Chapter 3

Soon afterward, the love coach spoke.

“All right. Everyone’s entered their choice, correct?”

“Yes.”

The staff collected the contestants’ tablets one by one and handed them to the love coach.

While watching the writers quietly talking among themselves at the front, Seol-hee leaned toward Min-joo.

“I feel strangely nervous.”

“Why?”

“What if I get zero votes?”

The excitement that had filled her face only moments ago was replaced by a hint of anxiety.

“Don’t worry about it too much. A first impression is just that—a first impression.”

“Once the show airs, everyone around me is going to see it. It would be so embarrassing if I got zero votes.”

Just as Seol-hee nervously muttered those words, the love coach picked up the microphone again.

“All right, then. We’ll reveal the results now.”

The contestants tried to smile, but none of them could hide their nervousness. Some clasped their hands together, while others nervously bit their lips.

“The first dating couple is… Han Hee-joo and Kim Tae-hwan!”

When their names were called, the two smiled shyly.

“The second dating couple is… Baek Seol-hee and Choi Do-yoon!”

“Ah! Thank you!”

Unable to contain her joy, Seol-hee jumped to her feet and bowed deeply to the man she had been paired with.

Her lively reaction seemed to catch the man off guard for a moment, but he soon smiled and stood up to greet her as well.

The adorable sight of the two prompted cheers and applause from the other contestants.

“And finally, the third dating couple is…”

At the love coach’s words, anticipation spread across the faces of the remaining contestants.

“Seo Min-joo and Han Sang-ho.”

“Congratulations, Min-joo!”

Min-joo stared at the love coach in bewilderment at the unexpected announcement.

Beside her, Seol-hee clapped enthusiastically as though it were her own good news.

At that moment, Han Sang-ho’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at her.

He seemed to have never expected that she would choose him, and for a moment, he simply stood there blankly.

Min-joo hadn’t expected him to choose her, either.

Their eyes had met earlier and he had smiled at her, but she had assumed it was merely a polite smile.

When Min-joo shyly raised the corners of her lips, a bright expression finally spread across Sang-ho’s face.

At that moment, Kwon Seok-jun’s gaze landed on her.

He was congratulating the two of them, but there was something strangely stiff about his eyes.

Could he be unhappy about missing the chance for a first date?

She suddenly wondered whom he had chosen.

There had been more than one female contestant showing interest in him.

She had naturally assumed he would be one of the people chosen for the first date, so the result was unexpected.

Apparently, Min-joo wasn’t the only one who thought so.

Na Seon-young, the first female contestant, raised her hand and asked the love coach,

“Could you tell us who the remaining contestants chose?”

“I’m afraid I can’t. You’ll have to find out when the show airs.”

When the love coach firmly refused, Na Seon-young pouted in disappointment.

Then she stole a glance toward Kwon Seok-jun.

Apparently, she was curious about whom he had chosen.

A moment later, the love coach’s voice rang out again.

“For now, please move to the accommodations and take a short break. The three couples will go on their dates in one hour. Those who weren’t paired up are free to spend their time however they wish.”

When the love coach finished explaining, the contestants all stood up.

Some headed outside with excited expressions, while others looked disappointed.

Just then, Choi Moon-yeol, one of the male contestants wearing black-rimmed glasses, strode toward Min-joo.

“Give me your bag.”

“Excuse me?”

The hand he abruptly held out without any explanation made it look as though he were simply there to retrieve a bag she had entrusted to him.

When Min-joo stared at him in confusion, Choi Moon-yeol kept his hand extended and added,

“I’ll carry it to the accommodation.”

His eyes, visible behind his glasses, were unnervingly clear, making it strangely uncomfortable to meet his gaze.

On top of that, he was standing much closer than necessary.

Min-joo instinctively took a step back.

“…Ah, it’s okay.”

When she politely refused, Choi Moon-yeol’s expression instantly hardened.

“Why? You don’t like me?”

Apparently assuming that she was rejecting him because she disliked him, he frowned and pushed his black-rimmed glasses up with his middle finger.

“That’s not it. I was late earlier, so I left my bag with the writer. I need to ask her where it is.”

“Then I’ll go find it for you.”

As though Min-joo’s opinion didn’t matter at all, he had already turned around and started walking.

Min-joo was left flustered by his aggressive attitude when a staff member hurried over.

“Mr. Choi Moon-yeol, the PD wants to film an interview with you.”

