An inescapable silence enveloped both Dahyun and Sana as they sat at the same table, finally free of Dahyun's pestering old friends. They haven't, however, escaped Mrs. Kim Yu-jun. The woman was ordering herself a drink, leaving the two young ladies alone for a moment.

"Hey, Sana," Dahyun said meekly. When Sana centered her attention on her, Dahyun found herself unable to speak. It was as if her head couldn't come up with a single phrase, and even if it did, her tongue was tied around. "I... uhm..." she began, clearing before shamefully grasping at the back of her hair. "I'm sorry for bringing you in this situation without any notice or... whatever. It was a rash decision, and I, myself, didn't get a notice about that silly idea," she tried to explain.

"Well," Sana said quietly as she looked down at her clasped hands. "I was pretty shocked when you suddenly pertained to me as... someone you are in a relationship with," she chuckled, bobbing her head. "But I'm sure there was a reason you had to do it."

"About that," Dahyun replied, thinking about explaining what had occurred to Sana. "You told me recently that people call you an eager beaver, right?" she remarked, prompting the other woman to nod her head, still puzzled. "Well, I'm known as the jack of all trades."

"Jack of all trades?" Sana inquired with her forehead wrinkled in curiosity.

"Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one," Dahyun replied, shrugging her shoulders. "That's how the saying goes," she continued. "In any case, it means I'm good at everything and have a wide range of skills."

"I'm listening," Sana responded, her gaze fixed on Dahyun's.

"Not that I'm bragging, but what people say is true." "But there's this thing I'm never getting good at," Dahyun admitted, somewhat hesitantly. "It's rather lame for a jack of all trades to not know the basic 'picking girls up' thingy, isn't it?" she said softly.

Sana wasn't sure how she felt about it. But she knew it was ridiculous, so she couldn't help but laugh. Dahyun, on the other hand, pursed her lips, perhaps offended by Sana's reaction. "I'm sorry, Atty. Kim," the woman finally had to say. "I just didn't think you'd say something like that," she said.

"In my defense, I haven't tried that hard yet!" Dahyun reasoned, only eliciting more giggles from Sana. "Is it that funny?" she questioned, her eyes rolling.

"So that's why you had to make it look like you have a girlfriend?" Sana inquired, hoping to gain a better understanding of the situation. Dahyun simply nodded. So, Sana responded, "I see," before laughing one last time.

"Stop it, really," Dahyun grumbled, heaving a sigh.

"Okay, I'll stop," Sana said, taking a deep breath in and out. She then maintained a straight face, appearing more serious than ever. "So, what are our plans from here?" she inquired. "We have successfully convinced your friends, but don't forget that we did the same thing to your mother," she whispered quietly before diverting her gaze to Yu-direction. jun's "Should we just admit to her that that was all for show?"

"We can't," Dahyun replied, drawing Sana's attention to her. She had to shake her head, indicating her refusal. "It's going to break her heart, Sana." "She was always excited about the idea of my sister or me finally getting into a relationship," Dahyun explained, leading Sana to nod slowly.

 

Despite the fact that Nayeon and she had previously been in a relationship, they agreed to handle it privately. Shirou and Sayuri only found out by mistake, but it's a good thing they're all for it. The two were so supportive that they did an excellent job of keeping it a secret from everyone else as well.

Sana, on the other hand, felt a little sad when she reflected on the past. It would have been good if Nayeon had introduced her to the family at the very least. So then, she would have discovered she had a sister. It seemed unreal to Sana that she had just lately learned of Dahyun.

And it was then that she realized Nayeon may have never trusted Sana about her family's situation, because Nayeon had never mentioned anything about it. That particularly pricked Sana's heart, but it was all in the past, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"If we have to keep doing this," Sana murmured. "How... long?"

Dahyun hummed, thinking that was an interesting question. "It shouldn't be too long," she presumed. "We simply have to convince mom for a bit that it's, uh, true love," she coughed.

"And when she's enjoyed it enough, the idea of me being in a relationship, I guess we could just say we broke up or whatever," Dahyun added, scratching the edge of her brow as though reconsidering the suggestion. It might not be so good because her mother would be hurt, which she is now trying to avoid, as well. But the important thing is that the woman would feel extremely delighted for a short period of time.

"That's a rather sloppy plan," Sana commented.

"It's not as if you have a better alternative," Dahyun shrugged. "Or do you have anything else in mind?" she inquired.

Sana paused for a moment, as if trying to think of something, but she eventually gave up. "Let's just stick to your plan," she agreed, chuckling. "Though, wouldn't it be strange that even if we split up, I'd still be working as your assistant? I mean, there's a possibility your mom would see us together," Sana explained, which made sense.

"Then let's tell her we're still friends despite everything."

"You really don't know anything about relationships, do you?" Sana could only shake her head. "Not many people become friends with their exes." "Unless they intend to repair their collapsed bridges."

"Which group of people do you think you belong to?" Dahyun inquired, her face expressionless.

