"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S FAKE?"

Chaeyoung winced at Lisa's loud voice, inwardly praying that her poor eardrums were still intact.

"Umm...like I said, Jennie and I are not really dating."

"What – how – I'M SO CONFUSED!" Lisa yelled even louder. "But you guys act so in love with each other!"

"Yeah, it was all just an act. Uh, because of Kai."

"Kai? Jennie's ex? What does this have to do with him?"

"Well..." Chaeyoung started hesitantly, memories of that fateful night flooding back. Jennie's tear-streaked face, her pained voice –

Rosie, I know this sounds dumb and desperate, but this is the only way I see. Please help me, I beg you!

Chaeyoung sighed as Lisa waits for an explanation. "Long story short, they broke up because Kai had her eyes on another girl. But Jen is still badly in love with him, so she wanted to make him jealous. Said that it might help him realize he still wants her."

"Don't tell me..."

"Yeah" Chaeyoung grimaced, already anticipating Lisa's incoming outrage. "Our relationship was just a ruse. Those dates, skinship, and affection – they were all just to help Jen win back Kai."

"So those were all platonic?!"

"Yeah..."

"I can't believe this! And you never told me? Your best friend?" Lisa shouted. "All this time I was so proud that you've finally overcame your useless, pining self and confessed to Jen! But turns out you're still the same self-sacrificing idiot in love!"

"Hey!" Chaeyoung frowned, unable to deny Lisa’s statement. She is indeed very much in love with Jennie, for years even.

Heck, that’s what also pushed her to say yes to Jennie's ridiculous plan in the first place.

"So what now? Why are you telling me this months too late?" Lisa rubbed her temple for the headache her best friend caused.

"Because..." Chaeyoung looked down, feeling a lump in forming. "I think Jen’s plan worked. I can sense that Kai wants her back now, and he's only hesitating because of our fake relationship."

"Then that means..."

"Yes. Our relationship has reached its end already.”

With that, tears spilled out of Chaeyoung's eyes like a broken dam, and Lisa immediately engulfed her in a tight hug.

"I know it was just borrowed time, that she was not mine to lose" Chaeyoung sobbed, soaking Lisa’s shirt. "But why does it still hurt so much?"
 

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"Rosie, you're back!"

Chaeyoung entered her shared apartment with Jennie, giving a forced smile in the hopes of hiding her puffed eyes from the older girl.

"Are you okay? Did something happen? Who made you cry?" Jennie stood up from the couch, seemingly ready to murder anyone who caused Chaeyoung any minor inconvenience.

"I'm okay, it’s just an allergic reaction" Chaeyoung lied, guiding Jennie back to her seat before quickly changing the topic. "What about you? How was your day?"

“Ugh, it was hell!” Jennie groaned, thumping the back of her head on the couch. "Everything's still a mess for my upcoming fashion show. I even had to spend six hours a while ago fixing a careless mistake from a stylist! At this point, this whole thing might just end up as one big failure!"

"Hey, don’t say that” Chaeyoung wrapped her arms around Jennie, giving her a comforting squeeze. Months of fake dating Jennie has taught her how much the girl needs physical affection, especially when she's anxious. “I know first-hand how hard you’ve worked for this, and I promise you that you’ll leave all those guests in awe of your designs. So don't doubt yourself, okay?"

Jennie gave a small nod at those words, her whole body relaxing as Chaeyoung's warmth enveloped her – the day’s exhaustion already seeping of her system.

Chaeyoung gave a satisfied hum, and was about to stand up when suddenly, Jennie circled her arms around her waist and pulled her forward, causing Chaeyoung to lose balance and fall on Jennie’s lap.

Straddling someone’s lap, all the more so Jennie’s, was definitely not part of Chaeyoung's expected to-do list this evening.  

"Jen, what –"

sealed shut when the older girl buried her head in Chaeyoung’s neck, nose pressing inches above her clavicle to let out a heavy sigh.

"Can we stay like this for a bit longer?" Jennie mumbled, breath tingling on bare skin and Chaeyoung suddenly found it harder to breathe.

This – whatever is happening right now – is new, and certainly very bad for Chaeyoung’s poor heart.

"Rosie, there's also something I’ve been wanting to tell you."

