4th Death - Make-Believe

[DID YOU MISUNDERSTAND SOMETHING!!?]

[YOU THOUGHT THE NTR PART WAS OVER!!!!!? I SAID THE MOST VILE NTR I'VE EVER WRITTEN, AND YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD END JUST LIKE THAT!!!!!?]

[FOR A GREAT PAYOFF, THERE MUST BE GREAT SUFFERRING!!! THE PATH AHEAD IS LAID AND WE MUST WALK THROUGH IT TO REACH GOLD!!!!!!!!!!!]

[Anyway, here's the chapter.]

Before long, the day ended, and the three of them left the school together.

"Eunhee, want to walk home with us?" Jiho asked, glancing at her as he walked alongside Daniel.

"A-ah… N-no… I actually have some plans," she mumbled, looking away.

"Oh, is that right? Well, I'll see you tomorrow then!" Jiho replied, his voice light and innocent.

Daniel smirked, glancing at Eunhee. 'Nice act,' he thought to himself.

"Actually, I've got to head out too," Daniel added casually.

"You too?" Jiho asked, surprised.

"Yeah, gotta help out at my uncle's bakery. You know, closing up and all that."

"Ahh, right. Well, don't overdo it," Jiho said, concern in his voice.

"…I won't," Daniel replied, exchanging a knowing look with Eunhee. "No customers around when I'm working late, so it's easy."

Jiho waved them both off, oblivious as Daniel took a different route, only to loop back and meet up with Eunhee.

As they walked toward their secret spot, Daniel glanced at her with a smirk. "So, you've got a dishonest side too, huh?"

"It's not dishonest… it's for a pure reason…" she murmured, her voice trailing as she looked away.

'This is all for me and Jiho,' she reassured herself.

Daniel chuckled. "Sure, sure. Just make sure Jiho doesn't catch on. He's a pure guy, unlike us."

"...I won't reply to that," Eunhee said playfully, hitting Daniel's arm as they continued walking.

"Actually, we shouldn't go to a coffee shop," Daniel said abruptly, stopping in his tracks and gazing upward, lost in thought.

"What...?" Eunhee asked, watching his expression shift.

"I mean, what if Jiho finds us and gets the wrong idea? I've got a better place in mind. No one goes there, and it's perfect for practice." He changed course, leading the way.

Eunhee hesitated, feeling a bit skeptical.

'Is this really a good idea?' she wondered, glancing at him. 'But... it's Daniel. It should be fine, right?' she reasoned, noticing him extend his hand toward her.

"A-ah..." Daniel muttered, retracting his hand awkwardly. "Sorry, habit... Let's go."

'Does he always hold his girlfriend's hand like that?' she thought, confused. 'He never did it in front of Jiho...'

"Your uncle's bakery...?" she murmured as they reached the building, its shutters already sealed.

"Yeah. It'll work as a make-believe spot for our make-believe dates," Daniel said, pulling out a key.

'Make-believe dates...?' Eunhee's thoughts raced as he unlocked the door and opened the shutters, revealing the neatly arranged tables and chairs inside. 'Wait, I never agreed to go on any make-believe dates! Not even with Daniel... I don't want to date anyone before Jiho!'

Before she could voice her thoughts, Daniel quickly nudged her inside. "We're not supposed to be here, so get in quick!"

"W-wait, you didn't tell me—" she stammered as he closed the shutters behind them.

"This is for Jiho, remember? If he sees us, he'll get the wrong idea. This is the safest place," Daniel insisted, but Eunhee pulled back, stepping away from his grip.

"This was a mistake... I-I shouldn't have come here!" Eunhee muttered, hurrying toward the back exit.

"Tsche!" Daniel reacted quickly, grabbing her arm before she could leave.

She froze, feeling the firmness of his grip. Turning around, she glared at him. "Let go of me!"

'I can't hide this from Jiho... This was all a mistake,' she thought, her resolve hardening.

"...Look," Daniel said, loosening his grip slightly but still holding onto her.

Eunhee stared at him, confused and anxious. "...What?"

"Truthfully... if I'm being honest," he hesitated, swallowing hard, "I had a rough breakup. Like, really bad..." His tone softened as he glanced away.

Eunhee's resistance wavered at this rare show of vulnerability. She stopped struggling, her curiosity piqued.

"And," he continued, meeting her gaze directly, "I just want to make sure you and Jiho don't go through something like that. He's my best buddy, and I want him to be happy, alright?"

Daniel wasn't lying about the breakup.

But he was lying about why he was keeping her there.

Eunhee couldn't see through it.

'I've never seen him like this before,' she thought, studying his face. Daniel, the stoic and tough guy she knew, now looked almost fragile.

'So he's really been struggling... And he's concerned about us.'

