My Japanese Childhood Friend Is Too Flirty

March, The Beginning of High School Life (2)

Outside the main building, at the school store.

The place Ham Ji-eun brought me to was the school store.

Since it was still the beginning of the semester, there was no one else there except the store lady, and everyone else was too busy making friends to come here, so it was indeed a perfect place for just the two of us to talk.

‘……But, what on earth did she bring me here to say?’

If it was something trivial, we could have talked about it anywhere.

“Hmm….”

I didn’t know for sure, but Ham Ji-eun must have had her reasons for doing this, right?

While I was sitting on the bench, zoning out, I heard the sound of slippers hitting the floor from behind.

Speak of the devil, Ham Ji-eun, who had told me to wait here for a moment, was coming.

When I glanced back, I saw Ham Ji-eun holding two cans of drinks in her hands.

“Isn’t it quiet now because no one is here?”

“Yeah, well… it’s quiet.”

“Days like today are usually very quiet. The kids in the class are busy talking and getting to know each other, so no one comes to the store. But once they get used to it, it’ll be crowded in no time. The quiet is just for now, this moment.”

“…You seem very familiar with this.”

She must be a first-year student like me.

“Heh… Here. Have a drink.”

Ham Ji-eun handed me a can of soda.

The advertisement on the aluminum surface read, [A feeling that cools your head, Sol’s Eye.]

It’s a drink with a strong menthol flavor and scent that people either love or hate, so I didn’t take it right away and just stared at it.

Ham Ji-eun, perhaps misunderstanding my gaze, tilted her head and shook the can.

“Why? Not thirsty? Or don’t you like snacks?”

“Yeah, I’m not really into snacks.”

“Really? You look like you’d love food.”

“Where do you see that…?”

“You’re tall, broad-shouldered, and have a big frame. In my experience, guys like you usually love food.”

‘…Big frame?’

I’ve heard people say I look like a model, but this is the first time I’ve been called big-framed.

‘Is it because you’re too short?’ I thought about retorting, but it would be too rude to say that to a girl I barely know.

“Anyway, so you’re not going to drink it?”

“….”

It’s hard to refuse when offered out of goodwill.

I hid my displeasure as best as I could, accepted it nonchalantly, and took a sip after opening the lid.

“How is it, how is it? Tasty, right?”

“Yeah, it’s tasty….”

“Right? This is my top pick drink. I drink this all the time when I’m broadcasting.”

“…You drink this every day?”

“Yeah, it’s tasty. But people always ask why I only drink this. They say it smells like toilet air freshener and wonder what’s so good about it.”

“Well, you know… everyone has different tastes…?”

Not knowing how to respond, I mumbled something vague, and Ham Ji-eun burst out laughing. It wasn’t a story funny enough to laugh so hard that she had to cover her mouth while drinking.

‘Her sense of humor is unique….’

Feeling awkward just standing there, I pretended to sip and laughed along.

Ham Ji-eun, seemingly in a good mood, kept grinning and gulping down the drink, finishing half of it in less than a minute after opening the lid.

“Ah, it’s delicious. I don’t understand why people dislike this delicious drink~”

“……”

Is there anywhere to throw this away?

Holding the can with less than a third drunk, I was looking around for a trash can when Ham Ji-eun tapped my shoulder.

“Oh, you’ve already finished? Should I buy you another can?”

“…No, it’s okay. I’ll just take your kind offer.”

No matter how free it is, drinking another can of this is a bit…

Sensing that continuing this conversation would lead to her buying me another can, I quickly changed the subject.

“But you, is your personality always like that?”

“Huh? What do you mean by ‘is your personality always like that’?”

“You talk really well in front of others, but when you’re with me, you get all shy. But now, you seem to be talking well again.”

Should I say there’s no consistency in the way you treat me?

It doesn’t seem like you’re doing it on purpose, but your personality swings from one extreme to the other, so it makes me curious for no reason.

“Is there any special reason for that?”

“Well, that’s…”

At my question, Ham Ji-eun shyly brought her shoulders together.

Ham Ji-eun fiddled with the drink can in her hand, glanced at my face, and muttered.

“Actually, I get a bit shy in front of handsome guys…”

“……”

If that’s what you call being shy, then how sociable does a person have to be to be considered outgoing?

