chriiiisy

One fake boyfriend. One nosy family. Zero chance of keeping things pretend.

When sarcastic barista Lee Mina hires a professional “romantic actor” to survive her cousin’s wedding, she expects a smooth, one-time performance.
What she gets is Kim Minseo: dangerously charming, suspiciously committed, and armed with scripted compliments and “chemistry-building exercises.”

It was supposed to end after the weekend.

But a single kiss and a viral photo later, Mina finds herself trapped in a fake relationship she didn’t plan for—with a man who might not be acting anymore.

And the worst part?

She’s not sure she is, either.

A heartwarming, hilarious romance about what happens when pretending becomes real—and love refuses to stay on script.

Rent-A-Romance

Monday morning came with a storm—literally.

Rain poured across Seoul, soaking umbrellas and slowing traffic, the kind of day that made the whole city feel gray and cinematic.

Mina was behind the café counter, hair frizzing at the edges, trying not to scroll back to last night's text thread with Minseo. It had ended in silence—no "sleep well," no jokes, no flirty emojis. Just…

"Sorry, we're only doing takeout until the—oh," she said flatly. "It's you."

Jae stood dripping in the entrance, holding a coffee loyalty card like it could excuse his existence.

"Hello to you too," he said, shaking out his umbrella. "Still sarcastic before noon, I see."

Mina narrowed her eyes. "Did my aunt send you?"

He gave a half-smile. "Define 'send.'"

Jae had been showing up more often lately. Ever since the wedding, in fact. Casual drop-ins. Coincidental appearances. All too perfectly timed to not be suspicious.

He took his usual spot by the window. "Double shot, no sugar. Still remember?"

Mina made it silently and set it down with a passive-aggressive clink.

He took a sip. "Perfect as always."

She crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

He leaned back. "Just checking in."

Jae met her eyes. "Look… I know we haven't talked in a while. Not since… well."

Mina flinched inwardly. Their friendship had frayed after college—something about mixed signals, mistimed emotions, and a whole lot of things left unsaid.

"But you're still Mina," Jae said quietly. "Which means you don't lie unless you're trying really hard to convince yourself of something."

"This guy," he continued. "Minseo. You two were never together before this wedding. Suddenly, you're doing couple shoots in matching hanbok and calling each other jagiya? Even your dog doesn't believe it."

"Exactly," he said, raising an eyebrow.

Mina exhaled sharply. "What's your point?"

"My point is," Jae said, voice softening, "I know you. And I think you're getting in deeper than you realize."

Something sharp twisted in her gut.

She looked away. "It's none of your business."

"Maybe not," he said, standing. "But if it is fake—and I'm right—then one of you's going to get hurt. And if it's not fake... then maybe you already are."

He walked out without finishing his coffee.

Mina stood there, hands clenched, heart rattling like the rain against the windows.

So why did she suddenly want to cry?

Jae's Warning