My Japanese Childhood Friend Is Too Flirty - Chapter 49



48. Love or Friendship. (4)

“Thank you. Please come again, customers~”

“Ah, y-yeah…”

I awkwardly returned the staff member’s sales pitch with a smile, and then Aki and I practically bolted from the swimsuit shop to a nearby rest area.

Call it a hush-money fee, or whatever.

We bought Aki’s swimsuit, and I got one for myself on top of that, so even though the staff caught us going into the fitting room together, they didn’t say a word until we left. If they’d been so inclined, it could have escalated into a much bigger fuss.

“……Whew.”

We both sighed deeply, like we’d just survived a ten-year sentence.

Aki glanced at me, and I stared off into the distance.

“Whoa… that was a close call.”

“Yeah, that was a *really* close call…”

Aki nodded.

Her cheeks were still flushed with a red hue, like she knew we were able to leave quietly because the staff had given us a break.

“It’s a relief they didn’t say anything, if they’d called the police or something…”

There were other customers in the store, so they would have all known that Aki and I had gone into the fitting room together, right?

Then we’d have been branded as the swimsuit shop’s fitting-room nuisance couple, a pair of reckless teens, caught by staff making out in the shop… that kind of shameful label would be plastered everywhere, our faces exposed.

“……Just imagining it gives me the chills.”

I shuddered involuntarily.

Aki watched me silently for a moment, then chuckled slightly, like she found my reaction funny.

“Heh, but we got out of it okay, right? So, that’s all that matters?”

“Yeah, that’s all that matters. But, there’s no guarantee that we’ll get away with it so easily next time…”

“So you’re planning on doing it again?”

“Huh? Doing what?”

“Just now, Spacey~chan said it, right? There’s no guarantee it’ll go this smoothly next time. That means, you’re gonna secretly kiss me again after this…?”

“……”

I hadn’t really thought much of it when I said it, but hearing Aki’s added explanation, I could see how it could be interpreted that way.

I awkwardly scratched my cheek.

“Well…. it’s not, like, that I definitely will.”

“If the chance comes, you’ll do it then?”

“It’s not that either, I’m just….”

“Just, you want to kiss me?”

“……You’re doing this on purpose right now.”

“Heh, busted.”

Aki pokes her tongue out slightly.

It was an obvious attempt to tease me, so I should’ve said something.

‘……Well, I got to see something good, so.’

I figured I could let it slide just this once, and it was a little cute too, so I chuckled and moved on.

“Spacey~chan, what are you gonna do now?”

Aki smoothly shifts the conversation.

Before I could answer, I pulled out my phone and glanced at the time.

[PM 5:56]

It’s 34 minutes before the appointed time.

We’d agreed to meet at a cafe near the school at 6:30, so considering the travel time, it’s about time I said goodbye to Aki.

To do that, the most natural way to part ways now that shopping’s done is to just go our separate ways.

“It’s still a little early, but should we grab dinner? Or do some more shopping? Oh, we could just go to a cafe, order coffee and chat. Right?”

The problem was, Aki didn’t seem to have any intention of splitting up.

She’s talking, beaming, planning what to do next, and those plans of course assume I’m coming along.

I like hanging out with Aki, it’s fun, and usually I’d be all in, throwing out ideas… but not right now. Because Seungwoo Kim asked me a favor.

“Woo-joo~chan.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t look so good. Are you sick?”

Aki looks at me with concern.

“Ah, um…”

I dragged out the end of my sentence, thinking about what to say.

‘If I say I’m sick, that I need to go home and rest a bit…’

Knowing Aki, who loves to fuss over people, she’d definitely insist on nursing me back at my place. She’s done it before, not that long ago.

Of course, I *could* just refuse. But the thing is, I’ve never turned her down when she’s offered to take care of me.

Up till now I’ve been selfishly enjoying her company under the guise of getting “nursed,” but now if I say I don’t need it, she might sulk and never offer again.

So, faking sick is a no-go.

I need to find a better excuse to tell Aki…

But it’s not like a good excuse is just going to magically appear in that short time.

“It’s, uh…”

So I hesitated, and Aki, who was gazing at me intently, tilted her head.

“Why? Can’t you tell *me*?”

“……No, it’s…that.”

*She’s a ghost.*

I stammered, hit right on the mark.

Seeing my reaction, Aki seemed to gain some kind of certainty, leaning her upper body in close.

“Uju-chan, maybe…. You’re not, like, getting tired of hanging out with *me*, are you…?”

“Huh?”

What the hell is she talking about all of a sudden?

I didn’t catch on right away and just blinked.

“Uju-chan, usually you look me in the eye and smile a lot…. But ever since we left the shop, we haven’t made eye contact even once.”

Huh.

Had I?

Now that I hear it, it does seem like that.

“No, it’s not that it’s….”

“Ha, maybe…. Is it because *I’m* bad at kissing…?!”

“……No.”

What the hell is she going on about?

If we’re talking about bad kissing, I’m not that different from her….

I almost said that, but glanced at Aki’s face.

Unlike her playful words, her expression is quite serious.

“Uju~chan, did you start hating me because I’m bad at kissing…?”

“What are you talking about? Why would I hate Aki? Even if the sky split in two, that would never happen.”

I put emphasis on each and every word, afraid she might misunderstand.

Her expression seemed a little better than before, as if her suspicion had eased a bit.

“Then, why won’t you make eye contact with me?”

“There, satisfied?”

“……Uh-huh, no. It’s weird, Uju~chan.”

She still seemed to be harboring some doubt.

This is just my guess, but she’ll probably keep suspecting me until I explain the real reason.

Meaning, she also suspects my denial that ‘Uju~chan hates me because I’m bad at kissing….’

