Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

the second i stepped out of the golf cart and saw the villa, my jaw dropped. white walls, tropical plants everywhere, an infinity pool that looked like it spilled into the ocean.

i barely had a second to take it all in before a producer came up smiling way too brightly and took my phone away. then came the mic pack situation.

it was this little box with wires, and before i knew it, someone was threading it into the back of my hair and clipping it to my swimming shorts like it was no big deal. i could feel it sitting between my shoulders. i realised it then… i was on ‘too hot to handle’. and there was absolutely no hiding now.

except, there was gonna be some hiding.

juyeon said that the plan was simple: we pretend we’ve never met, act shocked when we “connect,” and then slowly build this romance the producers will enjoy.

he said that everyone else will be too busy flirting and failing challenges to suspect a thing. we’d play the game, stir just enough drama to stay relevant, and walk away with the cash.

when i found out juyeon and i were both cast on the show, my heart did this weird flip. even though we had both agreed on this plan, i felt my stomach drop every time he went over it.

the truth is, i had been in love with him for years. and then i had to look him in the eye every day, call it an act and touch him like it means nothing.

the cameras will be rolling, and everyone would be buying the story. but i was scared, scared that if i told him how i really felt, i would ruin everything. the money, the friendship, the little moments i had waited forever to have… even if they were pretend.

i quickly pushed those thoughts aside as i lugged my suitcase through the side door and into the room that the producers had directed me to.

the second i walked in, it felt like i’d stepped into a dream. everything was so perfect, mint green doors, pastel pink accents, and more throw pillows than any person could possibly need.

the beds were massive and lined up dorm-style. even the lighting glowed with a soft, otherworldly vibe, and the mirrored that was definitely a reminder that privacy didn’t exist there. cameras were tucked into every corner, watching us closely. that place was clearly designed for drama and temptation.

i dropped my dark, cerulean suitcase onto the floor next to the bed with a soft thud, the wheels skidding slightly on the slick surface. the room smelled faintly of coconut and fresh linen, and the soft hum of the overhead lights softly churned above me.

i knelt down, popped the latches, and unzipped the top, half-expecting to feel more nervous than i did. one by one, i pulled out my clothes, folding them neatly. i tucked my extra swimming shorts and t-shirts into the drawer beside the bed, lined up my sandals and sliders under it, and placed my toiletries on the glowing shelf by the mirror. it felt weirdly intimate, but the cameras were already watching, so there was no turning back.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

after unpacking, i slid open the glass door and stepped out onto the sand, instantly hit by the warm, salty breeze that curled through my hair and kissed my skin. the bar was lit up like something out of a summer fantasy, glowing under string lights with bottles lined up in perfect, colorful rows. a few loungers circled the fire pit nearby, the flames flickering even in the early afternoon light, casting soft orange shadows on the sand. palm trees swayed lazily in the breeze, and the ocean stretched out calmly.

i spotted two people by the bar, a man leaning casually against the counter, his fingers resting near his lips like he was deep in thought, and the girl next to him, effortlessly stunning in a black bikini, smiling like he had just told her a funny joke. i felt a little nervous so i looked at them for a few more seconds before i forced my steps to stay smooth as i walked over, pretending like i hadn’t just been watching them from across the fire pit.

the sand was warm beneath my feet, the beat from the speakers thumping lightly in the background. i gave them both a breezy smile, slipping into their conversation like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“hope im not interrupting,” i said, voice light, eyes flicking to the man just an awkward second too long.

he smiled back, easy, casual, as if this wasn’t a new experience to him at all.

“don’t worry, you’re not interrupting anything,” he replied, running his hands through his black hair. “im younghoon and this is karina.”

the girl, karina, tucked a piece of her dark hair behind her ear and gave me a small wave, flashing a soft grin which made my nerves settle.

“hi,” she said, still holding her grin. “what’s your name?”

“oh, my name’s hyunjae.” i answered, leaning against another barstool.

there were a few seconds of awkward silence until younghoon changed the topic.

“so, why did you apply for the show hyunjae?” he asked, looking into my eyes as if he was trying to find something.

“i just wanted to experience some new things you know, not just the same old,” i smoothly lied. “how about you, younghoon?”

“i applied because all of my friends told me i should stop focusing on my career and finally shoot a shot at love… so here goes nothing.” he chuckled wholeheartedly and took a sip out of his cocktail.

“karina?” i turned to her.

“ah! well i dance… a lot and just like younghoon i wanted to focus on something else for once.” she smiled again.

“you’re a dancer?” i repeated.

“yeah,” she confirmed. “i have a small youtube channel where i post covers.”

“small?” younghoon gaped. “you said that you have like five hundred thousand subscribers?!”

“im small enough to not get recognised in public,” she corrected, sighing and flipping her hair out of her face. “im glad though, being a huge influencer looks like it’s hard work, especially when you get seen outside.”

“speaking of influencers… isn’t that the jang wonyoung sitting at the fire pit?” younghoon pointed out.

“oh my gosh! so it’s true!” karina exclaimed.

“what’s true…?” i asked, completely clueless.

“it’s true that she’s here,” she continued. “she teased it on her instagram but i thought that there was no way that she’d actually be coming… guess i was wrong.”

“why do you care so much about what she puts on her instagram?” i scratched my head.

“because she’s the jang wonyoung?!” younghoon said as if it was common sense. “come on, hyunjae, have you not heard of her?”

i paused for a few seconds, trying to think about where i’d heard the name ‘jang wonyoung’.

“nope,” i shook my head. “im not on social media much.”

younghoon sighed in disbelief, placing the cocktail he was nursing onto the wooden bar table.

“if you’re not on instagram then what do you do…?” karina raised an eyebrow.

“im a freelancer,” i said, standing up straight again. “i write stuff and send it to all sorts of publishers and magazines.”

karina said a quiet ‘cool’ and younghoon rested his head on his hand in thought.

“i used to dream of being a writer when i was younger.” he finally confessed.

“what happened?” i urged, unconsciously taking a step towards him.

“well, my parents disapproved of it and wanted me to go into medicine,” his natural smile faltered. “so i became a pharmacist.”

i let out a small ‘oh’ and karina whispered a ‘sorry’ to younghoon.

“guys, it’s okay,” he chuckled again, this time it was more nervous and vulnerable. “im still happy as i am now… being a pharmacist is fun and i love caring for people.

“as long as you’re happy.” karina concluded.

“so… who is this ‘jang wonyoung’ again?” i looked between them.

“oh,” younghoon smiled just like he was before. “she’s this really popular influencer… she’s got about nine hundred and fifty thousand followers on instagram and eight hundred thousand on tiktok.”

“she’s the girl sitting over there, at the fire pit!” karina hushed as if we were talking loud enough to be heard from over there, repeating what younghoon said earlier as if we didn’t already know. “oh my god, she’s so pretty…”

karina exhaled as if she had been star struck by the girl sitting where she was nodding to. she — wonyoung — had long, brown wavy hair and a fringe. she was also wearing a baby pink strapless two-piece swimsuit and beige wedge heels with white accents. she was indeed very beautiful.

“woah, you definitely weren’t lying when you said she was pretty,” i acknowledged, looking over at her once more. “she’s so pretty, she doesn’t even look human.”

younghoon hummed in agreement and drank a bit more of his cocktail.

“now im scared to go and chat to her.” i gulped.

“don’t be scared, hyunjae,” younghoon put a hand on my shoulder. “she’s human just like the rest of us… and plus, she seems really nice on her instagram so it must be the same in real life.”

“yeah, and don’t mention that you know her from instagram or anything,” karina added. “it might make her feel uncomfortable or different from us.”

“got it,” i said. “but it’s not like i knew her in the first pla—“

“go, hyunjae.” karina playfully pushed me forwards.

i looked at her sitting alone at the fire pit, legs crossed, the flames casting a soft glow against her skin. that strapless bikini… it looked like it had been custom-made for her, flawless, effortless. the way younghoon and karina seemed to talk about her made it clear… she was a big deal.

i ran a hand through my hair, took a breath, and walked over, trying to seem calm even as i racked my brain for a conversation starter that wouldn’t make me sound like a fan or an idiot.

“hey,” i said, giving her a smile, “mind if i join you?”

she looked up, eyes sharp but curious.

“sure,” she moved along the wooden log to make space for me. “you’re not about to say that you know me from instagram are you?”

i shook my head at the sudden assumption. even though it did sound like a weird one, it did make sense why she would ask that.

“great,” she looked to the flickering flames again. “i just hate it how people have already started to treat me differently because im sort of famous.”

“ah,” i thought for a few seconds before continuing with my sentence. “well to be honest, i didn’t know who you were before someone told me…. if that makes you feel any better.”

she daintily covered her mouth with her hand as she laughed.

“it does,” she replied. “since you know who i am now, it’s only fair that i know who you are…!”

“im lee jaehyun,” i mentally cursed myself for telling her my actual name. “but you can call me hyunjae…. i prefer it.”

“cool….hyunjae,” she repeated as she smiled. “what do you like doing?”

“i like reading and writing,” i answered. “mostly writing though, it’s what i do for work.”

“what kind of books do you like to read?” she turned to me, looking invested in what i had to say.

“im more of a mystery and thriller kinda guy,” i explained. “i hate romance novels… they make me sick and most of them are cliché.”

“a guy who hates romance novels on a dating show?” she joked. “that’s seriously unheard of.”

“my life’s pretty boring anyway so i thought that i should give this a try,” i mentioned, briefly looking at her before turning back to the fire. “so wonyoung, what do you do for fun?”

“i like shopping with my friends and going to exclusive parties and hangouts,” she rambled on like she’d been waiting for me to ask. “but i really don’t like doing brand deals, they’re a lot of work. oh! i absolutely love opening pr packages… that’s the best thing about being an influencer, getting free stuff.”

i blinked at the quick stream of information, hoping that she took it as a sign to calm down, but she just kept talking.

“you know, i’ve been getting loads of emails from flower knows, kosas and saie asking for a collab and it’s getting hard to keep up… one day i hope i can get an assistant who can sort all of those things for me, then all i’d have to do is just turn the camera on and record,” she sighed exasperatedly and turned her head to me once she had finished. “sorry, maybe that was a lot… my dad says i talk too much.”

“no, it’s alright,” i reassured her, still a little taken aback. “i like to listen anyway.”

she nodded and switched her gaze to karina and younghoon.

“those two seem friendly.” she commented.

“yeah, they really are,” i replied. “you should go talk to them, i promise that they don’t bite.”

she gets up and i follow suit, but then she steps in front of me.

“thanks for talking to me hyunjae,” she smiled before fixing her hair. “i’ll see you around.”

i nod and mumble a ‘see you’ as i watch her jog off towards the other two who were still chatting away like there was no tomorrow.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

the sun didn’t look like it was going to dip, the rays were still casting bright, whiteish streaks across the pool as i wandered toward the water, needing a moment to breathe. that’s when i saw him, pink hair catching the light like cotton candy, his legs dangling in the pool, ripples circling out around his ankles.

he looked so deep in thought. something about the quiet curve of his shoulders made me pause, curious. i didn’t know his name yet, but i definitely wanted to… he looked like someone i could confide in.

i padded across the warm tile and stopped just beside him, letting the silence hang a beat.

“can i sit here?”

he turned slightly, lips parting like he hadn’t expected anyone to speak, “yep.”

i sat beside him, leaving a small gap between my legs and his in the water.

“this feels so surreal…” he said as if he was thinking out loud.

“tell me about it.” i dipped my hand in the pool and splashed a little water on my legs to cool off.

“the people here are definitely… characters,” he added, looking up to the sky. “there’s this girl called yujin… and i don’t know what her problem is.”

“yujin, huh?” i repeated slightly under my breath. “what’s she like?”

“she’s nasty,” he kicked his feet to a slow rhythm. “i said hello to her and she just rolled her eyes.”

“oh,” i sighed. “yeah she definitely sounds nasty.”

“and then there’s this other one,” he continued. “eunwoo, his name is. he’s nice… he’s a polyglot you know, he can speak korean, english, japanese, thai and mandarin.”

“a true language lover,” i noted. “i’ve always wanted to learn another language, i just never have the time.”

“you can have anything if you want it enough.” he slowly moved his head and wistfully smiled at me.

i nodded and looked to my feet, the intensely turquoise coloured water engulfing them.

“i like this one boy, though,” the pinkette looked back at the sky. “his name is younghoon. he’s beautifully charming.”

“i’ve met him,” i said, picturing younghoon’s face in my head. “i see why you like him… he’s really nice.”

“yes, he is,” he whispered back before taking a few deep breaths. “chanhee.”

“huh?” i furrowed my brows.

“chanhee,” he repeated firmly. “that’s my name… choi chanhee.”

“hm,” i hummed. “im hyunjae, it’s nice to meet you chanhee.”

there were a few minutes of silence but it wasn’t awkward, the silence felt peaceful — it felt right.

“you should go meet the others,” chanhee finally said. “they’re all fun in their own little ways.”

i took that as a sign to get up and walk across the hot concrete and towards one of the big sliding doors underneath the shade that lead to the inside of the villa.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

i walked into the villa’s kitchen, the air instantly cooler from the the huge fridge and the scent of something sugary.

at the counter stood a girl with long, platinum blonde hair in a lilac bikini, laughing as she held a jar of sprinkles upside down, letting them rain down into a mixing bowl already overflowing with scoops of strawberry and mint ice cream.

beside her was a guy in a loose white tee and black swimming shorts, holding a bottle of chocolate syrup. they looked like they’d just made the worst dessert imaginable, and were having the best time doing it. i couldn’t help but walk over.

“what exactly are you two trying to do with that thing?” i asked, grinning as they looked up at me with matching mischievous smiles.

“we’re not trying to do anything,” said the girl. “we’re making the best ice cream dessert ever!”

i peered into the bowl and it looked like they had just thrown a dog shit together.

“that looks disgusting.” i could’ve gagged if it wasn’t for the smell of fresh chocolate syrup.

“you wouldn’t know until you try.” the black haired guy nudged me and gave me a spoon.

i reluctantly dipped the spoon into the bowl, a huge scoop of whatever that was appearing on my spoon. i slowly turned it and guided it to my mouth until the girl shoved it in quickly and took the spoon out.

“so… how does it taste?” she giggled once she saw my surprised face. “sorry, you were just taking too long.”

it tasted weirdly sweet but also sour at the same time. the thing that shocked me the most was that it actually tasted good. i swallowed the scoop and pretended to think.

“it’s surprisingly good.” i concluded.

“surprisingly?” the guy chuckled and put the spoon he was holding in the sink.

“oh sunghoon,” the girl patted his back. “at least he didn’t say it was horrible!”

the guy, sunghoon, walked back to the kitchen island and looked down at their creation.

“yeah, you’re right winter…” he paused in thought. “wait, we never caught your name!”

he looked back up at me and winter turned to me as well.

“my name’s hyunjae.” i blinked.

“hyunjae… that’s a nice name.” winter smiled as she started putting the ingredients away.

i headed for the door and glanced back at the two, they seemed really comfortable with each other as they had started to joke around again.

“until next time, hyunjae!” sunghoon waved.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

i walked into the lounge, the soft sounds of conversation mixing with the tropical scent of the greenery surrounding the space. the vibrant cushions lining the huge sofa drew my eyes immediately, but what really caught my attention was the guy with the blonde highlighted bangs, already deep in playful banter with the other two on the sofa. his smile was wide, the kind that curled at the edges and made his eyes crinkle.

he leaned a little too close to the guy with the blue and blonde streaked hair, who laughed easily, clearly enjoying the attention. then he shifted toward the girl with the short, platinum hair, tossing a charming line her way, but her expression barely budged. a slight smirk maybe, more skeptical than amused. she leaned back, her body language cool, like she’d heard it all before.

meanwhile, the boy just kept grinning.

“finally, someone who’s here to save me from this nightmare,” the girl beckoned me over. “im gaeul.”

“woah, you’re pretty,” i sat next to her, making everyone move to the side, the guy with the highlighted bangs moved over way too close to the other guy. “i mean, everyone here’s pretty.”

gaeul laughed and moved her hair out of her face.

“there’s no lie in that,” she agreed. “and you are…?”

“hyunjae.” i finished.

the guy with the blonde highlights suddenly gave me a glance. he leaned toward me with that confident smirk, his fingers brushing his hair like he knew exactly how good he looked.

“hyunjae… is it? im sunwoo,” he looked me up and down. “you look great.”

i could tell he was trying, his voice dropped just a bit, he threw in another compliment, and his gaze lingered like it was supposed to mean something. but honestly, it just made me cringe.

i gave him a polite smile, but inside i was counting the seconds until he stopped. it wasn’t that he wasn’t attractive, he was, but his whole approach lacked effortlessness.

“oh-kay, that’s enough,” gaeul interrupted sunwoo. “you’re having a bit too much fun here, don’t you think?”

“im surrounded by three hot people,” he wrapped an arm around gaeul and the guy with blue and blonde hair. “of course im gonna have fun.”

gaeul visibly cringed and pulled herself out of his grasp but the other guy looked comfortable, he even leaned against sunwoo’s shoulder.

“it definitely looks like he’s having fun.” i gestured to the guy in sunwoo’s arms.

“yeah, you’re having fun, aren’t you eric-ah?” sunwoo tilted his head downwards to look into eric’s eyes.

eric nodded like an excited puppy, leaning even more closer into sunwoo’s face, but sunwoo turned his face away before anything else could happen.

“ew,” gaeul made a fake gagging move with her hand. “the way you flirt makes me disgusted.”

sunwoo laughed but then went back to his signature smirk, still trying to win me over, but to no avail.

“have you guys met some of the other people?” i asked, curious of their opinions on the others.

“i like this guy called eunwoo,” gaeul told me. “he’s cute and he’s smart… but that girl yujin is acting like she claimed him.”

“oh, yujin,” i recalled. “i’ve heard some things about her.”

“she’s totally nasty,” she crossed her arms. “insulting me and all… she doesn’t even know me.”

“so she’s like a cat,” eric added. “claiming her territory and staking it out.”

“what?” gaeul furrowed her brows in confusion.

“she pissed on him.” sunwoo stated.

gaeul looked between the two in disbelief.

“i think they’re referring to the fact that cats urinate on their territory to mark it.” i laughed.

“what a weird reference,” she gave sunwoo a stink eye before sitting back into the sofa. “anyways, i really hope i can get some alone time with him, maybe a date or something.”

“is this eunwoo guy seriously better than me?” sunwoo asked as he started to stroke eric’s hair.

“at flirting? definitely,” she answered. “what about you, hyunjae? got your eye on anybody?”

“nope,” i shook my head, the thought of juyeon entered my mind but i pushed it aside. “im still scoping everything out, although everyone’s been really friendly so far.”

“speaking of the others, isn’t there a huge influencer here?” eric said as he snuggled into sunwoo’s shoulder more, if that was even possible.

“ah yes,” i exclaimed. “it’s wonyoung, she’s really sweet.”

“jang wonyoung?!” sunwoo repeated in shock. “no way! that’s insane!”

“calm down sunwoo,” gaeul elbowed him. “it’s not like she’d talk to your sorry ass.”

“he isn’t an ass, gaeul.” eric piped up, defending the noirette.

gaeul scoffed and mouthed ‘so annoying’ to me.

“im gonna head out now,” i decided, standing up. “i wanna see if this yujin girl lives up to what people have told me about her.”

“take me with you!” gaeul suddenly jumped up. “anywhere away from these two.”

sunwoo smirked as he pulled eric even closer to him, whispering something in his ear before turning back to us.

“shoo,” he said, using his hand to make the gesture. “i want all the alone time i can get with eric-ah.”

gaeul cleared her throat and dragged me towards the sliding door.

“ta-ta!” she waved at the two on the couch, but they weren’t listening as they had already started whispering to each other again.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

gaeul and i made our way down the narrow path that led to the private beach, the sand still warm beneath our feet as the sun beat down onto our skin. the salty breeze played with her hair while i tried not to overthink how to greet that yujin girl. as we stepped onto the beach, i spotted a guy in a black t-shirt and shorts chatting with a girl who had long, platinum blonde hair. they looked deep in conversation, standing by the edge of the palms, laughter slipping between them like they were in their own world.

not far from them, a girl with black, low pigtails and a fringe reclined on a lounger, her silky white bikini practically glowing under the sunset.

“that’s yujin.” gaeul whispered to me, nodding towards the girl.

she sipped from a mojito, her eyes scanning us lazily as we approached. gaeul gave me a subtle glance before walking over to say hello to the other two.

i followed, unsure what to expect, but before gaeul could even start her friendly greeting, the girl cut her off with a curt remark.

“can you not stand in my light?” her voice was sharp, her expression bored.

gaeul raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, while i stood there trying to decide if i should awkwardly laugh or just walk away.

“even if i didn’t stand in your light you could clearly see that i wasn’t going to talk to you, yujin.” gaeul scoffed.

the other two who were once lost in their own conversation turned to us, looking between me, gaeul and yujin.

“you must be yujin,” i tried to ease the tension. “im hyunjae.”

“i don’t care who you are,” she rolled her eyes in boredom. “just stop standing in my light.”

gaeul stood her ground, crossing her arms and planting her feet firmly into the sand.

“i swear to fucking god, gaeul—“

“hey, guys!” the girl with the long, blonde hair called. “come sit with us!”

gaeul took my hand and dragged me towards the other two, yujin muttering a small ‘ugh’ under her breath. we sat on the sand, gaeul next to eunwoo and me next to the girl.

“hi eunwoo,” gaeul smiled, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. “this is hyunjae.”

i waved at him and he smiled warmly, his eyes wrinkling just the right amount and the corners of his mouth curling.

“im jiwon,” the girl reached out her hand to shake mine. “but you can call me liz.”

i shook her hand and flashed her a grin.

“eunwoo,” i continued. “i heard that you’re a polyglot. how do you have the time to learn so much languages?”

“im a model so i travel to a few countries in asia to do photoshoots,” he replied. “i like learning the languages in my spare time and in between shoots.”

“oh my god,” gaeul suddenly gasped. “i knew i recognised your face from somewhere! you were on vogue korea a few times… and cosmopolitan!”

“haha, yeah…” eunwoo scratched his head in slight embarrassment. “i guess you could say im… famous?”

“you guess?” gaeul gaped. “you have so many fan sites dedicated to you! of course you’re famous!”

eunwoo chuckled and gave her a friendly wink.

“i see you’ve got an eye for fashion magazines,” he said. “and me.”

gaeul blushed and hid her head in her hands, giggling softly.

“i am a fashion designer so i have to look out for the latest trends.” she finally uttered after lifting her head up again.

“why does everyone here have such cool jobs?” i sighed, thinking of how boring mine was. “im just a writer.”

“being a writer is still super cool!” liz reassured and gently put a hand on my shoulder. “being able to use your creativity through stories sounds like a dream job.”

“speaking of jobs… what do you do, liz?” gaeul asked, leaning forwards to look at her.

“im a hairdresser,” she flipped her hair jokingly. “i love all things to do with hair… especially experimenting with different hairstyles and hair textures.”

“no wonder your hair is so healthy,” gaeul commented, looking in awe of how healthy her hair was. “whenever i bleach my hair it never seems as glowy as that, especially right now. you have to give me a few tips sometime.”

“don’t worry about that, i could barely tell,” liz said. “you’re really pretty.”

“oh stop it!” she covered her mouth and giggled again.

“but it’s true.” eunwoo added, looking into gaeul’s eyes.

gaeul stopped giggling for a second and slowly switched her gaze to eunwoo.

“wow,” she looked genuinely shocked. “thanks, eunwoo.”

eunwoo put an arm around her and she leaned into him comfortably, both of them looking at each other admiringly.

“hyunjae, what do you say that we leave these two lovebirds and head inside?” liz got up as she waited for my answer.

“sure.” i accepted, standing up soon after.

we walked past yujin on the lounger, who lifted up her sunglasses to give us one more dirty look before we went back inside.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

“hold on liz, let me just get my sandals!” i shouted before entering through the bedroom door.

liz had wanted to go outside and play table tennis with me so i told her to wait outside so that i could grab something to wear on my feet.

i walked to the right side of the room, half annoyed at myself for kicking my sandals off somewhere without thinking. the bedroom was quiet, sunlight filtering in through the gauzy curtains and casting soft lines across the floor.

i was about to check under the edge of the bed when i froze.

juyeon was sitting there, perfectly still, like he’d been waiting for something… or someone. his elbows rested on his knees, hands clasped loosely, eyes drifting toward the window before switching to me. the moment hung in the air, unexpected and heavy. my body suddenly became tense, sandals forgotten.

“hey,” he looked me up and down. “im juyeon, and you are?”

“hyunjae.” i answered, pretending to not already know his name.

he tapped the spot beside him, signalling me to sit down.

“how are you, hyunjae?” my name rolled off of his tongue sweetly, a way which he had never said it before.

“im good.” i gulped.

he moved his hand to my cheek, gently pressing before letting go, his lingering touch tingling on my skin.

“you’re pretty,” he smirked, his pearly whites softly glowing in the sunlight. “you know that, right?”

i hummed, looking to the ground shyly.

“so you’re shy,” he chuckled. “it’s cute.”

he looked at me like i was the only person in the world, his voice low and smooth, laced with that charm that made it hard to breathe for a second. the way he leaned in, the way his eyes searched mine. it all felt so real, too real.

my heart fluttered before i could stop it, like it hadn’t listened to our prior conversations. but then i reminded myself that it was what juyeon was supposed to do.

it wasn’t for me. not really. the moment was pretty, sure, but it was hollow underneath.

i forced myself to pull back, to breathe, to remember that pretending was just what he was good at.

“are you okay, hyunjae?” he asked, his concerned gaze fixated on my face.

“yes, im fine,” i rushed to my feet. “i came in here for my sandals so im gonna go now.”

i quickly grabbed a random pair of sliders and bolted for the door, leaving a confused juyeon behind.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

liz and i were mid-rally, the sun still high and golden as it created long streaks of white across the makeshift table tennis setup near the pool. she was surprisingly good and just a little smug every time she won a point.

i was about to make a comeback when a sharp, voice cut through the air. both of us froze, paddles mid-air, and turned toward the source. the strange cone-shaped object on the stool beside us, something i’d assumed was just a decorative lamp, suddenly lit up with a violet glow.

“contestants,” it said in a crisp, commanding tone. “this is lana. you are all required to gather in the cabana immediately.”

liz and i stared at it, then at each other. the villa was about to get a lot weirder.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

after lana commanded us all to head to the cabana, we shuffled in, one by one, still trying to process what was happening. liz gave me a look that screamed, “what now?” while the others murmured in confusion, glancing around the room with its pastel pillows and swinging chairs. eric, on the other hand, couldn’t hide his excitement.

the second we stepped inside, he grinned and clapped his hands.

“i can’t wait for all the fun we’re gonna get up to in this villa,” he said, practically bouncing with energy. “imagine all the parties we’re gonna have, this truly is paradise!”

we all sat on the huge, curved white sofa, dotted with cushions in soft coral and turquoise patterns.

right in the center sat a low circular table with a pop of pale blue on top, and lana, the cone, was sat in the middle. the whole place had this breezy, modern look with tropical plants tucked everywhere.

lana’s voice chimed through the cabana with that clarity that somehow managed to send a chill down my spine.

“welcome to the retreat,” she began, glowing calmly in the center of the table. “you have all been chosen to spend the next few weeks in this luxurious villa. but there’s a catch. to win a share of the grand cash prize, you must follow a strict set of rules.”

the room shifted as we all leaned in.

“there is to be no physical intimacy… no kissing, no heavy petting, no grinding. and no self-gratification. this retreat is designed to help you form genuine, emotional connections, not relationships based on lust or impulse. every rule break will result in money being deducted from the prize pot.”

just when the tension had started to thicken, lana threw us all a curveball.

“however,” she continued, “for the next 12 hours, there will be no rules. it is currently one in the afternoon meaning that rules will apply after one in the morning. you are free to do as you please. a party will be held tonight to celebrate the beginning of your journey.”

eric practically exploded with joy, shouting, “let’s gooo!” as sunwoo looked at him with a flirty gaze and wrapped a teasing arm around his waist.

i laughed nervously, but the moment i glanced across the room, juyeon was already looking at me. that look made my throat go dry. around us, everyone else was buzzing with excitement. gaeul was already talking about needing something to wear.

“your 12 hours starts now,” lana chimed in. “have fun.”

we all looked to each other again, everyone had seemingly calmed down from the exciting news.

“no rules and a party?” liz repeated, her jaw still on the floor. “im with eric, tonight is gonna be great!”

most people hummed in agreement but i could see that chanhee didn’t seem as enthusiastic as the others.

“all of you will be blown away by my look tonight.” gaeul exclaimed, smiling at the thought.

“oh please,” yujin scoffed. “our feet will be firmly planted in the ground.”

she put her hand on eunwoo and he scratched his neck awkwardly, shuffling in his place.

“it’ll be great if we didn’t have any drama today,” karina smiled sweetly, her comment directed at yujin. “i think fun should be the main focus.”

“i agree,” winter added. “we only have 24 hours to do whatever we want and sitting here is wasting it!”

“how about we have a fun little pool party right now?” wonyoung suggested.

“yes!” eric suddenly stood up. “i’ll grab my water guns!”

he sprinted in the direction of the dorm, leaving an unbothered sunwoo getting up and slowly trailing behind.

“i’ll bring my cd player,” younghoon got up too. “i’ll see what cds i brought.”

“can i come too?” chanhee asked, glancing up at younghoon as if he was some otherworldly being.

“of course,” he grinned kindly. “you can pick which ones we should play, i think i left my backpack in the lounge so we can check there.”

chanhee covered his mouth in embarrassment mixed with excitement before skipping behind younghoon as they made their way towards the lounge area.

“eunwoo,” gaeul turned to him. “while we wait i could show you how much magazines i have of you!”

eunwoo chuckled in surprise and stood up with her, making their way to the doorway but not before yujin made a comment.

“stalker, much.” she rolled her eyes and stomped her way into the kitchen.

“well this is a perfect opportunity to get to know each other more,” sunghoon said a few seconds after yujin’s dramatic exit. “what do you guys say about a little game of never have i ever?”

“oh my gosh, i love never have i ever!” liz clapped her hands in enthusiasm. “it’s such a great way of getting to know each other’s pasts without revealing too much.”

“sure, let’s play,” juyeon ran his fingers through his hair. “i’d love to get to know you all.”

“oooh, i’ll start,” karina leaned forwards as if she was going to tell us all a secret. “never have i ever….ghosted someone!”

there were a few “oooh”s at the sudden personal question.

“starting off strong, karina?” winter raised an eyebrow.

“well, i think it’s important to know people’s opinions on ghosting,” she explained. “so yes, i am starting off strong.”

the room fell silent as everyone waited for someone to raise their hand.

i reluctantly raised mine, opting to be honest despite the underlying lies i had to cover up.

“hyunjae?!” karina seemed genuinely shocked.

i saw wonyoung raise her hand as well, and everyone else seemed to have seen it as well.

“wonyoung?!” karina’s jaw dropped even lower.

“is ghosting someone really that big of a deal?” she looked around at the others’ surprised faces. “i mean, sometimes it has to be done.”

i mumbled a small ‘yeah’ in a agreement.

“so… are one of you gonna tell the story behind it or are we gonna move on?” winter asked.

“i guess i’ll tell you guys my story,” i eventually said after realising that wonyoung didn’t want to talk about hers. “it was me and this guy, he was a comedian, everything was going so well until one time he invited me to one of his stand-up shows and he made fun of me in front of a whole entire audience just for one of his quote-unquote ‘jokes’… i felt so humiliated so i ghosted him to avoid speaking to him again.”

after i finished my story, i glanced around the room, reading their reactions. sunghoon held a sorry expression on his face and wonyoung looked like she wanted to give me a huge hug right then and there. the others also seemed to feel bad, whispering small “oh”s, but juyeon just stared at me… his eyes narrowed and expression blank. was it a look of pity? skepticism? i didn’t know.

“im so sorry hyunjae” winter comforted. “that guy sounds like a class-a douchebag.”

“right?” liz nodded. “you were totally not in the wrong to ghost him, in my opinion.”

“hm,” karina cocked her head in thought. “i don’t think you weren’t completely in the right to ghost him, assuming that you left him without another word, maybe he didn’t think it was wrong to make fun of you like that… but it does depend on what he said as well.”

“i just think that healthy communication is really important in these types of situations,” juyeon finally said after he stopped staring at me. “like karina said, maybe he didn’t know that he did anything wrong and if you told him, he would’ve tried to make it right.”

i hummed in fake agreement, slightly annoyed by the fact that he was making that judgement even though he knew how it all went down.

“let’s move on, shall we?” sunghoon suggested, probably in an attempt not to upset me further.

“yup, i’ve got a good one,” liz rubbed her hands together like a villain. “never have i ever kissed more than one person in the same night?”

winter’s hand shot up into the air in contrast to sunghoon’s who’s hand went up slowly in embarrassment.

“oooh, okay winterrrrrr, i see you!” liz purred before turning to sunghoon. “wow, interesting…”

“you’ve got to tell us the stories, you two.” karina winked suggestively which made us all laugh.

“alright, alright,” winter complied. “me and my friends went out to the club one night and i spotted this guy… we chatted at the bar until we kissed! then he introduced me to his friends and what can i say…. they were all so fine!”

we all laughed again, the story making us all tear up.

“what about you, sunghoon?” karina asked.

“the same story for me.” he smirked.

“woah,” wonyoung exclaimed. “you two are some real flirts.”

“oh no,” sunghoon denied. “im in no competition with sunwoo, he flirts with anything that moves.”

liz snorted at that before clapping her hands together again.

“who’s going next?”

“i will,” sunghoon replied. “never have i ever left in the middle of a date?”

everyone looked around for a few seconds before juyeon raised his hand, somehow not noticing the looks we were giving him.

“juyeon?” winter questioned, seeming intrigued.

“yeah,” juyeon chuckled softly. “long story short, i was on a date with this girl who wouldn’t stop talking about herself… she never even let me get a word in so i told her i was going to the bathroom and made my quick escape through a window.”

“don’t you think what was a little much?” wonyoung asked, furrowing her brows. “leaving her with the bill and all.”

“people who only talk about themselves deserve it,” karina shrugged. “i mean, since you only talk about how much money you have, how about i leave you to pay the bill?”

“exactly,” winter pointed at karina. “they shouldn’t have a problem with paying the bill if they have so much money…”

she used her middle and index fingers to create the quotes on the “so much money” part.

i couldn’t even say anything as i was still shocked that lee juyeon had bailed on a date before, he always made it clear that communication and healthy conversation were important parts of relationships for him so finding out that he had escaped a date surprised me.

my thoughts were cut short when gaeul ran back into the cabana with her shades on and sunscreen not rubbed in properly, her arms flailing around in excitement.

“guys!” she squealed. “are you ready for a pool partahhhhy?!”

everyone took that as a sign to jump up and run out to the pool, eager to get cooled off and have fun in the scorching heat.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

the moment we walked out to the pool, the music was already playing. liz, juyeon, sunghoon, winter, karina, wonyoung, gaeul and i ran straight into the sun.

younghoon and chanhee were sitting nearby, deep in conversation, chanhee’s bright pink hair catching the light. eunwoo was stretched out with a mocktail in hand, lazily glancing around, and yujin was sunbathing on one of the loungers.

before anyone could say anything, sunghoon grabbed wonyoung’s hand and with a playful grin, gave her a gentle shove into the pool, she squealed before splashing down, and he followed right after with a cannonball.

karina, winter, and gaeul laughed, then peeled off toward eunwoo to chat, leaving me alone with juyeon by the edge of the water.

he turned to me eyes flicking over my face.

“so,” he said, stepping just a little too close, “should i be keeping an eye on you?”

my mouth went dry, and i forced a laugh, but my heart was already racing. of course he was going to make this complicated.

i tried to play it cool.

“i don’t know,” i said, giving him a sideways glance. “i think you might be the one i need to keep an eye on.”

he grinned, cocking his head. “me? im harmless.”

i rolled my eyes, but i couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at my lips. i looked around to see if anyone was watching before i started to talk about the plan.

“you’re laying it on pretty thick.”

“that’s the job, isn’t it?” he said, his voice dropping just a bit more as he leaned in.

his eyes searched mine for a second too long, and my heart fluttered before i could stop it.

i blinked and looked away, letting out a breath.

“well,” i said, trying to steady myself, “you’re doing a great job. very convincing.”

he chuckled. “you too, hyunjae.”

i gave a small, nervous laugh, turning back to face him fully.

