episode_0008

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

I was walking outside with Aki, who seemed strangely happy.

“Heheung, uhuhheung~ … … Wow.”

Aki was so excited that he started humming a song that he doesn’t usually sing and walked around next to me.

A few hours ago, he was very upset because I brought him to Jaehyun’s house without even speaking to him, but ever since we briefly went to the first floor together, he seemed so happy that he couldn’t hide his smile.

All I did was promise not to lie from now on and that I would marry Aki when I grew up.

‘… … what?’

“Ah, no way… .”

Could it be that Aki liked the birthday party held at Jaehyun’s house?

Because the food that Jaehyun’s mother prepared herself was very delicious.

When I was 10 years old, I truly thought so, and thought, ‘Aki likes to eat, after all…’ ‘?’ he opened his mouth with a slightly out of focus conviction.

“Aki, do you like it that much?”

“Ugh, I love it!”

‘Well, as expected.’

When Aki is in a bad mood, you just have to give him something to eat.

After memorizing that in my mind, I gently held Aki’s hand and took a step forward.

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

“Huh? Jaehyun?”

“The boy who had a birthday party. Why, Aki, you gave me a Google gift card yourself.”

Of course, Aki, who doesn’t even remember Jaehyun’s existence, didn’t buy the gift himself.

I prepared an extra copy of the gift Aki gave Jaehyun just in case.

Originally, I wasn’t planning on giving it to Aki, but I wanted Aki to be able to get along well with her friends, so I secretly told her to give it directly to Jaehyun instead.

──Nam Jae-hyun Award. This is a gift from Aki!

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

──Google gift card… ? It’s a matter of whether or not it’s something. I heard Nam Jae-hyun said he wanted this?

──Huh, Fujiwara-san… ! Thank you, I will really use it well… !

Of course, Jaehyun, who had no way of knowing what happened behind the scenes, was simply impressed by Aki’s thoughtfulness in thinking of him and was sincerely grateful.

Well, they say sometimes ignorance is medicine… … .

“Ah, Nam Jae-hyeon? Yes, I saw it. I was about to cry when I brought it to you instead of the gift that Uju~chan had prepared for you!”

“No, did you really cry? I saw Aki rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand while saying he was really happy with the birthday present.”

“Oh, Honto (really)? I don’t think it was a very touching gift… .”

“This is his first time receiving a gift from a woman.”

“Ahang, I see… .”

Aki trails off and glances at me.

“You know, Uju~chan.”

“Yes, why?”

“Wooju~chan, what do you want to receive as a gift for your birthday this year?”

“Me? I am… . Hmm, a pencil case with toys?”

A pencil case with toys was the envy of all elementary school boys, and I was no exception.

However, at this time, I did not have the opportunity to have such a pencil case, because my mother did not allow me to have such a pencil case, regardless of whether I could buy it with my pocket money or not. The reason is that the places to study and the places to play have to be separated, or something like that.

“But why is that? Do you want to buy it as a birthday present?”

“Yes! If possible, I want to buy Uju~chan what he wants.”

“Ah, if that’s the case, you shouldn’t buy a pencil case with a toy attached. My mom told me not to use that pencil case because it would interfere with my studying. Even though I said I would live with my pocket money, I couldn’t do it.”

“Yes, yes… ? Then, you know, should Aki tell Uju’s mom directly?”

“I’m going to tell you, what and how?”

I bought a pencil case with a toy as a gift for “Wooju~chan, but I was told I couldn’t use it. I think Uju’s mom would allow it if I told her that I couldn’t get a refund because the packaging was opened. What do you think, Uju~chan?”

“… … !”

At that moment, it felt like lightning struck my head.

I wasn’t shocked because I thought, “How can I disobey my heavenly mother and use my brains?”

This is because Aki’s idea of trying to get his mother’s permission in a way that I could never imagine came as a fresh shock to me.

I grabbed both of Aki’s hands.

“… … Aki, are you a genius?”

“Huh? Ah, that’s not the case… .”

“No, Aki, you are a genius. How can you come up with a method like that? Aki is a genius, truly a genius!”

“Ah, hmm… .”

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

“Ugh, okay. If Uju~chan is asking for it… … .”

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

“… … Ah.”

Just like that, we had already arrived near Aki’s house and were standing on the street having a lively conversation.

A place a little far away from where Aki and I were, so across the street, right below Aki’s house.

“Oh my? Aki, Aki-!”

A tall person, a woman who looked to be in her early to mid-20s, was acting like she knew something.

Of course, I was the first person to see it.

“Aki, do you know someone?”

Immediately remembering my parents’ new advice (Woojoo, you must never follow someone you don’t know even if they ask you to follow them because they are your parents’ friends, okay?), I reflexively blocked Aki’s path.

