My phone buzzes just as I step into my apartment. I glance at the screen—Hee-Ra. Again. With a sigh, I answer. “I literally just walked in. What’s with all the impatient texts?”

“You’re home?” she asks, voice bubbling with excitement.

I frown, toeing off my shoes. “Yeah. Just taking off my coat. What’s going on?”

“You’ll see! I’ll be home in twenty.”

“Hee-Ra—”

She hangs up before I can pry a single answer out of her.

I stare at the phone in my hand, my brows knitting together. What the hell is she up to now? Shaking my head, I hang my coat and turn toward my living room—

And stop dead in my tracks.

Four men. Tall, devastatingly handsome, and looking way too comfortable on my couch and chair like they own the place. They rise as soon as they see me, their expressions shifting. Surprise. Curiosity. Amusement. A mix of things that immediately set my teeth on edge. They smile at me, those fake plastic smiles, and one of them steps forward and opens his mouth to speak. Which I take as my cue to turn on my heel and walk straight past them toward my bedroom.

There’s a beat of silence. Then another. A heavy, puzzled pause where they clearly expected something different—maybe shrieks of excitement, maybe wide eyes and nervous stammering. I don’t entertain whatever fever dream my roommate has dragged into my space. Not right now. Right now, I have a date with my fluffy pajamas, a fresh cup of tea, and a limited-edition manga volume I fought tooth and nail to get. Priorities.

I hear the shift of bodies behind me as I disappear into my room. Whispers, hushed but urgent. I don’t catch the words, nor do I care.

“Why are you here?” I call from behind my closed door, stripping off my work clothes in favor of my softest oversized t-shirt and sweatpants. Comfortable. Unbothered. Blissfully unaware of whatever ridiculous stunt Hee-Ra is trying to pull. Silence.

I roll my eyes as I tie my hair up in a loose bun and step back out. The four of them are still there, still standing in my living room, still staring like I just broke some unspoken rule of social conduct.

I cross my arms. “Cat got your tongue?”

One of them, the one with deep, calculating eyes and an air of authority, shifts slightly, clearly debating whether he should speak first. But it’s the bright-eyed one—Seon, if I’m remembering correctly—who cracks first, his smile lighting up like a reflex.

“You know who we are, right, Noona?”

The amusement in his voice is laced with expectation, like my reaction is some kind of game they’re all waiting to play. It’s almost cute. Almost. I sigh, already feeling the exhaustion seep into my bones. I turn and head toward the kitchen. “Everyone knows who you are. You’re all kind of hard to miss with your faces plastered all over. So yes, I know who you are. I also know how you got in here.” I flick on the kettle, my back to them, completely unbothered. “What I don’t know is why. Why the hell are you here?”

The sound of shuffling behind me tells me they’re exchanging glances. The air thickens, charged with something unreadable. I pull a mug from the cupboard, not in the mood to offer them anything. If they’re going to crash my home, they can fend for themselves. They stay silent as I return, mug of tea in hand, taking the only free chair left in the room. I blow on my tea, completely unbothered, waiting for someone to break the silence. They exchange glances and sit back down now that I’m seated as well. The air between us crackles with quiet tension.

Min—because who else could he be with that stiff posture and unreadable expression—finally speaks. “Your roommate works for an agency that manages artists, so why would a K-pop group show up in your apartment?”

I take a slow sip of my tea, watching him over the rim of my mug. “I don’t know. Why would they?”

He exhales slowly, like he’s already tired of this conversation. “You really don’t care? Not even a little?”

I set my mug down on the coffee table. “I care. I care a lot. About a lot. I care to know why Hee-Ra thought it’d be a good idea to disrupt my quiet time. I also care to know why you guys are here. Don’t you have a house you can hide in?”

Seon chuckles under his breath. “Not one with a Noona as interesting as you.”

I arch a brow at him, unimpressed. “You don’t even know me.”

“Exactly.” His grin widens. “That’s what makes it fun.”

Min shoots him a look, the barest hint of amusement flickering across his face before he shakes his head. “We weren’t expecting… this.”

“What, a woman who doesn’t immediately crumble in your presence?” I pick my teacup up from the coffee table and take a tentative sip, letting the warmth seep in. “Tragic.”

Min exhales sharply, clearly debating whether it’s worth continuing this conversation. “Your roommate recommended you.”

I arch a brow. “Recommended? Me? For what, exactly? Because unless it involves a paycheck, I doubt she mentioned my name.”

Seon leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “She said you’d be the perfect fit.”

I scoff. “For what? A social experiment? A reality show prank?” I glance between them, unimpressed. “If this is some elaborate joke, I want no part of it.”

Then, finally, the front door swings open, and in walks Park Hee-Ra—my best friend, my roommate, and apparently the mastermind behind whatever fresh hell this is.

She stops in her tracks, eyes flicking between me and the four men seated around my living room. She sighs dramatically, tossing her bag onto the counter. “Oh, come on. This is even worse than I imagined.”

I arch a brow. “You imagined this?”

She ignores me, striding further into the room before dramatically gesturing toward the boys. “Naomi, meet Vortex. Vortex, meet Naomi.”

I stare at her, unimpressed. “Yeah, we’ve met. In my living room. Without warning.”

Seon grins. “It was a warm welcome.”

I roll my eyes. “Try ‘lukewarm at best.’”

