My Japanese Childhood Friend Is Too Flirty

34. A mix of emotions, the long-awaited baseball date…! (3)

“We’ve got about 10 minutes of break time, so let’s go outside for a bit.”

“……Huh?”

No, what the hell is that sound?

She wants to go outside for a bit……?!

In an instant, all sorts of thoughts flooded and swept through my mind.

‘Why now of all times? Does she know my plan? No, there’s no way. How could Aki know I’m waiting for kiss time? No matter how I think about it, that doesn’t make sense. But then why now? If she wanted to go out, she could’ve done it before the bottom of the 5th. Is it maybe she needs to use the bathroom? Is that it?’

“Woo-joo~chan, why did you suddenly go pale? Are you feeling sick or something?”

“Ah, no….”

One side of my chest feels a little sharp, but I don’t think it’s because I’m actually in pain, like Aki said. It’s probably because I swallowed wrong from being too surprised.

I couldn’t even hide my confusion as I looked at Aki and asked back.

“……Wh-why?”

“Huh? Why? Just to get some fresh air, clear our heads, go outside for a bit, that’s all?”

“O-oh, okay…?”

I’m usually not one to get easily surprised, and yet now I’m even stuttering. That’s how much Aki is throwing me for a loop.

‘……Ah, no, that’s not right.’

Now is not the time to be idly analyzing why I’m so startled.

Seung-woo and Seung-woo’s uncle collaborated just for this moment, and if I just sit here spacing out, it’ll all be for nothing……!

“Why? Woo-joo~chan, you don’t want to go out?”

“Ah, well, that’s…”

“Then, should *atashi* (me) just go out for a bit by myself?”

Aki slowly started to get up, asking me.

“……”

They say your mind shuts down when you’re too flustered, and that was exactly right.

When he said he was going out alone, my brain seemed to freeze, and I couldn’t say a word. Aki looked at me, tilting his head as if to ask what was wrong.

“Woo-joo~chan?”

“Ah, um….”

Stay calm, Joo Woo-joo.

They say even if you’re dragged into a tiger’s den, you can survive if you keep your wits about you.

And Aki isn’t even a tiger, he’s a person, so if I just keep my head on straight, there’s no way I can’t handle this… right?

‘Okay, let’s just stay calm….’

Contrary to what I was thinking, my heart was still pounding, a clear sign of my continued panic, but instinctively I knew I couldn’t just stand here hesitating.

There was no way I could hold Aki back with words.

Since the old saying goes, if you don’t have teeth, you use your gums…

I held Aki back with actions instead of words.

“A-Aki!”

That is, I grabbed Aki’s arm.

“Ah…?!”

Aki, suddenly grabbed by the arm, looked at me, flustered.

For a fleeting moment, I seriously pondered what I should say to get Aki to sit down.

‘….Ah, screw it.’

With a ‘whatever happens, happens’ mindset, I just blurted out,

“……Don’t go.”

“Huh? D-don’t, don’t go, you said…?”

Aki’s cheeks flushed a little pink.

I don’t know why, but Aki looked a little flustered, so I figured this was my chance and added one more thing.

“Yeah, don’t go. …Stay by my side.”

“……Uh, uh?”

Of course, those words came out unfiltered.

Don’t go, stay by my side. If someone heard that, it would sound like a confession.

But I was in no state to worry about that right now.

If I could just keep Aki here, I’d do anything, *anything* to make it happen.

With that desperate feeling, I stared at my childhood friend.

Then.

“……”

“……”

Our eyes met in the air for about five seconds.

It was just a moment, but it felt like forever to me. And after that moment passed…

“……Okay. …If, like, Ujoo~chan doesn’t want me to leave… whatever.”

As if my will had been transmitted to Aki, her cheeks blazing, she glanced at me and slowly settled back into her seat.

‘Ah, thank god…’

I reflexively let out a sigh of relief.

I was afraid she’d just bolt, but seems like the heavens actually helped me out.

I watched Aki sit down, and only after her ass was completely settled on the seat did I finally let my guard down.

