summary: To keep their annoying classmates at bay, Changbin and YN decide to make a fake dating deal. But as time goes by, more and more real feelings are mixed in with the fake ones.
words: 4.7k
genre: fluff, highschool au
The cafeteria buzzed with its usual cacophony a symphony of voices interwoven with the clatter of trays and the occasional shout thrown across the room. Yn sat in her customary place, positioned on the fringes of the commotion. Her friends, enrolled in higher classes, had their lunch break later, leaving her to dine alone, often lost in the embrace of a book.
Today was no different. Or rather, it should have been. Yet, something else tugged at her attention. Instead of vanishing into the pages before her, she found herself staring absently at her plate, willing herself to ignore the jeers from the next table.
"Hey, Yn! Still single? Have you even tried, or does no one want you?" Laughter followed, sharp and grating. Heat crept up her neck, but she did not respond. She was used to this. It was routine. All she had to do was feign indifference, pretend she hadn’t even heard.
"Maybe she’s waiting for ‘the right one,’" someone sneered.
"Can’t you mind your own business for once?" The voice cut through the laughter like a blade, its edge unmistakably sharp. Yn blinked, startled. Changbin. He was seated a few tables away with his popular circle of friends, yet now he had turned toward them, brows drawn together in quiet disapproval. His usual playful smirk was nowhere to be found.
"What’s it to you, bro?"
"Nothing at all. But if you’re going to be loud enough for half the school to hear, then surely I’m allowed to comment as well." Silence fell over the group, and with a satisfied shrug, Changbin returned to his meal as if nothing had happened.
Yn, however, found her pulse inexplicably unsteady. She hated being rescued. Or maybe it was the mere fact that he had interfered at all. She exhaled sharply, reaching for her water bottle, only to struggle against the stubbornly sealed lid. The frustration mounted, her grip tightening, until she was a mere breath away from flinging the bottle across the room when suddenly, a presence settled beside her. Just like that.
"Hey." Changbin’s voice was warm, accompanied by an easy smile. Yn blinked, confusion flickering across her face.
"Uh… hi?" Without another word, he took the bottle from her grasp and twisted the cap open with effortless ease before sliding it back toward her. Yn could only stare, utterly dumbfounded.
"You’re going to think I’m completely crazy, but hear me out," he said, grinning now.
"And before you say no, just listen." He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping into something almost conspiratorial.
"I have a problem. You have a problem. And I think we might just be able to help each other." Yn raised a skeptical brow. His grin widened.
"My friends have been trying to set me up with random girls for weeks. Last time, they nearly sent me on a blind date with Hyunjin’s cousin and she’s twelve." A startled laugh escaped her before she could suppress it.
"Sounds… interesting."
"Oh, you have no idea." He shook his head with exaggerated dismay.
"And I hear you’ve got a bit of a… situation yourself." Yn’s amusement faded, her gaze narrowing.
"Nothing serious. Just the usual high school nonsense," she said carefully. Changbin lifted his hands in mock surrender.
"I get it. But let’s be real" he inclined his head toward the table of jeering voices "they won’t stop unless they’re given a reason to." She exhaled, her stomach knotting.
"So, what are you suggesting?"
"Fake dating." Silence.
"What?!"
"You and me. The power couple of the season." He gestured grandly, as if crafting a headline.
"If we pretend to be together, my friends will quit setting me up. And for you? Well… those idiots over there won’t have anything left to say." Yn regarded him as though he had lost his mind. Changbin, however, lounged back in his chair, utterly unbothered, as if he had all the time in the world.
"And what if it all falls apart?" she asked at last, wary.
"Then it falls apart." He shrugged.
"Really, what do we have to lose?" A thousand reasons to say no ran through her mind. But instead, she lifted her chin, willing herself to appear composed.
"Alright." His eyes gleamed as he extended his hand.
"Deal?" Yn hesitated only for a breath before clasping his hand in hers.
"Deal."
