115. Various Things Happen When You Live Together (6)

The next day, lunch.

I was eating lunch with Min-woo in the cafeteria. Today’s menu was squid bibimbap and various side dishes. It wasn’t quite as good as what Aki made, but it was still edible, and Min-woo and I sat facing each other, chatting about this and that.

“Minwoo-ya. About what we talked about at lunch yesterday. About offering to paint Aki’s portrait.”

“Yeah. What about it?”

“Aki said she’d adjust to whatever day works for you, so when would you be free? Except for this weekend.”

“Hmm, why? Do you have plans this weekend?”

“Yeah. Aki and some friends from high school are coming over for a housewarming. So…. Ah, never mind. Why don’t you come then too? It would be fun to hang out together.”

“How many people are coming…?”

“For now, five guys and five girls. But that might change a little.”

“Ah, then I won’t go. I get stressed out when there are too many people….”

“Really? That’s a shame. Then-.”

“Um, but you know….”

Minwoo glanced at the seat next to us. I followed his gaze.

And then.

“Hmph.”

Aki, our eyes meeting, abruptly turned her head.

Still sulking after a whole day, all because I teased her yesterday with the recording file.

“Um, is your girlfriend… always like that?”

“Don’t worry about it. She’s just sulking because I teased her a bit yesterday.”

“Hmm, really…? …She sure is glaring pretty intensely for just ‘a bit.’”

Minwoo, looking rather uneasy, took a spoonful of squid-topped rice. I followed suit, internally musing.

‘Ah, even when she’s sulking, Aki is cute….’

When someone is upset, they usually try not to talk at all or disappear somewhere out of sight, but Aki, on the contrary, loiters within my line of vision.

And she doesn’t just loiter; she keeps glaring at me, staging a silent protest as if urging me to resolve her anger, but then pretending not to see me the moment our eyes meet…. Frankly, I found it far too adorable. That’s why I deliberately didn’t try to appease her this morning.

Seeing Aki act like this isn’t something I get to witness often, so I wanted to enjoy it a little longer.

Ah, well, of course, if I leave it too long, she’ll get truly upset, so I need to soothe her appropriately when the time is right. Around dinner tonight, roughly. Until then, my intention is to savor the sight of cute Aki from afar.

“Hmph…!”

“…Um, are you sure she’s really okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. She’s fine. So, when were you saying would work?”

“Hmm…. you said this weekend is out. Um, how about next Thursday or Friday?”

“Next Thursday and Friday is the MT, though. Aren’t you going to the MT?”

“Oh? Ah, right, the MT, that’s right.”

“What’s this, are you guys going on an MT trip?”

“Yeah. Thinking of giving it a shot. Woojoo, you’re obviously going, right?”

“Me? Hmm, I’m a little… unsure.”

“Huh? Why? Don’t tell me you’re not going?”

“It’s not finalized that I’m *not* going. But I need to think about it a little more. Something might come up that day.”

“Why, why? What kind of thing?”

Minwoo asks, his voice sounding almost fl*stered. But I couldn’t exactly tell him.

Unless he was a friend of, like, ten years… telling a guy I’ve known for less than two weeks that I can’t go because the cosplay outfit my girlfriend ordered might be arriving on the MT trip day… It’s pretty embarrassing, you know?

“It’s nothing big… Anyway, there’s just something going on. So I’m not sure if I can go or not.”

“Really? Then… should I just not go either…?”

“Why you?”

“Well… I only said I’d go because I thought you were definitely going, Woojoo. But if you’re not going, it doesn’t seem like it’d be much fun…?”

“Does me going with you make that much of a difference?”

“It does. You’re the only friend I know there…”

“Just make some friends when you get there. Isn’t that the point of MT trips?”

It wasn’t meant to be a snide remark, just genuine curiosity.

Minwoo stopped mid-scoop with his spoon.

“…That’s why they’re called ‘insiders’.”

“Huh? What was that?”

“Ah, nothing. It was nothing…”

Minwoo shakes his head quickly from side to side. I tilt my head, and then get back to eating my rice. It’s so bland.

“Well, anyway… if Woojoo is busy next Thursday and Friday, how about the weekend? Is next Saturday or Sunday okay?”

“Next weekend should be fine, I think. Should I tell them to keep those days open?”

“Yeah. Please do. I’m free whenever, so just let me know via text once the date is set for next Saturday or Sunday…”

*Thunk-*

Just then, Aki stood up from the table next to us. Without thinking, I turned my gaze and saw Aki’s friends getting up, too, following her lead.

“…Hmph!”

Aki caught my eye and let out a derisive sniff, as if for me to hear. Then, she turned her back on me sharply, and began walking with a haughty gait towards the tray return.

I stared blankly at her retreating back, then exchanged nods with Aki’s friends. And I thought.

Aki’s b*tt always looked so big, no matter when I saw it.

‘Maybe I’ve rubbed them too much…’

Her backside in those jeans, it’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but they look so tight. I should subtly mention it later.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“Just asked you to text me when the date’s set. …Oh, but.”

Minwoo, glancing at Aki’s back – or rather, at the group of friends trailing behind her – lowered his voice.

“Hey. That friend your girlfriend was going to introduce me to… what’s she like…?”

“Hmm, I dunno? I didn’t ask… Should I ask her later?”

“Huh, really? I’d appreciate that…!”

“Okay. Got it. I’ll ask her when I get home.”

Though, of course, appeasing Aki’s anger would have to come first, right?

* * *

Evening, home.

