Pretend Girlfriend
The Pretty One II
"Huh?" Chaekyung's jaw went slack and she blinked at L.Joe in confusion. Several times.
She scratched her head and cocked her head at him, laughing nervously. "I think my ears must need digging. Did I just hear the word girlfriend coming out from your mouth?"
L.Joe snickered. "Is that your ultimate fantasy?"
"Oh please don't kill me with disgust." Chaekyung harrumphed and turned to stalk away to the bus stop but L.Joe quickly pulled her back. "Wait I was serious."
He grinned cheekily. "This is your end of the deal if I'm to keep my mouth shut about you still being in love with that Kim Myun-"
A small fragranced hand slapped itself against his lips and Chaekyung growled at him fiercely. "Don't you dare." She warned.
Even with the unfortunate height disadvantage when being compared to other guys, L.Joe was still much taller than Chaekyung who was so petite. It was why she was one of the best flyers in the cheerleading team when coupled with her bright smile.
Chaekyung even tip toed to try to intimidate him but gosh, she just looked like a tiny kitten pretending to be a tiger in L.Joe's eyes.
He raised his hands in mock defeat and she slowly let go of his mouth as if he was afraid he would sprout out her secret at any moment.
"So as I was saying, be my pretend girlfriend. That's your end of the deal, and it isn't even a tough one at that." L.Joe told her flippantly. "There are quite some benefits for us."
"Benefits?" Chaekyung squeaked. "What benefits could being your pretend girlfriend bring?"
L.Joe's face lit up as if he was just waiting for her to ask that. "Well firstly while I was at your house, I realized something. Don't you realize how frequent that L guy gets to frequent your house just because he is Jaekyung's boyfriend?"
Chaekyung raised her brows, still looking hella confused. L.Joe rolled his eyes and sighed as if he was explaining something difficult to a dim-witted child.
"If I'm your boyfriend, I can attain that status as well." L.Joe continued, looking excited at that aspect. "And then I'll have more chance to see Jaekyung and get closer to her. It's the only possible way to get to her when she's constantly surrounded by the stupid L and the Infinite people."
He took a deep breath and continued with enthusiasm. "Don't you see? It's the way to your sister's heart. When she sees me for a long enough period of time and gets mesmerized by my charms-" insert a snort here by Chaekyung "-she will definitely leave that L for me."
"Impossible." Chaekyung said once he finished. She shook her head like it was the most ridiculous plan she ever heard. "Unnie will never fall for you when she is already so in love with L oppa. The two of them are inseparable. You don't understand what they have gone through together." And some of those obstacles being caused by her, she dully thought.
"Their feelings can't be broken up by some random red haired Ariel. It's not that easy." Chaekyung shook her head firmly. "It's going to be fruitless."
L.Joe frowned at her. He didn't get her obstinate disapproval on this one.
"I don't get why you're so against it, this is going to benefit you as well." L.Joe claimed. "Not only can you pretend to date me for a while, isn't this just what you wanted? When I charm Jaekyung, that'll leave your L oppa free and you can return to the days when you were dating him. Don't you want that?"
Yes. Very much.
Chaekyung looked away as she blinked away tears.
She wanted to return to those days so so much. Even if she never really spent much time with L during those days nor did they engage in many couple activities, she still looked back at those days as fond memories.
However even if she was really childish, she wasn't naive to think she could return to those days. It was impossible. How could she when she knew that there was no way in hell that L could love her like he loved Jaekyung?
She was a girl as well, she wanted to be the first in someone's heart. And that place was already taken in L's heart, permanently.
"From what I see, this plan will benefit us both." L.Joe continued, not seeing her torn expression. "I don't see any reason for you to reject this."
Chaekyung swallowed. She loved L with all her heart and she treasured her sisterly relationship with Jaekyung too much, which was why she would do anything to protect those two.
