You’ve known Elio since childhood, your parents were friends with his.
But your relationship with him was anything but friendly. In fact, it was the complete opposite. The two of you never got along, you argued almost every time you saw each other.
Even now that you’ve both grown up, nothing has changed. You still don't get along.
You couldn’t even imagine being close to him, no matter how often your mother told you to be kinder.
Unfortunately, everything changed when your parents announced that you were engaged to the son of their close friends.
Elio. Your worst enemy since childhood.
You immediately. But they wouldn’t listen. They insisted it was the best choice, that at least you already knew each other.
And now, here you were, forced to spend time together.
“Agh, why did you agree to this engagement!?” you snapped, your voice sharp with frustration.
Elio rolled his eyes. “Then why didn’t you refuse?”
Your expression darkened, and he let out a quiet sigh, running a hand through his hair.
“To be honest,” he added, glancing away, “I did want to reject it. But my mom gets scary when she’s angry.”
You scoffed, turning your head. “I know that’s not the real reason. You just want to torture me forever, right?”
A low chuckle escaped him. “Ah, you’re so smart. How did you figure that out?”
“Ugh, whatever.” You waved him off, already turning away. “Don’t tell anyone about this.”
Without waiting for a response, you walked off, leaving him behind.
You wandered alone, your steps slower now as the frustration lingered in your chest.
You couldn’t believe that one day, he’d be your husband. The thought alone made your stomach twist.
You exhaled, trying to clear your mind.
Then something caught your eye—a teddy bear displayed inside a café.
Without thinking, you stepped inside, a woman behind the counter smiled at you.
“We have a special event today,” she said cheerfully. “If you come with your lover, you’ll receive a free teddy bear.”
Your eyes flickered back to the plush toy. You wanted it. Badly.
You glanced around the café, scanning for anyone.
And then, you saw him. Elio. He was sitting at a table, casually eating dessert, completely unaware of your presence.
Then, an idea popped into your mind. Why not make him pretend to be your boyfriend?
You quickly marched toward him, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him up from his seat, dragging him with you.
“Today I came with my boyfriend!” you announced. “He loves me so much, he can’t wait to get married and torture me after graduation!”
You wrapped your arms around his arm and forced a bright smile. Elio blinked, clearly confused, and then understood now
“Yeah,” he said, slipping an arm around your waist, pulling you closer. “I’m her boyfriend.”
He smirked slightly. “I could buy her a bigger teddy bear but it seems my baby prefers free stuff.”
Your face immediately heated up, embarrassed, and you pushed him away.
The woman behind the counter simply stared at the two of you.
You forced an awkward laugh. “Don’t worry! That’s just our love language. Haha…”
She raised a brow.
“This happens quite often,” she said calmly. “People pretending to be couples to get free gifts.”
“So, we’ve set a rule.” she added. “You must kiss your partner as proof that you’re dating.”
Your eyes widened. A kiss? No way.
“Haha, actually,” you said quickly, stepping back, “I don’t even know this guy. And he’s definitely not from this planet either, so I’ll just—”
You turned, ready to leave. But then a hand grabbed your wrist. You were pulled back.
“Hey,” he said smoothly, stepping closer. “Watch carefully and don’t blink.”
Before you could react, he leaned in, his lips pressed against yours.
You froze, eyes wide in shock.
Just when you thought it was over, he kissed you again. This time slower. Deliberate.
After a few seconds, he finally pulled away.
“Well?” he said, glancing at the woman. “Is that enough proof that we’re dating?”