My Platinum-Blonde Childhood Friend is Too Pretty - Chapter 68

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ My Platinum-Blonde Childhood Friend Is Too Pretty ◈

Chapter 68: 25. Traveling in Sweden with Elli - 2

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The cabin was dark. Most passengers were asleep, but there were still plenty of people all around us.

A cramped space above the seats.

We had taken off our coats but were still in our knitwear, bodies pressed together under a shared blanket, the kind of warmth where just staying still was enough to break a sweat.

"... ... kiss... ..."

Elli let her desires run free.

The kisses made almost no sound at all. She licked my face in silence, dragged her lips softly over mine, tasting me, pressing me down just enough to feel it.

The way she moved, like she was sampling something, left me completely still. The cabin was so quiet that I was afraid any movement might carry to the people around us.

Elli didn't want anyone seeing her like this either, so she kept us under the blanket and killed every sound she could. I matched her, careful in everything.

But at the same time.

There was something thrillingly, almost shamefully good about doing this in secret, surrounded by all these people.

"...... ha... kiss..."

Elli's forehead was slick with sweat. In the dark, her platinum-blonde hair was unmistakable, strands clinging to her skin in a way that was somehow indecent.

Her flushed face made it obvious how hot she was. She didn't seem to care, though. Her eyes curved into a smile as they glittered.

Her mouth kept moving across my face, leaving its warmth on my forehead, my nose, my cheeks, the corner of my eye.

All of it, wet with her.

"...... haup..."

When she had marked every spot she wanted, Elli pulled my lips back between hers.

She held them gently, breathing warm air against my mouth, her tongue slipping inside, nudging against mine like an invitation.

I edged my own tongue forward to meet the soft, blunt warmth of hers, and the moment they touched-

"......!"

Her tongue wound around mine like a snake pulling tight.

At the same time, she fixed me with a low, intent gaze, pressed her nose hard against mine, and inside my mouth her tongue worked in slow, deep, unhurried circles.

It was unbearably hot. Physically, and in every other way. My body was burning, partly from the temperature and partly from her.

Even the heat felt like something it shouldn't.

Elli let all the tension leave her body and sank her full weight down onto me. My arms, which had been hovering uncertainly, found their way around her on their own.

One hand traced along her back. The other settled under her, cupped around her, keeping her from slipping.

Even through her jeans I could feel the firm, springy give of her, and my hand sank in.

We stayed like that a little longer, drawing out the feeling, and then-

We pulled apart.

"Phew... I'm going to the bathroom."

"Hot... I need a minute... splash some water on my face..."

"Why, is it gross?"

"No, yours is fine, it's my own sweat that..."

We whispered to each other, and I couldn't look at her directly.

She must have noticed. One part of me had made itself very obvious.

"...... heh..."

The small glance she aimed at my lower half, and the smile that followed, confirmed it.

"......"

That look was mortifying. But the next moment, without meaning to, my eyes followed Elli as she slipped quietly away.

She pushed her damp hair back with one hand as she went, and she looked impossibly pretty and impossibly sexy doing it.

* * *

Nearly twenty hours later, we arrived in Sweden.

We had stopped at London's airport along the way, but there wasn't much time to do anything beyond getting a brief feel for the place. The layover was tighter than expected, so a proper look around was out.

Either way, it had been a long stretch of travel. Still, comfortable seats and Elli beside me made it pass pleasantly enough.

We cleared customs, collected our luggage, and stepped outside the Swedish airport.

"The air smells nice."

"Feels about the same to me."

Something did feel different, though I couldn't tell if the air was genuinely cleaner or if it was just the effect of being in a foreign country.

Being near an airport probably diluted it, same as indoors. There wasn't much separating it from back home.

Except that Swedish was everywhere, familiar in shape yet strange to the ear.

"Do-hyeon. Welcome to Sweden."

"Good to see you made it~"

We waited near the airport for a few minutes before Elli's parents pulled up in their car to meet us. We had seen them nearly every day until a few days ago, so there wasn't much ceremony. Quick hellos, then everyone got in.

From there, we drove to a place called Sigtuna, a town on the outskirts of Stockholm.

The whole way there, I couldn't stop staring out the window.

"Wow..."

"Do-yoon~ What do you think of Sweden?"

"It's... how do I put it. Beautiful. The buildings, the streets, all of it."

"Right~? I was blown away the first time I came too~"

"Ha ha ha! Do-yoon has an eye for it. Would you ever consider living in Sweden?"

"Living here my whole life might be a stretch, but a year or two... maybe..."

"Absolutely not! Where does my son think he's going! Mom will not allow it! Not a chance!"

My mom's genuine panic was proof enough that some real part of me meant it.

The city was that beautiful. The whole landscape quietly stirred something in my chest, and the sky was so clear it made me restless in the best way.

And more than anything else.

"......"

She must have been tired from her midnight adventures on the plane, because my girlfriend had her head on my shoulder, eyes shut.

Here, she wasn't remarkable.

That platinum-blonde hair, the pale skin, the blue eyes like open sea.

She was still strikingly pretty compared to the Swedes we glimpsed through the windows, but she wasn't unusual. She wasn't something to stare at.

Back home, wherever she went, she pulled every eye in the room. Here, that quality simply didn't exist.

Elli had never liked being openly stared at. This place had to be easier on her. The thought settled quietly in my mind.

With that on my mind.