I was momentarily dumbfounded by Ham Ji-eun’s answer, but since she said that’s how she is, I couldn’t say anything. Honestly, it’s a bit awkward to respond.

If I agree, it means I’m saying I’m handsome with my own mouth, and if I deny it, it means I’m lying.

“So, earlier, it seemed like the girls were really interested in you.”

In the end, I chose to change the topic once more.

I lightly broached the subject and looked at Ham Ji-eun.

“Is it okay for you to be here with me instead of talking to them?”

“Oh, yeah. I can talk to the girls later.”

“You can talk to them later, but isn’t now the only chance to get close? Usually, after the introductions, people get close during the first break.”

“It’s okay. I’m confident I can always make friends with other kids.”

“Wow, look at that confidence….”

Without realizing it, I slipped into the tone I usually use with my friends. But Ham Ji-eun didn’t seem to mind, sipping her drink with a faint smile.

“Which middle school did you go to?”

“Jungang Middle School. And you? Oh, did you say you went to Seoul Middle School?”

“That’s right, it’s in the building right next door… By the way, did you know? Seoul Middle School and Seoul High School share a cafeteria. So, during lunch, there will be a lot of kids there.”

“Kids?”

“Yeah, kids. I mean the middle schoolers.”

“Oh, middle schoolers. But why do you call them kids?”

“Because we’re high schoolers now, so middle schoolers are like kids to us, right?”

“…….”

Unless there’s a significant age gap like between a first-year middle schooler and a third-year high schooler, to me, middle schoolers and high schoolers are pretty much the same. But Ham Ji-eun seemed to think differently, proudly puffing out her chest as she spoke.

‘She looks like she could be mistaken for a middle schooler herself….’

Wouldn’t it be too rude to say that to her? We’re not that close yet, and this is only the second time we’ve met.

I kept my thoughts to myself and slowly brought up the main topic. Glancing at the time, I saw that the first period would start in eight minutes. We had spent too much time on trivial chatter.

“So, why did you want to meet me separately like this?”

“Oh, the reason…?”

Ham Ji-eun’s face turned slightly red.

She took a deep breath, hesitated a bit, and then spoke.

“Well, do you remember what I just said? That I do broadcasting.”

“Do you remember? Why?”

“Well, these days I’m doing live broadcasts on Instagram too, right? The theme is introducing cosmetics or advertising sponsored products. Lately, it’s all about ‘I like this, I’m using this~’. ……But this time, a men’s cosmetics ad came in? But, but, I’m a woman. So, I can’t use men’s cosmetics, right? Of course, I could use them if I wanted to, but it wouldn’t capture the feeling of men using them.”

“Right…?”

“So…! I need a real male model for the men’s cosmetics, but among the male friends I know, there’s not a single one who would do this. Not a single one.”

“Huh? Isn’t there that guy, Kim Seung-woo? You two have been friends for 9 years.”

“……He would never do this. He doesn’t want his face out there.”

“Oh.”

“Anyway, back to the point…. I need a handsome guy to model for the men’s cosmetics, and I was thinking about it…. And then, just at that moment, I happened to meet you, Joo Woo-joo…?”

Ham Ji-eun looked at me, mumbling in a tone like reading from a Korean language textbook.

After roughly hearing the situation, I finally realized why Ham Ji-eun had called me to this secluded place.

In short, it boiled down to ‘I need a male cosmetics model, could you do it?’

“Oh, of course, I’m not asking you to do this for free. There’s a basic advertising fee, and after the ad, there are incentives based on video views and actual purchases? If you model for me, I’ll give you 10 percent of that.”

“10 percent?”

I, who was ignorant of this industry, reflexively asked what 10 percent meant, and Ham Ji-eun held up three fingers on her right hand.

“Aha, thirty thousand won?”

If I get fifty thousand won for modeling once, it’s quite a decent part-time job, isn’t it?

Just as I thought that, Ham Ji-eun shook her head.

“No, three hundred thousand won.”

“Oh, not thirty thousand won, but three hundred thousand won. ……What? Three hundred thousand won?”

