The loud sound of my cursed alarm woke me up from the deep slumber.

"Fucking hell." I curse, rubbing my eyes off all the sleep.

I grab my phone as I'm laying back down on the bed, too lazy to get up from the soft, pink, silk sheets, and start sorting through all the notifications that popped up while I was asleep.

I see a few Whatsapp messages from the University's group chat and I take a mental note to look at them later and check if there's anything important, or if my brilliant classmates just spammed memes for no reason whatsoever, as they usually do.

Then I check my messages app to see what rant Cynthia had last night at 5 AM and quickly type a message to her, telling her to hurry the fuck up to my place, since we only have about 2 hours to help me get ready.

And then... I see another notification that catches my eye.

Pearls on Your Neck - 1 new message from Hyunjin❤️‍🔥

I am curious to see what he could possibly want so early in the morning, but before I tap on his message, my anxiety starts creeping in.

What if he cancelled our date?

What if he can't come on Saturday?

My finger hangs a few millimetres above the notification, my heart racing in my chest pounding against my ribcage as if it wants to get out.

This is so stupid. I think and close my eyes, letting my finger fall on the screen.

Hyunjin❤️‍🔥:

Good morning, Pearl. :)

I hope you slept well and rested.

Excited for our date?

Just wanted to check that we're still on for today at 12:30 at Harrods. Initially, I thought about sending you a message on your mobile number you typed into your booking appointment directly, but we haven't discussed that in our previous conversation.

Do let me know if you're comfortable with me using your private number instead of reaching out to you through this app.

Looking forward to your message.

Thank you, Hyunjin.

Tsch. He's so polite. I frown, feeling my heart beating faster and faster in my chest.

Deciding that enough is enough, I stop overthinking and simply start typing out a reply for him.

Pearl:

Mornin'

I slept well, thank you.

Yes, if it's okay with you, we're meeting as previously discussed.

We can meet in the Harrod's Cafe on the Third Floor and grab a coffee first, since we're meeting each other for the first time.

You can absolutely use the number I typed in when confirming my booking. Thanks for asking first, though.

See you there? :)

Sending the message, I re-read it about 2 times before a new reply from him comes, the sound the notification made startling me.

Hyunjin❤️‍🔥:

Great. See you there. :)

I can't wait to meet you, Pearl.

Love, Hyunjin.

How does he message back so fast?

Is he not nervous?

~

"OMG, GIRL!" Cynthia squeaks with joy. "Love, Hyunjin?! That's code red!!!

"Code red? What is that supposed to mean?" I chuckle.

Cynthia was right, though. I start thinking about something that didn't bother me initially before Cynthia brought it up.

It's a bit weird.

Why did he type that all of a sudden?

What happened to "Thank you, Hyunjin"?

I analyse it over and over in my head and try to come up with a logical explanation, but Cynthia is quick to intervene and stop my train of thoughts.

"It means he's whipped for you already!"

"Cynth," I start, watching how the dress she helped me pick fits me. It's a pale green off the shoulder ruffled dress that is flowy at the bottom and elasticated around the waist, the sleeves come down just below my elbow and are puffy, it looks really cute and would definitely work for a walk in the Shopping Center, but somehow I'm not satisfied with how frumpy it makes me look, so I quickly take it off over my head and try to speak through the fabric. "How can he be whipped for me when he doesn't even know what I look like, or how I act? He doesn't even know my personality!"

"Doesn't he know what you look like, though? Didn't you use a profile picture on the app?"

"No, I didn't. It's supposed to be a secret that I'm on there, you forgot? It's better to just keep my identity private." I say standing there in my lingerie exposed while waiting for my next dress to be handed to me.

"Yea, you're right. You still used your real name, though, idiot. Hey, why don't you try this other one? Seems kinda fitting." Cynthia asks while handing me another dress from my closet. A rosso corsa red one, this time, not too elegant, but not too gauche either. It has a small split on the left leg and cute little red buttons going from under the breast cups down, right through the middle. It has a Queen Anne neckline where the fabric is scrunched giving the bust a bow effect. The neckline is connected to full-length puffy sleeves that cuff tighter around the wrist leaving no room for bracelets, but it also gives off an illusion of a square neckline. I loved this dress ever since I got it, mostly thanks to the beautiful Queen Anne neckline, but I never got to wear it.

She also hands me some heels to match and a handbag, the heels are sliver and sparkly with a glossy finish. The stiletto of the heel has a gold metal vine wrapped around it and flowers stuck to the base where the heel meets the shoe, it has little gems in the middle of each flower, and the back of the heel has a few metal leafs on it as well. The handbag is simple and white to match the flowers with a silver chain for a strap.

"Seems fitting how?" I question Cynthia back. It is a cute dress, but why would she say that?

"Obviously because Hyunjin loves red!"

"And how would you know that?" I raise an eyebrow at her before taking another look in the mirror. The dress does look amazing on me.

"His red heart emoji, of course! And the fire??? Hellloooo! Pay attention, Pearl!"

"Tsch, that doesn't have to mean anything, Cynth! It's just an emoji!"

"Two of them! Come on, it's the perfect choice for the weather outside, and judging by the material, it must be comfortable as well! You'll surely walk a lot buying clothes today, so it's just perfect."

"Fine." I sigh. "I'll keep it on. Will you do my make-up, please?" I sit down on the white chair in front of my vanity and watch Cynthia expectedly.

"Of course, I'm gonna make you the most beautiful girl this country has ever seen!" She exclaims, giggling just like a kid who found their most-wanted presents wrapped under the Christmas tree.

"I knew I could count on you." I grin.

"By the way, how are you going to find each other? I mean, you do know what he looks like. Are you just going to approach him?"

"Oh, he has my phone number, so I guess he'll just call me as soon as he gets there or something?"

"WAIT! HE HAS YOUR PHONE NUMBER?!" Cynthia suddenly screams, jolting up from her chair.

"Of course, he does, how else are we gonna go on a date?" I roll my eyes a bit.

"No, that's not what I was getting to! You said he doesn't know what you look like!"

"Uhm, yeah, he doesn't."

"Idiot, he has your phone number!" She facepalms. "He can check out your pic on Whatsapp, or see if your phone is linked to a Facebook account or something!"

"Nah, I doubt he'd go through all that trouble just for a random date he's paid to attend." I shrug.

But what if she's right?

Nah. No way.

"I'm telling you, he definitely checked you out. That's why he changed his sign off!"

"Cynthia, you're exaggerating again. The sign off doesn't mean anything, nor do the emojis, or whatever you're on about. Stop rambling and get to work! I have to leave in 35 minutes!"

"No, no. You hear me out. When you start dating this guy for real, you must think back on this moment and tell me 'Cynthia, you've been right the whole time, and I've been an idiot.' Got it?" she grinned, showing her perfect, pearlescent white teeth.

"That's not going to happen, dumbass. I'm just using him while I need him, and when my parents get over their dumb idea of marrying me off to Minho, I'm done with this fucking app. Got it?" I imitate her, and she drops it while she keeps on doing my make-up.

I wish to put a curse on Cynthia and her first offspring, I'm late because she wouldn't let me leave in time because apparently being late is in fashion. She just couldn't get it through her head that this is not a real date and that Hyunjin was, in fact, hired to be there. I hate being late. It always leads to gut-crushing anxiety, and sweat, lots of sweat. I swear if I didn't put perfume in my bag I would have to keep Hyunjin at least 5 feet away at all times. Luckily I do have perfume, my favourite one Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Rounge 540, it's very sweet but also classy and mature. I hate it when perfumes are sickeningly sweet, that's why this one is perfect.

While I'm on my way I receive a call from an unknown number, fuck. I answer it quickly.

"Hello?" I say quickly because I'm in a rush.

"Hiya, it's Hyunjin I'd just like to let you know I'm here sitting in the cafe."

His voice is much softer and smoother than I expected, smooth and soft like letting rich chocolate melt in your mouth.

"Oh... Hyunjin, I'm really sorry I'm running a bit late, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay, I'll see you soon then."

He sounds so calm it's almost calming my nerves.

"Yes, erm see you soon"

I end it quickly, wanting the ground to swallow me; how much more awkward can I get?

I'm here, on the third floor standing just outside the cafe. I don't know what to do, do I just walk in and walk up to him? No, I should message him. I go through my recent call list and click on his number and name him boyfriend💋 so it's not suspicious when he messages me.

Pearl:

Hi, Hyunjin, I'm here just standing outside the cafe.

Boyfriend💋:

Oh, I'm sitting by the window.

Two seconds I'll come and walk you in.

Fuck this is happening.

It's not even a real date but I'm so nervous.

I start playing with my phone case popping it on and off my phone for what feels like forever.

Until the cafe door opens and he walks out, he's real, oh he's definitely real and tall. He's dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, well I did tell him to wear whatever he's most comfortable in and it only makes sense since he's not going to be in those clothes for the majority of our time here. I suddenly feel insecure—overdressed. So I pull my bag in front of me from where it was hanging by my side.

He's absolutely stunning, it's unnerving. His blonde hair is down in a middle part and styled straight. I've never seen a man who looks so good with long hair, it frames his face perfectly.

