Sleepover Permission and the Black Bunny Surprise

After getting permission for the sleepover, and following that day we'd gone shopping with the noonas. Friday ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠passed, then Saturday, Sunday. And the weekdays repeated once more. I wanted to see Langi Noona every single day, but I held back my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠impulses, not wanting to act like a spoiled kid. Of course I wanted to see her that badly—I just didn't want to show it that obviously. An unexpected friendship. An unexpected romance. Unexpected skinship. And Langi Noona's love and cuteness, even more than I'd imagined. It was no different from a drug. If I hadn't known, maybe I could've ignored it, but now that I did, I couldn't stop craving it.

But as I said before, we already had a three-year age gap as lovers, and I didn't want her treating me like a little brother anymore. So I started making my own efforts.

"...Hey. Fuck, don't study alone. Let's do it together."

"Yeah~ I am gonna~ I'm going to the same college as Noona~"

"You think that'll happen?"

"Nope."

It had been ages since I'd cracked open a book outside of exam periods. I'd slacked off a bit in the second semester last year, but up through middle school, I'd learned enough from my noonas to have a solid foundation. Of course, that didn't mean cramming now would get me into the same ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠college as them. By the time I enrolled, Noona would already be a senior. Campus couple stuff? Impossible.

Still, couldn't I at least try? I didn't have much else going on anyway. At most, gaming, web surfing, or reading comics. Even games—like that time I got hooked on Romance of the Three Kingdoms—I'd binge hard once, then lose interest for a while. So unless it was a day I was meeting Langi Noona, I had plenty of time. I just hoped this resolve wouldn't fizzle out after three days.

"Hah, dating's turned Gyeol into a studying machine. Fucking amazing."

"You should study too."

"Me...? I'll just mooch off Sena. Perfect plan."

"O~ What trash talk. Should've recorded that."

"Anyway, next date when?"

"Weekend."

Seobin, Sena, and Seoin were just as invested in my dates as I was. Since I kept giving them recaps every time we met, they nagged me like they were waiting for the weekend drama.

I wanted to brag about my romance too, and they'd helped me out in various ways, so I kept spilling the details.

"Whatcha doing?"

What were we doing this weekend? "Whew...."

"What's that reaction? Something big coming?"

Something big was coming. Langi Noona's cosplay was waiting for me!

It was the weekend, but we weren't meeting Saturday. I'd planned to drop by around lunchtime like last time, but the night before—Friday evening—she said she'd have time. And now, late at night, while on the phone with Noona sorting out the schedule, words came out that tested my sanity.

"......"

That's from twenty onwards. That's from twenty onwards. That's from twenty onwards. That's from twenty onwards. That's from twenty onwards....

The moment she said "sleep over," that thought looped in my head. I had to banish the temptation. Was it because she was an adult? To me, it was a massive bombshell, but Noona said it so casually. Though if I saw her face, her ears would probably be red.

"I'd love that, but..."

I was thrilled. What guy would say no to his girlfriend inviting him to sleep over at her place? But there was a problem—not the one about keeping my hands off and looking like a eunuch if I did.

"You know how prickly Yeoreum Noona's been lately, right?"

Yeoreum Noona's mood had been off since that shopping trip. Was she that upset about us flirting right in front of her? Her glares had been intense since then. She was nitpicking my personal habits more than usual—like threatening to snap my neck if I didn't do laundry on time, or crush my wrist if I didn't throw out snack bags right away. Petty threats over petty things. But she'd still make meals like always—that was classic Yeoreum Noona.

She was already pissed about my skinship with Langi Noona, so would she even allow a sleepover? I had no idea why she was mad, but anyway.

"I'll ask, but no clue if she'll say yes."

"If you say so."

She wouldn't lie to me about this. But she had been prickly today—hope it was really okay.

"......"

I thought it was a joke and played along, but Langi Noona was dead serious. Her earnest tone made cold sweat trickle down. Then she dropped a bombshell: "The clothes I ordered arrived, so look forward to it," before hanging up to sleep. My heart nearly burst with anticipation.