“Yeah, three hundred. If you model, I’ll give you three hundred thousand won right away, and later, I’ll calculate the incentives separately. So, you could get at least fifty, or if it goes well, even a hundred thousand won?”

“…….”

Five hundred thousand won.

No, a million won…?

‘……What is this, like, organ trafficking?’

For a split second, a thought like that flickered through my mind, the offer was *that* tempting.

And honestly, it was! Just appearing on some personal broadcast to be a makeup model, and I could make three hundred thousand won? Or even *more*?

In a way, it was so good that not taking it would just make me an idiot.

“Hey, is this some kind of scam where you’re gonna make me do something weird?”

“Huh? No, no, you just come on the broadcast with me and model some makeup. Nothing else.”

“Really? Are you sure? The terms are so good, I’m getting suspicious…”

“I swear on my YouTube channel, no lie, really. And we’ll sign a formal contract, so there’s no need to be suspicious. If there’s any problem, you can take legal action.”

“……Okay?”

Hearing about a contract eased my doubts a little.

But, the offer was just *too* sweet to me, so I still had this nagging, unsettling feeling.

If we had known each other for a long time or if the money was less, I would’ve said yes without a second thought, but with Ham Ji-eun, this was only our second time meeting, and on top of that, the day rate was so high, which is why I’m thinking this way, I guess.

“…….”

Sipping my drink, I looked at Ham Ji-eun.

“D-do you, not like it…?”

Ham Ji-eun, small as a peanut, nervously crumpled the empty can, stealing glances at me.

I was still holding my half-empty can in my hand.

“Is it okay if I don’t answer right now and think about it first?”

I decided to put it on hold.

Accepting it blindly seemed a bit suspicious, and rejecting it meant losing a lot of money for me.

Three hundred thousand won plus alpha was more than my usual two-month allowance.

When I gave an ambiguous answer, Ham Ji-eun’s face lit up.

“…Oh, really? Okay, okay. Then think about it and let me know!”

“Yeah, I’ll do that. So, I’ll just….”

“Ah, wait a minute…!”

Just as I was about to get up after finishing my sentence, Ham Ji-eun stood up before me.

“It’s a bit awkward to talk about this in front of others, so, could you, could you answer me through Instagram DM…?”

“I don’t use Instagram.”

“Oh, really…. No wonder I couldn’t find your account no matter how hard I looked….”

Muttering to herself, Ham Ji-eun took something out of her pocket.

It was her phone, encased in a cute silicone case.

“Then, could you answer me through text? If you give me your number, I’ll send you a message…!”

“Ah, should I? Give me your phone, I’ll type it in.”

Exchanging numbers was a common thing among classmates, and since it was under the pretext of a modeling job offer, there was no reason to refuse.

I wrote my number on Ham Ji-eun’s phone and handed it back to her.

“Here, it’s done. This is my number.”

“Oh, thank you….”

‘What is she thankful for……?’

Is she thankful that I’m considering something her childhood friend rejected?

I didn’t quite understand, but I nodded with a smile anyway. Considering the proposal is one thing, and besides that, Ham Ji-eun is a classmate. It wouldn’t hurt to leave a good impression now.

“Yeah, thanks to you too. I’ll seriously think about the proposal you made and give you an answer.”

“……Uh, okay! I’ll be waiting!”

* * *

“Hey, Joo Woo-joo.”

“Huh? What?”

“What did you talk about with Ham Ji-eun when you went out earlier?”

It was lunchtime after the fourth period. Nam Jae-hyun, my friend of ten years who went to the same middle school and now high school with me, asked lightly as he sat in the empty seat in front of me.

I was about to answer that question, but then I remembered Ham Ji-eun’s words, ‘Since nothing is decided yet, let’s keep it a secret from the others until it’s confirmed. Got it?’ So I decided to be vague.

“Just, you know…. Nothing much. Why?”

“It didn’t seem like nothing much.”

“……Why do you think that?”

“Why? Because she kept staring at you. All through the fourth period.”

“…….”

What, really?

Jae-hyun said that, but I had no way of knowing.

Class 2 hasn’t rearranged seats yet, and according to the attendance number, I sit much further ahead than Ham Ji-eun. Unless I turn my head a full 180 degrees, I wouldn’t know if someone was staring at me.

“Hey, you don’t suppose….”