He smiled at me sweetly, eyes sparkling and a bouquet of flowers in his right hand adorned with silver rings and a loose chain hanging from his wrist. A huge bouquet of carnations, every shade of red possible. "Pearl, I'm so happy to finally meet you, You look breathtaking."

My heart pounded at his words, I don't know what to say or act, "Thank you, I bet you say that to all your dates." I said trying to make a joke out of this whole situation - because it is a joke that I'm doing all this just not to get married.

He didn't say anything for a second and just looked me up and down, "I got these flowers for you." he said, extending them towards me.

"Um.. thank you, Hyunjin, they are beautiful and they match my dress. How did you know?"

"I didn't. Red is my favourite colour," He says simply before walking closer to me and taking my hand, "shall we go inside?"

Damn Cynthia and her intuition.

I'm shocked at his bold gesture I was certainly not expecting, so I just nod shyly.

He leads me into the cafe and brings me to a small table by the window— probably the one he was sitting at earlier. I take my time to look around the cafe I've been in numerous times—I should feel in my element, however, I'm completely out of it and there's no time to get some liquid courage.

Hyunjin's chuckle pulls me out of my thinking so I turn my head to look at him, only to see him already looking at me, "You don't have to be nervous, Pearl." He's smiling at me so sincerely that I almost feel like an idiot for being nervous.

Fake it till you make it.

"Hyunjin... so" I clap my hands together, "basically, what I have planned for today is to just go over stuff, get you an outfit for the dinner and get to know each other so it's more... more realistic, if you get me?"

Wow he's really good at this, he's looking at me like he's genuinely interested in what I have to say.

"Okay, do you want to start now or would you like to get a coffee first?" Hyunjin says, as his fingers move to his face, and tucks a strand of hair behind his ear.

"Let's get a coffee first," I say smiling.

"I'll go get it for you, what would you like?"

I nod and smile at him, "Can I have a raspberry and pomegranate green tea?"

He smiles, "Good choice," and walks off to the coffee counter.

I start thinking about what I'm going to tell him and how to start it, but the more I think about it, the more awkward it becomes in my head.

Should I tell him why I'm doing this?

Yeah that sounds like a good idea.

I make a mental checklist in my head about things to talk about, why, when, how, age, interests, family members and friends. Then after we've gone through all of that we can start shopping.

I put my head in my hands and realise that I sound like a drill Sergeant.

"Pearl, you okay?" Hyunjin chimes as he places my tea in front of me.

I sit up and try to look somewhat graceful in my chair, "Yeah, of course, I am. So... wanna get started to get to know each other?" I question and he just nods looking me in the eyes, "Okay so why I needed to do this is because my parents want me to get married to someone and I don't want to. That's basically it, so that's why you're here, to help me out of this mess." I finish my sentence chuckling.

Hyunjin looks at me the whole time, gaze never drifting, and I smile at him to which he returns, "Is Pearl your real name?" he asks, lips puckering around the side of his cup, genuine curiosity swirling around in his eyes.

He was cute I'd definitely give him that, "Yes, my real name is Pearl, I'm 20 years old and in my second year of university."

"What do you major in uni?"

I smile at his eagerness, "Woah, Hyunjiin, slow down! You haven't told me anything about yourself."

His eyes go wide at my statement and the tip of his ears go red, "Oh right," he laughs, "Um, Hyunjin is my real name and I'm 23 years old,"

He didn't seem upset about the statement, I'm grateful.

It's vague but I won't push about it.

Actually, I have to push about it if he's going to be my fake boyfriend!

"Hyunjin, what do you like?" I question, putting my elbows on the table and resting my head in my hands looking at him.

Hyunjin shifts under my gaze, "I like loads of stuff, music, flowers, art, odd little shops you find in strange places," I watch his eyes sparkle as he talks; he seems like a really passionate person, I like that.

Instead of talking about myself, I try to get to know him better, "What do you mean odd little shops?" I ask.

His eyes go wide, this time from what seems to be excitement, "Well actually," he starts, bringing his hands together, " shops that sell second-hand stuff or crystals, do you know what I mean? Just random miscellaneous stuff." I nod, listening to the excited boy.

"Crystals?" I chuckle.

"Mhm. Each one of them means something different, and I find that really interesting." He continues explaining.

"Really?" my eyes are the one to go wide this time. I've never met a boy who cares about stuff like this before. Cynthia used to tell me about crystals all the time, but she's usually a nutcase, so I never really paid attention to her. Now, seeing how happy Hyunjin is to talk about random stones, I wish I had.

"Really. Those clear quartz diamonds on the back of your shoes? Which are very lovely, may I say." he chuckles a bit. "They mean manifestation. What are you trying to manifest, beautiful?" He asks, interest sparking in his eyes.

The nickname makes my cheeks blush and I am sure they must be the colour of my dress by now. However, God blessed us humans with make-up. The layer of foundation should be able to cover my hopeless blushing.

"A marriage cancellation," I reply, averting my gaze.

"I see." He hums. "Is it set in stone?"

"Not yet. That's what I need a boyfriend for."

"Well, you got one, don't you?" he smiles. I feel tension growing between us, as my heart skips yet another beat.

"Hyunjin?" I look into his brown eyes again.

"Yes?"

"You said... every gem and crystal has a meaning. What about Pearl?"

"Pearl?" he raises his eyebrows, the curve of his lips that are way too fascinating for me are still pointing upwards. "It means... purity, rarity... and beauty." he glances straight at me, articulating every word with a roll of his tongue, and when he says the final word, his hand finds mine on the table, fingers gently grazing the skin on my knuckles, making my breath hitch in my throat and my skin getting goosebumps all over.

I've never in my life been more thankful to be wearing long sleeves than I am now.

Hyunjin slowly grabs my hand with the same refinement, as if I'm truly the rarest gem he's ever touched, and continues drawing small, excruciatingly painful circles over my knuckles.

"You know..." he starts in a low voice, barely audible and hard to distinguish from the cafe's chatter. "Pearl is the most elegant, and she shines brighter than any other gem I've ever seen."

His eyes never leave mine, but my nervousness is growing so uncomfortable, I find that the straw in my drink is the most interesting thing to look at. I need to stare at anything else but his eyes, because my poor heart would forget that this is a fake date, and that he is a fake boyfriend.

"My beautiful gem, it's your turn to tell me more about yourself now. Do you have any siblings?"

"Mhm, an older brother, or the thorn in my side, as I like to call him." I reply, and Hyunjin lets out a low chuckle. I'm too aware of his hand still on top of mine, but I try to ignore the feeling growing in my chest and I continue talking. "His name is Seungmin and he's actually dating my best friend, if you can believe that!"

"No way!" Hyunjin exclaims, seeming so interested in what I have to say, I can't stop thinking about how professional he's being. Again.

"Yeah, I really worried at first, but they've been dating for almost a year now, and they seem in love, so who am I to stop them?" I shrug.

"You can't stop true love from happening, from being felt." He squeezes my hand.

"I guess that's true. That's what I'm hoping for with my family and this whole... marriage ordeal. When they see me being in love with someone, I just hope they'll have the same consideration for me as they had for Seungmin and Cynthia."

"Cynthia? That's your friend's name? I see you're only surrounded by people with interesting names. Moon Goddess... her parents were inspired."

"You think so?" I smile.

"Mhm. Do you know her from Uni?"

"No, although she does go to the same University. We're in different majors. I've known her since high school."

"Were you in the same class?" He asks inquisitively.

"Unfortunately.," I chuckle., "I used to not like her at all at that time, she had this big, jarring mouth. I rolled my eyes so bad when the chemistry teacher forced us to do a project together, God!" I laugh, and Hyunjin also seems to enjoy the story, as he shares my excitement and laughs with me. Sharing stories with him like this makes me feel more at ease, and it feels somewhat... natural. He has a calming, laidback aura about him, maybe he's carrying some crystals on him now.

"So what happened next? How did you two become friends?" he asks, curiosity audible in his tone. as he leans in closer to the table.

"Well, we had this stupidly impossible project to work on, and none of us knew any chemistry-"

"And you also didn't have any between yourselves." Hyunjin interrupts me with a giggle.

"Exactly!" I laugh. "We were both convinced that we're screwed, so I think we kinda bonded over our... stupidity?" I tilt my head a bit and Hyunjin squeezes my hand, reminding me that it's there. It felt so normal to have his hand on mine, that I no longer noticed the way his thumb was drawing a pattern on the back of my hand. Feeling that squeeze brings me to reality and I flinch a bit, almost removing my hand from his grasp. However, he holds it firmly, not letting me move away.

"Sorry," I mumble, startled by my sudden reaction.

"Don't worry, Pearl." he smiles sweetly. "I'm not going to let you leave anywhere. Not until you finish your story."

"I... uhm..."

What the fuck, Pearl, get yourself together! I say to myself in my mind.

"I also hated chemistry." Hyunjin brings up the topic again, as if to help me remember where I left off.

"Yeah... so... uhm... Cynthia and I were fighting all the time not knowing how the fuck- I'm sorry." I put my hand over my mouth as soon as I realised that I let out a curse.