'It's wrong... Everything in me says it's wrong. I should just tell Jiho how I feel, no matter how unprepared. Everything would work out.'

'But I trust Daniel. If he's this serious about it, he must really care.'

She looked at his seemingly sincere, almost desperate expression.

'They're really good friends, huh?'

"...Just for a bit," she whispered, stepping back inside.

Daniel sighed in relief. "Thank you. Trust me, I'll make sure Jiho will be fawning all over you," he assured, releasing her arm and closing the shutters as they stepped inside.

He walked behind the counter, flicking on the bright lights of the establishment.

"It... still feels wrong," Eunhee murmured as Daniel returned. "Being here without Jiho or your uncle knowing... It's like we're breaking the rules." Her voice trailed off.

Daniel chuckled. "Then let's keep it a secret. You can share it with Jiho when you're all lovey-dovey." He pulled a chair out for her, gesturing for her to sit.

'So, I'll eventually tell Jiho?' The thought lifted a weight off her shoulders.

'If that's the case... it should be fine, right?'

"Now, here you go, my lady~" Daniel called playfully, signaling her to sit.

'He says Jiho and I will be lovey-dovey... so casually. He's really confident about this.' Loosening up a little, she decided to play along.

"Haha, what a gentleman~" she replied, smiling as she took the seat.

"Ah!" Eunhee gasped lightly as Daniel pushed her chair in effortlessly.

'He's... kinda strong,' she thought, surprised by how easily he moved the chair. 'So now he'll sit across from me, right? Like a normal date?' she expected.

But instead, Daniel grabbed the chair on the opposite side and dragged it next to hers.

"E-Eh...?"

"Daniel, why did you move your chair next to mine?" she asked, confused.

"Why wouldn't I?" he replied innocently, sitting just an inch away from her. "We're practicing for dating, right? Why be far away?"

"It's common knowledge," he added with a smirk.

"Common knowledge...?" she echoed, unsure.

"I mean, to me, yeah. You wouldn't want Jiho to sit far from you, right?"

"Ah... I guess not..." she admitted, her uncertainty lingering.

'This is... pretty insightful. You'd wonder why he's had so many breakups if he's this knowledgeable,' Eunhee thought as Daniel scanned the menu.

'He doesn't deserve to have his heart broken like that,' she reasoned. 'Even if this is just a make-believe date... it's kind of nice. Being treated like this... If Jiho could do this for real, how amazing would that be?' Her mind drifted, daydreaming about Jiho.

"Eunhee...?" Daniel called out, breaking her thoughts. "Come on, ask questions already. How are you going to impress Jiho if you keep zoning out like that?"

"O-oh! Right!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands against her cheeks. "What should I do, Daniel!?" she blurted out, her eyes gleaming as she blushed with excitement.

'So... damn cute,' Daniel thought, his heart skipping a beat.

"So," he cleared his throat, "since this is your first date, I'll take the lead. You'll see what it's like, and then I'll adjust my behavior to match Jiho's for the next one."

'So, it really is like I'm dating Daniel,' she pondered, but quickly reassured herself, 'It's just make-believe. I'll pull back if it gets too much... And besides...'

She remembered his words about not wanting her and Jiho to go through a rough breakup like he did.

'There's no reason to worry!'

"Just be yourself for today," Daniel said with a smile, pretending to confidently place an order with an invisible waiter. Eunhee laughed, playing along as she jokingly ordered a sandwich special.

As they "waited" for the food, they shared stories, laughing more and more as they pretended to eat their invisible meals.

'He's really into this 'date' thing,' she thought, 'And it's... kinda fun!'

Eunhee was enjoying herself, unaware that Daniel had planned more than she realized. Without warning, he got up from the table and walked toward the back of the store.

"Daniel?" she murmured, watching him leave abruptly.

Just as she began to wonder what he was up to, Daniel returned minutes later, carrying two packed sandwiches. He placed them on the table with a grin.

"Ahh..." she gasped, staring at her plate.

It was exactly what she had jokingly ordered.

"I mean, we were supposed to hit a coffee place, so I figured you'd have room for food. Help yourself," Daniel said, leaning back in his chair. "Working in a place like this, I've picked up a thing or two about cooking."

Eunhee stared at him, slightly confused, feeling an unexpected warmth from the gesture.

"What?" he asked, noticing her expression. "I know it's a make-believe date, but you shouldn't starve. You're hungry, right? Go ahead, eat."

'He...' she thought, glancing at the sandwich. 'He made this for me? I thought we were just joking. I ordered what I'd probably get on a real date... but he actually made it for me?' She reached out, hesitating as she picked up the sandwich.

'And he's so casual about it,' she observed, studying his face. 'Like it's no big deal. So... this is normal for him? I shouldn't feel weird, right?'

