120. The First MT, Away From Aki for 1 Night 2 Days…! (5)

“Hey, why do you keep checking your phone while we’re drinking?”

“Huh? What?”

“Not ‘what’, you’ve been doing it since earlier. It’s ruining the atmosphere.”

“Ah…. Sorry. I got a text from my girlfriend.”

“What, telling you to come inside instead of being out here?”

Sungchan chuckled, taking a small sip from his soju glass. I shook my head.

“No. Aki doesn’t even know I’m out. She’s in Japan right now.”

“What? You lied to your girlfriend? That’s total trash behavior, man.”

“It’s not that I lied, she just doesn’t know I’m out, okay…?”

Jongmin, who had been dragged along semi-willingly, asked cautiously.

That was what worried me a little…. But anyway, Aki was in Japan, and unless we video called, there was no way she would know I was here.

And, truthfully, I wasn’t doing anything weird, right? Just hanging out at a friend’s place with some guys, drinking a little. I figured it was a much healthier bonding experience than the stories you always heard about people getting drunk and causing trouble.

Having finished justifying myself, I stared blankly at the soju in my glass before downing it in one refreshing gulp.

“Nah, it’s fine. As long as I get back before 4 PM, she’ll never know.”

“Still, you never know….”

“Well, then what…”

“Why are you even asking about such things, it’s ruining the mood? And who cares if she finds out? Uju, you’ve got your girlfriend wrapped around your finger.”

“That’s right. Last time I saw, she was calling you ‘Master’. At that point, isn’t it practically like she’d bring you water if you asked? Like that famous meme. The boy with the glasses asks for water and she brings it.”

“What. Does she really bring you water if you ask?”

“Are you serious…”

I frowned slightly at the other classmate’s question.

We asked each other for favors. I had never unilaterally ordered Aki to do anything. And I had no desire to.

“Hey, but is that for real? That thing you said last time, Woo-joo.”

“Said last time?”

“You know. That thing about your girlfriend saying she’d do cosplay if you asked.”

“Ah.”

That thing, huh. I had mentioned it maybe three days ago. Not that I wanted to, but more like it slipped out while guys with girlfriends were bragging about their girlfriends.

Honestly, it was a slip of the tongue, and I was hoping they’d just forget about it. But there was no way a bunch of guys in their early twenties would hear something like that and pretend they hadn’t.

With Sung-chan’s question tossed into the ring, everyone’s attention focused on me.

“Nah, I just don’t buy it? Woo-joo’s good-looking, sure, but his girlfriend’s super pretty too. There’s no reason for her to go that far to be nice to Woo-joo, right?”

“Honestly, I agree. The opposite, maybe, but his girlfriend going as far as cosplay? I don’t think so.”

“Am I really…that bad?”

Aki is cute, pretty, and lovable, that’s true, but I’ve never been called ugly, anywhere I go.

“No, you’re definitely *that* bad?”

“To properly compare, the gap is huge. Like how someone with a hundred million won and someone with ten billion won are both rich, but they’re on different levels?”

“Wait, am I only worth that much? A hundred million?”

“Yeah. You and her are fundamentally different. Fundamentally. You’re East Asian, and she’s Western.”

“I acknowledge the pure, unadulterated difference in build.”

“…What? Acknowledge what? Who decided that? And strictly speaking, Aki’s half East Asian too, you know?”

* * *

*Squeak-.*

A large, black sedan stopped, slightly over the parking space line. Soon after, the large back door opened, and someone jumped out.

“Papa, thank you for the ride! I’m going inside now!”

“Alright. But you need to take your luggage inside with you, right?”

“Ah, right. Hehe….”

Aki stuck out her tongue, smiling bashfully.

Aki’s father, Fujiwara Sumimoto, watched her with a fond smile, then quietly pressed the trunk release button.

“That suitcase looks heavy. Should Papa bring your luggage up?”

“Ah, no! My… well, Woo-joo~chan can do it. It’s alright!”

“Hmm, is that so…?”

“Yes. Papa, drive carefully!”

“Okay, okay…”

Sumimoto, a touch of wistfulness on his face, nodded. And having confirmed the trunk was closed, he began to drive the car out of the parking lot.

Aki watched the black, large sedan gradually receding…. Until, at last, it disappeared from sight, she gripped the handle of her suitcase tightly.

A smile bloomed on her lips.

Due to the MT (Membership Training) schedule, Uju, with all of his commitments done by morning, would have more than arrived in Seoul. Which is to say, Uju was up there.

Yesterday, she had told him via KakaoTalk that she’d be arriving in Korea around 4 PM, and it was now about 2 PM, so Uju probably still had a full two hours left. *Time is just crawling by. Aki, I miss you so much….* She was sure that was what he was thinking. Aki knew it without even seeing him.

‘Our Uju, he’s going to be so surprised…?’

What would he say when he saw her, arriving two hours earlier than planned…?

*Why are you here so early? I thought I was going to die missing you,* he would, of course, say. Maybe he’d even lose his mind and pounce on her right away. After all, she’d sent him a bunch of *those* kinds of pictures last night.

Preparing a small surprise for her boyfriend without him knowing, she imagined his reaction and hummed a happy little tune.

“Hehe….”

I hope he doesn’t faint from shock…….

Humming, Aki headed towards the third floor. Climbing the steep stairs felt effortlessly easy today. As if she were stepping on clouds, floating upwards.

And just like that, she arrived on the third floor.

Aki, about to open the door and go straight inside, paused for a moment. Entering the house as she was would already be a sufficient surprise, but to achieve an even more dramatic effect, some pre-planning was needed.