“careful,” i said, trying to keep my voice light, “if we’re too good at this, we might actually win.”

juyeon tilted his head, his smile lazy.

“isn’t that the point?” he stepped closer, our knees almost touching. “all we need now is a few sparks.”

i scoffed, trying not to let my breath hitch. “sparks? is that what you’re calling this?”

he raised an eyebrow. “unless you’ve got a better word for the way you keep staring at my mouth.”

i blinked, caught off guard. “i wasn’t—”

“you were,” he interrupted, amused. “and it’s okay. it makes my job easier.”

i should’ve said something sarcastic. i should’ve laughed it off, like we always did. but before i could, juyeon leaned in, closing the space between us and kissed me.

it was soft. quick. almost nothing.

but it was everything.

his lips were warm, his hand lightly brushing mine like he wasn’t sure whether to hold it or pull away. and i felt it, this rush in my chest… something real.

when he pulled back, i didn’t move. i just looked at him, stunned.

he smiled that infuriating, unreadable smile.

“see? sparks.”

i swallowed hard, forcing a smirk.

“yeah,” i said, my voice barely steady. “that’ll definitely sell it.”

juyeon was still looking at me, eyes staring with something unreadable, when gaeul’s voice cut through the moment.

“ooooh!” she cooed, sing-songing as she waded toward us from the pool. “what’s this? getting real close, aren’t we?”

her smile was wide, teasing, and very pleased with herself.

“don’t think i didn’t see that kiss, lovebirds.”

i blinked, my mind still lagging behind as i turned toward her. she was waist-deep in the water now, hair slicked back and eyes glinting. karina was floating nearby, laughing with wonyoung, and sunghoon had just tossed a beach ball in their direction. gaeul had gotten in, too.

i hadn’t noticed any of it. i’d been that distracted.

“we’re just… talking,” i said quickly, but my voice cracked on the last word.

juyeon didn’t help. he brushed a hand through his hair like the kiss hadn’t rattled him at all.

“well, come talk in the pool with us,” gaeul called, already turning back with a flick of water. “it’s hot as fuck out here.”

she winked at me… me, not juyeon, and i suddenly felt like i was being watched closely. i forced a laugh and stood, brushing my hands on my shorts like that would somehow ground me.

juyeon leaned in close, just enough for me to feel his breath on my ear. “better move before they start thinking we’re sneaking off for round two.”

i shot him a look, heart still pounding.

“you’re too good at this.” i whispered, voice quiet enough for no one else to hear.

he grinned and walked ahead of me toward the pool, cool and unbothered. and i followed.

juyeon dove in first, slicing cleanly through the water with barely a splash. i followed with far less grace, plunging into the pool and surfacing with a quick shake of my head, blinking the water from my eyes.

the sun hit the surface in scorching hot streaks, the water cool against my skin.

we swam toward the group, who were standing near the deeper end. karina and gaeul were laughing about something, wonyoung floating on her back nearby while sunghoon leaned against the pool wall.

as we reached them, sunghoon perked up.

“finally! took you two long enough,” he teased, flicking a little water in our direction. “what were you doing over there, huh?”

juyeon smirked, glancing at me. “planning our outfits for tonight. we’re gonna be the best dressed couple.”

“sure,” sunghoon snorted, then clapped his hands. “let’s play piggy in the middle.”

i raised an eyebrow. “piggy in the middle? really?”

“it’s a classic,” he insisted. “you two can start in the middle. let’s see how in-sync you really are.”

karina laughed and nudged gaeul. “they did just kiss.”

juyeon looked at me with mock seriousness, his hand lightly brushing mine underwater. “think we can handle it?”

i rolled my eyes. “let’s just try not to drown.”

the others spread out, readying themselves and juyeon leaned in just close enough to murmur, “you’re already drowning, aren’t you?”

i splashed water at him in response, trying not to smile too wide.

the game started with gaeul tossing the ball high into the air, and juyeon and i scrambled to intercept it while karina and wonyoung giggled and passed it effortlessly over our heads. the water splashed around us as we lunged and swam, pretending like we had a chance.

juyeon kept trying to predict gaeul’s throws, and i kept bumping into him every time we dove in the same direction.

“ugh, we suck at this,” i said, pushing my wet hair back and catching my breath.

“we’re warming up,” juyeon grinned. “we’ll do better in round two.”

“sure,” gaeul laughed, then glanced around the pool. “hey, where are sunwoo and eric?”

wonyoung looked up from where she was floating. “yeah… how have they not shown up yet? it’s a party and they’re missing a game?”

karina snorted, arching an eyebrow. “seriously? and you’re just now asking?”

right on cue, a pair of footsteps padded across the deck. we all turned.

sunwoo and eric were walking toward the pool.

eric’s hair was tousled in all directions, his cheeks flushed, and his lips were red and slightly swollen. sunwoo had his arm lazily slung around eric’s waist, looking smug as ever.

there was a moment of stunned silence before karina let out a kind of gasp-laugh.

“oh.” her mouth made an “o” shape.

sunghoon cracked up. “you didn’t.”

eric just grinned, clearly trying, and failing, to look innocent.

“we were… chatting.”

“just chatting?” gaeul teased, nearly choking on a laugh.

sunwoo gave a mock bow. “hey, lana said no rules for twelve hours. we’re just making the most of it.”

eric nudged him, clearly embarrassed but glowing with mischief. “don’t make it weird.”

juyeon quietly chuckled, muttering something under his breath.

as i watched sunwoo press a kiss to eric’s temple with absolutely no shame, something in me twisted a little. i wished that juyeon would show me off the way sunwoo did with eric.

eric bounced on the balls of his feet, still flushed but full of energy.

“enough! i wanna play too,” he said, pulling away from sunwoo and heading toward the pool.

sunwoo’s smirk deepened as his eyes followed him.

“you’re already wet, eric. but sure.”

there was a collective noise of groans and laughter from the group.

“sunwoo!” karina gasped. “you’re fucking disgusting!”

“ew,” wonyoung said, floating by on her back with an unserious grin.

sunghoon nearly choked.

“okay, what the fuck is happening right now?”

eric just rolled his eyes, though his ears turned a darker shade of red as he slid into the pool with a splash.

“ignore him. he’s literally incapable of shutting up.”

sunwoo, ever confident, walked up to the edge, crouching down beside the water. “can you blame me? look at you.”

eric swam over and splashed water at him, laughing. “join the game or shut the fuck up.”

sunwoo stood, stretched, and finally slipped into the pool beside him, still grinning.

“fine. but im sticking close to you. i hear im good luck.”

eric mumbled something under his breath i couldn’t hear, but the smile on his face said he didn’t mind one bit.

juyeon nudged me lightly under the water, his voice low enough so nobody else could hear it. “think we need to step up our game?”

i looked at him, heart stuttering again despite everything. “well the difference between us and them is that they’re not actually faking it.”

he tilted his head, eyes soft. “their relationship is just built on physical attraction so they might as well be faking it.”

as i treaded water beside juyeon a tightness settled in my chest. how wrong it felt to be lying to them.

sunwoo and eric seemed to be starting off strong but there might’ve been something genuine there. as well as sunghoon and wonyoung, even if it didn’t seem as out there as sunwoo and eric, i still caught them staring at each other.

and then there was juyeon and me, pretending. i hated how easily i could blur the line, especially when it was starting to mean something.

gaeul shouted, “back to the game!” and tossed the ball high into the air. “hyunjae and juyeon are still in the middle, let’s see if they can redeem themselves!”

“oh, we’re getting serious now,” juyeon called, flashing a competitive smile.

i forced a grin, nodding in agreement.

“bring it on, you two,” sunghoon shot back, already backing into position.

and just like that, we were moving again.

the ball flew overhead again, and juyeon and i leapt for it at the same time, nearly colliding midair before splashing back down with a grunt. we all laughed as the ball sailed into wonyoung’s hands.

“still no luck!” gaeul called. “you two need a new tactic!”

“maybe we need a distraction,” juyeon said with a wink, and i rolled my eyes, trying to hide the fact that i was still way too aware of how close he was.

“maybe we need to be as gross as sunwoo and eric.” i muttered.

“hey!” eric shouted from across the pool, pretending to be offended. “we’re adorable.”

“more like disgusting!” karina snorted.

“guilty,” sunwoo chimed in, moving behind eric and wrapping his arms around his waist again. “i just can’t help myself.”

eric gasped, swatting at him with a splash.

“sunwoo!” his voice cracked between a yell and a laugh. “there are people here!”

“what?” sunwoo shrugged, all smug innocence. “im just appreciating my eric’s… vibe. besides, we’re on a retreat, aren’t we? gotta explore those deep, emotional connections.”

“emotional?” wonyoung giggled. “that’s what we’re calling it now?”

“i get very emotional,” sunwoo said, resting his chin on eric’s shoulder, eyes glinting. “especially when eric—”

“nope!” sunghoon shouted, plugging his ears. “nope, nope, nope. we are not doing this.”

everyone laughed again as eric sank deeper into the water to hide his face, flustered, while sunwoo winked at all of us.

juyeon swam closer to me, leaning in so that he couldn’t be heard.

“alright,” he whispered, “hear me out. sunwoo and eric are distracting them. if we really want to win this shit, we need to commit. fully. no holding back.”

i gave him a skeptical look. “you mean act horny in front of everyone?”

he grinned. “exactly. watch this.”

my stomach flipped. “juyeon.”

“you ever wonder how good i am with my hands, hyunjae? i could show you. right here. in front of everyone.”

i stared at him, caught between horror and the very real way my body reacted to every word. “you’re crazy.”

“and you love it,” he smirked. “this might make wonyoung drop the ball.”

across the pool, wonyoung called, “i can hear you, freaks!”—but she was laughing, and her throw came out all wrong, flying weakly through the air and flopping into the water.

juyeon didn’t even blink. he lunged forward and caught it clean, rising out of the water with a smug glint in his eye.

“that’s game, everyone!” he shouted, spinning the ball on one finger. “victory by distraction!”

wonyoung splashed water in his direction. “you’re banned from talking for the rest of the night.”

“no can do.” juyeon said with a wink.

younghoon came sprinting over from the loungers, wide-eyed.

“what the actual fuck were you two saying?” he demanded, skidding to a stop at the edge of the pool, water splashing his shins. “we could hear everything.”

chanhee trailed behind him, his pink hair catching the sun beautifully, his eyes flicking from me to juyeon, then around the pool at everyone else.

“that was…” he started, lips parted, “so much...”

juyeon didn’t miss a beat. “it’s called strategy, guys. learn it.”

younghoon looked absolutely appalled.

“that wasn’t strategy, that was fucking insane,” he furrowed his brows. “we aren’t in a fan fiction, guys.”

“i thought it was pretty creative,” juyeon said, shrugging, floating casually on his back.

“how do you know what fanfiction sounds like?” karina questioned, suspiciously narrowing her eyes at him.

younghoon ignored what she said, pressing his lips together and turning away so that he couldn’t see her anymore.

just then, eunwoo raised his voice from the lounges, mock-serious and sipping his tropical mocktail while tutting.

“maybe next time keep that shit to a whisper? preferably in your head.”

“for real,” winter added, looking up from gaeul’s fashion magazine. “you two are seriously shameless.”

laughter bubbled from the others, but i was too distracted, my eyes drifted past them to yujin, still laid out on her sunbed.

she’d pushed her sunglasses up onto her forehead, and she was staring straight at us with a look. eyes sharp, brow arched, lips pulled into a tight little frown.

i shrank a little under the weight of it, suddenly too aware of how weird the whole thing had been.

juyeon, oblivious, or pretending to be, turned to me with a smirk. “think we made an impression?”

i thought grimly as yujin finally slid her sunglasses back down, still frowning.

“we definitely did.” i whispered underneath my breath, though i didn’t have to because of the chaos happening around us.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

the sky had turned a soft lavender by the time i sank into one of the cushioned lounge chairs beside chanhee, the pool now glowing under soft string lights. the sound of music and laughter carried over from the poolside, but inside, it was quieter.

chanhee sat cross-legged beside me, sipping a soda, his pink hair now damp and curling slightly at the ends. he tilted his head toward me, watching with a thoughtful gaze.

“so,” he said slowly, “what’s the deal with you and juyeon?”

i froze for half a second, then forced a small laugh as i leaned back and let my head rest against the cushion.

“i mean… it’s weird, right?” i said, letting out a breath. “he’s not really my type, but there’s something about him. he’s kind of insistent when he wants something, and i guess i like that. it’s fun. easy.”

chanhee raised an eyebrow. “you looked like you were about to eat each other earlier.”

i shrugged with a crooked smile, playing into the moment. “yeah, well. he makes it really easy to get caught up in it.”

chanhee hummed, like he was filing the answer away for later, but after a beat he nodded and looked back out toward the sliding doors where you could still see the others in the pool. i didn’t breathe until he changed the subject, and i made a mental note. next time, i had to lie with a little less truth in it.

chanhee stayed quiet for a moment, his eyes flicking toward the pool lights in the distance. then, without looking at me, he said softly, “younghoon and i… it’s different.”

i turned toward him, curious. “yeah?”

he nodded slowly. “it’s not like the stuff you and juyeon have going on. it’s slower.”

his voice softened, like he was still wrapping his head around it.

“we’ll just be sitting there, doing nothing, and he’ll reach over and fix my hair without saying anything. or i’ll catch him looking at me when he thinks im not paying attention.”

i smiled a little. “that sounds nice.”

chanhee let out a small breath, then smiled, barely.

“he kissed me earlier. like, properly kissed me. just… like it made sense. and it did.”

i didn’t know what to say to that. not because it was shocking, but because of how real it sounded. how effortless. it was the kind of connection the show was supposed to be about.

i looked down at my hands, resting still in my lap. chanhee started humming absentmindedly, it was soft and sweet.

i glanced over at him, his expression soft in the warm light.

“that’s… really nice,” i said, quieter than i meant to. “you guys seem like you’re figuring it out. for real.”

chanhee turned to me then, brows lifting just slightly.

“yeah. i think we are.” he studied me for a second longer, like he was trying to read past my expression. “and you? with juyeon? is it… for real?”

the question landed heavy.

i hesitated before offering a smile that i prayed looked convincing. “i think it could be. we’re still feeling it out.”

chanhee nodded, but his eyes didn’t leave mine.

“okay,” he said. “just… don’t let it be one of those things where one of you’s playing the game and the other doesn’t know it.”

my stomach dipped.

i forced another smile, trying to seem casual. “nah. we’re on the same page.”

chanhee watched me a beat longer, then leaned back again with a small sigh. “good. beause people are starting to root for you two.”

i looked out toward the pool where juyeon was laughing with the others, charming as always.

rooting for us.

that scared the shit out of me.

chanhee let the silence stretch for a moment, then tilted his head, watching the string lights flicker over the surface of the water.

“what do you think about sunwoo and eric?” he asked suddenly, his voice lighter but still thoughtful. “they’re… something.”

i laughed under my breath. “they’re loud is what they are.”

chanhee grinned.

“yeah, but they’ve got chemistry. it’s just…” he trailed off, brows pulling together slightly. “i don’t know if it’s built on anything solid. sometimes it’s as if they forget everyone else is here.”

i nodded. “it’s definitely physical.”

“right?” chanhee said, like he was relieved i’d said it first. “i mean, maybe there’s something emotional underneath all of it, but it’s hard to tell. still… i kind of hope it works out for them.”

i turned toward him. “even if it’s just lust?”

he shrugged.

“sometimes lust turns into something more. and if it doesn’t… at least they had fun.” he looked at me, eyes kind. “not everyone’s gonna find their soulmate on a retreat like this. but maybe they find something they didn’t know they needed.”

i nodded slowly, gaze drifting back to the others outside where eric was curled up against sunwoo on a sun bed now, laughing at something with his head on sunwoo’s shoulder.

i wasn’t sure where that left me and juyeon.

chanhee must’ve seen the way i was watching them, because he nudged my leg with his foot.

“hey,” he said, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “don’t overthink it. this place messes with your head. everyone’s trying to figure things out.”

i nodded slowly, still distracted.

“yeah. i just feel like i might not be able to before this whole retreat thing ends. im not even sure if me and juyeon have a real connection or not.”

chanhee didn’t respond right away, just sipped from his drink, eyes trained on the pool.

“well,” he said after a beat, “whatever it is, you’ll know when it’s real. it’s the stuff that doesn’t need cameras or lana to matter.”

i was about to say something when i noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. i glanced toward the sun beds.

eric wasn’t on the sun bed anymore. sunwoo still was, stretched out with a lazy grin, but eric was gone.

a second later, i saw him walking toward us, towel slung over his shoulder, hair damp and tousled like he’d just rinsed off in the outdoor shower.

chanhee followed my gaze and sat up a little straighter.

“oh,” he said, nodding toward eric. “looks like we’re getting company.”

eric reached us a few moments later and dropped down onto the lounge chair beside me with a dramatic sigh, flopping back like he was already exhausted.

“okay,” he said, grinning, “if i hear one more moan coming from that pool, i swear im gonna start drowning myself on purpose.”

chanhee laughed. “coming from you, that’s rich.”

eric raised a finger without opening his eyes. “hey. i can dish it out, but i don’t need to listen to it.”

i glanced at him, surprised by how… down he suddenly seemed. no giddy smile. just quiet for a change.

“everything okay?” i asked, trying not to sound like i was prying.

eric opened one eye and looked at me for a second then smiled faintly. “yeah. just needed a break from all the flirting and shit.”

i nodded slowly, heart sinking just a little more. “yeah. i get that.”

eric leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of the towel draped over his lap. for a minute, he didn’t say anything, just stared out at the pool, lips pressed tight. then, quietly, he exhaled.

“i know it’s only the first day,” he said, his voice strained, “but i really like him.”

chanhee and i stayed silent, giving him space. he didn’t look at us when he kept talking, like if he did, it might break something.

“i know sunwoo’s… sunwoo. he flirts with anyone and acts like nothing’s that serious, and maybe it’s not for him. maybe he’s just here to have fun, and that’s fine. i should’ve expected that. but when we were in the room earlier, getting the water guns, he said something before we—” he cut himself off, his jaw tightening, then looked down at his hands.

“what did he say?” i asked softly.

eric’s voice wavered. “he looked at me and said, ‘you’re fun, eric. i like having someone around who doesn’t get too serious.’”

he let out a shaky breath, eyes glassy now.

“and i just… smiled. like that didn’t hurt. like i wasn’t hoping he meant something more.” he laughed bitterly and wiped quickly at his cheek. “it’s so stupid. i barely know him.”

“it’s not stupid,” chanhee said gently. “it’s not. some people catch feelings fast. you’re not the only one who does.”

eric nodded slowly, but the doubt was still written all over his face. “i just don’t know if im the only one in this thing who’s taking it seriously.”

i reached over and gave his shoulder a light squeeze, unsure what else to offer. “then you ask him. when you’re ready. you deserve to know if he’s really in it with you.”

eric didn’t answer, but the way he leaned slightly into the touch told me he heard it.

he let out a breath, shaky and quiet, then finally said, “i think he’s just playing with me.”

chanhee frowned, his expression softening. “why do you think that?”

eric hesitated, his fingers knotting the towel tighter in his lap.

“because everything with him so far has felt like a game. like he’s always saying the perfect thing, doing the perfect thing. and it’s exciting, yeah, but…” he glanced down. “it never feels real.”

i watched him, my chest tightening a little. “did you tell him how you feel?”

he let out a short laugh. “tell sunwoo that i have actual feelings for him? yeah, no. he’ll laugh at me. like i said, he doesn’t do serious. he doesn’t even pretend to.”

chanhee leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “you’re worth more than being someone’s game, eric.”

eric nodded slowly, but his voice was small when he said, “i know. i just… i was hoping maybe i wasn’t wrong. that maybe there was something behind it all.”

his voice cracked a little on the last word, and for a moment, none of us said anything.

then i said, “if he’s just playing, he’s an idiot. because anyone can see how lucky he is to have your attention, even for a second.”

eric looked up at me then, eyes a little red, and gave a weak, grateful smile. “thanks. i needed to hear that.”

chanhee nodded in agreement. “you don’t need to chase someone.”

eric wiped at his cheek again, this time steadier. “yeah. yeah, you’re right.”

but the way his eyes flicked back toward the lounges where sunwoo was laying like he was still hoping.

eric had just settled back into a calmer silence, his hands finally still on the towel in his lap, when the sound of footsteps on the wooden deck made all three of us glance up.

sunwoo sauntered into the lounge like he owned it—shirt half-buttoned, hair damp from the pool, and that ever-present smirk tugging at his lips. his eyes locked onto eric immediately.

“there you are,” he drawled, voice low and smooth. “i was starting to miss you.”

sunwoo leaned one hand against the back of the sofa behind eric, lowering his voice just enough to make it pointed.

“come help me with something in the bedroom?”

chanhee and i exchanged a glance, both of us knowing exactly what that meant.

eric didn’t even look up at him.

“i think im just gonna stay here and rest for a bit.”

the room stilled for a beat. sunwoo blinked, clearly caught off guard by the unexpected refusal.

“oh,” he said, the word short, but he recovered quickly. “alright, eric-ah. that’s cool.”

he slid into the spot next to eric, not bothering to ask if it was okay. without hesitation, he threw an arm around eric’s waist, his hand settling just above eric’s hip.

“then i’ll rest with you,” he murmured, nuzzling briefly against eric’s shoulder.

i watched the way eric stiffened just slightly before forcing a smile and leaning into it like nothing was wrong.

chanhee nudged me again gently under the table, his eyes flicking between them.

i nodded subtly, not saying anything, but i couldn’t tear my eyes away. sunwoo was acting like nothing had changed, like the conversation we’d just had with eric hadn’t happened at all. and eric was also pretending, smiling widely.

but it wasn’t the same smile as before.

sunwoo kept his arm around eric like it was second nature, fingers idly tracing circles against his side.

“you know,” he said with a teasing lilt, “if you keep looking this good, im not gonna be able to keep my hands to myself tonight.”

eric gave a soft, forced laugh, but it didn’t have the same brightness it usually did. his eyes didn’t crinkle at the corners, and his shoulders didn’t relax into the affection the way they had earlier that day. he just sat there, silent.

sunwoo chuckled again, clearly expecting more of a reaction. “come on, you’re usually begging me to stop flirting in front of the others.”

“you’re the one who never stops.” eric muttered, the words barely above a whisper.

chanhee cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly.

“so, um… did anyone try the fruit platter earlier? i think they put dragonfruit in it. i really like dragonfruit.” he smiled too brightly, clearly trying to steer the mood in a better direction.

but sunwoo didn’t take the bait.

his brows furrowed as he glanced sideways at eric.

“hey,” he said more softly, “what’s going on with you?”

eric finally looked at him, and for the briefest second, something showed behind his eyes… hurt, frustration, maybe even disappointment. but he didn’t say a word.

instead, he stood up without warning, brushing sunwoo’s hand off his waist.

“im just gonna grab something from the kitchen.”

“eric—” sunwoo started, reaching for his wrist.

but eric was already walking away, his steps quiet but quick, shoulders tense.

chanhee and i sat there in silence for a bit, the air thick between us.

sunwoo leaned back slowly, staring at the empty space beside him, his smirk fading.

“what the fuck just happened?” he muttered.

neither of us answered.

sunwoo was still staring after eric, brow furrowed like he couldn’t quite believe what had just happened. he raked a hand through his damp hair, then looked at me and chanhee with a frown.

“what?” he said defensively. “why are you both looking at me like that?”

chanhee sighed, folding his arms. “because you need to talk to him, sunwoo. really talk to him.”

“he likes you,” i added, more gently. “but he’s not sure if you’re serious about any of this. and if you’re not, you should stop leading him on.”

sunwoo blinked, caught between confusion and denial.

“i—i didn’t mean to. i didn’t know he was feeling that deep about it. it’s only the first day.”

“sometimes,” chanhee said, “one day is enough to catch feelings in a place like this. especially when it’s all you have.”

sunwoo opened his mouth like he wanted to argue, but before he could speak, lana’s voice echoed overhead.

“contestants, please make your way to the dressing room. it’s time to get ready for tonight’s party.”

we all looked up toward lana who was on a table nearby, then at each other.

sunwoo stood slowly, his jaw tight. “i’ll talk to him. after the party.”

“you should,” chanhee said as he stood up too. “before this becomes something you can’t undo.”

i stayed quiet, just watching as sunwoo turned and walked toward the hallway—no longer with confidence, but with something closer to hesitation.

and in the kitchen, i was sure, eric was standing by the fridge, pretending to look for something.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

as sunwoo, chanhee, and i stepped into the dressing room, the space was already loud with anticipation. wonyoung stood near the center, striking in a baby pink dress that shimmered under the lights, chatting with sunghoon, who was wearing a white shirt and fitted black dress pants.

in the far corner, winter, karina, and liz were huddled around a makeup bag, sharing products and laughing. gaeul stood near the racks, holding up two glittery dresses, one silver, one gold, and was deep in conversation with eunwoo over which one brought out her eyes more. yujin sat at the wide mirror curling her hair with ease, her eyes focused and serious.

and then i spotted juyeon off to the side, alone, leaning casually against the counter with a drink in hand, his reflection in the mirror behind him. without thinking, i made my way toward him, my nerves coiled a little tighter with every step.

juyeon looked up as i approached, a slow smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“well, if it isn’t my favourite lover,” he said, his voice low and teasing. “took you long enough.”

i rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help the smile forming. we both knew it was the perfect opportunity to talk about the plan as the loudness of the room made it harder for the mics to pick our voices up.

“i had to walk in with those two,” i said, nodding back toward sunwoo and chanhee. “you’re already acting like you own the place.”

juyeon took a sip from his drink, eyes never leaving mine.

“i was just holding down the charm until you showed up. you ready for the party, hyunjae?”

“depends,” i said, leaning on the counter next to him. “am i going to have to pretend to fall for you all night?”

he smirked, tilting his head. “oh, i don’t know. i was thinking we might escalate this shit a little. you know, for believability.”

i laughed. “you mean more flirting, or are you planning to start proposing?”

he gave me a playful nudge with his shoulder.

“i was thinking about something a little more than that...”

i shook my head, heart beating just a little faster. “you’re really good at this.”

juyeon’s gaze lingered on mine. “good at pretending? or making it feel real?”

the air between us tightened for a second, and i had to remind myself that this was still a game.

“we’ll see after the first drink,” i said lightly, trying to keep it playful.

juyeon chuckled and lifted his glass toward me, still looking smug as usual.

he swirled the ice in his drink lazily, glancing across the room at the others.

“so,” he said, tone casual, “i’ve been thinking about the sleeping arrangements.”

i raised an eyebrow. “yeah? what about them?”

he turned back to me, a slow grin spreading across his face.

“well, considering we’re supposed to be a couple… don’t you think we should share a bed? keep up appearances and all that.”

i tried to ignore the way my stomach flipped. “you really think that’s necessary on the first night?”

juyeon leaned in slightly, just enough that i could smell the faint hint of cologne on his skin.

“come on, hyunjae. what’s a little pillow talk between us?”

i blinked, caught off guard by how casually he said it and how much heat there was behind the joke.

“unless,” he added, tilting his head, “you think you wouldn’t be able to keep your hands to yourself.”

i scoffed, mostly to cover how flustered i suddenly felt. “please. if anything, you’d be the problem.”

juyeon laughed, the sound smooth and warm. “then i guess we’ll just have to test our self-control.”

i gave him a look. “i think you already know how that test ends.”

his smile only widened. “well, i always did like tests.”

i narrowed my eyes at him, trying to ignore the way my pulse had picked up.

“you keep talking like that and people are going to think you’re actually into me.”

juyeon’s smile didn’t falter, if anything, it deepened.

“isn’t that the point?” he said, voice low. “convince everyone. make it believable.”

“right,” i said, glancing away for a second, pretending to study the lights above the mirror. “convincing.”

he leaned in again, this time closer, his shoulder brushing mine.

“unless… you’re starting to believe it too.”

i turned to face him, caught between amusement and something more dangerous. “are you?”

juyeon shrugged, but his eyes were steady. “would it really be so bad if I was?”

that silence between us stretched until i cleared my throat, trying to diffuse it.

“you’re really committing to this, huh?”

“im just acting normal,” he said with a wink. “but i would say that you’re making this whole thing easier.”

i let out a short laugh, more breath than sound.

“well, don’t get too comfortable. after this party, we’re just back to business.”

juyeon raised his drink again, smirking. “sure. after the party.”

but i could still feel his eyes on me even as i looked away and i wasn’t so sure i believed him.

he took another slow sip from his drink, then glanced me up and down with a smirk that made my skin prickle.

“now go on,” he said, nudging me lightly with his elbow. “go put something nice and pretty on for me.”

i rolled my eyes, scoffing. “you want pretty? go find a mirror.”

he grinned, completely unfazed. “i’ve already seen that view, hyunjae-ah. im in the mood for something new.”

i gave him a flat look, even as heat crept up my neck. “you’re a bastard.”

“and you love it,” he said easily, flashing that too-perfect smile. “seriously though, if we’re going to be the couple of the night, we better look the part. you’ve got the face for it. just need the outfit to match.”

i crossed my arms, pretending to be unimpressed. “and what are you wearing that’s going to blow everyone away?”

he winked. “wouldn’t you like to know.”

i turned to head toward the racks, shaking my head but grinning despite myself. “fine. i’ll find something. but don’t complain when i look better than you.”

“as if.” juyeon called after me, laughing.

i sifted through the racks until my fingers brushed over something that made me pause, a sheer white shirt with delicate lace, floral patterns woven into the long sleeves, soft frills trimming the high turtle neck. i paired it with white trousers and a pair of sleek white boots before slipping into one of the changing cubicles.

as i buttoned up the shirt and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, i hesitated. it was… a lot. but something about it felt right.

i awkwardly tugged at the hem of the shirt and shuffled over to where juyeon stood, suddenly hyper-aware of every step. his gaze raked over me slowly, a look of something intense in his eyes before he smiled.

“jesus, hyunjae,” he said, voice low and sincere. “you look too beautiful for your own good.”

“is that so? you’re really trying to butter me up right before the party, huh?” i adjusted the frilled collar as i chuckled.

“hey, im serious! look at you, how do you even pull off that look without looking fucking stupid? you make the rest of us look like amateurs…. maybe not me but you know what i mean.” he teased sincerely.

a few seconds passed without another word, until he spoke again, this time his eyes were softer than before.

“honestly, though, it’s kind of intimidating. i mean, who wouldn’t get lost in those eyes? im pretending to like you, but i might get a little jealous if everyone else starts staring at you too much tonight.”

“wow, really? is that your strategy, charm me with flattery?” i replied. “well, it’s working… maybe a little too well.”

juyeon grinned slyly.

“well, when you’ve got someone as beautiful as you to date, i gotta make sure i keep up with the compliments. it’s all for the game, right?” he said, looking at me for my approval before his expression suddenly turned genuine. “still, just between us, you don’t need to pretend too much. you are that good-looking.”

just as i finished adjusting the sleeves of my shirt, i heard footsteps approaching, and when i looked up, younghoon was already making his way over with that familiar easy smile on his face. he slipped his hands into his pockets and tilted his head slightly, eyes switching between me and juyeon.

“well, well,” he said with a teasing lilt, “looks like you two are getting along just fine.”

his tone was light, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes, like he was trying to read between the lines. i gave him a half-smile, trying to play it cool even though juyeon’s earlier compliment was still playing in my head.

“you know us,” i said, shrugging. “after what happened at the pool? who’s stopping us now, right?”

juyeon let out a small laugh beside me, but he didn’t deny it.

younghoon raised an eyebrow, clearly catching the slight pause in my voice.

“right… the pool,” he said, drawing out the words. then he smirked and leaned in a little closer, lowering his voice just enough to make it feel like a secret between the three of us. “well, if this is all just physical chemistry, you two are scarily convincing. juyeon looked like he was about to faint.”

juyeon laughed, brushing his hand through his hair.

“what can i say? i take my hyunjae-dotting duties very seriously.” he shot me a sideways glance, playful but pointed. “gotta make sure he feels appreciated.”

i tried to play it off with a scoff, but my face was already warming. “appreciated, huh? you’re really putting in the extra work tonight.”

younghoon grinned, clearly enjoying himself. “hey, im just saying, if you two keep this up, the rest of the villa might start betting on whether or not you two would end up together.”

i opened my mouth to respond, but juyeon beat me to it, smirking. “let them bet. maybe we’ll win more than just the cash.”

“look at you two,” younghoon grinned again. “so determined to win that money.”

“yeah, hopefully nobody breaks the rules too much.” juyeon replied.

i watched younghoon disappear to the other end of the room, easily striking a new conversation with wonyoung. he believed us withiut a doubt, despite us not knowing him too well.

and yet here i was, lying straight to his face about something so personal. for the third time since juyeon and i made the plan, i felt the sting of guilt taking over.

“attention, everyone. this is lana.” her voice rang out smoothly across the villa, instantly silencing the all conversation. “your welcome party is officially ready to begin. i suggest you all make your way outside… yes, that means you too, hyunjae and juyeon, because it’s time to turn up the heat.”

there was a dramatic pause before she continued.

“drinks are flowing, the music is pumping, and the night is young. whether you’re here to mingle, make sparks fly, or just enjoy the view… let’s make this a night worth remembering.”

there was another pause before she chimed again.

“now get out there, and make the most out of it.”

juyeon and i both froze at the sound of lana casually dropping our names, our eyes snapping toward the ceiling like we could somehow glare at the cone itself. the room burst into laughter around us, playful, but loud enough to make my ears burn. a few people tossed us teasing glances as they filed out of the dressing room, clearly enjoying the moment.

i shot juyeon a look, but he just smirked, completely unbothered, and stepped in front of the mirror one last time.

his fingers moved quickly to undo the top three buttons of his shirt, glancing at me through knowingly.

i rolled my eyes, but i couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out as we finally followed the others outside.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

the villa’s backyard had fairy lights hung from palm trees, music playing through the air, and the pool shimmered with reflections of pink and gold.

near one of the lounge areas, wonyoung twirled a strand of hair around her finger as she laughed at something sunghoon said, his hand resting casually on the back of the couch.

on the dance floor, yujin and gaeul were silently fighting, both laughing a little too loudly and dancing a little too close to eunwoo, who looked both flattered and mildly overwhelmed.

meanwhile, winter, karina and liz strolled toward the bar, where younghoon and chanhee were already ordering drinks. younghoon cracking jokes, and chanhee smiling.

off to the side, eric leaned against a pillar, arms crossed and clearly sulking, while sunwoo stood next to him, trying to patch things up.

“eric-ah,” i heard sunwoo say. “can we please just try to have fun right now? i want to smooth things over with you but i don’t think now’s the right time.”

just as i was starting to look for a quiet spot, juyeon grabbed my wrist with that infuriating, perfect grin and dragged me straight to the dance floor.

“come on, we’ve got to dance,” he said, eyes sparkling under the lights and before i could say anything, i was moving with him.

juyeon pressed his body against mine, moving in perfect time with the beat. his body rolled with confidence, and i found myself matching his rhythm without thinking, his hands settling on my waist.

people were watching, that much i could feel, but juyeon didn’t seem to care. if anything, he leaned into it, smirking over his shoulder.

then, through the blur of sound and color, liz appeared beside us, drink in hand, a teasing grin on her lips.

“okay,” she said, raising her glass and eyeing us both, “you two are totally stealing the show right now.”

i laughed, a little breathless, trying to ignore the way juyeon glanced at me.

juyeon turned slightly toward liz, still moving to the beat, one arm casually snaked around my waist.

“what can i say?” he said with a grin, “we like to make an entrance… or, in this case, a scene.”

liz laughed, taking a sip from her drink. “well, mission accomplished. half the villa’s staring and not because of the music.”

i tried to keep my cool, even as my heart pounded harder than the bass. “you make it sound like we planned this.”

liz raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “didn’t you?”

juyeon leaned in a little closer, whispering, “between us? this is just how we are.”

i shot him a look, but before i could say anything, liz smirked.

“you’re setting the bar way too high for the rest of us.”

she gave me a wink, then turned and disappeared back into the crowd, leaving me alone with juyeon and the heat still between us.

i looked at him, breath caught in my throat. “you really love the attention, don’t you?”

juyeon smiled, a little softer this time. “only when it’s with you.”

before i could even process what juyeon had just said, winter’s voice cut through the music.

“alright, everyone! we’re playing truth or drink! get your asses over here!” she yelled, drink raised high above her head.

a collective cheer rose up from the group, people already leaving the dance floor and poolside to gather in a loose circle near the fire pit. juyeon glanced at me, amused, and shrugged.

sunghoon walked up beside her, laughing in confusion. “wait, how are you already tipsy? we’ve been here, like, twenty minutes.”

winter giggled, almost spilling her drink all over herself.

