Kim Chae Won, who had returned to the dressing room, was standing in front of the mirror.

She was usually not one to be flustered, but now she was so flustered she could barely breathe.

‘But why is it so red? Curiously.’

She couldn’t bring herself to question why she was curious about whether it was red or not, or what she intended to do if she was curious.

She was stiff from being flustered, and above all, he was staying too close.

Close enough that their thin stomachs slightly touched and separated.

While she was frozen, he picked up the clothes that were behind and created some distance.

‘Aren’t you going to change clothes?’

He started to put his arms through the sleeves, but it was still difficult to find a place to look, so she had entered the dressing room like this for now.

She was the type to always question things that bothered her, but uniquely in front of Choi Yoo Gun, she kept missing the timing.

Everything seemed to be easily found out by him, and she felt like she often malfunctioned in front of him.

“Be careful, Kim Chae Won. That man might actually be a love expert with incredible skills.”

Seeing how her usually steady heart kept fluttering, he was certainly no ordinary opponent.

Fake is fake.

It’s not real, it’s fake dating, so don’t waver.

“Hoo.”

After warning herself several times inwardly to hold onto herself more firmly in the mirror, Chae Won came out.

Wearing a plain black t-shirt with no design, he was sitting on the edge of the dining table, drinking the remaining beverage.

Although the custom-made chairs hadn’t arrived yet, so they hadn’t eaten at this table, it wasn’t meant to be used for his photo shoot like this.

“Excuse me, Choi Yoo Gun.”

He turned his head with an indifferent expression after swallowing his drink.

“Please sit on the sofa over there! …Because you said you might fall asleep. Let’s quickly take our picture.”

Belatedly remembering his words, Chae Won quickly withdrew her finger pointing towards the sofa.

Given the late hour, she needed to take a quick photo and send him on his way.

Chae Won picked up her phone, set the timer, and stretched out her arm.

Click.

“I think that’s done now. You can go home and rest.”

“Let’s take it again.”

Yoo Gun, who hadn’t particularly interfered with how the photo was taken, unexpectedly raised an objection.

“What?”

“My grandmother is very perceptive. A photo that doesn’t look like a couple to anyone is worse than not taking one at all.”

Normally, Chae Won would have taken the lead and suggested doing this or that, but she was so focused on quickly finishing the task that she had made an expression worse than an ID photo.

She soon acknowledged this with a nod.

“Okay, let’s take it again. Affectionately.”

Chae Won pressed the confirm button on the phone camera timer, then deliberately leaned her head on Yoo Gun’s shoulder.

But this time was also a NG.

Yoo Gun turned his head at Chae Won’s sudden action, resulting in an awkward photo.

Was taking two photos such a difficult task?

Realizing this wouldn’t do, Chae Won moved away from Yoo Gun’s shoulder and looked at him.

“I’ll lean on your shoulder affectionately like a couple. Then, Choi Yoo Gun, you…”

Sitting side by side on the table edge looking at Chae Won next to him, Yoo Gun wrapped his long arm around her shoulder.

“Let’s do that.”

The hand covering Chae Won’s ear slowly laid her head down as if telling her to lean.

With her head resting on his shoulder not of her own will, Chae Won managed to change her expression after he pressed the center button on the camera.

She was constantly aware of his warm hand touching her ear.

Soon after straightening up, Chae Won smiled with relief.

“Good job. Go and rest now.”

Take care, good night.

Let’s not see each other tomorrow. Us.

Chae Won, who had given the quickest greeting ever, exhaled her held breath as soon as the front door closed.

“Ha… why is this so hard for me?”

It was just a matter of pretending to be a couple and taking one photo, but why did her body tense up so much?

She thought it was fortunate that she wouldn’t have to face him tomorrow at least.

As Chae Won turned around with relief, her eyes fell on the two beverage cans on the table.

After staring intently at the two cans placed tightly together, Chae Won soon picked them up and put them in the recycling bag.

She lay down on the bed, deciding not to think about anything and just sleep.

But she tossed and turned for a long time.