~☆~
Monday morning arrived, and Yn was resolute this so-called relationship was to be kept as uneventful as possible. A few well-placed appearances together, some occasional hand-holding, nothing too conspicuous. Simple. Unremarkable.
But then came Changbin. The school doors swung open, and there he stood backpack slung effortlessly over one shoulder, that everpresent, mischievous grin playing on his lips, as if he found the entire world amusing. And to Yn’s absolute horror, his gaze locked onto hers, and he strode forward with unmistakable purpose.
"Good morning, Bunny!" His voice rang out, far too loud, echoing across the corridor like an announcement. Yn nearly choked on her to-go coffee. Before she could react, Changbin had already closed the distance, draping an arm around her shoulders as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Did you sleep well? I missed you sooo much." His words carried through the hallway, ensuring that no one missed them. Yn felt the weight of a dozen curious stares land on her like a tidal wave. Heat rose to her cheeks.
"Changbin!" she hissed under her breath, but he only leaned in, as if whispering a secret.
"First relationship gig. We have to make it convincing."
"That wasn’t the plan!" Too late.
"You and Changbin?! Since when…?" Yn barely had time to register her best friend, Chaeryeong, materializing beside them, eyes wide with astonishment.
"I thought you two were just…?"
"Well, surprise!" Changbin announced, flashing a dazzling grin. Chaeryeong’s mouth hung open.
"We wanted to take it slow," he added, "but we couldn’t keep it a secret anymore." Yn wished, prayed, for the earth to swallow her whole. But then Changbin looked at her, and in his eyes, she caught the tiniest flicker of something an unspoken question. Do you trust me? So she swallowed her pride, forced a smile, and nodded.
"Yes. Surprise." Her laugh was anything but natural. Chaeryeong still looked like she had just witnessed a miracle or a catastrophe.
"Yn! Oh my god! How? And more importantly, why didn’t you tell me you were dating such an idiot?" She placed her hands on her hips, looking as if she were personally offended by this turn of events. Changbin gasped in mock outrage.
"Excuse you, but I wooed her for months," he declared dramatically.
"Love letters, roses… I even wrote poetry. Very sentimental. She’s into that, you know." Yn smacked his chest lightly.
"In your dreams." Chaeryeong let out a high-pitched squeal.
"Yn-ie, I’m so happy for you!" Changbin shot Yn a wink, and despite herself, a small smile slipped onto her lips.
The moment the crowd had dispersed, Yn grabbed Changbin by the sleeve and yanked him into a quiet corner.
"Are you insane? What the hell was that all about?"
"Marketing, Bunny." He smirked, utterly unrepentant. "If we’re going to do this, we might as well do it properly. Now everyone believes us." He folded his arms, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
"Be glad I didn’t show up in my 'I ♡ My GF' t-shirt." Yn exhaled sharply, pressing her fingers to her temple.
"Changbin…" But his expression shifted just slightly. A rare moment of sincerity flickered in his eyes.
"Hey," he said softly, "I know that was… a lot. But now they’ll stop bugging you. So… mission accomplished, right?" She sighed, relenting.
"I hate that you’re right." His grin returned in full force.
"You’ll get used to it." And as much as she fought it, she couldn’t shake the creeping suspicion that her fake boyfriend was beginning to feel a little too real.
~☆~
Yn stood outside the café, shifting nervously on her toes, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. She still wasn’t sure how she had ended up here a date with Changbin. Well, a fake date. But still.
"I must be out of my mind." She mutered under her breath.
"Nice of you to finally admit it." She winced and spun around. There he was grinning, warm and effortlessly self-assured. And, as always, dressed in black. Yn wondered if it was a fashion statement or just a habit. Either way, it suited him unfairly well.
"You’re late." She crossed her arms, more to keep from fidgeting than to scold him.
"Sorry, got caught up at the studio with Chan and Ji. But don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you, Bunny."
"Stop calling me Bunny."
