Happy! Present!

◈

Creeeeak…

“J-Jin-sang? Wh-what brings you here?”

After I knocked, Luna peeked out and opened the door slightly.

“You left the training grounds so suddenly. I was worried, so I came to check.”

“R-really? I-I’m fine. This morning was… s-sorry, were you surprised?”

“I’m fine too. Ah. Can I come inside?”

“Y-yes! Come in.”

I entered Luna’s house.

I had visited Luna’s house many times for dinner.

In the living room, there was a dummy wrapped like a sandbag near the window, probably for dagger practice, and besides that, the house was divided into living room, kitchen, bathroom, and Luna’s room.

Although I had already heard the reason from Miriana-noona…

Let me check once more just to be sure.

“Luna, you’re really not sick or anything, right?”

“N-no! R-really, I’m not. I’m sorry, Jin-sang. D-did I worry you?”

“Hihi, as long as Luna is okay, it’s fine. Ah, let’s take a break from herb gathering today too.”

“Huh? R-really? Taking a break from herb gathering?”

“Yes. Anyway, I was already taking a break from my serving job, and we finished training early this morning. Since it’s like this, let’s just take a full day off.”

“I-I see.”

Luna still looked down.

Honestly, if I had more experience, I might have created a nice~ atmosphere and given the gift at the perfect moment.

But if I were that kind of guy, I would have accepted Miriana-noona’s proposition long ago.

So here, I’m going straight to the point!

“Luna.”

“Y-yes. What is it?”

“Actually, I came here partially to check on you, but I also had something else.”

“S-something else? Wh-what is it?”

Luna was in a state where her anxiety had just increased!

At times like this, let’s be direct and go all out!

“I wanted to give you a present.”

“A p-present? F-for me?”

“Yes. When I think about it, it’s already been over a month since we formed our party.”

“Y-yes.”

“I didn’t have anything to commemorate that. Thanks to Luna, I learned spear techniques and was able to somehow defeat slimes, goblins… and even orcs by myself. I thought it was quite shameless that I hadn’t given you even one gift.”

Though I realized this after receiving advice from Miriana-noona.

“N-no. J-Jin-sang! I-I’m also able to f-freely use techniques th-thanks to you! I c-could overcome my w-weak stamina! R-rather, I’m m-more grateful!”

“Really?”

“Y-yes! R-rather… I h-haven’t given J-Jin-sang even one g-gift either. Jin-sang gave me s-something I really needed…”

“In my case, Luna gave me what I needed. Hmm, looking at it this way, we really are a perfect match giving each other what we need! As expected, Luna and I are the ultimate combo!”

Hearing my words, Luna’s lips curled up in a smile.

“Y-yes! Ehehe. P-perfect match u-ultimate combo… n-needing each other…”

“That’s right. If Luna needs me, I also need Luna.”

Fortunately, Luna’s mood seemed to have lifted quite a bit.

Then… now’s the time!

“To Luna, who is such a perfect match… Here! A present!”

I took out a brown pouch tied with a yellow ribbon from my chest and handed it to Luna.

“J-Jin-sang. Wh-what is this?”

“Please open it and see for yourself.”

“O-okay.”

Luna carefully untied the ribbon and took out the gift inside the cloth.

“Wow, wow. A h-hairpin. A c-crescent moon hairpin…”

“Yes. I bought it thinking it would suit Luna. Do you… like it?”

Luna looked at the hairpin for a moment with wide eyes and an open mouth, then shook her head vigorously.

“Y-yes! It’s p-pretty! Th-thank you, Jin-sang!”

Luna showed me a genuinely beautiful smile as she thanked me.

Phew, seems like she likes it.

If she didn’t like it and reacted like.

-Um… th-thank you, Jin-sang.

I would have cried.

“That’s a relief.”

Truly.

“B-but… I h-haven’t given you a-any gift… yet…”

“You can give me a gift next time. I’ll look forward to it.”

“Y-yes! Ah! C-can I w-wear this… now?”

Luna asked, glancing at me.

“Of course. Rather, please wear it and show me.”

Somehow I feel like if I did it, I’d grab too much hair.

“Yes!”

Luna brought the hairpin to her hair.

Click!

The sound of the hairpin being fixed to her hair was heard.

And Luna brought both hands under her chest, gripping the clothes near her stomach, and asked me.

“H-how is it? J-Jin-sang? D-does it look… strange?”

The yellow crescent moon hairpin stood out prominently against her black hair.

Like Luna’s eyes.

