Permanent

The rumor spread like wildfire before lunch period even ended.

Karina dumped Jihoon.

Karina has a new boyfriend.

Karina cheated.

By the time the final bell rang, the entire school was buzzing. Karina walked down the third-floor corridor without looking at anyone, her long black hair swaying like a curtain behind her. Winter, Giselle, and Ningning followed closely, creating a protective wall that no one dared to breach.

“I still can’t believe you actually said it,” Giselle muttered under her breath, checking her nails. “Out of all the guys you could’ve picked as your fake boyfriend, you chose him? Like… actual Y/n?”

Karina didn’t answer. She kept walking, jaw tight.

She was still replaying the scene from two hours ago in her head.

Jihoon had cornered her behind the gym after practice, his basketball jersey still damp with sweat. The same boy the entire school worshipped. The boy everyone called her perfect match.

“You’re really doing this?” he had snapped. “After everything? Just tell me the real fucking reason, Karina.”

She had been so tired. Tired of being ignored for weeks. Tired of watching him laugh with his teammates while she waited like an accessory. Tired of never being chosen first.

So she said it.

“I have a boyfriend.”

Jihoon had laughed at first, then stopped when he saw her face. “Bullshit. Who?”

In a moment of pure panic and spite, Karina had pulled out her phone, opened the school’s online student directory, scrolled randomly, and shoved the screen in his face.

Y/n. Class 3-A.

The picture was old. He looked awkward in it, like he hadn’t wanted to take the photo. Messy dark hair, quiet eyes, the kind of face that blended into the background so well most people forgot he existed.

Jihoon had stared at the picture for five full seconds before his expression twisted.

“Him? That fucking nobody? You’re joking.”

“I’m not.”

The slap of those words still echoed in her ears. She had never seen Jihoon that angry. But she didn’t regret it. Not even when he called her a liar and stormed off.

What she did regret was the fact that she now had to make this lie real.

Winter nudged her arm as they reached the staircase. “So what’s the plan, Your Highness? You gonna pay the guy? Threaten him? Because Y/n doesn’t exactly look like the type who wants to be in the spotlight.”

“I’ll figure it out,” Karina said coldly.

Ningning winced. “He’s in the literature club, right? I think he stays late in the old library on the fourth floor. The one almost nobody uses.”

Karina stopped walking.

She turned to her three friends, expression unreadable.

“Tell anyone about this and I’ll kill you. This stays between us four. Got it?”

Giselle smirked. “We’re not idiots. Go get your contract boyfriend, diva.”

Karina exhaled through her nose and headed up the stairs alone.

The old library on the fourth floor smelled like dust and old paper. Only a few students ever came here anymore. Most preferred the new digital library on the first floor with its fancy computers and air conditioning.

Y/n was sitting at the very back corner desk, near the window. A thick novel was open in front of him, earphones in, completely unaware of the storm walking toward him.

Karina stopped a few feet away and studied him for a moment.

He really was… plain. Not ugly. Just quiet. The kind of boy who probably went his entire high school life without anyone ever really seeing him.

She hated that she was about to ruin that for him.

Y/n suddenly looked up. His eyes widened the moment he recognized her. He pulled one earphone out, fingers clumsy.

“Uh… can I help you?” His voice was soft. Almost too soft.

Karina didn’t sit. She simply stared down at him, arms crossed.

“I need to talk to you.”

Y/n blinked slowly, like he was waiting for the punchline. When none came, he closed his book and sat up straighter, though his shoulders remained slightly hunched.

“Okay,” he said carefully. “Talk.”

Karina glanced around to make sure they were alone before she spoke.

“Two hours ago, I broke up with Park Jihoon. When he kept pushing for a reason, I told him I was already dating someone else.” She paused. “I showed him your picture.”

Y/n’s face went completely blank.

Then his ears turned red.

“My… picture?”

“Yes. From the student directory. I picked it randomly.” Karina’s tone was blunt, almost businesslike. “Now the entire school thinks we’re together. Jihoon’s pride is hurt. He’s going to look for any reason to call me a liar.”

Y/n stared at her like she had grown a second head.

She continued, “So here’s the deal. I want you to be my boyfriend for the rest of the semester. Three months. We don’t have to actually date. It’s a contract. I’ll pay you. Or I’ll do your assignments. Or buy you whatever you want. Name your price.”

The silence that followed was so heavy Karina could hear the old wall clock ticking behind her.

Y/n looked down at his hands. His fingers were trembling slightly.

“You’re… serious?”

“Dead serious.”

He let out a shaky breath that was almost a laugh, but not quite. “You don’t even know me. Why would you pick me?”

“Because you’re the opposite of Jihoon,” she said honestly. “No one would ever suspect it. And because I panicked.”

Y/n stayed quiet for a long time. Karina waited. She was used to people folding immediately when she wanted something. But this boy just kept staring at the table like he was having an entire silent conversation with himself.

Finally, he spoke again, voice barely above a whisper.

“What would I have to do?”

Karina pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. For the first time, her diva mask slipped just a little. She looked tired.

“Walk me to class sometimes. Eat lunch with me. Hold my hand when people are watching. Look at me like I’m not invisible.” Her voice hardened. “Most importantly, don’t fall in love with me. This isn’t real. When the three months are over, we end it cleanly. No drama.”

Y/n’s eyes flicked up to meet hers. There was something in them she couldn’t quite read. Not fear exactly. More like… disbelief.

He was quiet again. Then he asked the one question she didn’t expect.

“Why did you break up with him?”

Karina leaned back in her chair. For a moment, she considered giving him the polished answer. The one she gave her friends.

Instead, the truth slipped out.

