My Platinum-Blonde Childhood Friend is Too Pretty - Chapter 115

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ My Platinum-Blonde Childhood Friend Is Too Pretty ◈

Chapter 115: 44. Working Out with My Girlfriend Before Enlistment

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Elli, who had become my personal puppy for that one special night, turned out to be an unbelievably obedient Golden Retriever.

One who loved receiving commands from her owner, loved getting spanked and scolded.

A puppy so helplessly in love with her owner she didn't know what to do with herself.

I'd always had a vague sense she had that side to her, but the size of that particular slice of her personality was way bigger than I'd imagined.

I hadn't expected it, and Elli herself seemed genuinely surprised by just how much she liked it.

At least at night, she seemed to enjoy being on the receiving end rather than just going along with what her boyfriend wanted. Being given forceful commands. That sort of thing.

Obviously I'd never push it too far, and honestly Elli probably wouldn't even refuse if I did, she'd probably just accept it, but I had no intention of asking for anything like that in the first place.

Anyway.

The puppy cosplay I'd finally gotten to enjoy almost nine months after my birthday had completely tilted the power balance in our nights together from fifty-fifty all the way to eighty-twenty.

But during the day.

"Lee Do-yoon."

"...Yeah."

"What are you doing, not drinking it. You have to finish everything on this side too, so drink up."

"Well... wouldn't too much tonic food and supplements cause problems? And this one is really bitter..."

"I looked everything up before I bought it, so just drink it."

"......"

"Answer me."

"Yes..."

Nothing had changed during the day. My girlfriend was still a queen and a princess.

But the fact that most of her self-willed behavior was out of care for me was what made her so loveable.

-gulp, gulp...

"Ugh... it's seriously bitter."

"Next, this one."

"Can't I rest for a bit before taking the next one?"

"You just drank one and you're already whining."

"That one was final boss-level..."

"Lee Do-yoon."

"Yeah?"

-peck!

"Can you drink it now?"

"...gulp, gulp."

"Good boy."

"Hup... okay. Those containers are all pills, right?"

"These? Yes. Listen carefully. Probiotics, first thing when you wake up in the morning. These ones, one each after breakfast and dinner. These two you take together with your evening pills."

"That's quite a lot. And I keep taking the ones I was already on?"

"Of course. I'll manage them while I'm with you, so just take whatever I give you."

"Got it. Thank you."

"Alright, this is the last one. Just this and you're done. Start the pills tonight."

"......"

"Lee Do-yoon."

"Yeah..."

"Today I had a bunch of things to give you all at once, so you got it all at the same time. Going forward I won't be able to give you this much even if I want to. So bear with it and drink."

"Yes..."

"But red ginseng, I'm feeding you that every day."

"......"

"Drink this last one nicely and I'll let you touch my chest."

"...Your chest is mine anyway. Whenever I feel like touching it I can... ow!"

-squeeze!

"Lee Do-yoon."

"Wait! Not so hard there..."

"If you want to give me a harder time tonight, drink it like a good boy."

"......"

"Answer."

"Yes."

"Drink."

"If I drink it you'll let me touch your chest, right?"

"Since when did you need permission for that, like you said yourself. Want to touch them while you drink?"

"Bare?"

"Bare."

-slide...

"Here."

"......"

-knead

Ever since that night of puppy cosplay, Elli had started diligently feeding me health tonics and supplements for reasons other than wanting a baby.

Whether she'd enjoyed having sex while following my commands, or whether she'd liked how worked up I got and how much rougher than usual I went.

It seemed like she was feeding me all this because she wanted even more of it.

So the doping regimen of supplements began, and.

When August rolled around.

"How did it go?"

"What... Class 1, obviously."

"......"

"Elli? Stop glaring at the box of condoms like that... and don't crush it and throw it out. Calm down."

"Hmph."

I'd gone and gotten my military physical.

Class 1, naturally.

* * *

After coming back from the physical, I found myself wrestling with a big decision.

For the time being, I'd already settled on February of next year as my enlistment date. I'd talked Elli around to it too, and if I was going regardless, going around the same time as everyone else and getting it done was the best move.

It wasn't like there was something so important I absolutely had to keep deferring for.

So I was going. That part was decided. But.

"Elli."

"What."

"Should I go Army or Air Force?"

"What's the difference?"

"Army is eighteen months. Air Force is twenty-one."

"Are you serious? You want to die? You want to be away from me for three extra months?"

"Definitely not. Just hear me out a little more."

Looking at service length alone, there really was no reason to go anywhere but the Army. But the reason I was still deliberating was.

"There are some older guys who went back to school in the group chat. They told me a few things."

"...Like what."

"First, yes, Air Force is three months longer, that's true."

"......"

"But in the Air Force you can get mandatory leave every six weeks, two nights and three days, guaranteed."

"Every six weeks? Guaranteed?"

"Yeah. Apparently that's the standard leave. And on top of that, if you earn additional annual leave or other types, you can extend it even further."

"Hm..."

"Even if you just do nothing, it adds up to seventy-four days. Usually it comes out to more than that though. If you earn commendation leave and stack it."