If L.Joe was to get closer to Jaekyung through her, it meant that he couldn't be with Jaekyung unless he was there. Chaekyung couldn't figure how he was to court someone if their younger sister was there all the freaking time.
Chaekyung didn't think Jaekyung would like L.Joe anyway, but the fact that he was "taken" would serve as another factor to turn girls off. She believed that she should sacrifice herself if in this crazy plan lest L.Joe decided to court Jaekyung full out or sow discord between the couple.
For her sister, she was willing to do this.
"Oh alright I'll do this, I don't have much of a choice either." Chaekyung grumbled, looking like she just ate a raw toad. "Just know that you stand no chance and I'll do everything I can to keep you for destroying their relationship."
L.Joe didn't hear much after "I'll do this" and he grinned brightly, pumping his fists in the air looking slightly kidding. The Teen Top boys would definitely double take if they saw their bully hyung looking like this.
"Yes! Jaekyung, just wait for me!" He beamed. "Come on, lets go get couple bracelets." He pulled her along.
Chaekyung shook her head and she wanted to groan. What did she get herself into?!
"You sure you don't want to hitch a ride?" Jaekyung asked in confusion. L was here to fetch them to school again the next morning but Chaekyung had said that she didn't want a ride.
"Yeah I need to detour to get something from the bookstore." Chaekyung tried not to look at Jaekyung in the eye and she fiddled with her phone. "You can go first."
Jaekyung nodded. "Alright." Her eyes fell on the new leather wrap bracelet on Chaekyung's wrist and she blinked. "Is this new? I've never seen this." She smiled. "You usually wear pink or silver dainty accessories, not something so rugged."
Chaekyung quickly her had under the table. Ugh that stupid L.Joe and his couple bracelet.
"Trying a different style?" Chaekyung sounded unsure even to herself.
Jaekyung smiled and tugged on her sister's bob. "Anyway I'll be going first. Make sure you're not late for school!"
Chaekyung watched her sister go off into L's car and the vehicle zoomed off. She wrinkled her nose and groaned to herself. Just what did she get herself into?!
Just as she was wondering if she should back out of this entirely, a loud roar came from outside her house that signaled the arrival of L.Joe's motorbike. Chaekyung groaned loudly and Mrs Lee popped her head out.
"Hey isn't that the Byunghun boy that came over the other day?" Mrs Lee blinked. "Is he here to fetch you to school?"
"Not exactly fetch.." Chaekyung fiddled with her laces as long as she could. "It's just that our house is along the way and-"
L.Joe honked several times and Mrs Lee chuckled knowingly. "Alright, go on. Don't let your new boyfriend wait."
Chaekyung's eyes widened. "He isn't, I mean he is supposed, I mean-"
"Just go and don't be late for school!" Mrs Lee pushed Chaekyung to the door. "And tell him to come earlier next time if he fetches you because your father will surely flip if he sees you riding a motorbike."
Chaekyung wasn't sure what just happened and the next moment she was already by the road. L.Joe threw her his extra helmet which Chaekyung nearly missed catching. "Hop on princess." He smirked. "Our grand first day together."
Chaekyung fiddled with the straps of the helmet and didn't even know how to put it on. She huffed as she grumbled under her breath. "I'm not looking forward to it at all."
L.Joe rolled his eyes and tugged at her elbow to pull her nearer. "Don't even know how to wear a helmet, princess?" He unbuckled the belt easily and pulled it down her head in a totally not tender manner. The cover fell and covered her eyes as he buckled the straps under her chin.
"Remember to stick close to me and if anyone asks, just let me handle the questions." L.Joe instructed.
Chaekyung pushed the cover up and frowned at him as best as she could. L.Joe nearly burst out laughing at her cute funny expression. She looked like an angry cherry with the large red helmet on her head that looked bigger than proportion to the rest of her body.
"Then what about when my friends ask about our love story?" Chaekyung asked, crossing her arms. "They all know that I don't like you and don't you think it's just strange that I'm suddenly 'dating' you?" She questioned. She grinned hopefully. "Do you think we should postpone the plan?"
