episode_0510

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A day spent fruitlessly in vain passes quietly.

Buried deep under the blankets, I open my eyes to find it’s already December 23rd.

Still rolled up like a kimbap inside the blanket—so I wouldn’t end up masturbating by wedging it between my thighs—I pull the crumpled fabric away with my hands and sit up.

Since I couldn’t move freely while drifting through dreamland, some parts of my body feel slightly stiff… but thankfully, nothing too sore.

Maybe working out regularly helps with this sort of thing…

This means only Christmas Eve… and Christmas Day remain. Roughly 70 more hours to wait.

As expected, it’s nothing much.

Waiting for that idiot pervert, Seo Woojin.

“Haa….”

…Anyway.

Even without considering Woojin, there’s still plenty of time before Baek Jiho returns.

Might as well hit the academy gym in the meantime.

“…….”

It’s not like I’m doing this to look pretty for someone.

It’s for myself.

510

At least once before this year ends…

Can’t I… show a more noona-like side…?

In front of the bubbling pork kimchi stew, I sneakily search for “Dating Tips for Younger Guys” while the other two are still asleep.

Most of the videos turned out to be nonsensical, so I sighed and turned off the screen.

Why is the default image of a noona someone with tons of money?

If anything, I’m the one receiving a lot…

It’s been almost a year since Woojin and I got together.

All this time, I’ve mostly played the little sister role, swept up in his pace—but I am the noona here, right?

When Woojin was a high school senior, I was already an adult.

I kinda want to properly act like a noona for once.

Of course, it’s not like I’ve never brought it up before.

I’ve tried subtly taking the lead a few times, only to end up clinging to a pillow while breathlessly calling him oppa instead.

Even if it’s not the ideal image I have in mind, Woojin seems to like those days, so I just go along with it without complaint.

But now that I’m about to turn a year older, I really want to show him a proper noona side this time.

What should I do?

“Cooking… hmm….”

Woojin did mention he usually orders delivery for meals.

The most he can make are simple stews and oil pasta—that’s it.

But if I try to impress him with cooking, wouldn’t that feel more like a homemaker than a noona?

Just… a good wife and wise mother?

…Now that I think about it, it’s kinda ambiguous.

Even if Jiyoon, who can only cook ramen, suddenly became a master chef, it wouldn’t give off noona vibes.

Plus, most of what I can make is just home-style meals…

Maybe cooking isn’t the way.

“Then….”

What about attitude?

Right now, I’m too indulgent with Woojin, so maybe I should try acting like a composed noona for once.

I do have a friend who fits that vibe perfectly.

“Should I try copying Dabin…?”

Dabin.

With her long legs and model-like looks, she naturally takes care of her friends, giving off an unnie-like aura.

And when she talks about her boyfriend, the way she fusses over him feels very noona-like, right?

Come to think of it, I haven’t heard about them fighting lately…

Anyway.

“…Trying it out can’t hurt, I guess.”

No big deal.

After tasting the stew’s seasoning, I grabbed my phone from the table.

“Is Dabin even awake now?”

I should ask her how she acts when she’s alone with her boyfriend.

Might as well chat a bit too.

I called her, and—

– …Hello?

“Oh, Dabin-ah….”

Surprisingly, she picked up right away.

Lately, she hasn’t been reading my morning texts—did she start sleeping more?

Or is she just ignoring messages?

Maybe she’s been reading novels at night or something exhausting…

While lost in thought, she spoke first from the other end.

– Haa… Why’d you call?

“Well… Oh, were you working out? You sound kinda out of breath.”

– Yeah. At the academy right now.

The rough breathing, the clanging of weights being set down, the whirring of treadmills—

Familiar sounds mixed in, so my guess was right.

…If it had just been Dabin’s heavy breathing, I might’ve stuttered “Oh, uh—” and hung up in a panic.

Relieved, I continued the conversation.

“This early? Are you getting a year-end body profile shoot or something?”

– Who gets a body profile for just a few days…? Just bored, so.

“Huh? Nothing to do right now?”

– My boyfriend’s coming tomorrow. So I’m alone till then. Figured I’d work out morning and night for once.

“Hmm~….”

– …So why’d you call?

“Hey, if you’re free… can I ask you a favor?”