“Because he made me feel like I didn’t exist unless it was convenient for him. I was just something to look good on his arm. He never remembered anything I told him. Never put me first. Not once.” She laughed bitterly. “I’m the most popular girl in school and I still felt like a fucking ghost.”

Y/n watched her carefully. The redness in his ears had faded, replaced by something steadier.

“And you think I can do better than that?” he asked.

“I don’t need you to be perfect,” Karina said. “I just need you to try. Even small things. I’m tired of being with someone who doesn’t even try.”

Another long silence.

Then Y/n did something that surprised her.

He took out his phone, opened the notes app, and slid it across the table to her.

“Write the terms,” he said quietly. “All of them. What you expect from me. What I can and can’t do. What happens if one of us breaks the contract. Everything.”

Karina raised an eyebrow. “You’re actually considering this?”

Y/n looked at her. His gaze was timid, but there was a quiet resolve underneath it that made her pause.

“I’m not an idiot, Karina,” he said. “This is probably going to blow up in both our faces. But… if I say yes, I’m not going to half-ass it. That’s not how I do things.”

For the first time in weeks, something like a real smile tugged at the corner of Karina’s lips.

She took his phone and began typing.

The contract was simple but detailed.

• Public dating for three months (until end of November).

• At least four public dates outside of school.

• Hand holding, occasional hugs, and pet names when people were watching.

• Y/n would walk her to her classes at least three times a week.

• Karina would pay for all dates and give Y/n 300,000 won per month for “emotional labor.”

• No kissing unless absolutely necessary.

• No catching feelings.

• Absolute secrecy about the contract. Only her three friends could know.

When she finished, she slid the phone back.

Y/n read through every line slowly. Then he looked up at her.

“One condition from me,” he said.

Karina tilted her head. “What?”

He swallowed, clearly nervous, but didn’t look away.

“If we do this… I’m going to treat you the way I think you should be treated. Not because it’s fake. But because even if it’s pretend, you still deserve it. If that’s a problem, then I won’t do it.”

Karina stared at him.

This was not what she expected from the quiet boy in the back of the library. Not even close.

She leaned forward slightly, voice softer than before.

“You sure you’re not going to fall in love with me, Y/n?”

He gave her a small, almost sad smile.

“I think I’ll survive.”

Karina studied him for a long moment, then held out her hand across the table.

“Deal?”

Y/n looked at her perfectly manicured hand like it might burn him. Then he took it. His palm was warm. His grip was gentle but not weak.

“Deal.”

Neither of them let go immediately.

Outside the library window, the sun was beginning to set, painting the empty hallway in soft orange light. Somewhere downstairs, students were probably still gossiping about the biggest scandal of the semester.

Karina finally pulled her hand back and stood up.

“Tomorrow morning. Meet me at the east gate at 7:40. We’re walking in together.”

Y/n nodded, still looking a little dazed.

As Karina turned to leave, she paused at the doorway.

“Oh, and Y/n?”

He looked up.

“…Thank you.”

She didn’t wait for his response. She walked out of the library with her usual confident stride, but her heart was beating faster than it had any right to.

Behind her, Y/n remained seated, staring at the empty chair where the most famous girl in school had just sat.

He touched the spot on his palm where her hand had been and let out a shaky breath.

“Fuck,” he whispered to the empty library.

This was going to be a lot more complicated than either of them expected.

The next morning was colder than usual. Autumn had properly settled over Seoul, and a sharp wind cut through the streets around Yeonhui High School. Karina arrived at the east gate at exactly 7:40, dressed in her uniform with the sleeves of her cardigan pulled over her hands. She expected to wait. Most boys in her experience were either late or made her wait on purpose to look cool.

Y/n was already there.

He stood slightly away from the main crowd of students, hands in his pockets, wearing the standard black blazer over his uniform. When he saw her approaching, he straightened up immediately. His ears turned pink again, the same nervous habit she had noticed yesterday.

“Morning,” he said quietly, almost too soft to hear over the chatter around them.

Karina stopped in front of him. For a second, neither of them knew what to do. Then Y/n stepped forward and gently took her bag from her shoulder.

“I’ll carry this,” he murmured. “If that’s okay.”

She blinked. Jihoon had never once offered to carry her bag. Not in ten months of dating.

“It’s heavy,” she warned, testing him.

“I don’t mind.” He slung it over his own shoulder without hesitation. “You have morning practice for the school festival performance, right? Your bag looks heavier on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

Karina narrowed her eyes. “How do you know that?”

Y/n shrugged, avoiding her gaze as they began walking through the gate together. “I… pay attention. You always look tired on those days.”

The simple statement hit her harder than it should have. Students were already staring. Phones were coming out. Whispers rippled through the crowd like a wave.

Holy shit, it’s true.
She’s actually with that quiet kid from Class 3-A?
No way. This has to be a prank.

Karina kept her usual cold expression, but her heartbeat was louder than she liked. Y/n walked beside her in silence, matching her pace perfectly. He didn’t try to force conversation. He simply stayed close, close enough that their arms brushed once or twice. Each time it happened, he would quietly apologize.

When they reached the main building, he stopped and turned to her.

“I have to go to the science lab first for prep. But I’ll meet you at your classroom before lunch. If you want me to.”

Karina studied him. He looked so timid standing there, yet he was doing everything without being asked. She gave a small nod.

“Fine. Don’t be late.”

“I won’t.” He handed her bag back carefully, making sure the strap didn’t tangle. Before he left, he reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out a small thermos. “It’s barley tea. Warm. You don’t like sweet drinks in the morning, right?”

He didn’t wait for her answer. He simply bowed his head slightly, like the gentleman he was trying to be, and walked away toward the science wing.

