The Opportunity I'd Been Waiting For

The chance I'd been waiting and waiting for had finally come.

After a brief kiss at the photo studio, we stepped into a nearby café and sipped our coffee. The air between us was so awkward I could barely taste the sweetness.

Me, and Oppa too. Thoughts of what had just happened filled my head so completely that I found myself touching my lips without thinking—and when I snuck a glance at him, Oppa was lightly brushing his own lips as well.

"Oh."

"Pfft…!"

And just like that, we both laughed. It was strange and wonderful that we'd been thinking the same thing—and knowing we felt the same way made me so happy.

"Ahem… Was it a little sweet?"

"Yeah… Sweet as sugar."

"You'll get cavities."

"Yeah… But I'm happy anyway."

We sipped our coffee again and kept talking, the tension finally easing. I already knew about ninety percent of what Oppa liked, and maybe seventy percent of what he disliked—there were still a few blanks there. As for personal details, like his birthday or his age… I hadn't shared all that much about myself, but Oppa already knew quite a bit about me, and the more we talked, the more giddy I felt.

"Oppa."

"Mm."

"I really love you."

"I love you too."

I rested my head against his broad shoulder.

It's okay if we take it slow.

Just like this. I hope we can keep walking this path of happiness forever.

"Have a good day at work, Oppa. Don't get hurt."

"Mm."

"Haah… chuup… haah…♡"

A short kiss at the front door greeted the morning, and a little warmth bloomed through me. Blaming the heating for my burning face, I hid it by wrapping my arms around him.

"Heuk… nyehe♡… Come home safe…."

"Yeah. I'll be back."

The sugar factory in my head was churning out enough sweetness to last me through the afternoon.

Isn't this Oppa's first time kissing too? Why am I not getting any better at it?

Ever since that day at the photo studio, Oppa had started making the first move. Whenever we were alone, he always gave me at least a short kiss.

For me, nothing could have been happier. Two whole weeks had already flown by… I was so happy.

"Ah. I've got some good news for you today."

"Nyehe?"

"Shouldn't a couple go on a trip together?"

Good news. A trip. The keywords ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clicked into place.

"Oh… Ah! Vacation!"

"Yeah. I'll see you later."

"Okay!"

The front door opened, and a breeze drifted in that felt just a little warmer. Spring was still a ways off, but it was clearly on its way.

Tonkatsu for dinner today.

A trip…

This might be a chance that didn't come around often.

Kisses were wonderful, of course… but physical intimacy between lovers mattered even more.

"Haah… I don't know."

Was Oppa planning to use this opportunity to touch ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me? Or did he simply want an ordinary couple's getaway?

For now… yeah. I'll seduce him. The bed will be nice and spacious. So then… I'll have to do that thing.

"Am I moving too fast?"

The reason I was so fixated on going further… honestly wasn't complicated.

I wanted to show Oppa how serious I was. And I knew men liked being a woman's first. I'd been a man myself, after all. Anyway, the reason I was so attached to Oppa was…

Ahem. Maybe "attached" is too strong a word. Let's just call it affection.

I wanted Oppa to accept that affection.

Did love need a reason? You just loved someone because you liked them.

I was going to need a little help again.

There was no one better to ask than a real woman. Suhyeon unnie—my idol, really.

My scalp itched, so I scratched it lightly. My chest was fluttering, so I pressed a hand over it to calm down.

…Was that really the right way to say it…? The moment the words left my mouth, I was so dumbfounded by myself that a sigh slipped out.

"……"

"H-hello…?"

I dry-washed my face, but the speaker stayed dead silent.

Unnie's deep sigh carried all the way through the speaker.

A faint sniffling sound came through, and then the call cut off.

"…I'm doomed."

I'd have to go see unnie later. Macarons… bringing macarons would probably help. She seemed to like sweet things.

I'd only poked her lightly, and instead I'd stabbed her right in a sore spot and hammered it home. I felt so bad I didn't know what to do.

Apologies could wait—first, the trip. No: the underwear I'd wear to bed on that trip.

I explained the situation all over again, and then…

Unnie was a veteran, all right—she understood immediately and cut straight to the point.

I folded instantly.

Sorry, Suhyeon unnie. Later I'll ask Oppa to find you a nice guy….

Experience really did make a difference…!

Before I knew it, every chore in the house was done. A woman's multitasking was absolute peak performance when it came to household work.

I waited at the apartment entrance, and a pale sky-blue car with a red stripe—looking far more expensive than its logo suggested—flashed its hazard lights and pulled up beside me.