Sana let out a tiny gasp and wondered. She hadn't expected to be asked this question, but it wouldn't harm to answer. "I guess I'm the type who doesn't mind mending broken relationships when they're badly needed," she explained quietly.

"Then we could be friends," Dahyun remarked, smiling pleasantly.

 

Nayeon had finally arrived at her house, where she saw a wrapped package. It seemed to be a gift for her birthday yesterday. She picked it up without much enthusiasm, her face expressionless.

"Who was this from?" she asked herself before reading the note attached to it. It was, to her surprise, from Dahyun. She her forehead, slightly confused.

How could she not feel weirded out? This was the first time Dahyun had given her a gift in all the years she had lived in this world. Except for the time Dahyun was a three-year-old girl. She had probably not realized her hatred for Nayeon at the time, so she gave her sister a pet bunny.

However, something had infuriated Nayeon. A scrawled remark beneath Dahyun's name said, "I asked for Sana's advice on that one. She's pretty good at picking gifts. I really enjoyed what she gave me, but there was no reason. I believe she's naturally a caring person."

The purpose of that message was definitely to upset Nayeon. And it worked perfectly, as the woman almost crushed the package by grasping it too tightly. It's a shame that Dahyun didn't see that reaction.

"Really?" Nayeon paused momentarily. "You're really using Sana to get under my skin, huh?" she questioned, her jaws tightened.

Without wasting any more time, she opened the box. She saw a mockneck sweater in there.

However, this was no ordinary sweater. "That girl," Nayeon said under her breath, shaking her head in utter disbelief. Very well, it was a Christmas sweater, and Christmas is still a long way off. Furthermore, the design is very cringey, but it's clear that getting her something like that was well-planned.

"Huh," she scoffed, "I'm not wearing this crap."

Nayeon closed the box once more before reaching for the keys to her apartment. She received a phone call as soon as she opened it. She didn't have time to look for the caller ID because she was in a hurry to check her email after being gone all night yesterday.

"Hello?" she went on to ask.

"Nayeon-ah," that sweet voice belonged to her mother Yu-jun.

"Oh, it's you, Mom."

"How are you doing? Do you feel any better?" the woman inquired, concerned. As a result, Nayeon remembered how Sana unknowingly brightened her day.

Nayeon smiled slightly and exhaled a light blow. "Yeah," she agreed. "Very much better, mom," she added, "and thanks for checking."

"You don't have to thank me for being a mom," Yu-jun joked. "By the way, I called because I think we need to schedule another dinner."

"For what?" Nayeon inquired, placing her phone between her ear and one shoulder while she typed the password to her laptop. "Is it because last night was a disaster?" she inquired, not waiting for the woman's response. "If that's the case, all is well; there's no need to do that," Nayeon stated.

"No, no," Yu-jun responded. "That's not it."

"Is there then an important occasion?"

"Well, to me, it's an important occasion," Yu-jun answered, which successfully piqued Nayeon's interest. "Dahyun has something special prepared for all of us," the woman explained. "It's a big surprise."

"I see," Nayeon stated flatly. "I'm not a fan of her surprises, though," she whispered before redirecting her gaze to the box containing the sweater. "Can't I just skip that one?" she inquired.

"Don't be like that, Nayeon," Yu-jun stated solemnly, forcing Nayeon to sigh. "All right, you two are often in blazing rows, but she is your younger sister."

"I get it, mom," Nayeon said, laughing slightly. "I'll be there," she promised, "just let me know when and where, and I'll squeeze it into my schedule."

"That's fantastic!" Yu-jun exclaimed.

 

 

 

 

"WHAT?!?" exclaimed Dahyun, drawing practically everyone's attention to their table. Dahyun smiled apologetically in different areas after noticing how much attention that had gotten. "What?" she said again, this time in hushed tones.

"You... you're planning a dinner with all of us in the family there, and," Dahyun paused before continuing. "...Sana has to be there as well?" she questioned; her eyebrows pinched. She just couldn't believe it.

And neither could Sana, who could only let her jaw drop after hearing what Yu-jun had just said. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Kim, but why is that necessary?" she inquired politely. "We've only been dating for, um," she said, looking at Dahyun first, "two weeks."

"Right, two weeks," agreed Dahyun.

"It's not like we're going to get married soon, mom," she reasoned, potentially persuading the woman that Sana should not meet the family so soon. Plus, it's not like anything between her and Sana is real.

"You two aren't getting any younger," Yu-jun explained, only adding to Dahyun's stress. "People your age don't need to date for a long time to get married. What you have is no longer a playdate," she remarked.

"This is probably why I never wanted to date," Dahyun murmured to herself. Luckily, her old lady didn't hear it.

"But... I'm still getting used to being with her," Sana admitted, wearing a shy smile on her face. "Wouldn't meeting the entire family be too much?" "I just feel like there's too much pressure waiting for me in there."

"She's right, mom," Dahyun agreed, nodding, and casting a quick glance at Sana.

"I already notified your father and sister, so I can't take it back now," Yu-jun scratched the top of her head. She could only offer an apologetic smile to the two.