"Uh-uh." He shook his head in mock disobedience, and before she could argue further, he took her hand and pulled her inside. That’s when it hit her that strange, crawling sensation of being watched. Yn’s stomach twisted. She could feel the eyes on them, hear the hushed whispers of classmates scattered throughout the café. Of course, they had chosen the one place where half their school tended to gather. Because why make this easy? Changbin, naturally, was unfazed. If anything, he seemed to revel in it.
"Our audience is here." Yn merely rolled her eyes, though she envied the ease with which he handled attention. But that was the whole point of tonight, wasn’t it? To make their "relationship" believable.
They settled into a corner table, ordering drinks, and before Yn knew it, she was caught up in the way Changbin talked about everything and nothing all at once. His words had a way of turning the mundane into something fascinating. The theory that his friend Jisung might secretly be an alien. That Minho was, in all likelihood, a cat trapped in a human body. Yn found herself laughing, her initial nervousness melting away.
"I don’t get how you manage to be so… funny all the time."
"Well, that’s just my natural charm." He flicked his wrist dramatically. But then, just as suddenly as he had been joking, he fell quiet. The light in his eyes dimmed, the ever-present humor slipping for just a second. And in its place, Yn saw something else. Something real.
"You know… it’s easier to make jokes than to show people when you’re not feeling okay." The words lingered in the air between them. Yn hesitated, unsure how to respond. So instead, she reached across the table and placed her hand over his.
"If you want, you can just be yourself with me." Changbin looked at her, and for the briefest of moments, everything about this about them didn’t feel fake at all. But then the waiter arrived, and just like that, the moment was gone. They stayed at the café for hours, talking until the sky outside deepened into twilight.
When it was finally time to leave, Changbin called for the bill and insisted on paying, waving off her protests with an easy grin. As they stepped outside, the evening air wrapped around them, crisp and cool. Yn shivered.
"So," she said, shifting from foot to foot, "I guess our first fake date was… a success?" Changbin smirked.
"I’d do it again."
"Dream on." He laughed at that, the sound rich and unbothered. And then, without warning, he took her hand, lifted it to his lips, and blew a soft kiss against her knuckles.
"Good night, Bunny." Yn stood frozen, her heart slamming against her ribs as she watched him walk away, his hands tucked into his pockets like he hadn’t just left her questioning everything. And she wondered if she wasn’t treading into dangerous territory.
~☆~
The weeks slipped through Yn’s fingers faster than she had expected, her fake boyfriend arrangement with Changbin taking up far more space in her life than she ever could have imagined. He was everywhere. Always there. Like now.
"Why are you sitting here?" Yn shot him a skeptical glance as he slid into the empty seat beside her in the middle of English class, completely unfazed. Changbin only grinned, tilting his chair back as if he owned the place.
"Because I missed my Bunny." He winked and Yn sighed, exasperated.
"Changbin..."
"What? I have to make this convincing." He shrugged, all innocence. But his eyes sparkled he knew exactly what he was doing. The teacher began the lesson, but Yn could barely concentrate. Not when she was hyper-aware of him the warmth of his presence, the way his arm brushed hers just barely, sending tiny, treacherous sparks up her skin. Then, as if he hadn’t already invaded enough of her space, he leaned in, his breath warm against her ear.
"What do you say we go to the movies on Friday? Like, another official date." Yn blinked.
"Official fake date, you mean."
"Sure. Fake." His smirk was far too smug.
After class, she was stuffing her books into her locker when something warm brushed against the back of her head - a kiss. Her breath caught in her chest.
"Hey, Bunny." Changbin’s arms wrapped around her, casual and easy, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Yn prayed he didn’t feel how wildly her heart was pounding.
"So… Friday. The movies?"
"I haven’t said yes yet."
"But you want to." He grinned against her hair.
"Admit it. If you'd rather, we could go to the gym instead. Power couple aesthetics." That was a terrible idea. Considering the only thing she ever lifted was her overloaded school backpack, she doubted she could survive a Changbin-style workout. But before she could answer, Chaeryeong’s voice interrupted.
