LIGHTNOVELONLINE chapter 17
16. Sometimes, at 16, there are secrets you want to hide (2)
Two years ago, when Aki heard me shout in front of Jaehyun, ‘Aki and I are getting married──!’ I thought nothing could be more embarrassing in my life.
But now, I see that wasn’t the case.
I never imagined Aki would catch me watching a video with an actor who looked oddly like me.
“……How did you find it?”
I was sure I had erased all the internet browser history.
It was something that couldn’t possibly happen in my common sense, so I stammered without realizing it, but Aki just stared at me intently without answering.
“Uju~chan.”
“Uh, yeah?”
“`
“Is *that* what matters right now…?”
Well, I guess how I found it isn’t the point…
“……This.”
Aki glanced at the actress on the screen.
The actress, who bore a strange resemblance to Aki, was being brutally violated by a male actor while wearing a blindfold and gag.
Her long pigtails were being used like handles, and she was panting so hard it made me wonder if this was even allowed, the scene so raw it made my mouth dry just watching.
“Uju~chan, is this…your thing?”
Is this what it feels like when your mind goes numb…?
“Uju~chan…?”
“…….”
I swear to god, this kind of maniacal, sadistic play is *not* my thing. My s*xual fantasies are utterly normal.
The reason I’m watching this video is simply because it’s a movie that stars an actress who strangely resembles Aki, and I clicked on it without thinking, only to find that the genre happened to be the kind where women are treated roughly.
“Uju~chan, you like this kind of thing…?”
“…N-no, I don’t.”
“You don’t…?”
‘It kinda seems like you do though…’ Her eyes seemed to say it all.
As someone with normal tastes and not something abnormal, I felt incredibly wronged, but I couldn’t lay out this kind of inner turmoil in front of Aki.
It’s embarrassing.
“Then, what is Uju~chan’s thing?”
The moment I thought that, Aki’s question barged right in.
“……Huh?”
“Uju~chan, what’s your type?”
“Ah….”
I trailed off, lost in thought.
My type, huh.
‘……Holding hands and kissing.’
There’s definitely one thing that springs to mind.
But there’s no way I could actually say that out loud.
I’d rather die than confess my s*xual preference to my pretty and cute childhood friend.
“Why can’t you say it, Uju~chan…?”
“……”
Would *you* be able to say it…?
The words reached my throat and then retreated back.
It felt like an answer that would only worsen the situation, not help it, but strangely, Aki seemed to vaguely grasp my inner turmoil.
The proof was in Aki’s next words.
“As for *me*… it’s being held tight.”
Aki, shy yet clear, carefully added her preference.
“Not just a hug, but a feeling like I absolutely can’t escape. Like, I can feel this person wanting me without them even saying it… *Really* tight.”
“……Ah, is that so?”
“Yeah, that’s my type.”
“……”
“……”
I see.
I’ve definitely hammered it into my head.
‘Aki likes to be held in a tight, powerful embrace.’
Maybe not right now, but there’ll be a chance to use that someday.
“……Now it’s your turn, Space~chan.”
“Huh? Me?”
“I told you…?”
‘So hurry and tell me, Space~chan—’ Aki’s gaze urged me on.
If it was just a one-sided question, maybe, but she’d opened up about her preferences first and then asked, so I had no justification to refuse.
‘……Ah.’
The day would come when I’d reveal my s*xual preference in front of my childhood friend…I never would’ve imagined.
I really didn’t want to say it, really didn’t, but I parted my lips, half-forced.
“I’m….”
“Yeah, what about you, Space~chan?”
“I, um… ……hand-holding while kissing?”
“Hand-holding while, kissing…?”
Even though she’s lived in Korea for 10 years, she still doesn’t know what “hand-holding” means? Aki tilted her head, looking up at me.
“It’s when you interlock your fingers like this. Don’t you know?”
“Is holding your own hands together called ‘sonkkakji’?”
“That’s the original meaning, but what I’m talking about is when a man and a woman face each other and hold hands.”
“Face each other? How?”
“Hold out your palm for a moment. Don’t put your fingers together, just spread them out.”
“Like this?”
Aki showed me her palm, spreading her fingers apart.
I placed my palm over hers, then closed my hand, interlocking our fingers.
“In this state, if you close your hand too, our fingers will interlock, right? This is ‘sonkkakji’.”
“Oh, 恋人繋ぎ…?”
“Koi-bitotsunagi o suru…? Is that ‘sonkkakji’ in Japanese?”