Karina stood frozen for a few seconds, thermos in hand. The metal was warm against her palm.

“Fuck,” she whispered to herself, echoing Y/n’s curse from the library the night before.

Winter appeared beside her like a ghost, eyes wide. “Girl. He brought you tea? Already? This is day one.”

“Shut up,” Karina muttered, but she took a sip anyway. It was perfectly brewed. Not too hot, not too cold.

By lunch, the entire school had accepted that the new couple was real. Or at least, they were pretending to. The proof came in waves.

First, Y/n was waiting outside Karina’s classroom exactly when he said he would. He stood against the wall, ignoring the curious stares. When she walked out, he fell into step beside her without a word. He didn’t grab her hand dramatically. Instead, he simply let his fingers brush against hers, giving her the choice. After a moment, Karina took his hand. It was warm and steady.

The hallway practically exploded with murmurs.

In the cafeteria, the real test began.

Karina led him to the table where Winter, Giselle, and Ningning were already seated like queens holding court. The four girls always sat at the center table by the windows. Today, an extra chair had been added.

Y/n hesitated when he saw the setup.

Ningning grinned mischievously. “So you’re the mysterious contract boyfriend. Sit. We don’t bite. Much.”

He sat down quietly next to Karina. The girls watched him like hawks.

Giselle leaned forward. “Ground rules. If you hurt her, even by accident, we will end you. Contract or not.”

“I understand,” Y/n said softly. His voice didn’t shake. “I don’t plan on hurting her.”

Winter tilted her head. “You’re awfully calm for someone who got dragged into this. Most guys would be shaking.”

Y/n glanced at Karina for a moment before answering. “She needed help. That’s enough reason for me.”

Karina felt her neck grow warm. She quickly changed the subject by pushing her tray toward him. “Eat. You skipped breakfast, didn’t you?”

He had. She somehow knew. Y/n accepted the gesture and began quietly placing the best pieces of side dishes onto her plate when she wasn’t looking. Small efforts. The kind that most people never noticed.

Halfway through lunch, Park Jihoon walked into the cafeteria with his basketball teammates. The entire room went still. Jihoon’s eyes immediately locked onto their table. His jaw clenched when he saw Y/n sitting there, calmly peeling an orange and then sliding the perfectly separated pieces onto Karina’s plate without being asked.

The gesture was so gentle, so thoughtful, that even Giselle raised an eyebrow.

Jihoon looked like he wanted to march over, but one of his friends held him back. The message was clear: the “super couple” was over, and the new pairing was very much on display.

After lunch, Y/n walked Karina all the way to her next class on the third floor even though his own classroom was in the opposite direction. At the door, he stopped.

“I’ll wait for you after school,” he said. “By the back gate. You have vocal practice until five, right?”

Karina crossed her arms, trying to maintain her diva front. “You really don’t have to do all this. The contract doesn’t require you to memorize my entire schedule.”

Y/n looked at her quietly. “I know. But I want to.”

Before she could reply, he reached out and gently fixed the collar of her uniform that had folded awkwardly. His fingers barely touched her neck, but the contact sent a strange flutter through her stomach.

“See you later,” he murmured, then disappeared into the crowd.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of stares and whispers. By the final bell, the proof everyone needed had been delivered in quiet, consistent doses. Y/n carrying her bag again after practice. Y/n waiting patiently in the cold for twenty minutes because her vocal coach ran late. Y/n draping his own blazer over her shoulders when the evening wind picked up, even though it left him in just a thin sweater.

When they reached the street outside the back gate, Karina finally stopped him.

“About the money,” she said, pulling an envelope from her bag. “Three hundred thousand won. Like we agreed.”

Y/n looked at the envelope like it personally offended him. He took a step back.

“I don’t want it.”

Karina frowned. “It’s part of the contract. We wrote it down.”

“Then change it.” His voice was still soft, but there was steel underneath. “I’m not taking money from you. It wouldn’t feel right. It’s unmanly. My father raised me to believe that if you stand beside a woman, you do it properly or not at all. Even if it’s pretend.”

Karina stared at him, completely thrown. No boy had ever turned down free money from her before.

“So what do you get out of this?” she asked, genuinely curious.

Y/n looked at the ground for a moment, then met her eyes. The timid boy from the library was still there, but something warmer hid behind his gaze now.

“The chance to show you that not every guy treats you like a ghost. Even if it’s only for three months.” He gave a small, shy smile. “That’s enough.”

The wind rustled the leaves around them. Karina felt her cold diva mask crack a little more. She put the envelope away slowly.

“Fine. No money. But you’re letting me buy you food sometimes. That’s non-negotiable.”

Y/n’s smile grew just a fraction. “Deal.”

They stood in silence for a while. Then Karina did something she rarely did. She spoke without filtering herself.

“Today was… nicer than I expected. The tea. The orange. Waiting for me. All of it. Jihoon never did any of those things. Not once in almost a year.”

Y/n listened without interrupting. He was good at that. Listening.

“You don’t have to try so hard, you know,” she added quietly.

“I’m not trying hard,” he replied. “This is just how I am. If it’s too much, tell me. I’ll dial it back.”

Karina shook her head. “No. Don’t dial it back.”

The words slipped out before she could stop them. She quickly looked away, pretending to check her phone. But Y/n had heard. His ears went pink again, but this time he didn’t look away.

“I’ll walk you home,” he offered. “It’s getting dark.”

“It’s out of your way.”

“I know.”

Karina didn’t argue. They walked side by side under the streetlights, the city slowly lighting up around them. Every few minutes Y/n would slow down when he noticed her heels making her steps uneven on the cracked pavement. He’d offer his arm without a word. She took it twice.

