After running for a while, the two of them ducked behind a corner wall. While Duyen was gasping for air, Shana just burst out laughing, pounding her chest as she laughed.
"Hey, Duyen! Did you see the dumb faces of those two guys earlier? That was hilarious!"
Duyen tried to catch her breath. She glanced over and saw a crowd gathering around the two men, while the real cause of the commotion—the two girls—were hiding here. Seeing Shana laugh like crazy, Duyen couldn't help but feel a little happier herself. She only pretended to scold her.
"But seriously, saying they had a hidden camera on them? That was too much."
Shana waved it off carelessly, her lips curling into a pout.
"Please. Those pervs already had bad intentions from the start. I just said what came to my mouth by instinct~" She twirled a lock of her wavy hair playfully.
"Instinct? Calling someone out for a hidden camera is instinct now?" Duyen frowned.
Shana only giggled, flicking Duyen's forehead lightly.
"Silly girl. Think about it. A gorgeous, perfect, flawless woman like me has seen all kinds of men. They don't even have to open their mouths—I can already see right through their throats. Even if they weren't carrying a camera, I bet they've done other disgusting things before. Better to let the cops haul them off so they won't have a chance to harass other innocent girls. Like you ~"
Duyen nodded; Shana wasn't entirely wrong. And then it hit her—Shana was a nine-tailed fox. Even without help, she could've easily handled the situation herself. Duyen felt a little dumb, but protecting people was just part of who she was. Sometimes she just couldn't stop herself.
"You're right, Shana. When it comes to reading people… I can't compare to you. You must've dealt with a lot of guys before. I really don't have that kind of experience."
Shana froze for a second, avoiding Duyen's eyes. To her, that kind of "talent" was nothing worth being proud of. She quickly waved it off.
"Let's drop it. That's not important anymore… What matters is—did you seriously tell them I was your girlfriend just now!?"
Duyen's eyes widened. She quickly turned away, face burning.
"That was just… the heat of the moment…"
"Nuh uh! Don't you dare take it back!" Shana grabbed Duyen's shoulders and spun her around to face her. "I heard every word. You said 'she's my girlfriend' loud and clear!"
Duyen's face turned crimson, but with Shana holding her in place, she couldn't move. She squeezed her eyes shut and just nodded, defeated. Shana smirked victoriously and suddenly hugged her tight, burying her face against Duyen's chest.
These days, Shana's clingy affection had become so frequent that Duyen was totally confused. At first, she always tried to avoid her, but now she just let Shana do whatever she wanted. The closeness between them had grown before Duyen even realized it. Almost without thinking, she reached up and patted Shana's head. Her hair was silky-soft, fluffy like a little animal's fur. Duyen admitted—it felt really nice to touch.
"So… I guess that means you've calmed down now?" she asked gently.
Shana breathed in as much of Duyen's scent as she could before lifting her head, her face back to that pouty, sulky look.
"Don't think I'm letting you off that easy."
Duyen sighed. "Then what do I have to do?"
Shana paused as if considering, then her lips curved into a mischievous grin that made Duyên frown. Oh great, here comes another one of her crazy ideas.
"I want us to be a couple. Like, dating. Starting today!"
Duyen's face turned red again and she quickly looked away.
"That's… impossible."
"What do you mean impossible!?" Shana smacked her chest lightly in frustration.
"Just one day! One day where you treat me like your girlfriend, that's all I ask."
When Duyen stayed silent—though her ears had turned bright red—Shana huffed, shoving her away with a bitter, sarcastic tone.
"Knew it. If it was your precious Mina asking, you'd say yes in a heartbeat, right?"
Of course Mina would get dragged into this again. Duyen groaned, watching Shana stand there with arms crossed, lips pursed. Even though she was obviously sulking, Duyen couldn't deny that she looked really cute like that. Glancing around the busy mall center, Duyen shrugged.
"Fine. I'll be your girlfriend."
Shana's eyes went wide. Then she let out a squeal and grinned from ear to ear.
"Really!?"
When Duyen nodded with a faint smile, Shana actually jumped up and down like a kid, so happy that Duyen couldn't help but be surprised. She grabbed Duyen's arm and pressed it against her chest, clinging as if she was afraid Duyen would run away.
"Okay then, for today you're officially my girlfriend, honey~"
Her voice was naturally high and cute, but now it was sweet enough to give a grown man a heart attack. Duyen tried to stifle her laugh behind her hand. God, she was too adorable. Clearing her throat, she "played along."
"Okay… darling~"
Hearing that, Shana burst into laughter, while Duyen turned beet red, struggling not to laugh too. Ugh, it was so cheesy. But at the same time, it was incredibly sweet—a sweetness Duyen had never experienced before. And the fact that she was feeling it now with this troublesome fox girl of all people… The universe had to be messing with her.
She just silently prayed they wouldn't run into anyone they knew today.
---
"Duyen~ buy me this one~"
Shana whined, tugging on her arm in front of a souvenir stall. The shelves were full of cute mascot keychains.