“Yeah, that’s usually how it’s said.”
“I see. I didn’t know that…”
“……”
“……”
I held her hand to show her ‘sonkkakji’, but when should I let go?
I was trying to gauge the right moment to let go naturally, but Aki, seemingly not wanting to let go, wiggled her fingers and glanced at me.
“Uju~chan.”
“Yes?”
“…We’re already doing ‘sonkkakji’, so if we just kiss like this… Uju~chan’s wish will come true, right?”
Aki looked up at me with her big, blinking eyes.
“……”
Strictly speaking, the hand-holding kiss I wanted wasn’t like *this*.
It’s not just about holding hands and kissing, it’s that thing that would naturally follow when you’re lying in bed, holding hands and kissing— *that’s* what I want.
But if I said that, this whole vibe would be over, I felt.
For some reason, this strange, racy, yet heart-thumping atmosphere we had right now, that is.
‘…Is it because the video is still playing?’
In the video, the male actor was just bursting with energy, fiercely grabbing the female actor’s pigtails, whose eyes and mouth were covered, giving it his all, it seemed.
“…Woo-joo-chan, where are you looking?”
My eyes had strayed for just a moment to the video filled with naked flesh, when Aki lightly tugged the hand we were clasping and said in a sulky tone.
Looking up at me, her characteristic big, blue eyes seemed to say, ‘Why are you looking at another woman instead of me…?’
“Woo-joo-chan, tell me honestly. That kind of thing is your type, isn’t it?”
“…No.”
“Uso (lie), you couldn’t take your eyes off it…”
“Well, that’s because…”
It’s like, a guy thing, you know?
No matter how pretty and cute your childhood friend is right in front of you, if there’s a naked guy and girl right next to you and you *don’t* look, that’s actually more weird.
But it was like Aki had no intention of understanding that, or rather, like she *didn’t want* to understand, her lips pouting.
“Does Woo-joo-chan like anything that’s lewd? Enough to put even *me* second?”
“How could I ever do that? You’re definitely number one for me, Aki.”
“Really? You’re *really* number one?”
“Yeah, really. For me, Aki is always the top priority.”
“…Then, prove it.”
“Prove…?”
Prove it, how am I supposed to prove it?
I looked at Aki, who only presented the goal but not the means.
I thought that if I looked at her like this, she might tell me how to prove it.
“……”
“……”
But Aki just stared at me quietly, waiting patiently.
She wants me to find the way myself.
“Aki, how am I supposed to prove it?”
“……”
“…What, should I kiss you?”
I said it casually, thinking it might be possible since we used to do it often when we were young, but Aki reacted dramatically at that moment.
Aki, who was holding my hand, twitched, and then, as if realizing I was watching, she cutely cleared her throat with an ‘ahem…’.
“Well, that’s… shouldn’t Uju-chan think of it herself…?”
‘So she wants me to do it…’
I’ve been watching Aki for almost 10 years. When Aki acts shy and pretends otherwise, it means she wants it.
Understanding this instantly from my experience, I nodded.
“Okay, then I’ll do it my way?”
“`
“……Ah.”
Aki’s lips twitched slightly.
Still holding Aki’s hand, I gently tidied the stray hair beside her face.
So it wouldn’t get in the way when I kissed her cheek.
“……”
……Now that I’m about to do it, I’m trembling.
We used to do it often until we were ten, but after that, we hardly did it at all.
Aki, with her half-French, half-Japanese blood, might not remember, but I have no idea what possessed me to kiss her back then. Maybe it was possible because we were so young and knew nothing?
“Uju~chan…?”
As I hesitated, Aki quietly urged me on.
‘This is so strange……’
I don’t know how it came to this.
On the computer screen, an actress who looks like Aki is panting, and here I am, about to kiss the real Aki.
It’s a truly sinful situation, but surprisingly, it doesn’t feel bad…. I even thought it might not be so bad.
Maybe.
Just maybe.
If Aki feels good from the kiss, she might allow more, carried away by the mood.
I don’t know what that “more” is, but anyway, it might happen, so let’s kiss quickly and see her reaction.
With that resolve, I steeled myself, brought my face closer……
Knock, knock.
“`
──Son, why are the cookies and milk in the hallway~?
“……!”
“…….”
We stopped just before kissing.
──Are you both in the room? Can I come in?
“Ah, that….”
