Sleep Talking
My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it thumping in my ears.
Yuna’s arms were wrapped tightly around my waist, and I froze completely.
Had she decided the mood was right because she was holding me? I didn’t exactly think the atmosphere was bad either. But something about it felt… off. It was too sudden for the usual Yuna. Or maybe I was just flustered because she was being so aggressive.
“Um… Yuna?”
I called her name while keeping my eyes glued to the laptop screen. If I made eye contact with her right now, my heart might actually stop and I’d die on the spot.
But Yuna didn’t answer.
On the laptop screen, people were rushing back and forth in some intense scene, but I couldn’t focus on any of it. That small, warm hand clinging to me had stolen every ounce of my attention.
And then her grip started getting stronger. It felt like she was determined not to let go.
What… what is this situation?
Am I seriously about to get devoured right here?
There’s that saying about how even the quietest cat jumps up on the stove first. I never expected Yuna to be this forward.
Honestly, all kinds of wild thoughts flashed through my head. If things kept going this well, how far would we go tonight? …Would we actually go all the way?
If I’d known this might happen, maybe I should’ve bought condoms. Was I finally going to have one of those “I spent the night at my situationship’s place” stories?
Had I come to a girl’s house way too unprepared?
As those dirty thoughts filled my mind, I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. If I knew any Buddhist scriptures, I would’ve started chanting them.
“…Mmm…”
Then came a soft sigh right next to my ear, followed by a tiny sound.
My overly sensitive body twitched.
But… something felt weird.
No matter what, Yuna had been completely silent this whole time. And that sound she just made… it sounded like a groan.
At first I didn’t think much of it, but the more I listened, the more it sounded like… that.
A bad feeling crept into my mind.
…No way. Is she actually asleep?
The second that thought hit me, I quickly turned my head to the side.
“…Ah.”
There was Yuna, eyes closed like an angel, still clinging to me.
I felt so empty I couldn’t even laugh.
Hey… you can’t get someone this worked up and then just fall asleep!
It felt like I’d gone through about ten thousand rounds of shadowboxing in my head for nothing. I wanted to exorcise the perverted demon inside me that had even dragged condoms into the fantasy, like some kind of ghost-hunting game.
Sigh… This is so embarrassing.
Apparently the drama had been too boring for Yuna.
I pushed all those impure thoughts out of my head and looked at her sleeping face.
…She’s sleeping so peacefully. Even with a guy right next to her.
Does she really have zero worries? Does she trust me that much, or is she just like this normally?
She’s cute, though.
It seemed like Yuna had a habit of hugging something while she slept. The way she was clinging to my side with such a comfortable expression proved it.
“Mmm…”
Once again, that sound came out, and something landed heavily on my thigh.
It was soft and warm, but it still had some weight to it.
At some point, Yuna’s leg had draped over my thigh like she was hugging it.
I wasn’t some body pillow, you know.
I was completely trapped in her embrace, unable to move an inch. My body was a little uncomfortable, but honestly… I didn’t hate it.
Couldn’t we just stay like this and fall asleep?
The thought crossed my mind. I’d probably feel happy all night long.
Of course, explaining the situation the next day would be a nightmare. But pleasure always comes with responsibility, right?
“This is too loud. She might wake up.”
I closed the laptop with one hand and carefully set it aside. I didn’t want her to wake up because of the noisy drama.
For a while, I just watched her sleeping face.
Normally I’d be too embarrassed to look at her this closely, but since she was asleep, my heart felt much lighter than usual.
I suddenly had the urge to pinch those soft, pale cheeks.
My gaze traveled down her face, and I noticed her slightly flushed lips.
…Stop thinking useless things. Not right now.
Doing something while she’s sleeping would be the worst.
While I was fighting between reason and instinct, Yuna suddenly squeezed me even tighter.
“…Oppa… I like youuu…”
She smiled brightly, eyes curving into happy little crescents.
-Thump.
For a second, it felt like my heart actually stopped.
…Saying something like that out of nowhere is totally unfair.
