Sixteen, The Age When Secrets Sometimes Need to Be Hidden (2)
Even when Aki overheard me shouting in front of Jaehyun two years ago, "Aki and I are getting married!" I thought nothing in my life would ever be more embarrassing than that. But now I see that wasn't the case at all. Who would have thought I'd get caught by Aki watching a video featuring an actress who looked strangely like her?
"...H-how did you find it?"
I had definitely cleared the entire browser history. It was something that shouldn't have been possible by any common sense I possessed, so I stuttered without realizing it. But Aki didn't answer. She simply stared at me with that steady, unwavering gaze.
"Wooju~chan."
"Uh, yeah?"
"Is that really what's important right now...?"
She had a point. How she found it wasn't the important part......
"...This."
Aki glanced at the actress on the screen. The woman, who bore a strange resemblance to her, was wearing an eyepatch and gag while being relentlessly ravished by the male actor. He used her long twin tails like handles, and she panted so hard it made you wonder if it was even safe. The scene was so raw and explicit that my mouth went completely dry just from looking.
"So this is Wooju~chan's taste...?"
Is this what it feels like when your head starts spinning......?
"Wooju~chan...?"
"......"
I swear on the heavens that this kind of extreme sadistic play is not my preference. My sexual fantasies are extremely ordinary. The only reason I clicked on this video was because the actress looked oddly like Aki. I had no idea the genre would turn out to be the kind that treats women so roughly.
"Wooju~chan likes this kind of thing...?"
"...N-no."
"No...?"
Her eyes seemed to say, It doesn't look like 'no' to me. As someone with perfectly normal tastes, I felt deeply wronged, but there was no way I could spill those inner thoughts in front of Aki. It would be too humiliating.
"Then what is Wooju~chan's taste?"
The question came shooting straight at me the moment I had that thought.
"......Huh?"
"I'm asking what Wooju~chan's taste is."
"Ah...."
I trailed off and thought about it. My taste, huh. One thing immediately came to mind.
......Kissing while interlocking our fingers.
But there was no way I could say that out loud. I'd rather die than confess my sexual preferences to my pretty, cute childhood friend.
"Why can't you say it, Wooju~chan...?"
"......"
Could you say it if you were me......?
The words rose to my throat and sank back down. It felt like an answer that would only make things worse without helping anyone, but Aki seemed to have vaguely sensed my inner thoughts. The proof came in her next words.
"For me...... it's being held really tight."
Aki added her preference shyly yet clearly, choosing her words with care.
"Not just any hug, but one that makes me feel like I absolutely can't escape. Wooju~chan.... Not that, but the kind where I can feel without words that this person wants me....... Tight."
"......Oh, really?"
"Yeah. That's my taste."
"......"
"......"
I see. I burned it firmly into my memory. Aki likes being hugged with real strength. I might not need it right away, but the chance to use it would come someday.
"......Now it's Wooju~chan's turn."
"Huh? Me?"
"I told you mine, didn't I...?"
Her eyes seemed to press me with, So hurry up and tell me yours too.
If it had been one-sided questioning I might have resisted, but since she had opened up first, I had no excuse to refuse.
......Ah.
To think the day would come when I revealed my sexual tastes in front of my childhood friend. I really, truly didn't want to say it, but I half-forced my lips apart.
"I...."
"Yes? What about Wooju~chan?"
"I, um.... ...K-kissing while interlocking fingers?"
"Kissing while interlocking fingers...?"
Even after ten years in Korea she still didn't know the term, so Aki tilted her head and looked up at me.
"It's when you hold hands like this, palms facing each other. You don't know?"
"Is holding your own hands together what interlocking fingers means?"
"That's the literal meaning, but what I'm talking about is when a guy and a girl face each other and clasp hands."
"Face each other? How?"
"Hold out your palm for a second. Spread your fingers wide, don't press them together."
"Okay.... Like this?"
Aki showed me her palm with fingers spread. I laid my palm against hers, then curled my fingers to interlock them.
"If you curl yours too, our fingers cross, right? This is interlocking fingers."
