Haeyoung already knew, but she pretended to be surprised and covered her mouth.
Friendship Love succeeded thanks to its provocative editing and fast-paced format.
That's why, in Season 2, a new system was introduced—revealing the number of messages each participant received that day.
This small change in format had a huge impact. It significantly influenced not only the viewers' support but also the contestants' emotions.
Amid the commotion, the screen changed.
[ Chanwoo – 0 votes]
[Sungjun – 3 votes]
[Dojin – 0 votes]
[Jaeyoung – 1 vote]
The sound of the cast gasping in surprise filled the room.
All eyes subtly turned to Sungjun.
"Wow... this is insane..."
Three votes. Except for Sungjun's female friend, every woman had chosen him.
Just as planned. Jo Sungjun had taken all the votes.
From Haeyoung's seat, she could see Sungjun's profile. He looked surprised and flustered, but behind the feigned expression, she could see the joy he was trying to hide.
He'd forgotten that this was only a first impression—something that could easily be overturned at any time.
Go ahead and enjoy it while you can. Get arrogant, get overconfident, and reveal your true nature.
"Are they not going to reveal the girls' results?"
"No way, I'm sure they will soon."
"I don't want to see it. I hope they don't show it!"
Taeri's hands trembled slightly. Minji stayed silent.
She must've received two messages. Maybe she was holding back her reaction, knowing that being overly expressive could lead to malicious editing?
"It's coming!"
Everyone's eyes turned to the screen. As if waiting for their full attention, the letters finally appeared.
Minji.
Haeyoung
Gaeun
Taeri
The numbers hadn't appeared yet. It was clearly meant to build suspense. And the cast played along—holding their breath, eyes fixed on the monitor.
Then finally, the results appeared on screen:
Minji – 0 votes
Haeyoung – 2 votes
Gaeun – 2 votes
Taeri – 0 votes
"Huh?"
Haeyoung blinked in disbelief.
Minji got zero votes? How?
The two votes that should've gone to Minji—why were they scattered?
And she was certain she only received one vote. Something was clearly wrong. Was it an error?
Then, it happened.
Bzzz—
[Your smile is so beautiful.]
A message arrived—late.
They did it on purpose. A trick set up by the producers. A staged twist meant to create drama. And the fact that they planted this kind of twist meant they planned to highlight this moment in the edit.
If anyone made a smug or arrogant face here, it would be paired with dramatic sound effects—and they'd be painted as the villain.
It was the perfect moment for dramatic editing.
But unfortunately for the production team, Haeyoung's focus was entirely on how many messages Sungjun and Minji had received. So the reaction they were hoping for—an emotional or dramatic expression—never came.
Minji, on the other hand, was visibly shaken. The smile that always played on her lips had vanished.
And it was no surprise. Minji hated being ignored—hated not being loved or chosen. Even between Sungjun and Haeyoung, she believed she should always be the center of attention.
But what now? Under the script I'm writing, you're just a supporting role. Maybe even an extra.
A forgettable, faceless character no one will remember. Still, you're getting paid the same appearance fee as me—so that's something, right?
Minji's eyes slowly shifted. She looked straight at Haeyoung.
In the midst of the noisy chatter, their eyes locked.
Her gaze was cold. As if to say, I know this was your doing.
Smile. Don't waver yet—it's too early to ruin the fun.
As if she could read Haeyoung's thoughts, Minji lifted the corners of her mouth into a smile.
"What? Why did I get zero votes? That's so mean! So when everyone said I was cute earlier… that was all a lie, huh?"
Minji put on an exaggerated pout.
Her playful tone made everyone laugh.
"That's it. Chanwoo, Dojin, Taeri—let's form the Zero Vote Club!"
Minji giggled as she pulled Chanwoo and Dojin close on either side.
It was dawn by the time filming finally wrapped. After a quick shower, it was already the middle of the night.
Even if she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, Haeyoung would only get three or four hours of rest. She grabbed a quick drink of water in the kitchen, then hurried upstairs to the second floor.
But the long day still wasn't ready to let Haeyoung sleep.
In the shared lounge area outside the rooms, Minji was sitting alone on the sofa.