When they reached her apartment building, she stopped at the entrance.

“Thank you,” she said. It was the second time she had thanked him in two days. Both times felt strangely easy.

Y/n bowed his head slightly again, that old-fashioned gentleman habit of his. “Text me when you’re inside. So I know you’re safe.”

Karina raised an eyebrow. “That’s not in the contract either.”

“No,” he agreed, smiling that small, timid smile again. “But I’d still like to know.”

She watched him walk away, hands back in his pockets, shoulders slightly hunched against the cold now that she had his blazer. Only when he disappeared around the corner did she let out a long breath.

Inside her room, Karina dropped onto her bed still wearing his blazer. It smelled faintly like clean soap and something uniquely him. She buried her face in the collar for a moment.

“Slow down, idiot,” she whispered to herself.

But her heart wasn’t listening.

Meanwhile, Y/n walked the long way home with his hands trembling slightly. He stopped under a streetlight and pressed both palms to his burning face.

He had promised not to catch feelings.

Yet every small effort he made today, every quiet observation, every gentle gesture, had felt dangerously real. And the way Karina had looked at him when he gave her the orange pieces, like no one had ever done something so simple for her before, was going to haunt him.

Three months.

It was going to be a very long, very fluffy, and very dangerous three months.

Back in her room, Karina took out her phone and opened the notes app where their contract was saved. She added a new line at the bottom.

No money. Y/n is too much of a gentleman for that shit.

She smiled despite herself, then typed one more sentence she would never show anyone.

He’s already better than Jihoon ever was.

She deleted that last line quickly, heart racing.

A week had passed since the contract began, and the school had mostly settled into the new reality. The whispers had not disappeared, but they had changed tone. What started as disbelief slowly turned into quiet fascination. The once invisible boy from Class 3-A was now seen walking beside Karina every day. Not loudly. Not possessively. Just... steadily.

Y/n continued his quiet efforts without fanfare. He began bringing her a small packet of her favorite honey butter chips because he noticed she craved something salty after long vocal practices. He always remembered to save her the seat closest to the heater in the cafeteria when the autumn chill crept into the building. When it rained one afternoon, he showed up with an umbrella big enough for both of them, even though his own shoulder got wet as he angled it more toward her.

Karina told herself these things did not affect her. She was the superstar. The diva. Yet every time he performed one of those small acts, something warm and unfamiliar bloomed in her chest. She found herself looking forward to the moments when his fingers would brush hers while handing her something. She noticed how his timid eyes would soften whenever she smiled. It was dangerous, this slow thaw.

On Friday afternoon, the tension that had been simmering finally boiled over.

The basketball team had just finished practice, and many students had gathered near the outdoor court to watch. Karina had stayed late for a student council meeting. Y/n, as usual, waited for her by the bleachers with two warm cans of coffee. One sweetened, one black. He already knew which one she preferred depending on her mood.

Jihoon spotted them immediately.

He was still sweaty from practice, towel around his neck, surrounded by his usual group of loud teammates. His pride had been bleeding for days. Seeing the quiet nobody standing there with coffee for his ex-girlfriend finally snapped something inside him.

“Well, look at this,” Jihoon called out loudly, voice carrying across the courtyard. Dozens of students turned their heads. “The charity case actually showed up again. Tell me, Y/n. How does it feel knowing you’re just the rebound guy she picked from a fucking directory?”

Y/n stiffened but did not retreat. He remained standing calmly beside Karina, holding the coffees steadily.

Karina’s expression turned icy. She stepped forward, placing herself slightly in front of Y/n. “Jihoon, enough. Go lick your wounds somewhere else. This is pathetic, even for you.”

Jihoon laughed, but there was no humor in it. He took a step closer, using his height and broad athlete’s build to tower over them. Several of his teammates smirked behind him, enjoying the show of power.

“Pathetic? I’m not the one hiding behind some timid little bitch who probably never even touched a girl before.” Jihoon’s eyes narrowed at Y/n. “You think you’re man enough for her? You? I scored twenty-three points last game. What the hell can you do? Hide in the library and bring her snacks like some servant?”

Students had their phones out now. This was becoming the spectacle of the week.

Karina’s temper flared. She moved to stand fully in front of Y/n, her voice sharp and protective. “Back off, Jihoon. He’s more of a man in one day than you were in ten months. You treated me like an accessory. He actually sees me. So fuck off before I make sure the entire school knows exactly what kind of selfish prick you are.”

She felt a gentle hand on her arm.

Y/n had stepped beside her again. His touch was soft but firm. When she looked at him, his expression was calm, though she could see the tension in his jaw. His voice, when he spoke, was quiet. It did not carry like Jihoon’s. Yet somehow, everyone nearby went silent to listen.

“It’s okay, Karina,” he said gently. “I can handle this. You don’t have to protect me.”

Karina searched his face, worry clear in her eyes. She had expected him to shrink away. Instead, he gave her the smallest, most reassuring smile before turning back to Jihoon.

He did not raise his voice. He did not throw insults. He simply stood there, straight-backed and quiet, and spoke like a man who had nothing to prove and everything to protect.

“You’re right about one thing,” Y/n said evenly. “I’m not like you. I’ve never scored twenty-three points in a game. I don’t have your popularity. I don’t walk around reminding everyone how important I am.” He glanced down at the two cans of coffee in his hands, then held the sweetened one out to Karina without looking away from Jihoon. She took it automatically. “But I know how she likes her coffee after a long day. I know she gets cold easily in the mornings, so I wait with an extra layer. I know she hates it when people interrupt her while she’s focused, so I stay quiet until she’s ready to talk.”