"Oh my god. A movie date? That would actually be cute… if you weren’t going with such a loser, Yn." Changbin gasped in mock offense, clutching his chest. Yn forced a bright smile, trying to keep up the illusion of their totally real romance, which was beginning to feel less and less fake by the second.
"Yup! Totally looking forward to it." Chaeryeong squealed, linking her arm through Yn’s and dragging her away.
"You guys are so cute, it’s disgusting." Behind her, Changbin only waved, a knowing grin on his lips.
~☆~
Yn stood outside the cinema, arms crossed against the cool night air, shifting impatiently on her feet. Of course Changbin was late. She huffed, glancing at her phone. Typical.
"Thought you were going to ditch me."
"No way." His voice came from behind her, smooth and easy, and when she turned, there he was grinning, hands stuffed into his pockets, looking unfairly good.
"I got all dressed up for this." Yn raised an unimpressed eyebrow.
"You’re wearing a denim jacket."
"At least it’s not all black." He shrugged, the corner of his mouth tugging up in amusement. And, annoyingly, he was right. The outfit did suit him.
They found seats in the last row of the theater, and slowly, Yn’s nerves settled until Changbin’s hand found hers. Her fingers tensed.
"What…?" she whispered.
"Seungmin’s in the front." Changbin’s voice was quiet, warm with barely concealed laughter.
"He doesn’t believe us yet. Says I could never fool someone intelligent like you enough to become my partner." Yn glanced toward the front, spotting Seungmin, who was definitely side-eyeing them.
"Just because his girlfriend is top of her class and has some super amazing scholarship, he thinks she’s special." Changbin chuckled. Yn exhaled through her nose, turning back to the screen, trying and failing to focus on the movie. Because Changbin's thumb had started brushing against the back of her hand. A slow, absentminded stroke. And every time, her heart stuttered. That strange, unfamiliar pull tightened in her stomach, and she couldn’t decide if she wanted it to stop or if she secretly liked it.
At some point, he wordlessly passed her his popcorn to share it with her, despite the fact that she had once overheard his friends say that Changbin would rather die than give up his holy food. The thought made her chest feel strangely warm.
When the movie ended, they walked outside in silence, the cool air crisp against Yn’s skin. After a moment, Changbin mumbled,
"Hey... thanks for doing this with me. This whole thing..." His voice was quieter now. More sincere. Yn looked at him, and there it was that rare moment where all the cocky humor slipped away. Where there was no class clown, no over-the-top theatrics. Just him. And suddenly, before she could even think about it, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.
"Goodnight, Bin." Then she turned and walked away, heart racing, thoughts tangled. And long after she had disappeared into the night, Changbin remained where he stood, fingers brushing the place where she had kissed him, smiling softly.
~☆~
Monday morning. The school was as loud and chaotic as ever, but for Yn, everything felt… different. Ever since Friday, the movie, the kiss, this whole fake thing had become fare more complicated. And when she saw Changbin in the hallway, laughing with his friends, that unwelcome truth only settled deeper in her chest. Her heart beat faster. Her palms grew clammy. Not good. Not good at all.
"Hey, Yn-ie!" She flinched as Changbin spotted her, striding over without hesitation. His smile was as bright as ever, but that glimmer in his eyes, that teasing, knowing spark had been haunting her since the moment she left him standing outside the theater.
"Good morning, Bunny."
"Changbin..." she warned, but he barely seemed to notice.
"I brought you something." She blinked as he pulled a small package from his jacket pocket and held it out to her.
"What… is this?"
"Look yourself." Carefully, she unwrapped it. Inside were her favorite chocolat and a few other small things she liked. For a moment, she just stared. He had remembered. She didn’t know what unsettled her more the fact that he knew her preferences or the unfamiliar warmth unfurling in her chest.
"Why…?"
