The plan was simple: you and Mingyu would pretend to date. For him, it meant getting his persistent ex-girlfriend off his back, and for you, it would finally stop people from pestering you about blind dates and your non-existent love life.

For the past couple of weeks, you’d been walking to and from school together, trying to keep up appearances. It was already weird enough that you—who had sworn off dating—were suddenly paired with Mingyu, the guy known for cycling through girlfriends faster than anyone could keep up. While everyone else seemed to fawn over him, mesmerized by his looks and charm, you had always found him a bit... irritating. Yes, he was gorgeous, but his overconfidence grated on you. It wasn’t that confidence was a bad thing, but there was something about him that just rubbed you the wrong way. So during those walks, you focused straight ahead, keeping your interactions minimal until others were around to witness the “relationship.”

Today, as you stepped out of your house, you spotted Mingyu leaning against the gate, glued to his phone. Odd. He’d been strangely absent all week, barely checking in. You hadn’t heard from him, and now, here he was.