If there was one thing Mina had learned during this fake-relationship fiasco, it was this: never trust a man who carries props.
Especially not a man like Kim Minseo.
They were standing in the rose garden, golden hour painting everything in soft pastels. A perfect photo-op. The younger cousins were snapping pics, and the bride's mom kept shouting things like, "Pose like you love each other!"
Minseo leaned in with that usual confidence and whispered, "Want to make it extra believable?"
Mina, distracted by trying to angle her face away from Auntie Yoo's camera lens, muttered, "Sure, whatever. Just no forehead kisses."
That's when he did it.
With a sly smile and a flourish that looked almost rehearsed, Minseo dropped to one knee.
Mina's soul froze in place.
"What—what are you—"
He pulled a small velvet box from his coat pocket.
"Oh my god—" she hissed.
He opened it.
Inside: a thin silver band with a tiny crystal. Clearly fake. Clearly from a costume shop.
But no one watching knew that.
Gasps rang out. Phones were raised. Someone screamed.
Mina's jaw dropped. "Minseo, what the—?!"
He took her hand gently. "Just follow my lead."
She blinked rapidly, whisper-hissing through clenched teeth, "This wasn't in the flashcards!!"
"You skipped rehearsal," he whispered back with a wink.
The entire garden was watching now.
Auntie Yoo looked like she was about to combust from excitement.
Minseo cleared his throat, looking up at Mina with all the drama of a historical drama lead.
"I knew from the moment you threatened to sue me for spilling coffee that I was doomed," he said, voice loud and clear. "You've been the chaos to my calm, the sarcasm to my smiles. And I'd re-do it all over again just to stand here with you. Will you marry me—eventually?"
There was a pause.
A long, horrifying pause.
Then Mina did the only thing she could think of.
She laughed.
Loudly.
Like someone who had completely lost her mind.
"Oh my god," she said, wiping a tear. "I told you he was extra, didn't I?"
She turned to the crowd and waved the box in the air.
"Don't worry, everyone—it's just a promise ring. Drama king here wanted to 'seal the deal' for the weekend. You all know how weird he is!"
Laughter rippled through the guests. Her cousin clapped. Auntie Yoo narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but didn't question it.
Minseo stood and slipped the ring onto her finger anyway, with the practiced care of someone who'd done it a hundred times. His hand lingered just a moment too long.
Mina stared down at it.
It sparkled.
Fake. Small. Harmless.
And suddenly… a little too real.
Back in their room later that evening, Mina yanked it off and tossed it on the nightstand like it was cursed.
"You had a ring?" she said, pacing like a caffeinated hamster. "You brought a ring to a fake family weekend?!"
Minseo shrugged. "You never know when a story needs escalation."
"Escalation?! We're already pretending we met over spilled coffee and fell in love over ramen!"
"And now you're my future bride."
She stared at him, wide-eyed. "Minseo. I'm going to strangle you with that flashcard lanyard."
He leaned against the dresser, arms crossed, smirking. "But you handled it perfectly. They bought it."
"Of course they did! Because you gave a Disney monologue! You nearly gave my aunt a stroke!"
"I saved the performance."
"You gave me a panic attack."
He laughed, eyes crinkling. "You were kind of cute when you panicked."
Mina threw a pillow at him.
Hard.
But when he wasn't looking, her gaze drifted to the ring again.
And her chest did something weird.
Something she didn't like.