Chapter 24: School Trip (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 24: School Trip (4)
Whooooosh—
I watched through the window as a plane soared past.
Kansai International Airport. We had finally touched down on Japanese soil.
“…”
The start of the trip wasn't exactly smooth sailing.
I stole a glance to my side.
“Ahem…”
Ji Nuri averted her eyes, looking awkward.
— “Agh…! This is so embarrassing…!”
Her Mini-Me screamed, covering its face with tiny hands. The skin visible through its fingers was beet red.
“Sol, should we go over there and take a picture?” Ji Nuri turned toward Lee Sol, clearly desperate for a distraction.
“…”
A brief silence followed. Lee Sol nodded slightly, strangely avoiding eye contact.
“Sure, if you want.”
“...?”
Her response was a beat too slow. Ji Nuri seemed to sense the awkwardness too, as she blinked in confusion.
“Uh… did something happen?”
“...No.”
Again, a delayed answer.
“Really…?”
This was definitely something.
— “...There is definitely something going on.”
I was thinking the exact same thing. Something was up.
“…”
Just then, Ji Nuri edged closer to me. Was she more worried about Lee Sol than her own embarrassment?
“Hey, hey.” Ji Nuri covered her mouth and lowered her voice. “Did something happen with Sol on the way here?”
“...Hmm.”
Well, let’s see. I took a moment to reflect on what had just happened.
— ‘No, well… I mean, sure. It’s possible. She said she was tired.’
Man. She’d had such an unreadable expression on her face. Based on that reaction alone… for a split second, I wondered if she might actually be interested in me.
But then again, considering our previous conversation...
— ‘If you date someone, you have to go out on regular dates and stay in touch all the time.’
— ‘Wow… just thinking about it is exhausting…’
Right, this was Lee Sol we were talking about. It was hard to even imagine her liking someone. I was probably just being full of myself.
“Maybe she’s just sulking because you didn't hang out with her and slept instead?”
“...Hmm.”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me crossed its arms and tilted its head.
— “She’s not the type to get upset over not hanging out. If anything, she’d usually say it’s a hassle.”
That only made me more puzzled.
“Anything else?”
“Not really, that was about it.”
“Ugh, then what is it?”
Well, Ji Nuri, you’re not wrong. Whatever the problem was, she was definitely involved.
“…”
I scanned the area for Lee Sol. She had a blank expression, her eyes looking as if she were deep in thought.
— “...It’s fine. It’s no big deal. It wasn't intentional anyway.”
Lee Sol’s Mini-Me said, swinging its feet back and forth.
“…”
She said it was fine. Then it must be fine. The Mini-Me never lied.
Ah, maybe...
“Could she be motion sick or something?”
“Ah, is that it?”
At my suggestion, Ji Nuri perked up and hurried over to her. Yeah, that was probably the most likely explanation. If you’re not feeling well, it shows on your face.
“…”
Of course, to the naked eye, Lee Sol’s expression remained hard to read. Neither good nor bad…
“…”
I turned my gaze back to Lee Sol’s Mini-Me. While she acted like she wasn't, she was secretly keeping a close eye on me.
Wait. Was there something about the Mini-Mes I still didn't know? What if the Mini-Me saying “It’s fine” meant she thought it was fine, but it actually wasn't?
If that were the case, the reason Lee Sol’s mood soured was…
“Sol, do you want this? I bought it for you. It’s Japanese jelly.”
Ji Nuri had returned from a convenience store with some snacks. She must have run off to the one inside the airport while I wasn't looking.
“...I told you I’m not mad.”
“I’m just giving it to you. Just because.”
“...Hmm.”
Lee Sol tentatively accepted the jelly Ji Nuri held out.
— “...Wow, this is delicious.”
The Mini-Me’s expression gradually softened.
— “...Hmm, well, I guess it happens.”
What? She cheered up instantly.
...I knew it. It really was nothing.
“Everyone got their bags? Gather around for a group photo!” The teacher’s voice rang out.
“Shin A-young, they’re taking the class photo. Let’s go.”
“Coming…!”
— “I knew I could count on you, dammit!”
