Not Interested In U| SEONGJOONG

Chapter three

A few days later…

Hongjoong entered the office, his usual composed self, and glanced over at Yunho. "What’s on the schedule for today?" he asked, his tone laced with impatience.

"Not much," Yunho replied with a shrug. "But you do have a dinner with your mom at 6 PM."

Hongjoong groaned quietly, rubbing his temple. "Again? I just met her a few days ago." His voice was calm but clearly frustrated.

"She said she had something important to talk to you about," Yunho said, avoiding Hongjoong’s sharp gaze.

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes, studying Yunho’s expression. "You wouldn’t happen to know what she wants, would you?" he asked suspiciously.

Yunho stammered, "N-no! How would I know?" He forced a casual laugh, but Hongjoong continued to scrutinize him.

"Okay," Hongjoong said after a pause, still eyeing Yunho, but he dropped the subject for now.

---

Later that evening, Hongjoong found himself waiting at the restaurant, drumming his fingers on the table as his mom approached, waving cheerfully. She took a seat across from him, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"How was your day, sweetie—uh, I mean, Hongjoong?" she asked, her voice both excited and calm.

"It was fine," he replied, though his attention remained half-focused on his surroundings.

His mom smiled knowingly. "So, you're still not socializing much, are you?"

Hongjoong didn’t respond, simply giving her a blank stare.

"I’ll take that as a no," she said, nodding to herself. "That’s exactly why I’ve arranged some dates for you."

Hongjoong’s eyes widened. "Wait, what?" he said, clearly caught off guard.

"You heard me," she continued with a teasing smile. "This is your punishment for being so anti-social. You need to get out more."

"But, Mom—" he began, but she swiftly cut him off.

"No buts." Her voice was firm, yet calm.

Hongjoong tried again, feeling cornered. "But I’m dating—"

His mother gasped, interrupting him. "You? Kim Hongjoong, are actually dating someone? You’ve never told me this before!" She leaned forward, her eyes wide with excitement. "Who is it? Wait, don’t tell me! I want to meet him or her tomorrow."

"T-tomorrow?" Hongjoong stuttered, his heart rate spiking.

"Yes, tomorrow. It’s Sunday, and you don’t have work. Perfect timing!" she declared with a grin.

"O-okay," Hongjoong said reluctantly, staring at the table as the waiter arrived with their food.

---

Later that night, back home, Hongjoong lay sprawled on his bed, staring at the ceiling, completely overwhelmed. He needed someone to pretend to be his date, and he needed them fast.

Just one dinner, he thought. It’s only for one night.

As the anxiety started to creep in, Hongjoong took a deep breath, popped a sleeping pill, and eventually drifted off into a restless sleep.

---

Sunday morning arrived, and despite it being his day off, Hongjoong found himself heading to the office. When he stepped in, Yunho looked up in surprise.

"Hey! What are you doing here? Isn’t it your day off?" Yunho asked, confused.

Hongjoong barely acknowledged the question. "Call the boy," he said flatly, his eyes on his desk.