My Japanese Childhood Friend Is Too Flirty - Chapter 148



147. The Family is Growing (3)

A year into my standby reservist duty.

A year had already passed since the day Aki first showed me her tears at the training camp entrance ceremony.

Shaved head and all, when I first entered the training camp, I wondered if my discharge date would ever arrive…. But after completing basic military training and being assigned to the Capital Defense Command, training and learning standby duties, I not only became familiar with the work before I knew it, but also had less than six months left until my discharge.

It might sound odd to say, but… if I had to pick just one thing I did best in my life, it would be enlisting as a standby reservist. Not an exaggeration, really. Compared to active-duty soldiers, there are so many merits, starting with commuting, that sometimes I wonder if I’m really a soldier.

The atmosphere is so laid-back that there’s little to no concept of seniors and juniors among the standby reservists in our unit. Of course, it’s not entirely nonexistent, but since we call each other hyung or dongsaeng, or just by our names if we’re the same age, it’s not as strict as in the military.

It’s all said when a junior soldier is the one who ends up going out first when annoying tasks like off-base errands or cleaning within the unit arise, rather than a senior.

Anyway, in that comfortable atmosphere, I’ve been making plans for after my discharge these days. When I first enlisted, I thought there was no point in thinking about the future because two years had to pass before my discharge. But with six months left, I slowly feel reality setting in, and I have many thoughts.

My current plan is to use up my accumulated leave to bring forward my discharge date, get discharged in mid-August, and then immediately return to university to continue my studies.

‘Discharged at 23. Graduate from university at 27…’

“……Umm.”

Thinking about graduating from university at 27 makes me feel a bit distant. I haven’t done anything other than serve in the military, yet I’ll be 27. You really do lose a lot of time serving in the military.

When I get off work later, should I have a serious talk with Aki about the future…

*Squeak-*

“Hyung, I’m going to run an errand later, would you like me to get you anything to drink?”

While I was continuing my thoughts looking at photos of Aki and Yura on my phone, the door to the standby reservist waiting room opened, and a familiar face walked in.

The boy’s name is Kim Jaemin. He’s eight months my junior. Actually, even though he is my junior, we’re practically like older and younger brothers from the neighborhood. Anyway.

“An errand? Did the company commander tell you to go?”

“Yes. He said he has a package to send, so he wants me to go to the post office.”

“Why does that guy keep sending us on personal errands…?”

It’s understandable if it’s a task for the unit, so it’s okay to do it. But sending packages is a purely personal matter, and the post office isn’t even nearby; I have to take the bus for 15 minutes, you know.

“I know, right? If he’s going to order us around, he should just do it during work hours. It’s really evil of him to make us work all morning and then send us out when it’s almost lunchtime, don’t you think?”

“Because I’m full-time, I’ve gotta do what they say…”

“Ugh, that b*stard baldy. Serves him right he went bald at twenty-eight.”

Jaemin screwed up his face, cursing the company commander. I almost chimed in, but just laughed. Didn’t exactly feel like sticking up for him. Before Jaemin arrived, I was the one running all sorts of personal errands for the commander.

“Want me to go for you?”

“Oh, really? …Ah, never mind. I’ll just go. You’re just trying to dump whatever you’re working on onto me.”

“Our Jaemin, you sprouted some smarts now that you’re past private, huh?”

“I’ve been around you for over four months. You think I wouldn’t notice?”

Jaemin laughed. I laughed along.

Jaemin’s gaze, after his foolish laughter, landed on my phone.

“But, you’re looking at that baby picture again?”

“Nah. It’s different from the one I showed you last time. This one’s what my wife sent me this morning.”

“Ah~ Really? Can I take a look?”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

He looked interested, so I gestured for him to come sit down.

Jaemin, with a delivery box tucked under his arm, peeked around outside before coming to sit next to me.

“Why are you looking around like that?”

“The company commander told me not to hang around with you and to get right back. If he catches me, he’ll yell at me again. ……Wow, though.”

Jaemin, glancing at the phone screen, burst out in admiration.

“Your wife, she’s really pretty no matter when you look at her. You said she’s Japanese, right?”

“Yeah. Japanese. Or, more accurately, Japanese and French mix.”

“No wonder…. She has that Japanese feeling, but it doesn’t quite feel like just Japanese. Wow, really…. So graceful…. And the baby you’re holding is really cute too….”

“She just turned two. When I get home, she’ll greet me with ‘Papa, you’re home~’.”

“Really? She speaks that well at two?”

“She’s good. It’s not just greetings, she says other things too, you know? When I try to give her medicine, she says it tastes bad and she doesn’t like it, and when I give her food, she says ‘I love you, Mommy, I love you, Daddy’~ and stuff like that. She’s really cute.”

“Oh…. Amazing. I didn’t know. I didn’t realize two-year-olds could talk like that….”

Jaemin nodded. For me, being her parent, it’s just a normal fact that two-year-old Yura can speak so articulately. But Jaemin’s not a parent, so it seems amazing to him.

“Hey, hyung. What does it feel like to be a parent?”

“Every moment is new, amazing, and every time I see my kid’s face when I get home, I feel proud…. It’s hard to put into words. But one thing’s for sure, every day is happy. Like, really happy.”

I’d been asked that question so many times, the answer just popped out.

Jaemin, listening to my words, made a ‘hmm…’ sound, like he was thinking about something, then lifted his head.

“Indeed, living with a sister-in-law like that and a baby must bring happiness… Ah, but Hyung, when’s your discharge?”

“Out of the blue…? I have six months left, now.”

“Lucky you. I still have a year and two months…”

“You think you’re high enough rank to be counting down the days? I couldn’t count down ‘til I was a Sergeant. You know that?”