"Stop apologising, cutie, you can curse all you want. You'd still be the most elegant Pearl in the world to me."

"God, stop flattering me so much..." I avert my gaze and clear my throat. "Anyway, we didn't know how to get started on the project and were basically forced to spend time together. One thing led to another, and all of a sudden we realised we shared many interests and we became really good friends."

"But wait, if you know her from high school, and you've been friends since, how did she and Seungmin start dating only a few months ago?" He inquires, and I get surprised that he not only remembered my brother's name, but that he also remembered such a small detail—when he and Cynthia started dating—which means that Hyunjin is actively listening to what I say, and doesn't just nod out of courtesy.

"That's when they met." I laugh, remembering how shocked both of them were to bump into each other in our house randomly at 3 AM while Cynthia and I had a sleepover. "It was basically love at first sight. Seungmin studied abroad for a few years so they never really knew about each other... until they basically crashed into each other in the hallway - Cynthia getting out of my room, and Seungmin wanting to come in to say hello as soon as his flight landed and he returned home."

"That's so funny!"

"And that's not all! Cynthia and I were playing around doing a photoshoot. She was wearing this really sultry red lace lingerie and didn't bother putting anything else on since she knew my parents weren't home. The poor girl was horrified!"

"I can imagine. Breakfast the next day must've been really amusing to watch." A smile plays on his lips.

"It was! God, they were so awkward." I laugh reminiscing about the memory and shaking my head at how mortifying the whole situation was for everyone as I relive it.

"I wish I were there to see it." He chuckles, probably imagining the whole scene.

"So Seungmin studied abroad, and you're studying here? You didn't tell me earlier what you are majoring in."

"Business."

"Beautiful and smart." Hyunjin compliments me.

I shrug off the compliment and change the conversation, "What about you, Hyunjin? Do you have many friends?"

"I have a few," he says while he looks up to think, "Since you're studying Business, you must be going to the University of Thomas Aquinas, right? My roommate actually works at a Cafe near there, you might've seen him, if you enjoy drinking coffee in-between classes."

"Really? What's his name? What does he look like?" I ask, curious. The simple thought of possibly sharing an acquaintance with Aphrodite's son lookalike seems purely impossible. There's no way our universes would've ever collided if it weren't for this Pearls on Your Neck app.

"His name is Felix. He works at this really funky-looking cafe right next to your Uni as a barista. He's an innocent blonde guy, younger than me by a few years. Rings any bells?"

"No freaking way!" I exclaim, my eyes going big. "Felix is your roommate?!"

"You know him?" he gasps, as shocked as me. "Really?! That's so funny! Wow!"

"I know, right?! But Hyunjin, you know what this means?! We just found ourselves the perfect excuse! We met at the Cafe and fell in love at first sight!" I declare with resolve, but Hyunjin only tugs his lips into a smile, not commenting further on what I've said.

I reach out for my drink again, realising that my tea has gone cold - from all the talking - when it reaches my mouth, I can't help but wince at the displeasing feeling of the cold liquid travelling down my throat. It was really good tea, not too strong or weak like piss that you get in other cafes, and I'm deeply dissatisfied that I don't get to enjoy it warm.

Hyunjin leans forwards on the table, placing his iced Americano down, and raising an eyebrow at me, "Cold?"

I keep forgetting this is a fake date.

Hyunjin is really good at this and extremely accommodating, he does little things to help me calm down when my brain goes into overdrive and even reminds me when I lose track of my conversation - just proving even more that he is a professional at this. I have to keep reminding myself that it's fake or I'm scared I'll go crazy with delusion.

We've not even spent the whole day together yet, but I feel content but nervous, exactly how someone should feel on a first date.

Thinking about it now, Hyunjin always skips over the 'fake' dating details. He's very good at acting and if he didn't want to be here, he is very good at hiding it—I also keep forgetting that this is his job. I want to ask about his job and how he got into this line of work or if he's ever had any crazy clients, but considering how he's acted the last two times, I decide it's best not to - maybe it's a rule. Maybe I can ask him another time; either way, I'm curious about him in a way that I've never been curious about a person before.

Hyunjin is undoubtedly cute, extremely attractive, and he's fun in a quirky way, almost reckless. I mean, a man talking about crystals so fondly is unheard of and being in this line of business you have to be a little crazy, plus, he definitely has a way with words that can make any woman blush, but he's also polite and seems gentle - he seems to have a gentle soul.

Considering I avoid relationships like the plague I'm actually enjoying this—enjoying talking to a new person.

Maybe I just need to go out more.

I'm glad that I'm doing this though because it's new and apparently I enjoy talking to other people than Cynthia. Even if this is fake to get me out of a potential engagement, I'm enjoying it...

I realise I've spaced out, so I clear my throat, "Hmm? Oh... yeah it's a bit cold." I confirm his suspicions.

He nods, "Do you want another? I'd like to get to know you more before we play build a perfect boyfriend with me." he jests.

I laugh at his joke, finding his strange way to make a joke actually quite hilarious, "No, I'm okay. But don't you think you'll look good dressed up all dapper?" I question him tilting my head slightly, I know he'll look good dressed up all smart when he looks this good dressed in casual clothing.

He hums and puts his hand under his chin scrunching his forehead as if he was thinking, "I think I'll look good if you pick it out for me, I guess."

I nod agreeing because I do in fact have a great eye for men's fashion after growing up with Seungmin who would pair vertically striped trousers and horizontally striped shirts together, "I guess you're right, I do have a good eye for fashion."

"Oh really?" he questions "What do you think of my attire right now?"

I have to think for a second, he looks amazing, but I can't say that for obvious reasons, "It's good... perfect for shopping"

He sighs as if he's relieved, "Thank god for that, can I be honest with you?" He questions as if he's scared to reveal his honest thoughts.

I don't know why he's asking that, of course, he can be honest with me. I want him to be honest with me, I want to know more about him and how he thinks, he seems different from most men I've met... I want to know what he's thinking and how his mind works.

Why is he even asking that?

I nod eagerly, "Of course!" that came out a bit too eager.

A slight blush rises to my cheeks, if he noticed it he didn't tease into it or make any comments, like other men I know would do.

He smiles at me genuinely and I notice how his eyes crinkle at the corners, it's cute, "Well, I was a bit worried I was underdressed when I saw you." He looks down at his jeans as if he's actually embarrassed about it.

At this moment I realise, his mind is just as complex as mine, I thought I was overdressed, "No, not at all." I console him and reach out to pat his hand, that's when I notice it hasn't left mine the whole time.

It's strange. I never thought I'd forget another hand sat idly in mine, I never thought it would feel so normal. I always thought it would feel anomalous.

I want to take my hand away from his but I don't want to leave its warmth.

Yeah, that's it.

I just don't want to be cold.

As if he's observed my weird stare at our hands he speaks again pulling my view away from his hand in mine, "Do you have any hobbies?"

I think hard looking up, I can't remember the last time I did something that could be classed as a hobby.

I mean one time Cynthia decided we were going to be chefs and nearly burnt down the house... but that only happened once because we were banned from using the kitchen after that, I think harder trying to recall something of significance.

Bingo!

"I used to go on fishing trips with my dad and brother once a month, I really enjoyed it! We even used to go on fishing holidays. We went to Gillhams fishing resort a few times in Thailand, I've never seen fish so big! Oh and how could I forget I once caught a 250-pound Mekong catfish, it took me about three hours to reel it in, and it was so hot I was sweating so bad not to mention the sunburn I had after being in the direct sunlight for that long-" I cut myself off by pulling my hand away from his abruptly and slapping it over my mouth, Hyunjin's expression goes shocked for a split second but he quickly regains his smile, I'm completely embarrassed from my rambling, I coughed a bit trying to regain my dignity from massively oversharing, "I'm so sorry for rambling"

I'm a bit upset that my hand is so cold and I regret pulling it away in my state of fluster, but I can still feel his hand as if it's imprinted itself into mine.

So, instead of reaching my hand back out to his, I place my other hand in mine hoping to regain the warmth but to no avail because both of my hands are cold.

I can't reach out to his hand because that would not be appropriate for me to do so, as we haven't established boundaries and I barely know the man. I'll just let him take the lead. I would hate to make him uncomfortable, especially while he's working.

Although it would be something we should probably discuss.

It would make life a lot easier, but it doesn't matter at the moment anyway because even if we did set boundaries I wouldn't have the balls to reach out to him anyway, I shouldn't even be wanting to hold his hand.

He looks at me bemused, "Don't apologise, I was enjoying your story," his lips turn into a little pout, "Please continue, you know... I've always wanted a fishing buddy... maybe we can go on a fishing date after the dinner?!" He says eyes full of hope.

Fishing buddy?

Another date, is this some sort of would you like to book in for a lash infill tactic?

Of course, realistically I'd love to go on a fishing date with Hyunjin, I'd love to get to know him more but this isn't real and I find I'm having to remind myself of this again.

I decide not to think about it too much and change the subject, "Yeah... you said you like art?" I question even though I distinctly remember him saying it, "I'd really love to get into it but I wouldn't know where to start or how to start," I let out a deflated chuckle.

