Faking It

4. Get to Work

"I can't believe you're making me wear this monstrosity,"

Jisoo complained, looking down at the uniform she was given. Her disgusted eyes met Chaeyoung's mischievous ones. The blonde didn't seem to mind as she was wearing the exact same outfit, except Jisoo chose to wear a skirt instead of pants.

"It's better than the lost and found bin," Chaeyoung said, gathering ingredients. She missed the shocked stare from the girl beside her.

"That exists?" Jisoo questioned.

"So, do you have any experience with working?" Chaeyoung asked. "Or is a rich girl just strolling by?"

"Hey, I take on duties at my home!" Jisoo crossed her arms. "Just not...work-related things."

"So you never worked?"

"No..."

"Well then, you're just in luck!" Chaeyoung smiled. "Because get ready for a busy day today!"

"What?!"

"You're going to be working today!"

"Oh no! I'm not doing that!" Jisoo shook her head.

"May I remind you that if you want my help then you'll need to help me too?"

That's when hell begins, the morning began with Jisoo trying to adjust to the new routine. She fumbled with the coffee machine, spilled milk on the counter, and struggled to keep up with the orders. Chaeyoung, despite her usual teasing, showed patience and guided her through each task.

"Okay, so you steam the milk like this," Chaeyoung demonstrated, holding Jisoo's hand steady as they worked the steam wand together. "And make sure the espresso shot is timed right."

Jisoo nodded, trying to absorb everything. "This is harder than I thought."

"You'll get the hang of it," Chaeyoung reassured her. "Just keep practicing."

The employees seemed to welcome Jisoo, except for one-a barista named Minji-who didn't seem too thrilled with her presence. Minji often rolled her eyes and made snide comments under her breath. Jisoo, however, decided to ignore it and not take it to heart.

During her break, Jisoo called Jennie to vent her frustrations. "Oh Jennie! She has me working! She likes to torture me. I think she might secretly enjoy that..."

Jennie's laugh echoed through the phone. "Maybe she's just trying to show you what real work is like. It's good for you, Jisoo."

"Easy for you to say," Jisoo grumbled. "You're not the one wearing this awful uniform and making a mess of everything."

"Hang in there," Jennie said encouragingly. "You'll be fine."

Back in the shop, Jisoo continued her attempts to adjust. She tried her best to interact with the customers, even though her nerves made her a bit awkward.

"Hi, welcome to Café Chaeyoung!" she greeted a customer, stumbling over the name of the shop.

Chaeyoung chuckled from behind the counter. "It's just 'Coffee Bliss,' Jisoo."

"Right, right," Jisoo mumbled, feeling embarrassed.

As the day went on, Jisoo slowly began to find her rhythm. She managed to make a few decent lattes and even got a couple of compliments from customers. Chaeyoung watched her with a mix of amusement and something akin to pride.

"Not bad for your first day," Chaeyoung said as they closed up for the night.

"I'm exhausted," Jisoo admitted, flopping onto one of the chairs.

"Welcome to the real world," Chaeyoung teased. "But you did good today."

"Thanks," Jisoo said, feeling a small sense of accomplishment. "I guess it's not so bad."

Chaeyoung smiled. "See? I told you."

As they walked back to Chaeyoung's apartment, Jisoo couldn't help but reflect on the day. It was exhausting and challenging, but it also felt strangely rewarding. She was starting to see a different side of life-one that was far removed from the luxury and comfort she was used to.

"You're not so bad, you know," Jisoo said as they reached the apartment.

Chaeyoung raised an eyebrow. "Is that a compliment?"

"Yeah," Jisoo said with a smile. "I think it is."

They headed inside, where Hank greeted them excitedly. Jisoo felt a warm sense of belonging, something she hadn't felt in a long time.

As they settled onto the couch, Chaeyoung turned to Jisoo. "So, about our plan. We need to start making it convincing."

Jisoo nodded. "Right. Should we start with our story?"

"Ah yes, our fake love story." Chaeyoung jokes.

"Well, I was thinking that since you own your cafe that you are the CEO. That'll make my parents accept you even more."

"I'm a CEO of my own business, interesting. Then we should say how we met at a record store, we hitted it off there and ever since then we became attached." Chaeyoung adds, "that could make it more believable."

"You like records?" Jisoo asked.

"Yeah, I collect them." Chaeyoung answered, "do you?"

"I can't really go outside and have fun without my mother constantly at my throat." Jisoo sighs, "but I listen to the few we have!"

"Speaking of you're mother, she approves of this?"

"I mean, I've always been out to my parents." Jisoo answered, "they accepted me pretty well, what about yours."

When Jisoo asked me what see could see the shift in Chaeyoung's eyes, the light dimmed out and Chaeyoung avoided eye contact. Lisa always said not everyone will be accepting, maybe this was the case?

"I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"It's fine." Chaeyoung coldly said, "let's get back to planning."

Jisoo could only nod as she was surprised by the sudden shift, she cleared her throat and prepared the white board Chaeyoung had.

"We met at a record store, you're the CEO of your own company and so am I-"

"Really?"

"Hey, you got to give me some credit."

"Fine."

"-We got engaged, but we were hiding it until my father got healthy again. We live together with Hank, our dog."

"My dog."

"I didn't see him sleeping with you last night."

"So when will we meet them?" Chaeyoung asked.

"I'll leave tomorrow, since I have to get everything prepared. So it'll be Friday."

"Friday I'm meeting my future in-laws?"

"Yes and dress your best, Friday my mother will be hosting a ball for our engagement."

"Woah that was fast."

"Tell me about it... are you sure about this still? You can drop out now."

"Jisoo, I didn't just have you work at my cafe for nothing. Like you said this is solving both of our problems."