“I do have one,” She uttered out, “A-A boyfriend.”

Searching through their features, Sora wondered. Do they notice it too? How the word sounded so foreign on her tongue that they know it is a lie?

Sora remained calm, as her eyes lingered on Hera for a while, before it switched to Yerin, “I have a boyfriend.” She said again and smiled, the smile she learned to wear since she was old enough to know it meant the opposite of its action.

The girls in the lunch table wooed, a little taken back by the sudden confession, but Yerin and Hera stayed quiet for a minute.

“Who is he? Someone we know?” One asked.

“How come he doesn’t visit you?” Yerin leaned forward, eager to find the hole, the wrong in this lie.

“We only started dating recently,” Sora chuckled and picked up her drink.

The girls bumped her shoulders, they commented on how Sora was sly in hiding her relationship and how they wanted to to meet him soon, Sora nodded and smiled. Nodded and smiled till they diverted back to their chat, and Sora returned to being a matter that filled a space.

But she heard it, the scoffed whisper.

“Ya, can you believe someone like Sora has a boyfriend? Bull.”

--------------

Lee Sora’s collage life was at best... uneventful.

She didn’t have the best grades, she wasn’t in any of the clubs and she didn’t have anything to feed her group of friends’ interest. She exists, wakes up and drags herself to her classes, then drags herself back to her room, wishing that tomorrow would be over even before it started.

Nothing was special about her, either. No talents or a sport she worked hard for all her life.

But she had found a place, somewhere, where she can eat lunch without being afraid of being labeled a loser again. Sora had met a girl she used to know in middle school, Sooyoung, and that promoted Sooyoung to stick with Sora till she found her group of friends. But even after, Sooyoung had formed her circle of friends, she didn’t ignore Sora. She called her to lunch every time, and even if Sora knew it was out of pity, she still went. Because just Like Sooyoung, Sora didn’t wanted to perceived alone, even if it meant sticking to people you don’t genuinely like.

That is how she got to know Yerin and the other. They weren’t really mean, and at the beginning they did try talk to Sora, But Sora had nothing interesting to spill. And soon they would just accept her to just eat and smile while they talked about themselves and gossiped.

So why was she triggered by Hera’s comment?

“Please,” Hera scoffed, “Girls like Sora don’t have boyfriends. Don’t embarrass the poor girl by asking such a question.”

Sora held her legs tighter, burying her head in her knees as she recalled today earlier events. “Stupid. Stupid.”

Her voice echoed between the empty shelves of the old library. Stupid, stupid, the walls chanted back.

Why did she lie? She should have nodded, glossed over with a small laugh. And Hera wasn’t wrong. No guy ever liked Sora, even in high school or middle school, no one confessed and no one ever looked into her direction. She wasn’t pretty or funny, and at most, it felt painful to hold a conversation with her and all of her awkwardness and her inability to hold eye contact for more than three seconds.

She sighed. “How will I even find a boyfriend before they find out?”

She wouldn’t. She should tell them they broke up, or find an excuse--- “You are being harsh on yourself.”

Sora’s head shot up. Did she just imagine a voice? She looked around, then slowly, she crawled over and looked over the other side of the bookshelf to find a guy laying on the floor, his head supported on his arm while he remained his eyes on the book he was reading.

Immediately, Sora fell back to her side, breathing heavily.

She slammed a hand on her lips. Since when he was here, and how didn’t she notice? She thought the library was abandoned, a place she has discovered in one of her breaks, and has been coming her since the second half of the first semiseter. A quiet place where her thoughts were allowed to be loud, where she can vent everything out after enduring a long day in this draining place.

Slowly, and with the minimist of sounds, she started to pack her stuff. If she could leave any faster, she would. She would never come back here again, she would hide in the depth of her room and--

“If you want a boyfriend, I can be yours.”

She halted to a stop.

.

.

.

.

“Why?”

If she remembered correctly, the guy on the other side of the bookshelves was no other than Byun Baekhyun, one of the most of popular guys on campus. She had seen him multiple times on the cafeteria, surrounded by his group of friends where he always was the center. He was cool, and people laughed at his jokes. Two treats she envied among many he seemed to own effortlessly.

