"I'm a bit weak when it comes to compliments."
Haeyoung gazed at Minji with an objective eye.
Minji, who was fanning herself enthusiastically to cool her flushed face, looked adorable even in Haeyoung's eyes.
"Well, I think everyone's here now. Shall we take a look around the place?"
"Sounds great!"
At Minji's enthusiastic suggestion, everyone stood up from their seats. Minji was the first to dash off ahead of them.
Haeyoung trailed slowly behind the others, observing the cast members. So far, no one had approached her or shown any clear signs of interest.
Sungjoon lingered occasionally near Haeyoung's side, his lips parting as if to say something. But he couldn't bring himself to speak in front of the camera.
Each time they entered a new space—the yard, the kitchen, the common area—cries of admiration erupted. The clean, sunlit house looked like it had come straight out of an interior design magazine.
"The production budget must be huge. I mean, last season's final date vote alone got over two million votes. It makes sense they're investing more now."
"Yeah, that explains how nice this place is. I didn't expect it to be this good."
Haeyoung's response was sincere.
The house used in Season 2 of Woo-yeon House, which she had seen on the show, wasn't this one. That house definitely didn't have a yard. It was smaller, and they had used bunk beds.
Why is it different?
Even after thinking it over, Haeyoung couldn't find an answer.
"Haeyoung, this way! Let's go check out the girls' room on the second floor."
"Sure."
The male cast members headed to the men's room on the first floor, while the female cast members went up to the women's room on the second floor.
At the top of the stairs was a spacious common area with stylish, colorful floor sofas and a balcony. On either side were two large bedrooms.
"The rooms are huge! And look at these windows!"
Minji, her cheeks flushed with excitement, clapped her hands. Her eyes sparkled with delight.
"I want this room! Is it okay if I take it?"
"Of course. I'm fine with using the other one."
"Really? Taeri, thank you! Then... is there anyone who wants to share this room with me? Gaeun, would you like to?"
"I will. I want to room with you, Minji."
"Oh... Haeyoung?"
For the briefest moment, a look of displeasure crossed Minji's face—so fleeting that no one but Haeyoung, who knew her well, would have noticed.
On dating shows, relationships with fellow contestants of the same gender were just as important as those with the opposite sex. Building close, genuine bonds with same-gender cast members often became what fans affectionately called "fangirl moments."
Some viewers even criticized contestants who didn't get along with others of the same gender, claiming they must have a difficult personality.
"Is that okay? If you don't want to, I understand..."
Haeyoung asked carefully. After all, there was only one answer Minji could give.
"No! Why would I not want that? I'd love to. Haeyoung, let's share the room."
Minji spoke each word slowly and deliberately. Her eyes curved like crescent moons as she smiled.
"I'm really happy to be your roommate, Haeyoung."
Though she was clearly flustered by the unexpected turn of events, Minji didn't show it. Instead, she quickly ran over and linked arms with Haeyoung. Haeyoung didn't pull away.
"I'm really happy too. Let's have a great time together, Minji."
A really, truly great time—so fun that it would be unforgettable in their lives.
"We're heading out to do some grocery shopping."
"Bring back lots of delicious stuff!"
"If there's anything else you need—oh, wait, we can't contact each other. Well, then we'll just buy whatever we want."
"We'll be here moving the luggage."
Leaving a few behind, the rest stepped outside. The grocery shopping team was four people: Sungjoon, Dojin, Gaeun, and Haeyoung.
Haeyoung chatted casually with Dojin as they loaded items into the cart. A large camera followed them closely, trying to capture shots of her picking out snacks and selecting meat.
"Having the camera follow us around feels a little awkward."
"Yeah, it does. But I guess we'll get used to it soon?"
"I hope so."
Meanwhile, Sungjoon kept sneaking glances at Haeyoung throughout the entire shopping trip. He seemed to be looking for any opportunity to talk to her alone.
It was clear he was trying to create a moment. Haeyoung knew it, but pretended not to, deliberately keeping her distance from Sungjoon.
Let him stew a little.
Once they had nearly finished shopping, filming was paused so the crew could change the camera tapes before heading back to the house. Haeyoung took the chance to step away, saying she needed to use the restroom.