His eyes sparkle and his lips pull into a very big grin seemingly pleased that I've remembered this small detail about him, "You remembered that?" He questions and I want to say why wouldn't I?

It makes me think again, how do all his other fake dates treat him? Do they just talk about themselves the whole time? The thought makes me a bit angry because it seems to me that everyone should want to get to know Hyunjin but also, don't conversations work both ways? Isn't that how it works, one person asks a question and the other answers vice versa?

"Of course, I remembered we only spoke about it," I look at my phone checking the time, "Wow, we only spoke about it two hours ago." I try to deflect the amazed look on his face because it's honestly not that impressive that I can remember a small detail about him, actually, I think I've memorised everything he's told me about himself- because I need to. That's how fake relationships work.

Not that I know anything about fake relationships, but I'm pretty sure with Hyunjin's amazing acting it will look undeniably real.

"Thank you, maybe I can help you get into painting... only if it's something you genuinely want, don't just say it on my account." This is a first, for Hyunjin to look so unsure of himself.

"Of course, I'd love that! I'm always up for new things."

He smiles at me as if I've hung the moon and stars in the sky, "I'm actually very excited to get to know you, Pearl."

I chuckle at his expression and statement, "Do you say that to all your dates?" I question and quickly realise by the way his facial expression drops for the slightest moment that I should have not said that.

I don't want him to think I'm being rude and think that he's cheap because he does this for a job, actually, that's the furthest thing I think of him. He's my lifesaver at this point, and he's quite literally going to save me from a loveless marriage and an eternity of misery.

"What are you on about? I'm on a date with you." he resorts to quickly making me confused.

"Hyunjin... you know you can be real around me, I know this is a fake date and you're not actually my boyfriend," I say factly.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm your boyfriend and we are on a date," He said and quickly stands up, "come on, we should go shopping now." He says abruptly, leaving me behind a bit before stopping at the door and keeping it open for me while I'm still sitting confused by what has just happened.

Did I just offend him and his work?

Shit, that's the last thing I wanted to do.

I walk up to him as he smiles at me sweetly.

"Hyunjin... I didn't mean to offend you... actually, that's the last thing I want to do since you're saving my life by doing this for me-" Apparently my apology isn't acknowledged because he cut me off.

"Where should we look first?"

"Uhm... I think the man's section is on the First Floor, if I remember correctly..." I reply quietly, looking down at my shoes and rubbing my hands together, fidgeting my fingers nervously.

Did I upset him that much?

I must've said something wrong...

"Pretty, is everything okay?" He asks with a frown and grabs my hands with his, as if our conversation earlier never happened. He separates my hands and continues holding my left one tightly, starting to walk towards the large escalators. "I don't like seeing you upset, my beautiful Pearl."

I want to say something.

But don't know how to reply, "Uhm... "

"You know what I think will make you feel better?" he smiles, and abruptly changes directions. Instead of going downstairs, he drags me towards a photobooth and effortlessly lifts up the black curtain, pulling me inside.

The space is narrow, I worry that being so close to him will make him uncomfortable, but he doesn't seem to care that much. He's skilfully pushing the right buttons on the machine to get it to work - 2 sets of 8 pictures each - and that reminds me once again that despite it being the first time I've ever been in a photobooth, let alone with a guy, he most definitely comes to this kind of place with all his dates to take pictures.

Why do I have a strange pang in my chest when I think about this? I wonder, but quickly shake the thought off as Hyunjin positions himself right next to me. Legs and arms pressed against each other.

It's okay Pearl, don't overthink this...This is a fake date.

A first flash is seen and I can't help but think about how awkward we must be looking right now, simply sat next to each other facing the screen in front of us, not even holding hands anymore.

Is this supposed to be fun?

Just as this thought crosses my mind, Hyunjin puts a hand around my waist, fingers delicately sitting above my pelvis and he spins me around to face him. His right-hand finds its way to my left one, which he raises in the air, mere centimetres in front of his lips, and the next thing I see is the blinding flash while I feel his lips softly press against my knuckles.

I let out a gasp as he smirks.

"What is it, my Pearl, are you flustered?" he raises an eyebrow and stands straight although his neck is a bit bent due to his sheer height so he crouches slightly, his left hand still on the back of my waist, hugging my frame tightly so we are flush against each other.

"I- what?" I stumble on my words and tilt my head with confusion.

What just happened?

Another 2-3 pictures are being taken while I'm trying to figure out what the hell just went on and how I can forget the feeling of his soft, perfect unchapped lips on my skin.

I'm crazy.

Then, just as abrupt as earlier, Hyunjin pulls my body closer to him and whispers slowly in my ear: "This dress looks so beautiful on you." before pecking me on the cheek.

My eyes go wide at his bold gesture and my face has turned pink, and that's when I notice that all 8 pictures have finally been taken. The air inside the photobooth feels way too stuff, because Hyunjin's gesture turned my stomach upside down, and my heart is racing at 200km/h.

He takes out the two sets of pictures and looks at them with a bright smile on his face, then takes out his wallet from his back pocket and places one of the sets inside, before handing me mine.

"We look so cute together." he grins childishly, giving me a second to look at the work of art we've just taken.

I'll give it to him though because fuck, we look so good together.

No freaking way.

When my eyes find the last picture, I get flustered all over again, seeing that it perfectly captured the moment of Hyunjin kissing my cheek.

Hyunjin smiles at me triumphantly, "Do you feel better?"

I've come to the conclusion that all my overthinking about boundaries earlier was pointless, and to think I was getting worked up over holding his hand. But, my suspicions about him being a little crazy are definitely confirmed.

"Hyunjin... this was a good idea, I can put this in the back of my phone case, you're so smart!" I say, evaluating and analysing why he has just done that and I feel completely stupid, obviously, it was so we look more legit.

He looks at me wearing a complacent smile, "It was a good idea, right? Everyone loves a photo booth!"

Although he doesn't want to talk about it right now, he knows we're on a fake date but he's also making 'memories' for us to show my family, why didn't I think of this? I didn't even think of taking photos. He may be one of the smartest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.

I carefully take off my clear phone case and slide the photos in between the small gap.

I do actually feel a lot lighter and it's Hyunjin's doing that has caused it, "Shall we go get you some clothes then?" I offer, sporting a beaming smile.

"Okay let's go!" He says excitedly and puts his hand out for me to grab.

We walk around and I finally spot a blazer in a very dark teal blue, and I drag him with me as quickly as I can in my heels, "Woah Pearl, slow down, no one is going to take whatever you're on a mission to get." He says behind me nearly tripping up.

I get the blazer and hold it up to him, it looks good with his complexion, "Hyunjin, will you try this on?"

He just simply nods and I go and hunt down the matching trousers.

When I find them I come across two more different suits that will look good so I take this opportunity to pick them up, guessing his size.

I knock on the changing room door and wait for a response.

"Pearl, is it you?" He asks, making me chuckle.

"Yeah, I got you some more bits to try on,"

I hear a few shuffles before the door opens and he peeks his head out, "Ah.. amazing go sit on the chair and I'll come out and be your personal model." He winks

I laugh at his remark and nod, handing him the clothes.

As I wait on the cream leather seat in the mirrored room, I find myself staring at the door that Hyunjin is behind.

Obviously, curiosity takes the best of me but I can't carry through with it until he comes out, so I sit there staring at my hands and fiddling with the cuff of my dress.

"Close your eyes," Hyunjin calls out, so I do to entertain him.

I hear footsteps getting closer, and Hyunjin calls out, "Pearl, you can open them now"

Hyunjin is finally standing in front of me in a dark teal blue blazer button-up with Burberry stitched into the breast. Featuring a collar style, front welt pockets, long sleeves, a front button fastening and long sleeves with matching trousers that look as if they were tailored to fit him, the plain white button-up shirt pairs perfectly.

His long legs are complemented profusely by the fit. The Blazer isn't too tight either but just tight enough in all the right places, it feels rude to be looking without saying anything this long but I can't help it when he looks so good.

"Beautiful, does it look okay?" Hyunjin says with a teasing tone in his voice, and raised eyebrow.

"Hyunjin, you. It looks so good!" I exclaim.

"You think? Is this the one?" He says and a slight tinge of red comes to the top of his ears.

I think for a while - is this the one? It's clear that Hyunjin looks amazing in this, but is this right for him to meet my family in?

"There's more, try them all on and then we'll pick the best... well not the best... I mean, you're going to look amazing in all of them" I stammer.

"I'm glad you like it," he looks down at his shoes, "maybe it would look better with different shoes,"

"Yes! Oh my god! Wait there, let me go and get some shoes. What size?"

He laughs at my excitement, "size 10"

I nod then run to the shoes, I pick up a pair of black chunky leather loafers premium Italian calf leather and gold-plated hardware across the talus. Perfect for a statement.

The next pair are slightly heeled ankle boots with a pointed toe in black leather, with a gold buckle on the inside. They are sleek and look smart.

I walk with a stride back to the changing room, "Hyunjin! I found some shoes!"

"Pop them by the door please, I'm trying on another one,"

I do as I'm told, barely containing my excitement - it is truly hard to not get pumped up when someone is willing to wear anything given to them, especially when they look like a model.

