dedicated to @SUH0TT, thank you for your request! 🥂

"It's ya boi bC--" A voice whispered, rather seductively, in my ear, making the hairs on my arm stick straight up.

I turned my head and smacked Jin Sungho lightly on the forehead.

"Yah, Im Heeyoung how dare you hit me--"

"I didn't even hit you that hard!" I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever." Sungho said and wrapped his an arm around my shoulder.

My cheeks heated up the slightest bit at the action, but I knew it meant nothing.

It never did.

"Woaa, isn't Lee Hayoung pretty?" Sungho asked.

Again, that pang in my chest.

He is always like this. Why does he talk to me about other girls? Isn't it obvious that I like him?

I acted like I wasn't jealous at all, because I'm just sooo good at that by now. And fake chuckled.

"Do you like her?" I asked.

Sungho shrugged. "I like how she looks."

"Isn't Lee Jaejoon like a real life prince?" I asked him. Two can play at this game, Sungho. You get what you give.

Sungho raised his eyebrow. "Do you like him?"

I shrugged. "I don't know either, looks like we're on the same page just with different people."

He scoffed. "It seems like we are, aren't we?"

I raised my eyebrow at his sudden attitude. "Yeah."

LATER

I watched as Hayoung and Sungho interact. Of course it hurt, it hurt me a lot seeing that he doesn't like me back.

He only thinks of me as a friend.

Watching will only make me more depressed. I stood up and made my way to Jaejoon who was taking a break from his practicing.

"Hey." I said.

Jaejoon looked up at me and flashed a shining-smile. "Hi Heeyoung."

I sat down next to him. "Taking a break?"

Jaejoon nodded. "It's the final, but I don't have any expectations for first, so I'm not working my ass off."

I frowned. "You shouldn't give up."

"I'm not, just not practicing until I want to pass out." He chuckled.

"Yeah..." I nodded, but I couldn't stop my eyes from traveling to Sungho and Hayoung. Jaejoon was saying something else, but I was spacing out.

"Heeyoung, do you like him?" Jaejoon's voice interrupted my thoughts, and I looked at him weirdly.

Jaejoon chuckled at my expression. "So you do..."

I sighed and looked at the ground. "I don't want to."

"Just tell him, you two might be on the same page." Jaejoon said. "You only came to me because you were jealous, am I right?"

I puffed out my cheeks and looked at the ground guiltily. "It's not just...that..."

"It's okay, Heeyoung." Jaejoon chuckled. "I think things were turn out well for you and Sungho."

"I don't think so." I said.

"You'll see."

Suddenly, there was people loudly cheering and clapping around Hayoung and Sungho. I looked and listened to see what the commotion was about.

"JIN SUNGHO! LEE HAYOUNG! JIN SUNGHO! LEE HAYOUNG!"

"CONGRATULATIONS!!!"

I raised my eyebrow.

No way.

"YOU TWO ARE THE CUTEST COUPLE!"

My eyes widened and I felt a stab of jealously in my heart. It hurt.

It hurt a lot.

I sighed heavily and looked at the ground. "I want to be happy for him, but I can't be."

Jaejoon put a hand on my shoulder. "Sorry, Heeyoung."

"It's fine." I said, biting the inside of my cheek. "It's perfectly fine."

Jaejoon stayed silent, looking at me with concern.

"Jaejoon..." I looked at him. "Can you possibly..."

A smile made its way up to his face. "Is it what I'm thinking?"

I nodded, a smile making it's way up to mine. "Let's pretend to date." So it hurts less.

Jaejoon stood up, pulling me to my feet too. He nodded and grabbed my hand. "HEY! HEEYOUNG AND I ARE DATING TOO!"

Two can play at this game.

Everyone's heads turned to us, shocked expressions making their way up to their faces.

"No way?!"

I saw Sungho's face in the midst of the crowd. I saw a flash of coldness, before he turned around. I smirked.

You get what you give.

EVEN LATER

It's been a week since the whole fake dating with Jaejoon has been going on.

It's also been a week seeing Sungho and Hayoung date.

Us two couples have been hot news throughout mixnine. It was private from the public, but about every contestant participating knew about it.

I was in the break room, sitting around since I didn't feel like practicing.

I felt the seat shift when someone sat down next to me. I turned my head expecting Jaejoon, but my eyes widened the slightest bit seeing Sungho.

"Hey." He said.

"Hi." I replied dully.

We stayed silent for a little while, until Sungho spoke up.

"So you and Jaejoon, huh?"

I nodded. "You and Hayoung too."

He nodded. "Looks like we both got what we wanted."

I didn't.

"Yeah..." I said.

"Why do you like him?" Sungho asked.

"Because he's kind." I said. "Unlike you liking Hayoung only for her looks."

The rudeness came out my accident, and I immediately regretted it.

"You really think I'm judging her based on her looks?" Sungho narrowed his eyes at me. "I thought you knew me well, do you really think I'm that low?!"

"Yeah." I replied. I couldn't stop myself, I was angry--at him for not seeing. And at me for not moving on.

"Why? Are you jealous? Are you jealous, Heeyoung?"

That hit the spot, and I gritted my teeth.

"Yeah, I am, Sungho. I am jealous."

"Then why the hell are you dating Jaejoon?!" Sungho yelled.

The trainees in the room started looking and watching the commotion that was going on.

"Because we aren't even dating. He was kind enough to help to me, when you wouldn't." I said. "It was fake."

I saw Jaejoon in the crowd, his face mixed with emotions I couldn't figure out. But regardless, a smile made at way up to his face and he nodded.

Did I hurt him?

Hayoung was also there too.

Sungho's eyes widened. "It...was?"

I nodded. "I know you don't like me back. But it's completely fine, I'm over it. I don't give two shits." I said, turning away from him.

Before I could walk away, a hand reached out and pulled me back. I stopped breathing when I crashed into Sungho's chest.

"Sungho, what are you doing?!" I asked, trying to wiggle out of his grip. "You're dating Hayoung--"

"Shut up, let me talk." Sungho said.

"We were doing the same thing, Heeyoung. I'm not dating Hayoung. I asked her because I wanted to see if you would be jealous." Sungho said.

"....." My heart started racing.

Is this a joke?

"Why...why would you do that?" I asked.

"Because Heeyoung,"

My heart pace picked up.

"I like you."

I like you.

Did those words just come from him?

Am I dreaming?

My mouth dropped open. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack at any moment.

"I like you." I said quietly. "I like you too."

"I knew it." Sungho said, chuckling.

"WOOOOOO!!!"

"WOAAAAA IT ACTUALLY WORKED!!!"

"MISSION ACCOMPLISHED."

I looked at the other trainees weirdly. "You guys...YOU GUYS WERE IN ON THIS?!"

Sungho burst out laughing and nodded. "They were. No hard feelings, right Hayoung?"

Hayoung nodded. "It makes me more happy seeing the birth of a happy couple. A real one."

"Thank you." I said to her. "Sorry...for thinking of you badly."

"No worries, at all."

Sungho chuckled and hugged me to his chest again. "Sorry, for doing that to you."

"I'm sorry too, Sungho." I said.

"We basically did the same things to make each other suffer." Sungho said. "Great minds think alike."

"They do." I said. "I can't believe you."

"I can't believe you either, Heeyoung."

"Whatever."