Aki, who had snorted dismissively at me every time we crossed paths at school, was no different back home. Humming with a “hmph” while doing chores, another while making dinner, and yet another as we sat on the same sofa watching television. She even pretended not to notice when I gently took her hand, just hmph-ing away.

I found it so endearing.

Aki, how could she be this cute even when she’s sulking…?

“Hmph.”

“……”

If I had my way, I would have left her like this. It’s a shame we couldn’t talk, but she was too cute like this that I wished it’d last a couple of days. But there were a few things that I needed to ask and get answers to right away.

I swallowed my disappointment and intertwined my fingers with Aki’s. I’d pushed her away enough, now it was time to gently pull her back.

As I intertwined our fingers and gently caressed them, Aki glanced at me with a prim expression. Telling me to speak my mind already if I had something to say.

“Sorry. I was wrong.”

“Hmph.”

“Let’s go out together later. I’ll buy you something sweet.”

“Hmph.”

“I can buy you as much as you want, you know. Still no?”

“Hmph!”

Oh. It’s not working. I thought she would quickly cheer up with something sweet as bait.

I guess I’ve used it too much and she’s become immune. If so, then I have no other choice.

“If you stop being mad, I’ll grant you one wish.”

“Hmph…!”

“Ah, one isn’t enough? Two, or perhaps three?”

“…Hmph.”

“Three isn’t enough either? Alright. Then I’ll just be your servant for the whole day.”

“……”

Twitch.

Aki’s eyebrow rose just a little.

That seemed like a reaction she was a bit tempted by, so, thinking this was my chance, I bumped my shoulder against Aki’s and whispered gently.

“Aki, you pick the exact day you want, and on that day, I’ll do whatever Aki tells me to do. How’s that sound?”

“…You’ll really do anything?”

“Uh-huh. Really anything. You can order me to do anything you want.”

“…Ehem.”

Aki turned her head slightly.

She changed from her posture of outright facing away from me and finally turned towards me. I was both pleased and amused by it, and I chuckled a little.

“Aki, do you know you’re getting cuter and cuter these days?”

“…Hmph. Just flattering me won’t change anything, you know?”

“I’m not flattering you, I’m stating a fact? You’re really cute, Aki. To the point where I want to give you k*sses.”

“Whatever. Idiot…”

Despite her petulant tone, the corners of her lips tilted upward. She was pretending not to, but she was secretly happy.

I deliberately pretended not to notice and snuggled closer to Aki. And then I brought up the topic I’d been putting off.

“That friend who said he’d draw a portrait of you, he’s free next weekend. How about it?”

“Next weekend… Yeah. I’m free. I don’t have any plans.”

“Really? Then I’ll tell him to meet us next Saturday.”

I took out my phone and sent a message to Minwoo. The message read, ‘She’s free next Saturday. Looks like we can meet then?’. It wasn’t long before I got a reply.

[Okay. Got it. How about around 2 PM, and we do it at my place? Is that okay??]

[Time’s okay. Where’s your place?]

[Seocho-gu. I’ll send you the location]

*Ding-*.

[Map]

[Here, it’s not that far from school, so you can get here quickly!]

I checked the map Minwoo sent me. It was a location you could get to within 30 minutes if you took a bus near our place and transferred once. Of course, that was assuming there wasn’t any traffic.

[Confirmed. So, see you next Saturday??]

[Yeah. See you next Saturday~]

[Okay. But we’ll see each other at school tomorrow too, lol]

[Ah, ㅋㅋㅋ]

I chuckled softly and slipped my phone back into my pocket. Aki, who had been waiting patiently beside me, gave me a little nudge.

“Darling, what did he say?”

“He said he’ll see me next Saturday. Oh, but…”

“Hmm?”

“We have that MT trip next Thursday, right? Are you going, Aki?”

“Ah, the MT trip? No, I’m not going. I had almost forgotten myself, but it’s my grandma’s birthday that day….”

“Oh…? Really? Next Thursday is her birthday?”

“Yeah. So I can’t go. Papa and Mama are going to Japan for an overnight trip, Thursday and Friday, to celebrate her birthday. We’re going to throw her a party.”

“Ah, I see….”

Next Thursday was her grandma’s birthday, huh. I knew Aki’s parents’ birthdays, but not her grandma’s. Well, I would have needed to hear about it first.

“Should I come along?”

“Why? Already wanting to play the grandson-in-law?”

“No, it’s not exactly that…. It’s like, I didn’t know before, but knowing now and not going feels kind of weird. It’s our Aki’s grandma, after all.”

“……Hehe. You’re cute.”

Aki gently stroked my thigh.

“If I told you to come, you’d come?”

“Yeah. Of course, I would.”

“……Hehe. So good with words.”

“I’m not just saying that, I mean it?”

“Uung, I know. But you don’t have to come. This time, it’s just going to be a small party with just the family. If you’re going to come, come later. After we get married….”

“…….”

Why does that feel like it has a hidden meaning?

“Ah, and that day is the MT trip, right? Just go to the MT trip with your friends. Only Mama, Papa, and I will go to Japan.”

“Umm….”

I couldn’t exactly insist on going when she was telling me not to. I nodded awkwardly.

“Okay. Then I’ll just go to the MT trip.”

“Mmhmm, be careful on your way? I’ll be careful getting back too.”

“Yeah. But… why are you reaching into my pants?”

“Since we made up, as a make-up… thing?”

“Ah….”

If it was that kind of thing, then there was no helping it.

I watched silently as Aki slowly lowered my pants and knelt carefully before my feet.

“Mmh. I’ll enjoy this… very much….”

“……”

“……*peck*.”

Unaware of the things that would happen as a result of this decision….