"Y-you're sure I can eat this?" she asked, sandwich inches from her mouth.

"Unfortunately, no," Daniel said flatly. "I made it as a prop."

"Oh... right..." she mumbled, beginning to put it down when he added, "Sheesh, you're so innocent. Of course, eat it. I made it for you. Call it our work meal."

"Jeez, you dummy!" she huffed, playfully hitting his arm.

This time, though, she was more aware of the contact.

'He just pushed me back into the table so easily... I knew he was strong, but... he's really got some muscles, huh?' Her gaze lingered for a second on his biceps before returning to the sandwich.

Daniel didn't miss that.

'Hah... Of course she'd notice. Jiho never works out, and she's always had her eyes on him.' He mused, feeling a familiar twinge of discomfort in his chest.

'Seriously... what does she see in him?'

As Eunhee took a big bite of the sandwich, her face lit up, and she hummed in delight.

'Woah... he's quite the cook!' Eunhee thought, her eyes widening in disbelief as she chewed and swallowed.

'I wonder if Jiho can cook like this...' she mused, before realizing she had eaten the whole thing.

"Sheeeeeesh, you really chowed that down," Daniel said, pursing his lips at her, noticing bits of food still around her mouth. "That's something you'll have to hide from Jiho," he added seriously. "Guys aren't into girls who eat like that."

Eunhee quickly grabbed a napkin, wiping around her lips. "R-really...?" she asked, embarrassed.

'Wait... I always eat like this around Jiho... Is that why he doesn't like me, like Daniel said?' Her mind raced, more shocked than she let on.

"Yeah," Daniel nodded, noticing her glance at his uneaten sandwich. "If you're still hungry, go ahead and eat mine."

"N-no... I can't do that. It's your food," she mumbled.

"I knew you'd be hungry, so I made two. And with how fast you inhaled yours, you can't be full yet, right? Go ahead. I already had a big meal at school," he insisted.

"T-then... if you insist," she said, picking up the sandwich more carefully this time, taking small, measured bites.

'I need to make extra effort. This is for Jiho. I have to fix that if I want him to like me,' she resolved, making sure her lips were clean and her chewing was quiet.

Daniel watched her closely. "I said not to eat like a pig, because guys like Jiho won't go for that," he began. "But since this is a make-believe date, you can eat however you want with me. I saw you can eat 'properly,' so you're good. Just do that with him. Here, you can chow down however you like. Remember, I'm not Jiho."

'Oh,' she realized, 'I don't need to impress him... That makes sense. I don't have to overwork myself here!'

After a short nod, she began eating the way she felt most comfortable.

As she satisfied her hunger, Eunhee's thoughts wandered.

'I didn't want to feel this way with anyone but Jiho... but... it's nice. A real date with Jiho will be even better than this, right?' A tinge of guilt twisted in her gut, but Daniel's confidence reassured her. 'He's just trying to help his friends. That's all. No reason to feel bad about enjoying this. It'll feel ten times better with Jiho... definitely.'

What was meant to be a brief visit stretched into hours. Before she knew it, it was late, and she had to go home. After finishing the sandwich, she forgot about practicing, as Daniel had assured her she'd learned enough for the day.

They left the bakery, and Daniel offered to walk her home, an offer she accepted.

Outside Eunhee's house, she turned to him. "Daniel... I had fun today. Thanks."

"You had fun, huh? Guess I went easy on you in today's training," he teased, raising an eyebrow as he folded his arms.

"Y-you did...?" she asked softly, stopping to glance back at him.

"Of course. But since you had fun, prepare yourself. I won't go easy next time. If you're gonna be my buddy's wife, you'll have to work hard. You've got a lot more to do to be his woman. Hope you're ready," he said, half-serious, half-playful.

She chuckled. "Well, then... I'm counting on you." She turned to head inside.

"But... I really did have fun today," she said quietly, without looking back, before continuing toward her door.

'So, we're going to meet like this again...' she thought, her steps growing slower as she neared the entrance.

As she reached her doorstep, the warmth of the evening lingered in her chest, but so did a gnawing guilt. 'I had fun... but should I have?' The question gnawed at her as she reached the door. 'This is all for Jiho... It has to be.'

Daniel watched as Eunhee closed the door behind her. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, the image of his best friend's smile flashing through his mind.

'Tsk... whatever.' Daniel muttered, turning on his heel and heading back to his own house.

'I've already made up my mind. You won't change that, Jiho.'

'Besides... if I don't say anything, things will just keep going as usual... until they won't.' He sighed, his figure fading into the night.

'But it won't matter, because by then... she'll be all mine.'

'That's... all that matters,' he thought, clenching his fist silently.