Sungjin witnessed Yuwon’s watch glow a moment ago. Despite showing such an indifferent attitude, it seemed there was someone who chose Yuwon, as a celebrity is still a celebrity.
“Who is it? We don’t know who sent us hearts, right?”
One of the female participants asked with a noticeably bright face and a smile. The speaker gave the answer to that.
[You can only confirm the participant who sent you a heart if they reveal themselves or if you use an item.]
“Item?”
“Oh?”
[Starting tomorrow, you can obtain various items necessary for progress through real-time missions.]
“Wow. They have all sorts of things.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Right.”
While everyone was exchanging stories filled with anticipation, they were still making various expressions. Sungjin was distressed about the future, thinking he hadn’t received a single heart, while someone was making a pleased expression as if showing off, and Yuwon seemed to have a lot on his mind even though he received a heart.
[Then thank you for your hard work today as well. After conducting individual interviews sequentially in a moment, please return to your bedrooms and rest.]
There was still one more mountain to overcome before taking a comfortable rest.
‘I want to run away, but I have to do it.’
Right. This is at least better than the moment I attacked Yuwon with meat earlier. Back then I really wanted to die, and now I just want to run away a bit.
Sungjin sat obediently on the sofa and waited for his turn. While conducting individual interviews one by one and waiting until his turn came, he could feel Yuwon’s sharp gaze the entire time, but he desperately ignored it.
A little later, the time finally came when he could escape from that gaze.
“Yoon Sungjin-ssi, please come into the interview room.”
“Ah, yes!”
The interview room was in the basement. Even though there were stairs leading down, they said they didn’t particularly need to decorate that area, so he thought it was a space not used for filming, but it seemed from the beginning they planned to use it as a waiting room for staff as well as an interview room.
Beyond the space where lighting and a white screen were installed, there were sleeping bags and folding beds where staff could squeeze in and sleep.
‘Everyone’s working so hard….’
It seemed that when filming ended, the majority of staff slept in accommodations prepared outside the island, but they said some people on duty would live here together with the participants. He thought they would have prepared a separate room, but he felt compassion for the sleeping quarters that looked much worse than he thought, then came to his senses.
Who am I pitying right now? My life is in more crisis than the production team’s.
“We’ll proceed with you sitting over here.”
“Okay.”
Sungjin obediently moved to his seat as the staff led him. Finally, as he sat down on a standing chair where only his buttocks could rest, the full-scale interview began.
“Today was the first filming, how did you feel?”
“Uh….”
How did I feel? I just want to run away quickly. Sungjin scraped together the last of his sociability for the day and answered with a smiling face.
“I’m embarrassed because I feel like I showed inadequate aspects in many ways.”
“In what way?”
“Um… the mistake I made during the dinner party earlier.”
“A mistake?”
“Ah, yes. I accidentally touched the grill and Yuwon-ssi’s clothes got dirty.”
Words flowed out as if he were confessing in confession, his conscience pricking him.
“I’m so sorry… haha, I wanted to show a good side too, but it’s not working out well.”
As Sungjin smiled bitterly, the PD changed the subject first.
“Earlier in the backyard, you showed quite a proactive side, what do you think about that?”
“Ah.”
Only then did Sungjin recall another bold thing he had committed, and his face grew hot.
“Somehow I ended up being left alone, and the weather was so humid that I was sweating a lot. I happened to wear uncomfortable clothes without knowing I’d end up doing physical work like this, so for various reasons, yes…. That’s how it happened.”
“How did you feel when Harin-ssi left the mission location?”
“Um….”
Sungjin didn’t particularly have any bad feelings left toward Harin. It was too familiar to him that other people disliked or wanted to avoid being left alone with him. Moreover, it didn’t seem like Harin showed that reaction specifically because it was him. So he wanted to avoid making remarks that would make her get criticized.
“I thought it was because of my shortcomings. If she had continued to stay in the backyard with me, I was too focused only on chopping firewood, so I thought Harin-ssi would be bored. I was rather relieved that she seemed to have a good time with others.”