She washed her hands slowly and stepped back outside.
As expected, Sungjoon was waiting just outside the door.
Without saying a word, he grabbed her roughly and pulled her back into the restroom.
"Ah—ow."
Click. The door locked.
Sungjoon didn't stop there. He seized Haeyoung's wrist and turned her slightly, reaching for the mic pack clipped to the back of her waistband.
Haeyoung looked at him, fumbling in frustration, and sighed as if disappointed.
"It's already turned off."
Sungjoon, who had been fumbling for the mic's power switch, tossed it back at her with irritation. Then he ran a hand roughly through his hair.
"You crazy—! What the hell is this? Are you kidding me? Why are you even here? Are you spying on me to see if I'd cheat? No, seriously, how the hell did someone like you even get on this show?! Are you trying to ruin everything? And what's with your face—and those clothes?!"
"You done with the questions?"
As Sungjoon shouted, spitting with rage, Haeyoung stood still, watching him like an outsider observing someone else's drama. Sungjoon scowled, clearly thrown off by her calm demeanor.
The brief kindness he'd shown when he asked to borrow money had completely vanished. And this—this was probably the real him.
"Explain everything. One by one. What are you really doing here?"
"I came to help you."
Haeyoung smiled softly.
It was a fake smile, fake expression, and fake warmth—but she was certain Sungjoon wouldn't notice. He was never that interested in her to begin with.
"Don't give me that bullsh*t."
"Then why else would I be here? Sungjoon, you know you're the only one I care about."
"And what the hell do you think you can do?"
"I'm here to help you get more screen time. They say the more popular you are on shows like this, the more airtime you get. What if you don't get a single vote? That'd be embarrassing, right?"
Haeyoung furrowed her brows, feigning concern.
"Why wouldn't I get any votes?"
"Well, everyone else is good-looking. You showed up dressed in designer brands, so it'd be kind of sad if you ended up with zero popularity and no screen time."
"Are you cursing me right now?"
"I'm just saying—what if something like that actually happened? That's why I came. If someone films you even a little more, that means more screen time for you, right?"
Haeyoung reached out and took Sungjoon's hand.
"Sungjoon, don't you trust me? You're the only one I care about. I worked so hard just to get on this show…"
Sungjoon looked her up and down. The mention of her effort didn't sound entirely like a lie, and the anger in his eyes began to fade—just slightly.
"Ha… but if we get caught, we'll both be kicked off."
"Then we just don't get caught. Hardly anyone knows we're dating anyway."
Because Sungjoon didn't like it, Haeyoung had never posted any couple photos or introduced him to friends, except maybe in the very early days of their relationship.
"How did you even get cast? Minji and I had to go through dozens of interviews just to make it in, and you…"
"How… this place isn't exactly the kind of scale where you can just take off your glasses and put on some makeup and compete."
"I was lucky. Apparently, a cast member dropped out last minute."
Sungjun still looked suspicious.
"It wasn't easy for me to decide to appear, you know I don't like being in the spotlight. But like you said, this opportunity might not come again. I've been waiting for you for six years, so this time, I have to make sure you succeed."
"Don't get cocky. Who's the one helping whom here?"
"Shh, lower your voice. We might get caught."
When Haeyoung warned him, Sungjun jumped and lowered his voice, then stared at the door. It was quiet outside.
"Anyway, we're both getting older. We can't keep putting this off forever."
"Put off what?"
"Our marriage."
"Why are you already talking about that? It's too much pressure."
"Why? You've always said it. Once you settle down as an actor, we'd get married. The money I lent you is actually part of the wedding fund I've been saving to help with the new house. If you're not going to marry me, then give that money back."
"Marriage, yeah. Once I'm established, we'll get married right away."
That was a lie. He wanted to break up with me immediately.
Sungjun's eyes as he looked at Haeyoung didn't waver. He didn't seem to feel any guilt at all.
"Alright, let's really do well this time. But don't let anyone outside find out. Make sure you're clear with Minji too."
"Hey, you focus on yourself. I've got nine years of acting experience."
"Of course. Sungjun, you'll do fine. After all, whose boyfriend are you?"