Aki pulled out her phone. And quickly tapped on the screen to send a message. The recipient, of course, was her boyfriend, Uju.

[Honey, are you home??]

The message was short and sweet, just one line.

A reply came before long.

[I got in this morning. Aki, when are *you* coming???]

Straight to the point, pressing her. He must be really impatient.

The feeling of Uju waiting for her was conveyed even through the KakaoTalk messages, and Aki couldn’t help but giggle to herself before sending back a deliberately coy reply.

[Well, *I* think I’ll be a bit late.]

[Huh, really? Why?]

[The plane was delayed. They said I can’t take off right now because of the weather, so I might have to wait an hour or two more…?]

[An hour or two, so that means you’ll get to Korea at like, 5 or 6 PM??]

[Yeah. Maybe? But you never know. If the flight is delayed more, my arrival will be later, too….]

Aki waited a moment after sending the message, designed to deceive Uju.

He must have been shocked by the news that she would be at least an hour or two, maybe even more, delayed. Uju, who had been replying promptly, suddenly fell silent.

[Sorry, Honey…. ㅠㅠ]

[(Cat wiping away tears emoji)]

“Oh? No, no, it’s alright. There’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s just that the plane is delayed, so you couldn’t make it…]”

[So, at the very least, you’ll be here by 5 or 6, or even 7 if it’s later, right…?]

[Yeah. Probably.]

[Ah. I see…]

[Okay. I’ll be waiting.]

“Heuh…”

A smile bubbled up unbidden. He was trying so hard to act like it didn’t matter, but it was clear that it did.

For some reason, Aki felt like she could see the universe beyond the screen. He was probably sitting there, mouth agape, wondering how to soothe his flushed and utterly lost heart…

[Oh, but could you send me a message just before you come?]

[A message? Ah, yeah. I’ll send one before I leave!]

[Okay, great. Come safely~]

[Alright. See you later, Honey~♡]

“……Okay, that’s that.”

Build-up complete.

Having concluded her conversation with the universe, Aki slipped her phone into her skirt pocket. And with a bright smile, she stared at the electronic door lock.

‘Since I said I’d be late, he’s probably all gloomy right now…?’

By making him anxiously anticipate her arrival, only to then burst through the door unannounced and inject a shot of dopamine straight into his brain…!

It was an impromptu plan, but utterly perfect. Aki chuckled to herself, full of self-praise, before hastily composing her expression.

‘Don’t smile. Don’t smile…’

The key to a surprise like this was to maintain a brazen, unreadable face.

Repeating ‘don’t smile’ to herself countless times, Aki steeled her resolve and quickly punched in the door lock code, not giving Woo-joo even a moment to react. Then, she flung the door open and stepped inside.

“Huh…?”

Why were the lights off in the living room?

“Ah. Maybe he’s in the bedroom…?”

He must be watching something on YouTube with the door closed, not even realizing she was coming in.

It would be even better if he didn’t notice her right away, even though she expected him to. Maybe she could dramatically fling open the bedroom door and really startle him.

‘Is he doing something weird in there by himself…?!’

The possibility was slim, but perhaps it was true.

Perhaps behind that door, Woo-joo was revealing his muscular lower half, diligently moving his arm up and down…!

Aki thought that if Woo-joo really was doing *that*… it wouldn’t be so bad to naturally approach and take over for him. That would really fl*ster him.

A smile, unwittingly full, bloomed on Aki’s face as she stood before the bedroom door, struggling to calm her racing heart. She listened quietly for any sound.

─…….

Silence from within.

If he were doing something alone, there should be some noise.

‘What is it? Just lying down…?’

Or perhaps, had he already fallen asleep…?

Aki considered this and that, quickly realizing it was pointless. The rhythmic *tap tap tap* hadn’t happened, so the original plan was already off.

*Kiiiieek-*

“Master, are you…?”

She scanned the bedroom.

Within the few pyeong of space, there was no Woo-joo.

“Huh, he’s not here….”

If not here, then where?

‘Ah, maybe the bathroom?’

Aki left the bedroom and went to the bathroom.

The door was slightly ajar, the light off.

‘What is it? If not here, where did he go…?’

Aki then checked the closet.

Woo-joo was not there.

“……?”

Aki’s brain stalled for a moment.

Bedroom, living room, bathroom, closet. She had checked every possible place a person could be, but Woo-joo was gone.

Aki, her head filled with question marks, panicked for a moment, then quickly regained her composure and pulled out her phone.

[Master, you’re at home right now, aren’t you??]

[Yeah. Why?]

[Really?? Are you really home??]

[Uh-huh. I’m lying in bed. Why?]

“……Lying in bed?”

That couldn’t be. Still, just in case, she went back to the bedroom.

Of course, no one was on the bed.

Which is to say…

[Whatcha doing lying down…?]

[Just, y’know, watching Youtube while waiting for you?]

[Might do a little workout before you get here, kekeke, feels like I haven’t been hitting my back properly lately]

Woo-joo is lying to me.

The smile vanished from Aki’s lips as that thought took root.

[Aki, you *are* going to be late, right?? ‘Cause of the plane delay]

[I wanna see you soon ㅠㅠ]

“……”

Deadpan.

Literally deadpan, Aki stared blankly at the messages Woo-joo was sending, all the life drained from her eyes.

[I’m only waiting for you, so make sure you call when you arrive, okay??]

[(Puppy dog eyes emoji)]

“……Huh.”

Squeeeeeze.

Aki gripped her phone tightly.

As if wringing out something thick and long…