Duyen wasn't into trendy stuff or cutesy accessories, but Shana looked thrilled, browsing each one. Whether she was excited about the keychains or just about being "on a date" was anyone's guess.
Shana picked up a beige-pink DalDalDal mascot keychain and winked at Duyen.
"Buy it for me, pretty please, my love~"
Oh God, it was way too cheesy. So cheesy that even the shopkeeper froze, stunned. But to be fair, it wasn't every day you saw such a stunning pair: a tall tomboy who looked like a model, and a glamorous girl with flowing auburn curls. And they were a couple? People in the back were already sneaking out their phones to snap pictures like they were celebrities.
Duyen knew perfectly well Shana had enough money to buy out the entire stall. She was just acting spoiled to keep up the girlfriend role-play. With a shrug, Duyen decided to keep play along. She pulled out her thin wallet.
"Alright, darling. What do you want? I'll buy it for you."
"This one! And that one too~"
The employees behind the counter blushed furiously, feeling like hearts were exploding everywhere from the couple in front of them.
And somehow, Duyen—the same girl who hated this idea at first—was actually playing along. She laughed more than she had in ages. Maybe only Shana could make her feel this way. By the time they were done, "just a few accessories" had turned into a bunch of shopping bags dangling from Duyen's arms.
Shana beamed with satisfaction, holding her hand tightly. Everywhere they went, she made sure to loudly announce that Duyen was her girlfriend, without a hint of shame. Embarrassing as it was, Duyen couldn't bring herself to stop her. She had never thought anyone could be that happy just walking beside her. She never considered herself attractive or special. But with Shana around, things became so much fun.
Sure, she was troublesome, noisy, and mischievous. But she could also be charming, clever, and witty.
Shana was just… Shana.
Girlfriend, huh? The thought flickered in Duyen's head. She had never imagined what a real romantic relationship would feel like, or how she should act.
Was it supposed to be this sweet?
No. She shook her head quickly, chasing away the ridiculous thought. That was way too luxurious for someone like her. Better not to think about it.
"Excuse me, can you come with me for a moment?"
A man's voice suddenly came from behind them, making Duyen turn her head. Shana, still caught up in her romantic daydream fantasy role-play, lazily answered.
"Nuh uh, can't you see I'm with my beloved girlfriend? This flower's already taken~"
Duyen figured it was just another random guy hitting on Shana, so she didn't care much. But suddenly, it wasn't Shana—her own arm was yanked roughly by the man before she even understood what was happening.
"Huh? Huh?"
When Shana snapped out of her fantasy, she saw Duyên being dragged away.
"Hey! Hey!" she shouted, running up and shoving his hand off. She glared at the man, scanning him from head to toe. He was some shabby-looking guy in his forties, wearing a wrinkled shirt and a lanyard with a badge that read "Yaochi Studio."
Pointing at his face, she yelled
"Hey, do you have any idea this is my girlfriend!? Who the hell do you think you are, dragging someone else's lover around!?"
"Shana, calm down," Duyen tried to de-escalate, but Shana wouldn't. She whipped out her phone.
"I'm calling the cops!"
But the man just looked shocked, glancing between them in disbelief.
"Wait… you said she's your girlfriend? This handsome guy is actually… a girl?"
Duyen blushed hard at that. Shana, on the other hand, smirked proudly, hugging Duyen's arm close to her chest.
"That's right~ she's a woman. More importantly, she's my one and only beloved girlfriend. What, first time seeing a tomboy? Oh, I get it—you've got a thing for tomboys, huh? Too bad, she's mine already."
"Shana! Stop teasing him," Duyen hissed.
Shana just stuck out her tongue.
The man rubbed his temples, sighing.
"Look, I don't care if she's a girl or a guy. What matters is—I really need her help right now!"
Shana and Duyen exchanged baffled looks.
Help? With what?
---
The man introduced himself as a director for a commercial shoot for a famous instant noodle brand. Some how, their male actor hadn't shown up, so in desperation, he pulled Duyen in.
Shana was skeptical, but when Duyen agreed to help, the director led them to a nearby studio inside the mall.
Inside, Dao—still dressed in designer clothes, platinum-blonde hair shining—was pacing with her phone, furious.
"Do you even know what time it is? Are we filming today or not? If not, I'm leaving. First my scumbag cheating co-star, now this? I've had enough!"
"Relax, relax! We're filming now!" the director begged. "See? I brought you a new co-star. Please don't wreck my set again."
"A co-star? How could you possibly find one this fast—"
Dao froze when she saw who was standing behind him.
"Duyen!?"
Why was she here? And of course, Shana was glued to her side as usual.
Duyen looked just as stunned to see Dao. But before either of them could ask anything, the director pushed her forward.
"Hurry and get changed! We're running out of time!"
"Wait, what? I don't even know the script yet!"
"Forget the script! Just do what I tell you out there, that's all!"
As the director shoved Duyen toward the dressing room, Dao could only mutter,
"What the hell is going on…?"
Shana folded her arms, rolling her eyes.
"Like I know."