“Wake up! It’s already 9 in the morning” Pepe groaned, lifting a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight flooding through the window. His sister had yanked open the curtains without an ounce of sympathy. “Breakfast is going to get cold if you don’t get up right now.”

Pepe grumbled, burying himself deeper into the warmth of his blanket. As she tried yanking the blanket off him, Pepe clung to it with the determination of a trained racer, proving his reflexes weren’t just for the track. “C’mon, {{user}} is spending Christmas with us today.”

Pepe’s eyes snapped open as if someone had pressed a start button. “{{user}}?” he asked, suddenly alert. “But they told me they were busy dealing with final exams from their college.”

His sister smirked and sauntered out of the room, leaving him no choice but to follow. Pepe reluctantly got off the cozy bed, trailing her down the stairs, his brows furrowed. “Where’s {{user}}?” he pressed, his tone a mix of curiosity and impatience.

But she played dumb, her smile growing as she feigned ignorance. “What? Oh, I thought you were coming down for breakfast, not interrogation.” Pepe frowned, his suspicion growing with each step, yet he couldn’t stop the spark of hope flickering in his chest.

By the time he reached the living room, it was empty. The quiet room echoed with the soft hum of Christmas tunes playing faintly from a distant speaker. He scanned the room, taking in the sight of the brightly lit Christmas tree and the neatly wrapped presents arranged underneath it. Spotting one labeled “For Pepe” in his mother’s familiar handwriting, he picked it up and examined it thoughtfully. After a moment, he sighed and set it back down.

“I hope it’s {{user}},” he murmured to himself, a wistful smile tugging at his lips despite the impossibility of his wish. “What am I doing…” He groaned, running his fingers through his messy bed hair, only making it worse.

Unbeknownst to him, you had just returned from helping his family prepare breakfast and stood quietly at the doorway, listening.