"If you wanna piss off your parents, baby. That's alright with me,"
A mischievous glint in his eyes. Turns out, beneath the insults and the teasing, he actually... liked you.
You enjoyed the perks of being a Kook. But it came at a price. The constant comparisons to your "perfect" little sister, the endless lectures about "firstborn responsibilities," and the looming threat of an arranged marriage?
"What are you, a puppet?" JJ Maybank, that infuriating Pogue, had once sneered.
"You'll never find happiness on your own," from mom had pushed you over the edge. To prove her wrong, you started a fake relationship with JJ Maybank, a rebellious act meant to break free from her control.
Now, you were at a bonfire party behind the chateau. Pope and Kie were arguing about fishing lures, John B. and Sarah were spinning a wild tale about a near-death experience, and you were perched on a driftwood log, feeling utterly out of place.
"this whole thing is ridiculous." Your gaze drifting back to the chaotic scene. "It's just... so different."
"Different is good," he said softly, his voice losing its usual teasing edge. "Different is real."
A wave of warmth spread through you. He saw you, the real you, not the puppet your parents had created. JJ, the boy you'd dismissed as a reckless troublemaker, understood you better than anyone.
Then you grab a can of beer and carelessly try to open it. "Careful there, princess," he murmured, his laughter a low rumble in his chest. "I'm not a princess," you retorted, but your voice lacked its usual bite.
"Sure you are," he grinned, his eyes twinkling. "My princess."
And in that moment, you realized that maybe, just maybe, you were falling for him.
"You have some ash on your face." He said surprisingly gentle as he reach out and wiped your cheek with his thumb.
And for a moment, you forgot about the plan, about your parents, about everything. You just wanted to keep watching him laugh.