What did she order? Probably nothing too extreme—no skimpy photos or anything. Maybe a safe nurse outfit? Though cosplay versions were super short down there... I shook my head to banish the lewd thoughts surging through me. Keep imagining, and I'd never sleep. First, solve the immediate problem.

-Click. I quietly opened my door and slipped into the living room. Yeoreum Noona was busy on her laptop. I snuck to the kitchen, quickly heating up a mug of rich hot cocoa. She liked coffee but avoided it late at night. If anything, she'd go for this—thick cocoa. Scalding hot, not lukewarm. Unless it was just water at home, she preferred hot drinks.

I poured all her tastes into that one mug and crept up to her.

"What."

She blocked my approach with a sharp tone before I even got close. Yeah, this wouldn't be easy.

"Noona, here's some cocoa to help you power through..."

"What."

"...I made it, wanna try?"

"Don't need it."

Flat rejection. But I couldn't back down.

"C'mon, drink up~ I made it special for you."

"You're just buttering me up 'cause you wanna sleep over at Harang's."

She knew. "True, but you've been buying my clothes and cooking every day—you work so hard. This is just thanks."

"Show some gratitude normally then?"

"...Yeah, sorry. I'll do better."

"Hah...."

I wouldn't quit wheedling, so she closed her laptop. Her long, jet-black straight hair. Sharp eyes piercing me from under her see-through bangs.

"So."

"Huh?"

"So what do you want?"

"Uh... permission for Friday sleepover, please..."

"Fine, whatever."

Way easier than expected—deflated me completely. As I blinked in surprise, she continued calmly, her porcupine vibe gone, back to her usual tsundere nagging.

"I'm serious... I'll let it slide once. Do that lovey-dovey crap in front of me again, and you're done."

"Whoa, thanks! I'll be careful!"

"And remember what I said?"

"...Until college, that thing?"

"Yeah."

"Got it. I'll keep it in mind."

"Good enough."

Her earlier prickliness had vanished; she was back to normal. Like she'd been waiting for me to approach. Maybe I'd overdone avoiding her, making it worse. From her side, maybe it was awkward to act normal after snapping over something small—pride and all. Total speculation on my part. Probably cleared up when she talked with Langi Noona.

Anyway, the worry was solved, and with prickly Yeoreum Noona back to herself, my mood skyrocketed. All my dilemmas cleared at once.

"Noona, drink the cocoa. I made it perfect."

"Gimme."

"Here. Oh, when're we going to the beach? Harang Noona said you were planning it?"

"We'll see. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Late July or early August."

"Train?"

"Nah, driving."

"Whose car? Who's driving?"

"Me and Harang."

"Right, you both have licenses."

She sipped the cocoa I'd made, answering steadily, while I chattered away beside her, mood through the roof. Come to think of it, how long since we'd just talked like this at home, just the two of us? Excluding times with Langi Noona, it was usually one-word answers or her scolding me.

Late July to early August was around Yeoreum Noona's birthday. Maybe shop for a gift with Langi Noona on a date later.

"You good at driving, Noona?"

"Decent? Better than Harang."

"O~ I wanna try too. Can I get mine after my birthday this year?"

"You're turning eighteen, so next year."

"Oh yeah? My birthday's after CSAT anyway, so right after..."

"Drive without my permission and get caught? You're dead."

"No need! On second thought, no real reason to drive!"

Yeoreum Noona was always a reliable family member I was grateful for. But man, a little more kindness in her words wouldn't hurt.

The next day. From Friday morning to evening, I wandered in a daze, buzzing with excitement over Langi Noona's cosplay. That evening, her message came, and I bolted to her officetel.

She wouldn't let me in yet—curious what she was wearing—so I waited obediently outside for ten minutes.

Finally, phone permission granted. Trembling, I punched in the code and stepped inside.

"......"

"......"

There was a black bunny. And it was way too sexy.