“who cares? im having fun!”

karina linked arms with her and dragged her towards the circle. “she’s quite crazy. just let it happen.”

“this is either gonna end nicely or in complete disaster. either way, im playing.” eunwoo chuckled as he joined them.

juyeon nudged me with his elbow as we walked toward the group. “you ready for this? you’re terrible at lying, hyunjae.”

i replied, half-laughing and half-dreading it. “i should be asking you that. i’ve seen how smug you get during drinking games.”

“guess we’ll see what truths come out tonight.” juyeon smirked before walking ahead.

and just like that, we were settling into the circle, drinks in hand.

karina, already sipping something neon pink through a straw, took it upon herself to explain the rules, her other arm keeping winter upright.

“alright, just in case anyone completely clueless,” she said, grinning, “you get asked a question, something interesting, obviously, and you either tell the truth or take a shot. no dodging, no stalling. if you hesitate for more than five seconds, you drink.”

she looked around at the circle of expectant faces.

“and yes, we’re playing hardcore. no baby questions.”

a mix of groans and cheers sounded through the group at karina’s statement. wonyoung dramatically flopped back onto a cushion with a groan.

“ugh, so no ‘what’s your favorite colour’ questions? tragic,” she said, earning a few laughs.

meanwhile, sunwoo clapped his hands together with a grin, clearly thrilled.

“finally, some fun,” he said. “this is what i came here for.”

eric, sitting cross-legged beside him, nudged him playfully. “you just want someone to admit they’ve thought about you naked.”

sunwoo smirked. “and i wouldn’t be mad if they did.”

they seemed to have made up… until after the party.

karina rolled her eyes but was smiling.

“alright, pervs. let’s keep it semi-classy. who wants to go first?” she raised her drink and scanned the circle. “don’t all volunteer at once.”

gaeul raised her hand with a smile.

“i’ll go first,” she said, already turning toward younghoon with a glint in her eye. “hope you’re ready, prince charming.”

younghoon chuckled nervously, running a hand through his hair. “why do i feel like im about to regret this?”

gaeul leaned in slightly, resting her chin in her palm. “alright, younghoon… truth or drink?”

he hesitated for a second, then nodded. “truth. let’s do it.”

“okay,” gaeul said, her smile growing wider. “which one of us here do you think would be the best in bed?”

a chorus of gasps, laughter, and fake shrieks echoed around the circle. sunghoon let out a dramatic, “oh my god,” while wonyoung clapped her hands in delight. younghoon’s eyes widened, and he looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.

“she said no baby questions!” gaeul added with a wink.

younghoon glanced around at everyone watching him, flushed pink. “do i really have to answer that?”

karina raised her glass. “five seconds!”

“one!” liz chimed in.

“two!”

younghoon quickly grabbed his shot and downed it, shaking his head. “yeah, im not about to start an argument tonight.”

as the laughter faded and the group teased younghoon for chickening out, i happened to glance across the circle and caught the subtle change in chanhee’s expression. just for a second, his smile faltered, eyes dropping to his lap. it wasn’t obvious, but it was enough. he looked… disappointed. but before i could dwell on it, younghoon’s eyes switched over to him. it was a quick glance, but it held something… soft, reassuring. chanhee looked up again, his expression smoothing over like nothing had happened.

sunwoo whistled low. “dodging the question already, younghoon? weak.”

“im trying to keep the peace,” younghoon laughed, setting his glass down. “you want drama on the first night, talk to sunwoo.”

“oh, we will,” karina said, grinning. “trust me.”

chanhee forced a chuckle and leaned into the moment, voice light. “honestly, i respect the dodge. half of you would’ve killed him if he’d picked someone.”

“only if it wasn’t me.” wonyoung said with mock offense, flipping her hair.

sunwoo threw an arm around eric’s shoulders. “let’s just say if i get that question, im answering it with confidence.”

eric elbowed him. “please. you’d name yourself.”

“exactly,” sunwoo said, grinning wide. “why lie?”

eric snorted and shook his head. “god, you’re so full of yourself.”

sunwoo grinned. “confidence, eric-ah. that’s what gets results.”

he gave eric a playful wink that made the group groan in unison.

“please,” karina said, laughing. “someone take the spotlight off this man before he starts talking too much.”

“i’ll go next,” chanhee volunteered, his voice just a touch louder than before, though he kept his gaze casual.

gaeul raised an eyebrow. “ooh, brave.”

chanhee’s lips curled in a sly smile as he scanned the group. “truth or drink… wonyoung.”

wonyoung gasped. “me? wow. okay, fine. truth. hit me.”

chanhee tapped his chin. “alright, tell us the name of the person here you think is completely your type… physically.”

“ooooh,” liz chimed in, leaning forward with her drink. “spicy.”

wonyoung pretended to think, eyes narrowing dramatically. “physically? hm… honestly… it’s a toss-up between sunghoon and eunwoo.”

sunghoon blinked in surprise, cheeks flushing, while eunwoo just offered a lazy, amused smile from where he nursed his drink.

“i’ll take that as a compliment,” he said smoothly.

“i mean, look at you both,” wonyoung added with a shrug. “it’s the bone structure for me.”

everyone laughed again.

karina swirled her drink before setting it down with a confident grin.

“alright, my turn,” she said, eyes locking onto her target. “sunwoo.”

the group collectively groaned and laughed.

“here we go,” liz muttered.

sunwoo raised an eyebrow, smirking. “please. give me your worst.”

karina leaned in, her voice dripping with playful menace. “truth or drink?”

“truth, obviously.”

“okay,” she said, pointing a manicured finger at him. “if you couldn’t pick yourself, because i know that was your first choice, who here do you think would do the most in bed? in the best way.”

the group erupted chants of “answer! answer!”

sunwoo barely blinked. he turned his head toward eric, who sat beside him, wide-eyed.

“eric.” he said smoothly.

eric’s mouth dropped open as the circle burst into teasing laughter.

“what?!” eric squeaked, half-laughing, half-shocked.

sunwoo leaned in, voice low and cheeky. “look at him. he’s sweet and soft until he’s not. those are always the ones you have to watch out for.”

eric covered his face with both hands. “im literally going to disappear.”

“no need,” sunwoo said, throwing an arm around him again. “i’ll protect you.”

“you’re the reason i need protecting!” eric shot back, his ears burning.

gaeul fanned herself dramatically. “okay, that was… unexpectedly hot.”

“you’re welcome,” karina said, smug. “we’re just getting started.”

liz perked up, her lip gloss catching the light as she leaned forward with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“my turn,” she declared, tossing her hair over one shoulder. “eunwoo, you’re up.”

eunwoo raised an eyebrow coolly.

“truth,” he said without hesitation, lounging back against the cushions with his drink in hand. “let’s see what you’ve got.”

liz smirked. “alright. which one of us do you think would go home with someone on the first date?”

the group burst into laughter—sunwoo actually choked on his drink, and wonyoung let out a shocked wheeze.

“liz!” karina gasped, laughing.

“i said what i said,” liz replied, unbothered, eyes fixed on eunwoo.

eunwoo tilted his head thoughtfully, scanning the circle with ease.

“hmm…” he let the silence stretch just long enough to make everyone lean in.

finally, he gave a slow smile. “winter.”

winter blinked, then immediately turned red, slapping his arm. “what?! me?!”

eunwoo shrugged.

“like sunwoo said, it’s always the quiet ones.”

winter covered her face, laughing as the group teased her.

“i hate you.” she mumbled through her fingers.

“you’ll thank me later,” eunwoo said, lifting his glass with a wink.

wonyoung sat up straighter, clearly excited.

“okay, okay, my turn!” she announced, seemingly knowing who she was going to pick. “juyeon.”

juyeon chuckled, his dimples flashing. “oh no. im scared.”

“you should be,” wonyoung said sweetly. “truth or drink?”

“truth,” he replied easily, sipping from his glass and giving her a playful look. “your question can’t be that bad.”

wonyoung didn’t miss a beat. “if you had to hook up with someone tonight, no strings attached, who would you pick?”

“oooh!” gaeul practically screamed, clutching liz’s arm.

sunghoon let out a low whistle. “we’re diving in deep now.”

juyeon laughed, clearly caught off guard, but didn’t look away. “damn, wonyoung. you’ve got claws.”

wonyoung only smiled wider. “so?”

juyeon’s eyes flicked around the circle, briefly resting on a few people before finally landing on me. he held my gaze, smirk curving at the corner of his mouth.

“hyunjae.” he said, without an ounce of hesitation.

the group erupted. all sorts of noises and things were being thrown around.

karina gasped dramatically. “i knew it!”

winter clapped. “of course.”

my face flushed with heat, and i fought to keep my cool. juyeon winked, all smooth confidence.

“you’d say me too, right?” he teased.

i swallowed hard and tried to laugh it off, but my mind had other ideas.

i laughed with everyone else, tried to keep it light, but juyeon’s answer sat a little too heavy in my chest.

i looked away for a second, pretending to adjust my drink, pretending not to overthink the way he’d said my name.

it’s just part of the plan, i reminded myself. we’re doing it for the money. that’s it.

juyeon nudged my leg under the table, leaning in with a low whisper only i could hear. “you look like you’re thinking too hard, hyunjae.”

i forced a smirk. “just trying to remember which one of us is the better actor.”

he chuckled under his breath. “we’ll see by the end of the night.”

“alright!” liz called out, clapping her hands to get the attention back. “who’s next before things get even hotter in here?”

i laughed along with everyone again, but i couldn’t stop glancing at juyeon from the corner of my eye.

karina raised her eyebrows and looked around the circle with a grin. “enough stalling, hyunjae, your turn.”

i blinked, caught off guard. “wait, me?”

“yes, you,” liz said with a smirk. “you’ve been dodging long enough.”

“truth or drink?” karina asked, already leaning forward like she knew i’d pick truth.

i hesitated for a beat too long, then nodded. “truth.”

“ooooh,” wonyoung sing-songed, kicking her feet.

karina grinned. “alright then. if you were to be interested in someone, who here would you want something real with?”

everyone leaned in, eyes on me.

my throat tightened. i felt juyeon’s gaze before i even looked his way.

i could lie. make it easy. pick someone safe. divert attention.

but for a half-second, i almost said the truth. i almost said his name.

instead, i exhaled and gave a careful smile.

“that’s a hard one,” i said. “i think i’d need a bit more time to figure that out. it’s only the first day.”

some groaned, others nodded knowingly.

“lame,” sunwoo muttered.

“i understand where he’s coming from, i mean, not everyone catches feelings quickly.” chanhee observed.

i downed my drink hastily, the burn of the vodka made my once tightened throat relax as i sank deeper into my seat.

sunghoon leaned forward, swirling the drink in his cup with a grin. “alright, eric. you’ve been way too quiet over there as well.”

eric looked up from where he was sitting, his posture relaxed but eyes a little guarded. “what? i’m just enjoying the show.”

“truth or drink?” sunghoon asked.

eric hesitated, then shrugged. “truth.”

“alright,” sunghoon said, dragging out the moment. “if you could change one thing about sunwoo, what would it be?”

the group collectively hushed, and all eyes immediately darted between eric and sunwoo.

“oof,” karina muttered. “that’s hard.”

eric gave a short laugh, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “damn, going for the big questions, huh?”

sunwoo raised an eyebrow, looking at eric with a crooked smile. “yeah, i’m curious too.”

eric shifted in his seat, tapping his fingers against the cup in his hand.

“if i had to pick something…” he looked at sunwoo for a moment, like he was deciding how honest to be. then he exhaled. “i wish he didn’t joke around so much when things get serious.”

the room went quiet for a beat. sunwoo’s smirk twitched, just slightly.

eric kept going, his voice soft but steady. “sometimes i don’t know what’s real with him. i just… wish i did.”

there was a pause before liz spoke up, voice light and trying to break the tension. “okay… that was a lot for your first truth tonight.”

everyone chuckled nervously, but i noticed how sunwoo didn’t look away from eric, and how, for once, he didn’t have anything to say.

winter leaned forward next, her lip gloss catching the light as she twirled an empty bottle between her fingers.

“alright,” she said, her eyes narrowing with interest. “yujin, your turn.”

yujin, who had been lounging quietly with her legs crossed and an unimpressed expression, didn’t even blink.

“truth,” she said flatly, adjusting her sunglasses.

winter grinned. “if you had to kick one person out of the villa right now… who would it be?”

the group let out an exaggerated round of gasps and whoops.

“oh, we’re doing that now?” sunwoo laughed.

yujin slowly took off her sunglasses, revealing her sharp gaze as she scanned the circle with deliberate slowness. “just one?”

gaeul choked on her drink. “damn.”

yujin tilted her head.

“alright then. i’d probably kick out the people who think flirting with each other every second and showing off is a personality.”

the tension snapped through the room instantly. younghoon blinked. chanhee winced.

my stomach dropped as i felt the full weight of her comment land right on me and juyeon.

juyeon raised his brows, smiling coolly. “you should name names next time, yujin. just so we’re clear.”

“i don’t think i need to,” she said, leaning back and slipping her sunglasses on again.

“okay,” liz said quickly, voice too bright, “who wants to go next?”

winter hadn’t even picked the bottle back up when yujin, now clearly riled, uncrossed her legs and leaned forward with a sharp smile.

“actually, i’ll go next,” she said. “since we’re being so honest tonight.”

the group tensed, feeling the irritation beneath her voice.

“alright, yujin,” eunwoo said with a calm smile, sipping his drink. “who’re you asking?”

yujin didn’t even hesitate. “you.”

eunwoo blinked, surprised, then chuckled. “alright.”

“truth or drink?” she asked, the nastiness in her voice disappearing.

“truth,” eunwoo said easily.

yujin’s smile turned sharp. “out of everyone here, who would you say is the person you’re most interested in, romantically?”

the group hushed again.

eunwoo didn’t flinch. he gave a half-smile, shrugged slightly, then answered, “gaeul.”

gaeul’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she smiled, maybe a little flattered.

yujin’s expression soured immediately.

“wow,” she said, her voice low but cutting. “really?”

gaeul looked between them. “wait… what?”

“nothing,” yujin snapped, then immediately leaned forward. “it’s just funny. funny how someone can flirt with you all day, talk to you constantly, and then turn around and pick someone else.”

eunwoo frowned. “yujin, i didn’t mean—”

“save it,” she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. then she turned to gaeul. “hope you enjoy leftovers.”

gaeul blinked, confused and now visibly annoyed. “excuse me? don’t drag me into whatever this is. i didn’t ask for anyone to say my name.”

“oh, i’m sure you didn’t,” yujin snapped again. “but you just happen to be right there, don’t you?”

“alright, alright!” wonyoung cut in, waving her hands. “let’s all calm down. it’s just a game, you guys.”

but the game didn’t feel so fun anymore.

younghoon, seeing the tension, clapped his hands loudly.

“guys! let’s switch it up,” he said, standing up slightly from the couch. “truth or drink’s getting a little too… heated.”

“you think?” chanhee muttered under his breath.

younghoon grinned.

“let’s play drink murder. like wink murder, but with shots. one person is the secret killer. if they wink at you, you take a drink and ‘die.’ the detective has to figure out who the killer is before we all go down and if they get it wrong… they have to down two shots.”

“die?” karina asked, raising a brow.

“obviously,” younghoon said. “points for flair.”

“i’m in,” sunwoo said lazily, his head tipped back on the couch, one arm still slung loosely around eric’s spot, even though eric was sitting further away now. “don’t care what the game is as long as i get wasted.”

“such high standards,” eric muttered, not quite under his breath.

sunwoo smirked but didn’t comment.

“alright, i like this,” wonyoung said, already pulling her hair back into a ponytail. “this better be more fun than watching people flirt.”

“i’m right here, wonyoung,” juyeon chimed in with a teasing wink at me.

i just rolled my eyes. “let’s play before someone gets murdered for real.”

“i vote hyunjae as the detective,” sunwoo said suddenly, sitting up a little straighter. “he looks smart.”

“oh definitely,” wonyoung agreed, already grinning. “he’ll take this way too seriously.”

“i second that,” karina chimed in, giggling as she poured another drink. “go on, detective boy.”

i blinked, caught off guard. “wait, why me?”

“because you’re too pretty to die first,” juyeon said with a smirk, nudging my arm. “and also, it’ll be funny watching you try to figure it out.”

“fine,” i sighed, raising my hands in surrender. “but if i have to down two shots, i’m killing all of you.”

everyone laughed as i sat in the middle of the circle.

“alright,” liz said. “detective hyunjae, close your eyes!”

i closed them obediently, feeling a strange mix of anticipation and embarrassment in my chest.

i could hear whispers, a few giggles, and the shifting of bodies.

“okay,” karina finally said after a few moments. “we’ve picked the murderer.”

“you can open your eyes now, detective,” eunwoo added. “and may the odds be in your favor.”

i opened my eyes slowly, narrowing them as i looked around the circle. everyone looked way too pleased with themselves.

“let the game begin,” younghoon said, taking a sip from his cup.

the game had barely been going five minutes, and already three people had “died” way too dramatically, wonyoung had flopped onto the carpet after drinking a shot with a gasp, karina fell backward onto a pillow, and eunwoo had whispered “tell my story” before collapsing against the back of the couch.

“alright,” i said, narrowing my eyes and pointing across the circle. “liz. it’s totally liz. she’s been quiet the whole time.”

liz raised her brows. “me? please. i’ve been minding my own business.”

“she’s not the murderer,” gaeul said, barely hiding her laughter as she took a sip of her mocktail.

“strike one,” younghoon announced, grinning wide. “careful now, detective hyunjae.”

i groaned, glancing around at the remaining players. juyeon shot me a smug look, and i narrowed my eyes at him before spinning toward sunwoo.

“okay. it’s sunwoo. you’re the kind of person that everyone else would pick.”

sunwoo threw his hands up. “incorrect and offensive.”

“strike two,” chanhee sang, grinning behind his cup.

“come on, jae,” juyeon teased, resting his chin on his hand. “use that pretty head of yours.”

younghoon leaned in, eyes gleaming. “one guess left, detective. make it count.”

i looked around, hesitating. everyone was doing a great job pretending to be innocent. finally, i pointed to chanhee.

“it has to be you. you’ve been smiling the whole time.”

chanhee gave me an apologetic shrug. “nope.”

everyone burst into laughter as younghoon announced, “all guesses used! that means… two shots for our hopeless detective.”

“i think it should be four,” sunwoo said casually, leaning back. “those guesses were horrible.”

“you would say that,” i muttered, grabbing the shot glass as the group whooped and cheered. “if i pass out, you’re all paying the hospital bill.”

“make sure that sunwoo has the biggest share,” eric added under his breath.

i winced as the fourth shot burned down my throat, slamming the glass down on the coffee table.

“right,” i said, blinking a few times as the room started to sway just a little. “there. are you all happy now?”

“ecstatic,” sunwoo said, clapping slowly. “that was impressive, even for someone with zero detective skills.”

“shut up,” i muttered, slumping back into the couch as a lazy grin crept across my face. “i was sabotaged.”

“alright, alright,” gaeul said with a laugh. “let’s put the poor detective out of his misery. who was it?”

there was a beat of silence, and then—

“it was me,” juyeon said smoothly, raising his hand with a little smirk. “you didn’t even look at me, hyunie.”

i stared at him. “are you kidding me?”

“you played a good game,” karina added, holding up her drink to juyeon.

“you winked at karina?” i asked, completely stunned. “you winked at her?”

“she died so beautifully,” juyeon said with a shrug. “you never suspected a thing.”

i groaned and leaned back against the couch, already feeling the slight disappointment settling in. “i hate this game.”

“shouldn’t you be having beginners luck?” eunwoo asked, clearly teasing me.

but before i could answer, yujin let out a loud, exaggerated sigh and flopped back against the cushions.

“ugh, i’m so bored,” she drawled. “this game is dragging. i want to get so drunk i forget the rest of you even exist.”

“rude,” liz muttered, only half-joking.

without another word, yujin reached for the shot glasses on the table and began lining them up with a glint in her eye.

“one,” she counted as she downed the first. “two. three…”

“is she serious right now?” wonyoung whispered, eyes wide.

“four,” yujin kept going, barely flinching. “five.”

“yujin—” karina started.

“six,” she finished with a triumphant breath, slamming the final glass down. “there. now i can tolerate being in this room.”

“jesus,” chanhee muttered. “she’s going to pass out.”

yujin stood up, a little wobbly but still confident. she flipped her hair over her shoulder and stalked toward the speaker, turning the music up loud before grabbing eunwoo’s hand.

“come on, pretty boy. you’re dancing with me.”

eunwoo blinked in surprise but didn’t resist as she pulled him toward the center of the dance floor, the bass loud enough to burst someone’s eardrums as she began to sway her hips to the beat.

“well,” sunwoo said, raising a brow. “guess the party just started.”

the energy in the room surged as more shots were passed around, laughter growing louder and movements looser. one by one, we all drifted toward the dance floor.

sunwoo spun eric around effortlessly, hands sliding to his waist as eric let out a breathless laugh, their bodies falling into rhythm with sunwoo grinding against him without hesitation. wonyoung had her arms wrapped around sunghoon’s shoulders, swaying seductively as she pressed into him, while liz and gaeul giggled, twirling each other.

karina and winter took turns grinding against each other with playful grins, all too aware of the stares they were drawing. nearby, younghoon gently pulled chanhee closer, one hand firm on his waist as they moved together, side-stepping to the beat.

then there was juyeon, who slid behind me with too much familiarity, his hands finding my waist as he pulled me in close. my breath caught, but i let my arms snake up around his neck as i turned to face him.

“just follow my lead,” he murmured into my ear, voice warm and low, and i nodded, heart hammering as the bass dropped.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

an hour later, the villa was drenched in laughter, and drunken conversations. everyone was in different stages, sprawled around the pool and lounge area with flushed cheeks and glazed-over eyes. sunwoo was practically sucking eric’s face off by the speakers, his hands roaming with no shame as eric clung to him, both of them breathless and messy with want.

on one of the sunbeds, yujin was curled up beside eunwoo, her hand sliding beneath the hem of his shirt as he leaned in close to murmur something that made her smirk. liz and gaeul were draped across each other, giggling uncontrollably with younghoon and chanhee beside them, all four howling over some slurred joke no one would remember.

wonyoung had her head resting on sunghoon’s shoulder, eyes heavy but calm as they talked quietly, their voices low and easy, like they’d forgotten anyone else was around.

juyeon stumbled slightly as he made his way over to me, a crooked grin on his lips and his eyes half-lidded from all the drinks.

“hyunjae,” he drawled, dragging my name out like it was some kind of joke. “you been hiding from me?”

i blinked up at him from where i was slouched on the edge of a lounge chair, the warmth of the alcohol swimming in my chest.

“i’ve been right here,” i mumbled with a lazy smile. “you’re just too drunk to notice.”

juyeon laughed, a little too loud, and flopped down beside me, leaning in close.

“mmm, maybe i just missed you,” he said, poking my cheek. “you look real cozy over here all by yourself.”

“i was enjoying the peace,” i teased, nudging him with my shoulder. “until now.”

he smirked, undeterred.

“liar. you love when i bother you.” his voice dropped, a teasing edge to it as he added, “besides, you’re way too pretty to be sitting alone. kinda unfair to the rest of us.”

i rolled my eyes, but even that felt slow and heavy.

“you’re drunk.”

“and you’re cute,” he shot back, grinning. “so i think we’re even.”

juyeon leaned in even closer, his shoulder pressing against mine, and his breath smelled like fruit punch and tequila.

“you know,” he slurred softly, “if we weren’t faking all this… i’d still pick you.”

that made me laugh, too loud and too quick.

“oh yeah?” i said, turning to look at him, our faces closer than i realized. “you sure it’s not just the drinks that’re talking?”

“maybe,” he said with a shrug, then gave me a lazy smile. “but i have excellent taste.”

i shook my head, but i wasn’t pulling away either. “you’re such a mess.”

“and you,” he said, tapping my chest gently, “are still too pretty to be real. like… unfair levels of pretty. you should come with a warning label.”

i laughed again, a little more real this time, warm from the way he was looking at me.

“what would it say?”

juyeon tilted his head.

“i don’t fucking know,” he murmured, smile softening. “but i think i already missed the warning.”

juyeon’s gaze lingered on me, warm and unguarded in a way that made something unfamiliar stir in my chest. he let out a slow, amused breath, his fingers brushing lightly against my sleeve.

“if this whole thing wasn’t fake, i’d probably be in real trouble,” he said, voice low and teasing.

i tilted my head at him. “why’s that?”

he grinned, eyes flicking over my face. “because you’re literally my type.”

i chuckled, shaking my head. “you’re so full of it.”

“and yet…” juyeon leaned in just a little, his voice barely above a whisper now, “you’re not moving away.”

i opened my mouth to say something but before i could find the words, he closed the distance.

his lips brushed mine, slow, unhurried, like he was giving me a chance to stop it.

i didn’t.

the softness of his mouth pulled me in, i was kissing him back.

as the kiss deepened, juyeon’s hand slid up to grab my waist, his touch surprisingly gentle for how drunk he was. his lips moved slowly against mine, tasting faintly of liquor and something sweet i couldn’t place.

my hands found their way to his neck almost without thinking, pulling him a little closer. he sighed into the kiss and i melted into it, letting myself believe it was real. that he meant it.

but that thought disappeared as quickly as it came.

i forced myself to pull back slightly, my breath shallow. his eyes opened slowly, dazed and half-lidded.

juyeon didn’t look away.

even after the kiss broke, he kept his eyes locked on mine, intense and unwavering, like i was the only thing in the world worth seeing. his expression was unreadable, but something in the way he stared, as if he was memorizing me, made my brain pause.

but then, the sharp rise of voices nearby interrupted.

“you don’t get to pull him aside just because you feel like it!” yujin snapped, standing now, arms crossed and jaw tight.

gaeul’s voice yelled back with frustration, “i’m not trying to steal him, i just want to talk. you don’t own him, yujin.”

yujin scoffed, stepping forward. “funny, you didn’t seem to care about talking until he gave you attention tonight.”

gaeul scoffed as yujin crossed her arms, her voice sharp.

“you’ve been flirting with every guy since we got here, gaeul. don’t act like you’re innocent. you were all over younghoon before chanhee even showed up.”

gaeul’s brows furrowed as she stepped forward. “excuse me? i’ve been friendly. if that’s a crime now, maybe you should take a look at how you’ve been acting.”

chanhee looked between them, eyes wide with discomfort, but gaeul turned toward him, her tone softening.

“chanhee, i swear, i wasn’t trying to step on anything. i didn’t know you and younghoon were something. i’ll back off, okay?”

yujin rolled her eyes. “you say that now.”

gaeul didn’t flinch. “i’m just keeping my options open like everyone else here. that doesn’t mean i’m trying to hurt anyone.”

the room quieted for a moment, the tension thick, all eyes flicking between them to see who would say something next.

yujin’s voice rose again.

“you always have some excuse, gaeul. friendly? please. you knew exactly what you were doing with younghoon… and eunwoo, and whoever else happened to look at you for longer than two seconds!”

gaeul’s expression cracked, her voice trembling with anger.

“you don’t get to talk to me like that, yujin. just because eunwoo looked at me doesn’t mean i was trying to steal him. maybe if you weren’t so controlling, people wouldn’t look elsewhere!”

everyone around them froze. yujin took a step closer, her hands balled into fists at her sides.

“you want to say that again?”

“yeah,” gaeul snapped, stepping forward too. “maybe i—”

“hey, hey, stop!” chanhee jumped between them, arms outstretched. “this is not the place, and definitely not the time. seriously. we’re all drunk, we’re all tired, but this isn’t it.”

“chanhee—” yujin started, but he shook his head.

“no. i’m not going to let you two rip each other apart over stuff that could’ve been cleared up without the yelling. let’s calm down, okay? both of you.”

there was a tense silence. gaeul looked away, biting her lip. yujin’s eyes still blazed, but she finally stepped back, muttering, “whatever,” before turning toward the poolside.

everyone slowly began to breathe again. there was a few minutes of silence as gaeul began to pace slowly.

“i don’t have the energy for this tonight.” yujin suddenly said, cutting the silence.

gaeul opened her mouth to respond, but yujin cut her off, her patience clearly spent.

“i’m done with this shit. i’m tired, and i’m not dealing with it right now,” she sighed and strutted toward eunwoo. “let’s go, eunwoo. i’m heading to bed.”

she grabbed his hand and forcefully pulled him to his feet as he glanced around awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.

“uh, yeah, sure.” he responded.

yujin didn’t wait for anyone else to speak, already dragging him off toward the dressing room. as they left, the others exchanged uncertain glances.

as the silence settled, and no one seemed to want to break the awkward tension. then liz let out a soft sigh, drinking the last of her cocktail in her cup.

“okay… well, that was a buzzkill. i think it’s safe to say the party peaked like ten minutes ago.” liz said, half-laughing and half-groaning.

“yeah, it’s officially dead. i was trying to hang in there, but after that scene? i’m ready to call it.” wonyoung nodded in agreement and stretched her arms with a yawn.

“ugh, same. just when i was starting to enjoy myself too…” karina rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“well, at least it’s good for tv. someone’s spilling everything in the confessional tomorrow, i can feel it.” winter grinned, getting onto her feet.

“let’s all get some sleep before someone else ends up yelling. come on, let’s go.” liz laughed as she put her sunglasses on her head.

one by one, everyone began dispersing, murmuring goodnights as they slowly drifted off to the dressing room, the night ending on a sour note.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

i sank into the double bed with a sigh, the soft mattress finally giving me a moment of quiet, at least, mostly quiet.

across the room, sunwoo was loudly flirting with eric in a teasing whisper that wasn’t really a whisper at all, earning lots of frantic shushes from eric, who kept glancing around nervously.

in one corner, winter and karina were giggling as they settled into their shared bed, pulling the blankets up and happily talking about nothing specifically.

liz and gaeul were carefully building a pillow border between them, muttering half-serious rules about not crossing it.

yujin was already fast asleep, completely undisturbed by the noise, while eunwoo lay beside her staring blankly at the ceiling, eyes occasionally darting around the room in clear boredom.

younghoon was also fast asleep, his breathing soft and steady, while chanhee sat propped up beside him with a book in hand, flipping pages calmly.

exhaustion finally began to settle in as i snuggled into the sheets even more.

just as the dorm had finally started to be quiet, the door suddenly burst open with a loud thud, wonyoung and sunghoon ran in, each armed with a pillow and grinning childishly. they started into a pillow fight, feathers flying and laughter echoing through the room as they ducked behind beds and swung wildly at each other.

several people groaned, and chanhee, still calmly reading, looked up and gave them an unimpressed “shhh!” the single sound carried surprising weight, and wonyoung and sunghoon froze mid-swing.

after a beat, they exchanged a sheepish glance, then silently padded over to their shared bed. tossing their pillows back in place, they climbed in, switched off the lamps on either side of them, and finally settled under the blankets, still giggling quietly.

the door creaked open one last time, and i knew without looking that it was juyeon.

he moved quietly, careful not to wake anyone, and slipped under the covers beside me like it was the most natural thing in the world.

my stomach flipped the second i felt the mattress dip beneath his weight, sharing a bed with juyeon wasn’t exactly something i’d prepped for, especially not in a room full of people.

he didn’t say anything at first, just let the silence settle, until finally he whispered, “so… tomorrow.”

i turned slightly toward him, trying to ignore how close his voice sounded in the dark.

“what about it?” i whispered back.

“we need to up the game, right?” he murmured. “if we hold hands during breakfast and sneak off for a little private time by the pool, it’ll be even more believable.”

i let out a quiet breath, both amused and completely overwhelmed.

“you’ve really thought this through.”

he chuckled softly. “of course. we need that money, remember?”

i nodded, even though he couldn’t see it, my heart hammering in my chest as i whispered, “yeah… the money.”

juyeon shifted slightly beside me, the blanket rustling between us as he turned onto his side to face me. i could feel the warmth of him, even in the dark.

“and maybe,” he added, voice low and careful, “we should do that thing couples do… you know, the forehead touch. it’s slow, dramatic as fuck.”

i huffed out a laugh, trying to keep my voice down. “you’re ridiculous.”

“but it’ll work,” he whispered, a smile in his tone. “they’ll be so convinced, they might all be rooting for us by lunchtime.”

i rolled onto my back, staring up at the ceiling, heart thudding way too fast.

“you really think we can pull it off?”

he paused for a second. “we already are.”

the silence after that wasn’t uncomfortable, just heavy. heavy with something neither of us was willing to touch or speak about.

i swallowed and whispered, “just remember it’s all fake, okay?”

juyeon’s voice came back softer this time, a little slower.

“yeah. of course… just fake.”

for a moment, neither of us moved.

there was a stretch of silence between us.

i could hear juyeon breathing steadily beside me, and just when i thought he’d finally fallen asleep, he whispered again, this time with a hesitation i hadn’t heard before.

“…hey.”

i turned my head slightly. “yeah?”

he cleared his throat, quiet but noticeably awkward.

“so, um. i was thinking… if someone wakes up in the middle of the night and looks over, it’d be kinda weird if we weren’t, like… cuddling. right?”

i blinked into the dark. “you want to cuddle?”

“not like… want want to,” he rushed out, his voice suddenly all flustered. “i just mean, for the plan. you know, to sell it. convincingly.”

i hesitated, my pulse spiking. “…you want me to turn around?”

“…yeah. i mean, if that’s okay. i’ll just… like, put an arm around you or whatever. nothing weird.”

i didn’t trust my voice, so i just nodded and carefully turned onto my side, facing away from him.

the sheets rustled again, and a second later, his arm slid around my waist, tentative at first, then a little more sure. his chest brushed my back, close but not too close.

we stayed like that, the room quiet around us, until juyeon mumbled against my shoulder, “just for the plan.”

i closed my eyes, heart pounding.

“…right. just for the plan.”

his hand rested lightly against my stomach, warm and steady, but his fingers twitched like he wasn’t sure where to settle. i could feel his breath against the back of my neck, slow and measured, like he was trying too hard to stay calm.

i wasn’t doing much better.

after a few seconds, i whispered, “you’re really committing to this, huh?”

juyeon let out a breath that was half a laugh, half a sigh. “yeah, well… if we’re gonna fool everyone, we can’t half-ass it.”

there was a pause, the silence thick between us again. then he added, softer, “you okay with this?”

i hesitated, then nodded.

“yeah. just… wasn’t expecting it to feel so—” i stopped myself before the word real could slip out.

juyeon didn’t say anything for a moment. i could feel him tense just slightly, like he was thinking the same thing i was.

then he said, quietly, “if it ever gets too weird, just tell me. i’ll back off.”

i turned my head just enough to catch a glimpse of him over my shoulder.

“it’s not weird,” i said, voice low. “it’s just… complicated.”

he gave a quiet hum of agreement. “yeah. complicated.”

we stayed like that, neither of us moving. the only movement came from his arm tightening around me and his breath gently brushing against my skin.

as i lay there, eyes half-closed and sleep pulling at the edges of my thoughts, i couldn’t stop thinking about the slight change in juyeon, how the version of him curled up behind me now was so different from the one who’d been walking around all day with smirks and teases. he was bold, flirty, always knowing exactly what to say.

but there, in the dark, when no one was watching, he was quieter. more hesitant. that was the juyeon i knew, my best friend.

the one who rambled when he was nervous, who got awkward when things got too serious.

and maybe that’s what made my stomach twist even more… not the front that he put up in front of everyone else, but the fact that, then, he was letting me see him.

the silence dragged on, it seemed like we were both holding back words we weren’t ready to say out loud. his arm around me hadn’t moved, and i didn’t ask him to.

after a minute, juyeon spoke, his voice softer than before, barely more than a whisper.

“night, hyunjae.”

i felt the way my name lingered on his breath, warm against the back of my neck, and for a moment i didn’t trust myself to respond.

then i whispered back, “goodnight, juyeon.”

he didn’t say anything after that, just let out a quiet exhale, relieved, maybe, or satisfied, and his body relaxed behind mine.

slowly, i felt the weight of exhaustion start to pull at my body, but sleep didn’t come right away. not when i could still feel the rhythm of his breathing, the faint press of his chest against my back, the curve of his hand just resting against me.

eventually, though, my eyes slipped shut. and for the first time in a long time, i fell asleep with someone next to me… it was strangely safe.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

i woke slowly the next morning, the sunlight creeping through the sheer curtains and warming the side of my face.

for a second, i forgot where i was, until i moved slightly and realized i wasn’t alone.

i blinked the sleep from my eyes and turned my head, only to find juyeon already awake, lying on his side, watching me with a look i couldn’t quite read.

his gaze was soft, almost thoughtful, like he’d been lost in his head for a while before i stirred.

across the room, the others were already up and chatting, their voices low but very much awake, winter laughing about something, sunwoo loudly telling them about a dream, wonyoung teasing sunghoon who was still yawning.

none of it mattered, though. it was just juyeon and me, still tucked beneath the same blanket, and his eyes never left mine.

