Not Gonna Pretend

Chapter Three

"You actually don't have to do this," Dahyun told Jimin as they started walking away from her school. She can still feel all eyes watching them from the back, but she doesn't care. "We are just pretending - "

"No, we're not. We are official," Jimin said, cutting her off.

Dahyun was once again surprised with how he emphasized it again.

She sighed and stared at the beautiful boquet of flowers Jimin gave her. "You know what I mean," she said. "I really do appreciate you helping me, so you don't need to do this. There's no need for you to make an effort, just like what real couples are doing," Dahyun explained. "This will be over soon. After graduation, we will end this."

Jimin stared at her.

Dahyun can't help but feel self-conscious with the way he's staring at her. "What is it?" she asked.

"I'm not your type, huh?" Jimin said, giving her a questioning look.

"What?"

"You don't find me handsome," he said. "Am I not handsome?" he asked himself, checking his reflection on his phone screen.

Dahyun can't help but give him a weird look. That's not what she meant. She doesn't even know why he's suddenly questioning himself if he's handsome. Only a dumb person will say that he's not. And what's with him asking about her ideal type.

"Jimin, you are handsome," she told him, and she's trying so hard not to roll her eyes at him when she saw his face brightened up for what she said. This side of him is really unexpected. She thought that she's like those guys in tv dramas who act cool and tough. But he's the exact opposite.

"I'm handsome but I can't even make you blush," Jimin said, pouting a bit. He moved closer to Dahyun. Their nose is almost touching. "See? You didn't even looked away!" he said, moving away a bit.

Dahyun scratched her nose. "We don't have feelings for each other. It's just not me, Jimin. Do you even feel happy that you're doing this with me?" Dahyun asked him.

Jimin thinks for a while.

"Yes, I actually do," he confidently replied. "You're actually the first girl who acts nonchalant with my presence," he added.

"I can't believe that you began questioning your looks because of my reaction," Dahyun said, resuming to walk again. "As I've said before, I was never in a relationship nor have someone confessed his feelings for me. So, I don't have an idea how am I supposed to react to this kind of treatment," she explained.

"You don't even like someone else now?" Jimin asked.

"Hmm, yeah, I don't think I do," she honestly replied. "I have two guy friends too. They're handsome and all, but I only see them that way."

They turned to the corner and Dahyun can't help but inhale the delicious smell of her favorite food from her favorite restaurant nearby. She even did a I'm-hungry gesture which made Jimin chuckle a bit. Girls he dated usually pretend they are not hungry or that they don't eat a certain food, which he knows it's a lie.

"You hungry?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she instantly replied, which once again surprised Jimin.

"Okay then. Let's go to our first official date," he proudly declared.

Dahyun's eyes widened with what he said. "A date?" she asked. "Woah, wait. We are just gonna eat. That's all," she said.

Jimin grabbed her hand and they start to cross, walking their way to her favorite restaurant. "Dahyun, we are a couple now. Everything we do together is called a date," he told her, giving her a sweet smile.

Dahyun looked away because she's still not used to this kind of things and he's just too freakin' handsome when he smiles which she won't tell him because she's afraid that he might find her weird and all. And his hand... it's so warm that she can't help but adjust her hand on his so she can fully feel his comforting warmth from this cold weather.

———

"So, you have two guy friends," Jimin said. Dahyun is sitting opposite him and they are now waiting for their orders to be served. Dahyun nodded her head, clearly anticipating to eat her favorite cheeseburger. He doesn't know why he's even bringing up about Dahyun's two guy friends but ever since she mentioned about it, he began curious to know who those guys are.

He began observing Dahyun. She's simple, yet very cute. She doesn't wear heavy make up. Wait, is she even wearing make up? She looks pretty. Her skin is so fair. But knowing how simple she is, he doesn't think that she spends much on skin care. Everything about her looks natural. Her eyes are monolid, her nose is really pointy, and her lips...

"Our foods are here!" she announced, making Jimin jumped a bit from his seat. He was too immersed from staring at her lips and he wish that Dahyun didn't notice it.

Back when he used to date random girls, they won't even touch their foods or just take a small bite, pretending not to be hungry. But the girl in front her didn't even hesitate to take a huge bite of her burger, not caring if there's mayo and ketchup scattered around her lips. Even her hands look messy right now. But she doesn't care. And he doesn't mind at all.

He too enjoyed eating his food, not even caring if he looks messy and all. Because for him, this is how a date is supposed to be - being just simply comfortable to each other's presence.

"Mmm, this is really good," he said while munching his truffled burger.

"I told you!" Dahyun said, while her mouth is stuffed with food. "Try their cheesy bacon fries too. Here!" she pushed her plate to him.

Jimin can't help but look at her in awe. This girl is really something, he thought. He grabbed some napkins and gently wiped the mayo on the side of her lips.

Dahyun's eyes widened.

Jimin thought that she will flinch or pull back away from his sudden gesture, but he was surprised when she started chuckling.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, finishing wiping the side of her mouth. "That wasn't the first time I experienced a man did that to me," she said.

Jimin gave him a confused look. I thought she never dated anyone before...

"I'm actually referring to my dad, actually," she added.

Jimin's tensed body suddenly lightened up with what she said.

"I thought the feeling will be quite different if another man did that to me. But surprisingly, it doesn't," she said, taking a sip of her soda.

Jimin slowly put down his burger then cleared his throat before shyly asking, "Then how does it feel when I did that to you?"

Dahyun gave him a sweet smile. "It feels like I'm special," she said, then she continues to finish her burger.

And at that moment, Jimin knew that this girl is really different from others. Because for the first time, a girl made him blush.

———-

"Are you gonna keep doing this? Or is it just for today?" Dahyun asked, as she and Jimin walk their way to her house.

When they finally reached her house, she turned to face him. But he isn't looking back at her.

She noticed that he became a bit quiet after they eat at the restaurant, which bothers her. That's why she come up with that sudden question.

It feels like she did or said something that somehow turned him off. I guess he doesn't like messy eaters. She can't help but started feeling insecure again about everything - her looks, her personality, her everything. Jimin is too perfect to date someone plain like her.

"Let's do this everyday, Dahyun."

What?

Jimin finally faced her. He grabbed both her hands and lightly squeezed them. He then gave her an reassuring smile.