I sit there a bit too eagerly, fidgeting crossing and uncrossing my legs.

It's taking way too long, "Hyunjin?" I shout

"Yes love?"

I blush unintentionally at the sweet nickname, "Is everything okay in there?"

"Yes, I'm just admiring how good your fashion is."

I giggle to myself, and my phone goes off so I check it.

Sister-in-law:

How's it going?

Did you kiss yet?

God, Cynthia is going to be my ultimate demise if she keeps asking questions like that; doesn't she know it's a fake date?

Pearl:

It's good and no we haven't kissed yet because it's a fake date!

Sister-in-law:

Whatever

Is he as good looking in person?

Pearl:

Yes

Even better looking!

Sister-in-law:

Are you in love yet?

Pearl:

Fuck off

I'm putting my phone away now

Sister-in–law:

No!

Don't be like that!

"Love?" Hyunjin said giving me a fright.

I clumsily shove my phone back into my bag and look up. Hyunjin looks really good in beige, especially with blonde hair.

The black roses in contrast with the beige are so beautiful, the blazer has a pocket on the breast, and he's not wearing a button-up this time but instead a black t-shirt.

"Do you like it?" I ask keenly, walking up to him to help flatten the lapels, reaching forwards without hesitation, both of my hands on his hard chest lightly moving the lapels, I smile to myself; extremely happy with my work. He's wearing the loafers, they give him extra height that isn't necessarily needed since my arms are already at neck level reaching out for his chest.

I didn't even realise he was looking at me until I looked up because he didn't respond.

I didn't realise we were that close.

We are really close.

He's looking down at me with a look on his face that I can't quite distinguish and his lips twitch slightly.

I become flustered looking into his eyes for too long so I move back quickly.

I just invaded his personal space without asking or warning him.

I clear my throat, "Sorry," I say looking down at my feet, and stepping back.

"I really like this one" He lets out in a low voice, and tilts my head up with his large, and temperate hand bringing me back closer to give me a warm smile, "why'd you pick this one beautiful?"

I try to find the right words, but it seems they are stuck in my throat. I know why I picked this one, it's because he said he likes flowers; I thought he'd like it because of that.

"Why so quiet love?" His honey-brown eyes are miraculous, they look like they're shining, sparkling under the bright changing room lights and his blonde hair with his tanned skin is stunning. All humans should be born like this. Who wouldn't be speechless being within this proximity with someone so breathtaking?

"I picked it because you like flowers?" I say it as if it's more of a question.

Unsure.

But I know that's why I picked it.

"You're right." he smiles, "I do like flowers, do you know why?"

I shake my head coyly.

I don't know, but I want to.

"Because I'm a fool for beautiful things." His eyes still haven't left mine and I feel my body getting hotter by the second, "maybe you can be one of the things I'm a fool for as well." He says it like a statement.

So boldly.

So confident.

I want to change the subject, I don't like being put on the spot like this. I don't like not knowing how to reply.

"Hyunjin, go try on the last suit, please."

I say please because I need him to go, because I don't think I can handle being part of this conversation any longer.

All he does is nod and smile walking away and I'm left still standing there confused, if my heart beats any faster I'm going to have to go get a check-up.

This is not normal, my hands are clammy, my whole body is flush and I'm a bit breathless.

I think I'm getting sick.

I sit back down on the chair and wait a little longer for Hyunjin, I still feel like I barely know him and I don't know what I want to know about him.

I know he does this for work but does he go to uni still? Does he have another job? Does he have any siblings or pets? He's older than me so it could be a possibility we went to the same school, he could even know my brother. After all, they're the same age.

I can't stop being curious about him.

"Pearl, I'm coming out. I think you'll really like this one." He practically sings.

Speechless.

This is what he's going to wear, he has to.

Elegant and luxurious; this is the one.

Black pinstripe Saint Laurent tuxedo jacket, black wool perfectly tailored, it has leather peak lapels and padded shoulders that enhance the double-breasted front, and on the front breast pocket is a gold Saint Laurent symbol.

The trousers are plain black and a skinny inky belt adorns his hips, the low-cut shirt he's wearing hangs just below his collarbones and for the first time drawing attention to the delicate gold necklace he has on. The slightly heeled boots he has on just pull the outfit together even more, giving a classic, timeless look.

He should really consider being a model.

"Yes!" I squeal, clapping my hands together, "Hyunjin! This is the one!"

He chuckles at me, and puts his hand out to grab mine pulling me from my seat, "Shall we get this one then?"

"Yes! Let's get them all, Hyunjin!"

He sighs slightly, "Why don't you come up with a nickname for me?" he asks in a disappointed tone and his ever-so-swollen lips slightly pout?

"Huh?" I ask confused by the sudden question.

"Well, I am your boyfriend right?" He says in a matter of fact tone.

Fake boyfriend I want to say, but he is right, 'couples' should have nicknames for each other and he's always giving me ones.

"What should I call you then?" I ask, slightly tilting my head.

His face lights up, "Anything you want," he shrugs.

I think for a while going through the possibilities, I'm not bold enough to use honey bee, babe or baby.

It wouldn't sound right for me to say that.

"Hyunnie or Jinnie?" I question, not completely sure on either.

His eyes widen and I start to think he doesn't like them, "I love it, I love them both!" He says as he engulfs me in a hug.

"Jinnie, careful, I nearly got makeup on your suit and we haven't even bought it yet!" I laugh and place my hands on his chest, pushing him away from me playfully.

"You're right," he chuckles, "that would truly be unfortunate. But you know what, beautiful?" he asks, his hands still on the back of my waist, holding my body close to him. He leans down, face mere centimetres from my face, and whispers "I'm sure we can find a dry cleaner to get it ready until the dinner with your parents."

"Jinnie!" I scold him, both of us starting laughing. Looking up at him, I love the way his blonde hair contrasts the black elegant suit. However, I unintentionally frown, remembering the most important detail I forgot until Hyunjin mentioned the Saturday dinner.

"What's wrong?" he asks with a head tilt, seemingly concerned about my sudden change of expression.

"What are we going to do about this?" I ask, removing a stray strand of hair that found its way on Hyunjin's forehead.

"What, the hair?" He removes his hands from my waist and brushes them through his haircut, restyling it.

"My father is a bit... conservative, so to say. He doesn't really like crazy colours."

"Oh, is that so?" he smiles.

"Mhm. Whatever. I'm sure it'll be fine. It doesn't matter." I wave my hand around, trying not to overthink it too much.

"If you say so, beautiful." Hyunjin grabs my hand before noticing the abandoned red carnations on the cream leather seat I sat on minutes earlier. He runs away quickly to grab them, then hands them to me, as he did a few hours ago when we first met.

"Thanks." I smile. "I would've been really upset if I forgot these."

Facepalm.

No way I just said that out loud.

"I mean-" I start, trying to correct myself, but Hyunjin doesn't seem to care that much, as he raises a hand to stop me from speaking any further.

"Can you wait a bit while I change?" he asks. "I won't be long."

"Yes, of course."

True to his word, Hyunjin takes only a few minutes to change, and I decide against going back to the chair. The heels I'm wearing are thankfully not as uncomfortable as they look, so I don't mind waiting for him in front of the dressing room.

"All done." he opens up the curtain, holding the three suits I've chosen for him neatly folded on his arm.

"Shall we go pay, then?" I smile brightly, truly proud of myself. The suits look just too good on Hyunjin not to get all of them.

We both head to the checkout and the lady behind the register compliments our choice of clothes, her eyes never leaving Hyunjin. I can't blame her, though. Every time I look at him I feel like I'm having a cultural reset. His beauty is ethereal.

After we leave the store, I get this weird... sinking feeling in my stomach, as I realise that our date is almost over. We're going to walk our separate ways now, and see each other in two days, which isn't a lot, so why does it feel like it's so far away?

"So..." I start, dejected. "I'm glad we got to know each other better, Jinnie. I guess it's time we-"

"Go shop for your clothes." Hyunjin smiles mischievously.

"Sorry?"

"It's your turn!" he grins. "Your turn to be my model."

"Oh," I reply, confused, "No, that's okay, I wouldn't want to take too much of your time... I have a lot of clothes at home."

"No fair!" he whines like a little kid, which makes me giggle a bit. "You got to dress me up, why don't I have the same liberty?"

"Hyunjin, we've already spent many hours together. Aren't you booked for another date later?" I reply with reason, noticing a slight frown between his eyebrows.

"What do you mean, Pearl? What other date? You've been mentioning that for quite some time now. I'm on a date with you, and I don't want to go home just yet. I want to spend more time with my girlfriend. Why can't we go shopping for you as well, hm?"

His answer takes me by surprise. He said everything in an almost arguing tone, truly seeming upset about this whole ordeal. My stupid mouth mentioned the fake date as well, again, and this really seems to anger him.

"I mean, we can, but... are you sure you aren't busy?"

"I'll never be busy for you, beautiful," he says, making me blush.

However, I can't stop wondering if I should've just pushed harder to go home. This is probably what he says to all dates, and hopes his fake girlfriend of the day will just let him go.

This is a job for him, after all. If I worked, I imagine I would think about going back home all the time.

