My Japanese Childhood Friend Is Too Flirty

8. Aki, 10 years old, starting to develop a bit of possessiveness…? (3)

About two hours later, after Jaehyun’s birthday party ended.

I was strolling outside with Aki, who seemed unusually cheerful.

“Hm-hmm, hm-hm~ ……huh.”

Aki, who usually didn’t hum, was walking beside me, humming a tune and looking quite excited.

Just a few hours ago, she was upset because I brought her to Jaehyun’s house without telling her, but after a brief visit to the first floor, she couldn’t hide her happiness.

All I did was promise not to lie to her anymore and made a promise to marry her when we grow up.

‘……What?’

“Ah, could it be….”

Maybe the birthday party at Jaehyun’s house made Aki happy?

The food Jaehyun’s mother prepared was really delicious.

At 10 years old, I genuinely thought so, and with a slightly off-target conviction, I opened my mouth, thinking, ‘Aki really likes food, huh…?’

“Aki, are you that happy?”

“Yeah, super happy!”

‘Hmm, I see.’

When Aki is in a bad mood, giving her food solves the problem.

I memorized that in my mind, then gently took Aki’s hand and walked a step ahead.

“Aki, did you see Jaehyun’s expression earlier?”

“Huh? Jaehyun?”

“The boy from the birthday party. You know, the one you gave the Google gift card to directly, Aki.”

Of course, Aki doesn’t really remember Jaehyun’s existence, let alone buy him a gift herself.

The gift Aki gave to Jaehyun was actually something I had prepared just in case.

Originally, I didn’t plan to give it through Aki, but since things turned out this way, I secretly handed it to her, hoping she could get along well with her friends.

──Mr. Nam Jaehyun. This is a gift from Aki!

──Huh? Aki-. No, it’s a gift from Fujiwara-san…?!

──A Google gift card…? Or something like that. I heard Mr. Nam Jaehyun wanted this?

──Fu, Fujiwara-san…! Thank you, I’ll cherish it and use it well…!

Of course, Jaehyun, who didn’t know the backstory, was just genuinely grateful, thinking Aki had been considerate of him.

Well, sometimes ignorance is bliss…

“Ah, Mr. Nam Jaehyun? Yeah, I saw him. When I gave him the gift that Uju~chan prepared, he almost cried!”

“No, he really cried. I saw him rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, saying he was so happy to get a birthday present from Aki.”

“Really? I didn’t think it was such a touching gift…”

“It’s the first time he’s ever received a gift from a girl.”

“Oh, I see…”

Aki trailed off and glanced at me.

“Hey, Uju~chan.”

“Yeah, what?”

“What do you want for your birthday present this time?”

“Me? I… um, a pencil case with a toy?”

A pencil case with a toy that every elementary school boy envied, I was no exception.

However, at that time, I didn’t have the opportunity to own one. It wasn’t a matter of whether I could buy it with my allowance or not, but because my mother wouldn’t let me have such a pencil case. The reason was that the place for studying and the place for playing should be separated, or something like that.

“But why? Are you planning to buy it as a birthday present?”

“Yeah, yeah! I want to buy what Woojoo-chan wants if possible.”

“Oh, if that’s the case, you shouldn’t buy a pencil case with a toy. My mom said it would interfere with studying, so she told me not to use such a pencil case. Even when I said I would buy it with my allowance, she said no.”

“Yeah, really…? Then, you know, should Aki talk to Woojoo’s mom directly?”

“Talk to her? How?”

“I’ll tell her that I bought a pencil case with a toy as a gift for Woojoo-chan, but I was told not to use it. If I say that I can’t return it because I already opened the package, I think Woojoo’s mom will allow it. What do you think, Woojoo-chan?”

“…!”

For a moment, it felt like lightning struck my head.

It wasn’t because I was shocked by the idea of going against my mother’s words and using my wits.

Aki’s idea of getting my mother’s permission in a way I could never imagine was a fresh shock to me.

I grabbed Aki’s hands tightly.

“…Aki, are you a genius?”

“Huh? Ah, not really…”

“No, Aki, you are a genius. How could you come up with such an idea? Aki is a genius, truly a genius!”

“Ah, um…”

“Aki, no, Genius Aki. Can I ask you a favor? I really want a pencil case with a toy!”

“Yeah, okay. If it’s a request from Woojoo-chan…”

“Gasp, thank you! Aki, I really like it!”

“…Ah.”

So, before we knew it, we had reached near Aki’s house and were having a fresh conversation by the roadside.

A little distance away from where Aki and I were, right below Aki’s house across the street.

“Oh? Aki, Aki-!”

A tall person, a woman who looked to be in her early to mid-20s, called out to us.

Of course, I had never seen her before.

“Aki, do you know her?”

Immediately, I recalled my parents’ stern warnings (Uju, even if someone says they are a friend of your parents, never follow them, okay?) and instinctively blocked Aki.

But then, Aki peeked out from beside me.