‘…No, no, that’s not right.’

But that relief was short-lived.

A feeling crept into my mind that Aki might suddenly up and leave anyway.

Like that line from a famous gambling movie, “Don’t make a bet if you’re not sure.”

Sure, I know that’s not the right context, but my point is, I can’t relax if I’m not certain.

My thoughts reaching that point, I whipped my head around.

‘Holding hands is a bit weak… Linking arms, if I do it, it’ll look weird…’

Guess there’s really only one choice.

“W-why, why?”

“……”

It can’t be helped.

If I want to keep Aki here, this is the only way.

Having justified myself internally, I cleared my throat a couple times, then cautiously moved in close.

“Still, it’s a bit chilly, right?”

“Uh, u-uhm…?”

I casually extended my right arm sideways.

And then, I wrapped it around Aki’s waist, pulling her in slightly.

“…!”

Aki was startled.

For a moment, I worried, what if Aki got mad, like, “Wha-what are you doing, Woo-joo~chan…?!”

“……”

Unexpectedly, Aki didn’t say anything.

Her already large eyes were even wider than usual. Her cheeks were bright red, she looked surprised, it was obvious to anyone.

She just glanced at my face and swallowed hard.

She didn’t seem to want to push me away, or show any sign of dislike.

Slightly emboldened by that reaction, I mumbled softly,

“……Because it’ll be warm like this.”

After I said it, I regretted it a little.

It sounded like such a cheap excuse.

“……”

“……”

“……Well.”

*Thump.*

Aki leaned her head on my shoulder.

“It… it is, right…?”

“……”

Huh.

This is actually working…

“……”

“……”

Do I smell? Like, bad…?

I really should’ve checked before we cuddled in the theater, but I was too out of it back then to even think about it.

My heart wants to just sniff myself, get right up in there, but right now, Akihiko and I are glued together. If I tried to snuffle around, I’d only get his peach scent.

‘…Perfume, maybe?’

It smells so natural, like his own scent, though, not like perfume.

But what do I know about perfume, I’ve never worn anything like that myself.

It’s like, I almost get it, almost can tell. If I sniffed a little longer, maybe I could figure it out. But that would be way too perverted, right? Even if I didn’t mean it to be, you know?

Well, I can’t say I don’t have any ulterior motives…

…Anyway.

“……Huh?”

Then, Akihiko looked up at the screen.

I followed his gaze to the same spot.

The screen, which was just playing random ads a second ago, now had a huge message: [KISS TIME~♡ with Lotte Water Park!]

“Kiss Time, they still do that…?”

“……Guess so.”

I acted like I had no idea, like I wasn’t interested, even though I knew all along.

If I showed any excitement, he’d definitely think I was expecting something.

“All couples who participate in Kiss Time will receive two free passes to the Water Park….”

Completely fooled by my feigned indifference, Aki read the billboard’s text aloud to herself.

“Woo-joo~chan, they’re giving out water park tickets if you participate in the kiss time…?”

“Yeah, but you wouldn’t be able to use them even if you got one, it’s still cold in March.”

“……”

*Ziiiiiii.*

Aki, tilting her head slightly, stares intently at me.

“……Why?”

“No, just….”

I pretended not to hear her mutter, ‘……you’re so strangely oblivious.’

Aki might think I’m clueless, but actually, I’m pretty quick on the uptake.

It’s just that I pretend not to know, even when I do.

There’s no point in showing that you know, it doesn’t do you any good.

“Woo-joo~chan, you don’t like water parks?”

“…….”

Saying I dislike it is wrong, and saying I like it is also wrong.

If I say I dislike it, it’s like saying I don’t want to go on a date with Aki, and if I say I like it, she’ll wonder why I said that in the first place.

So, in this situation, the right answer is to target the questioner directly.

“I don’t like water parks, but… I think it’d be nice to go with you, Aki.”

“……Ah.”

A flush crept up Aki’s cheeks at my answer, which had perfectly grasped the quizmaster’s intent.

I felt a small surge of pride at Aki’s cute reaction, and chuckled quietly as I looked up at the electronic board.