Jennie's lips pressed, warm on a sensitive spot below Chaeyoung's jaw. At this point, the blonde’s brain has officially short circuited, failing to register any words Jennie was saying.

"Our relationship may have started as pretending..."

Jennie whispered, her lips travelling lower and placing a devastating kiss on Chaeyoung's throat.

"...but I haven’t been doing so for a long time already."

And another kiss, where Chaeyoung’s neck meets her shoulder. Jennie’s warm palms also slid under her shirt, lighting expanse of skin on fire.

This is honestly so unfair, Chaeyoung inwardly screamed. How will she be able to move on with her life now that she knows how Jennie's lips feel like?

It's true that she accepted Jennie's plan out of selfish reasons, but this is too much of a punishment. Jennie is still hopelessly in love with Kai, and when they inevitably get back together, Chaeyoung will be left alone, heart crumbled into irreparable pieces.

No, Chaeyoung can't do this anymore. She needs to stop this.

"Rosie, please my girlfriend for real –"


"Let's break up!" Chaeyoung shouted breathlessly at the same time, not hearing what Jennie just confessed.

She proceeded to climbed down clumsily from Jennie's lap, almost falling off the floor in the process.

"What?" Jennie sat in stupor, eyes still shrouded with what looked like lust or love in Chaeyoung’s delusional mind.

Again, Jennie doesn't have feelings for you, Chaeyoung chastised herself. She loves Kai, and she only sees you as a friend.

"I think our plan worked" Chaeyoung fixed her tousled hair, fingers trembling as she smoothens her shirt.

"What plan?"

"Our plan to make Kai jealous so he'll win you back." Chaeyoung breathed out. "I can tell he's interested in you now. Finally realized what he lost – which he should have done so a long time ago.”

“Oh. About that…”

“But I guess what matters is he still came to that conclusion, right? I can tell that he wants to pursue you again, and the only thing stopping him is our pretend relationship."

"But..."

"So let's stop this already" Chaeyoung forced a smile, tone unnaturally cheerful. "Congratulations! I wish you two the best, Jen. You deserve the world."

Chaeyoung's felt tears pricked her eyes, and unable to keep her emotions at bay any longer, she ran out of their apartment.

"Rosie, wait!"
 

------------------------------------------------------------

Chaeyoung slammed her head on the desk in her office, eyes shut tight as she let out a tired grunt.

Everything . And she misses Jennie, a lot.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, signaling another text to the dozens of unanswered ones from the said girl.

“Rosie, Lisa told me you've been staying at her place. Go home please? I miss you, and I really need to tell you something in person. Please, even just five minutes of your time would do."

Chaeyoung's body sank like a deflating balloon in her chair. It's been three days since their break up (can you even call it that if it wasn’t real in the first place?) and Jennie has been hounding her non-stop for a chance to talk.

To talk about what? Chaeyoung moped.

Is it for a proper closure? Maybe Jennie needs to make sure she broke things off cleanly with her before pursuing her happily ever after with Kai.

Speaking of which, Chaeyoung also hasn't heard any news about Jennie and Kai yet, which she admits made her secretly relieved.

No, I need to be a good friend! Chaeyoung banged her head on the table for the nth time to remove her selfish thoughts.

Even it hurts like a twisted knife, she would give Jennie the push she needed to go back with Kai.

Determined, Chaeyoung picked up her phone and agreed to a dinner with Jennie. One last time – she would just have to brave through this one last dinner and everything will be history.

------------------------------------------------------------

"Rosie, you're here!"

Jennie jumped from her seat, almost tripping in her haste to pull Chaeyoung's chair for her.

It's sweet gestures like these that Chaeyoung would miss the most once Jennie moved on.

"Thank you" Chaeyoung glanced at her surrounding, appreciating the interior of the restaurant Jennie picked. She have always wanted to dine here, but never had the chance because reservation usually takes months. Jennie must have pulled some strings to get one in such a short notice.

Okay, that makes Chaeyoung want to cry. Now that she will officially be dumped here, she can't even visit this place again without triggering painful memories.

"For you!" Jennie disrupted her sorrows by clumsily shoving a huge bouquet of roses in her hands. The image of her tiny friend carrying such a big bouquet would have normally made Chaeyoung laugh if it weren't for the context