Y/n’s words remained soft, almost conversational, but they landed like stones.

“I don’t need to tell everyone how much I care. I just do it. Every day. Without expecting anything back.” He met Jihoon’s glare without flinching. “You had her for almost a year and still made her feel invisible. If that’s your version of power, then I’m glad I’m nothing like you.”

The courtyard was completely silent now.

Jihoon’s face reddened with rage. He took another aggressive step forward, fists clenched, clearly ready to use his physical advantage. “You little shit. You think talking pretty makes you better? I could end you right here.”

Karina moved again, ready to shove Jihoon back, but Y/n’s hand found hers first. He squeezed it once, gently, telling her without words that he was alright. Then he did the one thing no one expected.

He turned fully toward Karina, ignoring Jihoon completely.

“Would you like to go home now?” he asked her, voice warm and sweet, as if they were the only two people in the world. “I made reservations at that small bakery you mentioned last week. The one with the lavender scones. We can walk slowly. It’s nice outside today.”

It was such a simple, thoughtful offer. So perfectly timed. So utterly unlike anything Jihoon had ever done. The contrast hit everyone watching like a slap.

Karina’s heart stuttered.

For a moment, she forgot about the crowd, about Jihoon, about the contract. She saw only Y/n. The timid boy who had quietly studied her habits for the past week. The one who chose kindness over dominance. The one whose small efforts somehow felt bigger than any grand gesture.

Without thinking, she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

Right there. In front of Jihoon. In front of the entire courtyard.

Her lips lingered for just a second longer than necessary. His skin was warm beneath her mouth. When she pulled back, her usual cold diva mask had completely melted. She looked almost shy.

“Thank you,” she whispered, only for him. “For being you.”

Y/n’s ears burned bright red, but the smile he gave her was genuine and sweet. He squeezed her hand again, thumb brushing gently over her knuckles in the smallest, most romantic gesture.

Jihoon looked like someone had punched him in the stomach. His teammates shifted uncomfortably. The power play had backfired spectacularly. Instead of looking strong, Jihoon now looked small. Loud. Selfish.

Y/n did not gloat. He simply picked up Karina’s bag with his free hand, nodded politely once in Jihoon’s direction, and began walking away with her. No dramatic exit. No final insult. Just quiet dignity and the gentle way he kept her hand in his the entire time.

The students parted for them. A few even clapped softly.

As they left the courtyard, Karina leaned closer to him, her shoulder brushing his. The kiss still tingled on her lips. She could not stop the small, real smile spreading across her face.

“You were amazing back there,” she said quietly once they were far enough away. “I wanted to murder him. But you... you made him look ridiculous without even trying.”

Y/n looked down at their joined hands, cheeks still flushed. “I wasn’t trying to embarrass him. I just didn’t want him to keep hurting you. Even if this is pretend, you deserve to be treated better.”

Karina stopped walking. They were under the old cherry trees near the rear gate, petals drifting down around them in the soft evening light. She turned to face him fully.

“It doesn’t feel very pretend anymore,” she admitted, voice barely above a whisper. Her fingers tightened around his. “The way you talk to me. The way you notice everything. The coffee, the scones, the umbrella... all of it. No one’s ever made me feel this cared for, Y/n. Not even close.”

He swallowed, suddenly looking as timid as the first day she approached him in the library. But his eyes held hers with a sweetness that made her stomach flutter.

“I told you I wouldn’t half-ass it,” he said softly. “Even if it’s only for three months. You deserve someone who tries. I want to be that someone while I can.”

Karina’s free hand came up to touch the cheek she had kissed moments ago. Her thumb brushed the spot gently, almost reverently.

“You already are,” she murmured.

The moment stretched between them, fluffy and warm and full of unspoken possibility. Y/n’s gaze dropped to her lips for half a second before he caught himself and looked away, ears burning again. Karina felt her own heart racing in the most delightful way.

She leaned in and kissed his cheek once more. Slower this time. Sweeter.

“For them,” she lied softly, nodding toward the distant crowd still watching.

Y/n smiled, that rare, beautiful, genuine smile that made his whole face light up. “Of course. Only for them.”

They continued walking hand in hand toward the bakery, the contract feeling heavier and lighter at the same time. Karina rested her head against his shoulder for a few steps, breathing in the clean scent of him. Y/n’s thumb kept drawing small, soothing circles on the back of her hand.

Neither of them said it out loud, but both felt it.

This slow burn was catching fire.

And for the first time in her life, Karina did not want to put it out.

Later that evening, after sharing warm lavender scones and quiet conversation at the tiny bakery, Y/n walked her all the way to her door again. Before she went inside, he slipped something into her coat pocket.

It was a small handwritten note.

You don’t have to protect me. But thank you for wanting to. I like knowing you care, even a little.

Karina read it three times after he left. Then she pressed the note to her chest, smiling like a girl with a real crush instead of a cold superstar.

The school no longer treated Y/n and Karina as front-page gossip. Instead, people watched them with something closer to curiosity, even quiet approval. Y/n’s small efforts had become daily occurrences. A neatly folded handkerchief when Karina sneezed during morning assembly. A quiet text at exactly 10:17 pm reminding her to drink water after practice. The way he always walked on the side closer to the road.

Karina found herself thinking about him even when he was not around. The cold diva mask she once wore so easily now felt heavier to maintain. Especially when he looked at her with those timid eyes that somehow saw everything.

It was Giselle who suggested the amusement park.

“We need a big public date,” she declared during lunch one day, stabbing her chopsticks into her rice. “Something Instagram-worthy. Proof that this isn’t some weird PR stunt. Besides, I’m bored and I want churros.”

Winter and Ningning immediately joined the chaos.

