My Japanese Childhood Friend Is Too Flirty - Chapter 50



49. What Happens When a Childhood Friend Gets Pissed (1)

Friday morning.

The time was 8:50 AM.

With still ten minutes until first period, a minor event was unfolding in our first-year Class 2.

And that was…

“Wow, look at Ju Woo-joo’s greasy expression. Is he purposely smiling like that for the ad?”

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“If I were next to him, I’d have started by punching him, right?”

“Totally, he’s looking so forced, I want to poke his eyes out with my index and middle fingers.”

Because of Kim Seung-woo’s request, I had appeared as a model in a cosmetic ad broadcast, and now my classmates were passing the video around, roasting me.

My close guy friends had the video from Ham Ji-eun’s YouTube channel playing, and with every word I spoke, they picked apart and mocked me, giggling amongst themselves.

“‘Thanks to the skin lotion, my skin feels so much more moisturized…’ Bullshit. What’s with the fakery?”

“Shit acting, it’s almost a terrorist bombing, my eyes are gonna rot.”

“The makeup’s good, but the model is seriously awful.”

“The model makes my urge to buy it plummet. I will absolutely not buy any makeup that has Ju Uju as the model.”

“……No, it’s not *that* bad, is it?”

Even I can see that my appearance in the YouTube video is a little, no, a lot awkward.

But even so, it shouldn’t warrant getting this much flak, right?

It felt like they were using the video as an excuse to say things they’d wanted to say all along, so I cautiously said a word, and they all went dead serious.

“Yeah, it is that bad.”

“Be grateful we haven’t sworn at you, Ju Uju.”

“If it weren’t for Ham Jien’s YouTube, I’d have already left nasty comments. They should change the ad model next time.”

“…….”

Is it really *that* bad?

I turned my head towards Kim Seungwoo.

I wondered if he thought the same as the others, and with a straw-grasping mentality, I just asked with my eyes.

Kim Seungwoo calmly observed my appearance in the video, then tilted his head as if he genuinely couldn’t understand.

“Why? I think it looks fine.”

“Dude, what do you mean fine? It’s obviously terrible acting.”

“Uju is doing an ad model thing for the first time, so it’s unavoidable that it’s a little awkward… but if you take into consideration that it’s her first time, I think she looks good? Her expressions are good, and she’s not overdoing it.”

“Aish, what’s with Kim Seungwoo being such a suck-up.”

“Are you taking the model’s side because she’s friends with the advertiser? Is this some makeup cartel?”

“I’m not friends with the advertiser… I’m friends with the person who got the ad.”

Now completely fitting in with the basketball crew, Kim Seungwoo shrugs, easily batting away the guys’ jabs.

That relaxed vibe of his is kinda surprising and new, so I find myself staring, and then our eyes lock.

Kim Seungwoo glances at the others, then says,

“Woojoo, you did great, no need to feel down. This is way better than when I first tried acting.”

He pats my shoulder, flashing a bright smile.

‘…Whoa.’

I’d kinda sensed it since the Jamsil Stadium thing, but he’s just got a scary face, he’s actually a really good dude.

Honestly moved, I look up at Kim Seungwoo, feeling a slight swell in my chest.

“Yeah, I think I did alright too. Woojoo looked seriously cool, right?”

“Yeah, Woojoo! You looked totally awesome~!”

“The guys are just jealous, they’re jealous!”

And on top of that, the girls in my class who saw the video I was in start sticking up for me.

I was feeling a little down but quickly bounce back, glancing at my friends and grinning like, *see?*

“Look. The others think it’s fine. Maybe your eyes are the ones that are off?”

“Woah, in the one-eyed village, a person with two eyes is considered abnormal…”

“You’ve all gone mad, totally mad.”

“But the truth can’t be hidden, Joo Woojoo. You fucking suck at acting, you little shit…!”

“Yeah, can’t hear ya~ the girls and Seungwoo all said it was good~”

“Good, my ass, ugh…”

“But hey Woojoo, has your girlfriend seen the video?”

Kim Seungwoo, snickering, asked me,

“No, I doubt you’ve seen it yet?”

“Really? We talked about it like crazy in the group chat this weekend. Didn’t you show it then?”

“It was a bit… awkward to show.”

“Ah, right. Even if it’s a cosmetics ad, acting is acting, so it’s a little embarrassing, huh?”

“……Yeah, I guess.”

I mumbled something, but honestly, being embarrassed was the least of my worries.

The thing was, the biggest problem was that I’d done something Aki told me not to do.