I started walking, dragging along Shin A-young, who had been cornered by boys from another class again.
Anyway, the school trip was officially beginning.
*
After having lunch near Osaka Castle, our next stop was Dotonbori. Just hearing the name, you might wonder what kind of place it is, but once you actually get there, you can’t help but react.
“Whoa, I’ve seen this somewhere before.”
Shin A-young, standing beside me, tilted her head back in awe. At the end of her gaze was a massive billboard featuring a marathon runner. It really was a landmark I’d seen many times before.
“What was that called again?”
“...It’s written right there. Glico Man.”
The answer came from Ji Nuri. As expected of a Japan enthusiast, she knew everything if you asked.
“Wander around until four and meet back here. Call me immediately if there’s a problem.”
““Yes, sir!””
With the teacher’s final word, the students scattered in different directions.
Patter, patter.
Shin A-young rushed toward the Glico Man billboard.
“Take a picture of me…!”
This was her first priority: getting a shot of a lifetime in front of the billboard before it got too crowded.
“Sure. Whatever.”
It wasn't exactly a difficult request. I pulled out my phone and framed her in the camera.
“...Me too.”
Lee Sol, who had been watching tentatively, stepped into the frame as well. Shin A-young waved her over.
“Should we just all take one together? Nuri, you come too.”
“Me too?”
Somehow, the trio of girls ended up in the shot. The three of them struck their own poses. Shin A-young and Lee Sol posed naturally, as if they were used to it. Ji Nuri looked around awkwardly before stiffly making a V-sign with her hand.
A band member standing between a model and an actress. It was actually kind of funny.
“Okay, taking it now. One… two… three.”
Click—
Click—
“…”
I checked the photos. They looked like something influencers would post. And I didn't even use any filters. These girls were basically cheating at life.
“Let me see, let me see.” Shin A-young leaned in to check the screen, her head suddenly very close to mine. “Oh…”
She gave an impressed pat on my arm. “Not bad. As expected of a Theater and Film major.”
“Huh? You’re in the Theater and Film Department?” Ji Nuri turned to me, surprised.
“Yeah.”
“Are you planning to be a director later?”
“...Probably?”
Anyway, I decided to change the subject and asked Ji Nuri instead. “Where do you want to go next?”
“Huh?”
— “Wait, are you asking me all of a sudden?”
Was she flustered by the sudden question? Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me hopped backward. Who else would I ask? It was obvious Ji Nuri would know the best spots.
“Um… I heard there’s a Don Quijote nearby.”
She did end up answering. See? I knew she’d know.
……
Crowd, crowd.
It was packed. Peering inside the building, I saw rows upon rows of display cases and merchandise. I had wondered what Don Quijote was, but…
“It’s like a Daiso, I guess.”
“They have tax-free shopping here too,” Ji Nuri said, grabbing a basket.
That was definitely a plus. Maybe that’s why students from other classes were all flocking here too. I saw several familiar faces inside the building, even if I hadn't spoken to them before.
“There’s so much cool stuff.”
“…”
Shin A-young and Lee Sol walked through the aisles with looks of excitement. Honestly, just this was already fun. Is this what traveling abroad is like? Even just walking around a store was enough to make my head spin with all the new sights.
“...Oh.”
As we were browsing, Ji Nuri suddenly stopped in her tracks.
— “They sell this here too…!”
The Mini-Me’s voice was louder than usual. I secretly checked to see what had caught her eye.
It was a character keychain. It wasn't Saw Blade Boy; based on the guitar the character was holding, it looked like it was from a music anime. Guitars and anime—definitely something Ji Nuri would like.
“…”
Ji Nuri cautiously scanned her surroundings. The Mini-Me on her shoulder looked around with her.
— “...Why are there so many kids here?”
A bead of sweat trickled down. Was she worried about what the others would think?
— “Ugh…”
Ji Nuri repeatedly touched the keychain and put it back.
— “Phew… it can’t be helped… I’ll just buy it later. There’ll be plenty of chances.”
In the end, her self-consciousness won out, and she let go of it completely.
...Man.
“…”
I looked around and picked up a random keychain nearby. It was also a character keychain. I showed it to Shin A-young, who was looking at something else next to me.
