The sisters had been buzzing with excitement all week. Their parents had finally agreed to let them invite a few school friends over for a sleepover.
Mika, of course, was the loudest.
"This is it! The ultimate bonding event! Pillows, snacks, and chaos all night long!"
"Or," Sayo corrected, holding a checklist, "we could have a structured evening with games, snacks, and then sleep."
"Boooooring," Mika groaned.
Nari tossed a pile of blankets onto the floor. "As long as nobody hogs the chips, I don't care."
Yua peeked out from behind her pillow, tail flicking nervously. "…What if… they don't like us?"
Her sisters looked at her, then Mika grinned and patted her head. "Don't worry, Yua. Everyone loves snacks. Snacks are the bridge of friendship."
---
The Arrival
The doorbell rang. Their friends had arrived—two classmates from Mika's homeroom, one quiet bookworm Sayo had befriended in the library, and a pair of cheerful girls who liked Nari because she looked "cool."
"Welcome to our den of fluff and fun!" Mika announced dramatically, throwing confetti (which was actually just shredded notebook paper).
Everyone laughed, and the tension melted away. Soon the living room was a mountain of pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals.
---
Snack Attack
The dining table groaned under the weight of chips, cookies, popcorn, and sodas.
"Snack raid begins now!" Mika shouted, stuffing chips into her mouth so fast her cheeks puffed like a hamster.
Nari grabbed the soda before anyone else could. "Mine."
"You're not drinking all of that," Sayo warned, pulling it out of her hands.
Meanwhile, Yua quietly passed cookies to their guests with a shy smile. One of the girls whispered, "She's so sweet," which made Yua's ears turn red.
---
Scary Stories
When the lights dimmed, they gathered in a circle with flashlights.
Mika went first. "Legend has it… if you eat too many fries at KFC, the ghost of a chicken comes to haunt you!"
Groans and laughter filled the room.
"That's not scary," Nari said, rolling her eyes. "Here's a real one…" She leaned in, voice low. "There was a girl who went to sleep one night, but when she woke up—she wasn't in her room. She was in… someone else's bed."
The room went silent. Even Mika shivered.
Then the bookworm friend added, "Actually, that's a common urban legend. It originated in—"
"Don't ruin the mood!" Mika cried.
Yua surprised everyone by whispering, "I… heard something too. They say if you look into a mirror at midnight, you might not see your reflection."
Her soft voice and serious eyes made the room fall silent. Goosebumps prickled everyone's arms.
"…Yua wins," Mika muttered, hugging her pillow.
---
Pillow War
Of course, it didn't stay scary for long. Mika whacked Nari with a pillow.
"HEY!" Nari snapped, swinging back.
Soon everyone joined in—the quiet bookworm turned out to be the fiercest fighter, while Yua squealed as she got buried under cushions.
Their parents peeked in at the chaos, chuckling before turning off the hallway light.
---
Falling Asleep
By midnight, the battlefield of pillows turned into a cozy nest. The girls lay in a pile, tails and hair tangled, snacks half-eaten on the table.
Mika mumbled sleepily, "Best… night… ever…"
Nari yawned. "…Until someone snores."
Sayo's eyes were already closed, her notebook clutched to her chest.
And Yua, curled up in the middle, whispered softly, "…I'm glad they liked us."
The room grew quiet, only the sound of soft breathing and the ticking clock filling the night.
It had been their first sleepover—but definitely not the last.