WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: Ryuu

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ My Platinum-Blonde Childhood Friend is Too Pretty

Chapter 40: Welcoming Summer

May passed into June. And then July.

During that time, Ellie and I went on countless dates.

As childhood friends, there was almost nothing we hadn't already done together.

But now, as boyfriend and girlfriend, we enjoyed new experiences.

Even when we just strolled around the neighborhood.

-Squeeze

Ellie clung to my arm, showing off to the people around us. She also started obsessing over matching couple items more than before.

Whether it was wearing matching outfits or just having the same shoes.

"Do you want me to carry your bag?"

"Yeah, you carry it. I'm going to be on my phone for a bit."

She casually handed me her bag and leaned on me while she did other things.

We took more photos at the photo booth, like we did before.

But this time, probably because of our experience at the fitting model studio, the photos were even more provocative.

"Smooch... Lick..."

We took pictures while kissing deeply, me hugging her from behind and kissing her cheeks or neck through her platinum blonde hair.

And then—

"Mmph...!"

"Stay still. We're taking the photo like this."

Just like when she hugged me while wearing a bikini, she held my head against her upper chest even though we were both wearing t-shirts this time. The sensation wasn't as intense, but the softness was still there, and my neck was completely buried in the middle of her chest.

"......"

Honestly, I was happy.

We also visited the movie theater, which we had rarely done before.

Movie tickets were expensive, and Ellie generally preferred quiet places where we could be alone, so we hadn't had much reason to go.

She preferred watching movies at home or in a room café.

But then, out of the blue, she suggested going to the theater.

"A couple's seat..."

"Got a problem with that?"

"No."

We chose seats without an armrest between us.

Sitting together, we watched a B-grade comedy movie.

I wrapped my arm around Ellie's shoulder, and she leaned into me.

Obviously, Ellie had no interest in the movie.

I found it unexpectedly funny and engaging, but my girlfriend was busy clinging to me.

"Smooch... Smooch..."

She kept kissing my cheek and jaw, her lips seemingly glued to me.

So, occasionally, I turned my head and kissed her duck-puckered lips.

Midway through the movie, I got absorbed and stopped paying attention to her.

"Lick..."

"Ellie..."

"Lick, lick..."

She frowned and started licking my cheek with her wet tongue, as if upset I was watching the movie instead of her.

We were in a movie theater to watch a movie, but I knew why Ellie had suggested coming here.

The large sound reverberating in our ears, the dim lighting, and the slight illumination on each other's faces.

This classic romantic setting, this feeling of something tickling inside when looking at each other in such a place, I understood it.

That's why I kept kissing her, but it seemed Ellie wanted more.

"Smooch... Lick..."

Seeing her lick my jaw like a cat, I had no choice but to give up on the movie and focus on her.

Even in the darkness, my platinum blonde girlfriend's eyes shone brightly. She stuck out her tongue slightly between her lips.

She wasn't teasing; it was a silent demand for a kiss.

I extended my tongue, touching hers, and our lips met.

"Smooch, slurp..."

Our breath and saliva mixed, and Ellie wrapped her arms around my neck, her legs slowly moving onto mine.

With the couple's seat beside us empty, our location at the very back, and no one in the seats ahead of us, the lack of popularity of this B-grade movie turned into a perfect assist, spurring Ellie's actions further.

"Smooch, smooch... Ahh..."

Her actions were relentless.

Ellie climbed onto my lap, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me deeply.

This was our movie theater date.

Later, I realized.

Ellie's criteria for choosing a movie wasn't about whether it was interesting or not, but whether there would be many people watching it or not. Whether there would be people around the couple's seats or not.

Anyway.

While going on these small dates, we didn't neglect our studies for mock exams and finals.

We didn't attend any academies or anything, but we diligently studied during self-study sessions and watched online lectures, just like we did during midterms.

Of course, the last 30 minutes were always reserved for playtime with Ellie.

Even though we were dating, we didn't switch to deep kisses during this time.

If someone else saw us, they might not understand, but teachers or friends might see us, so even Ellie didn't go that far here.

We didn't kiss that much in general, mostly holding hands.

-Swish, swish...

Ellie loved it when I played with the ring finger on her left hand.

If I tried to take it off, even as a joke, she would glare at me, but if I gently touched it, letting her feel the ring's presence, she would smile before long.

While we were doing this, Lee So-yeon, who subtly watched us from 30 minutes before the end of the session, often trembled like someone who had been hit by a wave of emotion.

[Lee So-yeon: lololol]

[Lee So-yeon: Ellie is so cute lol]

It seemed Ellie hadn't noticed.

Well, in that way.

From a distance, it might look like just the repetitive life of a high school student, but up close, it was filled with the affectionate daily life of Ellie and me.

Before we knew it, the mock exams had ended, and we were approaching the final stretch of the finals.

"How did it go? Did you do well?"

"So-so. You?"

