Namjoo and Jongdae walked silently around the park and the huge smile he had never left his face. She looked at him from time to time, with curiosity, but he still didn't say anything. She simply followed his lead. The night was getting a little bit chilly, but was still bearable as they continued walking.

"Where are we going, Jongdae oppa?" she dared to ask finally and he turned to face her, before smiling brightly

"It's a surprise" he whispered leaning closer to her ear, making her heart skip a beat suddenly. She then looked down to hide her blushed cheeks, embarrassed. "You'll have fun, I assure you"

As they continued walking down the streets, Namjoo suddenly felt as if she had been there before. She looked around with a curious expression, trying to remember when she had been there before. She turned to look at Jongdae and he still had that same bright smile on his handsome face.

"Wait this street looks rather familiar to me" she said and he chuckled. She tried hard to remember and when she finally did, her eyes widened slightly. Everything made sense to her in that moment. "Wait... isn't our old school a few blocks from here?"

"Bingo!" Jongdae said excited and then smiled brightly

"I can't believe I didn't remember this place" she said amazed as she looked around the familiar houses and stores. A wide smile appeared on her face as she remembered the old times in middle school. She remembered how she loved to hang out in those streets after school with her friends and she also remembered how that was the place she first spoke to Jongdae. A sudden blush appeared on her face as she remembered that.

"Well, it's been a couple of years since we last were here" he said.

He then suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside one of the stores. She was too shocked and flustered by the sudden skinship to even realize that the place was a small restaurant. She only snapped out of her thoughts, when she suddenly realized the place seemed really familiar to her as well. It was almost as if she was having a deja vu.

"Ahjumma!" Jongdae said happily as the two of them sat on an empty table. A few minutes later, a middle aged lady walked out of the kitchen wearing an apron. When she saw Jongdae, a wide smile appeared on her face.

"Oh my god, Jongdae?" she asked and he smiled as he nodded excited. She then walked towards him and hugged him tightly. "You've grown up so much and you are even more handsome now"

He smiled flattered and she then turned towards Namjoo. Namjoo smiled towards the lady and she smiled brightly as well.

"And who is this pretty lady? Is she your girlfriend, Jongdae?" she asked and he suddenly blushed, but still, smiled. Namjoo looked down blushed as well, but she couldn't contain her smile.

"She is an old friend" he replied and the lady seemed as disappointed as Namjoo was to hear that "Do you remember Kim Namjoo?"

The ahjumma's eyes widened in surprise as she turned to look at Namjoo, who smiled towards her.

"Oh my god you are Namjoo?" she asked excited and she smiled as she nodded happily. The lady suddenly hugged Namjoo excited as well. "I can't believe you are that little girl with piggytails. You've become a really beautiful lady"

"Thank you" she said shyly as she blushed and Jongdae smiled at her.

"Eat whatever you want guys, the house pays!" she said happily as she walked towards the kitchen with a really happy expression.

"I remember those piggytails" Jongdae suddenly said when they were alone. Namjoo suddenly blushed embarrassed as she looked down. She didn't want to remember those times. It was embarrassing.

"That's a past I'd like to forget" she said, still embarassed and he chuckled cutely

"But you looked really cute on them!" he said and that made her heart skip a beat once again. 

The night went by smoothly as they starting catching up with everything they had been doing ever since they left middle school and they also reminisced about those old times. The awkwardness was left behind and Namjoo felt really comfortable around him and she realized how much she had missed having a person like him around. With every smile and compliment, she felt her heart beating faster. Almost as if she was falling for him all over again.

When they finished eating, they went to bid their goodbyes to the ahjumma. She told them that they didn't have to pay because it was on the house, but Jongdae, as the gentleman he was, said it was not ok to let others pay when he was inviting her. The lady only shook her head and ended up giving up. Then they said goodbye and left.

As they stepped outside and continued walking around the familiar streets, Namjoo felt as if she had gone back to those middle school days. She felt herself as the little girl with piggytails and the idea of being on a date with the guy she used to have a crush on for such a long time, still seemed surreal to her.

"I remember this guy who used to have a crush on you back then" Jongdae suddenly said, breaking the silence, as they continued walking. "I think his name was Moon Jongup?"

Namjoo's eyes widened as she remembered that guy that was her age and that used to say he liked her. She couldn't believe Jongdae knew him and could even remember his name. She then simply smiled as she thought that he never stood a chance because back then the only guy that was on her mind and her heart was Jongdae.

"What about him?" she asked and Jongdae simply smiled as he looked up to the sky

"Nothing" he said and then he looked at her "I was just wondering if you ever dated anyone that we knew from middle school"

"Nop" she simply said shaking her head. She never imagined herself any of them. "What about you?"

"Me neither" he replied and she suddenly turned to look at him surprised.

"What? But what about that annoying girl who used to call you ChenChen?" she asked suddenly as remembered that girl. She always thought Jongdae liked her too. At the mention of that girl, Jongdae cringed.

"What?! I never liked that girl back!" he said shaking his head and she couldn't help but laugh. "Her annoying voice sent shivers down my spine all the time"

Jongdae shivered and Namjoo laughed. All those years, she thought Jongdae liked her and only she now she found out he find her as annoying as she did. A part of her felt relieved because of that. 