"Ah, lover's clasp...?"
"Lover's clasp? Is that what it's called in Japanese?"
"Yeah, that's how we usually say it."
"I see. I didn't know that...."
"......"
"......"
I had taken her hand to demonstrate, but now I wondered when I should let go. I was watching for a natural moment to release her when Aki wriggled her fingers and glanced at me, showing no intention of letting go.
"Wooju~chan."
"Yeah?"
"......We're already interlocking fingers, so if we just kiss like this.... Wouldn't that fulfill Wooju~chan's preference?"
Aki looked up at me, blinking her large eyes.
"......"
Strictly speaking, the interlocking-finger kiss I wanted wasn't this. It wasn't just holding hands and kissing; I wanted the natural progression that would follow if we were lying in bed together. But saying that felt like it would kill the mood. For some reason this strangely suggestive, heart-pounding atmosphere we had right now felt too precious to ruin.
......Is it because the video is still playing?
The male actor had incredible stamina. He gripped the pigtails of the actress whose eyes and mouth were covered and blocked, thrusting as if pouring every ounce of himself into her.
"......Wooju~chan, where are you looking right now?"
The instant my gaze drifted to the screen full of bare skin, Aki gave our interlocked hands a light tug and spoke in a sulky tone. The feeling hidden in those big blue eyes looking up at me seemed to ask, Why are you looking at another woman instead of me?
"Wooju~chan, be honest. This is your taste, right?"
"......No it isn't."
"Liar. You couldn't take your eyes off it...?"
"Well, that's just...."
It's a man's instinct. No matter how pretty and cute your childhood friend is, if a man and woman are completely naked right beside you, it's actually weirder if your eyes don't go there.
But Aki didn't seem interested in understanding that. Or rather, she didn't want to understand. She pouted.
"Does Wooju~chan like anything naughty? Enough to push me to the side?"
"How could that be? Of course you're my number one, Aki."
"Really? Am I really your number one?"
"Yeah, really. You're always my number one, Aki."
"......Then prove it."
"Prove...?"
Prove it? What exactly was I supposed to do? I looked at Aki, who had only given me the goal without any method. Maybe if I kept staring she would tell me how.
"......"
"......"
But Aki simply stared back at me and waited in silence. She was telling me to figure it out myself.
"Aki, how am I supposed to prove it?"
"......"
"......Well, should I kiss you or something?"
It was a casual remark since we used to do it all the time when we were little, but Aki reacted dramatically. She fidgeted with our joined hands, then, realizing I was watching, gave a cute little "Ahem..." as if clearing her throat.
"W-well, that's...... Isn't it something Wooju~chan should figure out on your own...?"
So that's a yes.
I had watched over Aki for nearly ten years. I knew that when she acted shy and pretended otherwise, it meant she wanted it. I nodded immediately.
"Okay. Then I'll do it my way?"
"......Ah."
Aki's lips trembled. Still holding her hand, I gently brushed her slightly messy side hair back into place. It shouldn't get in the way when I kissed her cheek.
"......"
...Now that I was actually about to do it, I felt nervous. We used to do it often until we were ten, but after that we hardly ever did. I still don't know how the ten-year-old me had the nerve to kiss a girl who was half French and half Japanese.
Maybe it was possible because I was young and didn't know anything?
"Wooju~chan...?"
When I kept hesitating, Aki quietly urged me on.
This is so strange......
I had no idea how we had ended up here. An actress who looked like Aki was panting on the computer screen, and here I was about to kiss the real one. It was a truly depraved situation, but part of me thought it might not be so bad after all....
Maybe. Just maybe. After receiving the kiss, Aki might feel good, get caught up in the mood, and allow something more. I didn't know exactly what that "more" was, but it was possible, so I should just kiss her quickly and see how she reacted.
Having made up my mind, I steeled myself, leaned my face closer, and......
Knock knock-.
──Son, why are the cookies and milk sitting in the hallway~?
"......!"
"......"
The kiss stopped before it could start.
──Are you both in the room? Can I come in?
"Ah, um...."