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

“But I need to find her bag…”

“Don’t worry about it and go do the interview. I’ll take care of the bag.”

After the staff member reassured him again, Choi Moon-yeol cast one more lingering glance at Min-joo, his eyes filled with regret.

Only then did he reluctantly turn toward the interview area.

Once Choi Moon-yeol had completely disappeared from sight, Min-joo unconsciously relaxed her shoulders, which she hadn’t realized she had been holding so tightly.

…Everyone here certainly has a strong personality.

She had expected things to be difficult, but she already felt exhausted.

A little while later, the writer returned her suitcase, and Min-joo slowly headed toward the accommodations.

The filming set was on the first floor of the resort’s main building, while the accommodations were located slightly downhill from there.

After exiting the building, an outdoor walkway stretched ahead, and at the end of it was a short flight of stairs.

Why does there have to be a staircase…?

Min-joo sighed inwardly and lifted her suitcase with both hands.

Even though she had done her best to pack lightly, she would be filming for ten days, so the suitcase was still fairly heavy.

As she carefully struggled down the stairs, she couldn’t see properly in front of her and misstepped.

Her center of gravity suddenly shifted, and her body staggered.

“Ah!”

Just as she thought she was going to fall, a firm hand grabbed her arm.

Relieved, Min-joo raised her head to thank whoever had helped her.

Kwon Seok-jun was standing there.

…What? Didn’t he leave earlier?

Without saying anything, he took the suitcase from her hands as she stared at him in a daze.

“W-What are you doing?”

“It looked like you were about to tumble down the stairs with your suitcase.”

His tone was indifferent, but his steps were decisive.

Before she could stop him, he strode down the stairs.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to help me.”

She hurried after him and grabbed the suitcase, but his hand didn’t budge.

“Just let me carry it. There are a lot of stairs, and if you fall, it could interfere with the filming.”

They were supposed to be strangers meeting for the first time in public, so it would be troublesome if a camera captured them arguing over her suitcase.

In the end, Min-joo quietly swallowed her frustration and stepped back.

“Then… please just carry it until the stairs.”

Worried that he might offer to carry it all the way to the accommodation, Min-joo quickly drew the line.

As though he had noticed what she was thinking, he gave a faint smile and nodded.

“All right.”

Then, as though it were nothing, he lifted the suitcase and began descending the stairs.

Following one step behind him, Min-joo noticed his broad shoulders.

Perhaps he had been exercising regularly over the years, because they looked even broader than before.

The muscles in his forearms were impressive as well, and judging by how effortlessly he carried the suitcase she had been struggling with, he was clearly much stronger than he looked.

After descending the long flight of stairs in one go, he stopped at the bottom and quietly waited for her to come down.

Min-joo wished he would simply leave her behind, but she knew he wasn’t the type to listen even if she told him, so she held back and continued down the stairs.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Wanting to get away from him as quickly as possible, Min-joo hurriedly thanked him and pulled her suitcase toward the women’s accommodation.

But the footsteps that should have been growing more distant instead followed behind her.

With a bad feeling in her gut, she turned around.

Kwon Seok-jun was approaching at a leisurely pace.

What? Is he following me?

“…Where are you going?”

“I’m heading to the accommodation.”

“The accommodation?”

“The men’s accommodation is in the same direction.”

Ah.

Only then did Min-joo remember the staff mentioning that the men’s and women’s accommodations were in the same building.

In the end, Min-joo had no choice but to walk alongside him despite how much she disliked the situation.

“You go ahead.”

“Why?”

“It seems like you’re slowing down because of me.”

That was what she said, but the truth was that the entire situation made her deeply uncomfortable.

Yet, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking and was deliberately pretending otherwise, he gave her a subtle smile.

“I’m taking my time and looking around. I didn’t get a proper look earlier, so don’t worry about me.”

Don’t worry about you?

One of the cameras installed around the resort was undoubtedly filming their backs.

And for some reason, Min-joo had the distinct feeling that he wasn’t looking at the scenery around them.

He was looking at her.

Does he really find it that amusing watching me struggle?

As she dragged her suitcase along, grumbling inwardly, he suddenly spoke to her.

“I heard you were in a traffic accident on the way here. Are you all right?”

Min-joo’s eyes widened at the unexpected question.

She had quietly asked the writer to keep the accident to herself because she didn’t want the other contestants to worry unnecessarily.

She had never imagined that he would know.

“…How did you find out?”