Faking It

2. Fiancee

Jisoo woke the next morning with a mix of nerves and determination. She glanced at the clock, groaning softly as she realized the day was already half gone. She had spent most of the night tossing and turning, worrying about the lie she had told her family and how she was going to make it a reality.

"What am I going to do?!" she muttered to herself as she sat up in bed, her head in her hands.

Jennie and Lisa, who had come to check on her, exchanged a look of concern.

"How screwed am I?" Jisoo asked, looking up at them with desperate eyes.

Jennie sighed. "You lied, so I'd say...big time."

"Maybe you can find someone to help you?" Lisa suggested. "What about your date?"

"My date? Oh no, I can't just dump all that onto her on our first date!"

"You have no other choice, Jisoo," Jennie said, crossing her arms. "You're on a time limit!"

"I know!"

"Hey, maybe your date will understand and help!" Lisa added. "You could get onto your father's will!"

"Lisa's right. If you want your father to put you on that will, you have to find someone fast."

"I hate it when you two are right," Jisoo groaned.

"But you love us!" Jennie and Lisa smiled at her. "Now get up, today is a big day for you."

In the afternoon, Jisoo found herself standing outside a quaint little café. She took a deep breath and smoothed down her dress, trying to calm her nerves. This was supposed to be a simple date, but now it felt like the weight of the world was resting on her shoulders.

"Here goes nothing," she muttered to herself before stepping inside.

The café was cozy and inviting, filled with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods. Jisoo scanned the room and spotted her date, a well-dressed woman named Hana, sitting at a corner table.

"Hi, Hana," Jisoo greeted with a smile as she approached the table.

Hana looked up and smiled back. "Hi, Jisoo. It's nice to see you."

They exchanged pleasantries and ordered their drinks. For a moment, Jisoo allowed herself to relax, enjoying the warmth of the café and the casual conversation. But her peace was short-lived.

As their drinks arrived, one of the workers accidentally spilled a bit of coffee on Hana's dress.

"You idiot!" Hana snapped, standing up abruptly. "Do you have any idea how much this dress costs?"

The worker, a young woman with wide, frightened eyes, stammered an apology. "I-I'm so sorry, ma'am. It was an accident."

Jisoo felt a surge of anger and stood up as well. "Hey, it was just a mistake. There's no need to be so rude."

Hana turned to Jisoo, her eyes narrowing. "Excuse me? This is none of your business."

"It is when you're being unnecessarily cruel," Jisoo shot back. "Apologize to her."

Hana huffed and turned to the worker. "Whatever. Just get me another coffee. And make sure it doesn't spill this time."

Before the situation could escalate further, the café owner, a young woman with a calm demeanor, stepped in. "Is there a problem here?"

"Yes," Hana said, her tone still icy. "Your employee needs to be more careful."

The owner, who had been wiping her hands on a towel, turned to the worker and gave her a reassuring nod. "It's okay, Mina. Why don't you take a break?"

Mina nodded gratefully and hurried off.

The owner then turned to Jisoo and Hana. "I apologize for the inconvenience. Your drinks will be on the house."

Hana huffed again and stormed out of the café. Jisoo watched her go, shaking her head in disbelief. "Unbelievable."

The owner sighed and gave Jisoo a sympathetic smile. "Thank you for standing up for my employee. Some customers can be really harsh."

Jisoo smiled back. "It's the least I could do. She didn't deserve that."

"By the way, I'm Chaeyoung," the owner introduced herself, extending a hand.

"Jisoo," she replied, shaking Chaeyoung's hand. "Nice to meet you."

Just as they were about to continue their conversation, a group of men entered the café, their expressions hard and unforgiving.

"Chaeyoung," the leader of the group said, his voice low and threatening. "It's time to pay up."

Chaeyoung's face paled slightly, but she stood her ground. "I don't have the money right now."

The man stepped closer, towering over her. "That's not our problem. Pay up, or there will be consequences."

Jisoo's protective instincts kicked in. "Hey! Leave her alone. How much does she owe?"

The man sneered. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Just someone who doesn't like bullies," Jisoo replied, pulling out her wallet and handing over a stack of bills. "Here. Now get lost."

The men took the money and left, but not without a final warning. "We'll be back next week. And you'd better have the money then."

Chaeyoung let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Thank you, Jisoo, but you shouldn't have to do that. Now I'll owe them even more next week."

Jisoo shrugged. "It's just money. But I just saved you."

"I guess you did." Chaeyoung sighs, "thank you for that."

"Actually there's another way you can thank me."

Chaeyoung looked at her, curiosity and wariness in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Jisoo took a deep breath. "Marry me."

Chaeyoung's eyes widened in shock. "Are you insane? Why would I do that?"

Jisoo smiled slightly. "Because it could solve both of our problems. Hear me out."

And so, Jisoo began to explain her plan, hoping against hope that Chaeyoung would agree.