And Sora knew there is always these kind of people, that attract your attention, like Hera and Baekhyun. The type of people you wanted to be their friends, no matter how little you seemed next to them. Because people like her were supposed to be plain, for some other to shine.

She heard him sigh, and shuffles and she slowly looked up as he leaned over to her side.

“I am sick of getting, and, rejecting confessions. Getting a fake girlfriend might stop this.” He said, his lips tugged up. “Tell me what you think tomorrow.” Then with a hand shoved inside his trousers, Baekhyun walked away until his footsteps faded out of the library.

Sora settled back on the floor. Baekhyun... as her boyfriend?

The thought made her confused hours later at night, turning from one side to another as she tried to sleep.

She stared at her ceiling.

What if he was a ghost? The library was closed since the 80s, so it is a possibility. Or worse, what if he was a hallucination so she can escape the reality of her lie and the possibility of the girls finding out? Of the whole college knowing she is a liar and recently discovered crazy?

She needed to go back to the library soon.

------------

During her first break, Sora hurried to the library. It was a building in the far west of the campus, next to the other old buildings the university has no longer used. All the books had been emptied for a long time, and dust occupied the shelves instead. But the place was perfect for someone like Sora. She comes here between lectures, or when the girls are planning to do something and they exclude her by saying she has plans, and Sora says yes I do, then she will go to hide in there.

She would watch her favourite dramas and eat snacks in there.

She would bring books to read and cry when it gets her emotional.

Honestly, part of her hoped that Baekhyun was a ghost or an imagination as she ran there. For someone to have listening to her all this time? She would simply just die of humiliation.

She tried to quiten her breathing the moment she entered the library and walked few rows to find her usual place against her usual shelves. She slid down on the floor.

“Are,” She began after five minutes, “Are you here?”

His voice rang from the other side. “I am.”

“Are... you always here?”

“Sometimes.”

Silence stretched. Maybe he wasn’t here when she is here, perhaps.

“I was here when you cried after you finished The Book Thief.”

She felt the smile in his voice and hoped the ground would swallow her alive. She didn’t just cry when she finished that book, oh no, she fully weeped.

“So, are you willing to have me as your fake boyfriend?”

Embarrassment shoved aside temporarily, Sora breathed. “….I am.”

For a period of time, she hoped to convince people that she wasn’t pathetic. It was her sense of inferiority maybe, or her lack of self worth that made her lie in the beginning of the place. That drove her now to prove something that isn’t worth proving. But she wanted, so desperately, to see the look on Yerin’s and Hera’s faces when she brings them one of the campus’s most popular guys as her boyfriend.

Sora is pulled out of her thoughts when Baekhyun walks by, a smirk plastered on his face.

“Then see you around, girlfriend.”

“Wait, my name is Sora...” but he was already out of the library as her voice trailed off.

Sighing back against the shelves, Sora wondered how the hell they could pretend to be a couple. She didn’t even have his number and he didn’t even wait to know her name.

Maybe they can discuss it here tomorrow?

----------

For two days straight, Sora didn’t find Baekhyun in the library. She would wait for the last minute of her break before she curses herself and run full speed to her class.

She had seen him on the hallway yesterday, and he passed by with two other seniors as if she was made of air. It made her angry and afraid that she might truly gone crazy and just imagined him all together.

Crazy and a liar, great, maybe she should start accepting herself as so.

The thought made her sigh and shove a spoon of rice inside . Stupid Sora.

“You have been sighing since earlier,” Sooyoung said, turning to her,

“Ah,” Sora had forgotten there was other people. She smiled, “It is nothing.”

“Maybe she and her so called boyfriend fought.”Yerin chuckled from the opposite seat, and Hera nudged her with her elbow. “Ya, don’t be mean.” Hera scolded playfully.