– Shoot. You called for a reason. What is it?

It’s a bit embarrassing, so I tried to dance around it, but you gotta seize opportunities when they come.

Glancing at the rice cooker now steaming, I plopped onto the sofa and spoke.

“I’ve been thinking about how to act with my boyfriend… and I wanted your advice.”

– ……Ah, your boyfriend. …The health teacher?

“Yeah. It’s not a huge deal, just something small I wanted to talk about.”

– …Alright. I’ll listen. No promises on solving it, though.

“Well… Haaa….”

It’s a little embarrassing to say out loud, but what choice do I have?

No matter how hard I try to hide it, anyone who’s seen Woojin and me together can tell how we usually act.

Especially Dabin—she’s seen us on double dates and even went to a pension with us, so she knows the vibe.

It’s not like she’ll look at me weird for confessing this now… right?

“…I’m always the one being babied by Woojin, you know?”

– So? You don’t like being doted on?

Dabin sounds indifferent, like she expected this.

I shake my head and continue.

“It’s not that I dislike it… but, well… I am the noona here….”

– …Ah. That kind of feeling.

“I want to give off a mature vibe like you….”

– Hey, sorry for cutting in, but let me say something first.

“…Huh? What?”

– I’m not as mature as you think. I’m basically still a kid.

“You’re still better than me….”

– It’s just how I look. Honestly, I think you’re more mature than me.

“…? Which part of me…?”

…Wait, isn’t it a scam for someone like Dabin to call herself a kid?

Just remembering that bold swimsuit she wore once screamed adult.

But saying I’m mature? That’s not it.

Just as I tapped the sofa with my heel in frustration—

“Haaam… …Were you making kimchi stew?”

“…?!”

Woojin, who had been sound asleep, chose now to walk out.

Still half-asleep, his groggy voice startled me over nothing.

…Like I’d committed some crime.

“Y-You should’ve kept sleeping. I was gonna wake you and Jiyoon when it was ready.”

“I’m thirsty. And it’s been a while.”

He rummages through the fridge, gulps down the barley tea I’d left chilled, then checks the stew before walking over to the sofa.

“What were you doing? YouTube?”

“…Uh, just… random stuff….”

Then he asks about the phone still on call with Dabin.

…In a daze,

even though I didn’t need to hide it,

I let out a small lie.

“Hmm~”

“…Hey, why are you slipping your hand under my pajamas…? Your hands are freezing….”

Pressed close to him in the morning,

I blindly reached behind me,

fumbling for the end-call button.

Lock screen.

“Just felt like it. It’s been a while since it’s just the two of us.”

“……And how does that justify groping my chest right now…?”

Just as I was about to set the phone aside casually,

Woojin pushed me over.

…Onto my side.

“…Hey, Seo Woojin…! You’re heavy…!”

“No way. I’m holding most of my weight with my arms.”

“I-I meant get off…! You know what I mean…!”

Onto the sofa,

pinned down.

“…You smell nice. Or should I say, it’s the scent of noona’s clothes?”

“W-Wait. Sweat… sweat… We didn’t even shower last night before passing out….”

“Can’t smell a thing, so don’t worry. …Wait, do you mean me?”

“Y-You don’t smell either, but….”

“Then it’s fine, right?”

“It’s not fine, why would it be…?”

It’s not fine.

Sex in the morning? After the hour the three of us spent going at it yesterday with Jiyoon?

We even did it then because we agreed to “hold back” until the trip—doing it now would ruin everything.

Besides, you’re still not treating me like a noona, are you?

I do have some mature charm somewhere… right…?

“…Lee Jiyun, even though she’s sleeping peacefully in the room for once?”

“…….”

“She’ll wake up soon and sit on my lap again, you know?”

…You know…?

“Ah, no. The pot might burn…!”

“Want me to turn off the stove?”

“…N-No, that’s not….”

“…….”

“H-Hey… don’t rub me with your fingers like that…, ngh….”

“…….”

…Wait,

hold on.

That’s…

…What?

Did she not hang up to piss me off?

Or was it a mistake in her panic?

I heard the phone drop mid-call, so probably an accident, but…

– Haa, ha… Oppa……. Nngh…

“…….”

…Ugh, whatever.

Annoying.