L.Joe knocked her helmet and snorted. "In your dreams princess. You're to be my girlfriend and it happens today."
Chaekyung sighed. It would have been a romantic line had it come from someone charming and suave like L, but unfortunately it just had to be the disgusting Ariel.
Chaekyung crawled up onto the back seat of the bike, struggling a bit and looking up only to realize L.Joe was just looking without moving. "Don't you know how to help a girl when she's struggling?"
"A girl?" L.Joe snickered. "Where? I don't see one. I only see a big headed cherry princess."
Chaekyung opened to retort and L.Joe started his bike, jerking forward just slightly and scaring Chaekyung's wits to no end. "Hold on tight princess, don't want your fanboys coming after me if you fall and disfigure your pretty face on the road."
Chaekyung glared at the back of his red hair. Didn't he need a helmet too? YOLO huh. She hated that phrase. She thought it was a phrase people used when trying to justify their stupid actions.
"If you think for a second I'll do that cliche thing of clinging desperately to you like in the movies-" Chaekyung started.
L.Joe pressed hard on the accelerator at this instant at the bike zoomed off at top speed, messing Chaekyung's hair if she hand worn the helmet.
She let out a squeak and clung on tightly to L.Joe's waist, burying her face into his back.
L.Joe smirked as he glanced back at her. "You were saying, princess?"
Chaekyung growled. She hated the little mermaid. So much.
-----
Chaekyung could feel the gazes as the bike rolled into the school's parking lots. She was used to people staring at her because well, she was quite pretty, but she wasn't used to it when they were looking with such interest and curiosity.
She kept her hands herself and leaned as far as she could away from L.Joe. L.Joe parked the bike and Chaekyung felt like her legs had melted against the hot metal. She couldn't move.
"Can we please postpone this?" She squeaked. "I don't think I'm up for this. I'm not ready. At all-"
"Chill and let me do the job, remember your end of the deal." L.Joe pulled Chaekyung off the bike with him and shut his engine.
And then he took her hand.
Perhaps it would be normal had they been normally dating but they weren't. It came as a shock as L.Joe's warm fingers came into contact with hers and laced them together.
Chaekyung snapped her head towards L.Joe and gave him a look she knew was extremely shocked. It wasn't how a girlfriend looked when her boyfriend held her hand but heck, she couldn't control herself.
L.Joe turned to her and smiled sweetly, sending shivers down her spine. Gosh he didn't suit that look at all.
"Please keep up with the act and don't look as if a monster just proposed to you, look blissfully in love, okay?" L.Joe hissed under his breath near her ear.
Chaekyung imagined other onlookers thinking that they were cute and he was whispering sweet nothing's to her, but hell no.
Chaekyung swallowed and risked a glance at the other students. She immediately looked down at her feet again.
They were staring. All of them. GAWD.
L.Joe acted like nothing happened. He pulled Chaekyung alone with her hand firmly in his and even opening doors for her like the nice boyfriend he was. What's great actor he was.
L.Joe leaned down. "Remember, the story is that you fell for me while we were doing the darn project together and you confessed to me-"
"Why can't it be you confessing to me?" Chaekyung huffed, pouting up at him. "You're the one who asked me to do this."
L.Joe looked like he was forced to eat a slug. "Oh alright you can tell your friends I confessed to you, happy?"
He suddenly remembered something and pulled her hand up to inspect it. He grinned when he saw the leather wrap bracelet that matched his. "Good, I'd kill you if you forgot to wear this. It's so expensive."
"I know." Chaekyung elbowed him. "I paid for it remember?"
L.Joe smirked and grinned at his own band. "Hmm thanks for the gift then princess."
He looked in front and leaned down slightly. "Prepare yourself. The drama's beginning."
Chaekyung diverted her gaze and swallowed when she saw the Infinite boys, her sister and her friends chatting in a group by their lockers.
This was it.
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