"It's really nice... even just driving around would be enough."

"Exactly! Look at that lake over there!"

Mom and dad were just as swept up in the scenery as I was. Their voices floated up from the front as the car rolled into Sigtuna.

I was struck again.

No tall buildings anywhere. Along the edge of a broad lake stood rows of small, colorful structures, each one absurdly charming. It looked too pretty to be real.

"There are a lot of people here, though."

"That's because of the Christmas market~ It's a small town, but people come from everywhere for it."

The crowds were a bit at odds with the quiet village feel, but the lively Christmas energy was its own kind of good.

Ten minutes later.

I finally got to meet Elli's grandparents, who lived on the outskirts of Sigtuna.

"Ha ha! Come in, come in! I've heard so much about you!"

There was Grandpa William, a big, boisterous grandfather who gave off the same energy as Uncle Mark, the kind of man who probably shot a shotgun with great accuracy and great enthusiasm.

And then:

"Elli. I'm so glad you came. Is this the one you told us about?"

"That's him."

Vera, the grandmother, welcomed Elli with an exceptionally warm smile.

I had noticed it at the airport too. Understanding them well enough despite the Swedish was a strange feeling. Of course, if they spoke too fast or used words I didn't know, I was completely lost.

Still, this was my chance to actually use the Swedish I had learned, and I stepped forward with a smile to greet them both.

"Hello. I'm Lee Do-yoon. Elli's boyfriend."

"Oh, not bad at all! Your Swedish is quite good!"

"Ho ho, lovely to meet you. Elli told us about your smile. She was right, it's very pretty."

"Grandma!"

It came out a little clumsy compared to a native speaker, but for a simple greeting they understood every word and seemed genuinely delighted. My parents, who had been watching me with proud looks on their faces, managed their own short Swedish greetings and then we all headed inside together.

The moment I stepped through the door, I felt like I had walked into a period film.

The house was large, and the number of living rooms alone was remarkable. The decor leaned toward the antique, which made sense for a grandparents' home, but that only made me like it more.

Every mirror, every sofa, every table and cabinet carried that quality, like something carefully preserved from another era.

We were shown around, exclaiming at each room in turn, and then assigned the rooms our families would be staying in.

Just as we were about to start unpacking.

"Do-yoon. Would you like the room in the basement? I put a lot of work into it."

Grandpa William said this to me with a cheerful expression, speaking slowly and clearly, as if taking care to make it easy for me to follow.

"The basement...? Yes, please!"

The offer immediately set my heart pounding. I followed him downstairs without a second thought.

Down to the living area, through a door tucked into the corner, down a spiral staircase.

The whole setup felt like a secret base. Before I even saw the room, I was already sold.

The basement itself was far more spacious than I expected. Easily twice the size of my room back home.

One side held a long, wide sofa. There was a large table, a slightly worn television, and a whole assortment of audio equipment. Everything was there. It was a fully finished space.

An honest-to-goodness secret base. It hit every boyhood instinct I had.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it! So much!"

"Use it however you want. If it ever feels too cramped, there are other rooms upstairs."

"Thank you!"

"You really like this? It's kind of stifling."

"It's like a... a secret base, isn't it? It's incredible."

"Hmm... well, if you're sleeping down here separately... sure. That's not so bad..."

Elli had been following quietly behind me, and whatever thought just crossed her mind put a slow, satisfied curve on her lips.

Once everyone had unpacked, the parents settled around the dining table with Elli's grandparents for a long, easy conversation.

The calm, unhurried mood of Sweden had my mom and dad visibly unwinding just from being there.

While they talked, Elli reappeared, freshly changed and ready to go, and took my hand.

"Let's go out. I'll show you around."

"Hasn't it been a while since you've been here? Do you remember the way?"

"Places like this don't really change. It'll be the same as before."

We told our parents and slipped out. I half expected them to want to come along, but the long flight had clearly worn them out today.

Just the two of us, outside, with Sweden stretched around us. I was nearly buzzing with excitement as I tried to take everything in.

"Where do we start? Should we follow the lake around and loop back? Or just head straight down the main road and..."

"Calm down. It's a small town. We can do two full loops in a day if we want."

I was practically bouncing. Elli settled me down like someone soothing a child, then asked:

"Lee Do-yoon. Do you actually want to live in Sweden?"

"Hm? Oh... I don't know. Living here forever might be tough. Wouldn't the internet be slow? That would drive me crazy. I could deal with most things, but slow internet..."

"It's not that slow. It's not far off from Korea, actually. Good computers are just rarer, that's all."

"Really? Then maybe it's worth reconsidering... What about you, Elli? How do you feel about Sweden?"

"I prefer Korea. The atmosphere here is nice, but it's too quiet."

"Hmm... fair enough. There's a lot less to do here than back home. Thinking about it that way, just coming as a trip every now and then is probably the right call."

"Right. Though... if you ever really wanted to come, I'd come with you."

The small smile she wore when she said it made it clear she wasn't just saying it.

But I felt the same way.

Wherever Elli was, that was where I wanted to be.

"Same for me. If you said you wanted to live in Sweden, I'd live here with you, no question."

"Good. That's how it should be."

"I love you, Elli."

"...... Lips."

Before we had a chance to look around that beautiful Swedish town.

The two of us.

"Haup... kiss..."

In a country far from home, pressed our lips together the same way we always had back in Korea.