Aki told me not to model for any cosmetics ads, but I went to Ham Jieun’s studio and filmed one anyway, just to keep my friendship and loyalty with Kim Seungwoo.

If Aki finds out about this, I’m terrified of dealing with the aftermath…?

Aki doesn’t get mad easily, but once he’s pissed, it lasts for a really, really long time.

That’s why I’ve been trying to hide this video as much as possible, hoping Aki would never know about it for the rest of our lives, if I could help it.

“But, if everyone in our class knows, wouldn’t the kids in the next class know too?”

“Yeah, they probably already do? I got the video link from a girl I know in the other class. She was like, ‘Isn’t this kid in your class?’”

“What, so pretty much everyone knows then? Ju Woo Joo’s girlfriend must know already too.”

“Probably. They’re all pretty close, anyway.”

Judging by what they’re saying, it sounds like everyone knows already.

‘……Of course Aki must know too.’

Right as I thought that, *buuung*—

My phone vibrated in my pocket.

Pulled it out to check, it was a personal message. The sender was Aki.

[Woojoo-chan]

[Let’s talk later]

“……”

It finally happened.

* * *

4th period, gym class.

Normally, Friday 4th period isn’t joint gym, but the gym teacher and several other 1st-grade teachers are going on a preliminary field trip for the school trip starting next week, so the schedule got adjusted.

So, today’s 4th period is the joint gym for classes 1 and 2 that was scheduled for next Monday’s 1st period.

Which means, Aki from class 1 and me from class 2 are going to run into each other.

Aki definitely said “let’s talk later,” but I never imagined “later” would be just a few hours away, not after school.

…Anyway, near the basketball hoops.

Today, we’re doing physical fitness assessments, so we each have 10 minutes to warm up and the rest of the time we’ll be tested on different things.

So, I should be getting ready to stretch, but.

I just sat down near Aki, watching her.

The reason I’m watching her, well.

The past mistakes, the price of keeping my loyalty to Kim Seungwoo.

‘Ever since we split up after shopping, she hasn’t talked to me first, so I knew she was sulking, but…’

I never thought she’d find out about the cosmetic ad I did in that state.

I did what I wasn’t supposed to, so she’s probably going to be really angry, right?

Thinking that, I checked Aki’s expression.

“……”

“……”

I couldn’t immediately read Aki’s face.

Too calm to be angry.

But, to say she was indifferent…it was the kind of expression that seemed to hide some emotion deep down.

“Hey, Aki.”

Waiting like this felt a bit awkward, so, me, the one who messed up, spoke first.

Aki slowly turned her head and looked at me.

Her expression still blank.

Seeing a girl who always smiles so brightly like this, honestly, I flinched a little.

“Um, sorry. You’re mad, right…?”

“No, I’m not mad?”

“……”

Across time and cultures, the person who says “I’m not mad” is the scariest.

Plus, she wouldn’t even look me in the eyes while saying it, and her body was completely turned away.

By the way she’s blatantly showing “I’m sulking~” with her words and actions,

this is at least between a 3 and 4 on Aki’s 5-stage sulking scale. So, between medium-sulking and major-sulking.

“……Hmph.”

“……”

No, I was becoming certain it was a full-blown pout. A major one.

‘Yeah, well…’

I did leave him hanging like that, without any real apology, so of course he’d sulk like this.

Serves me right, I guess, though I don’t really have anything to say about it.

Still, I didn’t want this kind of thing to drive a wedge between me and Aki.

No matter what anyone says, Aki’s my best friend, and I’m his.

Though, if I asked him right now, ‘Aki, who are you closest to?’ I’m sure he’d say someone else’s name, not mine…

“Hey, Aki,”

“……What.”

My childhood friend’s reaction was cold.

So cold it made me wonder if spring had already ended.

But I had half-expected this sort of response. I’d also prepared a countermeasure.

Instead of speaking, I pulled out my phone from my pocket.

And tapped on the keyboard, accessing the site I’d been looking at all weekend.

“If you don’t mind, could you take a look at this?”

I cautiously held out my phone.

I was worried he might refuse, but thankfully, he didn’t.

“……What is this?”

“It’s nothing much,”

The name on the website displayed on the phone screen read: Lotte Hotel Busan.

As the name suggests, it’s a lodging place in Busan.

“So, remember we got those Lotte Waterpark passes at the baseball game? Well, turns out the waterpark is in Gimhae. You know Gimhae, right? Near Busan, down south a bit.”

