Chapter 03

Soon afterward, the Love Coach spoke.

“All right, everyone has entered their choices, correct?”

“Yes.”

The staff collected the contestants’ tablets one by one and handed them to the Love Coach.

As Seol-hee watched the writers quietly talking among themselves at the front, she leaned toward Minju.

“I suddenly feel nervous.”

“Why?”

“I’m worried I might get zero votes.”

The excitement that had been on her face just moments ago was replaced by a trace of nervousness.

“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. If I get zero votes, it’ll be so embarrassing.”

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

“Then, from this moment on, I’ll reveal the results.”

The contestants tried to smile, but they couldn’t hide their nervousness as they clasped their hands together or 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 happiness, Seol-hee jumped to her feet and bowed deeply to the male contestant who had chosen her.

The man seemed momentarily flustered by her lively reaction, but soon smiled and stood up with her to return the greeting.

Cheers and applause erupted among the contestants at the sight of the adorable pair.

“And finally, the third dating couple is…”

At the Love Coach’s words, anticipation spread across the faces of the remaining contestants.

“Seo Minju and Han Sang-ho.”

“Congratulations, Minju!”

At the unexpected announcement, Minju stared blankly at the Love Coach.

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

At that moment, Han Sang-ho looked at her with his eyes widened in surprise.

He stood there dazed for a moment, as though he hadn’t expected her to choose him.

Minju hadn’t expected him to choose her either.

Although he had smiled when their eyes met, she had assumed it was merely a polite smile.

When Minju shyly lifted 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 out on the chance for a first date?

She suddenly became curious about whom he had chosen.

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

She had naturally assumed that he would be one of the people going on the first date, so this was unexpected.

It seemed Minju wasn’t the only one thinking that way.

Na Seon-young, the first female contestant, raised her hand and asked the Love Coach,

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

“No, I can’t. You’ll have to find out when the show airs.”

When the Love Coach answered firmly, Na Seon-young pouted in disappointment.

Then she glanced toward Kwon Seok-jun.

She was probably curious about whom he had chosen.

A moment later, the Love Coach’s voice rang out again.

“For now, please move to the accommodation and take some time to rest. The three couples will begin their dates in one hour. Those who weren’t matched into couples are free to spend their time however they wish.”

Once the Love Coach finished explaining, all the contestants stood up at once.

Some headed outside with excited expressions, while others left looking disappointed.

Just then, one of the male contestants, Choi Moon-yeol, who was wearing black horn-rimmed glasses, strode toward her.

“Give me your bag.”

“Excuse me?”

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

When Minju stared at him in confusion, Choi Moon-yeol added without lowering his hand,

“I’ll carry it to the accommodation.”

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

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

Minju instinctively took a step back and said,

“…Ah, it’s okay.”

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

“Why? You don’t like me?”

Perhaps he thought she had rejected him because she disliked him. He straightened his horn-rimmed glasses with his middle finger, his expression turning serious.

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

“Then I’ll go find it for you.”

As though he didn’t care about Minju’s wishes at all, he had already turned around and started walking.

Minju was left flustered by his aggressive attitude and didn’t know what to do.

Just then, a staff member hurried over.

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

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“But I need to find her bag…”

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

After the staff member reassured him once again, Choi Moon-yeol glanced at Minju one more time with obvious reluctance.

Only then did he reluctantly turn toward the interview area.

Once Choi Moon-yeol had completely disappeared from view, Minju unconsciously relaxed her shoulders, which she hadn’t realized she had been holding so stiffly.

…Everyone here certainly has a strong personality.

She had expected this wouldn’t be easy, but she already felt as though exhaustion was beginning to creep over her.

A little while later, Minju took hold of the handle of the suitcase that the writer had returned to her and slowly headed toward the accommodation.

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

As soon as she stepped outside, an outdoor walkway stretched ahead, and at the end of it was a short flight of stairs.

Why does it have to be stairs…

Minju sighed inwardly and lifted her suitcase with all her strength.

Even though she had tried to reduce her luggage as much as possible, ten days of filming meant that the suitcase was still quite heavy.

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

Her center of gravity shifted, and her body staggered.

“Ah!”

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

When she looked up in relief to thank whoever had helped her, Kwon Seok-jun was standing there.

…What? Didn’t he leave earlier?

Without saying a word, he took the suitcase from her hand as she stared at him blankly.

“W-What are you doing?”

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

His tone was indifferent, but his movements were firm.

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 quite a few stairs, and if you fall, it could interfere with the filming.”

They were publicly strangers meeting for the first time, and if a camera captured them arguing over the suitcase, it would be troublesome.

In the end, Minju quietly swallowed her frustration and stepped back.

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

Worried that he might offer to carry it all the way to the accommodation, Minju 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, Minju couldn’t help noticing his broad shoulders.

Perhaps he had been exercising diligently all these years, because they seemed even broader than before.

The muscles in his forearms were also quite impressive. He seemed to have more strength than she remembered.

After all, he was carrying the suitcase she had struggled with as though it weighed nothing.

He descended the long staircase in one go and quietly waited below for her to come down.

Minju wished he would simply leave her behind, but she knew he wasn’t the kind of person who would listen even if she told him, so she endured it and descended the stairs.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Wanting to get away from him as quickly as possible, Minju hurriedly thanked him, grabbed her suitcase, and headed toward the women’s accommodation.

But the footsteps that should have been fading away followed behind her.

With an ominous feeling, she turned around and saw Kwon Seok-jun approaching at a leisurely pace.

What? Is he following me?

“…Where are you going?”

“I’m on my way to the accommodation.”

“The accommodation?”

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

Ah.

Only then did she remember what the staff had said about the men’s and women’s accommodations being in the same building.

In the end, Minju had no choice but to walk alongside him, even though she didn’t want to.

“You go ahead.”

“Why?”

“It seems like you’re walking slowly because of me.”

She said that, but the truth was that the entire situation made her extremely uncomfortable.

Yet he seemed to understand her feelings and deliberately pretended not to, giving her a subtle smile.

“I’m just looking around because I didn’t get a proper chance to see the place earlier. Don’t mind me.”

Don’t mind him?

One of the cameras installed here and there was surely filming their backs.

Besides, for some reason, it felt as though he wasn’t looking at the surrounding scenery at all.

It felt as though he was looking at her.

Does he really find it so entertaining to watch me struggle?

As she grumbled inwardly while dragging her suitcase, he suddenly spoke to her.

“I heard there was a car accident on your way here. Are you all right?”

At his unexpected words, Minju’s eyes widened.

She had quietly asked only the writer for understanding because she didn’t want the other contestants to worry if they found out.

She had never imagined that he would know.

“…How did you know?”