CHAPTER 74: CHAPTER 74

~Hana~

I was pacing my apartment in circles, phone burning a hole in my hand, wine sloshing in the glass I kept forgetting to drink. The clock said 11:34 p.m. and tomorrow was already clawing at my throat. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t walk into that restaurant alone, sit across from Woo Min looking like the girl he threw away, while everyone else had their little pairs or their smug faces or whatever. No. Fuck that.

I opened the hidden folder, thumb hovering over the clip. Seven seconds of Junho’s stupid perfect jawline and his even stupider laugh while the van rocked. I hit share, cropped it to the juiciest four seconds, attached it to a new message, and typed his number from memory.

Sent.

Then I immediately typed again before he could even open it.

me:

before you freak out yes that’s the video you took

yes i still have it

yes i’m about to ruin your night

meet me at the 24-hour café by hongdae station in 20 minutes

we need to talk face to face or this goes to dispatch right now

bring your pretty face and your survival instinct

xoxo the girl you came for in twelve seconds.

I didn’t wait for an answer. I threw on an oversized hoodie, yanked my hair into a messy bun, grabbed my bag, and was out the door while the message still said "delivered."

Twenty-three minutes later I pushed open the café door and there he was, sitting in the back corner looking like a kicked puppy who still somehow cost two billion won. Black mask pulled under his chin, hoodie up, glaring at me the second I walked in.

"You’re insane," he said before I even sat down.

"Hi to you too." I slid into the booth across from him and stole his iced americano without asking. "Thanks for coming."

"You sent me a clip of my own dick at 11:40 p.m. with a bomb emoji. Pretty sure that’s kidnapping."

I shrugged, took a long sip. "Technically it’s leverage."

He leaned forward, elbows on the table, voice low. "What do you want, Hana? Money? Features? You want me to shout you out on Bubble? Just say it. You pervert, why do you even have my dick picture? Do you do this with everyone you hook up with? You suck for real. "

"I want a boyfriend for one night."

He blinked. Twice. "Come again?"

"Tomorrow. Dinner. Six p.m. You’re gonna walk in with me, arm around me, call me baby, look like you’re stupid in love with me. Three hours max. Then you can go back to pretending you’re too good for commercials."

He stared at him. He stared back.

"You’re blackmailing me into being your fake boyfriend."

"Correct."

"Because you don’t want to look single tomorrow."

"Also correct. And broken hearted. Mostly the single part."

He rubbed both hands down his face and groaned into his palms. "You’re the pettiest human being I’ve ever met. And I’ve met actual criminals."

"Thank you."

"It wasn’t a compliment!"

"Still taking it as one." I leaned in, matching his volume. "Look, one night. You act obsessed, you touch my hair, you glare at one specific guy like you want to fight him, you let me post one blurry couple pic if I feel like it. That’s it. Video stays deleted forever. You keep your pure little image, I keep my dignity. Everybody wins."

He dropped his hands, looked at me for a long second. "You’re really doing all this because some dude ghosted you?"

"Yep."

"Damn." He almost sounded impressed. "That’s cold-blooded."

I grinned. "I’m a Scorpio."

He exhaled through his nose, long and suffering. "Fine. One night. But I’m going to call you petty every chance I get. Out loud. To your face. And if I have to suffer, you’re suffering with me."

"Deal." I stuck my hand across the table.

He stared at it like it might bite him, then shook it once, firm.

"You’re buying me another coffee," he muttered.

"Already did in my head. You’re my boyfriend now, remember?"

He flipped me off with the hand I just shook.

I laughed so hard the ajumma at the counter glared at us.

Tomorrow was going to be beautiful.I walked into the restaurant ten minutes late on purpose, because if I was going to survive this dinner I needed to control at least one thing tonight. The second I stepped through the sliding door I regretted every life choice that led me here.

Everyone was already seated.

Park Min at the head like he owned the place (he didn’t, but try telling him that).

Yu Jin next to him, scrolling his phone with the face of someone waiting for the world to end so he could finally rest.

Woo Min opposite them, arms crossed so tight I was scared he was going to snap his own bones.

Anning picking at her nails like she was planning murder.

Fan Xiao and some guy I’d never seen before (tall, tattoos, looked bored) sitting at the very end like they got dragged here against their will.

And then there was me.

With my plus-one.

Junho. He had his arm around my shoulder the second we walked in. He smelled expensive .

"Hi guys," I said, way too bright. "This is Junho. We’re together now."

Yu Jin didn’t even look up from his phone. "Wow, two days is a new record even for you."

Junho laughed like he was in on the joke. He wasn’t. I paid him extra to laugh at everything.

Woo Min’s eyes flicked to Junho’s hand on my waist and stayed there. His jaw did that thing where it looked like he was chewing glass.

Park Min raised an eyebrow. "Cute. Did you rent him by the hour or the whole night?"

"Jealousy doesn’t suit you," I said, sliding into the seat across from Woo Min. Junho sat next to me, still touching me like we’d been dating for years. I wanted to slap his hand away but I needed this.

Anning finally looked up.

"Who’s the guy at the end?" I asked