THE BLIND DATE MIX-UP||L.HS X P.SH

S I X T E E N

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: UNEXPECTED BOYFRIEND DEBUT

Sunghoon stood in his office, staring blankly at the email from Heeseung. “Mandatory company event tonight,” it read. “Be ready by 7 PM. I’ll pick you up.” There were no further details, just a straightforward command, and Sunghoon couldn’t help but feel a twinge of annoyance. Why was Heeseung so insistent on dragging him to these events lately?

As 7 PM rolled around, Sunghoon was dressed in his best suit, feeling both annoyed and anxious. Heeseung had said he’d pick him up, and Sunghoon had a bad feeling about it. His suspicions were confirmed when Heeseung arrived looking annoyingly handsome in a tailored tuxedo, the kind that made everyone around him feel underdressed.

“You look great,” Heeseung complimented, flashing a smile that made Sunghoon’s stomach do somersaults. “Ready to go?”

Sunghoon nodded, still uneasy. “What’s this event about, anyway?”

Heeseung shrugged nonchalantly. “Just a business party. Networking, schmoozing—you know how it is.”

Sunghoon climbed into the car, trying to mentally prepare himself for an evening of forced small talk and pretending to be interested in other people’s boring lives. He wasn’t sure why Heeseung needed him there, but he figured he’d find out soon enough.

📌🖇

The venue was a lavish hotel ballroom, filled with the city’s elite: CEOs, investors, and a sea of unfamiliar faces. Sunghoon tried to keep a low profile, sticking close to Heeseung as they weaved through the crowd. Heeseung greeted everyone with his usual charm, while Sunghoon offered polite nods, feeling increasingly out of place.

Just as Sunghoon was about to excuse himself to the bar, Heeseung pulled him aside, his grip firm on Sunghoon’s arm. “Stick with me tonight, okay?”

Before Sunghoon could ask why, Heeseung guided him toward a group of important-looking people. Sunghoon recognized a few of them—business tycoons, big investors, people who could make or break deals with a single handshake.

“Heeseung! Good to see you!” one of the older men greeted, extending his hand. “And who’s this with you?”

Sunghoon expected a standard introduction—something along the lines of “This is Sunghoon, my colleague.” But what came next made his heart stop.

“This is Sunghoon,” Heeseung said smoothly, sliding his arm around Sunghoon’s waist with practiced ease. “My boyfriend.”

Sunghoon’s eyes widened, and he nearly choked on his own breath. Boyfriend? He could feel his pulse racing, his brain scrambling to process what Heeseung had just said. But Heeseung’s arm tightened slightly, a silent cue that screamed, “Play along.”

Sunghoon forced a smile, nodding at the group even though his mind was in a complete meltdown. The men all exchanged knowing smiles, nodding approvingly as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

“Nice to meet you all,” Sunghoon managed to say, though it sounded more like a squeak. Inside, he was spiraling. How did he get here? And why did he have to be Heeseung’s fake boyfriend now?

As the group continued chatting, Sunghoon’s thoughts were a chaotic mess. What was Heeseung thinking? Was this some kind of game to him? And why did he choose Sunghoon of all people? Sunghoon had never felt so conflicted in his life—torn between wanting to play along and wanting to scream.

Heeseung leaned in, his voice low as he whispered, “Thanks for going along with it. I’ll explain later.”

Sunghoon just nodded, feeling numb. Heeseung’s presence was overwhelming, and the pressure of keeping up the act was suffocating. Sunghoon’s mind kept replaying the word over and over: boyfriend. It sounded so natural coming from Heeseung, and yet it was the furthest thing from Sunghoon’s reality.

📌🖇

The rest of the night was a blur of introductions and polite conversations, but Sunghoon could hardly focus on any of it. He was too caught up in his own thoughts, questioning everything. Was this just a ploy for business, or was there something more? Did Heeseung see him as just a convenient pawn, or was there some truth to the façade they were putting on?

Sunghoon’s emotions swung wildly from anger to confusion to something dangerously close to longing. He had been trying so hard to keep his feelings in check, but now Heeseung had thrown a wrench into everything, blurring the line between what was real and what was pretend.

Every time Heeseung touched his arm or whispered something to keep the act going, Sunghoon’s heart would betray him, fluttering in a way that made him feel pathetic. He wasn’t supposed to be this affected. He wasn’t supposed to feel... anything.

The final straw came when one of the guests asked how long they’d been together. Sunghoon hesitated, but Heeseung answered without missing a beat. “A few months,” Heeseung said, smiling like they had a whole backstory Sunghoon wasn’t aware of. “It’s been great.”

Sunghoon nodded, playing the role of the bashful boyfriend, but inside, he was screaming. Months? What was he even doing here? Was he just that desperate for any kind of validation, or was he genuinely starting to care about Heeseung?

By the time the party wrapped up, Sunghoon was mentally and emotionally exhausted. He barely registered Heeseung’s presence as they rode back in the car, the weight of the night pressing down on him. He needed answers, but more than that, he needed space to think.

📌🖇

Heeseung drove in silence, glancing at Sunghoon from the corner of his eye. He could sense Sunghoon’s turmoil, and part of him felt guilty for throwing him into the deep end without warning. But Heeseung had his reasons, and he hoped that Sunghoon would understand.

Heeseung’s own feelings were a mess. He’d never meant to blur the lines like this, but when the opportunity presented itself, he hadn’t been able to resist. There was something about having Sunghoon by his side, even if it was just pretend, that made Heeseung feel... complete.

Pulling up to Sunghoon’s apartment, Heeseung finally broke the silence. “I’m sorry about tonight. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”

Sunghoon stared out the window, his expression unreadable. “Why did you do it?”

Heeseung hesitated, searching for the right words. “It was... easier that way. These people expect me to have someone, and you were there. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

Sunghoon scoffed softly, finally turning to face him. “You didn’t think I’d mind? You introduced me as your boyfriend, Heeseung. How could you not think I’d mind?”

Heeseung looked down, feeling a pang of regret. “I’m sorry, Sunghoon. I really am. I just—tonight was important, and having you there made it easier. You don’t have to play along again if you don’t want to.”

Sunghoon nodded slowly, his emotions still too tangled to make sense of. “Just... don’t do that again without telling me first.”

Heeseung nodded, watching as Sunghoon got out of the car and headed inside without looking back. Heeseung leaned back in his seat, staring up at the night sky. He knew he had crossed a line tonight, and now he just had to hope that he hadn’t ruined whatever fragile thing was growing between them.

📌🖇

Inside his apartment, Sunghoon collapsed onto his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. His mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions. Part of him wanted to scream at Heeseung for putting him in such a position, but another part—a deeper, more vulnerable part—couldn’t help but wonder if there was a sliver of truth in Heeseung’s act tonight.

Sunghoon didn’t know who he was anymore. The confident, unbothered facade he had built was crumbling, and all because of one stupid business party. He felt devastated, confused, and more than anything, he felt like he was losing control over himself.

He thought back to the way Heeseung had looked at him tonight—like Sunghoon was someone worth showing off, someone worth keeping close. And that terrified him more than anything.

Because if this was just a game to Heeseung, Sunghoon wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle the fallout when it all came crashing down.