Ch.113113. Believe in Me Who Believes in You

This might sound like a random confession, but I’ve actually never traveled abroad.

During my childhood, my family’s financial situation wasn’t good, so I had a difficult time. And after I grew up a bit, I was too busy just taking care of myself. The farthest I’ve been is Jeju Island, so that says it all.

That was a bit of a long introduction, but the point is that I don’t know foreign languages because I have no overseas experience. I can speak some English because I’ve studied it on my own… but for other second languages, it’s fair to say I can barely use them at all.

What’s somewhat comforting is that I’ve jotted down some notes, so I can manage simple communication and everyday conversations. I can ask about greetings, prices of items, or directions, but anything slightly beyond that and I’m lost.

So to discuss this issue and potential solutions, I sat Hwa Nabi down and brought it up.

But then.

“…What did you just say?”

I thought I had misheard. I mean, does this even make sense?

I was so surprised that I opened my eyes wide and asked again, which made Hwa Nabi frown in annoyance.

“Siwoo, what’s with that reaction? Are you saying you don’t believe me?”

“No… that’s not it.”

Well, I have a certain image of her in mind, so of course I’d be surprised if she said she could speak Japanese. I swallowed those thoughts and continued.

“You can speak Japanese… really? You’re not joking?”

“Of course it’s real. Why would I joke about something like that?”

She was so confident that I wondered if I had misheard the word “Japanese” in Korean. Hwa Nabi, with her eyes half-open, crossed her arms confidently. It was the attitude of a strong woman saying “test me if you dare,” overflowing with self-assurance.

“…”

…Is she serious?

Noticing the doubt in my eyes, Hwa Nabi asked me:

“What’s wrong? Want me to show you my Japanese?”

“…No, it’s fine. If you say so, then I believe you.”

“You don’t look convinced at all. Siwoo, your eyes are full of doubt.”

“Well, that’s…”

“Well, showing you directly would be fastest. You said you know a little Japanese too, right? Let’s have a conversation. Then you’ll see.”

“Really? Then…”

If Hwa Nabi is going this far… it might be good to test her. I thought about what questions to ask, then slowly opened my mouth.

“どうも、良い天気ですね。”

[Hello. The weather is nice today, isn’t it?]

“はい、曇りなき日登がよい昼ですね.”

[Yes. With no clouds and the sun shining brightly, it’s a pleasant afternoon.]

“ご失礼ですが、東京からくさつ村までの一番の近道をおしえていただけますか。”

[…If you don’t mind, could you tell me the fastest way to get from Tokyo to Kusatsu village?]

“ああ、くさつ村ですか。もしかしてくさつ温泉行きですか。”

[Ah, Kusatsu village? Are you perhaps going to Kusatsu hot springs?]

“はい、そうです。なにかあったんですか。”

[Yes, that’s right. Is there a problem?]

“いや、普通東京行きの観光客ならはこねの温泉によくたずねるんですので。でもくさつ温泉も良い選択です.”

[No, it’s just that most Tokyo tourists usually visit Hakone hot springs. But Kusatsu hot springs is also a good choice.]

“くさつ温泉なら東京駅前のターミナルで直行のバスに乗ると。４時間ぐらいかかるんですが、天気によってながくなることもあります。”

[For Kusatsu hot springs, take the direct bus from the terminal in front of Tokyo Station. It takes about four hours, but it might take longer depending on the weather conditions.]

“あ、そうですか。どうもありがとうございます.”

[Ah, I see. Thank you very much.]

“いえいえ、お楽しみになってください.”

[Not at all, enjoy your trip.]

The brief conversation ended with that greeting. After finishing, Hwa Nabi smiled at me.

And as I looked at her… though I didn’t show it, I was truly amazed inside. Even though I deliberately tried to make her give a complicated explanation, Hwa Nabi continued fluently without hesitation.

It seems her claim about speaking Japanese wasn’t just talk. What’s even more impressive is that during our conversation, she used words and vocabulary I wasn’t familiar with while giving directions.

Without realizing it, my mouth opened slightly in admiration, and Hwa Nabi chuckled.

“Well, what do you think?”

“Wow, that’s amazing…? Nabi, when did you learn Japanese?”

“I learned a lot of different things when I was in elementary school. I don’t remember exactly when, but I probably learned it then. Didn’t I tell you?”

“I think I heard about you doing rhythmic gymnastics and ballet back in the day? But Japanese is truly news to me. I’m learning this for the first time today.”

“Really? You’d be even more surprised if I told you what else I can do.”

“…Huh? You can speak other languages besides Japanese?”

“Yes. Besides Japanese, I can also speak Chinese and English.”

