Twilight of Shadows

Chapter 8: Playing the Part

The sun peeked through the clouds, signaling the end of the relentless rain. Mingyu had barely recovered from the shock of his parents' meddling when he received a text from Taehyung:

"Family dinner. Tonight. Bring your omega. Don't be late."

He stared at the message in disbelief. My omega? He knew his parents were relentless, but this was a new level of audacity. He had no omega, no intention of being pushed into an arranged marriage, and no plan for how to get out of this dinner unscathed.

His gaze drifted to Jeonghan, who was lounging on the couch, flipping through a book. Mingyu’s mind whirred. It was reckless. Stupid, even. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

“Jeonghan,” he called, his voice tinged with resignation.

Jeonghan looked up, raising a brow. “What?”

“We have a problem,” Mingyu began, striding over to him. “And you’re going to help me fix it.”

---

Later That Evening

Jeonghan sat in the passenger seat of Mingyu’s sleek black car, arms crossed and expression stormy. “This is the dumbest idea you’ve ever had.”

“It’s not like I had much of a choice,” Mingyu replied, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt as he drove.

“You could’ve just told them the truth—that you’re a cold, emotionally unavailable Alpha who doesn’t want a mate,” Jeonghan said dryly.

Mingyu shot him a glare. “And endure weeks of endless nagging? No thanks. Besides, it’s just one dinner. All you have to do is smile, act sweet, and pretend you’re madly in love with me.”

Jeonghan scoffed. “That last part’s going to require an Oscar-winning performance.”

“You’ll manage,” Mingyu retorted.

The estate loomed into view, grand and intimidating. Jeonghan couldn’t help but feel a pang of nervousness. He wasn’t used to this level of wealth or scrutiny, and the idea of being paraded around as Mingyu’s “potential wife” made his stomach churn.

---

The Dinner

Taehyung greeted them at the door, his warm smile faltering only slightly when he saw Jeonghan. “Oh,” he said, his gaze flicking between them. “This is... unexpected.”

“This is Jeonghan,” Mingyu said smoothly, placing a hand on Jeonghan’s lower back. “My omega.”

Jeonghan stiffened at the contact, but Mingyu’s firm grip was a silent warning to play along.

Taehyung’s expression quickly shifted to one of delight. “Well, aren’t you a surprise! Come in, come in.”

Seokjin was already seated at the dining table, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he took in Jeonghan. “You’ve been keeping secrets, Mingyu,” he said, his tone light but probing.

“Not secrets,” Mingyu replied easily. “Just waiting for the right time to introduce him.”

Jeonghan forced a smile, silently cursing Mingyu for dragging him into this. He hated lying, especially under the scrutiny of people as perceptive as Mingyu’s parents.

Throughout the dinner, Taehyung bombarded Jeonghan with questions. “How did you two meet? How long have you been together? When are we getting grandchildren?”

Jeonghan stumbled through the answers, occasionally glancing at Mingyu for help. To his credit, Mingyu was a master at keeping up the facade, his hand brushing Jeonghan’s, his gaze lingering just long enough to sell the illusion.

“It’s still early for all that,” Mingyu said when the topic of children arose. “We’re taking things one step at a time.”

Taehyung beamed, clearly convinced. Seokjin, however, remained skeptical.

“I must admit, I’m surprised,” Seokjin said, his sharp gaze fixed on Jeonghan. “Mingyu has never shown much interest in settling down. What changed?”

Jeonghan hesitated, his mind racing for a plausible answer. Before he could speak, Mingyu interjected.

“Jeonghan changed everything,” he said, his voice steady and sincere. “He taught me that it’s okay to let someone in. That I don’t have to do everything alone.”

Jeonghan blinked, caught off guard by the conviction in Mingyu’s tone. For a moment, he almost believed it himself.

---

After the Dinner

As soon as they were back in the car, Jeonghan rounded on Mingyu. “That was the most humiliating thing I’ve ever done.”

“You did fine,” Mingyu replied, unfazed.

“Your father saw right through me,” Jeonghan snapped. “He knows we’re lying.”

“Maybe,” Mingyu admitted, his hands gripping the wheel. “But my mom believes it, and that’s all that matters.”

Jeonghan slumped back in his seat, his anger giving way to exhaustion. “You owe me for this, Mingyu. Big time.”

Mingyu smirked faintly, glancing at him. “You’re the one who said you didn’t want to be useless. Consider this your contribution.”

Jeonghan glared at him, but there was no denying the faint tug of satisfaction in his chest. For all their bickering, they’d pulled it off. For now, at least.