When he didn't respond to her question, Haeyoung didn't ask again.
Well, at least it's convenient that he picks up on these things quickly.
Even in the car on the way back to the dorm, no conversation passed between them. Seongjun had already closed his eyes. Although the cameras were rolling, it wasn't an important scene, so it would probably be edited out.
He quickly fell asleep, exhausted from drinking late into the night.
Because she had to keep her date a secret,
Haeyoung decided to stop by the cafe before heading inside, and Seongjun went back to the dorm first.
Gaeun greeted him.
"Seongjun, no one's here yet. It's just me out here right now."
"That's good. Gaeun, could you come over here for a moment?"
He regretted missing the chance to have one-on-one conversations with other contestants because he was busy dating Haeyoung.
Seongjun pulled out a small pink box that he had carefully hidden in his bag. He thought he'd have to throw it away today, but now it came in handy.
"It's nothing special. I bought it for you to enjoy."
"What is it? You bought this for me?"
"Yes. You can share it if you want."
"Oh, thank you."
Gaeun seemed touched, covering her mouth with both hands.
When she opened the box, colorful, beautifully decorated cookies were neatly lined up inside. With various toppings on top, it was clear at a glance that these weren't ordinary cookies.
Yeah, that's why I bought these pricey treats — because of their look. At least they'll look good on the show, right?
"They say these are trending on social media these days."
"Oh, I think I've heard of them. They must have been hard to get."
"Do you like treats like this?"
"I love pretty desserts. Just looking at them lifts my mood."
"I see."
Each cookie cost over 5,000 won. Does he eat stuff like this often?
Too luxurious a woman wasn't his type. He didn't have anything yet, but just thinking about the woman beside him wasting the fortune he would one day have, already made him feel bad.
Who does she think she is, planning to blow my money on laziness and extravagance? No way — that kind of woman is absolutely out of the question. Even if Seo Haeyoung wasn't fun at all, at least he didn't have to worry about things like that.
Unaware of Seongjun's thoughts, Gaeun exclaimed "Wow" and took pictures with her phone.
Still, he liked this kind of warm and friendly reaction. That's how a woman should be. Seo Haeyoung was so stiff sometimes he wasn't sure if he was dating a man or a woman.
While Gaeun was distracted, Seongjun's gaze traveled down her legs.
Her figure left much to be desired. Did she even work out? Her butt… was just… ugh.
There were many things that left him feeling disappointed in various ways.
"I'll enjoy it."
Seongjun quickly looked up again and gave a bright smile—one so beautiful that it couldn't hint at any of his unpleasant thoughts.
Gaeun, without knowing what he was thinking, handed him a cookie with a prompt to eat first. Seongjun accepted it with his mouth. Gaeun looked shy and avoided his gaze.
But how old is she? Up close, she looks a bit older—maybe older than me? That's a bit awkward.
If possible, he preferred younger women.
They were livelier. His seniors said women only get more calculating and self-interested with age.
If he got involved with an older woman, his own image might seem older too. If he wanted to stay in the spotlight longer, looking young was definitely better.
"Why? Did I get something on me? You're staring way too much."
"No, that's not it."
I should get to know Taeri too.
Seongjun recalled the text voting results from the day before. Three votes — one for Seo Haeyoung, and the other two for Gaeun and Taeri.
I'm not desperate because I don't have a woman, and I have plenty of options. There's no need to settle down with one person so soon, right?
I'll compare the two and choose the better one. If neither works out, there's Minji too.
He felt a bit proud, as if he already had three women in his grasp.
"Gaeun, do you have plans tomorrow? If not, would you like to have lunch with me?"
"Sounds good!"
Their conversation grew longer. Even as other cast members gradually returned, neither of them moved, which made it seem like Gaeun was interested in him.
That makes sense. I'm currently the most popular guy here. Why would anyone dislike that? Honestly, in terms of looks, I'm the best among the men. Even I'd be grateful and stick close to myself.
Just as Seongjun was feeling satisfied, an unwelcome visitor appeared.
"Oh? It's Haeyoung. Haeyoung!"
Ugh. Without knowing Seongjun's feelings, Gaeun called out to Haeyoung warmly. Haeyoung approached where they were.
Why isn't she going upstairs and is coming this way?
