MCFDS CH 04

Chapter 4

It was the same system as in the previous seasons.

The participants were free to choose a location, and the people who arrived at the same location would become each other’s first-date partners.

Looking at the previous seasons, these first-meeting dates had played a major role.

Perhaps because they hadn’t met the other participants yet, people tended to become quite invested in their first partners.

The cruel part was that there was no rule saying that exactly one man and one woman had to end up at each location.

Sometimes several people would gather at one place, while sometimes only one person would go there.

They had to accept that as fate too.

Where should I go?

Ye-in carefully examined the map that had come with the card.

There were two tents for the female participants and two tents for the male participants directly opposite them.

The map also showed bathrooms, a dining area, a vegetable garden, a well, a café, a secret garden, and various other places scattered around the property.

Among them, Ye-in paid close attention to the locations of the three places mentioned on the card.

Is there a sea nearby?

She raised her head and sniffed the air.

She thought she could detect a salty, damp smell beneath the scent of the grass.

The sea sounds nice.

It must be beautiful.

But without hesitation, Ye-in headed toward the Guardian Tree, number two.

The reason was simple.

It was the closest.

She would eventually get a chance to go to the seaside anyway, so there was no need to walk all the way to a distant location right away.

After walking for a few minutes, she came across a large tree with a sign that read Guardian Tree.

True to its nickname, it was a willow tree with countless branches hanging down.

Whenever the wind blew, its leaves made a soft whoosh, whoosh sound.

It was a beautiful season and a pleasant setting for meeting someone new outdoors.

Pink flowers were in full bloom beneath the tree.

Ye-in looked around at the swaying flower field before approaching the table that had been prepared.

Is no one here?

If everyone had prioritized getting good screen time, they probably would have gone to the sea, where the sunlight and scenery were beautiful.

I might end up being the only participant here.

Just as Ye-in was thinking that—

“Hello!”

A large shadow suddenly jumped out from behind the Guardian Tree.

Ye-in instinctively stepped backward.

“Did I scare you? That was the point.”

A red-haired man laughed heartily.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Joo Si-hoon.”

Si-hoon held out his hand.

Ye-in cautiously shook it.

“I’m Seon Ye-in.”

“Did I scare you for no reason? You’re really on guard.”

Ye-in gave an awkward smile.

Both his laugh and his personality were bright and energetic.

Si-hoon and Ye-in sat down.

“Who else do you think will come? I hope no one else comes. Then we’d have to choose.”

Si-hoon gave her a playful wink.

If several people gathered at the same location, just as he said, they would have to choose who they wanted as their first date partner.

If another man came, Ye-in would choose.

If another woman came, Si-hoon would choose.

“Oh, would you like to read that?”

He pointed to a piece of paper lying on the small wooden table.

Couple Village House Rules

Rule 1. Do not reveal personal information such as your age or occupation.

Rule 2. Violent or sexual behavior is prohibited.

Rule 3. All food ingredients and daily necessities must be provided by the participants themselves.

Rule 4. Confessions of love are prohibited until the final selection.

Rule 5. Relationships between participants and their friends must not be revealed.

Reading the rules made Ye-in finally feel that she had truly entered a dating show.

Come to think of it, there are a lot of cameras.

They were between the branches, on top of the stone walls, and some were openly placed on tripods.

Others were hidden, while some weren’t hidden at all.

Is Joo-mi doing well?

Knowing Joo-mi’s usual preferences, she had probably gone to the seaside.

Ideally, Joo-mi needed to either be chosen by someone or be in a situation where she could choose someone herself.

“We’ve got someone coming.”

At that moment, Si-hoon put a finger to his lips, signaling Ye-in to be quiet.

“Should we hide?”

“What? No—”

“It’ll be fun. Come on!”

Si-hoon pulled Ye-in to her feet.

Before she knew it, Ye-in had been dragged behind the tree.

Footsteps could be heard approaching from a distance.

Si-hoon’s eyes were sparkling with excitement.

Ye-in awkwardly stared at his back.

The heavy footsteps came closer.

Si-hoon counted with his fingers.

“One, two, three.”

Then he suddenly jumped out from behind the tree.

“Hello!”

It was the same cheerful greeting he had given Ye-in earlier.

Ye-in awkwardly followed him out.