“Why, what’s weird?”

“Your eyes aren’t like the usual Uju~chan. Uju~chan, you’re hiding something from me…!”

‘……Wow.’

She’s a damn ghost.

Did she learn mind-reading or something while I wasn’t looking? Aki, who figured out I was hiding something just by looking at my eyes, gazed at me with slightly teary eyes.

“Won’t you tell me, Uju~chan…?”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……Okay.”

*Srrrkk.*

Aki got up from her seat.

I just stared, blankly, at her, and it wasn’t until I saw her hand reach for a shopping bag that I finally asked, belatedly,

“Aki, where are you going?”

“…Home.”

“Oh, you’re going home…?”

It was what I’d been low-key hoping for, but she’s just leaving so abruptly like this.

I don’t really know the reason, but since she’s leaving, I felt like I should walk her out, so I stood up too.

“Okay, got it. Get home safe… See you at school tomorrow.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……Why?”

Is there something wrong?

Aki just kept staring at me silently, so I said something, feeling awkward.

“……”

Aki looked like she was feeling some kind of strange frustration, staring at me quietly, and intently.

“……”

“……”

Really intently.

“……”

“……”

A looong, looong, looong time.

Staring~~~ intensely.

Just staring.

“Hey, aren’t you… going?”

“……”

Time was getting tight, my anxiety rising, so I asked again. A deep sigh, then a shake of the head.

“……Fool.”

* * *

“Okay, this is the contract. I talked to our company’s lawyer and we made it as easy to read as possible. Look it over, sign it yourself, and then get your parents’ signature or stamp next to it. Bring it back to me. Easy, right?”

Ham Ji-eun handed me a single sheet of paper.

It looked like some kind of employment contract. According to Ji-eun, being a cosmetics ad model is a kind of part-time job, and to work legally as a minor, I need my parents’ consent.

But since my parents are in the States, I can’t get their consent directly.

I’ll go home, look for their stamp, and if I have to, I’ll just forge a signature.

‘……Saying “forge” makes it feel kinda sketchy.’

But hey, it’s not like I’m doing anything bad, so it’ll be fine, right?

“Got it. Can I give it to you at school tomorrow?”

“Yeah, if you give it to me I’ll pass it on to our manager.”

“Okay, but when’s the ad shoot? I heard the schedule was pretty tight.”

“Um, I’d prefer to get it done as soon as possible, if that’s okay. Wooju, when are you free?”

“Tomorrow or the day after, after school’s done, I’m good. Or, the whole weekend is fine too.”

“Really? Then, how about we just go to the studio together tomorrow?”

Strike while the iron’s hot, right? This is work, so it’s best to get it over with as quickly as possible. I nodded.

“Okay. Is there anything I need to prepare?”

“No need to prepare anything special, but there are things to be mindful of. First, don’t wear white or bright clothes. They might get a little stained, since we’ll be putting a lot of makeup on you.”

“Okay, and?”

“And also, if your skin feels prickly or weird when we’re applying makeup, tell me right away. You might be having an allergic reaction.”

“What happens if I have an allergic reaction?”

“Forget about a broadcast accident, you could die. So, if anything feels off, we have to stop the broadcast immediately and go to the emergency room.”

“…Makeup is that dangerous?”

To think you could die from applying makeup.

I came here thinking this was a job where I could make money without any risks, but now hearing about emergency rooms and dying, it suddenly got scary.

“Don’t worry, the odds are super low. It’s like… hmm, say, the chances of finding a cockroach in your soup while eating at a restaurant…?”

It’s almost nonexistent, but it could happen if you’re unlucky.

“Anyway, anything else you’re curious about?”

“Nah, I think I’ve got it mostly covered. So, is that it then?”

“Yeah, the contract stuff is done… but if you have any other questions later on, just text or call anytime. You have my number, right?”

“I do. I’ll ask if I think of anything.”

The mood was starting to wind down. I got up and glanced at the time.

I came to meet Ham Jieun at 6:30 PM, but it’s almost 7 PM now. I thought it would take longer, but the conversation ended incredibly fast.

‘Should I have just told Aki to wait a little bit…?’

If I had done that while we were hanging out, that would’ve been a nuisance in its own way. I’m not sure what the right answer was. I just don’t have any experience with this sort of thing.

“But, you know, does your girlfriend happen to be interested in modeling or anything?”

“Hmm, I don’t know… Why all of a sudden?”

“You know that video of you and your girlfriend kissing, it hit 2 million views, right?”

“……It’s already that high?”

It’s kind of embarrassing to watch myself kissing, so I’d been avoiding it, but to reach 2 million views after only a few days?

Even considering duplicate views, that’s a seriously crazy growth rate. I don’t know who uploaded it, but they must have made some money.

“Our manager showed it to me, saying you two look great together. I told him we went to the same school, and he got super excited, asking if you two would consider doing something like a cosmetics ad campaign together. He asked me to ask you for him.”

“Ah, I see…”

A cosmetics ad campaign together.

If it were just me, I wouldn’t have bothered, but if Aki did it with me, it might be okay. It was a pretty enticing offer.

“Okay. I’ll ask her later. But I don’t know if it’ll work out. Actually, I’m doing this commercial secretly…”

“Oh, really? Then you’re definitely going to get caught, aren’t you?”

“Why do you think I’m definitely going to get caught?”

“……Eh, no way. The internet is so vast.”

* * *

A few days later.

A message arrived on Aki’s phone.

[Aki, check this out]

The sender was Lee Haram.

A short message accompanied by a YouTube video link.

[What is this?]

[It’s a cosmetic ad video that was uploaded to Ham Ji-eun’s YouTube recently?]

[But isn’t the cosmetic model your boyfriend???? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

“……?!”