"Allison, you and Hanbin are going on a date today," she said, her voice firm and resolute.

Surprised by her sudden announcement this early in the morning on my day off, I replied a panicked "What? Why?"

"Because the media is eating up your fake relationship and we need to give them more material. You two need to look like a couple in love," she explained, her tone brooking no argument.

I sighed, feeling both excited and apprehensive at the thought of spending the day with Hanbin. We had become good friends over the course of the competition, but I couldn't help feeling a little uneasy about the whole thing. Especially since I had planned a secret outing with Jiwoong today. I had even bough a black wig and some very large sunglasses to hide behind.

"Okay, I guess we'll go on a date then," I said reluctantly.

Hannah gave me the details of our itinerary for the day and warned us to look our best. I  groaned, wondering how I was going to get through the day without any awkward moments.

I met Hanbin outside the dorm hall, feeling a little self-conscious in my pink dress and cute kitten heels. He looked handsome in his outfit, a casual yet stylish ensemble that made him look like a K-pop star.

"Hey Alli, you look beautiful," he said, smiling at me warmly.

I blushed, feeling a flutter of excitement in my stomach. "Thanks, you look great too."

We started off our date with a bike ride along the Han River, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the cool breeze. Hanbin was a great cyclist and kept up a steady pace, occasionally glancing over at me with a smile.

As Hanbin and I had stopped at a dainty little café, and were finishing our coffee, we could hear a group of fans outside the coffee shop screaming and taking pictures. They must have spotted us through the window. Hanbin chuckled and said, "Looks like our date is a hit." I couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy about it all. It felt like such a public display of affection, even though it was all fake.

We walked out of the coffee shop and were immediately swarmed by fans and paparazzi. I tried to keep a smile on my face, but I was really starting to feel uncomfortable. Hanbin noticed my discomfort and grabbed my hand, pulling me closer to him. "It's okay, Alli. Just hold onto me and we'll get through this." His words were comforting and I found myself squeezing his hand tighter.

We managed to make it back to our bikes and rode along the river path. It was a beautiful day and the scenery was breathtaking. Hanbin and I chatted about everything and nothing, just enjoying each other's company. Occasionally, Hanbin would reach out and brush his hand against mine, or place a hand on the small of my back. It was all so natural, but it still felt wrong.

We stopped at a picnic area and Hanbin spread out a blanket while I unpacked the food. We ate and talked about our lives outside of the competition. Hanbin shared some stories about his family and how much he missed them. I could tell how much he cared for them and it made me like him even more.

After we finished eating, Hanbin leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. "Thanks for being such a great date, Alli." I smiled, still feeling a bit awkward about it all. "You too, Binnie. You make it easy to have fun."

We continued our date with a visit to a nearby cafe. We shared some beautiful cakes and talked about our favorite music, movies, and TV shows. Hanbin was so easy to talk to and I found myself laughing at his jokes and witty comments. He even started calling me 'Alli' as a nickname, which I secretly kind of liked.

As we were leaving the cafe, Hanbin took my hand and pulled me close to him. He looked into my eyes and said, "You know, Alli, I really do like you. I know this is all for show, but I can't help the way I feel." His words were sweet and sincere, but they made my heart sink. I couldn't deny that I had feelings for him too, but I couldn't betray Jiwoong's trust like that.

Before I could respond, Hannah, our manager, appeared out of nowhere. "Great job, you two! The pictures turned out amazing." I felt a lump form in my throat as I realized that everything we had done today had been planned and orchestrated. Hannah handed us each a copy of the magazine that had already been printed with our photos and headline: "Allison and Hanbin: The Perfect Couple?"

I looked over at Hanbin and he shrugged his shoulders, clearly just as uncomfortable with it all as I was. We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.

As I walked back to the dorms, I couldn't help but feel guilty. Guilty for leading Hanbin on, guilty for betraying Jiwoong's trust, and guilty for not being able to control my own feelings. This competition was tearing me apart and I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep up the charade.