For a moment, I thought about pretending we weren’t here at all, but since Mom had already come up from the living room, it seemed pointless.
If we had brought the cookies and milk into the room, she might not have noticed, but since they were left outside, she would definitely come in out of curiosity.
Judging this, I quickly opened my mouth before Mom could get suspicious.
No, I was about to open my mouth.
──Since when did you start opening the door yourself? Never mind, if you’re inside, I’m coming in.
Before I could even speak.
Bang-!
Mom opened the door herself and came in.
“……!”
“…….”
“…….”
Aki sitting in front of the computer.
Me standing next to him.
And Mom holding the doorknob to my room.
The gazes of the three people met in midair.
If Aki had blocked the monitor screen with his body, it wouldn’t have been visible, but since he moved the chair to hold my hand, he couldn’t do that either.
In other words, Mom had seen all the video playing on the monitor.
“…Son?”
“Yes…”
Thinking that, I moved my reluctant lips to answer.
“If you were studying, you should have told me in advance. Then I wouldn’t have come in.”
Mom’s words were far from what I had expected.
“What? Oh…”
I turned my head to look at the monitor.
On the monitor, where such and such a video should have been playing, a famous math instructor with a half-bald head was passionately giving a lecture.
‘…What?’
“Oh, Mother, you’re here? I’m sorry, I should have told you in advance, but both Uju-chan and I were too focused.”
“No, it’s my fault for coming in without permission while you were studying. Sorry, do you both want to have some snacks while you study?”
“Thank you, we’ll enjoy it, Mother!”
“Okay, study hard and have fun when you’re done. I’ll bring up some snacks from downstairs.”
Click-.
Leaving a word, Mom closed the door and went outside.
“…”
Not knowing what had just happened, I was in a daze, and then I finally came to my senses and turned my gaze to Aki.
“Hey, Aki…?”
“Why, Uju~chan?”
“Did you, by any chance, prepare in advance…?”
“…Huhu.”
Aki proudly puffed out her chest at my question.
Her voluptuous figure, wrapped in a school uniform, stood out sharply, but my eyes didn’t go there at all right now.
“Uju~chan, do you know why the Korean War happened?”
“…Because of carelessness?”
“Yes, that’s right. All events happen because of carelessness. So, Uju~chan, as long as you’re not careless, you’ll be fine!”
“……”
I should be happy that Mom didn’t catch us, so why do I feel angry?
After thinking it over, the answer came to me immediately.
Well, if you think about it, Aki is the one who caused this, but she’s proudly lecturing me, so that’s why I’m angry.
Having reached that conclusion, I said,
“…Oh, really?”
“Uju~chan, Uju~chan, you need to live with a bit more awareness… Ah, uh…?!”
Smooch-.
I took advantage of Aki’s carelessness and kissed her on the cheek.
“U, Uju~chan…?!”
“Aki. This is what happens when you’re careless.”
‘So, don’t let your guard down.’ Just as I was about to add that, Aki, whose face had turned bright red, suddenly stood up.
Smooch.
“……?!”
“Hehe, Uju~chan…? How was that, you didn’t expect it, did you…?!”
Aki, who had given me a surprise kiss on the cheek, laughed quietly.
I felt a little happy, no, actually, I felt extremely happy. But I pretended not to show it and smiled with a fake angry expression.
“Alright, let’s do this, shall we? Fine, I’ll accept the challenge. Aki….”
“No no, the challenger is Uju~chan. So, Uju~chan, it’s already too late to regret!”
“……Come here, I’m going to kiss you for real.”
“Too slow, Uju~chan! You can’t catch me with that speed, oops…!”
“Got you, Aki…! Today, you better be prepared….”
Click-.
“Oh, my mind is all over the place. I left the cookies and milk outside the room and forgot to bring them in again? Son, eat this while you…….”
“…….”
“…….”
“……Sorry, both of you, continue what you were doing~”
Click-.
Thud.
“…….”
“…….”
“……”
“……”
* * *
*Ddee-ri-ring*-.
[Son, when you get home later, can you talk to your mom for a bit?]
“……Uju-chan, who’s that?”
“My mom….”
“What, what did she say…?”
“She wants to talk after you go home later……”
“……”
“……”
“Sorry, Uju-chan….”
“Ah, it’s… it’s okay, it’s partly my fault too. Aki, you don’t need to be sorry…”
“……Atashi, can I just sleep over at Uju-chan’s tonight?”
“……”
Is that even something you should be saying right now, Aki…?