3 AM, the last time she checked before finally falling asleep.

*

“No matter how I think about it, that bastard Noh Jae Min looks really nasty, I’m telling you.”

Moon Sung Min, sitting crookedly in the patient chair in the examination room, was stroking his chin.

Chae Won, unwrapping the chocolate bar Sung Min had brought earlier, said:

“When it comes to looking nasty, our Moon Sung Min is no exception.”

Meeting Sung Min’s fierce gaze by chance, Chae Won smiled awkwardly.

“It’s a compliment. You have a reversal charm, right? You look nasty, but you’re a very kind friend.”

“Of course, what kind of person would give up their weekend, huh? To help a friend. Even doing that weird acting and all.”

Chae Won took a bite of the chocolate bar and nodded her head as if it tasted good.

“Mm, as expected of a Taeseong Middle School drama club graduate. Your acting that day was pretty good, especially that part where you went, ‘Oh! I’m sorry.’ while pretending to be flustered!”

Sung Min, smiling dismissively as if it was nothing, crossed his legs the other way.

“Ah, I put a lot of effort into that part. Honestly, do you know how difficult that acting was? For this Moon Sung Min to act like he fell for Kim Chae Won and ask for her contact information. To be honest, that was really high-level difficulty? Acting like I’m interested when I’m not, you know.”

Chae Won, chewing the chocolate bar in her mouth, forced a smile.

‘You liked me when we met as class president and vice president in middle school, didn’t you?’ She wanted to say, but knowing he would deny it dramatically as usual, she swallowed her words along with the chocolate bar.

“But Kim Chae Won, will you be okay? If you’re uncomfortable, you don’t have to attend the dinner today. I’ll explain it well.”

At other times, he would insist that she absolutely must attend, but this was concern because Sung Min knew about Hee Joo’s situation.

“I don’t really want to spread the news about my sister’s condition. I’ll stop by my sister’s hospital briefly and then attend.”

Sung Min nodded his head as if he understood.

“Alright. And if you’re coming anyway, come early. Come early and save me.”

Chae Won chuckled and then turned her head as she felt a vibration from somewhere.

It was Hee Joo’s phone that she had put in the drawer.

[What are you doing? −Jae Min−]

Chae Won looked at the message and soon put the phone back in the drawer without replying.

*

[Teacher, when are you coming?] [Everyone is waiting. We’ll start when you arrive.] [You’re mean. Always skipping out a little bit like this]

Chae Won, who had stopped by the hospital, got up after receiving a series of messages from the staff who had started the dinner.

If she’s any later, they’ll try to make her drink as much as she’s late.

The goal is to wrap up at the first round if possible.

They would have already started drinking by now, and if she goes now, she might be able to fill in for a while and then end it.

“Please take good care of my sister. If anything happens, contact me right away.”

“Don’t worry.”

After repeatedly instructing the caregiver, Chae Won left the hospital.

After parking her car in the parking lot, she headed to the nearby pub where they were gathered.

“Teacher! Teacher! Chae Won teacher!”

It seems the saying that even though her eyes are small, her eyesight is 2.0 is true.

Despite the considerable distance, Nurse Oh waved her hand as if she knew ghost-like.

Chae Won walked over with a small smile.

“Teacher! Why are you so late!”

Looking at the slightly flushed faces of the staff, Chae Won sat down.

“I thought you said you wouldn’t start without me, but everyone’s already in high spirits?”

The staff, who had started to gain energy from the small amounts of alcohol, began to give their own excuses one by one in loud voices, saying it wasn’t like that.

The overlapping voices are noisy.

As she turned her head, Chae Won’s eyes met with Sung Min, who was crouching down, overwhelmed by the atmosphere.

“You came early?”

Sung Min greeted Chae Won with sarcasm, having been tormented a lot by the staff.

“Should I have come later then?”

Chae Won smiled slightly as she looked at Sung Min, who was glaring at her with displeasure.

Just then, Chae Won turned her head at Nurse Oh’s particularly busy movement.

“Eji, what’s wrong?”