As Sungjin answered with an awkward smile, the PD naturally changed the question again.
“It’s a bit much to say ‘instead,’ but after Harin-ssi left, Yuwon-ssi came to the backyard for you. How did you feel then?”
“Uh….”
To be honest, that was more shocking than Harin leaving. Lee Yuwon, why? At first he said cringeworthy things as if flirting with him, then acted prickly like flipping a palm again, and tried to do things he wasn’t even asked to do. As a result, it wasn’t any help at all, but anyway, the fact that Lee Yuwon himself attempted to chop firewood was surprising.
“…….”
Sungjin hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to say, then finally opened his mouth. Even if the result wasn’t good, he should be grateful for the attempt to help itself.
“I was grateful. Actually, the mission wasn’t hard enough that I couldn’t do it alone. I was just thankful that he cared about me.”
There was nothing else to say besides that. The interview didn’t continue much longer and ended after exchanging short questions and answers.
“Yes, good work. Until the morning assembly time tomorrow, you can live freely and rest. Please note that observation cameras are installed throughout the living space except inside the shower room. When you change clothes, please make sure to move and wear the microphone, and please check that it’s always in recording mode except when using the bathroom or shower.”
In short, it meant that as long as you’re inside this resort, cameras will be filming you wherever you go, and they’ll record everything, even the sleep talk you mutter while sleeping.
“Ah yes. Thank you.”
Sungjin bowed his head. There was no particular blow since it was a condition he had already agreed to when applying. As Sungjin came out after bowing his head, the next participant came down the stairs as if taking turns.
‘Free time until the morning assembly tomorrow…they said.’
As long as he didn’t leave the resort, he could act freely. It was also possible for participants who got along to find an appropriate place and hang out just the two of them. They said it was also possible to gather in groups of three or five to make late-night snacks in the kitchen.
Tomorrow morning, they also said they could freely make and eat whatever they wanted with the ingredients in the kitchen. There was basic bread, processed meat, cheese, and retort food that could be simply heated and eaten, so it didn’t seem like they’d starve.
Tomorrow’s matters could be dealt with tomorrow, and Sungjin just wanted to go in quickly, wash, and rest. Earlier, after sweating a lot while chopping firewood, he stood in front of the fire and even grilled meat, so he was in a terrible state. Unless he was forcing himself to smile, it was a face that looked haggard to anyone.
‘This is all because I’m stressed from all sorts of things.’
Sungjin blamed Yuwon first. Because of Yuwon, everything went wrong from the start, buttoning the first button incorrectly. He felt like a sinner from watching Yuwon’s reactions at every turn. Sometimes he treated him well to a burdensome degree, then instantly harassed him. He still couldn’t understand what he was doing it for.
‘If only I could turn off the microphone, I’d ask him point-blank.’
Since he wasn’t someone he’d meet again after filming ended, it seemed he could muster that much courage. Of course, when that situation came, he’d probably tremble and lower his head while trying to avoid eye contact, but since he had to wear a microphone 24 hours a day during filming, it was an impossible assumption anyway.
“…….”
Whatever. Surely he won’t make a fuss in front of everyone later. Sungjin went up to ground level, hoping Yuwon at least had that much common sense.
“Interview over?”
Jiyoon, who had finished his interview earlier, happened to be passing by the basement stairs entrance.
“Ah, yes. Just now.”
When Sungjin answered lightly, Jiyoon smiled and said.
“Hyung, just speak comfortably to me too. I’m much younger, so it’s okay to use informal speech.”
His age was probably… twenty-one now, or was it twenty-two? He vaguely remembered only that he was still of an age where he hadn’t even graduated from college yet.
Sungjin didn’t particularly want to get close to Jiyoon, but he recalled Muncheol picking a fight earlier. He tried to somehow push me into a position of being isolated and unable to get along with people.
He wasn’t unaware of why he went that far, but honestly, he didn’t want to understand. Self-esteem and charm that could only be filled by putting others down—it was pathetic to the point of being contemptible.