Hyunjin and I head towards the escalator and take it to the Second Floor, where the woman's section is located. He is the one who leads the way this time, as I'm shily looking down at the red carnations in my hand, their petals a bit withered by now. I furrow my brows thinking about them withering away, only a distant memory of this date remaining.

"You should press them when you get home. Do you like them that much? I would've bought you a bigger bouquet if I'd known."

"Huh?" I raise my head, surprised once again that he noticed the source of my downheartedness so quickly, without me saying a word. No one in my life ever paid as much attention to me, not even my nanny, and it was her job. Well, this is Hyunjin's job as well... but still, how observant can someone be?

"I'm not sure how to. I've never done it before."

"Really?!" his eyes go wide. "Wow, okay, I'll teach you. We should video-call later and I'll show you."

"Okay." I chuckle, the knot in my stomach feeling tighter than ever. It's not like he'd actually video-call me. Once the date is over, and until Saturday, we're no longer bound by a contract, or by me paying him, so he wouldn't have any reason to waste his free time chatting with a random stranger who hired him to be her arm candy.

Hyunjin takes me to a large elegant store on the Second Floor, and I quickly notice I haven't been in it before. I only come to Harrods when Cynthia is in the mood to buy some new clothes, but I rarely, if ever, buy anything myself. I normally have people taking my measurements and bringing me catalogues where I pick what I like, and that's it. No struggles going to the dressing room and trying 100 different things on.

Although not gonna lie, it was very fun to do it with Hyunjin earlier.

He goes directly to a shelf on the right side and picks an extremely elegant and beautiful pearl white satin dress that is scrunched around the waist with a one-shoulder neckline that would fall on my left side. There is a deep split on the right leg, and it has a short train.

As if he knows exactly what he's looking for, he skillfully moves around the store until he finds his next target: a beautiful two-piece beige below-the-knee-length dress. The top is a tight-fit diamond shape with a halter neckline, and the skirt once again has a split but this slit is high and looks as if it would reach just at the top of my thigh, this time on the left leg.

Does Hyunjin have a thing for splits? I wonder, laughing in my head while he rummages the store for a third dress.

"Are you going to pick one for each look I've chosen for you?" I ask curiously.

"Of course, how else are we going to match on our next dates?" he grins while browsing through a row of black dresses.

"Aha! There it is!" he says, pulling out one beautiful raven-black satin dress that looks like it shines under the shop lights with a V-neck that plunges deep and spaghetti straps. This dress seems to be long, cutting off just at the ankles, and looks so elegant, I can't wait to try it on. "Exactly what I was looking for!"

"Really?" I chuckle at his excitement.

"Beautiful, let's see how these fit you." Hyunjin grins, balancing the three dresses on one arm and grabbing the back of my waist with the other.

We head towards the dressing room and I step inside, letting Hyunjin arrange the dresses nicely on the hanger.

"The white one first. I'm gonna quickly run and get some accessories, so don't hurry," he says, grabbing the big dark brown curtain and arranging it so no one could see anything from outside.

"Got it," I say, starting to undress, "Wait, Hyunjin?" I shout, hoping that he didn't leave just yet, because I had a big problem.

"Yes, love?" he peeks his head through the curtain.

This fucking nickname.

"Uhm... do you think you could..." I grimace a bit, parting my hair to the side and turning my back towards Hyunjin.

"Oh." he looks aside for a short second and I almost notice a red tint on his cheeks. "Sure."

Damn, Cynthia for picking out this dress with the long-ass zipper!

Hyunjin comes so close to me, I feel his breath on my neck, and as he places one hand firmly on my shoulder, I can feel his thumb grazing the skin on my nape.

Suddenly, the air feels too hot and stuffy, and I barely breathe.

He pulls the zipper down and stops just above my behind, and I feel vulnerable with my whole back exposed. It's the first time a man has ever seen so much of my skin, and I am feeling really conscious.

What if there's a pimple on my back?

What if my position is weird?

Can he see my weird birthmark?

Does he think it's ugly?

Instead of letting all these insecurities show, I just let my head down and mumble a quick "Thank you," Hyunjin isn't pushing it, and leaves me alone in the dressing room as soon as he's done, with a small nod of his head.

At least we both seem embarrassed.

Now that the zipper issue is solved, I am able to undress with ease. I grab the white dress as instructed and pull it over my head, and as soon as it falls on my shoulders and settles on me, I can't help but think Damn.

It looks amazing. The satin is hugging my waist beautifully, and the colour compliments my skin tone so well. I can't believe Hyunjin was able to guess my size on the first try, and find this masterpiece of a dress.

"Love? Can I open this?" I hear his voice from the other side of the curtain and see the pattern of a hand gripping it up.

"Yes, I'm all dressed," I reply.

"Wow." his eyes go wide as he looks at me.

"Is it that bad?" I chuckle jokingly, as it's quite obvious I'm looking like Aphrodite herself right now.

"Fuck" he mumbles, placing his fist over his mouth. "You look heavenly."

"Thanks." I smile. "What do you have over there?" I point to the small shopping bag in his hand.

"Oh. Right. I got you these." he says as he pulls out a pair of blue satin gloves that look elbow-length, the same colour as his suit. He follows with a pair of navy blue high heels with an intricate silver flower design all over them, more focused on the heel. The third item he's brought me is a small pearl white clutch with a golden chain to hold.

"Wow, Jinnie, these work so well together!" I praise him, and I almost get an urge to pet his hair, which I barely contain.

"That's not all. Look, a pair of earrings for you..." He opens up a small box where sapphire and diamond dangly earrings beautifully sparkle under the strong light of the dressing room. "... and these." He opens up another box, revealing two silver couple rings, a small blue sapphire at the centre of both of them.

"Oh, God. These are so beautiful..." I pull out one ring and place it carefully on my finger. It's the perfect fit.

Was he able to size up my hands while playing with my fingers earlier?

"I'm glad you like them."

"We definitely have to get all of these." I smile, impressed by Hyunjin's refined style.

"The two-piece is next. Be right back," he says after helping me place everything in the big shopping bag provided by the store.

I again do as instructed and put on the two-piece dress. The diamond-shaped top exposes my shoulders and back modestly, I love the way the fabric of the beige skirt hugs my hips, and then falls down freely on my legs. This time as well, the split is not too high up on the side of my leg to make me uncomfortable, on the contrary, it's on the front, and I find myself once again admiring Hyunjin's fashion style. He perfectly combined beauty with comfort.

Hyunjin returns once more really quickly and takes a few moments to admire the fit.

"So beautiful." he smiles, and gives me a pair of black chunky, platform high-heel shoes with a thin strap on the ankle and a small golden buckle much like his chunky loafers, a black trapeze bag held by a large gold bulky, thick chain, a pair of golden twisted hoop earrings and a set of dark beige Tiger's Eye bracelets with golden chains.

He really does like rocks.

"I absolutely adore how all of these look," I tell him excitedly, feeling just a bit dejected that he didn't bring any more couple rings this time. "We're keeping all of these as well!"

"That's great." he chuckles at my excitement. "Then try the black one on, please."

The black satin dress is the one I've been looking forward to the most, as it'll be the obvious choice to go with Hyunjin's Saint Laurent black suit at my parents' dinner.

Of course, Hyunjin's amazing taste doesn't disappoint this time either. The fabric hugs my body in all the right places and loosely flows at the bottom in contrast to the tightness around my bust waist and hips. The open neckline makes me wonder what type of jewellery he will pick to go on with this dress.

I find out quickly enough, as he returns breathless to the dressing room.

"Okay." he smiles. "Try these on."

He gives me a pair of black open-toe sandal heels, and I'm surprised to notice that they will go with his suit perfectly, being made by the same design. Instead of a regular heel, these shoes have the Yves Saint Laurent logo in golden letters cassander heel featuring an adjustable ankle strap. The black bag with the golden chain he gives me is Yves Saint Laurent as well, and it seems he truly wants us to be matching not only the clothes, but the brand as well.

He then gives me a thin gold bracelet with small diamonds all over, but the accessory I love the most is a golden necklace. Well, I don't necessarily like it the most because it's beautiful. It's because Hyunjin picked two of them, making us once again match, which got my heart racing badly.

"These clothes... Jinnie, they're amazing. You're amazing. We will look so good together on Saturday!" I smile genuinely.

"Mhm. The clothes are okay, but they're just that. Clothes. You're the one who makes them beautiful, Pearl." he replied, looking straight into my eyes through the large mirror in the dressing room.

How is someone supposed to reply to something like that? I don't know how, so I change the subject, "I'm going to get changed then we can go pay for these."

He just nods unenthusiastically, looking slightly dejected.

As I'm getting changed I can't help but think about the look on Hyunjin's face.

Yes, some girls who hire him may be lonely people who want a boyfriend, to be serenaded in love and affection. I, however, am not lonely—maybe a bit touched starved—and do not all need this affection he is throwing my way because it's very confusing, especially when the person is so calm and handsome.

I do not need someone tainting my future life with delusions just because they are nice to me.

Shit.

My dress, the fucking zip.

"Hyunjin?" no reply.

I start to panic, "Jinnie?"