“What do you think of this?”
“...Huh? What is it?”
“I don’t know. Doesn't it seem like something you’d buy as a Japanese souvenir? It’s cute.”
“You secretly like cute things, don’t you?” Shin A-young gave me a smirk. “Hmm, it’s fine. Pretty cute.”
“…”
Did you hear that? She said it’s fine.
— “...I guess this much is okay.”
Ji Nuri took the hint and quickly tossed the keychain into her basket. Seeing that, I hung the keychain I was holding back on the rack.
“Huh? You’re not buying it?”
“...I’m just going to look around a bit more.”
Shin A-young gave me a puzzled look for a moment, but she soon looked away.
“Should we head out soon?”
It was about an hour until four o'clock. Checking the time, there wasn't much left until the meeting. I figured we should move early to be safe, so we headed for the checkout.
“So many people…”
The line was quite long. At this rate, we’d be waiting for dozens of minutes. It was a good thing we moved early.
“Let’s just pay and meet at the entrance.”
“Got it.”
“Okay.”
*
“Phew…”
I let out a deep sigh, feeling drained. We finally managed to pay. Checking out in a foreign country was a chore in itself, mostly because of the language barrier.
“…”
I stood by the entrance of Don Quijote, looking around for the others.
“...Are they not out yet?”
Maybe I should wait. I’ll just send a text saying I’m out.
“%%^^&$#...?”
“%^@$%@&...!”
“...?”
I turned toward some noise coming from a distance. I narrowed my eyes. That back of the head over there… that’s…
No matter how I looked at it, it was Ji Nuri. As I drew closer…
— “Sigh… I got caught by a weirdo.”
Only then could I clearly hear the voice of Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me. Standing in front of Ji Nuri was a Japanese man I’d never seen before, wearing a friendly smile.
...Impressive. She managed to get hit on in that short amount of time. Being pretty must be exhausting. At this point, I thought it might be better for her to just wear a ring or something. At least then she could pretend she had a boyfriend.
“Excuse me.”
As I raised my voice and approached, the Japanese man who had been pestering Ji Nuri turned to me.
— “Wha? Is he boy-fren?”
“...Pfft.”
I almost lost it because I was caught off guard. The Japanese Mini-Me’s Korean pronunciation was incredibly clumsy.
I’d learned one thing since coming here: for some reason, foreigners’ thoughts were all translated into Korean in my head, even if the pronunciation was terrible.
“…”
I was about to say something to chase him off, but then I closed my mouth. Come to think of it, what was I supposed to say?
“...Time. Okay?” I raised my hand and turned on my phone. Hold on, let me open the translator. Let’s see. ‘Don’t touch a minor and get lost’ in Japanese is…
“なんだよ…？ (What the…?)”
— “...Wha is dis guy do-ing?”
His face twisted into a strange grimace.
“Tsk.”
If you have a problem, you speak Korean. Just wait a second. I’m trying to speak to you in your own language.
“...?”
Just then, my body was suddenly yanked to the left. Ji Nuri had grabbed my sleeve and pulled me toward her. We were now standing quite close—the kind of distance you’d see between a couple.
I wasn't good at speaking Japanese, but I could understand it to some extent.
“この人. 私の彼氏なんですけど. (This person. He’s my boyfriend.)”
I understood exactly what Ji Nuri said.
— “Just read the room and play along…!”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me gritted its teeth, its face flushed. She was really determined to get rid of him. From the looks of it, the guy must have been really persistent.
“…”
Since it had come to this, I had to play along. Without a word, I placed my hand on Ji Nuri’s shoulder. Would this be enough?
“...Wait. What?”
That was when I heard a familiar Korean voice.
Creeak—
Ji Nuri and I turned our heads at the same time.
“…”
“…”
When did they get out? Shin A-young and Lee Sol were standing there, their mouths slightly agape. Lee Sol’s eyes, in particular, were trembling violently.
“…”
The Japanese man, sensing the strange atmosphere…
— “...Sum-ting is strange, I go now.”
He gave an awkward laugh and immediately turned around and walked away.
...Hey, wait, don’t go just yet.