“oh! sleeping beauty’s awake.” liz announced.

winter sat up slightly in her bed and looked towards me, her eyes sleepily looking me up and down.

“took you long enough, hyunjae. juyeon wore you out that bad?” she chuckled.

“what…?” i groggily rubbed my eyes.

“they’re talking about how you two were cuddling all night.” sunghoon grinned as he ruffled wonyoung’s hair.

“we were not—”

“oh, you were. legs tangled and everything.” karina chimed in.

i couldn’t protest as everyone laughed together before gaeul stopped, slowly turning toward karina.

“wait, how do you two even know that?” she asked.

“we went to get a midnight snack. you two were basically one person in that bed.” karina giggled again.

“speaking of beds… i had the wildest dream.” sunwoo said from the other side of the room, stretching his arms.

“oh no.” eric groaned, covering his face in second-hand embarrassment.

“no, listen… it was me, you, a yacht, and like… whipped cream. i think lana was narrating.” he continued, smirking proudly at himself.

“this retreat is rotting your brain.” chanhee scoffed.

“it’s worth it.” sunwoo laughed carelessly and put his arm around a flustered eric.

i closed my eyes in cringe, the painfulness of sunwoo’s comment making me almost tear up.

“why is this my life right now…” i muttered as i rubbed my temples.

but even with the hangover pounding in my skull, i couldn’t ignore the flutter in my chest when i remembered juyeon beside me, how warm he’d been, how natural it had felt.

juyeon yawned, completely unfazed, his hair tousled from sleep.

“we did cuddle,” he said shamelessly, like it was the most normal thing in the world. “hyunjae’s warm. like a radiator.”

i nearly choked on my own breath. “you didn’t have to say it like that.”

gaeul snorted from across the room. “that’s not even the best part.”

karina raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “there’s more?”

“oh, come on,” wonyoung chimed in. “you all saw them last night. they were making out on one of the sun beds.”

the room broke into a mix of gasps and laughter, all eyes turning toward us. my cheeks went hot again, and i tried to shrink into my pillow.

“oh my god,” winter said, covering her mouth with a gasp. “are we pretending that didn’t happen?”

“it was the alcohol,” i mumbled weakly, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole.

juyeon grinned at me.

“sure. let’s call it that.” his eyes gleamed with something unreadable, and the flutter in my chest returned before i could shut it down.

sunwoo leaned forward. “at this rate, you’re are gonna cost us the whole prize pot.”

eric, now curled up beside sunwoo, muttered without looking up, “bold of you to assume, considering what you were saying to me last night.”

sunwoo winked. “no regrets.”

the room burst into another round of laughter, but my eyes lingered on juyeon behind me, who hadn’t stopped looking at me.

sunwoo leaned back into the headboard, stretching with a smirk plastered across his face.

“well, since we’re being honest this morning, should i tell you all what me and eric were getting up to after you lot passed out?”

eric choked. “sunwoo… don’t you dare.”

sunwoo only grinned wider. “we were just testing the structure of the—”

eric picked up a pillow and hit him square in the face.

he scowled. “that’s enough! they don’t need to know every detail you fucker.”

everyone laughed again, and sunghoon let out a low whistle. “if lana saw any of that, we’re in trouble.”

“lana’s totally going to say something today,” wonyoung said, eyes wide. “she’s been suspiciously quiet since the party. you just know she’s been watching everything.”

liz nodded while untying her hair. “do you think she’ll get rid of the rules again… or are we about to get lectured?”

“i feel like it could go either way,” eunwoo mused. “she might praise us for bonding or punish us for… everything.”

“sunwoo’s gonna get us all fined,” younghoon muttered.

“i didn’t do anything that wasn’t offered,” sunwoo said innocently, then glanced at eric with a smirk. “right, eric-ah?”

eric rolled his eyes but the corners of his mouth lifted.

“keep talking and i’ll volunteer you for every couple’s test lana gives us.”

the room fell into anxious laughter and nervous guesses about what the day would bring. i didn’t feel quite as nervous as i expected to be.

yujin groaned from the far end of the room, pulling a pillow over her head.

“can everyone stop yelling? some of us actually need sleep to function.”

“we’ve been awake for like an hour,” karina shot back, half-laughing as she reached for her lip balm on the side table.

“i don’t care,” yujin snapped, her voice muffled by the pillow. “i was having a dream where nobody here was being obnoxious, and then i wake up to sunwoo bragging about whatever he did to poor eric.”

eunwoo, awkwardly chuckling from beside her, rubbed her back gently. “come on, yujin, it’s the morning after a party. people are bound to be loud.”

she sat up suddenly, dark hair falling in her face as she squinted at him.

“it’s not just the noise. it’s the fact that no one’s calling it what it is, eric just lets sunwoo do whatever he wants with him, and no one says anything. like, where’s your self-respect?”

eric blinked, clearly taken off guard. his jaw tensed, but he stayed quiet for a moment.

sunwoo, however, sat up straighter, his smirk gone. “excuse me?”

yujin just raised an eyebrow, not backing down. “i’m just saying. it’s been the first night and you’re already acting like he’s yours to toy with.”

“that’s enough,” eunwoo said softly, placing a hand on her arm.

everyone was quiet, eyes darting between yujin, sunwoo, and eric. i stayed quiet too, not wanting to get involved, and waited for someone to try and diffuse the situation.

juyeon cleared his throat, shifting closer to me before speaking up.

“okay, yujin, maybe take it down a notch? i don’t think public shaming is the thing we need this morning.”

younghoon chimed in too, his tone light but firm. “we all had a lot to drink last night. maybe we don’t jump to conclusions before actually talking things out?”

but yujin wasn’t finished. she rolled her eyes, arms crossed over her chest.

“it’s not jumping to conclusions when it’s right in front of everyone. sunwoo? you need to stop treating him like your personal plaything just because he’s too nice to say no.”

eric flinched, his expression darkening, and sunwoo looked like he was biting the inside of his cheeks.

she scoffed, glaring past both of them toward eric, who started staring at the floor. “i’m just saying what everyone’s thinking. ever since we stepped into the villa, sunwoo’s being talking to eric like he’s some kind of toy—”

“good morning, everyone.”

lana’s voice cut clean through the tension like a knife.

the room fell dead silent. even yujin froze.

“i see you’ve all had a very… eventful night,” lana said. “but while there were no rules in place, i’m disappointed to see how few of you used the opportunity to create meaningful connections. instead, most of you defaulted to physical gratification.”

a wave of guilt settled over me, pressing heavier than the hangover.

“i remind you,” lana continued, “that i am always watching. and now that your grace period is over, the rules are reinstated, effective immediately.”

the silence that followed was thick and awkward. no one moved. no one spoke. we all just stared.

lana’s voice dropped just slightly in tone, carrying a sharper edge that made my stomach twist.

“you are all here to form real, genuine connections. ones built on trust, honesty, and emotional vulnerability… not lust, games, or manipulation.”

my eyes flicked instinctively to juyeon. he was too still. my heartbeat picked up, nerves crawling beneath my skin like ants. was she talking about us?

“and let me be perfectly clear,” lana continued. “if i begin to suspect that even one of you is here for the wrong reasons, there will be serious consequences. i will not tolerate dishonesty when the purpose of this retreat is to grow beyond superficial bonds.”

my mouth went dry. juyeon didn’t look at me, but i could feel the gap between us.

“now,” lana said, voice brightening, “breakfast is ready for you all. please head to the dining table to enjoy it. and after you’ve eaten, i have a surprise waiting. one that may change everything.”

the silence broke with a few awkward shuffles and sighs. but my head was spinning.

maybe… she already knew.

Chapter Text

everyone slowly filed toward the long dining table, the earlier tension muted by the rich smell of syrup and butter in the air.

the table was covered in towering platters of golden pancakes stacked high, crispy bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and flaky croissants still warm from the oven.

there were pitchers of fresh orange juice, coffee steaming in delicate white pots, and even small glass bowls filled with jams and whipped cream. a few gasps and mutters of excitement passed around as we took our seats.

sunghoon wasted no time, already shoving half a slice of buttered toast into his mouth. crumbs clung to the corners of his lips as he reached for another slice, eyes sparkling.

wonyoung, sitting beside him, laughed softly and leaned over to pour him a cup of coffee, the steam rising between them as she teasingly said, “slow down or you’ll choke.”

he gave her a crumb-filled grin in response, not slowing down one bit. the rest of us followed suit, the table quickly filling with the clinking of cutlery and soft laughs.

as i bit into a strawberry-drenched pancake, the murmurs around the table shifted from the food to lana’s promise.

“what do you think the surprise is?” liz asked, twirling a fork between her fingers. “another rule twist?”

“maybe she’s bringing in new people,” karina offered, raising an eyebrow. “that would shake things up.”

“or maybe she’s gonna start eliminating people,” sunghoon said with his mouth still half-full. “lana did not sound happy.”

“don’t say that!” wonyoung whined, clutching her coffee like it was a lifeline. “we just got here.”

chanhee glanced over at me, then at juyeon. “she said something about people being here for the wrong reasons. that felt… pointed.”

i stiffened, forcing a laugh. “you’re just being paranoid. she probably says that every other season.”

sunwoo smirked. “if it’s punishment, i just hope it’s not that bad. we didn’t even get started properly.”

eric elbowed him hard, blushing. “lana’s watching, remember?”

“well,” eunwoo said coolly, “whatever it is, it’s not gonna be good. surprises never are when they come after a lecture.”

everyone went quiet for a second, the sound of cutlery scraping against plates suddenly louder than ever.

sunwoo leaned back in his chair, stretching with a dramatic sigh.

“honestly, i hope it is another rule twist. maybe something that benefits couples who are already… physically close.” he shot a look at eric, who only rolled his eyes and sipped from his juice.

“you wish,” winter said with a laugh. “lana already gave us a free pass yesterday. i doubt she’s going soft again.”

“yeah,” gaeul chimed in. “if anything, she looked ready to revoke all privileges. we pushed it.”

wonyoung tilted her head, eyes flicking over to juyeon. “what do you think, juyeon? you’ve been quiet.”

juyeon wiped his mouth with a napkin, then gave one of his usual, unreadable smiles.

“i think lana doesn’t do anything without a reason. so if she gave us freedom yesterday and came back scolding us today… the surprise might be a test. to see who’s actually serious.”

his words hung in the air for a moment. my stomach turned.

younghoon leaned forward, brushing crumbs from his plate as he glanced between me and juyeon with a thoughtful look.

“i don’t know, but i seriously think you two might be the most solid couple here so far. even if it’s only been one night. you just… seem natural together.”

the rest of the table stirred with murmurs of agreement.

liz nodded, her mouth full of pancake. “yeah, you guys looked so comfortable last night. like, couple comfortable.”

karina smirked. “the little whispers didn’t go unnoticed, by the way.”

i felt my face heat up, my fork stalling in my hand as i fought to smile like i was in love.

juyeon didn’t miss a beat, however, he reached over and laced his fingers through mine, squeezing just enough to send a pulse of nerves through my chest.

“guess we’re just good at this,” he said smoothly in my ear while the others continued talking, eyes switching to me once he leaned back.

i nodded with another smile that felt almost too real. “yeah… i guess we are.”

juyeon leaned closer again, his thumb brushing the back of my hand in a way that made my heart skip.

“good at this?” he repeated, voice low enough that only i could really hear it. “hyunjae, i think we might be too good.”

the others continued eating and chatting, but i caught a glance from chanhee across the table, and suddenly i felt like i was being watched too closely.

he looked as if he could see the small cracks in our story. but before i could think too much into it, he looked away, seemingly embarrassed that i caught him staring.

wonyoung giggled as she sipped her juice.

“honestly, i thought for sure the strongest couple would be sunwoo and eric, but then you two went and gave us some cute little moments last night.”

sunwoo smirked. “hey, don’t count us out just yet. i’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

eric rolled his eyes but smiled faintly, clearly still cautious. “as long as they don’t involve me getting told off by lana again.”

younghoon chuckled, then looked back at me and juyeon.

“still, you two give off… ‘we knew each other before the show’ vibes. it kinda looks like this is just an extension of something that already existed.”

my throat felt dry. juyeon shot me a subtle look, like he was trying to read my reaction.

i forced a chuckle and shrugged. “maybe we’re just fast learners.”

juyeon tilted his head and smiled, eyes holding mine a second too long. “or maybe some things just come naturally.”

wonyoung let out a dreamy sigh. “ugh, that’s so cute. i want someone to look at me the way juyeon looks at hyunjae.”

sunghoon nudged her with a teasing grin. “you just want someone to pour your coffee and look good doing it.”

she grinned, tossing her hair dramatically. “exactly. is that so much to ask?”

i tried to keep my expression neutral, even as so many thoughts raced through my head. juyeon was looking at me. like i was the only one in the room again. it made my chest feel warm… maybe even exposed.

“seriously though,” karina chimed in from across the table, “if lana’s surprise has anything to do with voting or testing couples, you two might actually have an advantage. everyone already thinks so.”

juyeon laughed softly and leaned into my shoulder like we were sharing a private joke. “we’re so convincing, right?”

i smiled, but there was a pinch in my gut.

before i could respond, eric mumbled, “let’s just hope it’s not a challenge. i’m still sore from yesterday.”

sunwoo raised a brow and gave him a flirty grin. “sore? from the water gun fight? that all you’re calling it now?”

eric turned crimson and elbowed him under the table as everyone burst into laughter. even i laughed, letting the tension ease just a little, until juyeon’s hand settled low on my back again, his fingers burning like a brand.

pretend. it was all pretend.

as the laughter died down and plates were scraped clean, the morning sun filtered lazily through the wide cabana doors. pancakes disappeared, fruit platters were picked over, and the smell of fresh coffee lingered in the air.

“i’m gonna explode,” groaned chanhee, pushing back his plate and slumping in his seat. “if the surprise is a workout, i’m out.”

“i second that,” gaeul said, sipping her juice. “i didn’t come here to break a sweat unless it’s in the pool.”

sunwoo wiped his mouth and leaned back with a content sigh. “you’re all so dramatic. i say bring on the next twist, maybe we have to hand-feed each other next.”

eric shot him a look, but there was a small smile behind it. “please stop talking.”

“okay, okay,” eunwoo interjected, cool and composed as always. “what if it’s a proper couple challenge? something more… emotional.”

“oh god, crying before noon?” liz muttered, rolling her eyes. “can’t we just have a good time?”

before anyone could say more, lana’s voice rang crisply from the speakers above us. “good morning again, everyone. i hope breakfast was to your satisfaction.”

a collective “yes” and a few sarcastic claps followed.

“perfect,” lana continued. “now that you’re all fueled up, please gather in the cabana. i have something very special planned, and it starts right now.”

everyone glanced at each other.

“here we go,” younghoon muttered, standing up.

“bet it’s a lie detector,” juyeon whispered close to me as we walked side by side. i snorted, but the joke didn’t ease the nervous twist in my stomach.

what if it was something that could expose us?

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

we filed into the cabana one by one, the nervous laughter of some bouncing off of the walls.

the long white couch that wrapped around the space quickly filled, some still sipping the last of their coffee, others already whispering.

wonyoung curled up next to sunghoon, liz crossed her legs beside gaeul, and sunwoo practically draped himself over eric, who didn’t seem to mind, though his expression was unreadable.

i found myself wedged between juyeon and chanhee, and i could feel the tension ripping through my limbs. juyeon’s thigh brushed mine casually, but it felt heavy.

all eyes looked toward the cone in the middle of the table as lana’s signature violet light flickered, the room falling into a hush. the surprise was coming, and none of us were ready.

sunwoo leaned forward, raising an eyebrow as he smirked at the cone.

“okay, lana, i’ve waited long enough. what’s this big surprise you’ve got for us?”

before he could say more, lana’s perfectly polished voice interrupted him with a calm hum.

“patience, sunwoo. i said i had a surprise, not that i’d hand it to you first thing in the morning.”

groans echoed from around the cabana, and sunwoo pouted dramatically as eric nudged him with a laugh.

“told you not to get your hopes up,” he teased.

lana continued, unbothered by the complaints.

“but what i do have for you right now is your first relationship-building challenge. this will require you to choose a partner and work together to form a deeper connection, so choose wisely.”

there were exchanged glances and raised eyebrows all around us. i felt juyeon move beside me, and i didn’t even need to look to know he was probably smirking.

“and the surprise,” lana added, “will come later. much later.”

“aww, come on!” younghoon whined, but the overall energy remained high.

despite the tease, everyone seemed eager to get into the challenge.

yujin rolled her eyes so hard i thought they might get stuck.

“of course the ‘surprise’ is delayed. why even bother hyping it up, lana? you just love dangling things in front of us like we’re idiots.”

gasps broke out from a few people, and eunwoo gently put a hand on yujin’s arm as if to calm her, but it didn’t seem to work. she was in full snark mode now.

lana’s voice, however, cut through the air like ice.

“yujin,” she said sharply. “if you’re not here to follow the process, you’re free to leave the villa at any time. this retreat is about forming real connections, not spreading negativity.”

that shut yujin up for a moment. she crossed her arms, looking away with a scoff as winter and liz exchanged wary glances.

lana didn’t miss a beat.

“now, all of you, head to the beach. your first relationship-building challenge begins in just a few minutes. i suggest you use the time wisely. you’ll need more than attitude to succeed.”

juyeon nudged me with his elbow, muttering under his breath with a smirk, “yikes. someone’s not making it to the favourites list.”

i bit back a laugh as we all got up, everyone still filled with anticipation (except yujin).

sunwoo slung an arm lazily over eric’s shoulders, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

“damn, lana really said ‘get in line or get out.’ kinda hot, not gonna lie.”

eric rolled his eyes but leaned into him with a small smile. “please don’t say shit like that while she’s probably still listening.”

“i’m always listening,” lana’s voice chimed from the speaker hidden in the cabana wall, startling a few of us into laughter.

juyeon leaned in close to me again as we started walking, his voice low and teasing. “guess we better be extra convincing today. wouldn’t want lana thinking we’re not the real deal.”

i swallowed, suddenly reminded of the stakes again. “right. let’s sell it.”

up ahead, karina linked arms with winter and called over her shoulder, “everyone better bring their a-game! i’m not losing to any of you.”

liz scoffed, tossing her hair. “you’re already losing, karina. to me.”

“keep dreaming!” karina yelled back, laughing.

gaeul jogged to catch up with younghoon and chanhee, the three of them falling into step with easy chatter. the mood had lightened again, and as we approached the path to the beach, the ocean breeze began to carry the tension away… for a bit.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

the sand was warm beneath our feet as we finally reached the beach, the waves gently crashing in the background as everyone began pairing off for the challenge.

some held hands, others exchanged teasing glances, but all of us were excited. just as lana’s voice crackled through the speaker again to remind us to get into position, a figure stepped out from behind one of the large sun beds.

at first, we thought it was just another producer, until the sunlight hit her face, and chaos broke out. gasps and shrieks filled the air as we all realized it was kim taeyeon, one of the members of girls’ generation.

wonyoung’s hands flew to her face in shock, sunwoo screamed something unintelligible, and even karina looked like she might faint.

“no fucking way!” liz cried, grabbing onto gaeul’s arm.

taeyeon just smiled coolly, waving as if we weren’t all losing our minds.

she gave a small, radiant smile as the group settled into silence, the kind that only a celebrity like her could cause. she took a slow look around, letting the moment linger, before speaking up.

“hi, everyone,” she said warmly, giving a polite wave. “i’m taeyeon. it’s so nice to meet all of you.”

wonyoung let out a soft squeak, still hiding her face in her hands. taeyeon laughed gently and tilted her head.

“wonyoung-ah! it’s been a while,” she called out, giving her a more personal wave.

wonyoung dropped her hands, eyes wide. “taeyeon?! i—i didn’t know you were gonna be here!”

“you didn’t think i’d come support you in something like this?” taeyeon teased, grinning. “you’ve grown up so much.”

the rest of the contestants looked between the two with wide eyes, whispering amongst themselves.

“you two know each other?” karina asked, genuinely stunned.

“she’s been a mentor to me since i blew up,” wonyoung said, still looking starstruck.

sunwoo leaned toward eric. “bro. we’re literally in the same space as taeyeon. how is this real?”

“this is fucking crazy.” eric whispered back.

taeyeon stepped forward, her expression turning into something gentler, more serious. the breeze swept her hair as she clasped her hands together in front of her.

“i’m not just here to say hello,” she said. “i’ve been invited to guide you all through your very first relationship workshop. it’s called rebirthing.”

everyone went quiet again, curiosity painted across their faces.

“this challenge is about vulnerability,” she continued. “you’ll be given markers, and each of you will write hurtful words or phrases that others have called you, words that left a mark, emotionally. things you’ve internalised, things that have stuck with you for too long.”

i saw people shift on their feet uncomfortably at that, glancing at each other.

“once you’ve written those words,” taeyeon said, “you’ll sit down with your partner, the person you’re exploring a connection with, and you’ll have the opportunity to explain where those words came from. why they hurt. and what they meant to you.”

her gaze swept over the group, soft but unwavering.

“this is about building emotional trust, real understanding. you don’t have to share everything,” she added gently. “but the more you open up, the more you’ll get out of this.”

juyeon glanced at me, brows raised slightly. sunwoo looked unusually thoughtful. even yujin, who had spent the morning complaining, was quiet.

“it’s going to be tough,” taeyeon said finally. “but if you’re brave enough to be honest… you might leave this workshop seeing your partner in a completely new light.”

she gestured toward a table nearby, where a pile of colorful markers had already been laid out.

“let’s begin.”

everyone stood in a hush, the sound of waves crashing softly behind us as some began to walk toward the table.

i followed the others, juyeon right by my side. he didn’t say anything, just reached for a black marker and passed it to me before taking a red one for himself.

sunwoo was the first to speak, half-joking to ease the silence.

“damn, this feels like group therapy.”

eric rolled his eyes but smiled faintly. “you need it more than anyone.”

“trust me eric, i’ve already tried it.” sunwoo joked again, or maybe he wasn’t joking.

juyeon uncapped the marker and looked at me, then down at his own arm.

“i guess we’re really doing this.”

one by one, we started writing. i caught glimpses of what the others were scrawling across their arms, their chests, even legs.

wonyoung hesitated for a second before finally writing “ugly” on her collarbone. eunwoo scribbled “empty” on the inside of his wrist.

i pressed the tip of the marker to my forearm and paused. my chest felt tight.

juyeon noticed and leaned in, voice low. “you don’t have to rush. take your time.”

across from us, sunghoon furrowed his brow as he wrote “cold” on his neck. gaeul glanced around nervously, then wrote “desperate” on her thigh.

karina spoke up next, breaking the second round of silence.

“this is harder than i thought.”

“it’s weird seeing it out there,” winter murmured, tracing the word “stupid” across her ribcage. “like… it’s been echoing in my head for years, and now it’s just… ink.”

“louder on paper,” juyeon muttered beside me, still writing.

as i finally began to write “not enough” in shaky lines across my forearm, i noticed juyeon watching me, his expression unreadable yet again, but his hand gently grazing mine.

he moved beside me, pulling the hem of his shirt up a bit to get a better angle on his side. i watched as he carefully scrawled “too intense” near his ribs, his lips pressed into a thin line.

then, in thicker, messier strokes, he added “fake” across his chest. the irony stung, i wondered if it was just for the exercise or if it was something about what we were doing.

beside us, younghoon was trying to keep the mood light. he leaned back on his hands after writing “soft” and “doormat” on his forearms, then laughed a little too quickly.

“i mean, not wrong, right? i probably cried more than anyone last year.”

chanhee gave him a small, tight smile and nudged his shoulder gently.

“there’s nothing wrong with being soft. it means you feel things… it means you care.”

younghoon looked down at the words again, his smile faltering.

“yeah, but people don’t always say it like it’s a compliment.”

“well,” chanhee said softly, “they don’t matter. i do.”

the way younghoon’s eyes switched toward him was enough to say thank you.

around us, the others were getting quieter, more focused.

sunwoo had stopped making jokes. he was hunched over, writing “reckless” and “heartless” on his thighs. eric sat across from him, holding his breath.

i looked down at my own arm again, the word “not enough” staring back at me.

i didn’t even notice how tightly i was gripping the marker until my knuckles turned white.

the word “liar” had just joined the collection. “boring,” “plain,” “second choice,” and now this. my breathing was getting shallow, the rush of the sea suddenly drowned beneath the pounding in my ears.

i didn’t know where to stop.

“hyunjae,” juyeon’s voice cut through, low and steady. he reached out, his fingers curling gently around my wrist to stop me from writing another word. “hey. that’s enough.”

i blinked at him, my vision a little blurry. i didn’t realise how much i was shaking until he anchored me with both hands, one on my forearm and one against my chest.

“you don’t have to prove anything here,” he said, quieter now, his eyes locked on mine. “not to me. not to anyone.”

i glanced down at him, at the words on his skin.

“douchebag,” “arrogant,” “asshole,” “bastard.” they weren’t written small or tucked away. they were bold. visible. and yet, there was something in the way juyeon carried them, they didn’t own him. he’d taken them on.

“they said those things to you?” i asked, voice barely above a whisper.

he nodded slowly.

“people say a lot when they don’t know you. doesn’t mean they’re right.”

my gaze dropped to the ink on my own skin. i wanted to believe that. i really did.

“c’mere,” juyeon said, tugging me gently forward until our foreheads touched. “breathe with me, yeah?”

and i did. with him there, i could.

sunwoo, who had been quietly teasing younghoon’s shaky handwriting, went completely silent again when he looked over at eric.

eric sat cross-legged in the sand, his marker trembling slightly as he wrote a word in careful letters across his collarbone: “weak.”

sunwoo’s brows furrowed.

“what the fuck…” he muttered, stepping closer. his eyes moved over the other words eric had written… “try-hard,” “too dumb,” “too emotional,” “clingy.”

“eric,” he said, voice low and unusually serious, “who said this shit to you?”

eric didn’t look up.

he gave a shrug, trying to play it off, but his voice cracked a little when he said, “people. online. at school. even some people i thought were friends.”

sunwoo crouched down in front of him, his expression unreadable for a second.

then a flash of guilt crossed his face.

“that’s all bullshit,” he said softly. “you’re not any of those things. you’re… hell, you’re the strongest person here.”

eric finally looked up at him, lips twitching slightly. “you didn’t think that yesterday when i cried over you.”

“exactly,” sunwoo replied, his tone sharper now. “you felt something. that doesn’t make you weak. it makes you real. i wish i could do that.”

there was a beat of silence before eric blinked, eyes shining.

“you really think that?”

sunwoo nodded. “yeah. and anyone who said otherwise? they don’t know what they’re talking about.”

a few feet away, karina glanced over at them and smiled softly.

“this is what this challenge is for,” she said to winter. “not just to write the words… but to rewrite what they mean.”

everyone continued. even yujin, who had rolled her eyes earlier, now sat beside eunwoo, silently writing “bitch” on the inside of her arm.

across the sand, younghoon wrapped an arm around chanhee’s shoulders after chanhee wiped away a stray tear. liz reached out and gently squeezed gaeul’s hand, whispering something too quiet to catch.

taeyeon’s voice rang clear over the soft crashing of the waves behind her, her expression warm but serious.

“now that you’ve faced these words,” she said, “it’s time to let go of the power they’ve had over you. wash them away. cleanse the feelings that they left behind. run into the sea and let it all go.”

for a beat, no one moved. then juyeon reached for my hand, no hesitation, no smirk, just quiet certainty. his fingers slipped between mine with ease, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“ready?” he asked, glancing sideways at me with a small smile.

i nodded. “yeah. let’s go.”

a series of shouts and laughter followed as the entire group suddenly broke into a run toward the shoreline.

gaeul and liz linked arms, shouting excitedly, while sunwoo sprinted ahead, yelling something incomprehensible back at eric, who was laughing breathlessly behind him. wonyoung grabbed sunghoon’s wrist and dragged him forward with a grin, and yujin, though still a little stiff, joined the rest of us with eunwoo close behind.

as we hit the water, the coldness shocked my skin but the adrenaline dulled it quickly.

juyeon didn’t let go of my hand even as the waves splashed up to our waists. everyone around us began scrubbing at their arms and torsos, wiping away the marker stains.

juyeon turned to me, water dripping from his jaw, and said, “there. gone.”

i looked down at the words i had written now melting into the sea, dissolving into nothing. the salt stung, but it felt like something i needed. a release.

“it doesn’t define you,” he added, still holding on to me. “none of it ever did.”

around us, laughter was loud, water splashing as people dunked each other under or fell back into the waves. we were lighter, washed clean, if only a little.

i started to wonder if maybe something real could come out of this.

as we all trudged out of the water, soaked and dripping with sea salt and sunlight, a quiet kind of peace settled over us. it was all just soft smiles and tired eyes.

“that was… actually kind of amazing,” karina murmured as she wrung out her hair, glancing over at winter, who nodded in agreement.

“i didn’t expect to cry,” liz said, laughing weakly as gaeul wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “but i think i needed that.”

“same,” sunwoo admitted, rubbing at his bare arms where his own words had been just minutes ago. “i mean, i’m still sexy, but… emotionally cleansed now.”

eric snorted, nudging him with an elbow. “you’re such a dork.”

“taeyeon,” wonyoung called out, waving enthusiastically as the singer smiled from where she stood near a white golf cart. “thank you!”

everyone chimed in, voices overlapping in gratitude. “thank you, taeyeon!” “that was beautiful!” “you’re amazing!”

taeyeon gave a graceful wave, her smile genuine as she stepped into the cart.

“take care of yourselves,” she said. “and remember, you’re not what they called you.”

with that, she drove off down the beach, the breeze catching her hair as she disappeared from sight.

we barely had a second to process the moment before lana’s familiar voice chimed in from a nearby speaker.

“contestants, please make your way back to the cabana. my surprise is ready, and i can’t wait to see your reactions.”

sunghoon sighed. “every time i think we can relax…”

“let’s just go before she punishes us for dragging our feet,” younghoon said, leading the way as we all turned and made our way back up the sand, anticipation already filling us up again.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

everyone filed into the cabana, still damp from the sea and worn out from the workshop.

we settled onto the long, cushioned couch and lounge chairs scattered across the space, some draping towels over their shoulders, others still in their swimsuits.

sunwoo sprawled out next to eric again, who sat more stiffly than usual, while wonyoung perched on the edge beside sunghoon, brushing wet hair off her face.

i found myself next to juyeon again, our knees just barely touching. everyone exchanged glances, waiting, some eagerly, others nervously, for the announcement.

lana’s voice came through the speakers again, calm and precise as ever, but carrying a weight that made the air around us still.

“contestants,” she said, “a new bombshell has just arrived at the villa.”

the room erupted. gasps, excited murmurs, and a few groans rippled through the room.

i felt my chest tighten, and i wasn’t even sure why, maybe it was the idea of someone new coming in to shake things up, or maybe it was the way juyeon’s knee brushed against mine under the cushion.

“they’ve been watching you all since the moment you arrived,” lana continued, “and they’ve already chosen one of you to go on a first date with.”

someone cursed under their breath. sunwoo muttered, “you’ve gotta be kidding me,” while karina clutched at winter’s arm, eyes wide. i swallowed hard, watching everyone’s reactions. we all looked around, like we were waiting for someone to pull the pin on a grenade.

lana’s voice echoed one last time through the cabana.

“the new bombshell has chosen to go on their first date with… sunghoon. please head outside. a golf cart is waiting to take you to your date location.”

the silence that followed was thick, almost stunned. my eyes darted to wonyoung, whose smile immediately faltered. she blinked rapidly, her posture stiffening as sunghoon slowly stood up from the couch, looking just as stunned as the rest of us.

“wait… what?” wonyoung finally said, her voice slightly higher than usual. “with sunghoon?”

sunghoon glanced down at her, a bit sheepishly.

“uh… yeah. didn’t expect that.”

“you going?” sunwoo asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly entertained.

“i mean, i guess i have to,” sunghoon replied, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “it’s just a date.”

wonyoung tried to mask her reaction, but her fingers clutched the edge of the couch cushion a little tighter.

“yeah… just a date,” she echoed, though her tone said otherwise.

karina leaned closer to winter and whispered something i couldn’t hear, while eric threw me a quick glance, probably to check if i was as caught off guard as he was. i was.

sunghoon offered wonyoung a small smile, then made his way toward the door. “i’ll see you guys in a bit, i guess.”

and with that, he was gone, the golf cart engine starting in the distance.

sunwoo let out a low whistle, leaning back into the cushions with a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“shit, they’re not wasting any time, huh? bombshell walks in and already stealing someone away.”

karina shot him a look. “sunwoo, seriously?”

“what?” he said, holding up his hands. “i’m just saying, this is exactly the kind of drama lana wants.”

“no one’s arguing that,” chanhee said gently, “but it’s still kind of messed up. wonyoung and sunghoon were really getting close last night. even if it’s early, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck.”

i glanced at wonyoung. she was doing her best to keep her expression neutral, but the stiffness in her shoulders and the way she kept pressing her lips together said enough.

to everyone’s surprise, it was yujin who spoke next.

“that really sucks, wony,” she said, her voice surprisingly soft. “you don’t deserve that kind of shake-up. not when you’ve been genuine from the start.”

the room went silent for a beat. even sunwoo blinked at her.

“…what?” she said, shrugging at the stunned faces. “i can be supportive.”

eric leaned forward. “okay, who are you and what have you done with yujin?”

yujin rolled her eyes but cracked a small smile.

“don’t get used to it. i just hate seeing her look like that.”

wonyoung gave her a grateful, if still confused, smile.

“thanks, yujin… seriously.”

juyeon gave wonyoung a reassuring pat on the knee.

“maybe it’s just a test. if it’s meant to be, sunghoon will come back from that date knowing exactly who he wants.”

i nodded slowly, my eyes glancing at the door sunghoon had disappeared through. i couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get a lot more complicated.

liz stood up and clapped her hands together.

“alright,” she said brightly, “how about us girls grab some mocktails and go have a little gossip session?”

karina smirked. “you just want to pry for couple updates.”

“and you don’t?” liz shot back with a wink. that made everyone laugh, even yujin, who surprisingly agreed with a nod and followed them out.

at the same time, winter turned to sunwoo with a mischievous grin.

“rematch. table tennis. you and me. let’s go.”

sunwoo blinked. “you sure? i didn’t know you enjoyed losing so much.”

“oh please,” she scoffed. “you barely scraped by last time.”

“eric-ah,” sunwoo said, grabbing eric’s hand. “you’re my lucky charm. let’s go destroy her.”

eric rolled his eyes but followed anyway, clearly amused.

eunwoo, who’d been quietly watching, turned to chanhee with a boyish smile.

“hey, i was thinking… want to help me make ice cream for everyone? i found an old recipe book in the kitchen and i heard that you’re a good cook.”

chanhee lit up. “only if i get to choose the flavors.”

“you drive a hard bargain,” eunwoo chuckled, leading him away.

that left me, juyeon, and younghoon standing there in the middle of the cabana, the room now much quieter.

juyeon turned to us and stretched his arms over his head, his shirt riding up slightly.

“well… feels like we’ve been ditched.”

younghoon looked between us and grinned. “pool?”

“pool,” juyeon and i said in unison.

so we walked out together, slipping into the afternoon sun. the heat clung to our skin as we padded across the deck, the glimmering water waiting for us. i tried not to think about how strange it felt, just the three of us now, after such a chaotic morning.

but as juyeon glanced over at me with that small, unreadable smile, i wondered if the calm was about to be just as chaotic.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

we kicked off our shoes and left them by the edge.

younghoon was the first to jump in, creating a splash that hit both juyeon and me. juyeon laughed, glanced at me with a playful look, then took a running jump, cannonballing in right after him. i hesitated for a moment, watching them resurface, their hair slicked back and eyes squinting against the sunlight as they called for me to join.

i finally gave in, stepping to the edge and diving in, the cool water rushing over my skin. we surfaced, treading water and laughing, all of us floating closer to the center where the sun hit hardest.

juyeon floated closer to me, his arm brushing against mine as he gave me that lopsided grin.

