LC 5

Chapter 5

It was definitely Kwon Seok-jun.

She could tell even from a distance.

After all, he was the only one who walked with such a tall, model-like frame and perfectly straight posture.

Until just moments ago, the atmosphere had been warm, filled with laughter, but the moment Min-joo looked out the window, the air seemed to turn cold.

Just then, Na Seon-young playfully tapped Seok-jun on the shoulder and burst into laughter, as if they were sharing some amusing story.

They had only just met, yet their physical contact already seemed surprisingly natural.

When did they get so close?

Min-joo already knew that Na Seon-young was interested in Kwon Seok-jun.

She had been unable to take her eyes off him from the moment he first appeared.

But what about Kwon Seok-jun?

Was he interested in Na Seon-young as well?

Min-joo didn’t know what kind of woman Seon-young usually was, but it was obvious that she was confident and the type who attracted attention wherever she went.

Her striking features and glamorous aura immediately drew everyone’s eyes, regardless of gender.

At that moment, as if he had sensed her gaze, Kwon Seok-jun turned his head.

Their eyes met through the glass window.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment before shifting to Han Sang-ho, who was sitting across from her.

Then one corner of his mouth curved upward.

Am I imagining it, or does he look displeased?

“Is there something outside?”

At Sang-ho’s voice, Min-joo hurriedly turned her head away from the window.

“No, nothing. The weather is just nice.”

Min-joo answered as casually as she could, but she couldn’t stop noticing Kwon Seok-jun’s lingering gaze.

As if trying to avoid his attention, she lifted her glass and took a sip of coffee.

But the lukewarm coffee only left a bitter taste in her mouth.

After finishing their café date, Han Sang-ho and Min-joo headed toward the common living room of the accommodation.

When they carefully opened the door and entered, the contestants gathered inside welcomed them.

“Welcome back!”

“How was your first date?”

The contestants who hadn’t been paired up during the first-impression vote asked with curious expressions.

With everyone’s attention focused on them, Min-joo gave an awkward smile and sat beside Baek Seol-hee, who had arrived earlier.

Sang-ho smiled warmly and answered for her.

“It was really good.”

“Lucky you!”

“I’m jealous!”

A smile never left Sang-ho’s face, and the other contestants’ eyes briefly filled with envy.

“Did you have a good date?”

Baek Seol-hee, who was sitting beside her, lowered her voice and asked.

Min-joo nodded slightly and asked how Seol-hee’s date had gone.

Seol-hee pouted.

“It wasn’t fun.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

Worried that the person involved might hear them, Min-joo glanced around in surprise before moving a little closer to Seol-hee. The two began whispering quietly.

Before the date, Seol-hee had been excitedly talking about Choi Do-yoon, who had chosen her.

“Well, he barely talked and just drank beverages. Three of them, too.”

“Maybe he was nervous?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, I was really looking forward to it, so I was disappointed.”

Seol-hee shrugged before adding,

“So I’m going to look into other guys.”

“Already? Shouldn’t you talk to him a little more first?”

“I like men who take the lead. I’m not really into timid guys.”

Min-joo thought Seol-hee was being a little too quick to give up after just one date, but she didn’t bother adding anything.

Just then, the Love Coach appeared in the common living room.

“We need to prepare dinner, so please choose one woman and one man to go grocery shopping.”

Seol-hee raised her hand.

“But Kwon Seok-jun and Na Seon-young haven’t come back yet. Is it okay for us to decide without them?”

“For now, please choose from the people who are here.”

The Love Coach smiled apologetically, as though there was nothing else he could do.

A small murmur spread among the female contestants.

“What? Aren’t those two getting along?”

“Exactly. They’ve been gone for quite a while, but they still haven’t come back.”

“Even the first-impression couples are already back. Why are the people who weren’t paired up taking even longer?”

“Even if it’s free time, isn’t this basically a date?”

Jealousy and dissatisfaction were mixed into the voices of the women who hadn’t been paired up.

Min-joo quietly listened, but for some reason, she felt increasingly on edge.

She knew whether the two of them got along or not had nothing to do with her, yet she couldn’t shake the strange tightness in her chest.

Following the Love Coach’s suggestion, they decided to draw lots to determine who would go grocery shopping.

“Then I’ll announce the results.”

The Love Coach took two pieces of paper from a round container.

“The first grocery-shopping team is… Choi Do-yoon and Baek Seol-hee.”

A ripple of laughter spread through the common living room.

Choi Do-yoon scratched the back of his head awkwardly, while Baek Seol-hee’s expression stiffened slightly.

The Love Coach and PD announced that they would leave in thirty minutes before leaving the common living room.

The contestants gathered in a circle, decided on the dinner menu, and made a shopping list.

Having been on their feet since early morning, Min-joo suddenly felt exhausted.

Maybe it was because of the cameras that had been filming her nonstop, or perhaps because she’d been surrounded by people all day.

Either way, she felt completely drained.

More than anything, she didn’t want to see Kwon Seok-jun and Na Seon-young return together.

Min-joo told Seol-hee that she was going to take a short break and quietly got up.

She could feel Sang-ho’s gaze on her back, but she pretended not to notice and left the common living room.

She walked down the hallway and opened the entrance door.

