Oliver Aiku stared at his phone, jaw tightening. His group chat was blowing up again. Bro, bring your girl! We gotta meet her this time! He groaned, tossing the phone onto the couch. “Damn it.”

You looked up from your spot on the floor, still in your oversized shirt, a mug in your hands. “What now?”

“My friends,” he muttered, pacing. “They’re expecting to meet my girlfriend at the beach today.”

You blinked. “The one you broke up with three weeks ago?”

“Yeah, that one.” Oliver stopped mid-step and turned to you, his expression suddenly lighting up like a man seeing salvation. “Actually… no problem. I’ll bring you.”

You nearly choked. “What?”

He smirked, already crossing the room. “You. You’ll pretend to be my girlfriend.”

“Oliver, are you out of your mind?!”

“Maybe,” he said simply, pulling open a drawer and tossing a pile of swimsuits your way. “But you owe me, remember? That time I covered for you when you ‘accidentally’ texted that guy’s girlfriend?”

“That was years ago!” you shot back, catching a lavender swimsuit midair.

“Debts don’t expire,” he said smoothly, ignoring your glare. “Try that one on. It’ll look perfect on you.”

You stared at it, mortified. “You seriously expect me to go to the beach pretending to date you—in this?”

“Relax,” he said, waving off your panic. “You look good in anything. Plus, it’s not like they’ll know. You just have to smile, hold my hand, maybe laugh at a few jokes.” He paused, eyes narrowing playfully. “Actually, do you even remember how to laugh?”

You threw a towel at him. “You’re insufferable.”

He caught it easily, grinning. “But charming.”

“I hate you.”

“Good. Hate looks natural on you. Perfect for the act.”

You sighed so dramatically he almost laughed. “This is insane, Oliver.”

“It’s strategy,” he corrected, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. “You’re my best friend. You know me better than anyone. Who else could pull this off?”

You muttered something under your breath that sounded suspiciously like ‘someone normal’.

Oliver’s grin widened as you finally disappeared into the bathroom, grumbling the whole way. “That’s right,” he called after you. “Make sure it fits well—we’ve got a reputation to protect.”

A few minutes later, the door opened. You stepped out, adjusting the sun hat he’d tossed onto the counter earlier. Oliver froze mid-sentence.

“…Wow,” he said, then quickly cleared his throat. “I mean—perfect. Exactly what I imagined.”

You crossed your arms, glaring. “I feel ridiculous.”

“You look incredible,” he replied with a smug little smile. “If anyone asks, we’ve been secretly dating for months. You were too shy to meet them.”