"Besides" he said as he put his hand on his pockets, looking at the sky once again "I used to have a huge crush on you back then"

"Wait what?" she asked with her eyes widened in shock. Her heart beated like crazy and her cheeks turned red suddenly. Did she hear right? Did he just told her he used to have a crush on her, just like she used to have a crush on him?

Namjoo looked at him waiting for him to continue speaking and he avoided her gaze, completely blushed. He sighed deeply and then looked down to the floor, before smiling. 

"It's true" he said softly and it almost felt as if she was dreaming in that moment. "But you and Sungjae were so close I thought..."

"Sungjae was my best friend back then in the middle school... nothing else" she cut him off before he could continue talking. He looked at her, a little bit surprised and then smiled and looked down embarrassed once again. She smiled towards him as well. "I never felt anything special towards Sungjae or any other guy back then because... I used to have a huge crush on you as well"

Namjoo looked down embarrassed as well as she finally told him his feelings. His eyes widened in shock as well, but then a huge grin appeared on his face. In that moment he thought about how lucky a person could be when the person one liked, liked them back.

.........................................

Suho accompannied Chorong on her way back home, but neither of them say anything. Chorong was stilll lost in her thoughts. For a moment she thought that what Suho did for her was not an act, but something he really felt. However, she shook those thoughts away inmediately. It would be too delusional for her to even think that. 

A deep sigh escaped her lips as they continued walking. It hurt to feel like that. It hurt to feel that slight hope of him liking her back and then thinking it was all part of an act only. She knew it from the beggining. She knew she would end up hurt, but she still agreed to do it. However, she was now regretting that she had accepted Namjoo's plan.

Suho looked at her and wondered why was she suddenly sighing. She looked sad and he wondered why.

"Chorong, are you ok?" he asked her and she looked at him suddenly. Her eyes were glittering, almost as if she wanted to cry, but still she managed to fake a smile. It didn't help much that he always seemed to be so concerned about her. 

"I'm fine" she lied and then put a smile once again "It's just that all this dust is irritating my eyes"

"Oh" he simply said "Then let's walk faster"

They continued walking silently, until they arrived to Chorong's house. She looked at him and smiled, but it was not the bright and cheerful smile he had expected.

"Thanks again" she said as she looked at the ground, not daring to look at him in the eyes. She knew that if she did, she would end up crying there in front of him.

"It's ok" he said as he smiled "Call me if you need anything, I'll be more than happy to be your fake boyfriend again. I think I'm a good actor"

"Right" she said with a sad smile. Suho smiled again and then waved goodbbye at her, before walking away. Chorong then opened the door of her house and walked in, letting out a deep sigh. Once again, she had realized it was all just an act and it hurt. She mentally scolded herself for being so delusional and for even hoping that it wouldn't be like that. The worst problem was that it wasn't even his fault. He was just being a nice friend and brother by helping her. It was her entire fault, for thinking maybe things could be different.

She sighed once again. At least she was relieved to know that everything had already ended and that she didn't have to continue with the plan anymore.

....................................

The next day at school, Namjoo seemed to be in cloud 9. She was really happy, almost daydreaming as she walked down the hallways. Chorong, on the other hand, seemed as if she had been able to sleep the whole night.

"Why are you so happy, Kim Namjoo?" Eunji asked her when she saw her and the latter simply smiled brightly

"My date with Jongdae was perfect! He is perfect!" she said and the girls just laughed. Chorong smiled. At least her sacrifice had been worth it, knowing that her friend had successfully had a date with the guy she liked. "He even said he had a crush on me back then too!"

"That's so cheesy I'm gonna die" Naeun complained and the girls laughed again. Namjoo simply blushed, a little bit embarrassed, but nothing could make her happiness go away.

"That's cool" Chorong said with a faint smile "That means your plan worked. You had your date with Jongdae without being interrupted by your brother"

"Yeah you are right" Namjoo said with a wide and thankful smile "Thanks for your help unnie"

"You are welcome" she simply said "So the plan is over now, right?"

Chorong looked at her friend, hoping she would say yes inmediately so that she would be free of that plan. However, Namjoo seemed to be thinking about it too much.

"Actually... I was thinking about asking you to continue with the plan" she said and her eyes widened in shock.

"What? But why?" she asked shocked

"It's just that Jongdae asked me out again..." she replied and Chorong didn't know what to say. She really wanted to help her friend, but she couldn't continue doing that anymore. Not after how awful she felt the previous night after what happened. Her feelings were starting to get involved and she couldn't cope with it anymore. And she hated the idea of lying to him as well. If he ever found out what they were doing to him, he would probably never see her the same way.

"I'm sorry Namjoo... I can't do this anymore" Chorong suddenly said and walked away inmediately, leaving the girls dumbfounded. Namjoo looked at her friend with a confused expression and wondered if she had said or done something wrong.

"Wait unnie! what's wrong?" Namjoo asked concerned, but Chorong didn't listen since she was already far away. Eunji just sighed as she watched her friend leave.

"I think I know" she then said and everyone turned to look at her with curiosity and worry.