My Japanese Childhood Friend Is Too Flirty - Chapter 48



47. Love, or Friendship. (3)

Aki took the bikini I’d half-jokingly told her to try on and went into the changing room.

In just a little bit, Aki, changed into the bikini, would come out.

‘……Bikini.’

From noble mtl dot com

Something even I, her childhood friend of 11 years, had never seen.

If I had to quote Aki herself, she had never worn one, saying, ‘If I wear a bikini, everyone will stare, and I’m a bit uncomfortable with too much exposure…’

Yeah.

That very bikini.

Something that’s no exaggeration to call a man’s fantasy, a bikini.

Something that every man desires and yearns for, a bikini…!

I clenched my fist tightly and cheered internally.

“……Ah.”

This is seriously too good.

I never got to see this, even when we went to the pool or the beach, even when we traveled with family.

I don’t know what came over her today, but she said she’d try on a bikini, and I’m so excited I can barely stay still.

Like someone having a nervous breakdown, I kept pacing near the changing room, glancing around here and there, counting off each second, waiting for Aki to come out.

If anyone saw me like this, they’d probably say I was making a huge fuss over just a swimsuit.

‘Ah, but of course it’s a big deal…!’

Because, you know, it’s *Aki* in a bikini.

She’s always had a good figure, but lately, it’s grown so well it’s almost embarrassing to look at!

If I *wasn’t* excited, I’d be an idiot, or some neutered thing with no male urges.

I’m neither of those, which is why I’m so incredibly hyped up right now.

“When she comes out….”

Should I ask to take some pictures?

Aki looks beautiful and amazing in anything she wears, so she’ll look amazing in a bikini too, and I want to keep those photos, to look at every single day. But she’d totally misunderstand. Even if I had no weird intentions, even if it was just a pure, innocent request.

—…Woo-joo~chan, are you still there?

I had my arms crossed, trying to hide my smile behind my hand, when Aki’s voice came from inside the changing room.

‘Ah, is she about to come out?’

It was about time. Full of anticipation, I quickly walked toward the changing room door.

“Yeah, what’s up? Are you all done?”

—I, I put it on, but….

Aki’s voice trailed off more and more.

— Uh, just a sec…. Wanna come in…?

“Come inside?”

— Yeah, it’ll just be a minute….

We were separated by a thick wall, so it wasn’t entirely clear, but her voice getting smaller and smaller sounded like something was up.

What’s going on? Maybe there’s a bug or something?

I didn’t know the situation, but just standing here wouldn’t solve anything. I quickly glanced around the store.

No one was watching me, a guy standing alone, blankly. Except for one problem—the CCTV was recording the entrance to the fitting room, but hey, it’s not like I was planning to commit a crime, so it should be fine.

“Aki, I’m coming in?”

Right before going in, just to be sure, I asked again.

— …….

No answer. A bit weirded out, I tilted my head and stepped into the fitting room.

*Creak—.*

“Aki, why…”

I was about to say, *you called for me*, when.

*Thump*, *grab*!

Aki quickly shut the fitting room door and pulled me inside.

The fitting room was smaller than I thought. Now we were face to face, close enough to touch each other if we reached out.

“……So, how is it?”

Aki, gently grabbing my sleeve, was, unsurprisingly, in a bikini.

Her eyes held a look, like she wanted an honest assessment, so I slowly scanned Aki’s body, from top to bottom.

“……”

Tight.

Like, really tight.

But not tight in a bad way. It’s not like Aki’s gained weight, either.

How should I put it? It’s a bit awkward trying to explain.

If I’m being brutally honest…

The bra-like top was so tight, her breasts practically bursting out around the cups, and it looked damn good.

And the glimpse of those vibrant blue veins in the deep cleavage, also damn good.

Her waist, cinched in so small it seemed impossible, looked great, and her wide, feminine hips, boasting their charm, were great too.

The tight bikini bottoms, barely hanging on her hips rather than worn, were also great…

“……”

Just.

Everything.

Everything I saw was just… good.

“S-So, it doesn’t… suit me?”

Aki, seeing me staring blankly at her in the bikini, mumbled, “It’s a little tight, huh…?” and slightly tugged on the bikini bra strap.

That almost made a certain area flash, so I snapped to it and quickly grabbed her wrist.

“No, no. It suits you, it looks incredible.”

“Oh, really…?”

“Uhh, yeah, really. It’s so pretty. …But.”

It’s good to look at.

So pretty, it’s good to look at, that all the flowery language in the world wouldn’t be enough to describe it.

“Let’s not buy it.”

“Huh? Don’t buy it…?”

“I don’t think you should wear this in front of other people.”

But, it’s just good to look at, literally.

It’s beyond good for me to see, but Aki walking around in front of a bunch of strangers wearing this bikini is something that just can’t happen.

It’s not just the amount of skin showing, but it suits her so well and she looks so pretty, that if she walked around the beach or pool in this, I’m a hundred percent sure weirdos would be all over her.

Not exaggerating, really.

“….You’re saying I shouldn’t wear it in front of other people?”

Aki, whose wrist I’m holding, fidgets.

Following Aki’s strangely hesitant movements, the tight swimsuit shifts slightly.

Mesmerized, I stared at that sway, that was like the word ‘softness’ made flesh.

“T-then…”

My eyes met Aki’s.

“In front of… You-joo-chan, it’s okay to wear it…?”

Aki asks carefully.

I held my breath.

In front of me, it’s okay, huh…

“…If you wore it, well, I wouldn’t exactly complain.”

The problem is whether I can keep my sanity in check.

