plot twist: us ➵ sim jaeyun

chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Great Ice Cream Escape

The following week zipped by with an exciting mix of study sessions and playful banter. Sarang and Jake found themselves wrapped up in their pretend romance, the line between acting and reality blurring with each passing day. Their chemistry was electric, but the tension between them was more like a tightly wound rubber band-ready to snap at any moment but never quite getting there.

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, and Sarang had invited Jake over for a movie marathon. She was determined to maintain their "couple" facade. They had settled on a classic lineup, including "10 Things I Hate About You" and "The Proposal"-a combination that promised equal parts laughter and cringe-worthy romance.

As they lounged on her couch, the smell of popcorn filling the air, Sarang realized she had neglected to grab some snacks. "Hey, I'll be right back. I need to get more popcorn," she said, sliding off the couch.

"Don't forget the ice cream!" Jake called after her, grinning. "I heard it's a vital component of the movie experience."

"Oh, I know!" she replied, rolling her eyes playfully. "I'm not a complete novice, you know."

As she headed to the kitchen, she found herself humming a tune under her breath. Just then, her phone buzzed with a message from her mom.

Mom: "Don't forget to invite Jake to dinner next weekend! We need to talk about your future plans!"

Sarang stifled a groan. "Why must she always be so dramatic?" she muttered to herself, stuffing a bag of popcorn in the microwave.

Moments later, she returned to the living room, popcorn in one hand and a tub of ice cream in the other. Jake had taken the liberty of commandeering the couch and had spread out like a starfish, occupying every possible inch of space.

"Excuse me, but is this couch meant for you alone?" she teased, pretending to be annoyed.

"Absolutely," Jake replied with mock seriousness. "I'm conducting a very important study on the art of couch comfort. And I need all the room I can get."

"Right, because taking up an entire couch is definitely a scientific endeavor," Sarang shot back, laughing as she elbowed him gently to shift over.

With some strategic nudging and a bit of playful wrestling, they managed to find a comfortable arrangement on the couch, popcorn and ice cream strategically placed between them. The opening credits of "10 Things I Hate About You" began to play, and they settled in, popcorn at the ready.

Halfway through the movie, Sarang found herself completely engrossed in the antics of Kat and Patrick. "I love how dramatic this movie is," she said, glancing over at Jake, who had a spoonful of ice cream halfway to his mouth.

"Dramatic? You mean genius," Jake said, smirking. "It's basically Shakespeare, but with more hair gel and less logic."

Sarang snorted, nearly choking on her popcorn. "Hair gel? Seriously? You think they were slathering gel on their heads while discussing the complexities of love?"

"Absolutely," he replied, nodding seriously. "It's all about priorities. You can't have a romantic subplot without excellent hair."

They both burst into laughter, the sound echoing in her living room. As the movie played on, their banter flowed effortlessly, and Sarang couldn't help but enjoy every moment.

Just as the scene shifted to Kat's famous poem, Jake leaned in, holding up his ice cream as if it were a trophy. "Here's a toast! To epic love stories, terrible fashion choices, and the inevitable awkward moments we're bound to face."

Sarang raised her popcorn bag, mimicking a toast. "To terrible fashion! And to avoiding those awkward moments at all costs!"

"Cheers!" Jake declared, clinking his ice cream against her popcorn bag, then promptly dropping a huge scoop of fudge right onto his lap.

"Smooth move, Romeo," Sarang laughed, pointing at the gooey mess spreading across his jeans.

"Yeah, just trying to keep the romance alive," he shot back, mock pouting. "I didn't realize my ice cream was going to declare war on my pants."

"Welcome to the life of a modern-day Casanova," she replied, biting her lip to hold back her laughter.

Jake looked down at the mess, then back at Sarang with a conspiratorial grin. "I could make this worse, you know. Should I go for a full ice cream facial?"

"Please don't! You'll ruin my couch!" Sarang squealed, covering her mouth to suppress her laughter.

"Oh, come on! It could be the ultimate romantic gesture!" he said, holding his ice cream dangerously close to her face.

"Get that away from me!" Sarang shrieked, laughing as she swatted his hand away, sending him into a fit of giggles.

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Sarang's laughter stopped abruptly. "Uh-oh, that's probably my parents," she said, her voice suddenly serious. "You know the drill-pretend we're deeply in love!"

"Got it," Jake said, straightening up and throwing an arm around her shoulder in an exaggeratedly romantic way.

Sarang opened the door to find her parents standing there, arms crossed and expectant looks on their faces. "Surprise! We thought we'd drop by and see how the 'relationship' is going!" her mom announced, stepping inside.

"Hey, Mom, Dad! We were just-uh, enjoying a movie night!" Sarang stammered, desperately trying to keep her composure.

"Looks like you were having a blast," her dad said, eyeing Jake's ice cream-covered lap. "Are you all right, son? It looks like you've been attacked by a dessert."

"Just battling my inner ice cream monster," Jake replied, flashing a charming smile that only seemed to amuse Sarang's parents more. "You know how it is-romantic gestures gone wrong."

Her mom beamed. "Oh, I love that you're both so playful together! Just wait until you try cooking dinner next weekend; it's going to be a fun family affair."

Sarang felt her heart drop. "Wait, what?" she blurted out. "Dinner? With cooking? I thought we were just going to hang out!"

Her mom waved a hand dismissively. "Nonsense! We'll need to make sure you both know how to cook together-how else will you impress your friends?"

Jake's eyes sparkled with mischief as he leaned closer to Sarang. "Looks like we're in for a culinary adventure, my love," he whispered dramatically.

"Great, can't wait to burn down the kitchen together," she shot back, stifling a laugh.

"Just remember, if anything goes wrong, we can always order pizza," Jake said, nudging her playfully.

"Now you're talking!" she replied, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. With her parents now firmly entrenched in the living room, she realized that their plan to keep things simple and low-key was now officially derailed.

As her mom began to chat enthusiastically about family recipes, Sarang shot Jake a glance. They both burst into silent laughter, sharing a moment of understanding amid the chaos. Maybe this pretend relationship was turning out to be a lot more fun-and way more complicated-than they had anticipated.

And as Sarang leaned into Jake's side, laughing at the antics unfolding around them, she couldn't help but wonder what other ridiculous adventures lay ahead.