Love? What do I know about love? I’m not quite sure if I know anything about it. But here’s what I know, there’s that rumble in my stomach with a single touch. One hand on mine, a billion fireworks explodes. My lungs are constricted and my head’s spinning and the only name I know is his. I really don’t know if I know love. But I think I might have found it in the most unexpected place. I mean I used to think maybe love was just somewhere in the playground when I was five, or maybe the cute guy that lives next door to me when I was sixteen. But no, I think love was in a room with marbled floors, sitting on a black office chair and when I found love he wasn’t polite, nope, not at all. Love is grumpy, isn’t he? Love wears a suit, different ones every day and every day he looks so damn perfect in them. Love is always pissed, annoyed and love is always staring at his laptop, always on his phone and reading through documents. Love is busy and he’s regal but he’s also an . Love sits inside an office seven days a week, ten hours a day and he doesn’t know the word sleep. I think love shines even brighter than the sun when love smiles. Love is hard as a rock and he hates Ed Sheeran, love thinks prom isn’t magical or enchanting but I danced with love under the moonlight and I saw love’s face under the light of the morning sun. Love cares but he doesn’t show it and love drives me crazy in a way no one ever has. Love makes me feel like I’m someone in this world. But hey, what do I know, right? I’m not even sure of anything right now.

All I know is I’m working for the most beautiful man on earth and I’m labeled as his girlfriend just for the time being but he’s incredibly sweet and I’m feeling things inside my stomach. Something tells me none of this will go right even though every time he holds my hand I feel like I’m electrocuted on the right places and it gives me proof that my heart’s still working. The little comments and his endearments are on loop and plays over and over inside my head and it’s driving me incredibly crazy that I can’t even function properly. For the past six hours of the shoot, I’m either spacing out and thinking about his hands on mine or trying not to die when he’s holding me. I’m so confused and doubtful. I like it but at the same time I don’t. A part of me wants it but a part of me doesn’t.

Why am I even so worked up about this? It’s all just pretend. Nothing about this is real. Haerin, this is just another task he wants you to do. Right. Of course. It’s not real. This is just to protect me from Jacob and for Catherine Lee to stay away from Sehun. He’s right; it’s a win-win situation. But why do I feel like my heart’s losing already?

A nudge drags me back to reality and I quickly snap out of my reverie.

“Hey can you take this back inside the bus?” A staff hands me a make-up kit and I take it. I walk by the tent and I see the bosses talking to the models and Sehun is one of them. I get this weird churn in my stomach and it certainly doesn’t feel good. I continue to pass by and take the make-up kit inside the bus as I’m told.

When I’m back out, a model’s taking a selfie with Sehun and I’m standing in a distance looking at how the beautiful model casually lunges an arm around my boyfriend. We’re in New Zealand; he’s my boyfriend for as long as we’re here, right? So maybe if she could just peel that arm off of him, I’d feel a little better. Wait. No, Haerin. You can’t be thinking this way whenever a girl is around Sehun. He’s your boss. You don’t own him. At least not in that sense. This is all pretend. Pretention does not involve real jealousy. I feel an arm around me and when I look up, it’s Mr. Kai.

“Hey Ms. Kim,” He says. I bow in response with a warm smile, “You’re working hard,”

“Thank you sir. You and the rest of the bosses are working hard too,” I tell him and he just smiles at me but it somehow seems halfhearted. I can tell by Mr. Kai’s face that he’s bothered, “Is everything alright, sir?”

“Hmm?” He hums, giving me an inquisitive look. Mr. Kai finally stretches his lips into another warm smile and shakes his head, “The work is getting to me, sorry,”

“Well, tomorrow is your day off. You should get some rest sir,”

“Speaking of day off, you promised me you’ll spend it with me, right?” He asks enthusiastically and I widen my eyes at him. Oh, right. That agreement on the plane. Mr. Kai nudges me, “I have the day planned so you don’t have to worry about a thing. All you need to do is bring yourself,” He smiles.