Min, still unreadable, finally sighs. “We need a fake girlfriend.”

I blink. Once. Twice. Then, I set my mug down, lean back into my chair, and stare at Hee-Ra like she just suggested we rob a bank together.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Min doesn’t react, doesn’t even blink, like he just dropped the most casual, reasonable request in the world. Seon, on the other hand, is watching me closely, lips twitching in amusement. Like he’s waiting for my brain to catch up.

A fake girlfriend.

My gaze flickers back to Hee-Ra, hoping for some kind of explanation—preferably a good one. Instead, she sighs, already exasperated.

"Naomi, before you freak out—"

"Too late."

"—just hear them out."

I pinch the bridge of my nose, inhaling through my teeth before slowly exhaling. "Hee-Ra, I swear to god, if this is some kind of—"

"It’s PR," Min interrupts, cutting straight to the point. "Our agency wants to shift our image. Make us more… relatable."

I arch a brow. "And that requires… me?"

Hee-Ra nods. "You’re perfect for it."

I scoff, looking between her and the four men still watching me like I’m some kind of uncracked puzzle. "Yeah, I highly doubt that."

Min's jaw tightens slightly, like he was expecting this response. Seon, on the other hand, is barely holding back his grin.

Jisoo remains silent.

I narrow my eyes at Hee-Ra. "You’re serious?"

"As a heart attack," she says smoothly.

I let out a dry laugh. "And what, exactly, is my role in this grand PR scheme?"

Seon finally leans in, elbows on his knees, and smirks. "You, Noona, would be Min’s girlfriend."

Oh.

Oh, that’s rich.

I blink again, making sure I heard correctly. My gaze flickers to Min, who still hasn’t changed expressions—calm, unreadable, entirely too composed for someone suggesting something this ridiculous.

Then, I do the only logical thing.

I laugh.

It bubbles out before I can stop it, sharp and disbelieving, and I lean forward, bracing my forearm against my thigh as I shake my head. “You want me to pretend to date your leader,” I repeat, just to make sure I have the details straight. “In public.”

Min nods once. "Yes."

"You want me—" I gesture vaguely between us, "—a complete nobody, who doesn’t even like you, to convince the world that we’re together."

"That’s the idea," Hee-Ra confirms, ever the helpful devil on my shoulder.

I exhale, scrubbing a hand down my face before tilting my head back against the couch. “You all realize how insane that sounds, right?”

Min doesn’t respond, but Seon grins, bright and unbothered. “It sounds insane, Noona, because it is.”

I drop my head forward to stare at him. “Then why the hell are you doing it?”

Seon shrugs. "Because it works."

"Because your fans are gullible?"

"Because the world loves a good romance story."

I scoff, shaking my head. "Yeah, well, I’m not a love story kind of girl."

Min finally shifts, exhaling like he’s running out of patience. “Your indifference is exactly why we need you.”

I pause.

Hee-Ra nods, picking up where he left off. “You don’t care about them. You’re not going to fangirl, you’re not going to get attached, and more importantly, you can handle the hate.”

"Because I’m naturally cold-hearted?"

"Because you’ve already survived worse."

The words settle between us like a quiet truth.

I say nothing.

Instead, I pick up my mug, sip my tea, and stare at my best friend over the rim. She stares back, patient, waiting.

It’s not the worst deal.

That’s the problem.

Then she names the payout.

I don’t even think—I just reach.

My fingers hook around the collar of her blouse, yanking her down before she can take another breath. She stumbles, hands bracing against the armrests of the chair on either side of me, but I don’t let go. Not yet.

"You’re serious?" My voice is low, almost breathless, disbelief mixing with something hotter—something dangerous.

She’s close enough now that I can see the flicker of hesitation in her eyes, but it’s quickly replaced by amusement.

"Dead serious," she murmurs.

I let go, my mind reeling.

That kind of money means manga. Limited-edition anime figures. Custom cosplay outfits. Rare, out-of-print doujinshi.

“And all I have to do is pretend to date one of them?” I say looking up at Hee-Ra.

Hee-Ra’s grin widens. “That’s it.”

Seon watches me closely, eyes flicking to my barely restrained excitement. His lips curl slightly. “You’re not even thinking about us, are you?”

“Nope,” I say immediately. “I’m thinking about all the anime merch I can finally afford.”

Jae lets out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “This is new.”

Min exhales, rubbing his temples. “This is a PR nightmare waiting to happen.”

Jisoo smirks.

Or at least, I think he does.

It’s the slightest shift of his lips, a ghost of amusement before his face smooths back to nothing.

Hee-Ra gestures between us. “See? This is why she’s perfect. She doesn’t care about men. She only simps for 2D ones.”

Min sighs, clearly resigning himself to the madness. “You do realize this isn’t a game, right?”

I lean back, crossing my arms. “Oh, it’s very much a game. And I plan to win.”

Seon tilts his head, amused. “And what exactly do you win, Noona?”

I smirk. “A life-sized limited-edition anime figurine of my dreams.”

The boys exchange glances, something unreadable passing between them.

Min exhales through his nose, already done with me. "This is a mistake."

Jisoo doesn’t say a word.

Seon grins.

And Jae?

Jae just leans forward, eyes gleaming with something dangerously entertained.

“Oh sweetheart," he murmurs, "you just made this fun.”