What is she doing?
Haeyoung stopped in her tracks and quietly watched her.
Minji sat silently with her knees pulled to her chest, staring out through the large glass window at the early morning sky. She let out a deep sigh, then rested her chin on her knees.
Maybe it was the loose, sky-blue pajamas, but with that downcast expression, she looked smaller and more fragile than usual.
Eventually, she swept back her still-damp hair.
Her slender neckline was revealed.
Every movement, her posture, and even the composition of the scene was perfect—like a frame straight out of a classic romance manga.
What is she doing like that?
Noticing someone's presence, Minji turned her head. Even that angle seemed deliberately beautiful.
The moment she realized it was Haeyoung passing by, her eyes filled with guarded caution. But Minji wasn't foolish enough to openly show hostility toward Haeyoung in front of the cameras.
"Minji, aren't you going to sleep?"
"Haeyoung, I have a lot on my mind, so I can't sleep. You should go ahead and rest."
"But still..."
"Don't worry about me!"
To an outsider, their exchange would seem warm and friendly.
"It's really okay. I'm fine."
Minji's sad yet beautiful smile faltered, and her head dropped slightly.
"Haeyoung, you have such a great vibe and you're truly charming."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
What's she suddenly saying? That unexpected compliment definitely has a purpose.
"You're pretty too, Minji."
"No, I don't think so. I didn't even get a single vote. I'm just jealous."
Hehe. Minji smiled sadly.
Ah, I see.
The spot where Minji was sitting had a beautiful backdrop, and the main camera on the second floor was pointed directly at it. Besides, the common area on the second floor wasn't really a good place to indulge in sadness—people were coming and going, and there were plenty of cameras around.
Why would she choose to sulk here, in a cozy private space, while telling me she's jealous?
Right now, Minji is putting on a show. I recognized it immediately—I've seen it so many times before.
"Joon, I'm sorry, but could you take me home instead of Haeyoung today? My head is spinning so badly, I feel like I'm going to collapse..."
"There's something depressing going on... No, the 4th anniversary with you is more important. What am I saying... Don't worry about me and just go. I'm really okay. Don't worry about me—have a great date."
Whenever there's an important day with Sungjun, Minji gets sick, depressed, or has some urgent issue. Every time, she wears that same expression.
The person Minji appeals to with her vulnerability is...
She was probably appealing to the viewers beyond the cameras. After all, this wasn't the first floor where the male cast stayed, but the second floor where the female cast had their rooms.
It was a clever move. In the end, Minji's goal wasn't to find love—it was to become famous.
To achieve that, she had to smartly use even today's zero votes to her advantage.
People naturally root for the underdog. She wanted the viewers to sympathize with the fragile Minji who got zero votes and couldn't sleep because of the shock.
• Poor Minji... totally sulking dog
• She's kind of captivating
• She looked so down even when they were all together. Guess the zero votes really stuck with her ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
So, this is how it's going to play out? Interesting.
The viewers' sympathy was predictable.
But unfortunately, there was no intention to let things proceed smoothly according to her plan.
Haeyoung turned and headed down to the first floor. She grabbed a bunch of snacks from the kitchen and this time made her way to the rooms of the other female cast members.
---
"Minji, are you okay?"
"Huh?"
Minji was confused when Gaeun and Taeri suddenly appeared in front of her.
"W-what do you mean?"
Instead of answering, a pile of food was placed on the table.
Food was piled on the table. Minji rolled her eyes, trying to make sense of the situation.
"Minji, I heard you're feeling down!"
"How about we all have another beer together?"
"Yeah, let's do it. We even brought snacks and chocolate from the first floor. Sweet things are the best cure for sadness."
Gaeun and Taeri sat down right beside Minji, catching her off guard. This wasn't part of her plan.
Minji's narrative of winning the viewers' sympathy and support instantly shifted into a story about friendship among the female cast members.
"But why are you feeling down? Is it because of the votes?"
Taeri spoke the words Haeyoung wanted to say. Minji was momentarily stunned and couldn't answer.
Taeri had also received zero votes. But she took Minji's silence as confirmation.