“Uh-huh, I know it…”

Mentioning the waterpark, a bit of life starts returning to Aki’s face.

I figure this is my chance, and cautiously add, watching Aki’s reaction.

“Let’s go to the waterpark after the exams. I’ve already booked a place with the money I made from my part-time job.”

“You booked a place…?”

“Yeah, the place I just showed you is where we’ll be staying.”

“Oh… Really? How’d you book it? Minors can’t do mixed-gender rooms, or even stay at hotels, can they…?”

“Yeah, you’re right. No mixed-gender rooms, but we can stay separately, as long as we have parental consent.”

Getting those parent consents was a bit of a struggle.

First, I had to call my parents in the US, explain the whole thing, have them send over a consent form for minors, then get them to fax back a signed copy.

Then, I called Aki’s parents and…

[I’m planning on taking Aki to the waterpark. It’s probably too far for a day trip, so I was thinking of an overnight stay. Yes, we’ll be staying separately, of course. We won’t be getting into any trouble. Yes, thank you. But could I ask a favor? It’s just that we need parental consent to stay at a hotel…]

I explained everything at length, before finally getting their consent.

After getting the forms, I sent them to the hotel, and got permission for us to stay separately. That’s why I haven’t had time to soothe Aki’s anger these past few days.

“I’ve got all the parental consents, I’m all set.”

“……You got the consents too?”

“Yeah, now it’s up to you, Aki, just say ok.”

“……”

* * *

*Drool.*

Aki’s eyes rolled up, staring into the empty air.

She didn’t say anything, but her expression was a little frosty, so I subtly scooted closer and sat right next to her.

“Sorry, I should’ve apologized sooner… I was a little busy with the ad shoot, hotel reservations, consent forms, and all that. I’m really sorry, were you really upset?”

“……”

“It was a friend’s request this time, so I really couldn’t help it… but from now on, I’ll absolutely not do anything like that on my own. I won’t do anything you tell me not to, and I won’t make you feel left out. I won’t leave you to go somewhere alone like last time either.”

“……”

“…And, if you come with me.”

I carefully took her hand.

“I’ll do everything you want, and I’ll make sure we have tons of fun. …How about it?”

“……”

“……”

Why isn’t she saying anything?

Did I say something she didn’t like…?

I started to feel a little anxious, but I felt like I’d done all I could, so I just waited quietly.

Then.

Aki, who looked like she was deep in thought,

“…Whatever.”

She fidgeted with the hand I was holding.

“Fine. …I’m okay with it, but if Uju~chan really insists on it then.”

Her face flushed slightly.

“Ah, really? That’s a relief, then….”

“…But!”

Aki suddenly shot to her feet.

Startled, I let go of her hand and looked up at her.

“I can’t just forgive you right away. Because, Uju~chan lied to me…!”

“I don’t think I’ve… ever lied?”

“…Uju~chan, are you talking back to me right now?”

“Ah, sorry…”

There were things I hadn’t *said*, but I hadn’t lied. Either way, I did upset her, so I just readily admitted it.

Aki, her face still a little red, stared down at me for a moment, then crossed her arms alone, supporting them against her chest with her forearms.

“Just for one day.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll be mad just for today, and from tomorrow, I’ll go back to normal.”

“…You’re saying you’ll be mad just for one day?”

“Yeah, just for one day. I won’t be mad longer than that. ….Because Uju~chan tried.”

“……”

I’m grateful she acknowledged my effort. But what does it even mean to be mad for just one day?

It didn’t make any sense to me, but she herself said she’d only be mad for one day and then go back to normal… If I said anything there, it felt like it would just make things worse.

“Okay, well… I got it. Then, I’ll also, for today, take whatever you do without complaint.”

“……Really?”

──First class, second class! If your warm-up is finished, gather inside the gymnasium!

The gym teacher’s booming voice echoed then.

Lost in conversation, apparently ten minutes had passed, so I stood up from my spot, following Aki.

“Really? You’re really, *really* not mad?”

“Uh-huh, really. I won’t get mad no matter what.”

“……Heh, okay.”

Smiling, Aki moved her arm.

*Thump*, *Squish*.

Aki linked arms with me, and we naturally ended up standing side-by-side.

“……What are you doing?”

“You said you’d accept anything without a peep, was that a lie, Space~-chan?”

“…….”

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Is this the beginning of getting mad already?

‘……Whatever.’

Actually, if this is how she gets mad, I’m more than grateful.

Thinking that, I nodded and started walking forward.

“No, let’s go. For the physical fitness test.”