+++ Warning of dirty language including curses, insulting, mentioning , ualizing characters and in some parts that might be disturbing to some readers +++

Irene and Mino met at the bank of a park near Irene’s building. “I’m here.” She said to Mino who was already sitting on the bank. He looked very stressed. “So, what do you want to tell me?” Irene asked him, taking a seat next to him. Mino repeatedly moved his feet and his hair before turning his body to Irene. “I know this might sound crazy right now, but- Do you want to be my girlfriend?” Irene heard his question, but she couldn’t progress it in her mind. That’s why she just looked at him with a blank expression. Seeing her face like her soul left her body, Mino got slightly worried and neared to her face. “Are you okay? Did you hear me?” He asked carefully. Irene slightly shook her head, she wanted to make sure he was asking her the same question she heard few seconds ago. “I asked, if you would like to be my girlfriend?” He asked again. The moment he did that, Irene burst into laughter until she couldn’t breathe properly, leaving Mino totally dumbfounded.

“You- you can’t be serious, can you?” She asked in between her laughs. “Me? Your girlfriend? And you are my boyfriend?” She asked and continued laughing. Mino’s face twisted, he turned his head to his front and lowered his gaze. “I’m totally serious.” He pointed out. “But if you want to make fun of it, go ahead.” He said before he put the top of his drink into his mouth. Irene’s laughter slowly faded, and she looked at him with a more serious expression. “But why? Why would you want to ask me something like that? I mean, we barely know each other. In fact, we don’t know each other at all.” She tried to find logical reasons against his request. “I know you. I know that you are different from other girls. I know that you hate crowded places, that you have a special love for cakes and cats, that you love marvel movies, that you live alone and work in a bakery shop. You want me to continue?” He asked with a slight smile. Irene closed her eyes and sighed “These are not enough information to date someone.” She pointed. Mino looked at her as if he was offended “Is there any special formula to date someone?” He asked, leaving her speechless.

Irene shook her head “Look, I don’t know anything about you. Maybe that you are different than other people, you have a crazy personality. Gosh, even the fact that you’re asking me this makes you crazy as hell.” She said and grabbed the drink out of his hand and gulped it out of stress as if it was nothing. Mino stared at her behaviour with raised eyebrows and a slight smirk “And you are normal?” He asked. Irene realized what she was doing and put the drink to the side in a harsh move. “I know that it’s an overwhelming question, but I don’t even want to have an answer as fast as possible. Because, I- I- I need you to be my girlfriend for one night.” He let out. Irene widened her eyes and looked at him as if he was a monster. Knowing that she totally misunderstood her, Mino repeatedly shook his hands and chuckled “Not in that way. There’s a family dinner in a few days and I need someone to accompany me. To be exact, to be next to me as my girlfriend, so I can show my brother that he is not the only one able to have a serious relationship.” He explained. “So you’re just using me.” Irene pointed out. “We can truly date afterwards, if you want. That way, I wouldn’t be using you.” Mino smirked. Irene rolled her eyes “I don’t know.” She said. “Why do you want to show off to your family members? Aren’t you on good terms with them?” She wanted to know but wondered if she asked the wrong question since his face fell. “You don’t want to know, Irene.” He simply answered without looking at her.

His answer didn’t satisfy her, but she didn’t insist on it and sighed hard “I really don’t know, and I need time. Time to think about it.” She told him as she faced him. Mino nodded “It’s okay, I just wanted you to know.” He softly said. Irene scanned his face if he was being sincere since she still couldn’t calculate him well. “Good night, Mino.”

“Good night, beautiful.” Mino smiled at her and watched her leaving. He hoped from the deepest of his heart that she would agree to his request. The family dinner was very important for him and his mother. He needed to be present with a trophy next to her and in his eyes, Irene was the perfect trophy to play against his brother.

Irene tried to rethink with a clear mind to Mino’s words. He wasn’t truly asking her to date him in real, it was only for a dinner. She is only supposed to act for one dinner. Irene thought if that was such a big deal and wondered what his family would be like when he was already crazy enough. Walking out of the elevator to her door, she noticed some noises inside Donghae’s apartment. Making slow steps she paid close attention to the noises, she could tell that he had a guest, a female guest. Is it Dara? She wondered, she couldn’t really recognize her voice, but the fact that there was someone with him made her feel uneasy.

The next day, Irene went to her bakery in the morning. She wasn’t working but buying warm and delicious bread to have a decent breakfast. Good thing was that the bakery was very easy to reach for her. In the past, her mother would always bake delicious bread for breakfast. She has taught Irene well how to make them, but she was too lazy to do so and besides why would she waste the energy if her bakery did the same taste?