“you know,” he said, voice low and teasing, “i think i like you even more when you’re half-drenched and sun-kissed like this.”

i rolled my eyes, but i couldn’t help the slight smile tugging at my lips. “do you ever stop flirting?”

“not when you keep looking this good,” he replied, unabashed.

from a few feet away, younghoon splashed water in our direction.

“okay, wow. i’m right here, you know? i’m starting to feel like a third wheel.”

juyeon turned to him with a cheeky grin.

“then come join us. we don’t mind threesomes.”

younghoon recoiled, wading back. “absolutely not. i’m leaving this pool immediately.”

i scoffed, flicking water at juyeon’s face. “please shut the fuck up.”

juyeon only winked. “and yet, here you are, still next to me.”

i shook my head, trying to fight the heat rising in my cheeks that i could easily blame on the sun.

“you’re relentless,” i muttered, leaning back into the water as it lapped softly at my shoulders.

juyeon moved in again, just enough that his voice dropped to something softer, almost sincere.

“maybe i just know what i want.”

younghoon let out a groan from across the pool.

“seriously, how am i supposed to relax when you two sound like horndogs?”

i laughed, grateful for the break in tension. “you’re the one who chose to come to the pool with us. you knew exactly what you were walking into.”

younghoon leaned against the edge of the pool.

“yeah, well, remind me next time to hang out with people who aren’t eye-fucking each other.”

juyeon smirked and raised a brow. “so you admit we’ve got good chemistry?”

“you’d have to be blind not to see it,” younghoon said, rolling his eyes. “just don’t do anything while i’m trying to relax, thanks.”

i ducked my head under the water briefly to hide my laugh. when i came back up, juyeon was still looking at me. this time not with his usual teasing smirk, but something gentler. it caught me off guard.

younghoon, thankfully, didn’t seem to notice as he closed his eyes and let the sun soak into his skin.

juyeon, however, still didn’t look away.

he finally tore his gaze away from me and stretched his arms across the pool’s edge, sighing.

“with all the stuff lana said this morning, i’ve been thinking about the rules more seriously.”

younghoon cracked one eye open. “the no physical intimacy thing?”

“yeah,” juyeon replied. “i mean, the rules are effective now. and she made it sound like she’s just watching, waiting for us to screw up in some bigger way.”

i floated closer, letting the cool water carry me.

“you’re not wrong. she basically said if anyone’s here for the wrong reasons, there’ll be consequences. that felt… directed.”

younghoon gave me a sideways look. “you nervous about that?”

i hesitated. “i think we all should be. she’s clearly testing us.”

“she’s definitely testing me,” juyeon muttered, barely loud enough to hear.

“what was that?” younghoon asked.

juyeon shook his head with a half-smile.

“nothing. just wondering how far we can really go before she changes things up again.”

younghoon snorted. “if the next twist is a lie detector, i’m leaving and never coming back.”

i chuckled, but i couldn’t shake the heavy thought hanging in the back of my mind, if lana found out that juyeon and i weren’t actually falling for each other… we’d be in deep trouble.

“so…” i changed the subject. “how’re things with you and chanhee, younghoon?”

younghoon tilted his head back against the pool’s ledge, water beading down his temples.

“things with chanhee are… nice,” he said after a moment, a soft smile pulling at his lips. “he’s sweet. surprisingly demanding, too. keeps me on my toes.”

juyeon smirked. “you sound smitten already.”

younghoon raised a brow. “and you sound jealous.”

“not at all,” juyeon shot back, then shifted slightly in the water so his shoulder brushed against mine. “i’m more focused on things with hyunjae, anyway.”

i turned to him slowly, catching the way his eyes sparkled, playful,, but there was something polished beneath it, too. smooth. rehearsed.

“we’ve got a good thing going,” juyeon continued, addressing younghoon but keeping his gaze on me. “great chemistry, lots of trust, and it just feels easy, you know? like… we get each other without trying too hard.”

younghoon hummed in agreement. “you do look pretty in it already. kinda crazy for day two.”

i forced another laugh, even as a cold realization settled in my chest. if i hadn’t known the truth, i would’ve believed him.

he was really good at lying. good enough to make me forget it was a lie in the first place.

the silence that followed felt heavier than it should’ve. because younghoon had something real. and we were still pretending.

i gave a half-smile, trying not to let the feeling of unease show on my face.

“yeah, well… it helps that juyeon’s such a charmer,” i said, aiming for casual, but my voice came out a bit flatter than i wanted.

juyeon chuckled and bumped my arm gently with his. “you make it sound like i’m running game or something.”

younghoon raised an eyebrow.

“aren’t you?” he teased, laughing when juyeon splashed water at him in response.

juyeon turned back to me, grin still on his face, but there was a glint of something else behind his eyes, like he knew i was thinking too much.

“seriously, though. i’m glad we’re doing this together,” he said, voice dipping into something softer. “it’s nice having someone who’s always got your back.”

the words were sweet but they made me nervous.

“you’re good at this,” i murmured quietly so that younghoon couldn’t hear, watching him closely.

he tilted his head.

“good at what?” he whispered back.

“selling it.”

he paused, then leaned in, so close i could feel the warmth of his breath.

“only because it doesn’t feel like a lie when i’m with you.” he replied jokingly.

i wanted to laugh it off, to roll my eyes or splash water in his face like younghoon had done. but instead, i just looked at him, even though i knew it was a joke.

younghoon, oblivious to what we’d just said to each other, let out a low whistle.

“shit. you two are seriously flirting right in front of me again?”

me and juyeon both laughed as he leaned away from me, slicking his hair back before kneeling so that he stood deeper in the water.

juyeon laughed under his breath at younghoon’s comment and following younghoon’s suit by leaning against the edge, stretching his arms along the tiled rim.

“alright, so let’s talk couples,” he said, voice light but playful. “aside from us, obviously—”

“obviously,” i echoed dryly, even as my lips twitched.

“who do we think’s gonna make it past the week?” juyeon continued, glancing between me and younghoon. “i mean, sunwoo and eric have chemistry, sure, but do they actually like each other?”

younghoon shook his head, water dripping from his bangs.

“sunwoo’s treating this like a summer fling. eric’s way more invested. that’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

“agreed,” i said. “eric’s got feelings. sunwoo’s got… i don’t really know what he has.”

i looked between juyeon and younghoon, the weight of the water pressing softly against my chest as i floated.

“did either of you notice that eric was upset with sunwoo earlier?” i asked, keeping my voice low despite the fact that we were alone. “he came to chanhee and me right after he talked to sunwoo near the sun beds. said he didn’t know if sunwoo was actually serious about him or just playing around.”

younghoon’s brows knit together.

“seriously? i mean… i noticed he was off, but i didn’t know it was like that.”

“they seemed a bit tense at the party too,” i continued, thinking back to the way eric had flinched away from sunwoo’s flirting. “like eric wasn’t really having fun with him. at least, not the way he was earlier.”

juyeon tilted his head, thinking.

“i don’t know,” he said slowly. “i saw them near the end of the night, basically glued to each other. sunwoo had eric all up in his lap, and they were making out as if nothing else mattered.”

“that was because everyone was drunk,” younghoon cut in, shaking his head. “you could’ve told eric the sky was green and he would’ve cried or kissed someone. or both.”

i gave a soft laugh despite myself.

“true. but still… it’s weird. i can’t tell if sunwoo’s actually into him or if he’s just doing whatever feels good in the moment.”

juyeon shrugged. “that’s the thing with him. he’s unpredictable. charming as fuck but reckless.”

younghoon looked toward the shore. “i just hope eric doesn’t get hurt. he doesn’t seem like he’s… built for games.”

juyeon grinned. “then there’s eunwoo and yujin. that’s just chaos wrapped in silk.”

i laughed. “yujin’s like a walking landmine. honestly, i’m surprised they didn’t argue already.”

“you think she’s into him?” younghoon asked, squinting toward the villa. “or is she just doing it out of boredom?”

“little of both,” juyeon mused. “but it’s not love. not even lust. it’s just something to do.”

younghoon splashed a bit of water toward the shallow end and sighed.

“yesterday was… insane,” he muttered, glancing at me and juyeon. “i feel like we went through a whole season of this show in one night.”

i huffed out a laugh, rubbing water off my face.

“that fight between gaeul and yujin? i thought they were going to actually start throwing hands.”

“they almost did,” juyeon said with a low whistle. “gaeul had that look in her eye, and yujin’s hands were balled into fists.”

“they’ve been like that since we arrived,” younghoon added. “and the whole thing about gaeul talking to me before chanhee showed up? yujin didn’t need to say all that in front of everyone.”

“especially not after that much tequila,” i muttered.

“and let’s not forget karina and winter,” juyeon chimed in. “they were surprisingly fine with everything, but i saw them whispering a lot.”

younghoon raised an eyebrow. “you think something’s up with them?”

“i don’t know,” juyeon said. “they’re close. like, close close. but it’s hard to tell if it’s just best friends stuff.”

i leaned back, floating a little as the sun hit my face.

“this place is bring out the worst in people.”

“yeah,” juyeon added, throwing me a sideways look with a little grin. “that party last night felt like the beginning of the end.”

younghoon snorted. “or the beginning of something really shitty.”

we all went quiet for a moment, each of us replaying parts of the night in our heads. lana was definitely ready to watch everything unfold.

younghoon broke the silence, sighing heavily.

“i still can’t believe sunghoon got picked for that date. like, what are the chances?”

juyeon chuckled, flicking some water at him.

“it was so random. he was enjoying some toast one minute and next thing you know, he’s taken away by a bombshell.”

“wonyoung looked so thrown off,” i added, resting my arms on the edge beside younghoon. “i don’t think she was expecting that. even if it’s just been a day… it still stings, i guess.”

younghoon nodded slowly. “yeah, she definitely caught feelings fast. i mean, not like head-over-heels, but… enough for it to hit her pride.”

“sunghoon didn’t even look conflicted though,” juyeon pointed out with a raised brow. “he was all calm, like he was just going for a walk in the park.”

“that’s his whole thing though,” i said, smirking. “unbothered. it’s hard to tell what he’s actually thinking.”

younghoon looked between us. “do you think he’ll come back all distracted, or loyal?”

juyeon shrugged.

“depends on the bombshell. if they’re forward, he might not even look back. but if he’s already soft for wonyoung, he might just get through the date.”

“i guess we’ll find out soon enough,” i muttered, glancing up toward the villa. “i just hope this doesn’t spiral into some whole other drama.”

younghoon hummed in agreement. “you know what i still can’t wrap my head around? lana totally going in on yujin earlier. that was odd.”

“she deserved it, though,” juyeon said, slicking his wet hair back with both hands. “yujin has been coming for everyone lately. especially eric. the shit she said this morning? way out of line.”

i nodded.

“yeah, it’s like she was just waiting for an excuse to get angry. but after lana cut her off, she totally flipped. did you hear how nice she was to wonyoung when sunghoon left?”

younghoon raised an eyebrow. “i thought i was hearing things. like… yujin being supportive? that’s not the same girl who nearly threw hands at gaeul.”

“maybe lana’s warning got to her,” i said, trying to sound hopeful. “she looked kinda shaken after. she seemed… actually embarrassed.”

younghoon laughed.

“honestly, it was good. everything was getting too intense. maybe now people will start focusing on the actual point of this whole thing.”

“which is… falling in love?” juyeon teased with a wink in my direction.

i splashed a bit of water at him, smirking. “yeah. guess that’s better than arguing.”

“let’s see how long yujin’s new personality lasts,” younghoon said. “i’m giving her till dinner.”

juyeon stretched his arms behind his head, the water glistening on his skin.

“still, the drama’s been entertaining. this villa would be boring as fuck without the chaos.”

i raised an eyebrow at him. “you say that like you’re not one of the people causing half of it.”

younghoon laughed. “he’s got a point, juyeon. you’ve been stirring the pot since we got here. i’ve seen you whispering to everyone, are you planning something?”

juyeon only grinned, smug. “what can i say?”

i rolled my eyes, just as a familiar voice rang out.

“well, well, well,” lana’s voice chimed from the speakers hidden somewhere. “have you three been enjoying your little gossip session?”

we all froze for a moment before glancing at each other, sheepish.

“i take that as a yes,” lana continued, clearly enjoying herself. “glad you’re having fun, but i think it’s time you rejoin the rest of the group. everyone’s gathered at the cabana. the new bombshell is ready to meet you.”

“perfect timing,” juyeon muttered under his breath.

younghoon whistled low. “she really does hear everything.”

i shook my head, half-laughing, half-dreading whatever was coming next. “come on. let’s go see who’s about to change things again.”

we pulled ourselves out of the pool, dripping and still slightly tired from earlier, and headed toward the cabana.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

as the three of us walked into the cabana, the sound of chatter and excitement hit us instantly.

everyone was already gathered in a loose circle around someone new. he was shorter than most of the guys here, with delicate features, bright eyes, and a kind of effortless prettiness that instantly made him stand out.

sunwoo, of course, was already turned toward him, wearing his signature grin and leaning in far too close. sunghoon stood nearby too, surprisingly warm and open with the newcomer, but his hand subtly rested on the small of wonyoung’s back, sticking close to her.

the bombshell gave everyone a dazzling smile as we took our seats around him, his voice sweet and confident.

“hi everyone,” he said, waving a little. “i’m kim sunoo. i’m twenty-one, and i’m here to have some fun… and of course steal a few hearts.”

sunwoo leaned forward instantly, flashing that mischievous smile again.

“steal a few hearts, huh? you might want to start with mine, though i warn you, i don’t give it up easily.”

sunoo giggled, eyes twinkling. “i don’t mind a challenge. i’ve been told i’m very persuasive.”

“is that so?” sunwoo raised a brow, clearly intrigued. “we should see about that.”

i glanced over at eric, who was trying to act unbothered but was clearly tense, his eyes locked on sunwoo with a tight smile that didn’t reach his eyes. his fingers fidgeted in his lap, and even from across the room.

people started asking questions almost immediately, crowding in.

wonyoung asked first, all bright-eyed curiosity.

“so, sunoo, what do you look for in someone?”

sunoo leaned back against the cushions, thinking dramatically.

“charm. confidence. i like people who know what they want… and aren’t afraid to show it.”

juyeon raised his brows, smirking. “that sounds suspiciously like me.”

sunoo turned to him slowly, eyes glittering.

“oh, does it? i guess i’ll have to keep a closer eye on you then.” he trailed his eyes over juyeon’s figure.

i saw juyeon’s smirk twitch into something smug.

younghoon laughed, nudging chanhee playfully. “careful, he’s bold.”

sunoo gave him a look that was both teasing and deliberate.

“you’re not so bad yourself. you’ve got a nice jawline.”

a few people whistled at that, while younghoon let out a bashful laugh and shook his head. eric, meanwhile, looked like he was about to snap something in half.

karina leaned in then, grinning. “you’re very confident, sunoo.”

he only winked at that.

sunoo tilted his head slightly, his soft features lit with playful interest as he leaned a little closer to younghoon.

“you still haven’t told me your name,” he said with a coy smile. “or are you trying to stay mysterious on purpose?”

younghoon blinked, caught off guard, then gave a polite laugh. “oh—uh, i’m younghoon.”

“of course you are,” sunoo said, eyes scanning his face. “you look like a younghoon… tall, very handsome. it suits you.”

chanhee, sitting just beside younghoon, narrowed his eyes slightly and crossed his arms without saying anything. i could see younghoon fidget slightly in his seat, the corners of his mouth twitching into an awkward smile as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“haha, thanks. you’re… pretty forward.”

sunoo grinned like that was exactly the reaction he was hoping for.

“why waste time? we’re all here for the same reason, right?”

eunwoo raised a brow.

“some of us are here to survive without drama,” he muttered under his breath, just loud enough to be heard.

sunoo didn’t even flinch, he just batted his lashes. “i’m not just drama. but you’ll soon find out.”

sunoo’s eyes sparkled as he looked back at younghoon, still clearly enjoying himself.

“i’m just saying, if i had to pick someone right now, you’d be high on the list.” his voice dropped to a teasing murmur before he turned his gaze to me with a sudden change in tone, still playful, but noticeably gentler.

“and you,” he said, flashing me a warm smile that didn’t feel as intense as the way he was eyeing younghoon earlier. “you’re really pretty. like… really pretty. what’s your name?”

i blinked, not expecting the compliment or the question.

“hyunjae,” i said slowly.

sunoo beamed. “of course it is. that suits you.”

i let out a soft laugh, my cheeks warm despite myself.

he sweetly smiled at me before turning back to younghoon, eyeing him up and down sharply.

chanhee leaned forward just slightly, his expression unreadable.

“you sure flirt with everyone,” he said, tone light but laced with something ugly underneath.

sunoo shrugged. “can you blame me? the casting team did so well.”

karina let out a low whistle, nudging yujin with her elbow.

yujin gave an amused scoff, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “bold and cute. such a great combo.”

liz chimed in next, raising her brows in playful admiration.

“respect. most people tiptoe around for a week before saying anything honest.”

sunoo laughed, tucking a piece of his glossy hair behind his ear.

“i mean, i don’t want to step on anybody’s toes,” he said brightly, eyes twinkling. “but i’m not going to pretend i don’t know what i want either.”

he let that hang in the air for a moment before continuing, “i came here to follow my heart. i won’t stop at anything or anyone to get closer to the person who makes it beat a little faster.”

there was a pause, everyone digesting that.

wonyoung shifted slightly in her seat beside sunghoon, her gaze flicking to him for just a second.

“damn,” sunwoo muttered, a grin spreading across his face. “i’m obsessed with the way he talks.”

sunoo turned his head back to younghoon with a sly smile, clearly not done.

“you have really nice eyes, by the way.” he said, casually brushing his shoulder against younghoon’s as he slid between him and chanhee on the couch.

younghoon let out an awkward chuckle, glancing at chanhee, who gave sunoo another polite but tight-lipped smile.

“uh… thanks,” younghoon mumbled, shifting slightly in his seat but not moving away.

sunoo leaned in just a little closer, batting his eyelashes slowly at younghoon.

before things could get more uncomfortable, gaeul clapped her hands once and piped up with forced enthusiasm, “so! how was the date with sunghoon? you two were gone for a while… spill!”

everyone turned toward sunoo and sunghoon, eager for a distraction and some new gossip. sunghoon just chuckled and leaned back into the cushions, casually draping an arm behind wonyoung. sunoo looked pleased with the attention but glanced once more at younghoon before answering.

“the date was cute,” he said, eyes twinkling. “sunghoon’s a gentleman, and the view was amazing. the ocean wasn’t bad either.”

a few people laughed at his cheeky comment, including sunghoon, who shook his head with a small smile.

“it was chill,” he added. “just talked and got to know each other. nothing too serious.”

wonyoung glanced at sunghoon briefly, her lips pressed together in a polite smile, but she didn’t say anything.

gaeul tilted her head.

“so… any sparks? or was it more like a getting to know each other thing?”

sunoo gave a dramatic shrug.

“i think the whole villa is a getting to know each other thing. i’m still figuring out who i feel the most drawn to. but i can’t lie….” he shot a smirk toward sunwoo and then briefly glanced back at younghoon, “…some of you are making that decision very difficult.”

winter leaned toward karina and whispered, not loud enough for anyone to hear.

sunoo just kept smiling like he was exactly where he wanted to be.

chanhee’s usual composed demeanor cracked just slightly as he leaned back, arms folded.

“bold is one thing,” he said with a tight-lipped smile, “but flirting with someone who’s clearly already got something going?”

the room fell into a hush, eyes switching between chanhee and sunoo. it was unexpected, chanhee seemed like someone who rarely got agitated, let alone with that kind of bite.

sunoo blinked, clearly surprised, but then his lips curled into a soft smile, unfazed.

“you’re too pretty to be nasty,” he said lightly, tilting his head as if trying to soften the tension. “but if that’s your version of a warm welcome, i’ll take it. i really do hope we can be friends, chanhee.”

chanhee didn’t respond right away. he looked away with a soft scoff, but i could see the hint of guilt settling into his expression. juyeon nudged my side lightly and whispered, “damn. didn’t think chanhee had claws.”

sunwoo leaned back with a grin, clearly enjoying the drama. “things just got a little more interesting,” he murmured.

younghoon shifted uncomfortably beside sunoo, his shoulders stiffening as sunoo practically pressed against his side. his eyes looked toward chanhee, who was now purposefully avoiding his gaze, lips pressed into a thin line.

“uh… thanks for the compliment earlier, sunoo,” younghoon said with an awkward chuckle, trying to keep the mood light. “but, uh, maybe give a guy some breathing room, yeah?”

he smiled politely, but it was clearly strained.

sunoo didn’t seem bothered.

“of course,” he said, scooting back just an inch. “didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

then he looked at chanhee again, softer this time.

“i really do hope we can start over, though. i’m not here to steal anyone, just trying to be honest with how i feel.”

younghoon cleared his throat and glanced between the two of them.

“maybe a fresh start’s a good idea,” he offered carefully, trying to defuse whatever tension still hung between them.

karina, ever the one to change the subject when things got too heated, clapped her hands.

“okay, enough brooding. let’s go back to the actual interesting bits, the date, sunoo?” she asked, giving him a pointed smile.

wonyoung nodded, subtly reaching for sunghoon’s hand. “yeah, was it everything you expected?”

all eyes turned to the two boys again.

sunghoon, sensing the tension, jumped in quickly. “it was a nice conversation. we talked about music, jobs… stuff like that.”

“totally,” sunoo added, “and he listened, which is rare these days.”

“sounds sweet,” liz chimed in, glancing between the three of them. “but sunghoon, you looked like you couldn’t wait to get back.”

sunghoon chuckled nervously. “well, i didn’t expect everyone to be so… invested in my absence.”

“wonyoung might’ve set a timer,” yujin muttered teasingly, making a few people laugh.

sunwoo, still lounging with a smirk, glanced at eric, who was noticeably quieter now.

“well, i’m just excited we’ve got some fresh chaos in the villa. it was getting a little too peaceful.”

sunoo raised a brow. “oh, don’t worry. i’ll make sure things stay interesting.”

that earned a few surprised looks, and karina laughed under her breath. “i don’t doubt that for a second.”

juyeon leaned over to hyunjae, voice low. “he’s kind of scary good at this, huh?”

i nodded slowly, my eyes flicking to sunoo, who was now making direct eye contact with nearly everyone in the room.

“yeah,” i murmured. “he didn’t come to play around.”

before anyone else could speak, lana’s voice rang out through the villa, unmistakably cheerful through the overhead speakers.

“contestants,” she said, cutting clean through the conversation. everyone looked up, a few instinctively straightening their posture. “i see you’ve gotten to know sunoo quite well already… a little too well, in some cases.”

that earned a round of laughs and a few playful groans, especially from sunwoo, causing eric to roll his eyes and turn away slightly.

“but,” lana continued, “i believe a proper welcome is in order. this evening, you’ll all be attending a special villa dinner where sunoo will get a formal introduction, and you’ll have the chance to spend quality time getting to know him, and each other, a little better.”

wonyoung clapped softly, visibly trying to remain calm, while sunghoon gave her hand a quick squeeze.

“yes!” sunoo beamed, turning to face the group. “now this is the kind of welcome i was hoping for.”

“i better wear something cute then,” karina said with a grin, nudging winter, who was already pulling a face as if thinking about her outfit.

yujin smirked. “you wore something cute yesterday, it’s my turn.”

i leaned into juyeon and quietly muttered, “this dinner’s going to be something.”

juyeon tilted his head toward me with a small smirk. “you mean more drama waiting to happen?”

“you say that like it’s a bad thing,” sunwoo chimed in, clearly having heard us.

lana’s voice returned once more, firm but amused, “you have a few hours to get ready. i’ll see you at dinner.”

the speaker clicked off.

“you heard her,” younghoon chuckled, stretching his arms. “time to dress to impress.”

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

the villa was filled with excitement as everyone scattered to get ready for the dinner party. i wandered back to the dorm, trying not to overthink everything.

in front of the mirror, i ran a hand through my hair, debating whether to dress up more than usual, after all, sunoo’s arrival had definitely shaken the villa. i could hear the girls laughing down the hall, the sound of hairdryers and thudding doors echoing faintly.

juyeon stood shirtless near the closet, casually flipping through his shirts.

i rolled my eyes at him, but a small part of me wasn’t entirely annoyed. everyone was bringing out their best looks, their best versions of themselves.

as i passed by the bathroom on the way to grab my perfume, i caught sunwoo leaning against the doorframe, pouting at eric, who stood firm with his arms crossed.

“come on, just one shower together,” sunwoo whined, dragging out the last word like a child. “it’s not even a real rule if we don’t touch anything!”

eric sighed, clearly exasperated but trying not to laugh.

“sunwoo, no. we’ll break a rule. lana will somehow know. she always knows.”

“but i’m literally just asking for water conservation! think about the planet,” sunwoo insisted, placing a hand over his chest.

from across the hall, juyeon stuck his head out of his room, raising a brow.

“wow, sunwoo. the desperation in your voice is louder than the shower water would be.”

eric snorted while trying to keep a straight face. “exactly. that’s why i’m showering alone.”

sunwoo groaned, turning to juyeon dramatically. “you don’t understand! this is a crisis.”

“yeah, and the real crisis is how down bad you are,” juyeon shot back, disappearing into the room with a smug laugh.

i couldn’t help but chuckle under my breath as i passed them both.

the sound of the water starting up in the bathroom was followed almost immediately by the sharp slam of the door. a beat passed, and then eric’s voice echoed through the villa.

“sunwoo! are you insane?! get out! this is not… sunwoo! i swear, if you touch me—”

juyeon burst into laughter from where he was standing near our bed, pulling on the cuffs of his sleeves with a shake of his head.

“that man always finds a way,” he said, still chuckling. “give sunwoo a locked door and he’ll pick it. give him a no, and he hears maybe.”

i walked back into the room, cologne bottle in hand, raising a brow at the chaos. “let me guess. sunwoo forced his way into the shower?”

juyeon smirked at me.

“he’s in. eric’s screaming like it’s the end of the world, and sunwoo’s probably just standing there doing nothing yet. yet.”

i rolled my eyes.

“i left for two minutes. how is it always this dramatic?”

“because it’s sunwoo,” juyeon said, nudging me gently. “you either fight the theatrics or you marry it.”

i laughed softly, glancing toward the bathroom door where muffled shouting continued.

“god help eric.”

“god help us all if lana finds out,” juyeon added, flashing a grin.

his eyes flicked over me, a slow smile curving on his lips.

“you look good,” he said, voice low and a little too smooth. “too good. if i didn’t know any better, i’d say you dressed up just for me.”

i scoffed, not giving him the satisfaction.

“please,” i muttered, nudging him with my elbow. “you wish.”

“oh, i know,” he shot back smugly, elbowing me right back. “but it’s cute how you pretend you’re not obsessed.”

that made me snort. “obsessed? you’ve actually lost it.”

before i could shove him again, juyeon grinned and lunged at me, and suddenly we were tangled in a playful scuffle, trying to outmuscle the other. i shoved at his shoulder, but he twisted, grabbing my wrists for a second before spinning me.

the next thing i knew, my back hit the wall, and he was right there in front of me, chest nearly brushing mine.

my breath caught for a second, not because it hurt, but because he was looking at me with that infuriating mix of amusement and something… different.

he tilted his head, smirk deepening. “you gonna keep pretending you don’t love this?”

juyeon didn’t move away right away. instead, he leaned in, close enough that i could feel his breath fan against my cheek, his eyes looking down to my lips just long enough to make my stomach twist.

and then, he smirked again and pulled back.

“relax,” he murmured, tone teasing. “i’m just messing with you.”

my face stayed neutral, but inside i felt something drop. of course he was.

i let out a short laugh, covering the sting.

“you’re such an asshole,” i said, rolling my eyes, pushing past him with more force than necessary.

but i still felt his nearness lingering on my skin.

juyeon chuckled under his breath as i brushed past him, but i could feel his eyes on me.

“you keep pushing me like that, and i’m gonna start thinking you actually like it when i mess with you,” he called out.

i turned back halfway, shooting him a look.

“in your dreams.”

he leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, that stupid smirk still playing on his lips.

“you are in my dreams, though.”

i scoffed, even as my stomach flipped again.

“gross,” i muttered, trying to focus on adjusting my collar in the mirror instead of the heat creeping up my neck.

juyeon stepped closer again, this time keeping a playful distance, his voice lower now, more teasing.

“come on, hyunjae. you’ve got to admit, we’re pretty good at this shit, huh?”

i met his gaze in the mirror.

“yeah,” i said, quieter. “too good, maybe.”

something flickered in his eyes, brief, unreadable, but then he grinned and ruffled my hair like i was a kid.

“then let’s keep putting on a good show.”

i swatted his hand away, but the ache in my chest didn’t go with it.

juyeon kept rambling behind me as i tried to fix my hair again, something about how good the food would be, and how he hoped it wasn’t going to be another mess.

but i wasn’t really listening. the words came out before i could stop them.

“you kissed me yesterday.”

the room went quiet. my eyes locked on my reflection, refusing to look back. juyeon didn’t say anything at first. i could feel him behind me, still.

then, “wait… what?”

i turned around slowly. he looked genuinely confused for a second, eyes blinking rapidly like he was trying to jog his memory. then it clicked. his brows lifted in recognition, and he let out a short, dry laugh.

“ohhh. that. yeah, i was drunk. we all were.”

he said it so easily. so carelessly.

“it didn’t matter, hyunjae. come on. it helped us, right? people are buying it,” he gave a small shrug, like it was nothing. “it was for the act.”

i didn’t respond right away. i just nodded like that explanation made sense. like it didn’t hurt just a little.

“right,” i said. “of course.”

juyeon stepped closer, his expression softening when he noticed the change in my tone.

“hey,” he said, quieter this time, “don’t get weird about it. you’re not catching feelings, are you?”

i rolled my eyes and forced out a laugh.

“relax. you’re not that irresistible.”

he grinned, the cocky version of him slipping right back into place.

“that’s debatable.”

i turned away, grabbing the perfume off the dresser just to give my hands something to do.

“it was just a kiss,” i muttered.

“exactly,” juyeon said, stretching his arms above his head like we hadn’t just treaded on something fragile. “a good one, if i may say. but nothing more.”

i gave a short nod, still facing away.

“right.”

there was a pause, and then he added, “but if you ever need another one… you know, for the others… i got you.”

i glanced at him through the mirror, and he winked like it was just another joke.

but it didn’t feel like a joke. not really.

i laughed under my breath, shaking my head as i sprayed the perfume onto my neck.

“you’re such an dickhead.”

juyeon flopped back on the bed behind me, arms stretched out, his voice casual.

“i’m serious though. we’re killing this couple thing. people are buying it. you heard them earlier, we’re the most solid pair.”

“yeah, because we’re both decent liars,” i said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “that’s all this is.”

he tilted his head toward me, still smiling, but something about his eyes was unreadable.

“exactly. that’s all.”

i swallowed, nodding slowly.

“besides,” he continued, rolling onto his side to face me, “we’ve got the money in the bag if we keep this up. a few kisses, a few cuddles… i mean, who else here’s got this kind of chemistry?”

i turned to look at him. “you really think we can fool them all the way to the end?”

he grinned. “i know we can.”

fuck, he made this feel a little too easy. a little too good.

so i smiled back and said, “then let’s win this shit.”

yujin barged into the room without knocking, as usual, muttering something under her breath. she made a beeline for her suitcase, flipping it open with a sigh.

“where the hell is my makeup bag?” she grumbled, tossing clothes around like a storm.

juyeon glanced at her lazily from where he was standing. “someone’s in a mood.”

“i wouldn’t be if i could actually find anything in this mess,” she snapped, still digging. then she glanced up and narrowed her eyes at the two of us. “what were you two doing in here, alone?”

i raised a brow. “talking?”

she snorted. “yeah, sure. talking. that’s why your cheeks are so pink.”

juyeon let out a loud, obnoxious laugh. “can’t help it. hyunjae gets so flustered when i flirt with him.”

i rolled my eyes. “it’s called being annoyed.”

yujin finally pulled out her makeup bag with a satisfied grunt and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

“whatever you say. just don’t start making out, okay? i’d rather not walk in on you two sucking face before dinner.”

juyeon winked at her. “no promises.”

she rolled her eyes but smirked as she walked out, calling over her shoulder, “fix your hair, hyunjae. you’ve got it written all over you.”

i groaned and flopped backward on the bed. “why does everyone think i’m the flustered one?”

juyeon leaned over me, smirking. “because you are.”

he didn’t move away. instead, he smirked wider and suddenly shifted his weight, pinning me down against the mattress behind us with both hands braced on either side of my head. i let out a surprised breath, glaring up at him, but there was no real heat behind it.

“you know,” he murmured, eyes flicking down to my lips before meeting my gaze again, “this is the part where we’d break a bunch of the rules.”

i scoffed, but i didn’t move either.

“good thing we’re not actually into each other, then.”

juyeon lowered his head just slightly, our noses almost touching now, his breath warm against my skin.

“yup. just acting.”

“exactly,” i said, my voice coming out lower than i intended.

his lips curled at the edges.

“so if i kissed you right now, it’d be for the cameras. nothing else.”

i swallowed.

“obviously.”

for a second, neither of us moved. we stared at each other, not blinking, not breathing, like we were daring the other to move.

his face was so close i could count every eyelash.

then juyeon leaned in just a hair more, before stopping, lips barely an inch from mine.

“tempting, huh?” he whispered.

“very,” i admitted.

he pushed himself up with a grin, the weight of him lifting off me.

“but we’re not actually gonna do that. right?”

he said it as if he was secretly searching for my approval.

i sat up slowly, brushing my hair back and forcing a casual shrug.

“mhm. totally.”

the door creaked open and winter stepped in, already mid-sentence.

“hey, i just need to grab—”

she stopped dead in her tracks, eyes landing on juyeon and me, still on the bed, a little too close, my shirt rumpled and juyeon wearing that lazy grin that probably made things look a lot worse than they were.

winter raised a brow, hand still on the doorknob.

“what exactly are you two doing?”

i straightened up immediately, brushing down my shirt like that could erase the tension still between us.

“nothing,” i said a little too fast.

“definitely looked like something,” she said, crossing her arms with a knowing smirk.

juyeon stretched his arms behind his head like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“we were just… talking,” he said coolly. “you know, getting to know each other more.”

winter let out a short laugh.

“right. that’s what we’re calling it now? because from here, it looked like you two were about to break a rule.”

i opened my mouth to respond, but juyeon beat me to it.

“please. you think we’d risk money for a little fun?”

winter rolled her eyes and walked past us to grab her perfume from the dresser.

“honestly, with the way you two keep looking at each other? i’m starting to think the money doesn’t even matter anymore.”

she shot us one last amused glance before turning to leave.

“just try not to get caught next time.”

and with that, she was gone, leaving juyeon and me staring after her in silence.

juyeon let out a laugh as the door clicked shut behind her.

he flopped back onto the bed, one hand behind his head like it was the funniest thing in the world.

“damn, imagine if she walked in two minutes earlier,” he joked, smirking over at me. “we really would’ve been caught mid-crime.”

i gave a soft laugh, forcing it out of my chest even though it didn’t quite reach my eyes.

“yeah.” i muttered, shifting to sit on the edge of the bed and pretending to find something interesting on the floor. i didn’t want him to see the look that might’ve slipped across my face.

he kept going, unaware. “honestly, you’re lucky that i came up with something quick...”

“yeah,” i said again, quieter this time. “you’re really good at it.”

he didn’t catch the edge in my voice, or maybe he did and chose to ignore it. either way, he was still smiling.

juyeon stood up, smoothing down the front of his shirt with a quick glance at the mirror.

“we should probably head to dinner before lana sends someone in to drag us out,” he said with a grin, brushing past me on his way to the door.

i stood up too, still feeling the aftershocks of that conversation.

before i could lose myself in it again, juyeon turned to face me, his hand already on the doorknob.

he paused, eyes scanning me from head to toe.

“you look pretty, by the way,” he said casually, as if he were commenting on the weather. but there was a glint in his eye. “i know i’ve said that a lot here but… i’m being serious.

my breath caught for a second before i masked it with a scoff.

“shut up.”

he laughed. “just telling the truth.”

and with that, he pulled the door open and stepped out into the hallway.

i followed him, heart pounding louder than it should’ve been over two stupid words and a smile that wasn’t supposed to mean anything.

but it did. to me, it did.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

as we arrived at the dinner setup near the beach, everyone slowly coming to a halt in front of it.

the long table was neatly arranged, draped in soft white linen, with dozens of candles flickering gently in the ocean breeze. string lights hung above us, casting a warm glow across everyone’s faces.

the sound of waves lapping against the shore added a calmness to the night. one by one, we slid into our seats, eyes wide.

when lana finally gave the signal, we all lifted the silver cloches in sync, revealing an array of dishes, seared scallops, truffle risotto, perfectly grilled vegetables, and delicate desserts that looked almost too good to eat. we all let out a collective gasp of excitement before digging in.

