TL/Editor: looloo

    Status: ongoing

    Illustrations: posted in discord

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    I couldn''t contain my excitement as I immersed myself in the handheld console''s screen.

    -???~

    Reluctant to mute it entirely, I set the volume to its lowest. Though tempted to play on the TV''s larger screen, I didn''t dare.

    Something beyond the game itself thrilled me. Was it the thrill of gaming in secret while my wife slept?

    It made me more tense and excited than usual play.

    I set my phone''s vibration alarm for two hours later and dove in. My fingers moved instinctively after running mental simulations all day.

    As I began to lose myself in the game, suddenly-

    -Tap

    "What the-?!"

    Startled by the unexpected touch, I whirled around.

    There stood Heeseong hyung, grinning down at me.

    "Shit, you scared me."

    "Scaredy-cat."

    Relief washed over me that it wasn''t Heena, but my heart still raced. I thought it might leap from my chest. Why did both siblings love sneaking up on people?

    Amused by my reaction, Heeseong hyung chuckled softly before eyeing the console in my hands.

    "Is it fun?"

    "More than I expected."

    "How far are you?"

    "Hard to quantify. I''ve focused more on exploration than story."

    Games are fun to play, but discussing them with others adds another layer of enjoyment.

    We sat side by side, chatting quietly about the game.

    "Wow, you''ve already gotten this far? But you didn''t play at all today."

    "...I played quite a bit after installing it yesterday."

    "Let me see the play time. You must''ve clocked 7-8 hours, right?"

    "Hey now. Let''s not check unnecessary details."

    "You pulled an all-nighter, didn''t you?"

    "Shh."

    "No wonder you didn''t stir when I left."

    Though he pried into unnecessary details, his advice helped me progress more smoothly afterward.

    "You should probably get some more stamina first. It gets frustrating when you run out of it while climbing."

    "It''s all preference. If that bothers you, prioritize it."

    "Is there anything I can''t catch because of this?"

    "Almost nothing. Regardless of your progress, you can catch stuff using the controls."

    "Oh~"

    Hyung avoided story spoilers or easily solving puzzles, focusing on small tips instead.

    True to his gamer prowess, he struck a perfect balance between helpful advice and preserving the fun.

    And then.

    It felt surreal. We seemed to chat for just a moment.

    Though we''d done little, time had vanished again.

    -Bzzt! Bzzt!

    Two hours had passed in a blink, my phone vibrating insistently. Disappointment washed over me, but I needed to stop for tomorrow''s sake. Today''s lethargy and exhaustion were still fresh in my mind.

    I was about to save in a safe zone when Heeseong hyung stopped me.

    "Turning in? Tired?"

    "I should sleep. I pulled an all-nighter Friday and was wrecked all day yesterday."

    "It''s Sunday, who cares? Sleep in today too."

    His words tempted me like a devil''s whisper, but I couldn''t give in. Not when I remembered Heena and Sarang waiting for me to wake yesterday.

    "I can''t. I promised Heena lunch and shopping, plus I need to play with Sarang..."

    "Who said stay up all night? Playing till 4 AM is perfect. Sleep six hours, wake at 10, wash up, eat, and head out."

    "...But Heena will..."

    "You''re with Heena all day anyway. What''s wrong with sleeping in a bit on weekends? It''s just a couple hours less in the morning. Sarang''s half-asleep till 10 AM anyway."

    "Hmm..."

    "It''s fine, trust me. You''d wake around 7 or 8 if you sleep now, right? Not much difference between that and 10."

    Hyung''s sweet whispers began to sway me. I started thinking maybe it would be okay.

    Maybe I really could play till 4 AM. Like hyung said, was there really much difference between waking at 8 or 10?

    I don''t stay up this late on weekdays due to work, so perhaps I could live a little recklessly on weekends.

    Seeing my internal conflict render me speechless, Heeseong hyung picked up the console and held it out.

    "Come on, let''s play a bit more. It''s fun to watch after so long."

    "So you stopped hugging me and snuck out."

    "......"

    "And you pulled an all-nighter the day before yesterday."

    "That''s right..."

    "Even though I told you not to stay up late. For your health."

    What excuse could I make? Playing games wasn''t wrong, but sneaking out without telling Heena and staying up all night definitely were.

    "I''m sorry..."

    I had nothing else to say. Heena pointed at the console on the table, looking down at me.

    She seemed ready to smash it, but I believed she wouldn''t actually do that.

    "Honey. Remember this. From now on, one hour of gaming per day."

    "Okay..."

    "I won''t count our exercise games or Sarang''s cat game. But during sleeping hours, it''s absolutely one hour only."

    "Got it."

    I felt Heena''s kindness in not forbidding gaming entirely.

    But her declaration wasn''t just talk. She sat on the couch, snuggling close. Leaning in as if to kiss me, she continued.

    "And when you play, I''ll be with you. I''ll just cuddle, I won''t interfere."

    "Okay."

    "Good. Let''s go back to the room. Did you turn off the game?"

    "I saved, just need to put it away."

    "Then come quickly."

    Whatever she was thinking, Heena led me straight to the bedroom. Somewhat relieved the situation seemed resolved, I put the console by the TV and followed meekly.

    Back in our room, Heena lay down first and beckoned me over. Thinking we''d just sleep, I lay beside her, but Heena immediately straddled me.

    She showered me with aggressive kisses.

    -Chu! Chu!

    "Mmm... ngh, chu..."

    She grabbed my arms, placing them on her body. I guessed what Heena wanted, but wasn''t it risky with Sarang nearby?

    I wanted to stop her, but she didn''t give me a chance before pressing her lips to mine.

    After countless kisses, I finally managed to speak.

    "Mmph... H-Heena. Sarang''s sleeping right here..."

    "Mm-hmm. So be quiet and love me."

    "We can''t be quiet..."

    "I''ll hold back. Hurry~ Okay?"

    "Hah... Alright."

    I couldn''t refuse. And I had done wrong. So I caressed Heena''s entire body, engaging in intense foreplay.

    Her lips, neck, collarbone, and lower. Kissing and touching gently.

    "Haa, haah... Deeper..."

    Though I touched her, it felt more like Heena devoured me.

    After a long session of caressing Heena''s soft body, we took a short break. She looked at me with heated eyes and spoke.

    "Honey. Isn''t loving me much more fun than gaming?"

    "Of course."

    "Right? Then you can stay up all night loving me, like you did gaming, right?"

    "...Of course."

    "Good. We''ll test that today. Keep going, honey."

    "But isn''t staying up all night unhealthy?"

    "One day is fine. Or are you tired? You managed for gaming..."

    "No, no. I''ll do it."

    "Please~"

    As we talked, I realized. Sneaking out wasn''t the issue - staying up all night was the problem.

    If she hadn''t discovered my all-nighter, Heena probably wouldn''t have reacted so strongly. Did sacrificing sleep time with her for games provoke her jealousy?

    Heena''s declaration wasn''t just talk. We caressed each other until dawn broke.

    Afterward, we collapsed into sleep.

    "Daddy... Mommy..."

    "Mm... Sarang... Daddy''s getting up..."

    "Mommy too..."

    We barely slept three hours before Sarang''s whining roused us.

    With a body even more exhausted than yesterday, I learned deep in my bones never to pull all-nighters. Was this Heena''s plan all along?

    "...Heheh..."

    Judging by her tired face and escaping giggles, probably not.

    Hah.

    From now on, I''ll game in moderation, just a little at a time...