It suddenly felt uncomfortable. Like being caught cheating.
Cheating? No way. And no matter what I do, Seo Haeyoung wouldn't even confront me once.
"You went grocery shopping? That must have been heavy."
Gaeun quickly took the bag from Haeyoung's hand. Only then did Seongjun snatch the bag from Gaeun's hands. It wasn't even heavy, but she was pretending.
"I thought we might be drinking tonight, so I bought some light snacks."
"Thanks for your effort. Oh, by the way, would you like some of this?"
She held out the cookie box that Seongjun had just given her.
Why would she give that? And to Seo Haeyoung of all people?
He remembered how he didn't want to give it to Haeyoung earlier and tried to hide it.
"What is it?"
"Seongjun said he bought it for us to share."
I did say we could share it, but actually giving it to Haeyoung? Does she have no sense?
"Yes, Seongjun said this is really trending on social media these days."
"Really?"
Haeyoung stared at Seongjun. Having seen him earlier during their date, she knew he wasn't stupid—he must understand what this meant. Feeling a bit guilty, Seongjun looked away.
"That must have been hard to find. I'll enjoy it."
Haeyoung said kindly as she picked up the prettiest cookie from the center. Gaeun, the one who received the gift, had started eating from the end, so was she doing this on purpose?
"Hmm, it's really delicious! The scent is amazing. Can I have one more?"
"Of course. There are still plenty left. Right, Seongjun?"
"Yes, absolutely. Go ahead."
Don't eat anymore. Stop already. If we're going to share anyway, shouldn't I get some credit with others too?
Haeyoung picked up another cookie from the center again. Because of that, a gap opened up in the otherwise neatly arranged cookies. Seongjun stared blankly at the cookie box, now looking messy and disheveled.
The sound of Haeyoung crunching the cookie grated on him annoyingly.
*****
"Then I'll go change my clothes."
"All right, come down quickly!"
With Gaeun's farewell, Haeyoung headed up the stairs. Even at that moment, the chatter between Seongjun and Gaeun continued persistently behind her.
"By the way, Seongjun, do you always smile that much? Your smile is really pretty."
"I smile a lot in front of people I like."
"Huh? That sounds meaningful."
Did Gaeun and Seongjun end up liking each other after all?
So it comes down to that in the end. Even before Haeyoung appeared, Gaeun had already developed mutual feelings with Seongjun.
It was oddly amusing how, despite having a long-term girlfriend on the show, Seongjun's attitude and love line never changed. Still, the current situation was all part of Haeyoung's plan.
Today was the first date. All the participants were still very aware of the cameras and trying to show their best selves.
The producer must have been disappointed. They needed to draw out something more sensational to boost early buzz and kickstart the show's popularity.
In Haeyoung's ears, a cold sound effect seemed to be layered over Seongjun's behavior today already.
Before filming started, Haeyoung stayed up analyzing the dating show, putting off both eating and sleeping.
There were programs that became famous, and many others that quietly failed. She watched every single one. After watching countless times, she began to notice patterns.
The producers always highlighted certain contestants, emphasizing their expressions and reactions on screen—and even how the viewers responded.
• "Seongjun looked so uninterested during the date. Falling asleep on the way back was the worst. He's supposed to have good manners, but not at all lol. Haeyoung must be hurt ㅠ"
ㄴ "Stop being so presumptuous."
└ "What hurt? Are you Haeyoung or something?"
• "It's just editing making it look that way. I don't think Haeyoung really cares either."
ㄴ Huh? Didn't you see Seongjun's expression when he lost?
• Right. That attitude is unacceptable. If he hates going on dates that much, why even appear on the show? He should just meet someone he likes and date them.
• If he's not interested, that's possible. But from what I saw, he's been straight up going after Gaeun.
ㄴ What lol, even when talking to Gaeun, he just looks like a dead fish.
• True. These days, dating shows are basically influencer auditions. Please filter out these dead-eyed contestants.
• Yeah, it's pretty obvious.
Who? Seongjun? He's more into Minji.
ㄴ Crazy, I thought the same thing.
Or maybe he's just not planning on using that love line going forward.
Deciding to just cut the whole thing out during editing wouldn't be a bad choice either.
With that thought, Haeyoung lay down on the bed for a moment.