What if it was a hypothesis he’d been wondering about—what if she wasn’t using him to provoke the jealousy of someone she truly liked, but really did like him? His mind went dizzy.
Of course, it was also ridiculous for him to say it was a big problem now when he’d given Suyeong a heart too…. Giving Suyeong a heart was both a return gift and a sign of gratitude for choosing him today. At the very least, hadn’t he reduced the risk of appearing on broadcast as a loser whom no one showed interest in?
Naturally, aside from Suyeong, another person was also sending excessive interest, which was flustering…. At that moment, Sungjin recalled another dangerous hypothesis.
It shouldn’t happen, but what if the one who sent the heart wasn’t Suyeong? If it was a third party who was neither Suyeong nor Yuwon, that would be fortunate, but if it was Yuwon, he became even more afraid of the future.
Why on earth? For what reason? Just as Sungjin’s face turned pale even after receiving a heart, Sungjin barely raised his head and made eye contact with Suyeong. At that moment, Suyeong smiled brightly and met his eyes.
Ah.
Looking at the reaction, it seemed Suyeong had sent the heart. She too seemed to be guessing that they’d exchanged hearts after receiving one as well. Sungjin laughed, “Haha.”
I’m going crazy…. He hadn’t anticipated receiving interest from two people simultaneously—one he couldn’t reciprocate and one whose thoughts he didn’t know.
Please let Suyeong’s heart be meant as friendship. Let a better connection appear for Suyeong. Sungjin prayed desperately.
***
A moment later, after the heart delivery ceremony ended, it was time for the interview that wrapped up the day. Sungjin’s heart was still heavy. It was hard to shake off the thought that he was deceiving Suyeong.
Of course, it wasn’t particularly anything great, at most just a relationship of exchanging hearts for a day and going on a date, but he was too concerned that he might be deceiving someone’s heart. Even though he knew other people wouldn’t give it such great meaning, it was hard to just pass it off lightly.
Why do I have so many thoughts….
It was one obstacle after another. As soon as Sungjin entered the interview room with a troubled heart, production staff with brightly smiling faces were waiting for him. It was the face of someone determined to somehow draw out provocative remarks due to the daytime double booking. Sungjin felt like running away anywhere just from this disastrous situation alone.
“You spent a popular day today, how was it?”
“Haha…. I’m grateful and also sorry.”
“Oh my, what does Sungjin-ssi have to be sorry about? You didn’t forget we have prize money, right?”
Ah, he’d completely forgotten. Since it was a condition that couldn’t possibly apply to him, he’d been treating it as if it didn’t exist even though it did.
Looking at other cast members, there seemed to be some who deliberately tried to build connections all around to seduce multiple people. Compared to them, he who had done nothing special except participate diligently to avoid being a burden to others was merely caught up in it by chance, but his mentality was too weak to shamelessly enjoy the situation.
“Haha….”
When Sungjin smiled bitterly again, the production team asked a new question.
“First, you enjoyed a snorkeling date with Yuwon-ssi, could you explain what kind of date it was?”
“Ah, um….”
Yes, he knew they’d ask this. Sungjin pulled out the answer he’d prepared in advance in his head.
“It was my first time trying snorkeling, so I was a bit nervous. Thanks to Yuwon-ssi helping me, I enjoyed it so much I didn’t know how time passed.”
“How do you feel? Lee Yuwon-ssi is someone anyone would want to date, whether woman or man. I’m curious about your thoughts on being chosen by such a Lee Yuwon-ssi.”
“Uh….”
It wasn’t good at all. Of course, snorkeling was fun. It was true he’d had an enjoyable time thanks to Yuwon’s help. However, he had absolutely no idea what Yuwon wanted and why he was doing this to such an extent, so it wasn’t a situation to be grinning about receiving a date request from the person everyone desired.
“I’m grateful, I guess…. Since I had an enjoyable time thanks to him.”
“Then let me ask another question. Today you were chosen not only by Lee Yuwon-ssi but also by Kwon Suyeong-ssi. How did you feel when you were chosen by both at the same time?”
Yes, this was also an expected question. Sungjin squeezed his eyes shut inside and answered.