"Because I’m an amazing fake boyfriend." He winked. "And because you deserve it." Yn opened her mouth but found no words. The sincerity in his voice, the casual ease of his affection it was too much. So she did the only thing she could. She deflected.
"You’re really getting carried away with this whole boyfriend thing, don’t you think?" Her laugh was light, too light.
"Oh, don’t worry. I haven’t even really started yet." Before she could answer, Chaeryeong suddenly appeared beside them.
"Hey, you two! Have you heard about the party on Friday? You’re coming together, right?"
"Actually, I—"
"Of course we’re coming." Changbin cut in smoothly, grinning. Yn turned to him in horror. Traitor!
"Oh, come on." He draped an arm around her shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"A little dancing, a little fun… plus, I have to go anyway. Ji’s performing some of his songs, and I promised him I’d be there."
"I love Jisung’s rap!" Chaeryeong gushed, already bouncing away probably in search of Jisung himself to shower him with compliments. Yn exhaled sharply.
"You’re driving me insane, Bin." Changbin’s grin, if possible, only widened.
"And yet… you’re still here." His voice had softened just slightly, and there it was again that strange, unwelcome pull, curling in her stomach, making her thoughts go fuzzy. She really needed to see a doctor. Maybe she had some sort of digestive issue.
"Friday will be great, Bunny." And then he was gone, leaving her alone in the hallway, clutching a bar of chocolate and an absolute mess in her head.
~☆~
The music, the crowd, the pounding bass, Yn wasn’t sure why she had let Changbin drag her into this chaos. At least her dress was nice. He had insisted on buying it for her, and despite her protests, he had already removed the price tag before handing it to her. Which meant she couldn’t even feel guilty about accepting it. And, well… he had good taste. She wondered not for the first time how he would treat his real girlfriend if this was how he treated his fake one.
"There you are!" Changbin’s voice cut through the noise, his grin as bright as ever as he appeared from the crowd.
"Ready to maintain our perfect couple image?" Before she could protest, he grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. And then… it was just music. And him. He spun her around, laughed, pulled her closer. His hands firm on her waist, her arms looping around his neck. The warmth of him. The way he moved, effortless, like he was made for music. It felt real. Way too real.
"You're not so bad at dancing," he murmured, voice just barely brushing her ear.
"Neither are you," she admitted, throat dry. And then she looked at him. Really looked at him. And suddenly there was nothing fake about it at all. As his gaze dropped to her lips her breath hitched.
"Yn…" But before he could say anything else, a voice interrupted.
"Changbin! I thought you were still single? Wasn't this whole relationship just an act or something?" Yn turned, heart dropping. A girl stood there tall, gorgeous, with an air of casual confidence. Yuna, she realized. A friend of Chaeryeong’s. Something hot and sharp curled in Yn’s stomach at the way Yuna looked at Changbin, like she was weighing her options.
"Nah, this is very real, Yuna. Yn is my girlfriend." Changbin’s arm tightened around her. But Yuna didn’t let it go.
"That’s funny. Cause I definitely heard people talk about your relationship being fake." Silence. Yn’s pulse pounded. Not just from fear of being caught. But from something much worse. Fear of losing him. She glanced at Changbin. The usual grin was gone, and that scared her more than anything.
"Who said that?" His voice was calm. Too calm.
"Well, rumors spread fast." Yuna shrugged.
"And some say Yn’s just pretending to be your girlfriend because no one else wants her." Yn’s face burned. Shame. Anger. Hurt. She wanted to run. But Changbin didn’t let go.
"Do you know how I feel about rumors?" His voice was quiet making the situation feel even more dangerous. Even Yuna hesitated.
"Nothing. at. all." he emphasized every word and before anyone could react he leaned in and kissed yn. Soft and certain. One hand cradling her cheek, the other pulling her closer. And everything- everything felt too real. No pretense. No performance. Just them. When he pulled back, his gaze never left hers.
"Well...does that look fake?" he murmured. Yuna scoffed, disappearing into the crowd. But Yn barely noticed. Her heart was too loud. Her mind is an absolute measurement.