Sora looked at them for a minute. It wasn’t a bad idea. Maybe she should take this opportunity to tell them they fought, they aren’t together anymore or that there isn’t any boyfriend. That it was a joke. They will hold her to it for few weeks at most, but soon she will return to being the quiet matter she used to be and learn just not to lie.

She took a deep breath, and leaned forward. “Actually--” She started then she felt a weight on her back, a hand on her shoulder, and a set of lips on her cheek. Her skin warmed.

She had frozen on the spot, but she finally saw it. The widened eyes of everyone on the table.

Sora felt the lips widen into a smirk and he brushed by her ear and whispered. “Quite the effect you hoped for. Right?”

He moved away and she lifted her head, Baekhyun still had his gaze on her, then it shifted to a friendly stare as he looked over at Yerin and the other. “Hi, you must be Sora’s friends.” He grinned and waved, “I am Baekhyun. Sora’s Boyfriend.”

Their mouth hang open, and it took them a moment to find their voice. They bent their neck in small bow over the respect of seniority, “Oh, hello, sunbae..”

He smiled, then he checked his watch. “Shoot, I have to run to class.” He ran his stare over them, “It was nice meeting you.” Then he kissed her cheek again, and said loudly this time for them to hear. “See you later, babe.”

Then he ran off, catching up with his friends, who slapped his shoulders and shook him off, while glancing back at Sora as they went away.

She smiled to herself as Sooyoung shook her wildly, telling her to spell out everything out as how she is dating the Byun Baekhyun, some girls swooned at his action, but mostly Sora enjoyed the quietness that took hold of Hera and Yerin.

She enjoyed it so much that she didn’t notice the stares and whispers that surrounded her in the cafeteria.

--------

“They believed it.” Sora said quietly, her lips tucked up to herself. She wanted to wiggle her fists in the air but she restrained herself.

He laughed as he laid in front of her, a very beaten up copy of Crime And Punishment split open on placed over his chest. “You must enjoy deceiving people, don’t you?”

Her lips narrowed. She looked away, the windows that warmed the library and lit it were painted by coats of dust. She didn’t like the way he phrased it.

“Everyone lies.” She laid her head on her knees and looked down on him. He should have told her it isn’t a big deal.

“Don’t people feel bad for lying?” He smiled, it was automatic. His eyes were set on the shelves behind her, then his stare washed over her. “I guess you and me are different type of liars.” He returned his eyes to his book. "An honest type.”

--------

After a while of fake-dating, Baekhyun suddenly blurted out.

“We have to touch.”

Sora choked on her saliva. He chuckled at her reaction.

“Why?” It has been a week since they publicly acted as a girlfriend and boyfriend. Wasn't that enough?

He leaned his cheek on his palm and stared at her with a lazy smile. “Because that is what couple do.”

She felt her cheeks burning up, “H-How much touching do we have to do?”

“Nothing too much,” He reached slowly for her hand and Sora just realized how closes the shelves were to each other, how as they sat opposite of each other on the floor, a so little of space separated them. His slender fingers intertwined with hers loosely, his thumb rubbing on the skin in the back of her hand.

“Like this,” He mouthed, Sora tried to focus on his voice but she couldn’t when he inched closer and she pressed her back further against the shelves. Their noses touched. Sora inhaled sharply as she stared in his eyes. “Or like this.”

His lips tucked up, he moved away, removing his hand from hers. He returned to his book as Sora tried to remember how to breathe normally.

Unfair. Just unfair.

--------

“How did you start dating?” Sooyoung asked, her eyes glistening with excitement.

Baekhyun smiled, and gazed Sora’s side profile adoringly. “We have a class together. And even though I noticed her, she barely did.”

Sora smiled at him. He can tell a lie so beautifully it feels like a truth, and apparently everyone at the lunch table believed it as they swooned, except for pretty much Yerin and Hera who looked a bit skeptical.

Baekhyun brushed a strand of her behind her ear. “After two times of asking her out, she finally accepted. Lucky, right?”

“Ugh! You two are adorable.” Said Jisoo. “She never talks much that is why we were surprised to hear she is dating. Soooo, what do you like the most her?”

