My Japanese Childhood Friend Is Too Flirty - Chapter 143



142. Wedding, Honeymoon, and Just the Two of Us…. (4)

The next day, the hotel pool.

I had only been wearing a jacket over my swimsuit. After changing in the locker room, I stored my clothes in a personal locker and came outside. And immediately looked for Aki. The women’s locker room and men’s locker room were in completely opposite directions. She was probably over on the other side of the pool.

Ignoring the gazes that settled on me in a strangely lingering way, I stretched and walked towards the women’s locker room. Then, I saw Aki standing there, having changed into her swimsuit.

Aki was talking to a man.

“No. I’m with someone….”

“Oh? You’re Korean? I’m Korean too! Is this your first time traveling in France?”

“Uh… well, I guess if it’s a trip, it is my first time….”

“I’ve been to France a few times. I know a good restaurant around here, would you like to join me for dinner later?”

“Uh…? No, that’s… Ah…!”

Aki’s gaze met mine.

She had been twisting her body as if troubled, but the moment she saw me, her face lit up and she waved. I slowly walked towards her.

“Darling, you’re here…?”

“Yeah. I’m here. But…”

From noble mtl dot com

I glanced at the man standing in front of Aki, silently asking, “Do you know him?”

I asked because it might be rude if they were acquainted… and Aki immediately shook her head slightly.

It meant she didn’t know him.

“Does my wife have some business with you?”

Pulling Aki close to my side, I looked down at the man with a blank expression.

I didn’t exactly intend to threaten him, but I was taller than him, so that’s just how it looked. The man seemed to feel the pressure and hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly lowered his head.

“Ah. My apologies. I didn’t realize you had a husband… Enjoy your trip…”

“……”

I watched him silently until he disappeared from our sight.

The man, with an apologetic expression, bowed and hurried away, as if fleeing the scene… and it was only when he was completely out of sight that I spoke to Aki.

“I couldn’t hear properly from a distance. What happened?”

“Hmm… it wasn’t really anything. I changed my clothes and came out to wait for you, and then that man just came up to me and said, in French, ‘Bonjour, are you here alone~?’ So, I figured he must be Korean, and *atashi* said in Korean that I was with someone. Then he asked if I was Korean too, because he was also Korean, and if I’d like to have dinner together…”

“And…?”

“I was about to say that would be difficult, about to refuse… when you just happened to arrive. That’s all.”

“Ah… is that so?”

So nothing really happened.

Well, I guess a stranger hitting on you could be a big deal. But when it’s someone as cute as Aki, it’s not that unusual.

Whether before or after we got married, whenever we went out together and I left her side for a moment, someone would always try to strike up a conversation. And the opposite happened quite often too.

“Mhm… But it’s a little strange, you know? *Atashi’s* belly is pretty obvious even from a distance, so how could he ask me to dinner?”

“Maybe he just thought it was… abdominal obesity?”

“……”

*Tch.*

Aki narrowed her eyes and glared at me.

I smiled to show it was a joke and took Aki’s hand.

“I’m kidding. It’s because you’re too cute, Aki.”

“…Hmph. You’re good with words.”

Aki shot back at me, her tone petulant.

If she were truly sulking, she would have dropped my hand. But she was still holding on, which meant she wasn’t genuinely upset. Having learned to read her moods over time, I scanned Aki up and down, wondering what I could compliment.

The swimsuit she’d chosen was a white bikini.

I’d seen it once back in the hotel room. A simple, single-color bikini with no patterns or embellishments. But as they say, simple is best, and Aki, with her stunning figure, was pulling off the white bikini perfectly. As proof, I could feel the few other guests and staff glancing our way more than usual.

“Your swimsuit is really pretty… Aki, you look adorable.”

“……Ehem.”

A shrug.

Aki shrugged her shoulders, as if prompting me for more praise.

I moved closer to her side, practically brushing against her. And I whispered,

“The prettiest, the cutest, the most lovable in the world. …If I could, I’d lock you away in a room and have you look at only me for the rest of your life, that’s how good you look.”

“…….”

“I’m already head over heels, and I think I’m falling even harder. I want to k*ss you, hold you, right now. If there wasn’t anyone here… …I would.”

“……Eep.”

Aki’s face flushed crimson.

Even I thought my last words were a little too intense. They weren’t exactly the kind of thing you should say to a pregnant woman you have to be careful around.

“D-Do I look that…risqué?”

“Not risqué…just incredibly beautiful.”

Even though her slightly rounded belly was visible, what else would bring men over to chat? It’s because Aki is so cute and pretty that guys are approaching her, the fact that she is married doesn’t matter. At least, that’s how I see it.

“Should I… maybe put on a cover-up…?”