But, Aki jumped out next to me.

“Ah, mama… !”

“… … huh? Mama?”

He started running toward the crosswalk that had just turned green, and I quickly followed Aki, thinking to myself, ‘What? Didn’t I just say ‘Mama’?’

“Mama, Mama-!”

“Ugh, Akiya. How have you been?”

“Yes, Aki is doing well!”

“Yes, Mom has been healthy too. But Aki, it’s dangerous here, so should we cross the street first?”

Aki and the woman, embracing each other, crossed the crosswalk very affectionately.

So, I, who was behind, quickly followed and crossed before the signal changed, and as soon as Aki stood on the street, he gestured toward me, who was about three steps away.

“Wooju~chan, come here!”

“Ugh… .”

Aki is a person who greeted me warmly, but I don’t know him. When I told her to come, I hesitantly approached her, but the woman, who didn’t know if I thought she was cute, smiled softly at me.

“Mama, say hello. This boy is the universe I was talking about! And Uju~chan, this is our mama!”

“Ah, it was my mother… ?”

I thought it was someone I didn’t know, but it turns out it was Akine’s mother.

‘… … If I speak in Korean, of course they won’t understand, so should I speak in French?’

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

After thinking about it, I said hello in my third language, Japanese.

“Started.宇宙です。(Nice to meet you, this is Jooju.)”

“Oh my, do you speak Japanese?”

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

“Oh my, I see. Our Aki… .”

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

As soon as his story comes out, Aki puffs out his chest and smiles.

Aki’s mother looked down at him as if she had seen him again, then smiled prettily and stroked his head.

“My Aki, it seems like only yesterday that you were asking your mom for milk. When did you become so proud?”

“Ah, mama… ! Uju~chan is next to you… !”

“… … .”

Remembering my dad’s life advice that it’s best to pretend not to hear anything that’s difficult to react to, I looked at the distant mountains, pretending to be someone who hadn’t heard anything.

“Ah, is this boy Woojoo-chan?”

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

“Ugh, sorry. Mama was so happy to see you that you forgot?”

My mother, who tenderly hugged Aki, turned her head towards me.

“I’m late to say hello, right? Nice to meet you, I’m Aki’s mom. The name is Fujiwara Iroha.”

“Ah, yes. hello… .”

“Do you know what I do?”

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

When I answered back to Aki’s words, which I had briefly heard before, Aki’s mother smiled as if I had guessed the correct answer.

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

At face value, he appears to be roughly in his mid-20s or younger. She looks so young—for a woman with a 10-year-old daughter this year—that without any exaggeration, we can believe she is Aki’s older sister without any doubt.

The hair color is the same light pink as Aki, but the head size is very small, the facial features are very distinct, and the entire body, including the fingers and lower body, is stretched out neatly.

As Aki once told me, I have a bright Western-like appearance and clothes that show that I was born in France. Anyone who looks at it can immediately understand that it is a model.

“… … .”

The overall review is similar to Aki, but slightly different and more mature. Maybe when Aki gets about 10 years older, he won’t grow up to look like this.

I looked at Aki, imagining what he would look like 10 years from now, and suddenly his mother smiled.

“Have you fallen in love with the lady?”

“… … Yes?”

“What, wasn’t it? I thought it was because you were staring at me so mesmerized~”

“Ah… .”

Akine’s mother has this kind of personality.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, but I feel like I know you vaguely. It seems that my idea that it was similar to Aki but had a different feel was correct.

“Ah, mama!”

As I nodded my head slowly, Aki jumped out of his mother’s arms and quickly came to my side and wrapped his arms around me.

“Mama must not aim at Uju~chan! Uju~chan means Watashi (me)!”

“Oh my, is that really true?”

“Yes? Uh, that’s… . I don’t know, Mom.”

Although I had learned Japanese, I was not yet able to speak it perfectly, so I referred to Aki’s mother using a word I knew: mother (お母さん).

“Umm, mother? Wouldn’t it be a little too early to call that name…? ?”

However, I had no idea that it was also used to mean ‘mother-in-law’ in Japanese, and I only found out about that fact later… … .

This wasn’t that important.

“By the way, mama, what’s happening in Korea all of a sudden? You said you couldn’t come because you were busy with modeling!”

“It’s complicated to explain… . To put it simply, I came here because I had some free time. I have to see my Aki for the first time in a while, and I also have to see your dad whom I haven’t seen in a long time.”

“Then do I have to stay for a while and then go back to Japan?”

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

“Ah, I see… .”

Aki becomes sullen when his mother, whom he hasn’t seen in a while, tells him that he has to go home soon.

“… … Akiya.”

Aki’s mother quietly looked down at Aki.

“Would you like to go and live in Japan with your mom?”

… … He said something that made me doubt my ears.