Honestly, even in this slightly dangerous situation, with just the two of us in a swimsuit store dressing room, it’s already getting a little hard to hold back.

With bare skin peeking out all over, it feels like just touching anywhere would feel so good.

I’m starting to want to do some, like, harsh things driven by lust…

It might sound like some animalistic shit, but if Aki was wearing something like this when it’s just the two of us, I don’t know what I might do.

So.

For Aki’s sake, and for my own, I should tell her not to.

“…….”

I just couldn’t get the words out.

My head knows I should stop Aki, but my heart is vehemently telling me not to even think about it.

“……Heh.”

Then Aki giggled, cute as could be.

“Uhh, I know your heart, Uju~chan…”

“……Huh? What heart?”

Aki, who had been looking up at me silently, smiled as if she knew everything, and tapped my arm.

Maybe it’s the situation, but her smile even seemed a little alluring.

“What do you mean, what heart? That you’re too embarrassed to say it to me directly, right…?”

“…….”

Bullseye.

Feeling like my insides had been laid bare, I tried to play it cool with a fake cough.

It was my own kind of improvisation, but really, in this situation, silence meant agreement.

“You know what? Uju~chan, you do this fake cough thing when you’ve got something to hide…?”

“……Did I?”

“Uh-huh, you did. See, you’re doing it right now….”

Slowly, Akki moved closer, step by step.

The dressing room was small, so we were close to begin with, but now we were at a distance where our breaths were practically caressing each other’s skin.

“Heh, cute….”

‘……Who is calling who cute.’

Seemingly unaware that she’s the cutest one in the world, Akki was giggling softly, like she found it adorable when I avoided her gaze, and edged closer.

“Uju~chan.”

“……What?”

“You want me to wear this swimsuit again next time, right…?”

Yes.

My heart was screaming to say it, but I forced the words back down.

Akki kept calling me cute, someone who only ever gets called handsome and cool when we go out, and it felt like she was deliberately trying to tease me with her questions.

If I answered honestly, it felt like I’d be the one losing.

“If you don’t say it, I’ll never wear a bikini again, ever…?”

“……”

I met Akki’s eyes.

His gaze is sincere.

Aki might joke, but she never says empty words.

‘If I don’t answer properly…’

Like she said, she probably won’t wear a bikini ever again.

“……Wear it.”

Thinking that, the answer just popped out.

“We-wear it, please.”

“Wear what?”

“Of course, the bikini…”

A man’s pride, self-respect. I threw that away a long time ago.

The sense of mission that I *must* keep this bikini, makes words tumble out.

“……Heheh, okay.”

Aki, satisfied with my answer, curls both corners of her mouth up, smiling happily.

I even threw away my pride to say that.

She doesn’t understand how I feel, and keeps smiling so cutely, shaking my heart.

‘Somehow, it feels like I’m the only one getting played…’

I’m also a bit resentful.

It’s not like we’re in an open space here, it’s a closed, isolated place, completely cut off from the outside world.

If I really wanted to, I could do something harsh or whatever, but she doesn’t sense any danger and keeps teasing me, wearing very revealing clothes.

“……”

This isn’t going to work.

For Aki’s sake, even.

I need to show her what it means to be scared of men, instill a sense of crisis so she doesn’t let things go this way next time.

With that decided, I looked down at Aki, still.

“……Aki.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

A look that said, if you have something to say, say it.

She might not have meant it that way, but to me, right now, it just looked like she was gazing up at me with the thought, ‘So, Uchu-chan, what can *you* do?’

“Can I kiss you?”

“……Huh?”

Aki’s face went a little blank.

An expression that said she never expected me to say something like that.

Her reaction was so clearly off guard, it was like, *this is it*, and I lightly placed my hand on Aki’s waist.

“Seeing you in a bikini, I suddenly wanted to.”

“……Ah.”

Half truth, half joke.

It’s true that I felt like doing something after seeing Aki in her bikini, but with so many people around, I didn’t actually want to do anything.

I didn’t even think Aki would agree in the first place.

But then.

“It’s okay, right?”

“Ugh, uh…”

Aki’s answer wasn’t what I expected.

I’d thought she’d go, ‘Woo-joo~chan, are, are you crazy? This is the changing room…!’ or something.

But far from refusing, it was like she was saying it was okay.

A little hesitant, she still tilted her eyes up slightly, like she was waiting for a kiss.

“If, if Woo-joo~chan… wants to… it’s… okay.”

Huh.

This isn’t right.

The situation was completely different from what I intended, and I was a little flustered.

But that fluster didn’t last long.

Soon, a maxim that holds true among men popped into my head.

‘To kick away a set table is a man’s shame.’

If she told me not to, I wouldn’t have.

But if she told me I could, then shouldn’t it be okay…?

“……”

“……”

I gently placed my hand under Aki’s chin.

And, gently lifted it to create an angle more comfortable for a kiss.

A light lip touch.

Literally, our lips barely touched before breaking away, and Aki slowly opened her closed eyes.

“……Is that it?”

That look, like my kiss wasn’t enough.

Inside, I muttered, *Of course not*, then,

I pulled Aki closer by her waist, our lips meeting again.

“Uhh, yes…”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……Uhn.”

Aki’s arms wrapped around my neck.

Naturally, our bodies pressed even closer.

Both Aki and I, our chests heating up with the deepening kiss, stared at each other with burning eyes…

Knock knock-.

From noble mtl dot com

─Um, excuse me? The fitting room isn’t for two people to use…

“……Hah.”

“……Ah, sorry.”

We scrambled to pull apart….