Hae-Joo thought she finally found her escape when she stepped onto campus as a late arrival to the Film and Theater Department. She was ready to leave her trauma behind and script a new life for herself, but the past has a way of finding its way back into the spotlight. Now, she is trapped between two men who are determined to be the lead in her story. Eun-Seok, her lifelong friend, proposes a fake dating pact to keep her safe and ward off unwanted attention, but his protective streak hides a burning passion he has kept buried for years. Meanwhile, her first love Jay has reappeared, reigniting a flame that threatens to burn down the new life she worked so hard to build. As the lines between acting and reality blur on and off the stage, Hae-Joo must navigate a web of secrets, jealousy, and heart-pounding tension. Can a fake relationship protect her from a very real heartbreak, or is she just trading one complicated past for an even more chaotic future?

romance manhwa, drama webtoon, fake dating trope, love triangle, childhood friend, first love, college romance, melodrama, campus life, secret feelings