My Japanese Childhood Friend Is Too Flirty - Chapter 149



148. The Growing Family (4)

Ask any newly-returned student who took a leave of absence for military service, “Are there any downsides to being a returning student?” and you’d probably get the same answer from nine out of ten: “There are hardly any of my original classmates left. It’s lonely.”

The reason they say that is because, structurally, it’s difficult for classmates to remain in the same year.

Female classmates rarely take a break, so most of them are a year or two ahead. Male classmates, on the other hand, all have different conscription schedules, making it nearly impossible to take leave and return at the same time. Even if you do see them, chances are they’ll be in a different year.

“Man… I don’t recognize any of these faces. Right?”

“Yeah…”

Responding to my classmate’s question, I scanned the general education lecture hall.

The class limit was twenty, and I only recognized two faces. One was a classmate who’d taken military leave around the same time as me and returned with me. The other was someone who’d gone to the military earlier but couldn’t get an early return, so he was back now.

The rest were all fresh-faced freshmen, total strangers. The lecture hall scene, after two years away, felt quite foreign. To exaggerate slightly, it felt like being at a different university.

“Out of twenty people, you’re the only face I recognize. Man, thank god you’re here, Woo-ju. Being a returning student really s*cks…”

“Wanna hear something even s*ckier? Min-woo’s already started job hunting this year.”

Min-woo, the classmate who didn’t need to serve in the military, who’d kept attending classes while my classmate and I were finishing up our first year and waiting to return for our second.

We started together, that’s for sure, but now my classmate and I were sophomores while Min-woo was a senior, preparing for employment. Mentioning that made my classmate pull the ugliest face.

“Seriously, someone’s taking general ed with freshmen while someone else is job hunting? Is this real life?”

“How does the red pill taste?”

“How do you think it tastes? Like shit. I should’ve torn my ACL to avoid the army. …Ah, but.”

Complaining, my classmate turned to me.

“You were with the Capital Defense Command, right? What was the atmosphere like there? People say it’s a real cakewalk.”

“It *was* easy. But it probably would’ve been easy even if I weren’t at the Capital Defense Command, you know? Because I was a *sang-geun*.”

Active duty is constant barracks life for a year and a half. *Sang-geun* are able to commute and get their personal time guaranteed on weekends and holidays. Setting everything else aside, those things alone make it indescribably sweet.

Knowing that, my classmate’s expression changed as soon as he heard the word *sang-geun*. Just moments ago he had been looking at me like a comrade who had overcome hardships together. Now, his face resembled that of a new recruit looking at a week-old compost bin.

“Ah, you were a *sang-geun*? Not a barracks *sang-geun*, but a commute *sang-geun*?”

“Commuting, yeah. I think all Capital Defense Command *sang-geun* are commuting.”

“Really? We only had barracks *sang-geun* in our unit, so everyone was living in the barracks together. Ah, but what do Capital Defense Command *sang-geun* even do? Administrative work?”

“Depends on where you’re assigned. I was an administrative clerk in the personnel department, so I was doing stuff pretty similar to administrative work. Hardly any physical labor, mostly paperwork. Though, I sometimes got stuck running errands for the company commander.”

“Not the personnel manager, but the *company commander* was sending you on errands personally?”

My classmate looked at me with a doubtful expression. But this was all facts, no MSG added. In the military, after all, the abnormal becomes normal and the normal becomes abnormal all the time. Anyone who’s been discharged can relate.

“Yeah. Our company commander really hated *sang-geun*. He said soldiers who didn’t do physical work weren’t real soldiers or something….”

“Man. He sounds like a real fossil just from hearing that.”

“Total geezer. But thankfully, our personnel manager’s competent, so it’s not so bad. When the company commander tried to find fault and harass us, he’d cover for us. Like, ‘Why are you picking on the guys for pointless things?’”

“A reservist getting covered for by the personnel manager himself… That’s pretty rare, no? Just how good of a job were you doing?”

“Don’t let this face fool you, I’m talent that the personnel manager personally interviewed and picked.”

Truth was, I became a personnel clerk more because of my university’s reputation than any recognized skill, but my classmate wouldn’t know that, so I threw in a little boast. I puffed out my chest and shrugged my shoulders.

“Ah, but you know. Do you still keep in touch with your juniors?”