"What about Army?"

"Baseline is twenty-four days, add in the new recruit leave and it's twenty-eight. Factor in commendation leave and everything else, do reasonably well and you can get about forty days. Do really well and more than that, but if things go sideways you might not even hit forty."

"So the base case is about twenty-eight days?"

"Right. Though the service period is three months shorter, of course. When you think about after it's all done, Army is definitely the right call, but rather than thinking about a year and a half from now, I figured being able to see you every month during service has its own value."

"......"

Elli closed her eyes and sank into thought.

Honestly, objectively speaking, Army was the right answer. Even the guy who went Air Force and came back to school said going home on leave was great, but those final three months at the end felt like hell.

Still, the regular leave schedule and the higher total leave days were clear advantages.

"And there's one more thing I heard."

"Go on."

"The guy who went Air Force said even the Air Force, which at least filters people somewhat, is still full of weirdos... so what kind of nightmare must the Army be."

"Can't you just go Air Force then?"

"There's a cutoff score. Especially in February, since that's peak enlistment season for people who want to time it with going back to school, so the bar is even higher apparently."

"That doesn't affect you, though, does it?"

"Probably not? Though obviously good grades don't tell you whether someone's actually a decent person, but still..."

"It at least raises the floor."

"Yeah, exactly. That kind of thing. And apparently the work is comparatively easier too."

"......"

"Even considering all of that, the Army's three shorter months is still the biggest advantage."

"Where do you want to go?"

"I'm fine either way. Wherever I go, I'm confident I'll stay healthy and not make you worry."

"...Obviously you'd better."

I genuinely didn't care either way. To me, it was all basically the same.

Which was exactly why I wanted to prioritize Elli's opinion, since she's what comes first in my life.

Whether it was better to just finish military service as fast as possible and go back to living together like now, or whether spending the longer service period with frequent visits home would be the way to stay charged up.

"You pick. I'm fine with wherever."

"What about other options? There's the Marines and a few other branches, right?"

"Ah, I don't have enough info about the Navy or military police to say much, and the Marines have a proportionally higher rate of incidents... I figured you'd absolutely hate that. I also didn't see much point in making service unnecessarily rough."

"Yeah... that's fair."

"Honestly, the best option would be KATUSA."

"KATUSA? What's that?"

"Basically you do your service at a U.S. military base here in Korea. A lot of the bases are nearby, you can go out after duty hours every day, and Friday through Sunday it's not leave, it's just normal overnight pass you can take. The housing is usually one or two per room, the facilities are great. Think of it as getting the same benefits as the American soldiers."

"Wait, that's all good stuff. Can't you go there?"

"It's not that I can't, and I'm definitely planning to apply, but because it's that good the competition is fierce, so the odds of not getting in are high."

"You're doing that one. That's the one."

Elli got excited and came at me. I wanted to go to KATUSA too if I could, but like I said, the competition was steep and the chances of not making it were high. You only get one application, so if you fail that's it.

Still, getting in was also genuinely possible, so I was planning to try.

"To get in there are various tests to pass. English-related ones."

"You're good at English. You can have conversations too."

"That helps with some parts, but there's stuff that requires a different kind of preparation so I'll need to study. I'm pretty confident on that side though. But there's also a physical fitness test."

"You're reasonably fit, aren't you?"

"Whether it's enough to pass is another question. I think I'm a bit short. And one of the events is something like a deadlift."

"...Looks like we need to start going to the gym."

"Probably. Technically it's not a test before you're accepted, it's more about surviving training after acceptance, but... since I've never really trained separately, I'm a little worried."

The mention of the gym made Elli's brow furrow hard. She didn't like the idea of other women at a place like that potentially approaching me.

For the same reason, I wouldn't be thrilled if Elli said she wanted to join a gym either.

But if it was for a fitness test, there was no helping it. Training for something like that, going to a gym was just the most practical option all around.

That seemed to shift something, and Elli, who had been thinking it over seriously, finally relaxed her expression and opened her mouth.

"When do you need to sign up? Is there still time?"

"Whether it's KATUSA or anywhere else, applications aren't even open yet."

"Then wait. I'll look into it."

"Okay. Look into it and let me know. I'll go wherever you want."

"Hmph. Saying cute things. Come here."

"Are you going to hug me?"

I walked toward Elli, who had opened both arms wide. She pulled my head in toward her chest.

-squish

"Ahh..."

A breath of pure happiness slipped out on its own.

Since we were home she was wearing a slightly low-cut T-shirt, and through the neckline the soft, pillowy feel of Elli's chest received my face gently.

On top of that, the scent of her skin always worked on me like a drug, and my mind went blank in an instant. I wrapped my arms around her waist and was busy soaking in the bliss when.

Elli's voice came.

"You said you're going off to the army and leaving me behind, so now I can't have a baby."

"...Leaving you behind is a bit much as a way to put it."

"Anyway."

"Yeah."

"So you have to eat instead."

"Eat what?"

"Baby food."

"......"

"You don't want to?"

"I'll eat gratefully."

"Hmph... hehe."