“Lotte World,” Ningning said, eyes sparkling. “We’re coming too. Call it supervision. Or emotional support menaces.”

Karina had groaned at first, but the idea of spending an entire Saturday with Y/n outside of school made her stomach flutter in a way she refused to name. When she asked him that afternoon, standing under the cherry trees again, his response had been characteristically soft.

“If it makes you happy, then yes. I’ll plan everything.”

And he did.

Saturday arrived bright and crisp. The five of them met at the subway station near the park. Y/n was already waiting with five prepaid tickets in his hand and a small backpack slung over one shoulder. He wore a simple cream sweater and dark jeans, looking quietly handsome in a way that made Karina’s friends exchange knowing glances.

“You paid for all of us?” Winter asked, raising an eyebrow.

Y/n shrugged, ears turning faintly pink. “It felt like the right thing. Karina mentioned once that she likes it when people take care of details in advance.”

Karina felt her heart do a slow, dangerous flip. He had remembered a passing comment from four days ago.

Giselle whistled. “Holy shit. He’s actually a walking romance novel. Karina, if you don’t marry him after the contract ends, I will.”

“Shut up,” Karina muttered, but she could not hide the small smile tugging at her lips. She slipped her hand into Y/n’s without being asked. His fingers closed around hers immediately, warm and steady.

The train ride was pure chaos thanks to the trio. Ningning blasted aespa songs from her phone until an old lady glared at them. Winter kept taking sneaky photos of Karina and Y/n, captioning them dramatically in their group chat. Giselle asked Y/n increasingly invasive questions.

“So, on a scale of one to ten, how whipped are you for our ice princess already?”

Y/n glanced at Karina, who was pretending to look out the window but clearly listening. He answered honestly, voice quiet but sincere.

“Eleven. But I’m trying to be respectful about it.”

The entire compartment went silent for three full seconds before all three girls exploded into squeals and fake gagging noises. Karina squeezed his hand tighter, cheeks burning. She had never felt this warm and embarrassed and happy all at once.

At the amusement park, the magic truly began.

Y/n refused to let Karina pay for anything. When she tried to argue at the entrance for snacks, he simply shook his head with that gentle, stubborn expression.

“You’re letting me treat you today,” he said softly, close enough that only she could hear. “It’s not about money. It’s about wanting to make you smile. Please?”

How could she say no to that?

Their first stop was the carousel because Ningning declared it “aesthetic as hell.” Y/n helped Karina onto a white horse before choosing the black one beside her. As the ride spun, he kept one hand hovering near her waist in case she slipped. The wind caught her hair and she laughed, loud and real, the kind of laugh she rarely allowed herself at school. Y/n’s eyes never left her face. The trio took approximately two hundred photos.

Next came the roller coasters. On the biggest one, Karina gripped the safety bar so tightly her knuckles turned white. Y/n noticed immediately. Without a word, he pried one of her hands free and laced their fingers together.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered as the car climbed higher. “Just breathe with me.”

When the drop came, she screamed and buried her face against his shoulder. He held on tighter, steady as a rock even though she could feel his own heart racing. After they stumbled off the ride, he bought her a bottle of water and held it to her lips himself, letting her drink without letting go of her hand.

The trio menace watched from a few feet away, unusually quiet.

“He’s good for her,” Winter said under her breath.

Giselle nodded. “Too good. I’m getting cavities just watching them.”

Ningning pretended to wipe tears. “Our cold queen is melting. I never thought I’d see the day.”

Lunch was shared churros and cotton candy. Y/n tore off small pieces of the fluffy pink sugar and fed them to Karina when her hands got too sticky. She returned the favor, pressing a piece against his lips with her fingers. Their eyes met and held. For a moment the noisy amusement park faded into background static. The air between them felt thick with something sweet and new.

“You’ve got sugar on your lip,” he murmured, brushing it away with his thumb.

Karina’s breath caught. “So do you.”

She wiped it off for him, lingering longer than necessary. The trio made loud vomiting noises from across the table, but both of them ignored the menace completely.

As the sun began to dip lower, the real test arrived.

The Haunted Mansion.

Karina had always hated horror. She pretended otherwise in public, maintaining her untouchable image, but the idea of dark corridors and sudden screams made her stomach twist. The trio, of course, insisted they all go together.

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” Ningning begged, linking arms with Winter and Giselle. “We’ll protect you, unnie.”

Y/n noticed Karina’s hesitation immediately. He leaned down and spoke into her ear, voice gentle and reassuring.

“You don’t have to go in if you don’t want to. We can wait outside and get more snacks instead. I don’t mind.”

The offer was so kind that Karina’s pride flared for a second. She lifted her chin.

“I’m not scared,” she lied. “Let’s go.”

Inside the haunted house, the lights were almost nonexistent. Eerie music played through hidden speakers. Actors dressed as ghosts and monsters jumped out at random intervals. The trio screamed dramatically, half terror and half theatrical performance, clinging to each other in a chaotic bundle ahead of them.

Karina lasted approximately thirty seconds.

The first proper jump scare, a bloody figure lunging from a cabinet, sent her flying into Y/n’s chest with a small, undignified yelp. Her arms wrapped around his waist like a vice. She buried her face in his sweater, breathing in the familiar clean scent of him.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered immediately, one arm wrapping securely around her shoulders while the other hand rested protectively against the back of her head. “Close your eyes if you want. I’ll guide us through.”

Every time another scare popped up, Y/n would turn his body slightly so that he took the full visual impact first. He never flinched. Never laughed at her. He simply held her tighter, murmuring soft words against her hair.

“You’re doing so well. Just a little further. I won’t let anything touch you.”