“I was grateful. I was also relieved that I didn’t seem to be a burden.”
“A burden? You were the ace of Round 1!”
“Haha….”
Because it was the most dramatic major incident among today’s events, the interview was longer than yesterday.
“I’m very happy to have gotten to know many good people since coming here.”
As the interview ended with that last sentence hiding his true feelings tightly, a new hell was waiting for Sungjin.
As soon as he came up from the basement interview room, what he saw was Lee Yuwon with his arms crossed, wearing an expression as if he’d been thoroughly prepared.
“……”
Right. This was left. Sungjin felt like backing down the stairs if it were up to him. He tried forcibly lowering his eyes and sticking his body to the wall as if fleeing to avoid delinquent friends who didn’t live properly, but such a thing couldn’t possibly work.
“What are you doing?”
At the clear voice that struck down like lightning, Sungjin squeezed his eyes shut then opened them, forcing a smile.
“Yes? What?”
“There’s a person in front of you, but you’re blatantly pretending not to see, so I asked what you’re doing.”
“……”
Ah. Just pretend not to notice a bit. He wanted to die from embarrassment at his own futile attempt.
“No, just… I have to look at the floor when I walk so I don’t trip.”
Sungjin resented his tongue that spewed out such excuses that wouldn’t work. Naturally, Yuwon’s reaction was cold, and Sungjin hastily apologized.
“I’m sorry….”
Yuwon stared at Sungjin, who still didn’t make eye contact and was only looking down at the floor, then opened his mouth again.
“What did you say in the interview?”
Sungjin understood the sentence itself, but couldn’t grasp what Yuwon was trying to say. There was no separate listening comprehension test.
Anyway, the production team asked questions and he only answered the questions…. Another stupid answer popped out without him knowing.
“Yes? What?”
Sungjin thought he had an unsociable personality, but now that he’d been working and could respond more flexibly, he was confident he’d acquired above-average skills.
However, it was all a delusion. Standing in front of Yuwon, he felt like he regressed to seventeen years old when he had the poorest social skills. Sungjin’s bewildered answer naturally touched Yuwon’s nerves, and he glared sharply again.
“They must have asked how the date was. What did you answer?”
“Ah.”
Finally, at the specifically segmented question, Sungjin swallowed dry saliva and answered.
“I answered that thanks to Yuwon… ssi helping in various ways, it was enjoyable even though it was my first time….”
For now, it seemed like answering something would create a hole to survive through. Yuwon seemed quite pleased with the carefully answered sentence as his lips momentarily curved satisfactorily into an arc. However, that didn’t last long either. He immediately returned to a face that looked like it could kill someone with just his gaze.
“Then what about the second date?”
“Uh….”
When Sungjin hesitated and didn’t answer at once, Yuwon urged him.
“Was that good too?”
Sungjin momentarily recognized that cameras were still rolling from all directions and the microphone was also on. Although Yuwon was scary, he couldn’t make statements that seemed to deceive someone whose sincerity he couldn’t reciprocate in the first place. Also, he couldn’t say different content from the interview in a situation where everything was being filmed and recorded. Sungjin hesitated for a moment then opened his mouth.
“It wasn’t… bad, I think.”
As soon as Sungjin mumbled and trailed off, a sharp question flew in. It was no different from interrogating a criminal caught in the act.
“What did you do?”
“Just… wine tasting, and eating….”
“And then held hands and kissed?”
What is this nonsense now? Sungjin almost fainted standing up at such a shocking statement.
“What! What are you talking about! We didn’t do that!”
“Then did you do anything else besides that?”
“No! We really just did the experience and ate!”
Suyeong was a good person. The conversation was enjoyable too, and her confident and cool attitude was also admirable unlike himself. However, separate from having favorable feelings for her as human to human, he couldn’t do such acts with Suyeong.
Of course, people who are familiar and natural with contact with others and find it completely normal might be able to do that! You might be able to because you’re a slut famous for sticking to all kinds of people, but I’m not originally like that! I’ve never had anything similar except what I did with you!
Why am I making excuses to Yuwon as if I was caught cheating? Sungjin swallowed the complaint that suddenly raised its head for survival’s sake. Then Yuwon began to interrogate meticulously again.