At that exact moment, Na Seon-young was coming up the stairs.

It seemed her date with Kwon Seok-jun had just ended.

The image of the two of them walking side by side, looking happy together, suddenly brought an inexplicable rush of emotion to Min-joo’s chest.

She stopped walking.

Seon-young noticed her a moment later and approached with a smile on her lips.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m tired, so I’m going to get some rest.”

Min-joo gave a brief nod and tried to walk past her, but Seon-young stopped her.

“Are you interested in Seok-jun?”

“…Why are you asking?”

“You were staring at us during our date at the café, so I wondered if that was why.”

Min-joo stopped at the unexpected remark.

Seon-young slowly brushed back her perfectly arranged hair.

The gesture itself was elegant, but the look in her eyes immediately afterward was cold.

Only then did Min-joo realize it.

She had been so focused on Seok-jun that she hadn’t noticed Seon-young watching her.

If Seon-young had noticed it enough to say something like this, then there was a possibility that other people had noticed it too.

Min-joo suddenly felt ridiculous and pathetic.

Seo Min-joo, you made a big deal about leaving this show as part of a couple just to show him, and now you’re worrying about Kwon Seok-jun?

Get a grip.

Who Kwon Seok-jun dates has absolutely nothing to do with you.

Right now, the only thing you need to focus on is yourself.

Having steeled herself, Min-joo looked directly at Seon-young and spoke clearly.

“I’m not interested in Kwon Seok-jun.”

“Then that’s a relief. I’m planning to make things work with Seok-jun.”

Her words were gentle, but there was an unmistakable warning in Seon-young’s eyes.

It was as if she were saying that she had already chosen him, so Min-joo had better not harbor any other feelings toward Kwon Seok-jun.

Seon-young disappeared into the resort with a relieved expression, as though a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

Min-joo let out a deep breath.

Although she had answered calmly, one part of her heart felt strangely empty and heated.

That’s right. I did well.

Don’t let your emotions control you.

She tried to reassure herself, but for some reason, a bitter feeling lingered at the edge of her heart.

That evening, Min-joo headed to the parking lot to go grocery shopping.

Baek Seol-hee had originally been the one assigned to go, but a little earlier, she had come to the accommodation and carefully asked Min-joo if she could go in her place because she wasn’t feeling well.

Min-joo realized that it was just an excuse because Seol-hee didn’t want to go with Do-yoon, but she simply nodded and said she understood.

With a relieved expression, Seol-hee smiled and said,

“I’ll buy you a coffee later.”

Then she soon left the accommodation.

When Min-joo arrived at the parking lot, she waited for Do-yoon.

She couldn’t help feeling self-conscious, wondering if he would be disappointed when she showed up instead of Seol-hee.

She also felt awkward about what kind of expression she should make when she met him, so she lowered her head.

Just then, she heard footsteps behind her.

She slowly turned toward the sound coming from the accommodation.

But unexpectedly, the owner of those footsteps wasn’t Choi Do-yoon.

It was Kwon Seok-jun.

Why is Kwon Seok-jun showing up when the person I’m waiting for hasn’t even arrived?

Min-joo froze for a moment at the unexpected encounter.

She had deliberately avoided the common accommodation because she didn’t want to run into him, yet of all places, she had encountered him here.

Since the cameras were filming them, she couldn’t simply pretend she hadn’t seen him.

Min-joo awkwardly greeted him with a nod.

Kwon Seok-jun strode toward her with his long legs and stopped directly in front of her.

You could just keep walking. Why are you stopping…?

Suppressing her urge to turn around and leave, Min-joo reluctantly looked at him.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m waiting for someone.”

Not wanting to prolong the conversation, Min-joo deliberately didn’t mention Choi Do-yoon’s name.

“I see.”

Kwon Seok-jun gave a brief nod and casually put both hands into his pockets as he looked toward the accommodation.

What? Why isn’t he leaving?

Min-joo stared at him with a puzzled expression.

“Aren’t you on your way somewhere?”

“I’m waiting for someone too.”

He spoke calmly without taking his eyes off the accommodation.

Who? Na Seon-young?

No way. Did they make plans to see each other again after just going on a date? Or… another female contestant?

Min-joo knew he would be popular, but she hadn’t expected him to adapt to the atmosphere of the program so naturally.

He was different from her, who had only been pretending to play along out of spite.

Min-joo swallowed the jealousy rising inside her and pretended to be indifferent as she waited for Choi Do-yoon.

But five minutes passed.

Then ten.

And he still didn’t appear.

When on earth is he coming? He really has no sense of time.

They said you could tell a lot about a person from one thing.

Seeing Do-yoon’s irresponsible attitude, Min-joo could vaguely understand why Baek Seol-hee wanted to avoid him.

Worried that dinner would be delayed if she waited any longer, Min-joo cautiously approached one of the staff members.

“…Would it be okay if I went to the supermarket by myself?”

“By yourself?”

“I think the supermarket might close before Choi Do-yoon gets here.”

At that moment, Kwon Seok-jun, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, spoke.

“Were you waiting for Choi Do-yoon?”

“…Yes.”

Min-joo looked at him with an expression that seemed to ask,

Why would you ask something like that?