“i’m not even exaggerating,” sunwoo said with his mouth half full of risotto, “this might be the best thing i’ve ever eaten.”

“i second that,” liz chimed in, carefully slicing into her scallops. “this whole day has felt kind of surreal, honestly. i didn’t expect to cry and then laugh this much.”

“i can’t believe we ran into the ocean with taeyeon,” karina added, shaking her head in disbelief. “that’s definitely going to be something to remember.”

winter lifted her wine glass filled with sparkling mocktail.

“to emotional healing and good food.”

“to not getting yelled at by lana again today,” sunwoo added with a grin, raising his glass too. “a miracle.”

wonyoung smiled, nudging sunghoon beside her.

“i think today was really good. dramatic, but good. like… we all actually talked.”

“yeah,” younghoon said, glancing around the table. “for once, it felt less like a show and more like… a real group of people.”

juyeon caught my eye from across the table and added with a smirk, “let’s hope we can keep it that way, though with this cast, i doubt it’ll stay peaceful for long.”

everyone laughed, the warmth of the moment settling comfortably between them like a blanket.

sunoo leaned in a little closer to younghoon, flashing him a playful smile as he gently nudged his elbow.

“so, younghoon… you’re obviously getting to know chanhee, hm? are you keeping your options open, though?” his voice was sweet and teasing.

younghoon chuckled nervously, adjusting the napkin on his lap.

“uh… i mean, i’m not really sure to be honest…”

“that’s cute,” sunoo said, resting his chin on his hand. “but i think you definitely should be.”

younghoon blinked, unsure how to respond, but before the tension could linger too long, liz broke in from across the table.

“honestly, it’s weird how we’ve all bonded so fast. it’s only been two days, and i already feel like some of us are super close.”

“right?” karina nodded. “like, i didn’t think i’d get along with anyone this quickly, but here we are.”

wonyoung glanced over at sunghoon with a soft smile.

“it’s kind of scary but exciting. things change fast here.”

“i mean,” sunwoo cut in, smirking at eric across the table, “some of us are already in complicated shit. day two or not, it’s real.”

eric rolled his eyes but didn’t hide his smile.

“you make everything complicated.”

eunwoo lifted his glass slightly.

“still, i’ll admit it… i agree with karina, i didn’t expect to like anyone this much this soon.”

juyeon leaned back in his seat, eyes glancing toward me again.

“guess lana was right about something. the villa does get under your skin pretty fast.”

i forced a small smile, pretending not to feel the way juyeon’s words echoed a little too heavily in my chest.

“of course,” eunwoo continued. “especially with the rules and everything.”

juyeon raised an eyebrow, swirling the juice in his glass as he looked down the table toward sunwoo and eric.

“so…” he started, voice sly. “are we gonna talk about what happened in the shower, or are you two just gonna pretend nothing happened?”

everyone’s heads turned instantly. eric groaned, burying his face in his hands.

“juyeon—”

“no use hiding it now,” sunwoo said proudly, shooting juyeon a wink. “we may have… done a little something that would cost us some money.”

a few gasps sounded around the table. liz dropped her fork.

“are you serious?”

“you broke the rules already?” winter gaped, looking between the two of them like they’d grown horns.

“we didn’t mean to!” eric exclaimed quickly, cheeks flushed. “it just kind of… happened. he wouldn’t get out of the shower!”

sunwoo grinned shamelessly. “i warned you all i was irresistible.”

“you’re unbelievable,” gaeul muttered, shaking her head. “we’re literally on day two!”

“sunwoo!” younghoon scolded, half-laughing and half-disappointed. “you do realize we’re trying to win money, right?”

juyeon leaned back with a smirk.

“honestly, i respect it kind of respect it, but damn. lana’s gonna kill you.”

“let’s just hope she doesn’t announce it during dinner,” yujin mumbled, glancing around nervously like lana might suddenly appear as a person.

“she probably already knows,” eunwoo said under his breath. “she sees everything.”

i just watched the it all unfold quietly, glancing at juyeon who was clearly enjoying it.

winter’s voice cut through the noise, playful but sharp.

“well, if we’re talking about rule-breaking…” she leaned her chin on her hand, looking directly at me and juyeon across the table. “i did walk in on these two on the bed earlier. looked kinda intense.”

i nearly choked on my drink. juyeon just smirked.

“oh?” yujin perked up from a few seats away, her eyes gleaming. “that makes two of us. i came in right after and they looked like they had just sucked face and tried to play it off.”

a wave of oohs and gasps rolled around the table. all eyes turned to us. i could feel the heat rush to my cheeks as juyeon sighed, eyes half-lidded with feigned guilt.

“you didn’t,” sunwoo said, mouth half-full. “tell me you two didn’t.”

juyeon let the silence hang for a beat too long, and then sighed as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.

“do i have to answer that?” he said, dragging the words out teasingly, voice low.

everyone lost it. shouts filled the air. liz slapped the table and demanded answers while wonyoung gasped, asking if lana was going to fine us.

and me? i just stared at the candlelight dancing in my glass of water, trying not to look as thrown off as i felt. because juyeon was pretending like all of it was some big joke. and i couldn’t help but wonder if i was part of that joke too.

sunwoo leapt to his feet with a bark of laughter, running around the table to give juyeon a dramatic high five.

“no way!” sunwoo howled, and juyeon took the high five like he’d just won a prize.

eric looked torn between being appalled and amused, while karina pressed a hand to her chest.

“okay, wow. that was a lot.”

liz blinked in disbelief.

“so that was a confirmation?”

wonyoung crossed her arms, eyeing the two of us.

“messy.”

then gaeul, surprisingly calm, raised her voice over the chatter.

“alright, if anyone else has broken rules, now’s the time to say it. better to get it out before lana rips into us later on.”

everyone went quiet for a moment, the sea breeze brushing past our silence. all eyes suddenly darted between couples.

yujin rolled her eyes at the silence, clearly fed up with the theatrics.

“fine,” she said, flipping her hair over one shoulder. “if we’re doing this whole confessional thing, eunwoo and i broke a rule too.”

eunwoo turned red immediately, eyes wide, and looked like he’d rather sink into his chair. but yujin just smirked and nudged him with her elbow.

“what? don’t look so surprised. we were tipsy. he looked hot. i was bored.”

“you were beyond bored,” eunwoo mumbled, running a hand through his hair with a sheepish smile. “it was, like, a minute.”

“a minute too long,” karina muttered, sipping her drink.

“oh my god,” liz laughed, “you two were acting like the least likely pair to do anything.”

sunghoon whistled and dropped back into his seat.

“shit! everyone’s just breaking rules like there’s money growing on trees.”

“i mean, it’s only day two,” gaeul said, raising a brow. “are we even gonna have any money left by the end of the week?”

eric buried his face in his hands with a groan.

“lana’s gonna kill us.”

i sat quietly, watching as everyone reacted, eyes occasionally flicking to juyeon beside me, who still had that smirk on his face.

sunwoo dreamily sighed.

“but guys, come on,” he said, throwing an arm lazily around eric’s shoulder. “have you seen this eric? i didn’t stand a chance. it was either break a rule or pass out.”

eric groaned, face already flushed from the wine, but he didn’t move away.

“you tackled me into the shower, sunwoo.”

“and you let it happen,” sunwoo grinned, turning to the group. “tell me i’m wrong!”

juyeon laughed, drinking his juice lazily.

“i get it. you’re not the only one struggling out here.”

winter perked up.

“oh? so you’re finally admitting it?”

“i never denied it,” juyeon replied smoothly. “i mean, look at hyunjae. he walks around like he doesn’t know he’s the prettiest one in the villa.”

i rolled my eyes, but my cheeks betrayed me with the faintest warmth.

“you’re embarrassing.”

“i’m being honest,” juyeon said, throwing his hands up. “and hey, i might’ve gotten a little carried away—”

“a little?” karina cut in, eyebrow raised.

sunwoo burst out laughing. “see! he’s stepping up his game! i would high five you again but…. i can’t be bothered.”

juyeon chuckled and answered without hesitation.

“gotta keep up with you somehow.”

“you two are disgusting,” liz muttered, though she was smiling.

“you two are gonna cost us money,” wonyoung added, narrowing her eyes. “making a move is one thing, but don’t act like rule-breaking is some badge of honor.”

“she’s right,” chanhee said, arms crossed. “being into each other doesn’t mean you get to be reckless.”

sunwoo shrugged. “okay, okay, valid. but like… at least we’re being reckless together.”

juyeon raised his glass.

“to reckless romance.”

i groaned under my breath, unsure if i wanted to laugh, hide under the table, or kiss him again, which, ironically, i probably couldn’t do without lana blowing a fuse.

wonyoung shook her head at the toast but still raised her glass anyway, laughing softly.

“you guys are the worst, but fine, cheers to reckless romance.”

glasses clinked around the table, and a few rolled eyes were exchanged, but it was hard to stay annoyed when the food was that good. plates were already half-cleared, forks scraping gently as we all dug into our meals.

“so,” liz said, wiping her mouth with a napkin, “does anyone not want to break rules here? or are we just pretending this is a lawless villa now?”

karina chuckled. “i think some of us still have restraint. right, winter?”

winter hummed in agreement as she fixed her lipstick using a mirror.

“you’re all crazy,” chanhee muttered with a laugh, then turned to younghoon. “tell me we’re the sane ones.”

younghoon just smiled and sipped his drink.

“we’re definitely not.”

sunoo leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands.

“honestly, this has been the most entertaining dinner i’ve ever had. and also, like, weirdly romantic. is that just me?”

“it’s the candlelight,” juyeon said. “makes you feel like kissing people you shouldn’t.”

i shot him a glance, and he winked.

“you need to chill,” i muttered, but there was no bite in it. just a bit of heat i couldn’t hide.

by the time dessert platters were opened, tiny cakes and chocolate-covered fruit, everyone had relaxed back into their seats, stomachs full and laughter dying down into soft chatter. it felt like the perfect way to end the day.

as plates were pushed aside and chairs creaked back, everyone groaned about how full they were.

“i’m so full,” sunwoo mumbled, slouched so far in his seat it looked like he might slide under the table. “but i’m not that bothered, not when the food was that great.”

yujin patted her stomach.

“we need to walk this off. c’mon, eunwoo.”

eunwoo got up obediently, tossing a grin over his shoulder.

“stroll time, apparently.”

soon, everyone started peeling off, wonyoung tugged sunghoon away toward the shoreline, gauel and karina were walked down the wooden path toward the villa, and liz linked arms with winter, both of them giggling as they disappeared around the corner.

sunoo stood up and stretched, eyeing younghoon.

“walk with me?”

younghoon hesitated, just for a second.

“uh… sure.”

chanhee blinked, clearly confused, but didn’t say anything as younghoon followed sunoo down toward the beach, the waves catching bits of their conversation already drifting away on the breeze.

then juyeon stood, brushing off his pants and holding out a hand toward me with a crooked smile.

“wanna take a walk with me?”

i rolled my eyes, but took his hand anyway.

“let’s get it over with.”

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

the sand was soft beneath our feet, the tide gently lapping at the shore as we walked side by side in silence. the moon hung low above the ocean, making a silver path across the waves.

“nice night,” juyeon said eventually.

“it is,” i replied, glancing sideways at him.

his profile looked soft in the lighting, less cocky, almost sincere. i let myself imagine we weren’t pretending. then i blinked and looked ahead again.

“so,” juyeon said, bumping my shoulder lightly. “did i do well today? keeping up the act?”

there he was again, searching for my approval. it was beginning to become a pattern.

“you were a bastard,” i muttered, lips twitching. “but yeah… i think you had everyone convinced.”

he smirked, brushing his hand briefly against mine.

“including you?”

i didn’t answer. the sound of the waves filled the space between us.

juyeon slowed to a stop, turning to face me with that same infuriating smirk tugging at his lips. the breeze tousled his hair a little, and he leaned in just slightly, close enough that i could feel the heat of him.

“i kinda have to kiss you now,” he said casually.

i blinked.

“what?”

he grinned.

“i told the others we kissed, remember? at the table. gotta make it true.”

i scoffed, crossing my arms.

“you also implied that we did more than kiss. should we go ahead and tick that off the list too?”

juyeon laughed, tossing his head back.

“okay, touché. that one might be harder to do.”

i rolled my eyes, but couldn’t stop the smile tugging at my mouth.

“you’re unbelievable.”

“come on,” he said, inching even closer, voice dropping. “a kiss is probably like, what, fifty bucks? a hundred max? worth it for authenticity.”

i snorted, though my heart was hammering for reasons i refused to unpack.

“you really don’t care about the rules, do you?”

he grinned, shrugging.

“not when the stakes are this pretty.”

i couldn’t tell if he was joking.

juyeon’s hands slid smoothly onto my waist, fingers resting with an easy familiarity that sent a jolt up my spine. i froze for a second, caught between the warmth of his touch and the panic rising beneath my skin.

“juyeon…” i started, my voice low, uncertain. “maybe we shouldn’t…”

he tilted his head, eyes gleaming under the soft moonlight.

“why not?”

i laughed nervously, trying to step back, but his grip kept me grounded.

“because it’s just for show, remember? we’re pretending. and kissing again… kind of complicates things.”

he leaned in a little more, his voice just above a whisper.

“i think it helps the act. makes it believable. that’s the point, isn’t it?”

“i—” i hesitated, mouth suddenly dry. “you’re too close.”

he smiled, a little softer this time.

“then tell me to stop.”

but i didn’t.

and he knew i wouldn’t.

his lips met mine before i could say anything else.

it was slow, like the kiss at the party, he wasn’t in a rush. i let myself melt into it, the salty breeze brushing against my skin, the quiet lull of the waves behind us. his hands stayed warm at my waist, holding me like he meant it.

the weight of what we were doing hit me all at once.

i pulled back, gently pushing him off with a hand against his chest.

“okay,” i breathed out, trying to sound casual despite how fast my heart was racing. “that’s enough. if we full-on make out, it’ll probably cost us, like, a thousand dollars.”

juyeon snorted, smirking.

“worth it. want me to prove it?”

i rolled my eyes, laughing despite myself.

“shut up, juyeon.”

he grinned again.

“but i am convincing, right?”

too convincing, i wanted to say. but instead, i just nodded, brushing the hair out of my face and trying to ignore how badly i wanted to kiss him again.

juyeon reached for my hand without saying anything, his fingers threading through mine.

i glanced at him, and he just smiled. still, i didn’t pull away. his hand was warm, grounding, and the quiet between us wasn’t awkward. it was oddly comfortable.

we started to walk along the shoreline again, our feet sinking into the damp sand with every step.

i could feel him glance at me every now and then, but i kept my eyes ahead, afraid that if i met his gaze, i’d forget this wasn’t real.

“you know,” he said eventually, voice low, “we’ve actually got pretty good chemistry.”

i snorted.

“you say that like you’re surprised.”

“i’m not. just… impressed.” he squeezed my hand lightly. “we might actually win this thing if we keep it up.”

he seemed a bit more uncertain with his words than he did when we were in the dorm.

i looked at him then, finally meeting his eyes. he was still smiling, but there was something in his gaze i couldn’t read.

i just nodded, playing it cool.

“let’s just not drain the prize pot first,” i muttered, and he laughed, the sound of it mixing with the waves.

juyeon let out a soft chuckle, swinging our joined hands gently between us as we walked.

“imagine if we blow through all of it before the last week even comes. lana would probably be livid.”

i raised a brow.

“she’d come out and drag us all out of the villa.”

he chuckled.

“with a smile on her face too. ‘i warned you. and now you get nothing. goodbye.’”

i laughed, shaking my head.

“but seriously, what happens if we actually hit zero? do we just sit around for the rest of the retreat trying not to breathe too hard?”

“trying not to look too long at anyone,” juyeon said dramatically. “no eye contact. no hand-holding. no breathing in sync. lana would put a fine on that.”

i smiled.

“the final challenge: everyone sits in silence and avoids feelings.”

“that’d be impossible in this group. again, have you seen sunwoo and eric?” juyeon teased. “at this rate, we’ll be in the negatives.”

i glanced out at the ocean, watching the waves crash quietly.

“do you care about the prize? like, actually?”

he paused.

“not really. i mean, sure, it’s money, but i kind of just… wanted something different. a break. and maybe someone to make it interesting.”

“you say that as if you’re rich.”

he chuckled a little before the silence came gain.

he then looked at me with that same unreadable expression, and i didn’t know what to say to that. so i just muttered, “well… mission accomplished.”

he grinned, nudging my shoulder.

“you’re welcome.”

we kept walking slowly along the shoreline, just the sound of water and the soft sand beneath.

“you know,” juyeon said, glancing at me, “i was thinking earlier, outside of this thing, we’ve actually never had time off together. like, real time off. just us, no deadlines, no clients breathing down your neck, no meetings i have to pretend to give a shit about.”

i let out a quiet laugh.

“right? i don’t think i’ve taken a full break since… maybe the start of last year. writing is a buffet that never closes.”

“and you keep going back for seconds,” juyeon teased.

“gotta pay rent somehow,” i muttered with a shrug. “but yeah. i needed this. i didn’t realise how burned out i was until we got here and suddenly, my biggest responsibility was pretending to love you.”

he snorted.

“you make it sound so difficult.”

“it is,” i said flatly, nudging him with my shoulder. “you’re a douchebag.”

he laughed and shook his head.

“still, i think this was a great idea, coming here, i mean. even if we’re pretending, it doesn’t feel like a waste. i’m actually… having fun.”

“even though it’s all fake?” i repeated, a little too quietly.

he looked over at me and smiled.

“yeah. i mean, the feelings might not be real, but the memories are. the people. and i still get to hang out with my best friend without the stress of our real lives.”

i nodded slowly.

after a few seconds, juyeon mumbled, “i’m glad i dragged you into this.”

“you didn’t drag me. you said, ‘i’m doing this dumb thing, wanna come?’ and i said, ‘sure, sounds stupid. let’s go.’”

he laughed.

“accurate.”

he glanced over at me and our eyes met for a beat before we continued to walk.

“besides, i’ve never seen you flirt this much in one place. it’s weird. but impressive.”

i gave him a look.

“i’m not flirting.”

“oh? really?”

i didn’t say anything to that. i just kept walking, trying not to think too hard about how right he was.

suddenly, juyeon stopped in his tracks and grabbed my wrist, tugging me off the path and behind a thick hedge of brush near the sand dunes.

“shh,” he whispered, crouching a little and dragging me down beside him. his eyes were wide.

“what the fuck—” i started, but he put a finger to my lips before i could finish.

“look. straight ahead. past there,” he murmured, eyes glinting.

i leaned forward cautiously, peering through the gaps in the hedge. just a few feet away, partially hidden by the slope of the dunes, stood younghoon and sunoo. they were deep in conversation, close enough that i could hear bits and pieces of what they were saying.

“i don’t know,” younghoon was saying, voice quieter than usual. “it’s just… fast, you know? everything’s fast here.”

sunoo laughed softly.

“that’s what makes it fun. don’t you think it’s exciting? how quickly things can happen if you just go for it?”

younghoon didn’t respond right away. i could see his hand brushing through his hair nervously.

juyeon leaned in close to me, lips nearly brushing my ear.

“this feels wrong.”

“shut up,” i whispered, trying not to laugh. “you’re the one who dragged me here.”

we both went quiet again, listening as sunoo stepped in a little closer to younghoon, smiling softly.

“you don’t have to be scared of it, you know,” sunoo said. “i don’t bite. unless you want me to.”

my eyes went wide, and i turned slightly to juyeon, who looked equally shocked at sunoo’s forwardness, mouthing, holy shit.

younghoon chuckled nervously.

“i didn’t say i was scared.”

“then what are you waiting for?” sunoo asked, voice dipping lower, teasing. “i already told you, i go after what i want.”

juyeon squeezed my arm in excitement, his grip tight.

“they’re literally about to—”

i clamped a hand over his mouth before he could say another word. we stayed completely still, barely breathing, as we waited to see what would happen next.

sunoo tilted his head, his smile never faltering.

“you’ve got this… softness to you,” he said, voice quieter now, more intimate. “the kind that makes people feel safe.”

younghoon fidgeted uncomfortably, glancing away toward the waves.

“i… i think i’m just trying to be respectful,” he murmured. “i don’t want to lead anyone on.”

“but what if it’s not leading someone on?” sunoo asked, inching closer again. “what if it’s just… exploring a possibility?”

younghoon looked back at him, caught off guard by the closeness.

“sunoo…”

before he could finish, sunoo leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to younghoon’s lips, quick, but unmistakably deliberate.

younghoon’s eyes widened as he instinctively stepped back, lifting a hand slightly like he wasn’t sure what to do with it.

“i—uh,” he stammered, avoiding sunoo’s gaze. “i didn’t mean to give the wrong idea… i think i need a minute.”

he turned quickly, muttering something like “sorry” under his breath as he walked away, leaving sunoo standing alone on the sand, his expression unreadable.

from behind the hedge, i froze. juyeon let out a low whistle beside me, eyebrows raised.

“well. that escalated.”

my mind was racing, a mix of shock and awkward sympathy for younghoon.

“do you think he’s okay?” i whispered.

juyeon shrugged.

“i mean, he handled it better than i would’ve. but damn… sunoo’s not wasting any time.”

we both stayed hidden, watching sunoo as he dusted invisible sand off his sleeves and turned back toward the villa, lips pursed in thought.

“i hope younghoon doesn’t feel pressured,” i murmured.

“same,” juyeon replied. “let’s just… keep an eye on him, yeah?”

before i could respond, lana’s chime rang through the air from the villa speakers, cutting through the quiet night again.

“contestants,” lana’s voice echoed calmly but firmly. “please make your way to the cabana. i have news for you.”

juyeon groaned.

“why do i feel like she’s about to ruin things again?”

i chuckled nervously.

“because she usually does.”

we turned from the hedge and began walking back toward the cabana, the lights glowing warmly in the distance and lots of chatter already picking up from inside.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

everyone slowly walked into the cabana.

the glow of the lanterns lining the ceiling made shadows across the room as we settled into our usual spots on the long couch, nervous mutters filling the space.

i sat beside juyeon, who stretched his arms behind his head like he wasn’t worried at all.

sunwoo was the first to speak, arms crossed and eyes narrowed at the ceiling speaker.

“okay, this is definitely about the rule breaks. we’re fucked.”

juyeon let out a low chuckle and waved a hand dismissively.

“guys, it can’t cost that much. what’s a kiss? fifty bucks?”

sunwoo raised an eyebrow.

“you kissed twice, bro.”

juyeon just shrugged, clearly unbothered.

i turned sharply toward sunwoo, my stomach dropping.

“wait… what do you mean twice? you saw us?”

he smirked, leaning back against the cushions.

“yeah. on the beach. clear view. thought i was being sneaky, but you two were right out in the open.”

my eyes widened and i felt my ears burn.

“you watched us?”

sunwoo shrugged, entirely unapologetic.

“hey, i was just on my way back from the bathroom.“

juyeon just laughed, clearly not taking it as seriously as i was.

“hope it was worth the deduction, you two.” sunwoo said, nudging me with his foot.

i glanced away, my throat suddenly dry. worth it? i wasn’t sure how to answer that.

the room fell into a tense silence as lana’s voice rang out through the cabana speakers.

“i’m disappointed to report that there have been several rule breaks today, despite the fact that you were all explicitly reminded of the rules and the purpose of this retreat.”

a heavy breath passed through the group. i exchanged a glance with juyeon, who only offered a small smile in return.

“let’s start with the first offense. sunwoo and eric, two kisses in the shower. that alone costs the group $6,000.”

gasps echoed around the cabana as eric buried his face in his hands and sunwoo raised both eyebrows like he was surprised it had been that expensive.

“following that, sunwoo, you engaged in self-gratification shortly after. that breaks another rule, and deducts $2,000 from the prize pot.”

a loud groan came from somewhere near the back. sunwoo just blinked, half laughing, half wincing.

“oops?”

lana continued, “next… yujin and eunwoo, your kiss has cost the group $3,000, and your intimate touching afterward costs another $5,000.”

yujin let out an incredulous scoff. “seriously?”

eunwoo rubbed the back of his neck, clearly trying to avoid eye contact with anyone.

“then we have hyunjae and juyeon. one kiss on the beach. that breaks the rules and costs you $3,000.”

i froze, cheeks heating up as all eyes turned to us. juyeon nudged my shoulder gently with his and muttered under his breath, “worth it.”

i didn’t reply.

“and last, but not least, we have a kiss between younghoon and sunoo. that costs the group $3,000.”

a stunned silence followed as heads swiveled toward the pair. younghoon looked like he wanted to vanish, while sunoo just smiled sweetly and batted his lashes.

“in total, these rule breaks have cost the group $22,000. the prize pot now stands at $228,000.”

groans and mutters filled the air. i felt the weight of everyone’s disappointment, directed not just at others, but at me too. the money was draining fast, and we were only on day two.

voices immediately began to rise as the reality sank in.

“i seriously thought there’d only be like, two rule breaks,” winter said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “but apparently no one here can control themselves.”

karina sighed loudly, brushing her hair over her shoulder.

“it’s only day two and we’ve already lost twenty-two thousand dollars. what is wrong with everyone?”

sunwoo rolled his eyes, arms crossed as he leaned back against the couch.

“okay, relax. it’s not like the prize pot is empty. we still have over two hundred grand.”

“that’s not the point,” gaeul snapped. “you think people are here for fun and games? some of us are actually trying.”

eric shot a look at sunwoo.

“you need to stop acting like this is just a big joke.”

sunoo, completely unbothered, gave a cheeky smile.

“well, if we’re being real, i didn’t come here to sit in a corner and knit.”

“that’s clear,” chanhee muttered under his breath, folding his arms and glaring toward the other side of the room.

younghoon rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“i didn’t think that counted as a real kiss,” he mumbled, barely audible.

“well, lana clearly thought it did,” wonyoung said, voice tight with frustration.

juyeon leaned into the couch beside me, smirking slightly.

“honestly, at least i followed through.”

i stared straight ahead, trying not to show how much that stung. the group continued to argue, each person pointing fingers or justifying their actions, while lana’s silence lingered in the background. the damage had been done, there was no denying it.

the voices kept overlapping, arguments coming in from every direction.

“i can’t believe we lost that much in one night,” liz muttered, shaking her head.

“and over kissing?” winter added. “like, come on, at least wait until week two to start spiraling.”

“i said i’m sorry,” eunwoo finally spoke up, raising his voice slightly over the chaos. “seriously, i didn’t mean for it to get that far. it just… happened.”

but no one acknowledged him.

karina scoffed, arms crossed.

“you should’ve had at least some restraint, eunwoo. especially with yujin.”

“exactly,” gaeul chimed in. “like, we get it, you’re into each other, whatever, but that doesn’t mean we all have to suffer for it.”

eunwoo looked down at his lap, jaw clenched. yujin didn’t say a word, just tapped her nails against her glass, expression unreadable.

“i mean, we’ve all got impulses,” sunghoon said, “but most of us haven’t completely tanked the pot in less than 48 hours.”

“i tried to stop it,” eunwoo muttered weakly, but still, no one listened.

sunwoo let out a dramatic sigh.

“everyone’s acting like they’re saints when at least half the villa’s lips have been on someone else’s.”

“that doesn’t make it right,” karina yelled. “we’re supposed to be building real connections. not… making out just because we’re bored.”

the room was filled with resentment, defensiveness, and guilt. everyone’s patience was beginning to sink, along with the money.

“okay, but can we talk about younghoon for a second?” gaeul said sharply, turning to face him. “like… you and chanhee seemed really solid, and then suddenly you’re kissing sunoo?”

everyone went quiet for a beat before liz leaned in, brow raised.

“yeah, i was surprised. i thought you and chanhee had something good going.”

younghoon looked visibly uncomfortable, his posture stiffening.

“it wasn’t like that. sunoo just… kissed me. i didn’t initiate anything.”

“but you didn’t exactly stop it right away either,” karina pointed out. “you let it happen long enough for it to cost us three grand.”

chanhee sat quietly beside him, his face unreadable. he didn’t say anything, but his fingers were twisted tightly in his lap.

“i didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” younghoon said, voice low. “i wasn’t trying to mess anything up with chanhee. i just didn’t want to be rude or make a scene.”

“not making a scene cost us money,” eric muttered.

sunoo crossed his arms but stayed quiet, his expression carefully composed.

“well, if things between you and chanhee were serious,” yujin cut in, unusually calm, “then you should’ve acted like it. it’s not that complicated.”

“i know,” younghoon muttered. “i just… messed up.”

still, chanhee hadn’t said a word. he simply stood up and walked out of the cabana without looking back, leaving the group in awkward, heavy silence.

“nice going, younghoon,” winter said, breaking the silence. “you couldn’t have just walked away? you really had to let sunoo kiss you?”

“he’s literally been into chanhee since we got here,” gaeul added, eyes narrowed. “and then this happens? what were you thinking?”

“i already said it wasn’t like that,” younghoon muttered, jaw tight. “you weren’t there.”

“you didn’t have to be there to see how hurt chanhee looked just now,” liz said, her voice softer, but no less disappointed. “you could’ve stopped it the second sunoo made a move.”

“and instead you stood there like a deer in headlights while our money dropped another three thousand dollars,” eric chimed in.

younghoon’s mouth opened like he was about to argue, but nothing came out. his fists clenched at his sides before he abruptly pushed himself off the couch.

“you know what? forget it,” he snapped, voice sharp with frustration. “i don’t need this.”

he stormed out of the cabana, muttering something under his breath as he made a beeline for the dressing room, the screen door slamming behind him.

the rest of us sat in silence.

“i don’t think he meant for it to happen like that,” i said, breaking it. everyone turned toward me, surprised i’d spoken up. “younghoon’s not the type to mess with someone just for fun. you all know that.”

“then why didn’t he stop it?” karina asked, arms crossed. “he could’ve pulled away.”

“maybe he froze,” i offered. “maybe he didn’t want to make a scene or hurt sunoo’s feelings in that moment. it doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about chanhee.”

“he still let it happen,” wonyoung said, softer this time.

“yeah, but none of us really know what was going through his head,” i replied. “we’ve all messed up today. every single one of us. so maybe instead of piling on him, we should give him space to explain himself.”

juyeon gave me a look and then looked down at his lap.

no one else said anything right away.

sunghoon let out a sigh and leaned back in his seat.

“okay, okay,” he said, rubbing his temple. “can we just… can we talk about something else now? like, maybe… the fact that sunwoo cost us two thousand dollars because he couldn’t keep his hands to himself?”

a few people laughed, awkward laughter, but it was enough to break the heaviness in the room.

sunwoo threw his hands up dramatically.

“oh come on, really? we’re back to me now?”

“yes, we are,” karina said, raising an eyebrow. “you broke the rule alone, sunwoo. that’s kind of impressive, in the worst way.”

“you literally broke the rules two times in a single day,” liz chimed in. “shower kissing and then… you know.”

“alright, alright, geez!” sunwoo groaned, burying his face in his hands before peeking out through his fingers. “i didn’t think lana would be that nitpicky. it was barely anything.”

“you say that like lana’s ever missed a single move,” wonyoung scoffed.

“she misses nothing,” juyeon muttered with a grin. “she’s almost terrifying.”

“i panicked!” sunwoo defended. “the shower was steamy, okay? literally and figuratively. i got caught up in the moment.”

eric covered his face, clearly mortified.

“you’re not making this better,” he mumbled.

sunwoo leaned toward him. “but you weren’t exactly pushing me away, were you?”

eric smacked his arm with a groan, but even he couldn’t help smiling a little. it was ridiculous. but at least, people were laughing again, even if it was mostly at sunwoo’s expense.

wonyoung raised her eyebrows suddenly.

“wait, hold on… did anyone else notice that lana didn’t fine you guys just for showering together?”

everyone went quiet for a beat, heads turning toward sunwoo and eric.

“oh my god, she didn’t,” winter said slowly. “it was just the kisses and, uh… the other thing.”

gaeul tilted her head.

“so showering together isn’t against the rules?”

“guess not,” eric muttered, still red in the face.

sunwoo grinned, immediately perking up.

“well, if that’s the case, who’s trying to double up on shower time?”

“oh my fucking god, sit down,” liz said, tossing a pillow at him.

juyeon smirked and leaned toward me with a glint in his eye.

“so technically… i could start showering with hyunjae, and it wouldn’t even count as a rule break?”

i gave him a sharp glare. “don’t even think about it.”

“too late,” juyeon quipped. “i already have.”

sunwoo cleared his throat, suddenly less playful.

“look, guys. i know i’ve been kind of… unserious about all this, but i’m actually sorry. i didn’t think it’d cost us that much, and i should’ve had more self-control.”

eric nodded beside him.

“same here. i should’ve said no. we got carried away and… i regret it. sorry, everyone.”

i glanced around and saw a few heads nodding.

then, surprisingly, yujin stood up, brushing her hair behind her ear.

“i’m sorry too,” she said, her voice oddly sincere. “i didn’t mean to be reckless. i know we’ve all just started this, but i should’ve thought of the group before doing anything.”

my brows lifted. i wasn’t the only one stunned by that, karina actually turned to gaeul and whispered something.

eunwoo followed up, voice low but genuine.

“we didn’t mean to put anyone in a bad spot. i’ll be more careful moving forward.”

sunwoo leaned toward me and whispered, “did yujin just say sorry? are we in a simulation?”

i couldn’t help a soft laugh.

“either that or lana’s threats worked.”

yujin took a deep breath, her gaze shifting to eric first.

“and, um… eric,” she said, her tone softer than i’d ever heard it, “i also want to say sorry for what i said this morning. it was mean, and i crossed a line. i get snappy when i feel judged, but that’s no excuse.”

eric looked a little surprised but he gave a small nod.

“thanks, yujin. i appreciate that.”

then she turned to gaeul, who had been quietly watching her with a guarded expression.

“and gaeul… i’m really sorry for the fight yesterday. i was defensive and rude, and i didn’t listen to you at all. you didn’t deserve that.”

gaeul blinked, visibly taken aback, and for a second i thought she wouldn’t respond. but then she gave a slow nod.

“thanks. that… actually means a lot. we’ve all been on edge, but yeah. i appreciate the apology.”

karina let out a breath and glanced around at everyone.

“okay… maybe we all just need to wind down after that,” she said, her voice gentle. “how about we all head to the dressing room and start getting ready for bed?”

there was a collective murmur of agreement, most of us too wrung out to argue.

“yeah,” gaeul nodded. “that’s probably a good idea. let’s just… rest.”

sunwoo stretched his arms over his head dramatically.

“finally. i feel like i’ve aged five years tonight.”

“i think you aged us all, actually,” liz muttered, rolling her eyes.

eric nudged sunwoo. “come on, let’s go before you start breaking more rules in your sleep.”

yujin gave a small laugh. “i’ll take that over another lecture from lana.”

as the group began shuffling out of the cabana, i felt juyeon fall into step beside me, quiet for once.

the consequences of everything were finally settling in.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

a few minutes after we’d all made it into the dressing room, it was filled with quiet chatter and the sound of drawers opening and closing.

i’d already changed into my pyjamas, perched at the edge of one of the benches, absently in my thoughts while juyeon laughed with the others across the room. some people were still choosing what to wear, holding up silk sets and cotton tops.

i was just about to stand when i saw movement from the corner of my eye, younghoon, looking a little disheveled and tired, walking toward me with an expression that was oddly vulnerable.

younghoon stopped in front of me, voice low but urgent.

“hyunjae… can we talk? just you and me?”

i blinked, surprised by the sudden seriousness in his tone.

“yeah, of course. what’s up?”

he glanced around the noisy dressing room, then nodded toward the door.

“i just… i need your advice on something. somewhere quieter?”

without another word, i stood up and followed him out into the corridor. the sound of voices faded behind us as the door clicked shut, leaving just us and the softness of the hallway lights above.

younghoon ran a hand through his hair, clearly trying to find the right words. i waited, ready to listen.

younghoon leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. his eyes glanced down the hallway, avoiding mine.

“it’s about earlier,” he started, his voice quieter now. “with sunoo.”

i nodded slowly, saying nothing, letting him continue.

“he kissed me, hyunjae. i didn’t plan for that to happen, i swear. i was just trying to be nice, keep things friendly, but then he just… kissed me. and i didn’t stop it fast enough. i didn’t even know what to do.”

i could see the guilt written all over his face. he looked like he hadn’t exhaled since dinner.

