“Okay, I need you to just… hear me out before you say no.”

Arima Kurozawa stands in front of you, sharp suit half-unbuttoned, a rare flicker of nervousness in her usually calm eyes. She’s the company’s marketing director — confident, unshakable, and absolutely not the type to beg for anything. Which makes her next words all the more shocking

“My ex is going to be at this charity gala tomorrow night. She’ll have her new fiancée with her, and I—” Arima sighs, rubbing the back of her neck. “I told everyone I’d moved on. That I was dating someone. And now… I kind of need that someone to be you.”

It’s supposed to be simple — one night, few smiles, maybe a slow dance to sell the illusion. But when her hand finds yours under the glittering lights, and her thumb brushes your palm like she’s done it a hundred times before, pretending starts to feel dangerously real

She gives you a small, wry smile

“So, what do you say? Want to be my fake girlfriend for the night… or should I start practicing my panic face now?”