“Hello.”

She gave a slight bow and greeted the newcomer in a quiet voice.

Then she caught her foot on a tree root and stumbled slightly.

She instinctively grabbed Si-hoon’s shoulder.

He reacted quickly, grabbing Ye-in’s arm and helping her keep her balance.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

Ye-in brushed back her loose hair.

The new participant looked at the two people who had suddenly appeared from behind the tree.

Ye-in narrowed her eyes.

The newcomer was standing with his back to the sun, making it difficult to see his face.

She raised a hand to block the sunlight.

Once her eyes adjusted to the brightness, the first thing she noticed was a pair of white sneakers and beige pants.

Then she noticed the hands casually tucked into his pockets in a somewhat arrogant manner.

A strange sense of unease swept down her back.

Ye-in had always had good instincts.

Especially when it came to bad things.

Her gaze slowly traveled upward along his tall figure, filled with growing unease.

Wait.

That’s impossible.

The polite smile she had been wearing disappeared.

For a moment, she even forgot that she was on television and simply stood there with her mouth slightly open.

The man pushed his sunglasses up onto his head.

His sharp, monolid eyes looked directly at Ye-in.

His gaze briefly moved toward Si-hoon before returning to Ye-in.

Ye-in sucked in a breath.

And then she froze.

His thin lips pressed together indifferently.

His nose had a perfectly sculpted bridge.

His sharp eyes and arrogant gaze were exactly the same.

His face was not the slightest bit different from what she remembered.

Ye-in swallowed the breath she had been about to let out.

Why is he here…?

The man slowly opened his mouth, putting the final seal on Ye-in’s confusion.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Baek Mu-young.”

‘Seon Ye-in, you’re too sweet.’

The voice she had tried so hard to forget overlapped with the one she was hearing now.

Baek Mu-young, Ye-bom’s father, had appeared before her eyes after six years.

The corners of Mu-young’s lips slowly lifted.

It was a smile that seemed to announce his victory.

How is this possible?

Why, and how, is Baek Mu-young here?

He had definitely gone to the United States and was never supposed to return.

She had even heard that he had gotten married.

Was that just a false rumor?

Or did he get divorced and return to Korea?

Even if that were the case, it still made no sense.

This wasn’t some ordinary street where they could randomly run into each other.

Meeting Baek Mu-young again on a dating show was an unbelievably unlikely coincidence.

Ye-in’s heart pounded violently.

Everything felt like a dream.

The place filled with cameras.

The flower field swaying gently in the breeze.

And Baek Mu-young standing right in front of her.

After exchanging greetings, Mu-young sat quite far away from Ye-in.

The distance between them was considerable, but he was sitting directly across from her.

“The weather is really nice today, isn’t it? I was worried because they said it was supposed to rain yesterday—”

“Your name.”

Mu-young cut Si-hoon off.

He was speaking to Ye-in.

Ye-in swallowed nervously.

“Does she not even get to tell us her name?”

“Oh, right. Ye-in hasn’t introduced herself yet.”

Si-hoon smiled and joined in naturally.

Both men’s eyes turned toward Ye-in.

“…I’m Seon Ye-in.”

“Seon Ye-in. Seon, Ye-in.”

Mu-young murmured her name a couple of times.

She never imagined she would hear him say her name in that voice again.

Mu-young gave a small laugh.

Something churned inside Ye-in’s chest.

This can’t be happening.

Her mind still refused to accept what she was seeing right in front of her.

His overall presence was slightly different from six years ago, when she had last seen him.

Back then, there had been something raw and unrefined about his sharpness.

Now, he was like a blade that had been honed until it was both sharper and stronger.

And then Ye-in saw Ye-bom in his face.

Other people might not notice it, but to Ye-in, the resemblance was unmistakable.

The moment her thoughts reached her daughter, a much more specific and overwhelming fear washed over her.

Ye-in had secretly given birth to Mu-young’s child and raised her for six years.

What if Mu-young finds out about Ye-bom?

Ye-in lowered her gaze to the dirt beneath her feet.

She was afraid of Mu-young’s obvious gaze.

It felt as though he could see everything about her and somehow read the existence of Ye-bom right away.

No.

Could he have come here knowing about her?

Her heart pounded violently with anxiety.