*Sana’s POV*

 

      “Hey, are you sure you're fine?” Yuta looks at me with concern.

 

      My cheeks start to heat up, “Yes, I am fine. No harm done. Right?”

 

      I guess I am a little embarrassed about what happened at lunch but I don’t get angry very easily. You’ll have to do more than pour trash on me to make me angry. Especially if it was an accident. Anyway, Jihyo is probably way more hurt and is feeling much more humiliation than I.

 

      The Japanese club just ended up nodding at me and we started walking towards our next class. Since we all have Korean as our second language the school allows us to take classes with at least one other Japanese student.

 

      I see my Home Ec. class at the end of the hallway and quicken up my speed. I like being first to the room so then I don’t have the weird sensation that everyone is watching me sit down. 

 

     The five-minute bell starts ringing and Yuto makes sure to sit right next to me. I slip him a cookie so I can learn about the recent events happening at school.  He’s quite the gossiper if you give him food.

 

      Joshua is staring at his phone as he walks into the classroom.  I turn to see Yuto’s face lit up and he gestures for Joshua to sit next to him. I look at my desk desperately hoping that Joshua doesn’t comply and decides to sit elsewhere. However, my luck just doesn’t seem to be the greatest today and he sits right in front of me since it was the closest seat to Yuto. 

 

      Joshua stares at Yuto with wide eyes he looks pretty distraught, “Hey dude, I’ve gotten myself into a huge problem. I've been asking around but no one can seem to help me. Do you happen to know any girls that are, well, actually perfect?”

 

      “I don’t know man, that’s a hard question, I mean, I can list off plenty of perfect girls, but I doubt you would like any of them.” Yuto’s not wrong, pretty much every girl that has confessed their feelings are crazy popular and beautiful. Yet, Joshua always turns them down.

 

      I couldn’t help but listen to them, It's not like there was anything else to pay attention to.

 

      “I need a girl that is kind and trained in etiquette, so my mom will love her.”

 

      “Well, I can think of a couple of girls that have enough manners to fit your profile.” Yuto started counting off girls on his fingers.

 

      “It’s worse than that Yuto. She also needs to be pretty and y enough so my cousins will fall in love with her and I won’t be made fun of for having a boring girlfriend. My family's going to think I'm a loser who can't get over his ex-girlfriend.” Joshua frowns and lays his head on his desk.

 

      I started becoming really interested in the patterns on the wall. So much that I begin to notice the slightest texture that decorates the walls. Joshua can get any girl in this school so I wonder why he's turning down so many. I mean any girl could be a diamond in the rough for him but he wouldn’t know because he keeps saying no.

 

      “Hani was great for this, my cousins would never make fun of me with her by my side and even if my mom didn’t love her, she never asked her to break up with me. Which is surprising for my mom.”

 

      Joshua continued “I can’t take any girl that confesses to me however, I’m not ready for another relationship. I need a girl that is a good enough actress to make my family believe that we are in a relationship but won’t catch feelings along the way.” That makes sense why nobody could help out Joshua. It would be hard not to fall in love while pretending to date.

 

      “Hey Joshua, you're asking quite a lot from some random person, I mean why would anyone want to pretend to be your girlfriend knowing that you’ll never actually like them. It just seems too harsh.” Yuto looks at Joshua and his list of girls is down to zero and his counting hand is now a fist.

 

      “I would pay them.”

 

      I think about the carnival I made a promise to go to and how after my monthly allowance on the essentials I ended up losing it. I was going to take on odd jobs to save up to buy tickets but it looks like a singing Joshua came down from the sky to save my day. Maybe it's finally taking a turn for the better.

 

      Well it was now or never “Hey I can’t help but overhear but did you say you were going to pay the girl?” I ask Joshua, “Exactly how much?”

 

      “It depends on how well she does but around $500 per house visit.”

 

      I look at Yuto and he shakes his head at me. I give him my best pouty face and slip him a cookie from under the desk. He sighs and turns to Joshua.

 

      “Hey, how about my friend Sana.” Yuto lazily pointed at me, “She took etiquette classes for years while she lived in Japan, and she’s pretty, plus she looks great in cosplay. She has some things going on in her life right now so she definitely isn’t interested in relationships.”

 

      I smile at Joshua ignoring the last thing Yuto said. “I could use the money.”

 

      Joshua studied me like I was some item he planned on purchasing “I don’t know, we would have to do a bunch of our own training and... well this might work. Ok let’s do this Sana. When is the best time outside of school for you?”

 

      “Great! Well school gets out at 3 so the best time is probably around 4 to 7.”

 

      “Ok let’s meet at the cafe on 13th street around 4:15” 

 

      “I’ll be there” I flash Joshua a thumbs up and give Yuto another cookie for his good work. 

 

      Yuto was right. I have no time for a relationship but if I want to get tickets to the carnival I need for this arrangement to work out so I don’t end up mowing my neighbor’s yard for only five dollars a week.

 

      Suddenly Jisoo runs up to Joshua and hands him a cupcake “Hey, we both share the name Jisoo, how about we learn about more things we have in common after school?”

 

      Joshua looked at Jisoo with pity “Thanks, but I’m doing something after school and I prefer to go by Joshua.”

 

      Jisoo just smiled and walked away. Happy that she at least got to talk to him. I wonder why girls work up all of their courage to a guy who has never said yes to a girl after he broke up with his girlfriend. Do they really think they're that special, that he’ll surely say yes to them? 

 

      Damn, Joshua’s really living his best life. I wish girls ran up to me and handed me food. 

 

      On my way walking to the next class I am filled with excitement. I’ll be able to fulfill the promise to go to the carnival! 500 dollars is enough for two tickets and I’ll have my monthly allowance soon too. Now I just have to deal with Joshua, at least his face is pretty enough I forget about the rest of his shortcomings.

      I bring out my phone and quickly text Mina "Hey, can you stay at my house until 7. Something just came up. I'll give you cookies if you're available!!! :)" I honestly hope I can make this work.