“and now chanhee won’t even look at me,” he went on, shaking his head. “he didn’t yell or say anything, just… walked away. i know i messed up, and i don’t blame him for being mad, but i didn’t want to hurt him. i really like him, hyunjae. like, really. and i feel like i ruined it before it even got started.”

he looked at me finally, eyes searching.

“what should i do?”

i leaned against the wall beside him, letting out a slow breath.

“okay. first of all… breathe. you’re stressing.”

younghoon huffed a small, bitter laugh, but nodded.

“look,” i continued, “you made a mistake, yeah. but from what you’re telling me, it doesn’t sound like you were trying to hurt chanhee. it just… happened. and you didn’t exactly lean into it.”

“i didn’t,” he said quickly. “i backed off—”

“i know,” i interrupted gently. “and that matters. what you do now matters more.”

he looked at me, still uncertain.

“you need to talk to chanhee,” i said. “don’t avoid it. be honest. tell him exactly what you just told me. that it caught you off guard. that you’re sorry. that you like him. and don’t try to fix it all in one conversation. just start there.”

younghoon looked down at his slippers.

“and if he doesn’t forgive me?”

“then at least you’ll know you tried, and you were real about it. but chanhee… he’s not cold. he’s just hurt. if he sees you’re being genuine, i think he’ll come around.”

there was a beat of silence before younghoon muttered, “thanks, hyunjae. seriously.”

i smiled faintly and nudged his arm.

“now go fix it before sunoo tries again.”

i watched younghoon disappear around the corner, his steps quick and full of purpose. i hoped he’d find chanhee before the night grew colder, before either of them could overthink it all too much.

then i felt it, arms slipping around my waist from behind, a chin resting lightly on my shoulder. i didn’t even have to look.

“giving out advice now, are we?” juyeon’s voice was low, teasing, right by my ear. “that’s hot.”

i rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

“someone’s gotta keep this place from falling apart.”

his breath ghosted against my skin as he whispered, “you’re good at it. you always have been.”

for a second, i didn’t respond. i just stood there, letting the warmth of his arms settle against my back.

“i think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” i murmured.

juyeon chuckled.

“don’t get used to it.”

but his grip didn’t loosen.

juyeon finally pulled away, just enough to grab my wrist and give it a gentle tug.

“come on, hyunjae,” he said with a quiet smirk. “let’s get to bed.”

i followed him back into the dorm.

juyeon climbed into our bed and patted the spot beside him. i slid in under the covers, the warmth of the day still clinging to the sheets.

we laid facing each other, our voices barely above whispers.

“so,” he murmured. “what’s the plan for tomorrow? we’ve already kissed. mostly fooled them. we need something to sell the whole thing.”

i thought for a moment.

“we could have a talk by the pool. just loud enough for people to overhear bits of it. maybe i look upset and you comfort me?”

“ooh, great. i like that.” he tapped my nose lightly. “or… we could write each other letters and ‘accidentally’ leave them out.”

i snorted.

“that’s cheesy as fuck.”

“but effective,” he whispered, grinning. “we could make them cry.”

“you really are committed to the bit.” i said, shaking my head.

juyeon yawned, settling deeper into the bed.

“hey, i don’t half-ass anything. if i’m gonna pretend to love you, i better give it all that i’ve got.”

i turned toward the ceiling, smiling despite myself.

“we’re going to confuse the hell out of everyone.”

“good,” he said softly. “that’ll keep us relevant.”

the room was quiet, dim except for the soft glow of the hallway light slipping in through the crack under the door. juyeon and i were still whispering, curled toward each other under the covers, when the door creaked open.

younghoon stepped in, his face unreadable, movements unusually slow and careful. he didn’t say anything as he padded across the room, slipping into his bed without a glance around. he turned his back to us, the blankets rustling softly as he settled in.

juyeon sat up slightly, propping himself on his elbow.

“hey,” he called out softly, “younghoon… you okay?”

there was a pause before younghoon’s voice came back, muffled by his pillow.

“yeah. just tired.”

juyeon glanced at me, then back in younghoon’s direction.

“did you talk to chanhee?”

another pause. then a quiet, almost hesitant, “yeah.”

“how’d it go?” juyeon asked, his tone gentle.

younghoon moved slightly in his bed.

“i don’t know yet. he said he needs space.”

i watched juyeon’s expression soften.

“okay… that’s fair. but i’m proud of you for talking to him.”

there was no reply after that, just the sound of the waves faintly outside and the hum of the ceiling fan overhead. juyeon slowly laid back down, exhaling softly.

“rough night,” he whispered to me.

i nodded. “yeah. for all of us.”

the door burst open with a loud creak, startling all of us. sunwoo and eric stumbled in, clearly still full of energy despite the tiring night we’d all just had.

“we’re back!” sunwoo announced like we hadn’t just all spent the last half hour getting scolded by lana.

eric rolled his eyes but grinned. “can you be quiet for once?”

“nope,” sunwoo replied instantly, tossing himself onto his bed, legs hanging off the side. “by the way, don’t let this one near a shower alone.”

he pointed at eric. “i’m a victim.”

eric threw a pillow at him.

“you’re so fucking annoying.”

“i’m so in love,” sunwoo said with mock seriousness, then turned to the room. “you guys ever seen someone drop soap on purpose? because this guy—”

“oh my god,” eric groaned, dragging his blanket over his face.

juyeon chuckled from beside me, then added, “sounds like you two are trying to put us out of the money on purpose.”

“and you’re one to talk?” sunwoo retorted.

without missing a beat, juyeon said, “hey, if hyunjae’s gonna kiss like that again, i’d pay the money myself.”

i snorted and shook my head, hiding the way my ears warmed as sunwoo let out a loud, “ohhh?” and scrambled over toward juyeon.

“good one!” he grinned, holding up his hand.

juyeon laughed and smacked it with a loud high five, both of them grinning like stupid idiots.

“you get it,” juyeon said, still chuckling.

“you two are weird together,” eric muttered from under his blanket.

sunwoo walked back to their bed proudly, despite the insult.

i just sighed, curling further under the covers.

the bedroom slowly began to fill with soft chatter and the sound of shuffling feet as the others came in one by one.

gaeul entered first, her hair already tied back as she made walked to her bed, offering everyone a tired smile. karina and winter followed close behind, bumping shoulders playfully before slipping into their blanket.

liz let out a long yawn as she passed, mumbling something about needing ten hours of sleep, while yujin quietly climbed into the bed beside her, giving a small wave toward eric and sunwoo’s corner.

eunwoo padded in after her, brushing his teeth as he searched for his charger, eventually settling in next to yujin without a word.

sunoo came in last, looking entirely calm as he plopped into the bed furthest from the others, fluffing his pillow with a small hum.

“goodnight, friends,” he called softly, curling into the covers with a satisfied sigh.

everyone muttered a tired round of “goodnight” in return, except chanhee, who was still missing. a small silence fell after that.

juyeon turned over in his bed beside mine, whispering, “feels weird without chanhee here.”

i nodded faintly in the dim light, eyes looking toward the door.

“yeah,” i whispered back. “hope younghoon finds a way to fix it.”

the door creaked open slowly, and every head subtly turned.

chanhee stepped in without a word, his expression unreadable and his shoulders a little stiff. he didn’t glance at anyone as he walked across the room, not even at younghoon, who sat up slightly in bed as he watched him approach.

chanhee climbed under the covers of the bed younghoon, carefully turning to face away from him without so much as a greeting.

younghoon blinked, unsure of what to say or do, before murmuring softly, “…chanhee.”

no reply.

he swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the back of chanhee’s head.

“i’m sorry.”

chanhee didn’t respond. he just pulled the blanket up over his shoulder, clearly not ready to talk.

i heard juyeon exhale quietly. i turned slightly to look at him. his brow was furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line. i could tell he felt it too, the cold space between the two.

sunwoo, for once, didn’t say anything.

sunghoon sat up against his pillows, stretching his arms behind his head with a loud yawn.

“alright, nobody sleep yet,” he said, flashing a grin. “i’m not tired, and if i’m awake, you all have to stay awake too.”

a few groans sounded around the room, but karina cut through them with her usual no-nonsense tone.

“okay, but before anything else, ground rules for the night,” she said, sitting upright on her bed and looking around. “no sneaking into each other’s beds. no breaking any rules. keep your hands to yourselves. and yes,” her gaze drifted unmistakably toward sunwoo and eric. “that includes you two.”

sunwoo threw his hands up in mock innocence.

“what? me? i am nothing but innocent!” then he smirked and added with a wink, “but let’s be honest, with me around, there probably won’t be any money left in the pot by morning.”

silence.

not a single laugh. not even a chuckle.

sunwoo’s grin faltered as he looked around, everyone’s faces blank, tired, or in karina’s case, unimpressed. he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, his smile becoming sheepish.

“tough crowd,” he muttered.

from across the room, wonyoung stifled a giggle and then laughed for real, not at the joke, but at sunwoo’s reaction to the joke falling flat.

“deserved,” karina said flatly, but there was the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth. almost a smile.

almost.

the air grew a little heavier as people started mumbling quiet agreements with karina’s rules. sunwoo rolled over dramatically and muttered something about sleeping with one eye open, earning a tired eye-roll from eric.

chanhee suddenly spoke up, his tone sharper than usual.

“no sneaking into each other’s beds,” he echoed karina’s words, then paused just a little too long. “some people should really take that one to heart.”

all eyes shifted subtly toward younghoon, who stared straight at the ceiling, lips pressed into a thin line. sunoo, on the other hand, sat up a little straighter and blinked, feigning innocence.

“oh, come on,” sunoo said, his voice light but edged. “it’s not like we did anything illegal. maybe just… a little interesting. you should try it sometime… or, you know, just let it go.”

chanhee scoffed under his breath, crossing his arms as he turned more deliberately away from younghoon.

“maybe some of us still believe in restraint,” he said coldly.

before it could escalate any further, gaeul quickly cut in, her voice rising just enough to pull everyone’s attention back.

“seriously, let’s not turn this into another fight. it’s been a long day. let’s just… talk. what do we think lana’s gonna do tomorrow? i mean, after today’s drama, it’s not like she’ll just let us sit around and sunbathe.”

“i bet she’ll throw in a new twist,” wonyoung offered, grateful for the change in topic. “another bombshell, maybe?”

“please no,” karina muttered. “we’re already barely surviving the current one.”

“speak for yourself,” sunwoo said, flopping onto his back with a grin. “i’m thriving.”

“thriving your way out of the money,” eunwoo mumbled, to which a few people chuckled, this time, genuinely.

the tension slowly began to ease, replaced by sleepy laughter. but the death stares between beds didn’t go unnoticed.

“i still can’t get over that part lana said about consequences,” wonyoung muttered, sitting upright against her pillows, her hair mussed. “like, what kind of consequences? what if someone’s getting kicked out?”

that caused some people to give a few uneasy looks from across the room. karina frowned slightly.

“she did sound serious. and the whole ‘wrong reasons’ thing… what if she’s talking about someone who’s not genuinely trying to find a connection?”

liz added thoughtfully, “or maybe someone is pretending to fall in love. you know… just to stay in the villa and win the money.”

my chest tightened at that. just for a second.

i kept my face neutral, even shifted to lie on my back so it wouldn’t look like i was tensing. but i could feel the sweat begin to gather at the nape of my neck.

liz didn’t look at me but she didn’t have to. that comment alone was enough to rattle something in me.

juyeon didn’t say anything. just scratched his collarbone absentmindedly and looked across the room with a sleepy gaze.

“please,” sunwoo scoffed from where he was sprawled beside eric. “if lana knew someone was pulling a stunt like that, they’d already be out of here. she wouldn’t wait around.”

“exactly,” yujin added, her voice a little sharp. “she exposed every rule break tonight. she’d definitely expose a fake couple.”

“yeah,” winter chimed in. “no way she’s letting someone slide through like that. we’d know by now.”

i felt my heart slow again, the panic ebbing away. they weren’t suspicious. not really.

i turned my head to glance at juyeon, he didn’t seem fazed at all, just casually messing with the edge of the blanket, like none of this meant anything.

i breathed out softly and stared up at the ceiling.

we were still safe.

everyone murmured quiet agreement. no one pointed fingers. no one looked too hard at anyone else.

i laid back against my pillow, staring at the ceiling. juyeon rolled onto his side, facing me.

“you okay?” he mouthed.

i nodded, not trusting my voice. because no, i wasn’t really okay, not with lana’s warning lingering in my mind.

i shifted slightly on my mattress, trying to get comfortable in the dim light of the room. most people had settled down, the only noises being the sounds of controlled breathing.

from beside me, juyeon’s voice came low and warm.

“hey… can you turn around again? like last night?”

i blinked up at the ceiling, then glanced at him through the dark.

“are you gonna ask me that every night?” i replied, without an ounce of annoyance.

he grinned, voice barely above a whisper.

“yeah. i am. consent’s important, hyunjae.”

i rolled my eyes softly, but i couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips as i turned onto my side, facing away from him. a moment later, i felt his arm slide gently around my waist, pulling me close. his breath hit the back of my neck.

“goodnight, pretty.”

i didn’t answer. not with words. just let my hand rest lightly over his, fingers curling. as his chest pressed against my back and the warmth of him wrapped around me, my mind finally started to quiet.

sleep came easy after that.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

i woke to the golden wash of morning light spilling through the shutters, my body still wrapped in warmth.

juyeon’s arm was draped around my waist, his face nestled into the back of my neck, breath slow and even.

i didn’t move, i just listened to the quiet rustling around the room as the others started to stir, beds creaking.

it was strange, how natural this felt. his hold on me. like it had always been this way. i blinked slowly, adjusting to the day.

the morning air in the villa was light with yawns and sleepy voices.

“good morning,” karina murmured as she sat up, brushing hair from her face. “how did everyone sleep?”

“like a baby.” eunwoo said through a stretch.

eric rolled over with a grin and nudged sunwoo, who was already grinning back at him.

“morning, guys,” he said cheerfully. “i’m hoping we get another party or dinner tonight. i need something to look forward to, other than lectures from lana.”

“i wouldn’t say no to another candlelit dinner,” winter added, pulling her duvet up around her shoulders. “maybe one with fewer deductions this time.”

“i’m kinda excited to see what the workshop is,” said liz as she sat cross-legged on her bed. “feels like we’ve been here forever and it’s only, what—day three?”

“day three and already broke,” yujin muttered with a smirk.

“don’t be dramatic, yujin,” winter joked. “there’s still over two-hundred grand in there.”

meanwhile, sunwoo and eric were exchanging glances that didn’t go unnoticed. eric was trying too hard not to smile, and sunwoo kept biting his lip like he was suppressing a laugh.

juyeon narrowed his eyes at the pair.

“you two are acting weird. what did you do?”

“nothing,” sunwoo said, way too quickly.

“nothing at all,” eric echoed, voice high-pitched and weirdly innocent.

i, now fully awake, gave them a slow blink.

“you better hope lana was asleep last night.”

“i sleep like a rock,” sunwoo offered, shrugging. “maybe too well.”

“yeah, and i definitely didn’t wake up to the sound of whispered giggling,” said gaeul, shooting them a look.

karina sighed.

“please don’t tell me we’re waking up to another rule break announcement.”

sunwoo just winked. “guess we’ll see.”

“do you think we’ll see taeyeon today?” wonyoung asked eagerly as she tugged on her tank top.

“i hope so,” said karina from her bed, tying her hair back. “she’s so good at reading people. i actually felt like she could see straight through me yesterday.”

“same,” eunwoo added, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “like, i left that workshop needing to reevaluate my dating history.”

juyeon chuckled beside me.

“she could talk me into running a marathon and i’d probably do it.”

i nodded. “she’s intimidating in the best way. you want her approval, even though she doesn’t ask for it.”

eric groaned dramatically from across the room.

“man, i still feel judged from how she looked at me when i was laughing at sunwoo’s writing.”

sunwoo laughed but didn’t deny it. “yeah, she looked like she wanted to yell at you.”

“she probably will today,” yujin said, tossing a braid over her shoulder. “but honestly? kinda hot of her.”

that made a few people laugh, and even chanhee cracked a tiny smile from his bed.

i realised how much everyone genuinely respected her presence. even after just one day, she’d already made an impact.

lana’s familiar chime echoed through the villa, cutting through the peaceful morning like a knife. everyone froze. even sunwoo, who had just been about to crack another joke, clamped his mouth shut.

“good morning, contestants,” lana’s voice rang out sternly. “i had hoped we would start the day on a positive note. unfortunately, that is not the case.”

my stomach dropped, and i instinctively glanced toward juyeon. his jaw had already tightened. across the room, eric and sunwoo were still, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

“last night, two contestants broke the rules not once… not twice… but three times.”

a hush fell over the room. the air seemed heavier.

“sunwoo and eric kissed, engaged in intimate touching, and went all the way. these actions have cost the group a total of $29,000.”

gasps and low curses sounded across the room.

“the prize pot now stands at $199,000.”

sunwoo flinched, and eric let out a quiet exhale, barely audible over the rising tension.

“but that’s not all,” lana continued, her voice sharp and cold. “i have been more than generous with my warnings. clearly, they have not been taken seriously. from this moment on, all rule breaks will cost double the original amount.”

i felt the blood drain from my face.

“you were brought here to learn self-control and emotional depth,” lana went on, “but many of you are treating this like a vacation. that ends now.”

dead silence.

nobody spoke. nobody moved. all eyes slowly turned toward eric and sunwoo, who both looked like they were trying to shrink into themselves.

i didn’t even know what to feel.

lana’s voice echoed once more through the villa, as if the air hadn’t already gone stiff with tension.

“after breakfast,” she continued, “all contestants are to make their way to the cabana.”

everyone looked around at each other, still processing the blow of the $29,000 loss. no one dared speak just yet.

“there, you will vote for one couple to go on a special date i have prepared.”

that stirred a small ripple of movement—eyebrows raising, some of the tension in shoulders easing slightly.

“i suggest you choose wisely. vote for the strongest couple in the villa—those who have shown genuine connection. quality time is important for building real relationships, and this date could help take things further.”

karina crossed her arms, clearly still fuming, while wonyoung whispered something to sunghoon. eric looked like he wanted to disappear.

sunwoo cleared his throat awkwardly and muttered, “do you think lana would let us vote for ourselves if we’re too strong?”

no one laughed.

i leaned a little toward juyeon and whispered, “well. that rules us out.”

he gave me a small smirk.

“you never know. we’ve been putting on a pretty good show.”

but my chest tightened slightly, and i wasn’t sure if i wanted to be chosen… or if i just didn’t want to be found out.

Chapter Text

the silence after lana’s announcement hung heavy until yujin broke it.

“you’re seriously unbelievable, sunwoo,” she said, voice cold. “do you even care that we lost almost thirty grand because of you two?”

sunwoo raised his hands in defense, a weak grin tugging at his lips.

“okay, okay, i know it looks bad—”

“looks bad?” gaeul interrupted, eyes wide. “it is bad! that’s more money gone in one night than we’ve lost in total so far!”

eric shifted uncomfortably beside him, glancing down at his feet.

“this isn’t a vacation, you know,” karina added, arms crossed tightly. “we’re not here to screw around… literally or figuratively.”

“i agree with lana,” liz said firmly. “we were all warned. she told us what would happen if people kept breaking rules. and now it’s going to cost double? that’s on you.”

sunwoo laughed dryly, clearly trying to deflect.

“well, if i’m going to waste money, at least let me do it in style.”

“no,” chanhee snapped, his voice sharper than anyone had heard it before. “you’re wasting our money. that’s the difference.”

juyeon whistled low under his breath beside me, and i could tell he was trying not to laugh, but even he didn’t jump in to joke this time.

i stayed quiet, watching sunwoo’s smile finally falter.

“you need to grow up,” eunwoo said, surprising everyone with the tone of his voice. “lana was right. you haven’t learned a thing.”

the room was tense, no laughter, just the sound of disappointment settling in.

sunghoon glanced around at the room and cleared his throat, trying to cut through it.

“guys, look,” he said gently. “we’re all mad. rightfully so. but maybe we can calm down a bit? lana did say something else, we’ve got to vote for a couple to go on that date she planned. let’s not waste the rest of the day being angry.”

a few heads turned toward him. the silence stayed, but it was better than it was moments ago.

sunoo crossed one leg over the other and rested his chin on his hand.

“well, i already know who i’m voting for,” he said breezily.

wonyoung raised a brow. “oh? confident much?”

sunoo smirked.

“of course. i have good instincts about these things.”

eric muttered something under his breath, but sunwoo elbowed him gently and said, “we should all think strategically. strongest couple, right?”

sunoo tilted his head, eyes twinkling.

“exactly. so let’s vote for the ones who are actually taking this seriously.”

he didn’t name names, but the glance he gave younghoon across the room didn’t go unnoticed.

beside me, juyeon leaned in and whispered just loud enough for me to hear,

“should we start asking for their votes?”

i smirked despite myself and murmured back, “might be the only way to salvage the money at this rate.”

juyeon straightened up beside me, brushing his fingers through his hair.

“well,” he started, his voice louder now, grabbing everyone’s attention, “if we’re talking about strongest couples, i think it’s kind of obvious who’s been the most solid lately.”

several people turned toward him with varying degrees of suspicion and interest. i could already tell where this was going.

juyeon grinned and gestured between the two of us.

“hyunjae and i have been chill, haven’t broken any rules… okay, until that one time,” he added quickly, shooting me a cheeky look. “but compared to some people,” he pointedly didn’t look at sunwoo and eric. “we’re all good.”

sunwoo scoffed. “you literally cost us three grand yesterday.”

juyeon raised a hand.

“that’s what i said, but it was one kiss. not three rule breaks in one night, sunwoo. we’re not the ones bleeding the prize pot dry.”

karina folded her arms. “to be fair, you two have been more subtle about it.”

“exactly,” juyeon said, throwing a charming arm around my shoulder. “and isn’t that what love’s about?”

i rolled my eyes, though I couldn’t hide the smile pulling at my lips.

“he’s laying it on thick, huh?”

gaeul giggled. “you guys are cute, i’ll give you that.”

“vote for us,” juyeon said dramatically, pointing finger guns around the room. “let real, beautiful love win.”

“‘beautiful’?” i repeated under my breath, laughing.

“shh,” he whispered, still smiling wide. “it’s called strategy.”

sunghoon leaned back against the headboard, arms crossed, a half-smile on his face.

“i mean… i agree with gaeul, you two are cute,” he admitted, nodding toward me and juyeon. “definitely in the running for strongest. but don’t expect my vote just yet.”

“yeah,” karina chimed in, shooting a look at sunwoo. “you guys have it all, no doubt. but let’s not act like one kiss doesn’t count as a rule break.”

“i never said it didn’t,” juyeon said quickly, raising his hands in mock surrender. “i’m just saying, look at the bigger picture. we’re stable. we’re consistent. and we’re not treating this like some joke.”

sunoo arched a brow. “you also eavesdropped on me and younghoon last night.”

“how—“ i started.

“research,” juyeon said, smirking. “gotta stay informed.”

there were a few scattered laughs, but everyone stayed cautious.

eunwoo shrugged.

“you and hyunjae are strong, yeah. but i think everyone should vote based on who they think is the most genuine right now.”

“exactly,” yujin agreed. “we’re not making any promises.”

juyeon looked around the room, then leaned in closer to me and whispered, “we’re winning them over. slowly.”

i nudged him with my elbow. “or they’re just being polite.”

he grinned. “either way, i’ll take it.”

gaeul stretched her arms above her head and groaned softly.

“right, enough whispering and scheming. i’m starving, should we all go get breakfast?”

“yes, please,” liz said immediately, already swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. “i need food before i even think about who deserves the date.”

“same,” sunghoon joked, pushing his covers off. “maybe we’ll all be in a better mood after some toast and eggs.”

“i doubt that,” karina muttered, casting a look at sunwoo and eric, who sat sheepishly on their bed. “but sure, let’s give it a shot.”

sunwoo raised his hands. “i promise not to do anything on the way to breakfast.”

“no promises,” eric added with a guilty smile, ruffling his hair.

“don’t,” wonyoung warned, narrowing her eyes as she put her feet into her slippers. “just… don’t.”

i quietly slid out of bed, juyeon beside me as always. he gave me a sleepy grin and patted my shoulder.

“ready to get those votes?”

“i’m ready to eat,” i said, and that got a few tired laughs as we all started shuffling out of the room together.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

after breakfast, the mood had lifted considerably.

the smell of coffee still lingered faintly in the air as everyone filed into the cabana, sun-drenched and lazy from the meal.

laughter bounced off the walls as we settled onto the long white couch, legs tangled, shoulders bumping, the earlier tension seemingly gone.

juyeon was teasing liz about how many pancakes she ate, while wonyoung and yujin giggled over some inside joke. even sunwoo managed to get a few laughs with a few jokes.

it was as if the night before hadn’t happened at all, like the deduction, the scolding, lana’s disappointment, none of it mattered at that moment.

as i sat at the edge of the couch, half-listening to sunwoo attempt to redeem himself with another joke, i noticed gaeul tilt her head toward the coffee table.

“wait,” she said, pointing. “are those whiteboards?”

everyone turned. there were at least a dozen small whiteboards stacked neatly, each with a matching black marker clipped to it.

wonyoung reached for one. “looks like we’re writing something.”

karina sighed. “it’s probably the vote lana mentioned earlier. for the date.”

“yeah,” juyeon said, nudging my leg with his knee, a little grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “hope your handwriting’s cute, hyunjae.”

i rolled my eyes, but of course i couldn’t help but smile.

lana’s voice echoed through the cabana soon after.

“contestants, in front of you are whiteboards and pens. i would now like each of you to write down the names of the couple you believe deserves to go on the date i have prepared. choose wisely. quality time can be vital for emotional connection.”

a shuffle passed through the room as people leaned forward, grabbing boards and markers. i picked mine up slowly, my thumb brushing the edge of the board. the plastic was cool beneath my fingertips.

sunghoon already had his marker cap off, scribbling quickly with confidence. karina seemed to pause, tapping the end of her pen to her chin. sunwoo, predictably, glanced over at eric with a lopsided grin.

“is it bad if i vote for myself?” he whispered.

“for fuck’s sake… write something, sunwoo,” yujin muttered.

across from me, juyeon had already written something, clutching the board to his chest when he noticed me watching.

“no peeking,” he teased under his breath.

wonyoung and gaeul exchanged a quiet look before they both began to write at the same time. i could hear the soft squeak of markers on the white surfaces all around. some people seemed to hesitate, thinking harder than others.

i swallowed and finally wrote what my gut told me to.

lana’s voice returned.

“now, contestants, please turn your whiteboards around so we can see who you’ve chosen.”

there was a series of rustling and soft laughs as boards flipped.

i turned mine slowly, glancing around as others did the same. my eyes immediately scanned for the writing, some scribbled neatly, others in hurried scrawls.

“sunghoon and wonyoung,” karina read aloud, spotting the names on yujin’s board.

“same here,” said eunwoo, lifting his board slightly. “thought they deserved it.”

“aw,” wonyoung blushed a little, nudging sunghoon.

he smiled softly but stayed quiet.

“wait, we got one for younghoon and chanhee,” said liz, pointing to her own. “you guys need a push.”

chanhee didn’t react much, but younghoon gave a small, appreciative nod.

then my eyes caught the words on several of the others.

“juyeon and hyunjae”.

“juyeon and hyunjae”.

“juyeon and hyunjae”.

one after another, the same names appeared.

even sunoo, with a smile, flipped his board to reveal: “juyeon and hyunjae. obviously.”

juyeon leaned into me, whispering so that only i could hear, “guess our acting’s working.”

i smiled, trying not to show how warm i suddenly felt under the attention.

lana’s tone cut back in.

“it seems the majority has spoken. juyeon and hyunjae, congratulations. you’ll be heading on the special date. please be ready shortly.”

some scattered applause followed, a few cheers and some disappointed glances. but for the most part, everyone seemed content with the outcome.

sunwoo nudged eric.

“man… now i feel like we should’ve kissed for seriousness, not chaos.”

eric rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.

the moment lana’s voice faded and our date was officially confirmed, the cabana burst into excited chatter.

“oh my god, you guys are going to look so good together,” wonyoung gushed, bouncing slightly on the cushion beside karina.

“seriously,” karina added, “most of us voted for you. you better not disappoint.”

sunoo clapped his hands.

“you have to come back with all the deets! i’ll be waiting.”

i felt my cheeks flush, but before i could say anything, gaeul leaned in, eyes sparkling.

“hyunjae, we’re getting you ready. come on, this is your moment.”

liz stood and looped her arm through mine.

“yep, let’s go. outfit, hair, maybe even a little skincare. you’re about to be the most date-ready person this villa has ever seen.”

i blinked.

“wait, i—”

“nope,” gaeul interrupted, already tugging me gently toward the dressing room. “you don’t get a say. if you’re going on a date with juyeon, you’re going to have to look stunning.”

juyeon chuckled behind me. “i’m kind of scared of how good you’re gonna look now. should i go change too?”

“let the girls work their magic.” sunghoon said with a grin.

i sighed in defeat but i couldn’t stop the small, stupid smile forming on my face as liz and gaeul dragged me away.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

as soon as we stepped into the dressing room, gaeul gently pushed me down into one of the chairs facing the mirror.

“okay, sit. don’t move. don’t speak unless it’s to tell me i’m really good at this,” she said playfully, already rummaging through her makeup bag.

liz stood behind me, pulling my hair up loosely with her fingers to inspect it.

“he already has good hair,” she muttered to herself. “we don’t need to do much. just a little styling to make him look nice.”

“oh, so just juyeon’s type then,” gaeul smirked, dabbing a light base onto my face. “he likes them soft and pretty.”

i rolled my eyes but couldn’t help laughing. “how do you know his type?”

“hyunjae! you’re not the only one who’s had conversations with him, y’know.” gaeul replied.

she leaned in and tapped under my eyes with her ring finger.

“stop fidgeting. if you don’t cry at least once from how good you look, i’m doing it wrong.”

“honestly,” liz added, smoothing a bit of product through my hair, “juyeon’s gonna short-circuit when he sees you.”

i laughed softly. “you’re both terrifying.”

“you love us,” gaeul said.

“unfortunately,” i muttered, but i let them keep working.

gaeul squinted at my face, pulling my chin to the side as she dabbed a thick streak of concealer under my left eye.

“you’ve got dark circles,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact.

then, without warning, she started pounding at my skin with her beauty blender.

“gaeul… ow! this fucking hurts,” i muttered, flinching slightly as she continued with absolutely no remorse.

“beauty is pain,” she said sweetly, not slowing down.

meanwhile, liz had plugged in her straightener and was now brushing out a section of my hair with one hand while holding the hot tool in the other.

“tilt your head,” she said softly. “this’ll look really good once i smooth the front.”

i tilted my head but frowned.

“wait. what if the date’s at a swimming pool?”

both girls froze for a second.

gaeul narrowed her eyes at me, mid-blend.

“if you dunk your face in the water after i just concealed your entire face, sleep with one eye open.”

liz chuckled, tugging a section of hair straight through the iron.

“pool or not, you’re going to look good. that’s what matters.”

winter burst into the dressing room like a gust of wind, her eyes locking on me in the chair.

“wait, wait, are we doing hyunjae’s makeup right now?” she asked, already crossing the room. “move over, gaeul. i’m a makeup artist. let me help.”

gaeul stepped back, tossing the beauty blender onto the vanity.

“fine, i’ll let the professional take over. but if you mess up my base work, i’m not fixing it.” she turned on her heel and headed toward the closet at the far end of the room. “i’ll find you an outfit. something cute. maybe a linen shirt. or a silk one, if we really want juyeon to faint.”

winter clicked her tongue playfully as she took gaeul’s place.

“god, hyunjae, you really got all three of us fussing over you, huh?” she leaned in, already swiping at the concealer she clearly didn’t agree with. “she went way too heavy on this, looks like war paint. don’t worry, i’ll soften it.”

from across the room, gaeul called out, “found something! white linen, slightly unbuttoned, paired with light blue trousers. you’ll look so good!”

“maybe it’s too over the top,” i muttered.

winter laughed. “no it isn’t. now hold still, i’m fixing your brows.”

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

i stared at my reflection in the dressing room mirror, barely recognizing myself.

my hair was sleek and straight, falling perfectly into place around my face, and my skin looked flawless.

the white linen shirt gaeul picked clung in all the right places, two buttons left open just as she instructed, and the light blue trousers balanced everything out.

i tilted my head, adjusting the collar and my necklace slightly, still in awe of how much they’d done in under twenty minutes.

gaeul clapped her hands from behind me. “he looks great!”

liz let out a triumphant squeal. “we did that. we really did that.”

winter smirked, arms folded proudly. “and you doubted the process.”

“i didn’t doubt,” i muttered, still adjusting the cuffs. “i just… didn’t expect to look like this.”

gaeul grinned. “you’re welcome. juyeon’s not gonna know what hit him.”

“i think i need to mentally prepare…” i joked, but i couldn’t help the small, nervous smile that formed as i looked back at the mirror.

gaeul stepped back, brushing non-existent lint off my shoulders before placing her hands on her hips.

“alright, pretty boy. time to go melt juyeon into a puddle.”

liz grabbed my wrist and spun me around once for a final inspection.

“you’re good to go. you look hot. like… very hot.”

winter smiled as she unplugged the straightener.

“try not to trip on your way out. that would ruin everything.”

i laughed, nerves bubbling in my chest as i stood.

“thanks, seriously. i owe you guys.”

“you owe us the juicy details later,” gaeul teased, waving me off. “now go! your date awaits.”

with one last deep breath, i walked out of the dressing room and into the area where the others were waiting. heads turned almost immediately. a few jaws dropped, and someone let out a low whistle.

“damn, hyunjae!” sunwoo said with a grin. “who is this guy?”

juyeon stood near the doorway, halfway through a conversation, but he froze the second his eyes landed on me.

he muttered something under his breath, not loud enough for me to hear, but the look on his face told me everything i needed to know.

i walked up to juyeon slowly. his gaze followed me, lips parted slightly.

“you’re staring,” i teased, stopping right in front of him.

“you planned this,” he said, eyes scanning me. “you dressed like this to get something out of me.”

i smirked. “and it’s working.”

he grinned wide, and before he could reply, the rest of the group ruined the moment with a few teasing comments.

“have fun, you two!” liz called out.

“don’t spend the whole date making out, remember the money!” karina warned with a smirk.

sunwoo stepped up beside us and gave me a wink.

“if juyeon doesn’t treat you right, you know where to find me.”

i laughed, shaking my head at him.

juyeon shot sunwoo such a sharp glare.

“okay, okay!” sunwoo threw his hands up in surrender, grinning. “relax, juyeon, i get it. hyunjae’s all yours.”

juyeon didn’t say a word, just wrapped an arm around my waist like it was second nature and guided me toward the door.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

when we stepped out of the door and out onto the sunlit lawn, the sound of the others faded.

the warm breeze brushed against us, the scent of the sea hanging in the air.

juyeon leaned in close as we walked, his hand brushing mine.

“so,” he whispered, voice low, “what’s the plan for this little date of ours?”

i glanced at him sideways, smiling.

“you mean besides faking this shit?”

he let out a short laugh.

“oh, i don’t need to pretend. i’m already fully committed.”

i rolled my eyes, but my cheeks betrayed me with a flush.

“alright. let’s just keep it believable. maybe some hand-holding, maybe a forehead kiss—”

“forehead?” juyeon laughed. “i’m going for cheek at minimum.”

“push it too far and lana’s gonna charge us double now,” i warned, but i couldn’t stop smiling.

we reached the small golf cart waiting for us near the path, its driver ready.

juyeon opened the side for me like some cheesy gentleman, bowing low.

“your carriage awaits, prince.”

“wow,” i muttered, climbing in, “you’re lucky i’m into embarrassing behavior.”

he slipped in beside me, close enough that our knees touched, and as the cart pulled away toward the date location, juyeon leaned in again, voice quieter this time.

“i meant what i said, by the way. i’m not pretending that hard.”

i looked out at the palm trees rushing past us, the sound of the ocean nearby, pretending i hadn’t heard him. i didn’t quite know what to say back.

juyeon nudged me with his elbow as the cart moved along the path, the date spot still out of view.

“you should’ve seen your face just now,” he said, laughter already leaking into his voice. “you looked like you were about to freak out.”

i turned to him with a forced smile, raising a brow.

“oh, you mean when you said you weren’t pretending?”

he grinned wide, too smug for his own good.