"Bin..." Her voice barely worked.
"I know." His voice was rough, forehead resting against hers. "I'm sorry." For what, she didn't know. But what she knew was that this wasn’t fake anymore. Not at all.
~☆~
Yn had barely slept since the party. Her first kiss, this utterly unexpected, dangerously real kiss haunted her thoughts without respite. She could no longer convince herself that it had all been pretend. Not after what she had felt in that moment. And now, she had no idea what he felt for her. But why would he want more from her?
Monday morning found her standing nervously before her locker, her mind a mess. She had barely seen Changbin since Friday night and, truthfully, she had been avoiding him on purpose.
"Hey." And there he was. She froze as his voice, quiet and unusually hesitant, reached her ears. Slowly, she turned, meeting his gaze. He was smiling, but it wasn’t the usual confident, easy grin she knew so well. It was tentative, uncertain, as if he wasn’t sure how to proceed.
"Hi." A heavy silence settled between them, unfamiliar and uncomfortable. It had never been quiet between them before not with Changbin, who always walked beside her, talking endlessly about anything and everything. But now, he had nothing to say. Or maybe he simply didn’t know how to say it to her.
"About Friday..." Changbin ran a hand through his curls an unmistakable sign of his unease.
"I just… I just wanted to make sure you're okay."
"I'm fine." A lie. And she knew he could see right through it.
"Yn..." His voice softened, and she knew what was coming. He was going to talk about the kiss. And she couldn't at least not yet.
"We shouldn't overthink this, right?" She tried to sound casual, but there was a slight tremor in her voice. "I mean... it was just part of the act. So they’d believe it." For a moment, he looked as if he wanted to argue, as if she had just knocked the wind out of him. But then, slowly, he nodded.
"Right. Just an act." His smile vanished, and a sharp pain bloomed in Yn’s chest one she didn’t quite understand. Maybe she should have her heart checked when she next visited the doctor. Because every time she saw him in the hallway, laughing with his friends, that same dull ache returned.
She knew then, with frightening clarity, that she didn’t just want this fake relationship. But at the same time, she knew false hope would only wound her more deeply in the end. After all, why would Changbin feel anything beyond what their arrangement required? That was all they were a convenient partnership.
Yn sat at the lunch table with Chaeryeong and a few of their mutual friends, trying to stay engaged in the conversation. But her gaze kept straying to Changbin. He was sitting with his friends, laughing, throwing playful jabs at them just like always. And yet, why did she wish she were sitting beside him? Laughing with him? Wrapped in the warmth of his strong arm?
"So… how are things with Changbin?" Ryujin asked suddenly, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"You two are basically the school’s dream couple now," Lia added with a grin.
"It’s… fine," Yn replied.
"Girl! Give us the tea!" Ryujin complained but Chaeryeong rescued her by getting sentimental.
"God, Yn, you’ve changed so much. I mean, you smile so much more now. You seem… happier." Yn swallowed. She knew she needed answers. Clarity. And there was only one way to get it.
~☆~
Yn’s heart pounded as she walked toward Changbin. The cafeteria was loud with laughter and conversation, but it all blurred into background noise. She only saw him. Changbin was in his usual spot, joking with Jisung, Chan and his other friends, his laughter infectious.
But as if sensing her, he looked up. His smile faltered for just a second before he covered it up with that easygoing grin.
"Hey, Bunny." The nickname sent a familiar warmth through her, but she ignored it. She needed answers.
"Can we talk?" His friends exchanged knowing looks, but he just nodded, pushing back his chair.
"Yeah. Let’s go." They ended up outside, where it was quieter. The late autumn air bit at her skin, but it wasn’t the cold making her shiver. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, at the same time
"Changbin-"
"Yn-" They both let out short, nervous laughs. But the tension was thick between them. Yn exhaled. Just say it.
"Look, I just… I need to know where we stand." Changbin shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, his jaw clenching.