“I keep in touch with one junior who was discharged right after me, but not the others. What about you, Woo-joo?”

“I don’t either, except for one junior.”

There’s no reason to contact the active duty soldiers, and I got separated from my classmates when I was selected as an administrative clerk, so I don’t even have their numbers. It might sound cold, but that’s the reality…

“Oh, really? Were you two close, then?”

“We were. After the senior officer discharged, it was just him and me, the two of us, as reservist clerks. The rest were all active duty.”

“If it’s just the two reservists, you’re bound to get super close. I’d stay in touch too, if I were you.”

“Oh? Oppa, hello!”

In the middle of our army stories, someone called out from the side. I turned in the direction of the voice and saw a young, youthful student standing there. If my memory serves me right, she’s a freshman I haven’t known for very long.

“Oh. Hello. Heading to class?”

“Yes! I’m here for a general education class. But did you take this class too, Oppa? Why does it feel like I haven’t seen you before…?”

“What class are you taking at this time?”

“Um, ‘Understanding and Practice of Physical Activities.’”

“Ah. So that’s why. This is ‘Cycling and Sports Science.’ You’ve mistaken the classroom.”

“Eh…? Really?”

The junior clumsily pulled out her phone.

With her small, fern-like hands, she opened the Everytime app to check her schedule. Then, she looked at the classroom number written outside and her eyes widened.

“Oh no, really? It’s not here, but in the next building…!”

“If it’s the next building, you can get there quickly. Class starts soon, so hurry.”

“Yes. I’m sorry! Oppa, I’ll buy you a meal sometime…!”

“Okay. Sure~”

I waved my hand, signaling her to go quickly.

The junior who mistook the classroom bowed her head deeply, then dashed out of the classroom in a hurry.

My classmate stared at the junior’s departing figure, then turned his head abruptly.

“Hey, are you two close?”

“Not really close, just the kind where we say hello if we see each other… Something like that, at least.”

“Oh? Then, could you introduce me?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“She’s… a boy.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? He called you ‘Oppa’!”

“……”

I closed my mouth.

My classmate stared at me for a good while, with an expression that suggested he couldn’t grasp the situation.

“Wait… could it be, what I think it is?”

“Yeah.”

“……Ah.”

He must’ve understood my words belatedly because his mouth fell wide open.

* * *

Afternoon.

The day’s timetable ended with the 7th period class.

I headed straight home, but I stopped by the supermarket in front of our house for a bit, to buy some snacks for our family to eat. Due to Aki’s childcare policy, snacks with imbalanced nutrition or food additives were strictly forbidden. So, for Yura, it’s Dr.You baby snacks, healthy and tasty. As for Aki and me, we tend toward sweet and salty, stimulating snacks.

If you were to ask why Yura gets the healthy stuff and we eat the stimulating stuff… I’d reply that it’s one of the few privileges of being an adult. I’m only 23; I can’t possibly eat the same snacks as 3-year-olds.

“Yura-yah. Daddy’s home~!”

I opened the gate and entered the house.

A ruckus of voices came from the master bedroom at the far end of the hallway, and then the door swung open, and two familiar faces emerged.

“Ah, Daddy~!”

The smaller one is our Yura, the bigger one is Aki.

As she grows, Yura resembles Aki more and more. As soon as she saw me, she smiled brightly and toddled toward me, wrapping her arms around me. I smiled involuntarily, patting her back, finding Yura’s clumsy walk endlessly endearing.

“Were you a good girl for Mommy, Yura?”

“Yeah! Yes! I was being good!”

“Really? Good girl. Shall we eat the snack Daddy bought as a reward?”

“Ah, really? Hooray~!”

‘……Ah, so cute.’

So this is why everyone raises daughters……

“Dear, you’re back?”

“Yeah, I’m home. Everything alright?”

He smiled warmly, his eyes meeting Aki’s. I scooped Yura up into my arms, rising from the sofa. Yura giggled, wriggling in my embrace.

“Same old, same old. Fed Yura, did the housework.”

“You worked hard. I brought snacks, let’s eat together. Got mostly things you like, Aki.”

“We’re supposed to eat dinner soon… what did you get?”

“Pocky and wafers. Oreos. And Dr. You for Yura.”

“Mmm, I see… Let’s eat the Pocky now and freeze the wafers. Less crumbs that way.”