“You planned it already?” I ask and he nods.

“Why, did you originally have plans? Perhaps with Sehun?”

“Ah. No. It’s just that how could you have planned things when you’re too busy with the shoot sir,” I scratch the back of my head sheepishly and give him an embarrassed smile.

“Well, it was supposed to be a day-off with the rest of the bosses but it seems like they all have separate agendas. I didn’t want to waste it and you seemed like the best company more than anyone so I figured you and I should just go together,” Mr. Kai’s face is now brighter and his smile is now more sincere than earlier. I can’t help but smile back at him for his kindness, “So, go with me, alright? I’ll be really disappointed if you don’t,” He jokes with a pout and it’s probably the cutest thing in the world—next to Sehun’s scrunched nose.

“Okay, sir,” I tell him and he plasters a grin on his face, “It should be fun,” I add and he chuckles.

“I promise you, you will not regret going with me,” He stretches his arm and put them over my shoulders. I look at his arms as silence wraps us both. Mr. Kai was never really bothered of skinship. I always see him being touchy pretty much with anyone. He puts an arm over the person closest to him so I learned never to overthink his actions.

“So,” He speaks up once again, “You and Sehun,” Oh god. Please don’t ask anything about us. I don’t know a thing.

“Yeah, who knew, right?” I chuckle sheepishly and try not to burn red beside him.

“Yeah, who knew?” He says and I gulp nervously next to him, “When Sehun told us about you two it almost seemed like you had no idea at all,” Crap.

“Well…it was supposed to be a secret,” I reply, trying not to sound nervous. He gives me a look and I give him a casual smile, “We came to an agreement not to tell anyone about it but I guess he took the liberty to announce it himself,” Lie. Lie. Lie. I want to immediately spit out the truth. I want to tell him nobody knew because we aren’t in a relationship in the first place.

“Why did you want it to be a secret?” He asks further. Don’t make me lie again, please.

“Because people will talk and ask questions. I’d rather have it just between us,” I say.

“Oh,” Mr. Kai gives me an apologetic look, “So it’s true then, you two are a couple?” No. Don’t give me that look. No. You can’t look at me like that while asking for the truth. Don’t make this harder for me. I give him a nod; a halfhearted nod and I wish the ground would open up and swallow me whole. I don’t want to lie to Mr. Kai. He’s been nothing but good and friendly to me.

“Sorry,” I mutter.

He chuckles and pulls me close with his arms still around my shoulder, “What is there to be sorry for, silly?” Well for one it’s because I’m lying to you when you don’t deserve to be lied to. Second, it’s because you’re actually buying the lie I’m telling you and I feel like you shouldn’t.

Mr. Kai and I grow silent but he’s still holding me close to him. I look up at him and he’s got that uncomfortable expression on his face. He lets out a breath and then smiles down warmly at me, “I’m handsome, aren’t I?” He jokes and I roll my eyes at his silliness. He chuckles to himself and pinches my cheek; “You’re so cute when you do that eye-rolling thing,” He adds.

“It’s actually cuter if you removed your arms around her,” We both look back and see Sehun giving us both a look. He removes his hands from his pockets and tugs me away from Mr. Kai. They both stare each other like the next thing they’re about to do is throw a punch at each other. It’s absurd how the tension quickly rises between them in less than a second.

“Sehun,” I mutter, trying to get him to stop looking at Mr. Kai like he deserved to lose his head. I look over Mr. Kai and he’s looking at Sehun the same way. I can hear Mr. Dyo announcing that the shoot is over and for the staff to clean up the set. The two still aren’t done killing each other with their glares. I let out a breath and remove Sehun’s hands off of my wrist. This causes him to dart me a look, “I have to help pack up,” I say and walk away.

If they’re about to start a brawl I don’t want to be around when it happens. I think it’s enough that I’ve seen them stare at each other like they wanted to kill one another. It’s always been like this b