“By any chance.”

“By any chance, did something happen with Jae?”

“What could have happened? We were out for what, not even 10 minutes.”

“10 minutes is enough for something to happen. You know, there’s that saying about love at first sight?”

“…Ah, come on. Stop saying weird things and let’s go eat.”

“Oh, look at Joo Woo-joo trying to change the subject. This makes it even more suspicious.”

Ignoring Jaehyun’s persistent questioning, ‘Come on, be honest, what happened? Huh? Something happened, didn’t it?’ I stood up from my seat.

Then, creak──!

Coincidentally, the back door of our classroom opened, and a girl who I hadn’t seen all day since the morning appeared.

“──Ah, Woo-joo~chan!”

Her name is Fujiwara Aki.

With her light pink hair that suits her well, she’s my childhood friend.

“Hey, who is she? Was there a girl like that in Class 2?”

“What did she just say?”

“I think she said something like Woo-joo-chan…”

“What’s with her hair color? Is she a foreigner?”

“Ah, isn’t she that girl? The mixed-race girl from Class 1. Fujiwara Aki!”

“Oh? Fujiwara Aki? Is that her name?”

Just by appearing, Fujiwara Aki instantly drew the attention of all the students in Class 2. Without glancing anywhere else, she walked straight towards where I was sitting.

Though I didn’t show it, I was secretly pleased and stood up abruptly, waiting for Aki to come closer and then smiled at her.

“Uju~chan, Uju~chan! Did you have a good weekend~?”

“Yeah, I did. But didn’t we talk about this in the morning?”

“Oh, did we? I guess I was so happy to see you that I forgot!”

“Oh, really? That can happen.”

If Aki says so, then it must be true. I smiled and nodded, and Aki smiled back at me.

“By the way, Aki. How were your classes?”

“Yeah, yeah, the teachers are all interesting people, so it was good. Oh, and the classmates are nice too. They’re all kind and fun. How about you, Uju~chan? Wasn’t it boring without me? Hm, hm~?”

“No way. It was the same for me. The classmates are all nice and fun, and we get along well. So it was fun….”

Just as I was about to say that.

Aki started staring intently at someone over my shoulder.

That someone was none other than Ham Ji-eun.

Ham Ji-eun stood at an ambiguous distance, neither approaching me nor staying away, and met Aki’s gaze.

“…….”

“…….”

For about three seconds, the two girls’ eyes met.

In that moment, a strange atmosphere flowed through the classroom.

“…….”

“…….”

What should I say?

I can’t explain it well with words, but it’s like……

“……Uju~chan?”

Aki took a step closer to me.

And then.

“──Mwah.”

Suddenly, Aki plants a kiss on my right cheek.

“……Huh?”

“H-h-huh…? What was that just now?”

“Whoa, hold on. What did I just see?”

“Wasn’t that a kiss just now?”

“What the hell? What’s going on? Who kissed who?”

Flustered, my whole body stiffened up, and the other kids were in shock.

“……?!”

And, standing a little apart, Ham Jieun was horrified.

“……Heeh.”

Aki, the one who caused this whole situation, just gave a cryptic smile.

No, it was a smile that seemed to say, ‘I won.’

“A-Aki…?”

What the hell is this suddenly?

That’s what I should have asked, but because I was too flustered, I couldn’t get my words out properly.

Taking advantage of my confusion, Aki shouted in a loud voice, as if to make sure everyone heard.

“Uju-chan, I have to go have lunch with my friends, so I’ll be off now. Let’s finish the rest after school! Got it?”

“……”

What do you mean, finish the rest after school? What exactly did we do?

“No, Aki! You…”

“See you later, Uju-chan!”

I should have protested, but there was no time to speak. Aki just stuck out her tongue cutely and dashed out through the open back door.

“……Hey, Joo Uju.”

Someone grabbed my shoulder.

I turned around without thinking, and there stood my friends, looking at me with eyes that said, ‘Joo Uju, today I’m definitely going to kill you.’

“Explain what I just saw.”

“……No, this is…”

“Damn it, you said you weren’t dating her.”

“……”

“Hey, grab this guy’s arms and legs──!”

“……Ah.”

Aki.

I’ll deal with you later……