My mouth fell open at the words that came from Hwa Nabi’s lips. Judging by how she spoke, it seemed like she could speak Chinese as fluently as Japanese… doesn’t that mean she can speak almost four languages?

My goodness, the polyglot I’d only heard about turned out to be my girlfriend. Talk about a plot twist.

Thinking something that sounded like a book title, I gulped.

Nabi, you’re much more impressive than you appear. I know it’s rude to have such thoughts as her boyfriend, but the gap between her usual image and what she’s showing now… the shock from that difference was no small matter.

“But you spoke well too, Siwoo. If you’re not planning to live in Japan, that level is enough for tourism, isn’t it?”

“I only know how to communicate simply, and everyone can do that much, right?”

“Come on, do you know how many people can’t even do that? Someone at your level is really good, so you should be confident.”

With the table between us, we were complimenting each other’s faces, and it became awkwardly embarrassing. I cleared my throat to end the conversation and gradually brought up the main topic.

“Well… anyway, about the Japan trip.”

“Yes, what about it? Did something happen?”

She’s so impatient. I smiled at her cute urging and took out my phone, placing it on the table.

“It’s not that, I did some research. Look here.”

“Let me see, hmm. ‘Ikaho Hot Springs Village’… I’ve never heard of this place?”

Usually when people think of Japanese hot springs, they only recall Arima, Kusatsu, and Gero… and even those place names are often unknown to those who aren’t familiar.

“Yeah, I didn’t know about it either. But I have a friend who travels to Japan very often. He said Ikaho Hot Springs Village would be good for taking pictures.”

“Oh… really? Why?”

“Tourists usually go to Kusatsu, not Ikaho. So not many people know about it. Since we’re not just going for fun but also need to take photos for our report, it would be more convenient if there are fewer people.”

While continuing with this simple explanation, I scrolled down to show Hwa Nabi several photos of the hot springs village and its surroundings.

“Wait a minute. Siwoo, what’s this?”

“Hm? Which one?”

“The photo that just passed. Yes, this one, these stone steps. Are these also in Ikaho?”

The photo Hwa Nabi was pointing at was of Ikaho’s famous 360 stone steps.

More precisely, the “stone steps that outsiders ambitiously climb only to collapse from exhaustion”…

“It says shops, accommodations, and ryokans are gathered around these stone steps, making it the center of Ikaho… Siwoo? Do we have to climb these steps when we go to Ikaho?”

“…Well, I wonder about that.”

“What? What did you say?”

“Nothing. Yeah, let’s say that about the stone steps. Actually, that’s not what’s important right now.”

Dismissing the meaningless stone steps, I scrolled down further to show photos of ryokans.

Since we’ll be staying for four nights and five days, not just a day or two, it would be better to choose accommodations that we both like and agree on. Of course, booking just a few days in advance means some places might not accept us.

Well, let’s just say money can solve most problems.

“I’ve booked the flights with my father’s help. But I haven’t reserved a ryokan yet. So we need to choose quickly. Which one do you like?”

“Oh… really? Your father helped? Shouldn’t I thank him?”

“No, you can do that later. Let’s choose the accommodation first.”

For high-end ryokans that cost around a million won per night, the facilities are mostly similar, so it’s better to choose based on the surrounding scenery or atmosphere. Especially when traveling with a woman, you need to be more considerate in your choice.

In that sense, my shortlisted candidates were ryokans with impressive natural surroundings.

“Hmm, I’m not sure… which one do you like, Siwoo?”

“Me? I like this one.”

Since we’re traveling, traditional accommodations that capture the country’s unique atmosphere would be better than brand hotels that we could visit in Korea too.

The place I pointed to was a large ryokan with excellent views from the rooms. The bedroom and living room are spacious, giving an open feeling, and if you book a special room, you can use the private open-air bath attached to each room, making it perfect for couples.

“The ryokan’s name is… ‘Kinoue’?”

“Yeah, the name is nice, and so is the atmosphere. What do you think?”

Directly translated to Korean, it means “last night” or “the night before”… considering the identity of a ryokan as accommodation for travelers, I think it’s a fitting name.

“Yeah, not bad. Shall we go with this one?”

“Really? Alright. I’ll contact them later.”

“Oh, but Siwoo, it looks like this ryokan has a swimming pool too?”

“Yeah, it says it’s available for use, but won’t it be cold in March?”

“Still, just in case, should we pack swimsuits? It might be unexpectedly warm when we get there.”

“Well, if you insist…”

Swimsuits, huh. Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Hwa Nabi in a swimsuit. Was the last time last summer? As my voice trailed off, I found myself imagining.

Hwa Nabi wearing a pretty pink bikini.

“……”

“Siwoo. Why are you suddenly smiling like that?”

“…It’s nothing. Just, I have some things to think about.”

……I wish tomorrow would come quickly.