just pretend (catnipz)

16. pardon my language (half written)

inside a popular board game café near their university, the four girls had decided to meet up there for their hangout.

the four girls walked towards a booth by the window. with haerin and minji sitting together across from danielle and hanni.

wanting to make some small talk, danielle chirps, "never expected this between the two of you, it's definitely surprising."

"yeah, i thought you two would just keep calling each other 'besties' to your graves." hanni added.

haerin let out an awkward chuckle exchanging a sheepish glance towards minji, wanting her to diffuse the situation once again.

getting the unspoken message, minji's lips curved into a strained smile as her gaze met hanni's, "still courting, so nothing official yet!" minji clarified, wanting to temper any misconceptions.

danielle raised an eyebrow at this, "courting huh?... that's interesting..," mumbling the latter half of her sentence to herself, but failing to keep it quiet since the others could clearly hear her.

hanni elbowed her best friend, "i think it's nice, it's refreshing to see old fashioned romance, especially since everyone's always in a rush these days."

hanni paused to think for a brief moment before turning towards haerin, "personally, i think you got really lucky, haerin-ssi. it's hard to find people like minji these days."

haerin returned hanni's gaze, smiling warmly, "yeah, minji's really one of a kind."

haerin's words hung in the air as minji's heart skipped a beat at the compliment. minji could feel herself slowly transform into a blushing red mess before she forced herself to not get flustered.

'calm down, she's just playing her part minji!'

minji's smile relaxed into a genuine one as she spoke her next words, "well, i can say the same for haerin. she's in a league of her own."

the two were sickeningly cute, just like how a fake relationship should look like.

a beat or two passed before danielle suggests that they should look for a game to play from the café's wide assortment.

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as the evening unfolded, the group immersed themselves in a lively game of monopoly, the colorful board and playful banter adding to the atmosphere. between buying properties and collecting rent, the café's offerings of delicious snacks and drinks kept them fueled for the competitive game ahead.

laughter resonated around the table as they made trades, negotiated deals, and playfully teased one another, getting a bit too into the game at times.

as they navigated through the game, haerin's playfully strategic moves and minji's quick thinking kept the game interesting. at one point, hanni landed on a property with a particularly high rent, causing her to dramatically feign shock. "i can't believe this! i'm going bankrupt!"

their fun as a quartet had only lasted about 40 minutes; however, as hanni received an urgent call, her expression turning serious as she listened to the voice on the other end. "i need to go to the mall right now. something came up," she explained to the group, her brows furrowed.

minji's gaze met haerin's, a subtle understanding passing between them. this was minji's opportunity to take hanni somewhere, leaving haerin and danielle together, alone.

"i can go with you, if you'd like," minji offered, using the opportunity to help haerin get closer to danielle. "we could use my car, too."

hanni's grateful smile spoke volumes as she nodded. "that would be really helpful, minji. thanks."