Does it not suit her?

No way.

I confidently gave Luna a thumbs up.

Thumbs up!

“It suits you extremely well! You look pretty, Luna.”

“R-really? I’m p-pretty? He-hehe…”

Luna smiled broadly.

Her appearance was more cute than pretty, like a small rabbit.

And seeing such a cute Luna.

I thought, wouldn’t it be good to get closer as party members?

“Luna.”

“Yes! Wh-what is it, Jin-sang?”

“I was just thinking.”

“Y-yes!”

“Is it alright if I stop calling you ‘Luna-ssi’ and call you something different?”

“D-differently? H-how?”

“Well, of course. ‘Luna-noona.'”

“N-noona? L-like Miriana?”

“Yes. Luna is a senior with more experience than me… and older, right? Plus, we’re the ultimate combo! It seems a bit strange to keep using formal address, doesn’t it?”

“Umm… I-I’m fine with it if J-Jin-sang wants to.”

“Really? Then… ahem.”

Now that I’m actually about to say it, it’s a bit embarrassing.

“L-Luna-noona.”

“Y-yes! J-Jin-sang!”

It’s just calling her noona, but my cheeks are heating up.

“…It’s a bit embarrassing though.”

“I-I think it’s f-fine… though.”

“Really? Then I’ll call you Luna-noona from now on. Please take care of me, Noona!”

“Y-yes! He-hehe. N-noona… hehe… Ah! C-can I also call J-Jin-sang differently when I c-call you…?”

“No? Luna-noona doesn’t need to call me differently. Just call me Jin-sang as usual.”

“Y-yes! O-okay! He-hehe…”

Luna, no, Luna-noona smiled even more broadly, clearly pleased.

“…”

At that moment.

I noticed Luna-noona’s ears moving gently with her good mood.

Fluffy-looking.

Those long ears that seem like they would feel very good to touch.

Moreover, combined with Luna-noona’s cute smiling face.

Very… very…!

I want to touch them.

This rising impulse…!

I can’t suppress it!

Come to think of it, Luna-noona seems to be in a good mood right now…

Would she allow it?

Once a thought comes to mind, I act immediately!

“Luna-noona.”

“Yes? Wh-what is it, J-Jin-sang?”

“About that gift you’re supposed to give me.”

“Yes.”

“It doesn’t have to be a gift, it can be a favor?”

“A f-favor?”

“Yes, a favor. There’s something I want to ask of Noona.”

“Wh-what is it? G-go ahead! I-I’ll do… a-anything I can!”

Anything…?

Luna-noona.

You shouldn’t say such attractive words carelessly.

But!

Now I’m going to take advantage of it!

“Um… if it’s not too rude…”

“Um… yes!”

Luna-noona looked slightly tense at my hesitation.

That look was also a bit cute.

“Can I… touch your ears?”

“E-ears?!”

“Yes. Ah, is there a rule that ears absolutely must not be touched or something? I’ll withdraw if there is.”

“N-no. Th-there’s no such r-rule! But why e-ears, why…?”

“When I saw Luna-noona’s ears moving up and down, I thought… they might feel good to touch.”

“Huh?! My ears were t-twitching? A l-lot?”

“Yes. They were moving up and down cutely.”

“Ah, ah, ahhhhh…!”

At my words, Luna-noona crouched down, lowered her ears, and covered her head and ears with both hands.

“L-Luna-noona…?”

Why is she acting like that?

Looking closely, even her ears were bright red.

“Um… did I make a mistake?”

Luna immediately shook her head and said:

“N-no. N-not that. N-not at all. J-Jin-sang did n-nothing wrong…”

“Really?”

“Yes…”

After a while.

Luna got up again and asked me with a still slightly red face:

“Y-you want to t-touch my ears, J-Jin-sang?”

“Yes. Ah, is it not allowed after all?”

“N-no! It’s okay… Ears, you see… are only t-touched by c-close people… like family or friends.”

“I see.”

“J-Jin-sang is my p-partner. P-perfect match… u-ultimate combo partner, so it’s o-okay…”

“Ooh.”

Yes!

I can touch them.

Luna sat on a chair near the window, then glanced at me and said:

“Um… J-Jin-sang. Y-you can touch them. B-but be gentle…”

“…O-of course!”

Luna-noona.

That just now…

Was kind of erotic!

I already have Luna-noona’s permission!

Great! Let’s touch them!

Those fluffy-looking rabbit ears!

I slowly reached out my hand toward Luna-noona’s rabbit ears.