My Japanese Childhood Friend Is Too Flirty

9. Aki, 10 years old, starting to develop a bit of possessiveness…? (4)

“Wouldn’t you like to go live in Japan with mom?”

Right after Aki’s mother, Fujiwara Iroha, dropped this bombshell of a question.

Aki and I had completely different reactions.

“……!”

“……Eh?”

Standing a step behind, listening to the conversation, I flinched, thinking, ‘Did I just hear that right?’ while Aki, seemingly stunned by her mother’s sudden proposal, let out a dumbfounded sound.

Then, glancing at me, slightly shocked, Aki stammered as she opened her mouth.

“Japan… Uh, when?”

“The date mom has to catch the plane is exactly three days from now. So, probably around then?”

“Th-three days from now…?!”

Since Aki’s mom didn’t know Korean, all conversations were conducted in Japanese.

However, I had learned Japanese from Aki and could manage simple conversations, so I could grasp that Aki’s mother was suggesting, ‘Wouldn’t you like to go live in Japan?’ and that the departure date was three days away.

“……Mama!”

Aki whipped her head around.

“Then what about Uju~chan? Aki won’t be able to see Uju~chan anymore?”

“No, that’s not it. Just because we’re going to live in Japan doesn’t mean we can never come to Korea. We can come and play together sometimes.”

“How often, how often is sometimes?”

“Well, mom has work too, so if it’s short, three months. If it’s long, about five to six months?”

“What? F-five to six mooonths…?”

Aki’s mouth dropped open.

They say it’s five or six months, but it’s almost half a year, and if work increases, it could be even longer, right?

Six months, or a year. Maybe we won’t be able to meet for even longer.

‘…No way.’

A question flashed through my mind.

That question was.

‘If Aki goes to Japan with her mother.’

If that happens, will Aki and I not be able to meet anymore…?

“……”

“……”

As soon as the ominous thought sprang up, Aki and I met each other’s gaze, as if she was thinking the same thing.

And there was Aki’s mother, Fujiwara Iroha, quietly looking down at us, no, at Aki.

‘…Yes, from now on, we just need to move in the right direction.’

She thought.

Four years ago, when Aki was six years old, an age when she would still miss her mother’s embrace, she stayed in a foreign country instead of her homeland, feeling loneliness and sadness.

Our cute little girl, who used to look for her mother every day, felt longing and pain while living apart from her mother due to her grandfather’s insistence.

“…Aki.”

Her small, delicate hand fit perfectly in her palm.

As she held Aki’s soft hand, which had no rough parts, Fujiwara Iroha felt like she was about to cry.

“It must have been really hard for you all this time, right?”

To think that I left my young daughter, my daughter whose fingers haven’t even fully grown, to grow up alone without her mother all this time.

──A daughter should be raised where her father is.

No matter how much my father-in-law insisted, it shouldn’t have been that way.

For Aki’s sake, for my daughter’s sake, it shouldn’t have been that way.

Fujiwara Iroha, who had spent four years alone in Japan despite having a husband and daughter, painfully realized this once again.

And, holding Aki’s hands, which wouldn’t hurt even if she put them in her eyes, she made a resolution.

It’s a little, no, a lot late, but let’s correct the wrongs from now on.

For Aki, who must have felt great loneliness living without her mother, let’s take her to Japan, even if it means confronting my father-in-law.

Let’s take Aki to Japan and live happily again, like four years ago.

“Now, let’s live together with mom.”

Fujiwara Aki, who sincerely thought so, spoke with great determination.

But then.

“……やだ!”

“Yes, mom also wanted to live with Aki……. Huh? You don’t want to?”

“……?!”

The words that came out of Aki’s mouth were far beyond everyone’s expectations.

Even Juju, who was watching the conversation between mother and daughter, and I, Aki’s mother Fujiwara Iroha, did not expect Aki to immediately say she didn’t want to.

“A, Aki. Did you just say you don’t want to…?”

“Yes, I don’t want to! Aki doesn’t want to go to Japan.”

“Huh? Why, why? You don’t want to go to Japan with mom? ……Or, have you perhaps come to dislike mom?”

“No, Mama is great. Really great! So actually, Aki wants to live with Mama too. But, but…”

Aki, who trailed off, shook off her mother’s hand, came close to me, and linked arms with me.

“I, Watashi (I), have decided to marry Uju-chan! So I can’t go to Japan.”

“……”

Aki’s mother looked at Aki with a face like a lost independence fighter.

Then, like a broken robot, she creaked her neck and stared at me.

“……”

“……”

There was nothing to say.

I hadn’t done anything wrong, but I felt like I had committed a huge sin, so I subtly averted my gaze.

Aki’s mother, Fujiwara Iroha, stood still with an indescribable expression.

‘…Well, he is handsome.’

She thought to herself as she looked up and down at the boy her daughter had chosen.

‘I followed them earlier and confirmed that he doesn’t treat Aki badly, he’s polite. Big eyes, thick eyebrows…’

His face is overall cute, even though he’s still young, his eyes are big, and his eyebrows are thick. And crucially, he has a charming smile that any girl his age would fall for.

If he grows up like this, won’t he make many girls cry…?

‘…Our Aki will have a hard time keeping her boyfriend.’

For a moment, Fujiwara Iroha, who was shocked by her daughter’s declaration of choosing love over family, smirked.

“Aki, if you only like handsome boys, you’ll regret it later…?”