Karina clung to him like he was her anchor in a storm. Her diva persona had completely dissolved. All that remained was a girl who felt safer in this quiet boy’s arms than she had ever felt anywhere else. His heartbeat was steady under her cheek. His hand rubbed slow, soothing circles on her back.

At one point, a particularly loud chainsaw sound roared behind them. Karina whimpered and tried to climb him like a tree. Y/n simply lifted her slightly, letting her wrap her legs around his waist for a few steps while he carried her forward in the dark. The gesture was so effortlessly protective, so romantic, that even the trio stopped screaming long enough to stare in awe.

When they finally stumbled out into the daylight again, Karina’s face was flushed and her arms were still locked around his neck. She did not let go immediately. Y/n kept holding her, patient and sweet, waiting until she was ready to stand on her own.

The trio gave them space, wandering ahead toward the Ferris wheel with suspicious grins.

Karina finally pulled back enough to look at him. Her voice was small.

“I’m sorry. I completely ruined the tough girlfriend image back there.”

Y/n smiled, the softest, most adoring smile she had ever seen. He brushed a strand of hair from her face with careful fingers.

“You didn’t ruin anything,” he said quietly. “I liked being the one you held onto. I liked protecting you. Even if it’s pretend... it didn’t feel pretend in there.”

Karina’s heart hammered against her ribs. She leaned in and kissed his cheek again, but this time she turned his face gently with her hand and pressed her lips closer to the corner of his mouth. Not quite a real kiss. But dangerously near one.

“Thank you for being my safe place,” she whispered against his skin.

Y/n’s breath hitched. His hands settled on her waist, holding her like she was something precious. They stood like that for a long moment, surrounded by the noise of the amusement park but feeling like they existed in their own small world.

The trio menace returned eventually, dragging them toward the Ferris wheel for the final ride of the day. This time they made sure Karina and Y/n got their own private carriage.

As the wheel lifted them slowly into the sky, the sunset painted the park in hues of pink and gold. Y/n draped his sweater over Karina’s shoulders when the wind picked up. She leaned against him, head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

“This is the best fake date I’ve ever been on,” she said softly.

Y/n’s arm tightened around her. “It doesn’t feel very fake to me anymore.”

Karina lifted her head. Their faces were inches apart. The slow burn that had been building for weeks felt ready to ignite. She could see the same thought reflected in his eyes, timid but hopeful.

Before either of them could close the distance, the carriage reached the very top and stopped, giving them a perfect view of the glittering city and the colorful lights below. Karina smiled, small and genuine, and rested her forehead against his.

“Let’s stay like this a little longer,” she murmured.

Y/n nodded, pressing the gentlest kiss to the top of her head.

“As long as you want.”

Below them, Winter, Giselle, and Ningning watched from the carriage behind, smiling like proud chaotic aunts.

“Our work here is done,” Giselle declared.

Winter took another photo. “They’re so gone for each other. It’s disgusting. I love it.”

Ningning leaned back with a satisfied sigh. “Best. Menace. Plan. Ever.”

November had arrived too quickly. The three-month contract was due to end on the thirtieth, the final day of the month. What had once felt like a safe, temporary arrangement now loomed over Karina like a storm cloud. Every small effort Y/n made in those final weeks felt heavier, sweeter, and more painful.

He continued exactly as he had from the beginning. Quietly bringing her warm honey tea after dance practice. Walking her home even when it rained, holding the umbrella so perfectly that she stayed dry while his left shoulder soaked through. Leaving tiny notes in her locker with simple messages like You worked hard today. Rest well. or I noticed you smiled more this week. It made my day.

Karina saved every single note.

The trio menace had stopped teasing them weeks ago. Even they could see what was happening. The fake relationship had become something deeper, something neither of them dared to name. Winter caught Karina staring at Y/n during lunch with an expression that was far too soft. Giselle noticed how Karina’s voice gentled whenever she spoke to him. Ningning simply said one afternoon, “You’re in love with him, unnie. Stop pretending you aren’t.”

Karina had denied it at the time. Now, on the evening of November 29th, she could not lie to herself anymore.

They met at the old library where it had all begun. The same dusty corner desk. The same soft lighting. Y/n was already there, sitting with his hands folded neatly on the table. He looked calm, but she saw the tightness in his shoulders, the way his eyes refused to meet hers for too long.

“So,” Karina said, trying to keep her voice steady and cold like the diva she used to be. “Tomorrow is the last day. The contract ends.”

Y/n nodded slowly. “It does.”

Silence stretched between them. Karina waited for him to say something. To ask for more time. To confess that this had become real for him too. But he remained the gentleman he had always been.

“I’ll make sure the breakup looks clean,” he said quietly. “No drama. I’ll tell people it was mutual. That we’re better as friends. You can go back to your normal life without any mess from me.”

Each word felt like a stone dropping onto her chest.

Karina wanted to scream. Instead, she forced a small nod. “Good. That’s… perfect.”

They sat there for nearly an hour, talking about nothing important. When it was time to leave, Y/n walked her to the gate one final time. At the entrance, he stopped and bowed his head slightly, the same respectful gesture he had given her on the very first day.

“Thank you for everything, Karina. These three months were the best of my life. I hope you find someone who treats you the way you deserve. Someone real.”

He turned and walked away before she could respond. Karina stood frozen under the streetlight, watching his back disappear into the night. The heaviness in her chest grew until it felt like she could not breathe.

The next day at school, they performed their final act.

During lunch, they sat together one last time. Y/n held her hand under the table until the bell rang. Then, in the hallway where many students could see, they let go. Karina delivered her lines with a cold expression that hid how badly she was breaking inside.