For a moment I considered pretending we weren't there, but since Mom had already come upstairs from the living room, it was pointless. If we had brought the snacks inside it might have been different, but with them just sitting out there she would definitely come in out of curiosity if nothing else. Having judged that, I quickly tried to speak before Mom could get suspicious.
No, I tried to speak.
──Geez, since when do you open the door for me? Never mind, if you're inside I'll just come in.
Before I could even get a word out, Mom swung the door open with a loud bang-!
"......!"
"......"
"......"
Aki sitting in front of the computer. Me standing beside her. Mom gripping the door handle. Our three pairs of eyes met in midair. If Aki had used her body to block the monitor it might not have been visible, but because she had moved the chair to hold my hand, she couldn't cover it. In other words, Mom had seen everything playing on the screen.
"......Son?"
"Yes...."
I somehow moved my frozen lips to answer, but.
"If you were studying you should have said so earlier. Then Mom wouldn't have barged in."
Mom's reply was completely different from what I had expected.
"Huh? Uh...."
I turned to look at the monitor. Instead of the video that should have been playing, a famous math lecturer with a receding hairline was passionately giving a lecture.
......Huh?
"Ah, hello, ma'am! I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner. Wooju~chan and I were both too focused, it seems."
"Yeah, no. It's this auntie's fault for walking in while you were studying. Sorry. Would you both like some snacks while you work?"
"Thank you! We'll eat them well, ma'am!"
"Good. Study hard, both of you, and when you're finished have fun. Auntie will bring up more snacks from downstairs."
Click-.
With those words Mom closed the door and left.
"......"
I stood there blankly, still not understanding what had just happened, until I finally snapped out of it and turned to look at Aki.
"Um, Aki...?"
"What is it, Wooju~chan?"
"Did you... prepare that in advance...?"
"......Hehe."
At my question Aki proudly puffed out her chest. Her full figure wrapped in her school uniform stood out, but right now my eyes didn't go there at all.
"Wooju~chan, do you know why the Korean War started on June 25th?"
"......Because someone let their guard down?"
"Yes, exactly. All incidents happen because of letting your guard down. So Wooju~chan, if you just don't let your guard down, you'll be fine!"
"......"
I should have felt relieved that we hadn't been caught by Mom, so why did I feel angry? After thinking about it, the answer came right away. When you thought about it, the one who had caused the whole thing was Aki, yet here she was proudly lecturing me. Of course I was annoyed.
Having reached that conclusion, I said,
"......Oh, is that so?"
"Wooju~chan, you really need to keep your mind sharper....... Ah, eek...?!"
Chu-.
I took advantage of the opening and kissed her on the cheek.
"W-Wooju~chan...?!"
"Aki. This is what happens when you let your guard down."
I was about to add So don't let your guard down, when Aki, face bright red, shot up from her chair.
Chu.
"......?!"
"Hehe, Wooju~chan...? How about that? You didn't expect this, did you...?!"
Aki laughed softly after her surprise attack on my cheek. I felt a little good—no, I felt incredibly good, but I deliberately hid it and smiled with the corners of my mouth raised as if angry.
"So that's how you want to play? Fine. I'll accept the challenge, Aki...."
"No no, you're the challenger, Wooju~chan. So even if you regret it now, it's already too late!"
"......Come here. I'm going to kiss you for real."
"Too slow, Wooju~chan! With that kind of speed you can't catch th— eek...!"
"Got you, Aki...! Today you're really going to—"
Click-.
"Oh dear, look at me. I brought the cookies and milk up again after forgetting they were still outside the room? Son, eat this while you......"
"......"
"......"
"......Sorry, continue what you were doing~"
Click-.
Thud.
"......Wooju~chan, who was that?"
"My mom...."
"W-what did she say...?"
"She wants to talk after you go home later......"
"......"
"......"
"Sorry, Wooju~chan...."
"Ah, well.... No, it's my fault too. You don't need to feel sorry, Aki...."
"......Should I just sleep over at Wooju~chan's house tonight?"
"......"
Are you seriously saying that right now, Aki......?