Baekhyun started listing things down, even when though they didn’t rehearse that, that Sora knew she didn’t have.

It was going well, Sora thought, there was no need to panic. And even for once, the attention she got was good. She had to remind herself that it was all illusion, that will disappear once Baekhyun does, and she will return to be what she used to be.

“Say, sunbae,” Yerin leaned forward, “I am in Mrs. Kim class , I think you attend that course as well?”

Baekhyun glanced at Sora unsurely, who looked at Yerin. “Ah. yeah.”

“It is really hard,” Yerin whined, “I was thinking you could go over the notes with me and my frined? It will be really be a big help!”

No. Sora thought, the smile she had had flattered away. Say no, Baekhyun. She didn’t like the idea of that. But Baekhyun had the right to accept. After all, Yerin was his league.

Baekhyun scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry to disappoint but I am not that good at tutouring. Although, I can hook you up with Junmyeon-sunbae. Excellent teacher.”

“Oh,” Yerin looked a bit disappointed, “Sure.”

Sora looked away, sipping from her cup as she tried bite back her grin.

--------

Baekhyun sat next to her during the class they took together. No matter how unwanted attention it brought to Sora, he wouldn’t budge away. It made her realise that while she wanted to deceive her lunchmates, Baekhyun wanted to deceive the whole campus.

Sora wanted to crawl under her desk.

“You are cute when you are flustered.” Baekhyun mouthed, laying his head on his arm.

Sora eyed the professor, then scribbled whatever she managed to catch down on her notes. “You don’t need to lie now.”

“I am not lying though.”

Sora sighed. “Focus, Baekhyun-sunbae.” And stop making her feel things with words that weren’t true.

-----------

Sora was also forced to attend to a dinner.

Rows and rows of tables were filled with half drunk students who were unbearblly loud, and Sora was seated next to Baekhyun. In the middle table, were seniors and popular people were seated. They asked her questions, his friends and many other curious girls. And Sora told her practiced lies while Baekhyun’s hand attached to somewhere on her back.

Then they turned back to their conversations, even with Baekhyun’s hand on her, making her aware that her she had a form, he, too, was immersed with his friends.

She was relieved though, that no one was looking at her. She had to push through this then she can be back soon at her room where she can cover herself with blankets and let shame swallow her for all the lies she told.

Midway through her long sip, she heard it. The whisper filtered through the noise.

“What does even Baekhyun-sunbae sees in her?”

Sora lowered her drink slowly.

“I know, right? He will probably leave her soon.”

She glanced over her shoulder, then from the end of their tables to the other, and was surprised to see several annoyed stares turning away.

Did they always look at her like that?

“I am going to the bathroom.” She whispered to him and slipped away from his touch. Not really caring if he heard or not more than the need to have a minute to breathe.

But even in the bathroom outside the restaurant, Sora kept hearing these sentences over and over. She wanted to disappear. How many comments like these where made? How many thought about her were inside their heads?

Splashing her face number of times, trying to lessen the redness of her nose, Sora finally exited the bathroom. She was taken back to see Baehyun leaning against the opposite concrete wall.

“You took a long time to return. I got worried.” He reasoned.

Sora sighed and looked away from him, closing the door behind. “Sorry.”

“Do you want to go home?”

“It is okay--”

“We don’t have to stay any longer, we already shown up---”

“If it is okay, then yes.” She said.

He smiled, and Sora realized that for the first time, she told someone a genuine answer in the whole night. Usually, in the beginning of the year, she had gone to few dinners with Sooyoung when Sooyoung wanted recruit her friends. But even when Sooyoung would ask if Sora wanted to go back, Sora would stay for a little bit longer. Just to make sure Sooyoung had company before she left her alone, despite how staying made Sora uncomfortable.

Now, Baekhyun and her went back inside, and he handed her over her coat, but held her bag for her. He slipped his hand in hers so causally as he told his friends they were leaving, that he was walking her home. The friends smacked each other and they told her they would like to see more of her soon. She bowed and promised she