Dork.

eighteen.

"S-sorry??" I ask, I definitely misheard him. But my heart does a flip. I must be crazy.

"I meant- well if you want- I mean... Ah. What I meant was we can pretend to be together so that I can come with you" Kevin stutters, a bit of pink showing on his cheeks.

"Would you? Really?" I ask, a small spark of hope.

"Of course I would" Kevin smiles.

"Okay then, maybe I'll survive this," I stand up and so does Kevin.

"So when are you meeting him?" Kevin asks.

"Tomorrow at 8." I say.
"Oh."
"What oh?"

"Nah, it's just... well I don't know. Don't you think we'll look unatural? We can't just show up together and expect it to go smoothly and looking like a believable couple" Kevin says.

"Okay... well what do we do then?" I say.

"...We could practice?" Kevin suggests after a moment of thinking.

"Okaaaay" I say, a bit skeptical.

"Okay. Just pretend we're in a movie or a play or something. We're playing a couple," Kevin says.

"Okay but you've taken theatre before. I haven't, I'll be bad at this" I say, also because I haven't acted as a girlfriend in a while. I wonder if Kevin has been a boyfriend before? Probably.

"Don't worry about it! That's the key is we have to look comfortable with each other and relaxed. Just trust me, it will work out" Kevin says.

"... okay. I'm trusting you" I say hesitantly.

"You sure? You don't sound like it!" Kevin grins.

"I'm sure I'm sure" I nod.
"Okay then..." Kevin walks out of my bedroom and closes the door. "Action!" He yells from the other side.

Wow hes really going all out into this.

I sit on the edge of my bed, not knowing what to do.

Suddenly Kevin walks back through the door. He seems the same, but lips upturned even more.

"I'm going to the convenience store. Come with me?" Kevin says casually.

"Sure..." I say, on the verge of laughing.

I hop off the bed and put my shoes on at the front door. I put my hand on the doorknob to leave but Kevin drapes one of his zip ups on my shoulders. He opens the front door himself and lets me out first.

Weird. My old boyfriend didn't even treat me this nice.

I just nod to him, not knowing what to say and he closes the door behind us. We walk down the creaky stairs and through the creepy dim lobby.

I open the lobby front door and step outside into the cold. I begin to walk as I usually do, but i hear Kevin's footsteps stop.

"Babe." He says, and I whip around. How weird. How naturally I responded to that.

He's holding out his hand, and I look at it hesitantly. Does he want to hold hands even??

"May I?" Kevin asks. And I just nod as he slips his hand through mine. There's an immediate spark almost between us, and our hands fit perfectly together. Though it's a bit awkward because of the height difference, and I can tell he's stretching his arm further down a bit to reach me. But then again we're Both a bit awkward and imperfect... so it works.

I feel my heart beating so quickly and I refuse to look at Kevin because I know my face is red. Just walking hand in hand down the street sends me butterflies.

But you're not really dating. Remember that Sunhee.

We make it to the convenience store but Kevin stops a few feet in front of the entrance.

"Okay we're gonna practice the ultimate test" Kevin says. "If that's okay with you"

"Okay?"I say.

He turns so we're facing each other, and he gazes down at my eyes. Kevin tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and for a second I swear it felt like we weren't pretending. Like he does love and care for me like a boyfriend.

"Can I kiss your cheek?" He asks in a low voice.

My heart does a flip and I see a small smirk appear on his mouth because my face definitely just turned a shade of pink. Yet im not bothered by the close contact.

I nod, afraid of talking if my voice might stutter.

Kevin cups my cheek and says "yes or no? I just want to make sure, love"

My eyes nearly water at how sweet he is. Hanbyul never asked me for permission or to do anything. He did what he wanted whenever he wanted.

"Y-yes" I choke out.

Kevin slowly lowers his face closer to mine and gives a soft kiss on my left cheek. I'm sure it was a quick kiss, but I feel the contact linger for a second, and I wish the moment lasted more. I feel a tingle on my cheek and a burst of happiness. I wonder if he feels the same.

Kevin pulls back slowly, the eye contact not breaking. His face is serious, it's hard to read what he's thinking, and I wish I knew. I wish I knew if I'm being stupid and it's a one sided crush or not.

But his usual upturned lips return, and soon a small smile. How does this boy have so much confidence?

"That wasn't too bad, huh?" Kevin asks.
All I can do is nod as words are not part of my brain function at the moment.

He takes my hand again, his mouth opens and closes, like he was about to crack a joke or something but decides not to ruin the moment.

I still feel in a daze or like I'm dreaming as we turn back to face the street, but we stop immediately. I look up and gulp. Screaming on the inside with embarrassment.

People saw us. Not just any people.

"No. Freaking. Way." Chanhee says, and Changmin's jaw dropped next to him.

Even through the panic inside me, I glance down and I swear I see chanhee and Changmin's hands together, but in a blink they're separated. I must be in my daze still.

I quickly let go of Kevin's hand but Changmin says,

"It's too late. We saw you."

"You're dating! I knew it!" Chanhee claps his hands.

"Congrats!" Changmin claps with him.
"No, guys it's a misunderstanding" I say.

"I saw what I saw."
"It's practice. We're pretending because we have to face an old enemy" Kevin says.

After a few minutes of bickering, we convince the two boys that it was in fact acting, and Changmin and Kevin go into the store.

I start to walk in after them but chanhee taps my arm.

"I believe you guys that that was acting" he says. "But I said, I saw what I saw. And I saw your gazes into each other's eyes. That's not something you can pretend."

Chanhee skips into the store and I'm left dumbfounded by the entrance. Afraid to go in.