“Okay. I’m going to shower, yeah?”

“Give me your jacket. I’ll get it dry-cleaned with my clothes later.”

“Then my shoes, too… Ah, no. Let’s just go together later. It’ll be too much for you to carry the jacket and shoes alone. Better that way.”

“Daddy, are you going out later?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Just a quick trip to the cleaners. Want to come, Yura?”

“I want to go too!”

“…Heh. Alright. We’ll go together later.”

Still a kid, I guess. She always wants to tag along whenever she hears the word ‘going out’. Don’t know why it’s so adorable.

I set Yura down and slipped off my jacket, handing it to Aki. Aki took the jacket, and I headed straight to the bathroom for a quick shower. After, I changed into casual clothes and came back to the living room.

Aki and Yura were already sitting at the dining table.

“Alright, this is for our Yura. And this~ for my hubby.”

No sooner had I sat down than Aki started handing out the snacks, like she’d been waiting for this moment.

My share was Pocky and a few Oreos, while Yura got a yellow, pumpkin-flavored cookie. Apparently, that kind of cookie is supposed to be good for babies.

“Mommy, can’t I have what Mommy and Daddy are eating too?”

“You want to try this, Yura?”

“Yes! I want to!”

“She wants some. What do you think, Aki?”

“Mmm… not yet. You can eat the same things as Daddy and Mommy when you’re a little older. Okay?”

“Okaaay…”

Yura looked deflated by Aki’s firm refusal.

I glanced at Aki cautiously, then leaned in close to Yura and whispered in her ear.

“…Yura. Daddy will sneak you some later, alright?”

“Ah, really? Daddy’s the best…!”

“Husband, can you hear me… everything?”

“Ah, I heard?”

I tried to be quiet, but she heard anyway. I gave a sheepish grin. Aki just stared at me, then let out a small, disbelieving laugh.

“Ugh…. Alright, alright. Yura can have some too. But just a little, okay? It’s not good for you to eat too much, got it?”

“Yes! I understand!”

“Good. Now, for our Yura, just this much…”

“But Mommy, if it’s not good for you, why do Mommy and Daddy eat so much?”

‘Oh…’

That’s a sharp question.

Curious to see what Aki would say, I glanced over at her.

“……”

Aki’s lips were clamped shut.

She didn’t seem to have a good answer ready, her lips moving hesitantly… then suddenly, she looked at me.

She wanted me to answer for her.

“……Ahem.”

“……”

She’s passing this tricky one off to me.

I hadn’t expected the arrow to turn this way, so the words didn’t come out immediately.

So, after a long moment of consideration, I opened my mouth haltingly.

“Adults… it’s alright for them to eat things that aren’t good for them. Because they’re adults.”

“Eh…. Is that how it is?”

“Uh-huh. That’s how it is. So, Yura can eat things that aren’t good for you when you grow up too. Okay?”

“Yes!”

‘…Something about that doesn’t quite sound right.’

She seemed to understand, so let’s just move on. I deliberately said, very loudly, “Let’s eat!” and grabbed a Pocky stick.

“Yura, you should say ‘Let’s eat!’ like Daddy, okay?”

“Ah. Let’s eat!”

“Aki, you take one too.”

“Uh-huh. Thanks…”

Aki took the Pocky stick I offered.

Looking at Aki, I smiled contentedly, then turned my gaze to watch Yura eat. Yura was nibbling on a pumpkin cookie with her small mouth, cheeks puffed.

‘It’s just like that…’

The way Yura diligently munched reminded me of a baby squirrel from that wildlife documentary I’d watched recently. I glanced at Aki. She was smiling, probably thinking something similar.

“Our Yura. What did you and Mommy do today?”

“We studied Korean and Hiragana… and watched YouTube together!”

“Oh, really? What did you watch?”

“The good things about having a younger sibling, Yo!”

“……Huh?”

“Daddy. They said on YouTube, if you have a younger sibling, you’re never bored, it’s fun, and you can play house together. Can you make me a younger sibling?”

Yura looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“Ah, well…”

It wasn’t something I could answer so easily, so I hesitated, glancing sidelong at Aki.

“……Heheh.”

Aki was smiling.

“Daddy. I want a younger sibling, too!”

“So she says, my dear husband…?”

“……”