"Yes?"

"Urm... I need your help?" I say it almost as a whisper hoping he'll hear it.

I watch as long fingers, adorned with beautiful rings delicately wrap around the curtain pulling it slightly ajar, barely able to see just a sliver of the side of him.

"Love, is it your dress again?" he says ever so softly,

I fidget, trying to find the words because this situation is extremely embarrassing. I wonder how many times he's had to do this for other girls. Although, he did seem embarrassed as well. What happens if I'm the only girl who decided to wear a dress like this to go shopping in? I hope he doesn't think I did this on purpose.

Why am I thinking so much... I wasn't even supposed to be shopping.

"Yes, can you please zip it up please?"

"Of course." He says and he steps into the changing room, his hands that were once on the curtain are now on my hip and the other is on the zip.

I pull my hair to the side to give him better access to the zip at the top, but I can't help that this feels somewhat domestic.

Intimate.

I need to get my head out of the gutter, this is not intimate nor domestic, this is simply what needs to be done otherwise I'll be stuck half-naked walking through the shop with no jacket to cover up the huge gaping hole at the back of my dress, which is not a good look.

I notice the warmth of his hand leave my hip but the imprint of his large hand is still there and I can still feel it.

I'm basically letting a stranger zip my dress up for me, I remind myself to get the stupid thoughts of intimacy out of my mind. This is absolutely insane.

"Done," he says in a whisper and I shiver once again; this feels intimate.

"Sorry," I mutter under my breath.

"It's fine love, can't be helped, right?" he tells me with a soft chuckle.

I just nod, picking up my bag, and it seems like my touch has summoned a phone call.

I turn to face him and smile awkwardly and he nods indicating to pick up the phone.

"Yes?"

"Pearl? Where have you been all day? Did you not see my messages?"

I let out a heavy sigh, "Seungmin, did Cynth not tell you I was out with my boyfriend today?"

"Your boyfriend who you ain't told anyone about?"

"Yes. My boyfriend."

"Where are you?"

"Harrods" I let out with a sigh.

Hyunjin looks at me, eyes swirling with curiosity. I just smile at him, trying to let him know that it's nothing worth being interested in.

"I'm sending a driver to pick you up now"

"No-"

"Pearl I don't care what you say, I can't believe you even kept this from me for so long!" He was quick to hang up before I could get another word in.

How frustrating!

I shot Hyunjin a look with apologetic eyes, "My brother's sending a driver here, I've got to go."

Hyunjin looks a bit downhearted and his thick lips twitch downwards, something that you'll only notice if you pay enough attention.

But I did pay attention, and I saw that.

He's gone extremely unanimated apart from the slight crinkle of his nose, in contrast to before and my stomach clenches lightly seeing that cute pout on his lips, even if it was just for a second. But deep down I know he's probably happy to have finished his day of work, and this is all part of his 'fake boyfriend' act, now I feel sad.

Hyunjin composes himself quickly standing straight and bringing one of his hands to brush through his golden locks, "Ah okay, well let me walk you out?" He says it as if it's a question, as if I wouldn't want him to.

"I'd like that." I smile genuinely, all the excitement drained from now as I know this is over.

I bend down to pick up some of the bags in my other hand that isn't occupied by a big bouquet of carnations, but before I can even reach out to it Hyunjin has already picked it up.

"My girlfriend shouldn't be carrying heavy things"

I smile as I see he's come back from his fake sad act, but now he's back with the fake boyfriend act. It's better at least, so I decide to play into it, just to humour him, "Oh, is that right?"

He smiles at me and grabs my hand lightly intertwining our fingers, "Of course, I wouldn't want my lover to have callus hands, now would I?"

I laugh and unconsciously play with the rings on his hand while we're walking to the exit, the sinking feeling in my stomach only grows the closer we get, and I can't help but wish we were actually friends. I'd love to get to know the real him. Not the fake boyfriend version.

We stop outside and I see him looking down at our hands with a smile on his face, eyes almost sparking. That's when I notice my fingers playing with his rings, I jerk my hand back and curse myself out internally, "Sorry" I say and avert my eyes to look at the busy streets, its nearing dark now and the sky is painted in a beautiful ombre of pinks and orange hues, a colossal flock of seagulls flying, making the whole scene playing out in front of me look like an intricate tapestry that has been done ever so carefully.

I've never looked at my city like this, I've never had the time to be out and just relax. I've never had time to look into the little things in life, but when Hyunjin is around I seem to be picking out, noticing, and magnifying everything. Maybe his presence does that, he seems to be a very complex, and closed-off person but also very good at observing others. When someone is complex it's natural to have to look into details further.

I see the black Mercedes Benz S-class getting closer and closer, reminding me how this is ending and I will go back home.

It stops in front of us and I smile at Hyunjin, "It was really nice meeting you today...thank you for everything, the flowers, agreeing to do this and I'll see you Saturday?"

His hand reaches out to me and wraps around my waist, "Of course, I'll see you Saturday, let me put your bags in the boot."

He is such a gentleman, after he's done putting the bags into the car he grabs my hand and walks me to the door and presses a soft kiss on my cheek, then opening the door for me, letting me get in, a blushing mess as my driver had just seen that.

"I'll see you Saturday, beautiful, message me when you get home."

I nod and wave him off feeling a strange feeling, he doesn't actually want a message when he gets home, he's just putting on a show for the driver.

I sigh and look down at the beautiful carnations slightly withered.

Would Hyunjin call me like he said and show me how to press the flowers? I'm unsure...

Uncertainty is the plague of the mind and right now I'm more confused and uncertain than ever, no one and I mean no one has ever made me feel so unsure in my life.

~

Independence comes in many forms, or so I have just learnt.

Volunteering to carry my shopping bags up a staircase that is ludicrously way too big for any house; unfortunately, that house is my house. Wearing heels that are slightly uncomfortable the whole day and not asking someone to carry my shoes as I change into flats, because apparently I was too enchanted by an Adonis of a man with a svelte toned body. But now I'm back in the comfort of my own home, my feet are throbbing and my chest heaving from walking up those stupid stairs.

I flop down onto my bed and think about how my life has come to this, lying and scheming to prevent a loveless marriage.

"Pearl!" An excited screech can be heard through the door along with the clambering of feet slapping on the wooden floor. I glance in horror at my closed door and hope to God I've just imagined my friend's voice shouting my name, for I am tired as fuck and frankly a bit disappointed about having to go home instead of spending more time with Hyunjin

"Cynthia?" I ask almost lifelessly, seeing my best friend's figure slamming through the door. As always, Cynthia has no regard for my personal space, so she jumps right next to me in bed, making me close my eyes in slight frustration.

"What's wrong, did you come home with blue balls?" She grins.

"What? No!" I playfully slap her arm and turn my back on her, signalling her to unzip my dress. I then get up and march over to my walk-in closet, taking off my dress and changing into more comfortable clothes.

"How was the date? Spill it out." Her dumb grin doesn't leave her face while she asks this. She's lucky I love her.

"You mean fake date!" I whisper, aware of the still-open door. Cynthia rolls her eyes as I sit down in front of my vanity and start wiping off my makeup. "It was... nice, actually. He's a really great guy, you know?"

"Who's a great guy?" a voice behind me speaks, startling me: my brother's.

Seungmin is standing in front of my room, his right shoulder supported by the door's frame, and looks at me and Cynthia with a serious expression.

"My boyfriend, of course." I roll my eyes.

"I'll ask this again - the boyfriend you didn't bother telling anyone about?" He raises an eyebrow.

"I just wanted to make sure we're official before telling you and our parents. Besides, Cynthia knew about him."

Seungmin raises his eyebrow again and eyes his girlfriend, who avoids his gaze like the plague.

You're such a bad liar. I think while looking at her as well, hoping she won't blow my cover.

"Anyways, now that I'm basically forced into a MARRIAGE," I accentuate this last word, hoping to get a reaction out of Seungmin. "I have to force things to move faster than I would've liked, and to bring my boyfriend to the freaking dinner so our parents can observe him like he's a poor caged animal in a zoo. Imagine that."

"Pearl, I know you're upset..."

"Upset? Upset doesn't even scratch the surface of what I'm feeling, Min."

"Look. As much as I think our parents are exaggerating, they come from a good place. Minho is a nice guy, as much as he can seem like an asshole."

"Pfft. Right. Seem." I scoff.

"I'm serious. He's a good guy, he's hella smart and if you marry him you will get to live a very good, stress-free life. That's what our parents want for you."

"But what about what I want, Min? Isn't that important as well?"

"Of course it is. That's the most important thing. But isn't a good life something you'd want? Minho would give you that, and more."

"What I want is to be with someone I love. Cynth, back me up!" I look at my friend who's been staring at us ever since the conversation started, her body sprawled on the bed, head supported by her hands.

"I have to agree with Pearl on this one, baby. Minho is a good guy, and I bet they'd get along great-"

"Hey! Whose side are you on?" I cut her off angrily, my face all messed up with the smeared black mascara around my eyes.

"BUT it's also important that she actually likes him before getting married, don't you think?" She continues without minding me. "If she has a boyfriend she likes, wouldn't it be more fair to stay with him instead of marrying someone she doesn't like?"