“It’s better this way,” she said loud enough for the nearby crowd to hear. “We’re too different. Thank you for everything.”

Y/n simply smiled that small, sad smile and replied, “I understand. Take care of yourself, Karina.”

And just like that, it was over.

The fake relationship ended exactly as the contract demanded. Clean. Public. Final.

Karina lasted until she got home.

The moment her bedroom door closed, the weight she had been carrying crashed down on her all at once. She slid to the floor with her back against the bed, pulled her knees to her chest, and cried harder than she had in years. The tears would not stop. Every memory played on repeat. The way he carried her bag. The way he protected her in the haunted house. The way he fed her cotton candy at the amusement park. The way he looked at her like she was the only person in the world.

She had been loved. Truly loved. In all the small, quiet ways Jihoon had never managed. And she had let it go because she was scared to admit it was real.

Winter, Giselle, and Ningning found her like that two hours later. They had let themselves in with the spare key. The trio menace took one look at their usually untouchable leader sobbing on the floor and immediately surrounded her.

“I was so stupid,” Karina choked out between sobs. “It stopped being fake months ago. I fell in love with him and I didn’t say anything. Now he’s gone.”

Giselle rubbed her back in slow circles. “Then go get him, idiot.”

“I can’t. I ended it. I told him we were better as friends. He probably thinks I never cared.”

Ningning shook her head. “That boy looked at you like you hung the stars. He’s hurting too. Trust me.”

Winter pressed a tissue into Karina’s hand. “We’ll help you. But you have to be brave, unnie. No more hiding behind contracts or pride.”

Karina cried for three more days.

She avoided the east gate. She ate lunch in empty classrooms. The school noticed the sudden silence between them and whispered again, but this time the rumors felt like knives. Every corner of the building reminded her of him. The library. The cherry trees. The cafeteria where he once peeled oranges for her without being asked.

On the seventh day after the contract ended, Karina could not take it anymore.

She found him in the old library again. It was after school on a quiet Friday. Snow had begun to fall outside, soft white flakes drifting past the windows. Y/n was sitting at their old desk, staring at an unopened book. He looked thinner. His usual gentle calm had been replaced by a heavy kind of quiet that broke her heart all over again.

Karina did not hesitate this time.

She walked straight up to him. When he looked up in surprise, eyes widening at the sight of her, she grabbed the front of his sweater with both hands and pulled him into a kiss.

It was not soft. It was not timid.

It was passionate, desperate, and full of every feeling she had buried for months. Her lips moved against his with weeks of longing, weeks of regret, weeks of love she had been too scared to name. Y/n froze for half a second before his arms came around her tightly, kissing her back with equal fire. One of his hands cupped the back of her neck while the other pressed against her lower back, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them.

When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Karina’s eyes were filled with fresh tears.

“I lied,” she whispered fiercely. “The contract ending… it wasn’t better. It was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. These past weeks without you have been hell, Y/n. I miss your tea. I miss your notes. I miss the way you hold my hand like it’s the most important thing in the world. I miss you.”

Y/n’s eyes shimmered. He rested his forehead against hers, voice trembling but full of quiet joy.

“I thought you wanted it to end,” he said. “I didn’t want to burden you. I thought… if I loved you enough to let you go, it would be the gentlemanly thing to do. But God, Karina, I’ve been dying inside. I fell in love with you on the very first day. Every small thing I did for you was real. It was never pretend for me.”

The confession hung in the air like the snow falling outside.

Karina kissed him again, slower this time. Deeper. Full of all the tenderness she had been holding back. When she pulled away, she cupped his face with both hands, thumbs brushing his cheeks.

“I don’t want a contract anymore,” she said, voice soft and certain. “I want the real thing. I want to be your girlfriend for real. No time limit. No pretending. Just us. I want to wake up every day knowing I’m loved by the kindest, gentlest man I’ve ever met. The one who saw me when I felt invisible. The one who protected me in haunted houses and carried my bag and remembered I don’t like sweet drinks in the morning.”

Y/n laughed, a watery, relieved sound that melted the last of her fears. He wrapped his arms around her completely and lifted her slightly, spinning her once in the middle of the dusty library. When he set her down, his smile was radiant.

“Then I’m yours,” he whispered against her lips. “I’ve been yours since the moment you sat across from me at this desk. I love you, Karina. Not the superstar. Not the diva. Just you. The girl who laughs on carousels and clings to me when she’s scared and kisses me like the world is ending.”

They stayed like that for a long time, kissing softly between whispered confessions and gentle laughter. The snow outside grew heavier, blanketing the world in white while their new beginning bloomed in the warmth of the old library.

Later that evening, the trio menace received a single text from Karina.

It’s real now. All of it. Thank you for pushing me.

The reply came in a flood of chaotic messages, heart emojis, and demands for a double date at the amusement park again. Karina laughed as she showed the messages to Y/n. They were walking home together under one umbrella, fingers tightly laced.

Y/n stopped under the same streetlight where the contract had ended weeks before. He turned to her, brushed snowflakes from her hair, and kissed her slowly, reverently, like he was sealing a promise.

“I’m going to keep trying,” he said when they parted. “Every single day. Small things. Big things. Whatever makes you feel loved.”

Karina leaned into him, resting her head on his chest where his heartbeat felt like home.

“You already do,” she murmured. “You always have. It’s enough for me.”

The fake had become truth in the most beautiful way possible. No more contracts. No more pretending.

Just two people who had found each other through a lie and decided to build something honest and everlasting on top of it. As they continued walking through the snow, hand in hand, Karina smiled against his shoulder.

For the first time in her life, she was not a superstar walking beside someone.

She was simply a girl, deeply and completely in love.