"You tell me," he said.
"Because Friday night? That didn’t feel fake to me." Yn’s breath hitched.
"But that’s what this is, right?" she whispered. "That’s all it was supposed to be." He let out a humorless chuckle, shaking his head.
"Yeah, well. Plans change." His eyes met hers, something raw and vulnerable there. "At least, they did for me." Yn’s heart stopped.
"What… what are you saying?"
"I’m saying that maybe I don’t want to pretend anymore." The world seemed to tilt. Changbin stepped closer, voice softer now. "You asked why I do all this, why I remember your favorite chocolate, why I buy you dresses, why I call you Bunny like it’s second nature." He hesitated. "It’s because somewhere along the way, I stopped pretending." Yn felt like she couldn’t breathe.
"Bin…" He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"But if this is just a deal to you, if that kiss meant nothing, then… tell me now. Because I don’t think I can go back to just being fake with you." Silence stretched between them. Her mind was screaming at her to be honest. To say what she felt. But fear was a heavy thing. She looked at him the boy who had somehow become everything to her. And then she did the only thing she could to express her feelings. She kissed him.
But neither of them dared to exhale just yet. Because even now, with their feelings laid bare, they weren’t ready to put a name to whatever this was.
~☆~
Yn stood before the door of the small studio that Changbin shared with Jisung and Chan. It was their sanctuary, the place where they created music together not just as a hobby, but as their passion. A dream they hoped would one day turn into a career. She knew how much this space meant to them. And she hoped, more than anything, that she would find Changbin here. Preferably alone.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside. And there he was. Seated at his computer, lost in a melody so gentle it seemed to weave through the air itself.
"Can I come in?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. Changbin looked up, surprised. But then, with a small shrug, he said,
"Yeah. Make yourself at home." She settled onto the small sofa in the back of the room, drawing her knees to her chest. For a while, silence stretched between them, broken only by the music. Carefully as though even the slightest movement might shatter the fragile peace she closed her eyes and let the soft notes seep into her heart.
Until he pressed the stop button. The sudden quiet felt heavier than the music had. Changbin spun around in his chair, facing her.
"Yn… I know we said this was just pretend. Or that we don’t whant to label our relationship but..." He hesitated, searching for the right words. "I don’t know what’s real and what’s not anymore." Her heartbeat quickened.
"Bin..."
"I like you. And not just as part of this deal." His voice was quiet, yet each word struck her with the force of a storm. "to me, it feels real yn and i don’twanttolose you." Yn didn’t know what to say. But she knew the only right thing to do was to speak from her heart.
"It feels real to me too." His smile was careful, filled with fragile hope. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The weight of their words, of their shared confession, hung in the air between them like something fragile and precious. Then, slowly, Changbin stood up. He crossed the small space between them, hesitating only for a breath before lowering himself onto the couch beside her.
"Then let’s stop pretending," he murmured. Yn’s heart pounded.
"What do you mean?" He exhaled, running a hand through his hair.
"I mean… I don’t want this to be just an act anymore. I don’t want to go back to whatever we were before. I want this, us to be real. A real girlfriend. A real boyfriend." She searched his face, looking for any trace of doubt, but there was none. Only sincerity. Only him.
"Are you sure?" she whispered. Changbin let out a soft laugh, shaking his head.
"I’ve never been more sure of anything." A smile tugged at her lips. And then, before she could second-guess herself, she reached for his hand, lacing her fingers with his. His grip tightened, warm and steady.
"So… does this mean you’re my real real boyfriend now?" she teased, her voice light, but her heart full. A smirk played at the corner of his lips, the confidence she knew so well flickering back into place.
"I mean, yeah unless you want to keep calling me your ‘fake’ boyfriend." She laughed, shaking her head.
"No. No more fake. Let’sbe honest from now on."
"Good." And then, with no more hesitation, Changbin cupped her cheek and kissed her. This time, it wasn’t for show. This time, it was real and she felt it.