Because it reminded her of her own dating days with her husband.

A serious and handsome Asian man from a good family showed interest in me, so I met him. Little did I know how many women were following him around, liking him.

“You have no idea how much I struggled to get rid of those people. Aki, if you choose a guy just by his looks… Ah, ahem…”

What am I saying to this kid right now?

Clearing her throat, Fujiwara Iroha crouched down in front of Aki.

“Aki, don’t you want to live with mom?”

“Yes, I want to live with mom. But I don’t want to go to Japan.”

“If you want to live with mom, you have to go to Japan.”

“Ah, no…”

“……”

‘…So cute!’

Fujiwara Iroha’s heart sank at her daughter’s sudden cuteness.

Aki, who was like that, slowly released her crossed arms and approached, gently grabbing her sleeve.

“……”

Without saying a word, Aki looked at Fujiwara Iroha with moist eyes.

In her big, beautiful blue eyes, her true feelings were, ‘Please don’t go back. Mom…’

“……!”

Without words, Fujiwara Iroha met her daughter’s desperate gaze.

‘Should we just live in Korea? But then, what about the contract and the exclusive offer coming in…’

Torn between her main job and her cute daughter’s request.

“Mama…”

“…….”

At some point, the balance of my heart tipped sharply to one side.

Fujiwara Iroha gritted her teeth and grabbed Aki’s hand tightly.

“……Alright, fine! Mom will live in Korea too!”

“What, really? Mama will live in Korea too…?”

“Yes, that’s right. Just Aki and Mom living together!”

“…….”

Watching what seemed like a rather touching mother-daughter hug, I muttered to myself.

‘This is a main street….’

A young girl with striking pink hair and an adult woman were whispering in Japanese and hugging each other on a busy street, so I could feel the passersby looking at them with ‘What on earth is that?’ expressions.

I thought about pointing that out.

‘……Better not.’

I didn’t want to ruin the mood, so I just stayed quiet.

Then, the mother and daughter, who had been hugging each other warmly, seemed to notice the stares and slowly let go of each other.

“……Oh, right. You said your name was Wooju-chan?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right, ma’am.”

“Yes, I see…. I understand.”

Aki’s mother looked at me, meeting my eyes.

What should I say? She didn’t say anything in particular, but it felt like she was saying, ‘So, you’re the one who charmed my daughter…?’ and I stood there awkwardly.

“We’re not married yet, so calling me ‘mother’ is a bit much. From now on, call me Aunt Iroha. Got it?”

“Ah, understood, Iroha Auntie.”

“…Wait a minute! Why is Uju-chan calling Mama by her name?!”

“Huh? Well, if I call you Fujiwara, it gets confusing. You, your dad, and Aki are all Fujiwaras, right?”

“Uju-chan calls me Aki, so there’s no confusion if you call me Fujiwara! And Mama has her own name too!”

“Hehe, why is our Aki so excited? Are you jealous of Mama right now?”

“…Ugh!”

Aki puffed out her cheeks as she looked at her mother.

Aki’s mother looked down at Aki and muttered, “You still have some of your old self left, huh?” Then she chuckled, and soon after, she smiled a smile that looked just like Aki’s and gently patted her head.

“Who does our Aki take after to be this cute?”

“Hmph, I don’t know! I don’t like Mama…!”

“Hehe, how cute…”

Aki’s mother patted Aki for a long time, then at some point, she glanced at me.

“Hey, Uju-chan?”

“…Uju-kun, Mama calls you Uju-kun!”

“Uh, okay. Uju-kun?”

“Yes, Iroha Auntie.”

“Do your parents speak French or Japanese?”

“Both of them are diplomats, so they speak French well and Japanese too. There won’t be any communication issues.”

“Oh, really? That’s great. Then, could you ask them if we could meet sometime soon?”

“Mama, why do you want to meet Uju-chan’s parents?”

“Well, I have to ask you to take good care of my daughter in the future, don’t I?”

“Ah…”

‘…I also want to thank you for being so good to our daughter.’

Although I couldn’t see them in person because of my busy schedule, I heard stories through him.

According to him, Woojoo’s parents have been almost like second parents to Aki, kindly and gently taking care of her since she was six years old until now, while I was away.

Even though I’ve never met them in person, they must be good people.

Aki’s mother, convinced of this, smiled brightly and gently stroked Aki’s hair, which was slightly blushing.

“But Mama, when will you start living in Korea?”

“Well, it’s difficult right now because there are issues to resolve. But maybe within a month? After all, there’s a house that he has already secured.”

“Really? Then in a month, I can live with Mama…?!”

“Yes, probably. But the administrative process in Japan is slow, so it’s not certain, and it might take a little longer…”

“Mama, I love you!”

“Oh my, oh my…!”

Aki, happy that she could live with her mom and dad, hugged her mom.

“Woojoo-chan, did you hear that? From now on, Aki can live with her mom and dad!”

“Yes, congratulations, Aki!”

‘It seems everything has been resolved well…’

Watching that scene, I sincerely thought it was fortunate that everything had been wrapped up well.

…And then.

After Aki started living with her parents in Korea, some time passed.

Aki’s mother came to our house to express her gratitude, and as a result, not only Aki and I but also our families became close──.

[Uju~chan, Uju~chan!]

[Listen, don’t be surprised!]

[Yeah, what is it?]

[Today, I bought my middle school uniform with my mom!]

──Following kindergarten and elementary school, we were going to attend middle school together as well.