Make It With You

39

Monique practically choked on her coffee when Iu appeared in front of her, eyes wide like she had just seen a ghost-or more accurately, Iu.

"You!" Monique gasped, coughing and pointing at Iu as if the world's biggest mystery had just been solved.

"You're gross," Mina commented flatly, giving Monique a couple of quick taps on the back to help clear her airway. "What kind of greeting is that?"

Hanashiai ga hitsuyōdesu. (We need to talk.) Monique said dramatically, yanking Iu's hand and pulling her towards her room with the urgency of someone who's just realized they left the oven on.

The rest of the room just stared, blinking in confusion. It was way too late to stop them; the two of them had already disappeared into the hallway, leaving behind a trail of chaos.

"Huh, that was fast," Irene commented, still not sure what just happened.

"It's weird," Jennie added, staring at the now-empty spot where Monique and Iu had been standing a second ago.

"What do you think is happening?" Lisa asked, her eyes wide with curiosity, like she had just walked into an improv scene and wasn't sure if it was a comedy or a thriller.

"Do you think Iu can pull it off?" Rosé chimed in, half-joking, half-worried.

"I think this is a bad idea," Jisoo said, shaking her head with the quiet wisdom of someone who had seen this kind of chaos unfold before.

Mina grinned, totally unbothered. "It was your idea, Jisoo. We can't stop now. Besides, Monique probably already broke up with her. She's just running away to process the emotional rollercoaster."

Everyone just stared at her, not sure whether to be worried or amused. The situation was becoming too much even for them.

--

Monique cocked her head with a mischievous grin. "Do you want to go for a swim?"

Iu raised an eyebrow. "You said you wanted to talk. I don't have any clothes to change into, so no."

Monique smirked, eyes twinkling. "Yes, I wanted to talk while swimming," she deadpanned. "I have a ton of clothes, no worries. I'll wait for you on the veranda."

But before Iu could respond, Monique suddenly winced, a sharp pain stabbing her head. Her vision blurred, and she saw people hanging out on the veranda-laughing, chatting, looking like they were having a blast-but she couldn't make out who they were.

"Hey, are you okay?" Iu asked, suddenly appearing at her side, looking concerned.

"I... I just remembered something, but it's hard to tell. It's all a blur," Monique explained, rubbing her temple.

"It'll come back soon. Don't rush it," Iu reassured her, her smile softening. "Let's talk and swim. You'll feel better."

Iu dove into the pool, and Monique stood there for a second, still holding her head, trying to process everything.

"Iu-"

But Iu cut her off. "Hear me out first, then we'll talk," she said, her tone more serious than usual.

Iu began explaining everything, and Monique was stunned. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Wait, you're telling me my girlfriend is Jisoo?" Monique asked, her voice incredulous.

"Yes, that's correct," Iu confirmed, nodding.

"And you're pretending to be my fake girlfriend until my memory comes back? Did they ask you to do this?" Monique asked again, still in disbelief.