aki’s lips as she looked up at me.

“Mmh. No, it’s alright. You too, dear husband…!”

“Thirsty? Shall I fetch you some water?”

Before she could answer, I was already moving. I filled a cup at the nearby dispenser and brought it to her. She smiled, a hint of amusement in her gratitude.

“Thank you. But if you were going to do that, why did you even ask…?”

“Why else? I wanted a chance to show off a little.”

“Heeh…. You’re strange.”

*Slurp.* Aki took a drink from the paper cup. A crimson lipstick stain marked the edge.

“Aah…! Refreshing. Oh, dear husband, would you like a sip?”

“Yes. If there’s some left, give it here.”

I took the cup she offered and sipped. Unintentionally, it was from the side marked by her lipstick.

Aki watched me intently as I drank, her cheeks flushing slightly when our eyes met.

“Just now… you didn’t drink from that side on purpose, did you…?”

“Surely not. That couldn’t be.”

“I think you did….”

Aki glanced at me, a flicker of suspicion in her gaze.

She seemed to believe I’d done it deliberately. Truthfully, it wasn’t intentional. Though, even if it *had* been, would it truly matter? If we were merely dating, a little indirect k*ss wouldn’t be a cause for concern. But we are married now. What’s the big deal about such an indirect k*ss?

“Aki. Shall we take another picture, just the two of us?”

“Eh? Just us?”

“Yes. Just us. We’ve taken so many with other people, but other than the studio shots, we don’t have a single one of just the two of us.”

“Ah…! That’s right. Now that I think about it, we really don’t…?”

Aki’s eyes widened. As I said, we didn’t have a single casual picture of just the two of us. Because there wasn’t any time. We should’ve taken one before the actual ceremony while there was ample time, but I forgot, and now we haven’t yet.

“Come here. Let’s take a few close-ups.”

“Alright…! Like this…?”

“Just a moment. Hmm….”

I held my phone high, angled down towards us.

*Click, click–!*

A two-shot of me in a suit and Aki in a wedding dress. It was taken with my phone in selfie mode, so it lacked a professional feel, but I liked that the slightly awkward atmosphere made it feel more real.

“Oh, this came out well. Gotta make this my profile pic…”

“Atashi too. Atashi wanna do it too! Send Atashi the picture, Darling!”

“Alright, alright. But let me do it first…”

“Woo-joo!”

I was fiddling with my phone when someone called my name. I turned in the direction of the voice and saw a rather familiar face.

Kim Seung-woo.

My high school classmate, and the friend who secretly helped Aki and I have our first k*ss.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was the one who made us who we are today, so I greeted him warmly.

“What, not at the buffet? What are you doing here?”

“I was waiting here to say hi before going in. But you weren’t coming, so I just came looking.”

“Ah~ is that so. You could have just called or messaged. I would have gone right over.”

“Eh, I figured you looked pretty busy.”

Seung-woo glanced at Aki and grinned. He really is perceptive.

“Oh, congratulations on the wedding. Sister-in-law. Your wish came true, huh?”

“Hey now, Sister-in-law? I got married first, so I’m Older Brother’s Wife.”

But what wish? I didn’t understand Seung-woo’s last words, so I looked at Aki. My eyes were silently asking what he meant.

And then…

*Swish.*

Aki subtly avoided my gaze.

Seung-woo, noticing the subtle shift in the air, widened his eyes.

“What, you didn’t tell Woo-joo? I thought you would have, since you said it when all the kids were together?”

“Seung-woo-ssi. Shhh…!”

“Ah~ sorry. It’s still a secret? Woo-joo, pretend you didn’t hear anything.”

“…How can I do that?”

What’s with this atmosphere? My brow furrowed. Judging by their secretive looks, it seemed like all my friends knew this story except me.

“What is it? What are you talking about?”

“Hmm… I can’t. I can’t say it myself. Ask Sister-in-law later.”

“Aish, now I’m just curious…”

“…Husband. Wouldn’t we be cutting it close for our flight if we don’t leave soon?”

Just then, Aki interjected with a dry cough.

Hearing that, I glanced at the time. Still a little wiggle room, thankfully. Not too long, maybe thirty minutes. Though, considering boarding and any unforeseen circumstances, it’d be better to leave sooner.

“Hey, Kim Seungwoo. I’m definitely asking you about this when I get back, you hear?”

“Sure. Let’s talk again when you’re back. I’ll be waiting.”

“Ugh. Look at him, forcing this heart-warming atmosphere…”

“Be careful, watch out for pickpockets. You two have a good time.”