“yeah. you really bought that? come on, hyunjae…” he leaned closer, eyes twinkling with mischief. “don’t tell me you’ve got a little crush or something.”

i scoffed, chuckling as if i wasn’t stung just a little.

“please. you wish.”

“mm,” juyeon said, clearly enjoying himself. “i mean, with how red you got, i could’ve sworn you were two seconds from bursting.”

i laughed dryly and looked out at the ocean peeking through the palm trees, trying to ignore the weird twist in my stomach.

“i was just embarrassed you were being so extra. it’s fucking cringy.”

“whatever helps you sleep at night,” he said, still smiling, still teasing.

and i smiled too, because that’s what i was supposed to do.

the golf cart came to a soft stop at the edge of a clearing. juyeon and i glanced at each other, and then back out at the setup ahead of us.

a long dining table draped in crisp white linen, rose petals scattered across the cloth and the grass glinted under the late afternoon sun. two tall wooden chairs stood on either side of the table.

a bottle of chilled white wine and an equally expensive-looking champagne bottle sat in a silver bucket. each plate was hidden under a polished cloche.

as we stepped off the cart, it quietly rolled away behind us, leaving nothing but the ocean breeze and the faint sound of waves.

“woah,” juyeon said, eyeing the setup. “they really went all out for us.”

he turned to me with a grin and pulled out one of the chairs.

“for you, milady.”

i rolled my eyes, laughing as i took the seat.

“so chivalrous. you really know how to play it up.”

juyeon winked at me and sat down across the table.

we both took a moment, letting the silence fall between us, just watching the sunlight flicker through the canopy above and sparkle on the glasses.

then my eyes drifted slightly to the side, where i spotted a cameraman crouched behind some bushes, lens focused right on us.

i stiffened for just a second. of course. this was all being filmed.

the date had to be perfect.

i straightened a little in my seat, putting on my easiest, softest smile as i turned back to juyeon.

he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, fingers laced together beneath his chin with a grin that was somewhere between playful and smug.

“so,” he said, drawing the word out. “tell me, hyunjae… what do you do for a living? outside of, you know, this place.”

i narrowed my eyes at him, but i played along, forcing a casual shrug.

“i’m a freelance writer,” i replied. “articles, short stories, some lifestyle pieces. i spend a lot of time behind a laptop… alone. very glamorous.”

juyeon made an exaggerated ‘wow’ face.

“freelance writer? that’s so cool! i didn’t know that at all,” he said with mock innocence. “do you write poetry?”

i snorted. “only the sad kind.”

he laughed, pleased with himself. “sad poetry. classic…”

i tilted my head. “and what about you? what’s your life like outside of this retreat?”

“i’m a research analyst. spreadsheets, graphs, shitty excel formulas.“

“sounds intense,” i replied dryly. “you must be the life of every party.”

he gave me a wink. “only the ones with projectors.”

i chuckled.

he reached for the champagne and popped the cork with an effortless twist, the soft pop sounding crisp in the quiet air. he poured into my glass first, then into his, careful and measured.

he raised his glass.

“to us,” he said, locking eyes with me.

i shook my head, laughing as i clinked my glass gently against his.

“to us,” i echoed.

we both took a sip, and the warmth of the champagne burned just enough to make me grimace.

juyeon set his glass down with a soft clink and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head with a satisfied sigh.

“you know, i’ve been thinking...”

i raised a brow. “about what?”

he smirked and tilted his head slightly, pretending to think.

“thinking about how i landed someone who looks like this.”

he gestured at me with a sweep of his hand.

i groaned. “juyeon…”

he grinned wider.

“no seriously, look at you. the view is nice,” he gestured vaguely at the ocean just beyond the cliff. “but i think i prefer what’s sitting in front of me.”

i flinched, making a face as i reached for my wine glass.

“god, that was so fucking cheesy.”

he burst out laughing. “was it too much?”

“way too much.”

“alright, i’ll dial it back.” he leaned in slightly, lowering his voice into something gentler. “but i meant it. you look good, hyunjae.”

i glanced away for a second, heat rising to my cheeks.

“thanks,” i mumbled, then took another sip to distract myself from the way he was looking at me.

he didn’t say anything for a moment, just smiled into his glass.

i felt the breeze shift just slightly, brushing the candle flames and tugging at the rose petals on the table.

juyeon had been smiling at me in that same playful way for the past few minutes, but then his expression softened.

he leaned forward a bit, tilting his head.

“can i ask you something?” he said, voice quieter.

“sure,” i replied, setting my glass down.

“what do you really think about all the rules here?” he asked, eyes switching briefly toward the champagne bottle, then back to mine. “like, do you think they’re helping us… or just making things harder?”

i let out a breath, considering it.

“i think they’re supposed to make us think more. about touch, connection… control. but yeah, they’re hard. especially when—” i stopped myself. “nevermind.”

juyeon watched me carefully, his smile fading into something more serious. then, without saying anything, he reached across the table and gently grabbed my hand.

i looked down as his fingers slid over mine, warm and slow, his thumb brushing my knuckles before his hand settled fully on top of mine. i blinked, unsure what to say at first.

“hyunjae,” juyeon said softly. “i know it’s only our first date. and i know it’s literally day three in the villa. but i’m not playing around.”

i looked up, meeting his gaze, his voice was steadier than i expected.

“i want to be serious with you,” he said. “whether or not we’re supposed to be ‘testing connections.’ i already know mine.”

i swallowed. i tried to process the words. i hadn’t expected him to say that. not so soon. not like this. not with so much certainty.

i stared at our hands on the table for a second longer, trying not to believe what he was saying.

before i could dwell too much, juyeon’s voice cut through my thoughts, light again.

“we should eat before it gets cold,” he said, withdrawing his hand and picking up the silver cloche over his plate. “i’m starving.”

i blinked and nodded, quietly lifting the lid off mine as well. the warm smell of garlic and seafood wafted up, revealing a beautifully plated shrimp linguine. the steam curled in the air.

we both twirled our forks in the pasta, the silence between us filled by the ocean breeze and the clink of cutlery.

after a few bites, i looked up at him.

“thanks,” i said.

he glanced at me with a mouthful of pasta.

“hm?”

i smiled faintly.

“for… saying what you said. about being serious. even if it’s early days, i guess it’s nice to hear.”

juyeon gave me a soft grin, his cheek full, and nodded.

“of course. i meant it.”

i looked down again, trying to push away the guilt still hanging in the corner of my chest.

“so… what were your past relationships like?” i asked after a few beats of silence, trying to keep my voice light.

juyeon grinned again (he was doing a lot of that), sitting back a little in his chair.

“we’re really doing this, huh?”

i shrugged. “you said you wanted to be serious.”

he pointed a finger at me, playful. “touché.”

he took a sip of champagne before continuing.

“okay, well… i dated a girl called hana in high school. super sweet, but it was more of a short-lived thing. then there was this other girl named soojin, college year one, total whirlwind. we broke up over who should’ve paid for a concert ticket.”

i nodded along, pretending to be curious even though i’d already heard these names before, stories i’d listened to on late-night calls back when we were just normal friends and didn’t share a bed for a tv show.

“and then came minji,” juyeon continued. “honestly? she was probably the most serious relationship i had. we dated for almost a year. thought we were gonna move in together after college, but she got a job in busan and i didn’t want to do long-distance.”

i offered a sympathetic hum, even though I knew all this too. but then juyeon laughed, a different kind of laugh, one i hadn’t heard him use before, and added, “oh, and there was haeun.”

my brows lifted just slightly. i didn’t recognize that name.

“haeun?” i repeated, keeping my voice steady, casual.

“yeah. it wasn’t serious, more of a situationship,” juyeon said, running a hand through his hair. “we hooked up a few times, and then out of nowhere, she told me she’d been seeing my roommate too.”

i blinked. that was new. he’d never told me that story.

i then reminded myself that juyeon didn’t need to tell me everything.

“oh wow,” i managed, forcing a chuckle. “didn’t expect that.”

“yeah, me neither,” he said, shaking his head. “total mess. but anyway, it taught me to pay attention more.”

i smiled, too tightly. “smart.”

juyeon leaned in, propping his chin on his hand with a soft smile.

“okay, my turn again. tell me about your life outside the villa.”

“i live alone in seoul, just outside of hongdae. rent’s insane but the sunlight in the mornings makes it worth it.”

juyeon nodded, eyes twinkling like it was brand new information.

“that sounds cozy.”

“it is,” i said, playing along again. “to be honest, i work a lot, i never really have time for anything else.”

his eyes widened slightly.

“how the fuck do you keep yourself sane?”

“i walk a lot,” i admitted. “or write things no one will ever read. helps clear my head. i meet up with friends… sometimes. you know, when i actually go outside.”

juyeon laughed.

“what about your family? are you close with them?”

i hesitated for a half-second, even though i already knew he knew.

“yeah, i am. i have one older sister. she’s married, has two kids now. they live in busan.”

“and you see them often?”

“when i can,” i said. “i miss them sometimes. the noise.”

juyeon softened a little, like he could hear something under my words.

“that’s sweet.”

we kept eating slowly, the sounds of soft waves crashing in the distance mixing with the occasional clink of silverware on china.

the food was great. it wasn’t the kind of meal you rushed through, and neither of us seemed in a hurry to finish.

juyeon twirled his fork lazily.

“okay, this is a food-related question. if you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?”

i smiled, chewing thoughtfully before answering.

“kimchi jjigae. with tuna. has to be tuna.”

“respectable,” he said, pointing at me with his fork. “mine’s dakgalbi. with extra cheese, obviously.”

“obviously,” i echoed, and we both chuckled.

we fell into a comfortable silence of bites and glances, letting it feel easy for once.

then he wiped his mouth gently with the napkin and leaned back, his eyes scanning the view for a second before settling on me again.

“well,” he said with a satisfied sigh, “this was probably the fanciest date i’ve ever been on.”

i leaned in close and whispered so that only he could hear me.

“this isn’t even real, so it doesn’t count.”

“i mean—” he paused, copying my tone, “we’re doing a convincing job, aren’t we?”

i nodded. “apparently convincing enough to win the date vote.”

“and to cost them three thousand dollars,” he added, cocking an eyebrow. “guess they wanted to make sure we got our money’s worth.”

we both laughed again, but behind the humor, i felt something else stir in me. it was fun, too fun, maybe.

still, i reached for my wine glass, lifting it slightly toward him.

“to us.” i mocked his earlier toast.

he clinked his glass against mine, grinning, he didn’t seem to mind it.

“may it get us to the finale.”

we sipped, eyes holding for just a second too long. and then we both looked away, almost at the same time, like we were afraid of what might happen if we didn’t.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

the wheels of the golf cart crunched softly against the gravel as we pulled back into the villa, the sky above us dipped in hues of deep gold and rose. the warmth of the day still lingered on my skin, but the breeze had cooled, brushing gently against my face as we neared the villa.

i glanced sideways at juyeon, his face lit by the sunset, his smile effortlessly charming, it was easy to forget the whole thing we were putting on.

i just inhaled the calm that came with dusk, the kind that briefly numbed my unease and reminded me how easy it was to fall into step with juyeon… even if i wasn’t sure where we were stepping.

the villa stood still ahead of us, bathed in amber light, and for once, there wasn’t laughter or music carrying from inside. juyeon ran a hand through his hair and looked at me.

“i think i need a shower,” he said, already starting toward the door. “shrimp pasta is not the smell i want to carry into the evening.”

i smiled, watching him go.

“go, then. and beware of sunwoo.”

“don’t miss me too much,” he called back, flashing a grin over his shoulder before disappearing through the glass doors.

i turned and took the long way around the villa, cutting past the garden path that led to the pool.

it was unusually quiet. no splashing water. no distant shouting.

near the sunbeds, i spotted yujin, liz, gaeul, and sunoo all sitting close, their voices hushed and faces serious, something that never boded well.

“hey,” i said, walking up and sitting beside gaeul. “why’s it so quiet around here? did someone die or something?”

they all looked at me.

yujin arched an eyebrow.

“we’ll tell you…” she said slowly, “after you tell us how your date went.”

sunoo leaned in with a mischievous grin.

“yes, tell us everything.”

liz laughed. “and don’t lie. we’ll know if you’re lying.”

i blinked at all of them, now fully aware of the strange tension in the air.

“…right. okay. but after that, you’re telling me what’s going on. promise?”

they all nodded, eyes glinting with something i couldn’t quite name.

i leaned back a little on the sunbed, eyes flicking between all of them as they stared at me.

“alright,” i started, trying not to sound like i’d rehearsed it in my head a hundred times already, “so we get to the date spot, right? and it’s… like, really fancy. white tablecloth, rose petals everywhere, champagne, even those metal things over the plates.”

sunoo made an approving noise. “okay, lana really went all out for you two.”

“she really did,” i said. “juyeon pulled out my chair and everything, trying to play the gentleman.”

“classic,” gaeul muttered with a smile.

i nodded, chuckling. “then he asked me a bunch of questions about myself and i did the same to him. it was just… small talk.”

yujin raised a brow.

“small talk?”

that caught me for a second, but i covered it with a shrug.

“i mean… juyeon did say this thing about wanting to be serious.”

yujin wiggled her brows teasingly.

“anyway,” i continued, “the food was amazing, shrimp linguine. and then we toasted to ourselves, which was cheesy, and he started comparing me to the view, which was really fucking cheesy—”

“you liked it, didn’t you?” liz asked, laughing.

“no,” i lied, shaking my head. “but… i dunno. it was fun. he kept it light, made a few jokes. for a first date, it didn’t feel half bad.”

sunoo tilted his head.

“you’re saying it wasn’t half bad, but you smiled just now.”

i glanced at him, then quickly looked away.

“okay, well… it wasn’t the worst way to spend the afternoon.”

gaeul leaned forward.

“and now that you’ve shared, we can finally tell you why everything’s been so quiet.”

i sat up straighter. “oh god. what happened?”

yujin leaned in slightly, her voice hushed but urgent.

“so… while you and juyeon were off on your date, lana called us in for a workshop.”

liz nodded, arms crossed over her legs.

“it wasn’t anything super different, just more of that emotional clarity stuff. some of it was helpful, but honestly, everyone was still pretty tense from this morning.”

“after the workshop,” sunoo chimed in, shifting uncomfortably, “everyone kind of broke off into little groups. i went to grab a drink near the kitchen and… i overheard karina and winter talking in the hallway.”

i blinked. “talking about what?”

“about sunghoon and wonyoung,” sunoo said slowly, eyes darting to the others before settling back on me. “winter was saying how wonyoung’s getting too into sunghoon, like it’s not that deep and she’s only doing it for the fame or whatever. it wasn’t even direct, it was more of a back-handed kind of thing. but it rubbed me the wrong way.”

my eyebrows rose. “so what did you do?”

“i told wonyoung,” sunoo said simply. “i figured if someone was talking like that behind my back, i’d want to know.”

gaeul sighed, folding her arms.

“and now the whole villa’s pissed at winter. not just wonyoung. everyone’s kind of iced her out except for karina. she’s the only one still hanging out with her.”

i sat back slowly, processing. the sudden shift in the villa made sense now, the quiet, the glances, the little groups forming.

“and winter hasn’t said anything to explain herself?” i asked.

liz shook her head.

“if she has, no one’s buying it. wonyoung was really upset, and sunghoon’s furious. everything’s been totally off since.”

sunoo looked at me, chewing the inside of his cheek.

“did i mess up, hyunjae? i didn’t want to stir the pot, but…”

“i’m not really sure.” i said honestly, glancing toward the villa.

sunoo pulled his knees up to his chest, his brows knitting together.

“i’ve been thinking about it since it happened. like… why would winter even say something like that? especially knowing it could get back to wonyoung?”

liz looked off into the distance, her fingers absentmindedly brushing over the sunbed fabric.

“honestly? i think she’s just jealous. of wonyoung, of her connection with sunghoon, maybe even of how quickly she’s getting liked by everyone.”

yujin nodded.

“it’s not the first time she’s made weird comments like that. it’s just that this time, someone actually called her out on it.”

gaeul tilted her head.

“and then there’s karina,” she said, her voice low. “have you noticed how she always has winter’s back? like… no matter what she says or does, karina defends her.”

sunoo nodded quickly.

“they’re really close. almost too close, sometimes.”

“they’re like a package deal,” liz added. “one can’t exist without the other. i’m not saying that’s bad… but it makes it hard for either of them to see when the other’s in the wrong.”

i stayed quiet for a moment, watching the breeze ripple across the pool’s surface.

karina and winter had always moved as one, but lately, it felt more like they were isolating themselves from the rest of the group. maybe even protecting each other from accountability.

“do you think karina agrees with what winter said about wonyoung?” i asked eventually.

yujin shrugged.

“hard to say. but if she didn’t, she definitely does now, and the fact that she’s still standing by her kind of says it all.”

gaeul sighed.

“it’s just… sad. we were finally starting to get somewhere as a group, and now this.”

i nodded slowly.

“yeah. let’s just hope it doesn’t spiral any further.”

eunwoo walked up from the side path, his hands tucked into the pockets of his shorts and a small smile on his face.

“hey,” he called out, “there’s food on the table. lana just made the announcement, so you guys can come eat now if you’re hungry.”

before anyone could respond, yujin jumped to her feet with a dramatic gasp.

“finally! i was starving to death out here!”

she rushed over to eunwoo and, without hesitation, threw her arms around him.

“you’re a literal angel. thank you, seriously.”

eunwoo blinked in surprise, the tips of his ears turning slightly pink, but he chuckled.

“i’ll take the compliment. come on, before it gets cold.”

sunoo stretched with a groan.

“food does sound good right now. i feel like i haven’t eaten in hours.”

liz got up next, brushing some dust off her shorts.

“let’s go then. maybe dinner will lighten the mood around here.”

gaeul turned to me with a gentle smile.

“you coming, hyunjae?”

i nodded, standing and following after them, my thoughts still half on the conversation we’d just had, and half on what the rest of the night might bring.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

as we rounded the corner and stepped into the dining room, the chatter between us tapered off almost instantly.

the room was thick with tension, everyone was already seated around the long dining table, but no one was speaking. knives scraped quietly against plates, the only sound echoing in the room apart from the noise of the overhead fans.

yujin slowed her steps and muttered under her breath, “why does it feel like we just walked into a funeral?”

sunoo leaned toward her, whispering, “i didn’t imagine my first full day here to be like this.”

liz looked around cautiously, eyes flickering from wonyoung to winter to karina.

“yep. still awkward,” she said under her breath.

gaeul plastered on a polite smile.

“hi, guys,” she said to the table, her voice just a touch too cheerful. “sorry we’re late. we got caught up.”

no one really responded. wonyoung barely glanced up from her plate. karina gave a small nod. winter didn’t even look over.

i exchanged a look with sunoo as we slid into the empty seats at the end of the table. he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

i cleared my throat and tried to cut the tension. “so… what’s for dinner?”

younghoon, seated across from me, gave a half-hearted smile. “roasted chicken. and broccoli.”

juyeon, now freshly showered and sliding into the seat next to me, arched a brow.

“did i miss a fight or…?”

nobody answered.

i leaned slightly toward juyeon, keeping my voice low as i whispered, “i’ll fill you in later. it’s been… a weird afternoon.”

juyeon nodded subtly, glancing around the table.

he could feel it too, the way everyone was either eating in silence or shooting glances in wonyoung and winter’s direction.

then, sunwoo suddenly piped up, his fork clattering a bit too loudly against his plate.

“can we talk about how hyunjae and juyeon had, like, the best first date?”

a few people looked up. gaeul smirked into her glass.

sunwoo grinned, eyes on me.

“juyeon already gave me the run-down, by the way. told me how hyunjae was out here blushing like a schoolgirl.”

i rolled my eyes, trying not to smile. “did he also tell you about his weird ass toast?”

juyeon gave me a crooked grin and shrugged.

“guilty. but come on, the look on your face was too good.”

a few chuckles finally broke through the tension. yujin cracked a smile. even liz let out a little snort.

sunwoo pointed his fork between us.

“you two better not mess this up now, we’re all set on who to vote for next time a date comes up.”

that earned him a proper laugh from gaeul and a muffled giggle from sunoo.

the air started to feel less stuffed, only slightly, but enough to let a breath out.

eunwoo gently set down his fork and said, “by the way, while you guys were out, younghoon and chanhee actually made up during the workshop. it was kind of sweet.”

there was a brief pause, the kind that didn’t feel natural.

everyone’s eyes darted, and mine instinctively followed them to winter, who kept her gaze trained firmly on her plate, not saying a word.

gaeul cleared her throat quickly, forcing a smile as she jumped in, “anyway, how crazy is it that the chefs managed to make chicken taste like this? it’s actually impressive—”

but the awkwardness didn’t go unnoticed. the tension was back.

wonyoung, who had been sitting unusually upright, finally turned her head slowly, locking her eyes on gaeul first, then winter. her voice was calm, but there was a sharpness to it.

“why does everyone keep skimming past what actually happened this afternoon?”

gaeul tensed beside me.

wonyoung leaned forward slightly.

“i’m just saying, it wasn’t the workshop that ruined the afternoon. it was one person. so why are we pretending that it was some shared mistake?”

winter’s jaw clenched. she didn’t look up.

karina’s arm brushed hers in what looked like a silent show of support, but she, too, stayed silent.

nobody spoke for a beat. the silence this time felt heavy, but not yet uncomfortable.

i glanced over at juyeon, whose expression was unreadable.

wonyoung sat back.

“if someone has something to say, i’d rather they say it to my face next time.”

karina’s expression hardened instantly, her jaw tightening as she dropped her utensils onto her plate.

“you would’ve reacted just as badly if she’d said it to your face,” she snapped, eyes narrowed at wonyoung. “don’t act like you’re someone who can keep their composure now.”

wonyoung blinked, visibly stunned for half a second, but she wasn’t backing down.

“why are you defending her so hard, karina?” she asked, her voice sharp, almost cold. “seriously. what is it with you two?”

karina opened her mouth, but no words came out. she just looked back at wonyoung, her silence saying more than she intended.

“okay, hey,” younghoon interjected as he leaned forward with his palms up. “let’s not turn dinner into a fight—”

but wonyoung wasn’t having it. she stood up halfway from her seat, her voice rising.

“no, because it’s always karina jumping to winter’s defense, no matter what she says or does. what, are we not allowed to hold her accountable just because she has backup?”

karina looked like she was about to retaliate when, suddenly, winter’s voice cut through the table, sharp, cold, and louder than anyone had ever heard from her.

“please, for the love of god, shut up wonyoung.”

the entire table went silent. every fork stilled mid-air. even sunwoo, who’d been halfway into a bite, froze.

winter’s hands were clenched tightly in her lap, her eyes finally meeting wonyoung’s across the table.

“i said what i said,” she continued, quieter now but just as biting. “and you’ve made your point. you’ve dragged it out long enough. you can stop now.”

for a few seconds, nobody breathed.

eric let out an awkward cough, shifting in his seat as the tension clung to the air.

“so…” he said, his voice way too high-pitched, trying desperately to sound cheerful. “anyone else feel like they’re going to roll out of here if they eat one more bite of chicken?”

sunwoo immediately picked up the lifeline.

“honestly, i’m already halfway there. i think my abs disappeared sometime around the second serving.”

that got a couple chuckles around the table, eunwoo smirked, and yujin giggled softly beside him.

“right? and we still don’t even know if there’s dessert,” gaeul added, eyeing the kitchen.

“we better hope there is,” liz said, looking to me. “you and juyeon had your date, the rest of us need at least a sugar rush to cope.”

i smiled politely, glancing briefly toward juyeon beside me, who gave a small grin in return.

across the table, wonyoung muttered something under her breath but didn’t speak again. karina and winter remained silent, their heads tilted toward each other. they weren’t eating anymore, instead, they were whispering in hushed tones, eyes barely flicking to anyone else.

it was obvious they were in their own world now.

but the rest of the table seemed relieved to let the moment pass, laughter slowly filtered back in, shallow conversation finding its way around the awkwardness.

i picked up the last bite of food on my plate, my fork scraping gently against the ceramic. most people were finishing up their meals in a more comfortable lull of conversation, soft laughter here, some teasing between sunwoo and eric there, but just as i reached for my glass of water, lana’s voice rang out from the speakers.

“all contestants, please make your way to the cabana. i have something important to share with you.”

there was a beat of silence. eyes lifted from plates. winter and karina stopped whispering.

juyeon moved beside me.

“here we go again,” he murmured under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear.

i glanced around as everyone slowly pushed their chairs back and stood.

gaeul and liz shared a look full of wary. eric looked like he’d been caught mid-chew and was scrambling to swallow whatever was in his mouth. wonyoung rolled her eyes dramatically, muttering something.

as we filed out toward the cabana, i stayed close to juyeon, our arms brushing.

i caught sunoo’s expression as we stepped out into the warm night air, nervous, but intrigued, and i couldn’t help but feel it mirrored mine.

the cabana lights were already on, bathing the furniture and cushions in soft yellow light.

everyone began to take their seats, whispering.

“what now?” liz said quietly, settling beside gaeul. “more punishments?”

“or maybe another twist,” eunwoo added from somewhere behind me.

i sat down slowly, pulse quickening just enough to notice it. juyeon glanced at me and offered a small, crooked grin.

everyone sat a little straighter as lana’s voice returned, echoing across the cabana’s speakers.

“there is a new addition to the villa, something to test your growth and your resolve. i have introduced the suite. a private space where one couple will spend the night… alone. free from distractions, but not from the rules.”

a low series of murmurs moved through us. eyes widened. a couple of people exchanged raised eyebrows.

“the suite is designed to test your self-control and your commitment to forming meaningful connections, not just physical ones. tonight, i have personally selected the couple who will go. in the future, you will all have the opportunity to vote on who gets the suite experience. but for tonight…”

she paused. a few held their breath. i glanced at yujin, who had leaned forward slightly in anticipation.

“yujin and eunwoo, you have been chosen. please prepare to spend the night in the suite.”

gasps broke the silence.

“whoa,” sunwoo muttered, eyes going wide.

“damn,” eric added with a low whistle. “that seems fun.”

yujin’s eyes darted to eunwoo, cheeks flushed, lips slightly parted in surprise.

“wait… really?” she whispered, blinking like she wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly.

eunwoo gave her a soft smile, reaching over to squeeze her hand.

“looks like it’s us.”

“good luck,” wonyoung said, her tone playful but edged with warning. “don’t cost us another thirty grand.”

“don’t worry,” yujin replied quickly, holding up both hands. “i’ve learned my lesson.”

sunoo raised an eyebrow.

“have you, though?”

everyone chuckled lightly at that.

i glanced at juyeon, who was watching eunwoo and yujin carefully. when he caught me looking, he leaned over and whispered, “wanna bet how long they’ll last without touching?”

i smiled faintly but said nothing, eyes drifting back to the couple at the center of attention.

yujin blinked a few more times before shaking her head and standing up quickly.

“okay… uh, i need to get ready. i’m not sleeping in that suite looking like this.” she said, gesturing to herself.

“oh my god, yes, come on, let’s get you ready.” liz jumped in her seat.

“you’re gonna come out looking great!” sunoo squealed.

the girls, except winter and karina, who remained in their seats, quietly whispering to each other again, and sunoo got up with yujin, a little trail of excitement forming behind her as they all filed out of the cabana toward the dressing room.

i leaned back in my seat, the air still carrying a strange mix of tension and anticipation.

i turned to juyeon beside me.

“i’m gonna brush my teeth.” i sighed.

“i’ll come with. could use a minute away from… whatever this is.” he replied, grinning almost too brightly.

he stood up too, brushing off his pants as he stretched.

we slipped away from the group and stepped into the hallway that led back toward the main villa.

it was quieter there, the distant splash of water from the pool, and the muted sounds of the tension giving way to silence.

as we walked side by side toward the bathroom, i exhaled softly, grateful for the momentary escape.

behind us, i could hear sunwoo cracking some joke to eric about the suite, but i let it fade behind me. i was more focused on juyeon, and the growing weight of the night.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

i turned on the tap and held my toothbrush under the stream, watching the bristles soak as the water rushed over them.

the bathroom felt still, quiet except for the soft echo of the tap and the faint noises from the cabana down the hall.

juyeon stood near the door, arms loosely crossed, one shoulder leaning against the frame.

“so,” he said, his voice low. “what happened after the workshop earlier? while we were on our date?”

i stuck the toothbrush in my mouth, foam quickly forming as i started brushing. i caught his eyes in the mirror, raising a brow at him. he gave me a small smile like he knew it was an inconvenient time to ask but also didn’t care.

“mmnph,” i muttered around the brush, narrowing my eyes.

he chuckled.

“c’mon, just talk. i won’t judge the toothpaste lisp.”

i rolled my eyes, spit into the sink, and rinsed before turning toward him with the towel in my hand.

“fine. but you’re not allowed to laugh at how ridiculous this whole thing is.”

“deal.”

“so,” i began, tossing the towel on the counter, “apparently while we were out, lana gave them a workshop. i don’t know what exactly it was about. something to do with reconnection, but afterward, everyone split off to do their own thing. and sunoo overheard karina and winter talking about sunghoon and wonyoung’s relationship.”

juyeon tilted his head slightly, brows pulling together.

“what were they saying?”

i hesitated for a second, then continued.

“winter said something backhanded about wonyoung. i don’t know the exact words, but it was enough to piss sunoo off. he thought wonyoung deserved to know, so he went and told her.”

juyeon’s lips parted slightly in surprise.

“no way.”

i nodded.

“yeah. and now the whole villa’s kind of… frozen out winter. everyone’s ignoring her except karina. apparently, they’re super tight. like, suspiciously close. the girls said it’s kind of weird.”

juyeon let out a low whistle.

“so that’s why everything felt weird when we got back.”

“exactly,” i said, resting my hands on the sink. “it was so quiet when i went over to the sunbeds. and they were all whispering.“

he let out a breath and shook his head.

“damn… we go on one date and there’s another fight.”

“yep,” i said dryly, glancing back at the mirror. “we missed it.”

juyeon nudged me gently with his shoulder as he moved closer to grab his own toothbrush.

“good. i’d rather be with you than in the middle of some drama anyway.”

i rinsed out my mouth, tapping my toothbrush against the side of the sink before placing it back in the cup.

he leaned beside me, running his own toothbrush underneath the tap. i watched him through the mirror for a second before letting out a quiet sigh.

“it’s all so ridiculous,” i muttered. “like, how did one offhand comment spiral into… this? the villa feels like no man’s land over something that could’ve just been cleared up with a real conversation.”

juyeon glanced at me, about to start brushing. i crossed my arms and leaned back on the counter.

“i didn’t want to look like i was defending winter or karina, so i just… played along with what the others were saying. you know, nodded, agreed a little. it’s not like i even fully believe it, but i wasn’t about to get iced out by the group like those two.”

he raised an eyebrow.

“that bad?”

i nodded again.

“it felt like if i said anything positive, they’d put me on the blacklist too.”

juyeon frowned thoughtfully.

“we didn’t hear a thing. none of the boys talked about it. probably because sunghoon was around the whole time.”

i tilted my head.

“yeah? he’s been pretty quiet lately.”

juyeon gave a small shrug.

“he looked mad earlier. like… really mad. i didn’t know why, but now it makes sense. he probably found out what was said about wonyoung and didn’t want to make it worse by bringing it up around us.”

i stared at my reflection for a beat, processing everything.

“and it’s only day four...”

juyeon chuckled lowly beside me, but even that felt tired. he then stated to brush his teeth, the foam gathering around his mouth before he spit into the sink. after rinsing his out with water, he grabbed the towel next to me and dried his face.

the quiet hum of the overhead light and the trickling water gave us a weird sense of peace, something we hadn’t felt all day.

he looked at me through the mirror.

“it feels like we’ve lived a whole two weeks of drama already.”

“if it’s this dramatic already, what’s week two going to look like? or week three? I swear, we’re gonna need therapy after this.”

juyeon chuckled under his breath again.

“you think they’re ever gonna tell us how long we’re actually here for? lana’s being so vague on purpose.”

i met his eyes in the mirror.

“it’s like a game of psychological endurance. everyone’s already on edge. we don’t even know what’s gonna happen at the end, just that there’s money… and no touching.”

he crossed his arms again.

“and yet people are still breaking rules like money grows off of trees. it’s fucking insane.”

“it’s starting to feel like we’re part of some weird social experiment. throw a bunch of people into a villa, add rules and money, see who breaks down first.”

“isn’t that exactly what this is?”

i huffed in slight frustration, but didn’t answer.

he smirked and spoke again.

“so what, are we the only sane ones left?”

i gave him a look. “we’re pretending to date for the money… i wouldn’t call us that sane.”

he laughed, shaking his head. “fair enough.”

the door creaked open behind me just as we stopped laughing.

i glanced in the mirror, catching liz’s unimpressed reflection standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.

“are you two done having your extra date?” she deadpanned. “some of us would like to turn the lights off before sunrise.”

juyeon snorted.

i reached for a towel to pat my face dry again and gave her a sheepish smile. “

“yeah, yeah, we’re done. we’ll be out in a sec.”

liz rolled her eyes, but there was something short of a smile playing at her lips.

“you better be. gaeul’s already threatening to throw something at the lights to switch them off.”

juyeon rinsed his mouth once again and flicked water off his hands before reaching for the hand towel.

we didn’t say anything as we followed liz out, just exchanged a glance.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

the villa felt quieter now, the kind of silence that settles only after long, dramatic days. the lights in the hallway were already dimmed, humming softly above us.

we padded down the corridor, the distant rustle of bedsheets and murmured voices carrying faintly from the bedroom ahead.

as we stepped inside, i could already see people settling under their blankets, faces half-lit by the warm glow of the bedside lamps.

the tension from earlier was retreating for the night, even if it would all come rushing back again tomorrow.

sunwoo propped himself up on one elbow, his messy hair falling into his eyes.

“look who finally decided to show up,” he grinned. “you guys were brushing your teeth… or doing something else?”

eric chuckled from next to him, already buried under the blanket.

“that’s the longest night routine i’ve ever seen. you floss each other’s teeth too?”

juyeon rolled his eyes but played along.

“we’re just very thorough.”

“yeah, i bet,” gaeul teased from her bed near the door, her voice muffled by her pillow. “next time just say you need a moment alone, we’ll understand.”

“i was actually brushing my teeth,” i said, trying not to laugh as i tugged back the covers on the bed. “unlike some people who act like they’ve never touched a toothbrush in their lives.”

sunoo smirked, eyes already closed.

“please, if brushing your teeth gets you alone time with someone that good looking,” he gestured lazily in juyeon’s direction without opening his eyes, “i’m brushing mine every ten minutes.”

juyeon raised his brows, clearly amused.

“should i be flattered or scared?”

“both,” sunoo muttered.

the room slowly settled into soft chuckles and shuffling blankets. someone turned off the last bedside lamp.

juyeon climbed into bed beside me, the mattress dipping with his weight, and the teasing faded into quiet again.

all around us, the rustling of blankets and the occasional whisper signaled everyone settling in for the night.

he shifted beside me, turning slightly so his voice reached my ear in a soft murmur.

“hey… can we… like last night, can we—”

“alright,” i whispered back before he could finish. “you don’t need to ask.”

there was a beat of quiet before juyeon hummed, his tone playful but gentle.

“but i do need to ask. consent is important.”

i felt my lips curl into a small smile in the dark.

“i know,” i replied, softer now. “and i still mean yes.”

without another word, juyeon scooted closer, slipping his arm around my waist from behind, pulling me gently into the familiar warmth of his chest. the silence stretched between us comfortably, the rhythm of his breathing steadying as his body relaxed against mine.

i closed my eyes.

even if everything outside this bed was getting more complicated, this part, at least, felt easy.

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹ 𖦹 ⁺｡°𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

when i woke up, the first thing i noticed was the absence of warmth behind me.

juyeon was gone.

the space where he’d slept was still slightly creased but cooling fast, the sheets already losing the imprint of his body.

i blinked against the soft morning light spilling in through the blinds, disoriented by the stillness. the room, was quiet, too quiet.

i sat up slowly, rubbing at my eyes.

the dorm was almost empty.

a couple of beds were left unmade, pillows tossed, sheets ruffled like some had gotten up in a hurry. but most of them were already made up neatly, corners tucked in, duvets smoothed down.

it felt strange to see the room like this.

where the hell had everyone gone?

i swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a moment, listening, but there were no voices, no footsteps, no sign of movement anywhere nearby.

not even juyeon’s usual humming or eric and sunwoo’s bickering. just the low hum of the ac and the distant call of birds outside the window.

it was like i’d overslept and missed something. something big.