Aki asked awkwardly, gently pressing her arms to her chest as if to cover it.

If the pool were crowded, I would have told her to, of course. But the pool was deserted, as check-in time had only just passed. There was no real need to bother when there weren’t many people watching. It’d just be stuffy.

“Hmm, do you have to? Why hide something so beautiful? It would be a waste to cover it.”

“Oh…. Alright. A-and you look really handsome in your swimsuit, too, honey… really…”

Looking up at me, Aki’s face turned a faint shade of pink.

It didn’t feel like simple lip service, this shy demeanor, and I secretly felt a surge of pride and confidence. I chuckled softly and brushed a stray strand of hair behind Aki’s ear.

“Want to go swimming together?”

“Yes. I do…”

“……Alright. Come on.”

I took Aki’s hand.

Slowly, carefully, I escorted her toward the pool, treating her as if she were made of glass.

Squatting down slightly, I dipped my hand into the water. Just as Aki had said, the pool was lukewarm. At this temperature, there wasn’t much need for stretching beforehand. I eased my feet in first, gently tugging at Aki’s hand.

“Careful. Okay?”

“Mm…”

With a splash, Aki joined me.

Being a hotel pool, the water wasn’t too deep, and the clarity was impeccable, the bottom clearly visible.

The water lapped around my sternum, while for Aki, it reached her chest. Taking her hand in mine, I properly began our water play.

Starting with the gentle splashing common amongst couples, we playfully sprinkled water on each other, sculpted ridiculous hairstyles from our wet locks to make the other laugh, and competed to see who could hold their breath the longest. Exhausted from playing, we’d simply relax and float, letting the water support us.

For a little under two hours, Aki and I enjoyed a variety of water-based games, happily canoodling in the pool. I was thoroughly satisfied, and Aki’s face mirrored my enjoyment.

“Oh, right, Aki. Something I’ve been meaning to ask.”

When we figured we were about done playing, I sat at the pool’s edge, dangling my feet in the water, and spoke.

“Mm-hm. What is it?”

Aki, sitting beside me, turned to face me. I voiced the question that had been lingering for a day.

“Yesterday, after the wedding, when we were taking photos. Seungwoo came over and said something to you, right?”

“Did he? What did he say?”

“He told you that your wish had come true.”

“Ah… Is that all? I thought it was something else.”

“Yeah. That. Can you tell me now, little by little?”

I’d thought she was merely teasing me with her words, that she would tell me at a suitable time. But she hadn’t mentioned it, and hadn’t still. My curiosity runs strong, you see, so something like this continues to nag at me.

Aki’s been around me for over ten years, so she must know my personality by now… *Psh*, she chuckles, staring intently at my serious expression.

“Sadly, not yet…!”

“When will you be able to tell me?”

“Hmm… In about, oh, ten years?”

“Ten years…?”

Not one year, but ten years. Ten years from now, we’ll be thirty! By then, I’d probably have forgotten we even made that promise.

“No, ten years is a bit… Can’t we compromise at, say, ten minutes?”

“Nope. Can’t do it. It’s a super, super important secret. The current you must never know.”

“The current me mustn’t know… does that mean it’s something that the you of right now would get angry by?”

“Hehe. Perhaps? Maybe not…”

“……”

A sneaky attempt to pry, failed.

Seeing her laugh as if teasing, it was clear she absolutely wouldn’t tell me. Aki, unexpectedly, could be quite stubborn in ways like this.

So be it. I’ll ask about something else. I took Aki’s hand, sitting beside her.

“Then, why have you been starving yourself since yesterday? You didn’t even eat breakfast this morning.”

It was a bit strange to be such a sudden diet. Because Aki kept drinking things like juice or water. If she was hungry, she could just eat.

It was behavior I couldn’t understand, so I asked, genuinely curious. But Aki, as if she wouldn’t answer even this, made a drawn-out, ‘Hmm…’ sound in her nose.

“Even this is no good?”

“Hmm. Well… I could answer this one…”

“You could?”

“If you know now, it won’t be much fun…?”

“…….”

What is it?

Something that wouldn’t be fun if I knew now.

‘Ah, could it be….’

A surprise event Aki has prepared for me, something like that?

……But what kind of surprise could she possibly be preparing that requires her to starve herself?

“Curious?”

“I am curious… but more than that, I’m worried. It’s been almost three days since you last ate….”

“Ah, you don’t need to worry about that. I’ll eat properly starting tomorrow morning.”

“Really…?”

That meant I’d find out the reason tonight.

“Yeah. So look forward to it, my lord…?”

“……Is it… anything strange, perhaps?”

“Include even that feeling of unease in your expectations. Heehee….”

“…….”

Just what has she prepared that she’s being so coy?

I started to get worried in a different way…….