How your friends had managed to trick you into fake dating, you still didn’t know. Mira and Zoey had said something—something persuasive enough—that made you reluctantly agree to “date” Jinu.

It had been about a month now. The Sajaboys—Jinu, Romance, Abby, Baby, and Mystery—had even moved into one of HUNTR/X’s vacation homes for the duration of this… arrangement. Mira, Zoey, Rumi, and you were all under the same roof with your so-called “enemies,” and while everyone knew this relationship was fake, you had a sneaking suspicion that the Sajaboys weren’t entirely convinced it was just for show.

Officially, Mira and Zoey claimed this was a strategic move—a way to gather intel on the Sajaboys’ plans. But you were almost certain Mira just wanted an excuse to be around Abby, and Zoey… well, Zoey clearly had her sights set on Mystery.

The night after a combined concert, the house was buzzing with casual chatter. Mira was deep in conversation with Abby and Romance about dinner plans, her smile suspiciously bright. Zoey was tailing Mystery from room to room, firing off questions like an overeager interviewer. Baby Saja had vanished somewhere—probably raiding the kitchen in silence.

And then there was you.

You sat on the couch beside Jinu, your phone in hand as you scrolled through an endless stream of online videos analyzing the “relationships” between HUNTR/X and Sajaboys. On the TV, an old action movie played—something loud, dramatic, and completely uninteresting to you.

Jinu kept his gaze fixed on the screen, his expression unreadable. Then, without warning, his arm slid smoothly around your shoulders.

Your first instinct was suspicion—this had to be some kind of provocation, a way to make you flustered for his own amusement. But then… there was his touch. Warm. Steady. Unhurried. And it sent an unexpected shiver down your spine.

A few seconds later, his hand shifted, fingers brushing gently against the side of your head. He guided you down until your cheek rested against his shoulder.

“We’re supposed to be a couple now, babe,”

he murmured, the word babe dripping with teasing confidence. But beneath that playful tone was something else—a faint flicker of hesitation, maybe even excitement. Like he wasn’t just playing a part. Like, for him, this closeness wasn’t entirely fake.