With the bag filled with breads in her head she walked to her apartment. “Oh, Irene!” She heard a female call after her. When she raised her gaze to see who the owner of the voice was, she realized it was Dara peeking her head out of Donghae’s apartment. Irene smiled in a thing line and nodded. “Hey.” She simply said. ‘So, she was the one in his apartment yesterday. I wonder, if she spent the whole night with him. Ya! What are you thinking? They’re engaged anyway, it’s not a big deal.’

“What is that? Did you have breakfast?” Dara asked with a curious expression on her face. Irene first glanced to her bag and then faced her “No, I was just buying some bread to have one.” She smiled. “Come, have breakfast with us. We didn’t start yet.” Dara invited her. Her offer was too much for Irene to handle, she definitely was not going to have breakfast with Dara and her handsome fiancé in her handsome fiancé’s apartment. Irene shook her head politely “No, thanks, I don’t want to disturb.” She sweetly said. Dara scoffed “What are you talking about? You won’t disturb us and besides I want to know you more, maybe we can be friends.” Dara smiled brightly. Irene forced a smile ‘Being friends with the fiancé of the man I’m attracted to?’

Dara couldn’t wait any longer, so she grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside against her will. “Let’s have some delicious breakfast, we can serve these, too.” Dara smiled and took the bag out of her hand before she was leaving into the kitchen. Irene was now standing alone in the hall, totally helpless and clueless how she should behave. It was very silent inside as if Dara would be alone in the apartment. Since she was inside of his apartment once, she knew where the living room was, so she gathered herself together and slowly walked into the direction.

When she was at the edge of the living room door, she could spot a figure sitting on the sofa. His eyes were glued to his laptop and thin lines formed in between his eyebrows. Even with glasses he looked very cute and attractive to Irene. It seemed as if he was working on something since his focus was that intense that he didn’t notice someone was entering his living room.

In the background she could hear Dara’s footsteps who glanced to her with a smile and rolled her eyes when she saw Donghae “You just woke up, when did you even turn on that thing?” Dara said out loud as she set the table on the other half of the room. The décor inside was very simple and neat, it was near to a minimalism lifestyle. “It’s important Dara.” Donghae mumbled. Irene was still standing at the door with her hands crossed and observing the scene. Dara noticed her distant figure and smiled “Don’t stand there, Irene. Come, you can have a seat.”

Donghae’s focus immediately vanished when he heard the name Dara was saying and he finally turned his head to her direction. Although, the sudden eye contact startled Irene, she tried her best not to show it and smiled to him before she walked to the table. “You need help?” Irene asked her, Dara shook her head with a smile “I’ll just bring the coffee. I invited her to have breakfast with us. The poor girl lives alone and needs to have some accompany sometimes, right?” Dara explained loudly, so Donghae could hear her and faced Irene when she asked the question. Before Irene could answer, she disappeared into the kitchen. Irene wondered, if she really gave out the image of a poor girl. Was she really that pitiful? She wouldn’t think so. She never complained about it. It was the way, she wanted to live, so why did Dara assume that she needed attention and accompany? She felt, she was slightly embarrassing her and thought if it was a good idea to be inside that apartment.

Donghae put his laptop aside and stood up to walk towards the table. He was going to sit next to her before Dara came in between to put the coffee on the table, causing him to move aside and sit in front of her. “Let’s have a good breakfast.” She said and dropped herself next to Irene. “These breads are from Irene. I caught her before she could disappear into her apartment.” Dara chuckled as she grabbed a bread slice. Donghae glanced to Irene “So you were somehow stealing her breads? Why do you bother people so early in the morning Dara?”

“Ah! No, it’s okay. I didn’t feel bothered at all.” Irene let out as she forced a smile, still tensed. “You want coffee?” Donghae asked her as he was holding the pot in his hands. “S-sure.” Irene answered and held her cup in front of him, so he could fill it up. Dara observed the scene and smiled “Why do you live alone, Irene?” Dara asked her as she was munching some veggies. Irene got startled from the sudden question and took a while to answer, “I wanted to be independent from my parents.” She simply answered after she thought well in her mind. “But isn’t it dangerous? I mean as a girl, I couldn’t do that for example. Don’t get me wrong.” Dara smiled as she asked the question. Irene smiled back and told her that it’s okay. Donghae just listened to them with a neutral expression. “I think, I just got used to it.” Irene answered with a smile.

“Why dangerous? I’m here, if something bad happens, I can take care of her.” Donghae suddenly let out without looking at them, before he put his cup between his lips. His comment made Irene nervous as hell since she could see Dara clenching her jaw as she was looking at him “Right! Lee Donghae takes care of everyone.” She commented with a chuckle. Irene couldn’t spot if she was telling the truth or just being sarcastic. “Do you have a boyfriend, dear?” Dara asked her as she faced her. Irene just blankly looked at her, struggling with wor