Seungwoo smiled as he approached.

“Okay. See you later…”

Helpless, I pulled Seungwoo into a brief embrace and patted him lightly.

* * *

After a quick scan of all the wedding guests eating at the buffet, we left straight away, arriving at the airport with moments to spare.

From noble mtl dot com

─Ladies and gentlemen, Korean Air sincerely welcomes you aboard. Please switch your mobile phones and electronic devices to airplane mode…

The flight’s scheduled departure was 5:00 PM. The current time, after completing boarding procedures and settling into our seats, was 4:55 PM.

In just five minutes, the plane would take off as planned, and after a long flight of about thirteen hours, we would arrive in Paris, France. Given that we’d be spending a day and a half, plus an extra hour, on the plane, Aki and I immediately reclined our seats and settled into a comfortable position.

“Husband, we’ll arrive in Paris around midnight, right?”

“It’s 5:00 PM now, and the flight’s 14 hours… not quite midnight, maybe 10:00, 11:00 PM. Midnight if we’re delayed.”

“We’ll sleep right away, and have breakfast there at the hotel?”

“Whatever Aki wants to do. I’m fine with anything, as long as you are.”

“Oh my, our husband. Why so sweet…?”

“What do you mean? I’ve always been sweet, haven’t I?”

“Heheh… What are you going to do first when we arrive?”

“First, take some photos and send them to our parents, then go to the hotel and unpack…”

Since we’d arrive in the late afternoon, we’d rest well at the hotel. Then, the real sightseeing would begin on the morning of the second day, at least that was the plan. There wasn’t much to do at night anyway, and with the fatigue from the wedding and travel, overdoing it on the first day would mess up our rhythm. I knew this from experience, from our trip to Japan.

We pushed ourselves day and night on the first two days. By the third, we were both like zombies. Not even joking.

“What will you do after unpacking?”

“Sleep, what else? Sleep, then wake up and eat breakfast. Look around the city a bit, then return to the hotel in the evening and just…”

“Just?”

“…just rest well.”

“Heeh. I see…”

“Why, don’t you like it?”

“No, well… it’s not that I *don’t* like it, exactly….”

A sidelong glance.

“If all you do is rest, when will we have… *that*?”

“……”

Thank heavens there’s nobody else around.

Aki’s words, a blatant seduction, I tried to pretend I didn’t hear. But Aki wouldn’t let me be.

She twisted her body slightly toward me, hand catching hold of the belt at her waist.

“Darling.”

“…Huh?”

“You know, Atashi… I haven’t eaten anything since lunch yesterday.”

“Uh-huh. I know, right? You said your morning sickness suddenly got worse, that it’s hard to eat anything…”

“That was a lie.”

“Huh… A lie?”

“Mm. A lie. Because, if I’d just not eaten, Darling would have scolded me, right?”

“……”

Well, that’s true enough. Even if she wasn’t pregnant, if she hadn’t eaten for two days I’d tell her not to push her diet too hard, and now that she’s carrying our child…

“Do you know why I did that?”

“Hmm. Because of the wedding photoshoot…?”

“Half right, half wrong.”

“Half wrong? …What’s the reason, then?”

“Mm. The reason Atashi went hungry…”

So close.

Aki edged closer, right beside me.

I pricked up my ears.

…It was then.

—*Ladies and gentlemen, our plane will now be taking off. Please ensure your seatbelts are fastened.*

As luck would have it, the in-flight announcement chimed in. While we were having our little back-and-forth, it was time for takeoff.

“Ah, we’re leaving…?”

Aki, who had been leaning close, settled back into her seat. And clicked the seatbelt shut.

Following suit, I fastened my own belt, glancing sideways at her.

“You sure you buckled it right?”

“Mhm. I did.”

“Okay. So… what was the reason you skipped a meal?”

“Hmm… Secret.”

“…What? A secret?”

“Yep. A secret.”

“No…”

Why so many secrets today, of all days?

Making me curious, she is…

“Fine, whatever. Let’s say it’s a secret. How about just one hint? I’ll take a guess.”

“Hmm. A hint… Ah.”

Aki held out her left hand.

The ring I gave her at the wedding, on her ring finger, was visible.

“It’s related to this.”

“Related to the wedding ring…?”

What could a wedding ring possibly have to do with skipping a meal?

Completely baffled, I tilted my head, but… *thump*, the plane began to taxi forward.

“I don’t get it… What’s the reason?”

“Heh. A secret. I won’t tell ya…!”

“……”

What is this.

Seriously, what is it…?