the placebo effect ✘ jaywon

1: THE MOTIVE

"I never knew this day could ever come."

"Aha ha ha," Jay laughs a little too forcibly at what his mom said. In front of him were his parents: his mom wiping fake tears, and his dad nodding with a slight smile of approval.

"Well it's- it's here, the day has come, hahaha," Jungwon flaunts his dimples in an attempt to cover his fake laughter.

"And I would never change it for the world," Mrs. Park practically beams at the two. It's a sight, really. Never once in his entire life did Jungwon imagine he'd find himself seated in the Park household's huge living room, with Jay's arm wrapped around his waist and the two being (read: acting) like boyfriends.

Mr. Park clears his throat. "Jay... I'm so proud of you."

"Yeah um," Jay nods and glances at Jungwon, "thanks, dad."

"Ah! I need to take a picture of the both of you! Hold on, honey, I think my phone's over your side," the moment Mrs. Park distracts everyone with her scurrying to find her phone, Jungwon leans to Jay's ear and says with gritted teeth.

"You better shut your mouth about this or I'll smother you in your sleep."

Jay glares at the boy and whispers back. "Not if I do it first."

Jungwon stomps on Jay's foot, earning a 'oh-you-did-not-just-do-that' look from Jay. Jay stomps him back, and Jungwon hisses and pinches the side of Jay's waist and doesn't let go. "Found it!" The two immediately go back in character; the second Jay's parents are no longer distracted.

The hand Jungwon used to pinch Jay pokes Jay's side in a gentler way, "Jay is so much fun to tickle," Jungwon smiles widely at the two older Parks.

"Oh Wonie," Jay fakes a grin, his eye threatening to twitch, "you're so silly," he pinches Jungwon's cheek very hard, Jungwon resists the urge to slap his hand away and fight back.

Mrs. Park giggles in amusement, "oh! You two are adorable."

Jungwon whispers audible enough for Jay to hear, sarcasm heavily dripped in his voice. "Very."

ONE WEEK AGO...

"Dude, man, stop overthinking it," Sunghoon pats Jay's shoulder. The best friends are seated at a café near campus, and Jay sips on his green tea frappuccino in frustration.

"Come on. They've been pestering me about how I'm still... single. I mean, I'm only twenty! I'm literally young. They keep shoving it in my face about how I never went on a date before or did something remotely 'romantic,' but I just don't want to!"

"Okay, so what? Big deal. You can't force yourself to date anyone just 'cause your parents are pressuring you to. And so what if you have no romantic experience despite being in your 20s ever?" The way Sunghoon made it sound like made Jay feel even more of a loser, but that's not the problem.

"It's not that, Hoon," Jay puts his cup down. He looks around dramatically, ensuring that nobody was eavesdropping. "My parents are rich. Crazy Rich Asians type of rich. Okay, maybe not as craaazy rich as the movie or the book, but you get it. There's... There's a chance that-," he leans closer, voice growing smaller, "they'll arrange a marriage for me when I'm older."

"Oh my god," Sunghoon laughs in disbelief, shaking his head. "Are you even hearing yourself, Jay? You know what I think? I think you're overreacting. Overthinking it, even."

Jay's silent for a while, but his poker face remains solid. "Dude. Sunghoon. I'm dead serious. They don't want me to die alone."

"They don't want you to die a virgin," Sunghoon sips on his drink.

"Yeah," Jay nods with a serious face. "But think about it. Arranged marriage. No. Just- just no. I would rather die alone than get married to someone I don't even fucking know! It makes zero sense! There's just no romance in it. Marriage is a lifelong commitment, and you're supposed to be devoted to that person."

"So you are looking for a little romance in life, huh? Never expected to hear that from the Jay."

"You're totally missing the point. My point is, I don't want them to think I'm forever going to be lonely in life and do some charity work for me and marry me off with some random person. I don't want that."

"Okay, I get you," Sunghoon pats his shoulder for the umpteenth time. "I have a brilliant idea."

"Shoot," Jay says.

"What if you fake-date someone. Introduce them to your parents. Then they'll leave you alone," Sunghoon smiles, "genius, right? And then just stage a breakup. That way they'll think, 'oh, my son isn't bitchless after all!' What do you think?"

"I hate that it actually makes sense," Jay drinks from his cup with a concentrated face, really considering Sunghoon's idea. "It could work. No, it will definitely work. But it sounds unrealistic. I mean, my parents already know all of my close friends. I have a small circle, you know that. Who am I gonna fake-date with?"

"Well what about Yng Ungwn," Sunghoon muffles the name while drinking at the same time.

"Who?"

"Yng Jngn." Sunghoon does it again while avoiding his gaze.

"Oh for fuck's sake, quit that," Jay snatches his drink.

"Yang Jungwon!" Sunghoon exclaims.

There was silence. Jay cracks a smile and starts laughing, "good joke."

His best friend stares at him with a deadpan. "I'm not joking."

Eventually, the smile on Jay's lips falls. "No. Absolutely not. That's not even an option. You know he hates every fiber of my being! And I hate his guts, too."

"Yeah yeah yeah, you hate his guts 'cause he always had beef with you when you were in elementary school blah blah blah and he punched you in the face as kids blah blah blah but think, Jay! Who else do you actually know and interact with if not us, your friends, and- let's face it, him."

Jay wants to talk back but he remains silent.

"I got a point and you hate to admit it," Sunghoon mumbles. "And before you're going to say that there's no chance Jungwon's gonna agree to that plan, lemme tell you something. You know how my boyfriend and Jungwon are attached to the hip? Remember how we'd see Jungwon and his ex before? My lovely Sunoo told me that Jungwon's ex is a cuckoo ex boyfriend who's like, obsessed with Jungwon, and he wants to get rid of him and one of the only ways for that is by dating another person."

Jay sighs loudly. He gives Sunghoon a defeated look.

"Fine. I'll ask him."

Sunghoon squeals and claps. "That's the spirit!"

A win-win on both sides... Now, he only needs Jungwon to agree.

a/n ::

first oF ALL, HELLO WELCOME! this book is just a way for me to practice writing again since it's been soooo long.

thanks a lot to those who responded to my post, when i saw a lot of enemies-to-lovers, i just KNEW i had to write that, and then i saw 'fake dating' and boom it just flashed through my head. MANY MANY MORE SCENES TO COME and im honestly super excited to write jaywon with this trope. i just know the tension between them is going to be insane and i'm gonna eat it all up.

i'll post the next part next time HWSHHDAJAHAH love u all!!!