"Oh. Unnie, hello—eup…!?"

"Waaah… Jihye! Thank you so much for calling me!"

I was the one who needed help, and yet I was the one being thanked by the person who'd made time for me. Seriously, everyone around me was just too kind.

"No, no. I'm the one who should be thanking you for helping me, so if you thank me first…."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just go. There's so much I want to do."

"O-oh. Okay, okay."

Her rushed tone made me hurry too, and I climbed into the car.

"Hoo… Nice. Shall we floor it?"

"…Huh?"

Ah. Damn.

I'm getting a serious sense of déjà vu.

—Vroooom, pop-pop-pop!

A powerful engine roar and something like popcorn bursting filled the inside of the car.

"Let's go!"

—VROOOOOM!

"Aaaah!!"

That was the moment I realized couples resembling each other wasn't always a good thing.

"Ugh… huuh…."

"Maybe I should've gone a little slower…?"

"Huuuh… Yes. Of… course."

There's something people always say once you get your driver's license.

Whether you're an eighty-year-old or a twenty-year-old, once you're behind the wheel, there's no such thing as waiting your turn.

"Aha… You're pretty firm about it."

"Of course I am…!! You're not planning to leave my Oppa behind and go to heaven all by yourself, are you?"

"Mm… Got it. If Jihye's putting it that strongly, I'll drive safely."

She actually looked like she was taking it seriously. This really needed fixing.

"Please tell Oppa this too. You have to be the one to tell him, unnie."

"Ahem… Ah. Ah…."

"Hoo… I mean have to. I'll check later."

"Haang… Okayyy…."

I hugged her and whispered each word into her ear for emphasis, and I got the answer I wanted. Physical force really was the answer.

Wait… is it physical force? Could this be… charm…?

"Hoo… Anyway, let's go."

I took the hand unnie offered and headed into the department store from last time—we were practically regulars by now.

Underwear… shouldn't be that expensive, right…? I brought money. It'll be fine.

We went straight up to the lingerie floor and started browsing.

"…?…!??"

"Whaat? Do you want that one?"

"Th-this price is…."

Since when did underwear cost over a hundred thousand won? It was a scrap of fabric that wouldn't even run ten thousand a piece at a traditional market.

"Ah~ That's because it's one of the most famous brands in women's lingerie."

"Oh… Then…."

I started edging backward, ready to slip off and look somewhere else.

—Tap.

"Ehehe, where do you think you're going?"

"S-some other underwear…."

"Don't worry. It's not expensive."

It's extremely expensive to me!

"Alright~ What should we pick?"

Whether I fretted or not, unnie hummed to herself as she hunted through the lingerie.

"This! This one alone will finish him."

"W-wa… waaah…."

Something about it was something else. Why did it only cover the important parts by a thread's width?

Nice.

"What do you think?"

"I-I think I should buy it."

"Pfft…! Ah~ Jihye, you're too cute~"

"…What's wrong with me."

I quietly took the underwear from her.

Black, with pretty patterns traced over several places, and almost completely open everywhere except around those points.

Yeah.

This might actually work.

"Suuup…."

Should I try cutting a hole in it? This… is expensive, though.

"Jihye, the right amount of exposure is what's sexy. You can't just strip everything bare, okay?"

"Ah— No, I wasn't!!"

How did she know?

"Your eyes are so mischievous~ I feel like a tail's about to sprout."

"Ahem… I think we should pick something else now…?"

"Sure~"

Was this the power of age? I couldn't win.

"Ahem… Would this one be good, or that one?"

"Pffft!"

"Ah, what now!"

Unnie looked at the lingerie I was pointing to and once again couldn't hold it in.

"Ah~ Seriously, Jihye, you're just too adorable…."

"Ahem. Anyway, hurry up."

"I don't know how often you're planning to go at it, but your future husband is going to get sucked dry. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠His bones'll melt~"

…I had a defense for this one.

Oppa worked Monday through Friday. So that was five days used up, and then he'd rest from Sunday to the following Sunday.

So then… we'd go on the trip and have fun… burn up the first night, burn up the second night too… burn up the third night…. But if we went at it like that, Oppa might get a little worn out.

"I'll only do it thr… three times a week. Th-that's reasonable, right?"

If it was Oppa, he could handle it… probably.

"Jihye… that stuff doesn't come out that easily, you… you know that…."

"……."

At twenty-seven….

"Ahem."

I made up my mind to buy nutritional supplements before the trip, no matter what.