“No, if I don’t contact my boyfriend while drinking, he’ll scold me, ah ah my phone is off. I didn’t charge it.”

“Then use my phone.”

“Thank you, teacher.”

Nurse Oh, who responded energetically, dialed her boyfriend’s number, which she had memorized.

“Honey! My phone died because I couldn’t charge it.”

Due to Nurse Oh’s voice and the loud voices of the staff laughing loudly at even small things, Chae Won looked around, checking the surroundings.

Although this store, with many people and loud music, was noisy like other tables as usual, a woman at the table right next to them, who seemed to have just entered, looked over with an uncomfortable expression.

“Let’s lower our voices a bit, everyone.”

“Ah ah! Yes, yes!”

The staff are so good at responding.

But their voices grow louder again.

The high-energy staff all clinked their glasses together and burst into laughter like fish in water.

“Is the owner of car number 3517 here? Please move your car!”

At the voice of a man who entered the store, Chae Won turned her head towards Sung Min.

“Isn’t that your car?”

“Oh oh. What should I do? I’ve been drinking.”

Chae Won put down the glass she had only been pretending to drink from and held out her hand to Sung Min.

“Give me the car keys. I’ll go.”

“Ah, that would work!”

Chae Won, who received the car keys, quickly ran to the person looking for the car owner.

“Mmm, okay, my honey, don’t wait for me and go to sleep first.”

Nurse Oh, who had ended the call, pressed the end button but hearing that it didn’t disconnect, she pressed various buttons while tilting her head.

“What’s this, huh? Didn’t it hang up? Hello?”

−I called Kim Chae Won.

Startled by the sudden voice, Nurse Oh checked the phone screen again.

[Choi Yoo Gun]

It was a name that had been famous at the hospital for a while as the man who came to meet Chae Won.

Nurse Oh, who still remembered, held the phone with both hands with a bright smile.

“Wow! You’re the one who came to the hospital before, I mean, our Kim teacher’s boyfriend, right? I’m the nurse who guided you then!”

At her words, Sung Min, who was pouring alcohol, turned his head towards her.

At Nurse Oh’s fuss about whether he was really Chae Won’s boyfriend, the staff who were each continuing their chatter all looked at her.

“What? Kim teacher’s boyfriend?”

“It seems to be that person who came to the hospital then!”

“Oh! Can’t you tell him to come, huh? Hing, I didn’t see him then.”

The table became noisy with another topic, and Sung Min also focused on her call with a blank expression.

Nurse Oh, who put her index finger on her lips as if to say be quiet, spoke with a slightly coy voice.

“Actually, we’re in the middle of a company dinner. Can you… come and pick up our teacher? I’m worried about calling a designated driver late at night. If it’s not too much trouble, it would be nice if you could come, greet us, and take the teacher home.”

Come! Come!

The staff shouted in unison as if a festival had begun.

At any other time, Sung Min would have taken Chae Won’s phone away early, saying it was rude, but he didn’t stop Nurse Oh.

It was because he wanted to see the man he had mistaken for a patient again, to see exactly what kind of relationship they had and what kind of man he was.

“Please come. Okay? Our teacher is a bit drunk now and needs a guardian, okay?”

Nurse Oh is eagerly swindling.

Sung Min, who was watching, stepped in, feeling like Chae Won would scold them tomorrow.

“Eji, stop it, how much are you going to regret this tomorrow? Chae Won will get angry.”

“Ah ah, I guess I was rude. I’m sorry.”

Nurse Oh, who came to her senses at Sung Min’s words, put the phone she was about to hang up back to her ear and widened her eyes.

“You’re coming? Really? Wow! This is where we are!”

Nurse Oh excitedly gave the location quickly and politely said goodbye before ending the call.

“He’s really coming? We’re finally going to see Kim teacher’s boyfriend?”

As everyone looked at her with expectant eyes, Nurse Oh made a V sign with two fingers.

“Hehe, I told you he’s coming right away!”

Kyaaak! The staff were making a fuss, hitting each other’s shoulders.