“Hyung. Didn’t you always talk about your discharge date when you spoke with Hyung Homin? Hyung Homin got discharged this February, no?”

“Ahem. You must have misheard…”

*Creak-*!

“Hey, Kim Jaemin! You’re still here? I told you to get out immediately.”

The door suddenly flew open, and someone entered. I reflexively turned, and the Company Commander stood there with a twisted face.

I leaped to my feet and saluted, and the Company Commander barely acknowledged my greeting, gesturing to Jaemin with his chin.

“Get going. Before I make you clean again before you leave work.”

“Ah, yes. Understood, Sir!”

“And you, Joo Woo-joo. Are you playing around after finishing everything I told you to do?”

“Yes, Sir. I’ve finished it.”

“Oh, really? Let’s have a look.”

The Company Commander, with an expression that seemed to say, *I’ve finally caught you*, approached my desk.

I subtly hid my phone and showed him the document file. The document sorting task that the Company Commander had ordered that morning was already completed perfectly.

“You didn’t specify a deadline, Sir, so I completed it as quickly as possible.”

“……”

The Company Commander’s face soured, as if he had eaten dung.

It was… like he wanted to find something to berate me for, but the work was done so flawlessly that he couldn’t.

“……I’ll give you another file later, so sort that one too. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir. Understood.”

“Tch… Take a rest.”

The Company Commander clicked his tongue and headed outside.

I listened quietly to the receding sound of his combat boots, and when it had finally faded away, I imitated the Company Commander’s tone and muttered under my breath.

“……What nonsense.”

“Pfft…!”

Jaemin burst out laughing.

* * *

Even hung upside down, the ROK Ministry of National Defense clock still ticks.

However much the Company Commander, who held duty soldiers in low regard, chewed us out, with each commute home, the discharge date drew nearer, day by day.

Finally, 18:00, the hour I’d been waiting for, arrived. I left work and drove home in the car Aki had bought me as a birthday present not long ago. Unlocking the door and stepping inside, I saw Aki holding Yura.

“Welcome home, dear! Yura, tell Daddy you missed him~?”

“Daddy, I missed chew…”

Aside from the ‘sh’ sound, Yura’s pronunciation was shockingly accurate as she looked up at me, smiling. I bent my knees slightly to meet her eye level and gazed at Yura up close.

“Yeah. Daddy’s home. Did you behave yourself, Yura?”

“I behaved myshelf…”

“…Heh. I can tell. Judging by your face, you were doing just fine.”

There was an imprint on her cheek from how well she’d been doing.

I playfully tapped Yura’s soft cheeks for a moment, then straightened up.

“Something smells delicious. What did you make?”

“Didn’t exactly make it. I bought eel and grilled it. You like fish, don’t you, dear?”

“Oh. Really? Grilled eel is the best…”

Fish is generally good for you, after all. And eel is especially good for men. As a gesture of appreciation for her hard work, I playfully tapped Aki’s bottom.

“I’ll go wash up quickly.”

“Okay. Wash up *thoroughly*, you hear…?”

Aki smiled meaningfully.

I didn’t think much of it, just smiled back, and went to the bathroom to wash up. There hadn’t been any field training today, so I just took a quick shower instead of a full bath. I shampooed my hair and washed my body with body wash, and when I thought I’d thoroughly cleaned every nook and cranny as Aki had suggested, I came back out.

Dinner was grilled eel.

As if proving Aki’s cooking skills, the March eel sat on the kitchen table, grilled to a beautiful golden brown. I admired the color of the perfectly sized pieces of eel and sat down across from Aki, picking up my chopsticks.

“Thanks for the food!”

“Eat lots, dear~”

“Let’s see…”

First, a bite of the main event: the eel.

“…Wow. This is really good.”

Not an exaggeration – as soon as I bit down, the eel’s juices just burst out. I covered my mouth and chewed the eel, then gave her a thumbs up.

“Seriously, our Aki’s cooking is… wow, it’s delicious. The best, Aki.”

“Heh. You’re exaggerating. Here, ah~”

Aki offers me a sliver of grilled eel. I accept it with a happy heart.

“It tastes even better when Aki-chan feeds it to me, ne?”

“Hehe… so cute….”

“Ah. Delicious…. By the way, did Yura have dinner?”

“I minced some beef just so, simmered it with radish, and served it with seasoned greens and bacon…. I made her eat quite a few things.”

“Yura really likes sausage, but I guess you didn’t make any?”

“Ah, yes. I know she likes it, but I don’t want to feed it to her too often. Processed meat isn’t good for the body, you know?”

“Well, that’s true, isn’t it? It’s better to just buy meat and feed her that, if possible….”

“That’s right. It’s better to just feed her meat, and if we instill good eating habits when she’s little, she’ll be healthier later in life.”

Aki nods her head with a serious face.

‘…As expected, Aki is so sharp.’

Even if I don’t know about anything else, I think I did well in marrying her. I smiled brightly as I looked at Aki.

“Thank you. Aki.”

“Huh…? What are you thanking me for?”

“Just… everything. You must find it bothersome, fussing over everything every morning, coming to greet me every day when I get off work…. I really think I did well in marrying you. I love you.”

“…….”

Aki stares intently at me.

Did I say something wrong?

“……Darling.”

“Uh, yes?”

“I’ll put Yura to bed early tonight.”

“……Why?”

“You said you loved me…?”

*Thump.*

Aki places her hand on the back of my hand.

“Are you just going to say it…?”

From noble mtl dot com

“…….”

Ah.

I need to show my love with my body too, don’t I?

…At this rate, I might actually end up with a second child.

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