"Amazing. I think I did really well on this final."

"Good job. I'll give you a reward. Wait for me in your room tonight."

I had focused and studied hard during self-study sessions before playing with Ellie, and once again, Min-jae's previous exam questions were a huge help. With a bit of luck, I felt confident about my results.

Ellie, promising a reward, came to my room the day before the last final. We didn't have to worry about the last day since it was just English, which we were both confident in.

That evening—

-Click, beep!

Ellie entered my room and immediately locked the door.

-Slide

She undressed.

As I had somewhat expected when she mentioned a reward, she was wearing the black bikini she had shown me before, and she came to me.

-Hug...

Now that it was midsummer, I was only wearing shorts and a thin t-shirt, making Ellie’s soft body feel even more vivid.

Her chest pressed against mine, and her thighs touched my thighs.

And we kissed like that, ending with Ellie giving me a chest hug.

-Squish...

Honestly, I had been thinking about erotic videos lately, so this chest hug was a great help in many ways.

Ellie stroked my head and added a tempting whisper.

"Convince Jeong-woo oppa well."

"......"

"If you want to sleep with me on the trip..."

Hearing that, I made up my mind.

I vowed to persuade Jeong-woo hyung even if I had to get on my knees.

The next day, after finals were over.

We gathered with the water park members chosen by Lee So-yeon to set the schedule. Fortunately, no one said they couldn't go.

Since it was just a day trip to the water park, there wasn’t much to discuss in detail. We just checked the dates everyone was available.

We also took the opportunity to meet Yang Ji-yoon, who was at a different school.

"Then, we’ll meet at Seoul Station at 7 AM on August 4th. If you're late, we’ll leave without you!"

Because Min-jae gets motion sickness, we decided to take the ITX. Just in case, we booked the train tickets right away. Since I had the most money, I paid for everyone, and we agreed to split the cost later.

It seemed like the meeting was ending smoothly under Lee So-yeon’s leadership, but—

Before we parted ways, Chae-hwan called me.

"Lee Do-yoon."

"Yeah?"

"If you two cling to each other and play alone that day, I'll just drown myself in the pool, so keep that in mind."

"......"

"We’re going together, so let’s hang out together. Got it?"

"Right."

Despite his serious tone, Chae-hwan's words were clear, and Jin-woo nodded beside him.

Though the idea of them drowning themselves seemed extreme, I understood what he meant.

As they said, it wouldn't be nice if Ellie and I only stuck together while on a group outing.

"Got it."

So, I agreed. Ellie pouted slightly but didn’t say she didn’t want to.

Then Jin-woo added something.

"By the way, Min-jae, don't wear your anime t-shirts."

Though his tone seemed confrontational, it wasn’t meant to be a fight. They had grown close to Min-jae through me and knew him well.

They knew Min-jae wasn’t just an otaku but a very deep one.

"Uh... Can’t I?"

"......"

"......"

We were at a loss for words seeing Min-jae’s surprised face, as if he couldn't believe it.

We wanted to respect his preferences as much as possible, but still, that was a bit...

"I knew it. If you wear something like that, I'll drown myself in the pool too."

"But why do we have to drown ourselves for their mistakes?"

"Because if we fight, we’ll lose."

"To them, maybe, but lose to Min-jae?"

"If he wears that Nezuko or whatever t-shirt, I won’t be able to touch him."

"Oh, I see."

Despite the minor controversy, the water park plans with friends were set without any major issues.

Returning home, I prepared for something even more important than this summer’s trip.

A one-night beach trip with Ellie.

"Fighting~"

"If you can't convince oppa, you'll be dead."

Receiving encouragement from Bin noona and Ellie, I approached Jeong-woo hyung, who I had called to the apartment hallway.

"Hyung."

"What?"

"This summer..."

I directly asked for his help.

I explained that I was going to the beach with Ellie, and with Bin noona’s help, it seemed like we could have a legitimate one-night trip. I asked him to come as a guardian to reassure our parents.

"Why do you need me when noona is going?"

Jeong-woo hyung raised a reasonable question after listening quietly.

It was a valid point, but I had an explanation ready.

"Noona as a guardian is a bit... You know how our parents feel about her..."

"Oh."

Our parents and Ellie’s parents knew Bin noona and Jeong-woo hyung well because we were close neighbors.

They knew Bin noona was a drinker and didn't fully trust her, but Jeong-woo hyung was different.

Despite being in a band in high school, secretly smoking, and looking like he was always up to something, he was actually very responsible, respectful to the neighborhood elders, and a great student who got into a good university.

Because of this, our parents had a lot of trust in him.

"Hmm. I don’t have any plans around then, so I could go..."

After listening to my explanation, hyung seemed to think for a moment before responding positively.

"Will you come?"

"I will, but I have one condition."

"Condition?"

Hyung put his hand on my shoulder and smiled.

"Give me a day of your time during vacation."

Footnotes:

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