“Ah, Mama…!”

“…Huh? Did you say Mama?”

Just then, the traffic light turned green, and Aki started running towards the crosswalk. I thought to myself, ‘Wait, did she just say Mama?’ and quickly followed Aki.

“Mama, Mama-!”

“Yes, Aki. How have you been?”

“Yes, Aki has been well!”

“Good, Mama has been healthy too. But Aki, it’s dangerous here, so let’s cross the street first, okay?”

Aki and the woman, who were hugging each other, crossed the crosswalk affectionately.

So, I quickly followed them before the signal changed, and as soon as Aki stood by the roadside, she waved at me, who was a few steps away.

“Uju~chan, come here!”

“Uh…”

Aki greeted the person warmly, but I didn’t know who they were. Since they called me over, I approached hesitantly, and the unfamiliar woman smiled gently at me, perhaps finding my awkwardness endearing.

“Mama, say hello. This is the boy I told you about, Woojoo~chan! And Woojoo~chan, this is our mama!”

“Oh, she’s your mother…?”

I thought she was a stranger, but it turned out to be Aki’s mom.

‘…If I speak in Korean, she obviously won’t understand. Should I try French?’

But I don’t know how to speak French, so what should I do?

After some deliberation, I decided to greet her in a third language, Japanese.

“Hajimemashite. Uchu desu. (Nice to meet you, I’m Joo Woojoo.)”

“Oh my, you can speak Japanese?”

“Yes, a little. I learned it from Aki.”

“Oh my, really? Our Aki…”

“Yes, that’s right! I taught Woojoo~chan Japanese!”

As soon as the conversation turned to her, Aki puffed out her chest and smiled proudly.

Aki’s mother looked down at her as if seeing her in a new light, then smiled sweetly and patted her head.

“Our Aki, it feels like just yesterday you were asking for milk, and now you’ve grown so mature.”

“Ah, mama…! Woojoo~chan is right here…!”

“…”

Recalling my father’s life advice that it’s best to pretend not to hear awkward conversations, I acted as if I hadn’t heard anything and stared off into the distance.

“Oh, is this boy Woojoo~chan?”

“Mama, I just told you! This boy is Uju~chan!”

“Ah, sorry. Mama was so happy that I forgot?”

Aki’s mother, who had warmly hugged Aki, turned her head towards me.

“Sorry for the late introduction. Nice to meet you, I’m Aki’s mom. My name is Fujiwara Iroha.”

“Oh, yes. Hello….”

“Do you know what I do?”

“I think Aki mentioned that you work as a model.”

When I answered, recalling what Aki had said before, Aki’s mother smiled as if I had given the correct answer.

Only then did I relax a little and glanced up and down at Aki’s mother.

She looks roughly in her mid-20s, or even younger. She looks so young that─for a woman with a 10-year-old daughter─it’s no exaggeration to say that she could be mistaken for Aki’s older sister without any doubt.

Her hair color is the same light pink as Aki’s, but her head is very small, her facial features are very distinct, and her entire body, including her fingers and lower body, is slender and well-proportioned.

As Aki had told me before, she has a bright Western appearance and fashion sense that shows she was born in France. Anyone can immediately tell that she is a model.

“…….”

In summary, she is similar to Aki but slightly different and more mature. Maybe Aki will grow up to look just like this in about ten years.

As I unconsciously imagined Aki’s appearance ten years from now, Aki’s mother suddenly laughed.

“Did you fall for aunty?”

“……What?”

“What, didn’t you? You were staring so blankly that I thought you did~”

“Oh….”

So this is what Aki’s mother is like.

It’s only been a short while since we met, but somehow I feel like I already know him. My intuition that he felt similar yet different from Aki was spot on.

“Ah, Mama!”

As I slowly nodded my head, Aki jumped out of her mother’s arms and quickly came to my side, linking her arm with mine.

“Mama, you can’t aim for Uju~chan! Uju~chan is mine!”

“Oh my, is that really so?”

“Yes? Uh, well… I’m not sure, Mother.”

Although I had learned Japanese, I still couldn’t speak it perfectly, so I called Aki’s mother by the word I knew, “Mother” (お母さん).

“Hmm, Mother? Isn’t that title a bit premature…?”

I had no idea that it also meant “mother-in-law” in Japanese, and I only found out later…

But that wasn’t really important.

“But Mama, why did you suddenly come to Korea? You said you were too busy with modeling work to come!”

“It’s complicated to explain… To put it simply, I had some free time, so I came. I needed to see our Aki after a long time, and I also had to see your father whom I hadn’t seen.”

“Then do you have to go back to Japan soon?”

“Yes, that’s right. I still have a lot of work to do in Japan, so I have to go back.”

“Oh, I see…”

Aki looked sullen when her mother, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, said she had to leave soon.

“…Aki.”

Aki’s mother looked down at her quietly.

“Wouldn’t you like to come live with me in Japan?”

…She said something that made me doubt my ears.