CTRL+F(ake) → Found You

The call

The walk back from the boardroom felt heavier than any dance rehearsal. Yudai barely noticed the click of his sneakers against the polished floor as he drifted toward the elevators, his mind still replaying the words management had drilled into him.

Bring the girl from the photo.
Spin this into something controllable.
Fake dating.

Every syllable had felt like a weight dropping onto his chest. It wasn't just about him anymore. Miyu hadn't asked for any of this. She hadn't signed up to be plastered across trending hashtags, turned into fan edits, or dragged into the suffocating grip of Hybe Japan's PR machinery.

By the time he reached the underground lot, his phone felt like a brick in his pocket. He already knew what step one had to be. Get her number. And there was only one person who had it.

Fuma.

The thought alone made him wince. Out of everyone, Fuma was the last person he wanted to call right now. Protective wasn't even the word for him when it came to Miyu. Guard dog? Steel gate? Nuclear warhead with a smile? Yeah, that was closer.

Still, avoiding it wasn't an option. Yudai unlocked his phone, scrolled to Fuma's contact, and hovered his thumb over the green call button. His hand actually shook. He muttered under his breath.

"C'mon. Just do it before you lose your nerve."

The line rang once. Twice. A third time. Then a sharp voice snapped through.

"What."

Not a question. A demand.

"Uh, hey. Fuma."

"Yeah, I saw the trending tags. You better have a good reason for calling me right now."

Yudai rubbed the back of his neck. He felt like a kid about to confess he'd broken the neighbor's window. "Look, I need... I need Miyu's number."

A silence stretched long enough that Yudai glanced at his screen to make sure the call hadn't dropped. Then Fuma's voice came back, colder.

"Why."

"It's not what you think. Management... They want me to bring the girl from the photo. I don't- I don't want them sending people to figure it out themselves. I'd rather talk to her first. Privately. Okay?"

Fuma let out a sharp laugh, humorless. "You think that makes it better? Do you have any idea what kind of storm you've already dragged her into?"

The words hit harder than Yudai expected. His throat tightened. "I know. I didn't mean for it to happen. I just... she was being followed. I couldn't ignore it."

Another silence, and this time Yudai could hear the faint sound of someone pacing on the other end. When Fuma spoke again, his voice was low.

"One screw-up, Yudai. That's all it takes to ruin someone's life. Don't forget that."

Yudai swallowed hard. "I won't. I swear. Just... please. Let me talk to her before this gets worse."

There was a long sigh. Then, finally, the faint buzz of an incoming message hit his phone. A number.

"Don't make me regret this," Fuma muttered, and the line went dead.

Yudai sat frozen in his car for a solid minute, staring at the digits like they were radioactive. His heart was already thundering, and he hadn't even pressed call yet. He considered texting, but every draft that appeared on his screen looked wrong. Too casual. Too stiff. Too much.

Eventually, with a groan, he hit dial.

The ring felt eternal. When the line finally clicked, her voice was soft but sharp enough to slice through his nerves.

"...Hello?"

"Miyu? It's, uh... Yudai. From last night."

A pause. He imagined her frowning. "I know who you are."

"Right. Uh. Sorry." He rubbed his temple, already floundering. "I... this is gonna sound insane, but I need to ask you something. The photo, it's everywhere. Management knows. They want to see you. Officially."

Her laugh was bitter. "Of course they do. So what, they want me to confirm I exist?"

"It's not like that. I mean, okay, it kind of is, but..." He exhaled sharply, words spilling. "They're planning to spin it. A fake dating thing. To protect me. To protect the group. And now you. If you don't show up, they'll just find out who you are anyway. And they won't be gentle about it."

On the other end, Miyu stayed quiet. Too quiet. The kind of silence that meant she was weighing every syllable.

Finally, she said, "And why should I agree to this?"

Yudai shut his eyes. "Because if you don't, they'll crush you. I wish I was exaggerating."

Her sigh was faint but heavy. "You dragged me into this, you know. I didn't ask for any of it."

"I know. And I'm sorry. More than you think. If I could undo it, I would."

For a while, the only sound was the faint rustle of her moving around wherever she was. He imagined her pacing the way Fuma had.

When she spoke again, her tone had shifted, still guarded, but softer. "I'll think about it."

"Miyu-"

Click. Call ended.

Yudai dropped his phone onto the passenger seat and slumped back, staring up at the ceiling of his car. "She'll think about it," he muttered, hollow. His chest still felt tight, like the walls were pressing in.

No promise. No agreement. Just the possibility she might leave him to drown in this mess alone.

For the first time since the photo went viral, Yudai felt the full weight of what he'd done. And he had no idea how, or if, he'd survive it.