“Oh? It’s starting.”

Just then, the screen on the board turned to show the audience.

The first couple to appear was a pair in the outfield seats. They looked to be in their mid to late twenties, both sporting LG Twins jerseys.

– Uh-oh, uh?!

– We’re on, we’re on!

The two startled, realizing they were on camera, then without a moment’s hesitation they faced each other, puckered up, and kissed.

Cheers, screams, and laughter erupted naturally from all around. The couple, now blushing, waved at the camera with smiles.

“Wow…”

“……”

Must be a couple that’s deep in love, they just went right for the kiss without any hesitation.

It’s kind of impressive and enviable how they can do that in front of everyone. Watching another couple’s PDA made a bunch of different feelings swirl inside me and I was scratching my cheek when the camera switched to another pair.

The second couple looked like a man and woman in their thirties.

They appeared to be married and fans of different teams, each wearing jerseys for the LG and Lotte clubs respectively.

They glanced at each other after realizing they were on camera. Then, the wife wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck and tilted her head ninety degrees to press her lips to his.

“H-Huh…!”

“…..Wow.”

So that’s what experience gets you, huh.

It’s just a single kiss, but their posture is on another level.

If you told *me* to do that, I could never pull it off. No, I probably wouldn’t even *think* to do something like that.

Half-admiring, half-astounded, I let out a sigh, and then the screen switched to the third couple.

The woman, who didn’t look like your average person at first glance, seemed to be in her late twenties, and the man, sporting a stylish beard, looked roughly in his forties.

‘Huh…’

But, something about their faces is familiar.

“……Mama?!”

The moment I thought that, Aki, nestled in my arms, jumped with a start and cried out.

“Woo-joo~chan! Th-that, those people…! Aren’t those our Mama and Papa…?!”

“Yeah, it is…”

Looking again, it was really Aki’s parents.

I thought they looked familiar, so it wasn’t my imagination.

What are they doing here… That thought barely had time to form.

-……?!

The moment Aki’s father realized they were on the kiss cam, he flinched and tried to get up to leave.

-Husbby…! Come here! ──!

-No, I’m not gonna- mmmph…!

Aki’s mother wrapped her arms around his waist, trapping him, then pulled his head closer by the back of his neck and just kissed him.

“……They must really like baseball, huh?”

“Yeah. They watch it at home all the time too…….”

“Oh, I see….”

It must be genetic, Aki’s love for baseball.

-I, Iroha…! J-Just, hold on, mpph….

-……*Mwahp*.

Not just once, but twice.

Aki’s parents, who definitely looked like a foreign couple, kept up their passionate kissing, and the stands erupted with a roar and screams, banging of cheering sticks that were incomparable to before.

For some reason, we, even though we weren’t the ones involved, felt our faces flush, each of us hiding our embarrassment in our own way.

I scratched my cheek with my left index finger and looked away, while Aki covered her eyes, as if mortified by her parents’ passionate kissing in front of thousands of people, and muttered, “Agh, seriously…”

“Why are they doing that in front of everyone, it’s so embarrassing…!”

“……Why? They seem happy, it’s nice to see.”

“Uju-chan, that doesn’t look happy, it looks like they’re shameless…!”

If the reaction seemed okay, I was even going to joke, ‘Maybe you’ll get a sibling soon,’ but I guess I can’t do that.

I just shut my mouth, and Aki shook her head frantically with her eyes still covered, and then, soon recovering a little, she glanced at me.

“……That makes three couples, right?”

“Yeah, three couples. One left.”

Was it because of seeing her childhood friend’s parents’ hot display of affection?

For a moment, I forgot that the last couple was planned to be us, and nodded absentmindedly.

‘Who’ll get the last one…?’

They’ve done 20s, 30s, even middle-aged couples, so the last one must be a unique couple.

……That’s what I thought, when.

*Snap*-!

The scoreboard flickered, changing again.

“Uh…”

“……Huh?!”

My face and Aki’s were plastered, huge, on the giant screen… !