What kind of dream is she having?
Yuna was sleep-talking with the happiest expression in the world. She’d said she didn’t have any siblings, so that “Oppa” had to be referring to me, right?
Was I appearing in her dream?
I suddenly felt curious. I kind of wanted to peek inside her dream.
“…Me too.”
I whispered it so quietly that no one could possibly hear.
Since Yuna was asleep, she probably didn’t catch it. I’d just felt like answering, so the words slipped out before I could stop them.
What the hell was I doing?
Getting all excited over someone’s sleep-talking and answering them by myself… When did I become such a hopeless romantic?
I gently stroked Yuna’s hair, careful not to wake her. It felt like silk. I could’ve kept touching it forever.
…Maybe it’s time to confess.
According to Forbes, the number one cause of death for men in their twenties is hesitation. They say the top reason men don’t confess is fear of rejection.
But my chances of getting rejected seemed extremely low.
…I didn’t want to be called an idiot who couldn’t eat even when food was handed to him.
I spent a long time planning out my confession while waiting for Yuna to wake up.
“Then I’ll head out?”
“Okay, Oppa. Get home safe.”
I saw my brother off at the front door and watched his back until he disappeared from sight. Then I walked straight back into my room and closed the door.
I flopped onto the bed like I always did.
“What the hell did I do… to Oppa?”
Aaaah… Lee Yuna, you stupid idiot.
I rubbed my dry face with both hands, trying to soothe the burning embarrassment rising inside me. When that wasn’t enough, I started squirming and thrashing around on the bed.
I still remembered exactly what it felt like when I woke up.
In my half-asleep state, the warm feeling beside me had felt strangely nice. It was like a human hot pack. At least, it was a warmth that definitely didn’t belong to anything in my room.
I realized then that I had apparently fallen asleep while hugging Oppa.
Between the packed streaming schedule, assignments, and exam period, I’d been pretty exhausted lately. It made sense that I’d been tired.
“But still… calling him over to my bed… Augh…”
I was beyond stupid. I’d swallowed my embarrassment and dragged him all the way to my bed to create a nice mood, only to fall asleep while hugging him right there.
What must Oppa think of me now? Ugh.
“…But… it wasn’t that bad, right?”
I figured the day hadn’t been completely unproductive. I definitely felt like we’d closed the distance between us a lot.
I’d gotten a back hug from him. It was the first time we’d ever lain on the same bed together. And I’d managed to do the whole birthday event I’d prepared.
“…Hehe.”
A silly little laugh slipped out before I could stop it. I could never show Oppa this kind of goofy smile, though.
…But settling for this much would make me an amateur. A pro steps on the gas the moment they see progress.
He’s probably still awake at this hour… Unnie.
Of course, I’d have to ask someone else how to actually floor it.
I casually sent Seo-yeon unnie a message asking if I could call her. The moment the bear emoji with the “OK” speech bubble popped up, I hurriedly dialed her number.
Even though I tried to play it cool, my excited voice gave me away. …Well, what can I do? I’m happy.
When your love life is going well, it’s normal for your tension to rise. Unnie would understand. She’d gone totally overboard when she first started dating her boyfriend too.
I gave her a quick summary of everything that had happened today.
The second she heard it, Seo-yeon unnie let out a high-pitched squeal and started fangirling hard.
This was exactly why having a good mentor mattered. At first I hadn’t trusted her completely, but most of what she said had turned out to be right. That must be why people always talk about “experienced professionals.” People who’ve actually dated know what they’re doing.
Unnie fell into deep thought after hearing me.
Confess? Me confessing to Oppa first?
I was a little thrown off by her unexpected advice. Normally the girl is the one who receives the confession, so I’d only ever thought about how to get Oppa to confess to me. I’d never considered doing it myself first. It was embarrassing… and a little scary.
As a female streamer who tries to keep up with the times, I found myself actually considering her words.
…Maybe I should try to find the right moment to confess.
That was the kind of day it had been.
I never imagined it would happen in that kind of way, though.