Those were the words that met my ears as I stared at the girl in front of me in disbelief while she calmly sipped her tea.

       Angry words, thinly-veiled fury, and intimidating threats were among the things I had expected to be greeted with once she had ordered the others to leave the room, but never this. Nothing could have prepared me for this type of proposition. 

       A minute or so of silence passed between us as she grimaced at her cup for a split second before adding another spoonful of sugar to her tea cup, mixing it with the unconcerned air of a queen before setting the spoon down at the edge of her waiting saucer. From there she returned her mixing hand to the bottom of said cup before blowing lightly at the dark liquid and taking another sip. It was only then, once she had graced it with a pristine smile of satisfaction, that she placed the petite cup down gently before finally meeting eyes with me. 

       "I'll compensate you nicely for your troubles," she spoke casually, using the type of voice others might use to discuss the weather, "and I'll even allow you to move into one of the apartments on this floor."

       I stared at her, disbelief still the most prominent part of my face. 

       "You're a college student so you should be smart and, even if you're not, anyone can clearly see that we both benefit from this little arrangement."

       I couldn't tell if she was even registering the fact that she had just insulted me or simply choosing to ignore it. Still, I took a moment to think things through and, though I hated to admit it, I could see the validity of her argument. I could really use the money right now, plus my ex had only given me 3 days to move out and my sister needed a place to stay... 

       "It would only be for a little while..." I spoke for the first time since the bombshell, my voice betraying my own feelings of nervousness. "I would just have to pretend to be you for a little while, right?" 

       At this she slowly began to grin, already keen on the victory she felt within her grasp. 

       "Exactly. Just for a few weeks, or months depending on my schedule," upon seeing the negative shift in my features at the word 'months', she quickly continued to try and smooth things over. "I'll tell you everything you need to do and exactly how to do it, tell you everything you need to know so there's no confusion."

       Reading the indecision on my face in my unconscious kneading of my fingers and furrowing of my brows, she continued.

       "You're majoring in drama, or theater or something, right? Think of this as an extended exercise, an impromptu practice. Please, Kim-ssi," 

       At this she grabbed onto my still-fidgeting hands from across the table and tilted her body toward me, eyes wide and imploring as she used that famous Shin Sekyung charm to try and win me over.

       "Please date my boyfriend."