Seungmin seems to consider a bit more what Cynthia said, and that annoys me to no end. Why does he regard her opinion on this matter more than mine - the person who would essentially have to suffer at Minho's cruel hands?

"Remember, it's me who's getting paired up with someone on our parents' will, not you. You were able to choose to be with someone you actually love. And I want to have the same choice. Is that really so absurd?" I try to reason with Seungmin, who simply nods.

"Okay. I'll try and give this nameless guy a chance. But if I think Minho's the better choice, I will 100% tell our parents that as well. Hopefully, you picked a good guy for yourself, Pearl."

With that, he leaves and closes the door behind him.

"Fuck you Seungmin!" I shout, angrily standing up and grabbing a pillow from the bed, throwing it to the door.

"Hey, don't be so nasty. He's your brother." Cynthia chuckles.

"He's stupid. Arghhhh, why doesn't he get me?!" I pout.

"He does, but he has this bad habit of thinking that what he believes is best. He does love you, you know? And he's kinda right... Minho is perfect for you." She shrugs and then suddenly straightens her back. "But enough about Seungmin and Minho! Back to what we were talking about! How was the date? Tell me everything."

"Cynth, it was... really good." I smile brightly, remembering Hyunjin's fingers playing with mine and forgetting almost instantly about Cynthia's dumb comment. Minho is perfect for you my ass.

"Someone's in loveee~" she sings.

"No. No way." I shake my head. "It was a fake date. But he's such a gentleman! I've genuinely never met anyone like him before! And he paid so much attention to me. And you were right, he likes red. He even got me those red-"

I suddenly get interrupted by a loud sound coming from my phone.

"Oh, my God. Cynth. It's him." I look over at my friend, and her grin grows bigger than ever. She's like the Cheshire Cat.

"Who, your not-so-fake boyfriend you're totally in love with?"

"Shut up. What do I do?!"

"Answer, obviously!"

"But I'm so ugly! I look like a raccoon! Why the heck is he face-timing me?!"

Oh right. The flowers. I mentally slap myself in denial that he actually remembered and wanted to teach me how to press them.

"Just answer!" Cynthia urges me.

"No! I'll... call him back later!"

"Pearl, if you don't answer I will."

Cynthia stands up and comes over to me, trying to grab the phone from my hands. We fight over it for a few seconds, before it stops ringing.

"Pfiu." I exhale, relieved. "Okay. He hung up. I will just take my make-up off and call him back. Is that okay?" I look at Cynthia, hoping for encouragement.

"You pussy." She rolls her eyes.

The phone starts ringing again, making me freeze in my place.

Why is he so insistent?!

"You better answer this time. I bet there won't be a third." She shrugs and leaves the room, giving me space to talk.

Shit, what if she's right? It probably won't be a third one if I avoid his call again.

I reluctantly press the green button on my screen and wait with my heart up my throat for a few seconds until the call connects.

"Hey!" Hyunjin smiles, as beautiful as ever.

"Hi," I reply, glancing at how weird I look with half my make-up off, the other half smeared on my face awkwardly.

"Is this a bad time?"

"No... I was just removing my make-up, that's why I look so..." I pause, trying to find the right words to describe my fucked up appearance.

"Cute?" He giggles.

"No. Unappealing." I reply, feeling my cheeks grow red from his compliment.

Why can't I get used to this?

"Oh, please, you could never look unappealing. But do take off your make-up. You should clean off your face to avoid any clogged pores. Do you have a cleanser or make-up remover at hand?"

"Yeah. Sure. I do." I chuckle, a bit surprised that he cares about something like this. Most guys I've met don't even know what water on their face feels like, I bet they've never heard of cleansers. "Should I call you back?"

"No, I'd much rather watch you take it off. Why don't you put me in front of you and pretend you're filming a vlog?" Hyunjin grins from ear to ear, as if he had the best idea in the world, and I play along.

I place the phone against the mirror and glance directly into the lens, starting to talk.

"Hello everyone, this is Pearl. Welcome to another episode of 'Life with me', today-"

"Wait, why don't you call it something like 'Life undersea'? It would be fun." He laughs.

"Did you just mock my name, mister?" I raise an eyebrow playfully.

"I would never." He says mouth agape with fake shock.

"Anyways- welcome to another episode of 'Life Undersea'! Today we're taking off my make-up! First things first, we're going to use my favourite cleanser - Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm. Look how pretty it is." I grab the white packaging and show it around to the camera, opening it up. "It has such a rich, buttery texture. I'm simply in love with it!"

"Wow, you're a natural." Hyunjin laughs.

"Thank you." I smile and bow.

"You're welcome, beautiful."

"Uhm... so... you apply it like this..." I stumble on my words and curse myself a bit, once again way too aware of the effect his mere words have on me. I find myself chanting "He's a fake boyfriend!" inside my head over and over again, as if it would somewhat help the redness in my cheeks.

"I love seeing you so flustered." He smiles kindly, while I'm battling myself inside.

"Shut up." I brush him off, continuing to take off my make-up. Instead of being upset, he just grins.

"Okay pretty, what's next? You're filming a vlog, remember?"

"Oh, right. I have to go wash my face now, but I can't take you to the bathroom, unfortunately. You're going to have to wait here."

"I'm waiting."

I rush to the bathroom and throw water on my face at least 10 times, then I grab a microfiber white towel and wipe it off gently.

When I return to my room, Hyunjin is still there, looking down at what seems to be a book.

"I'm back." I sit down at the vanity and curse myself again, this time for other reasons. I think about how I shouldn't have said anything, and just let him do his own thing while admiring him for a while, before he noticed I returned from the bathroom.

"You know what? You're beautiful with make-up on, but your bare face is even more stunning. I'm going to fall in love with you at this rate." He chuckles.

I shouldn't have taken off my foundation. He'll definitely see the blush on my cheeks.

"So, are you ready to learn how to press flowers?" He continues, leaving me no time to reply to his past compliment. My mind is however still on his words.

I'm going to fall in love with you at this rate.

Fuck. How can he say that so easily, when my heart is beating this fast?

"Yes, I'm ready. What do I need?"

"A few books and some newspaper would be ideal. Well, you don't necessarily need the newspaper, but the petals might stain the pages, so if you don't want to ruin a perfectly good book, I'd recommend getting one as well."

"Okay. Uhm, I don't mind ruining any books, though."

Especially if the petals would stain it - that would be even more meaningful to me, having a permanent memento of our date inside the book, even if the flowers are gone.

I don't say that, however.

"Okay Jinnie, I'm back with the books. Are these okay?" I show them unsure at the camera, worrying that they are too small or too big.

"They're perfect, beautiful. Now, pick a book inside of which you'd like to press the flowers."

I look at whatever books I've grabbed from my bookshelf, and pick a small Japanese book titled "Convenience store woman" as my subject. I find it kind of fitting, as I'm able to relate to the main character of the book. I, too, am a bit unconventional to my parents' dismay, and the way I view the world around me seems to disturb everyone else to no end.

"Now, place the flowers neatly between the pages, like this." Hyunjin shows me the way he placed one single red carnation flat on top of a page. "Then close the book as carefully as you can, so as to not disarrange the flowers."

"I think this is right..." I say, after struggling for a good 2 minutes with closing the small book. I should've picked a bigger one.

"And all that's left to do is weight it down. Just put all the other books on top of this one and wait for a few weeks, then you're done."

"That's it?" I ask, surprised.

"That's it." He giggled.

"Wow, I can't believe it was so easy? I'm a bit dumb in your eyes, probably." I chuckle nervously.

"No, Pearl. It's okay to not know things and to learn them from someone else." He smiles kindly. What he said makes butterflies grow in my stomach. I've always been a perfectionist, preferring to do things alone and learn on my own. This is certainly new, and it's not even the first thing he's taught me. I also learnt that shopping can be fun. All of this in just one day feels a bit overwhelming.

"I guess so..."

"You're so stubborn." He chuckles again. "But that's one thing I like about you."

"Are you going to flirt with me the whole call?"

"Yes." He replies with a serious face, and I take a moment to appreciate how beautiful his blonde hair suits him, strands falling gently along his cheekbones.

"Okay." I smile. "Thank you for today. Really. I had a lot of fun, and it's great to learn new things."

"I'm glad. I also had fun."

"What will you teach me next time?" I pry.

"Hmmm. I'll think about it." He looks directly at the camera, and I get butterflies once again.

"Should we go to sleep?" I ask reluctantly, not really wanting to end the call. However, it is pretty late, we stayed out way longer than I thought, and I am super tired. Also, Cynthia will most likely come to bug me about the date and ask for every detail of this call, so I should get a head start and prepare.

"Mhm. We should. See you Saturday?"

"Yes. I'll text you the address."

"Good night, beautiful."

"Good night, Jinnie." I smile and press the "End Call" button with a sigh.

I really wish that when I get a real boyfriend, he'd be at least half the way fake-boyfriend Hyunjin is.

---

(A/N) Long chapter, but we hope it was enjoyable!

Reference pictures for the outfits they've shopped for below

Thank you for reading!

Love,

Storm + Orgel