[Has everyone checked their matching partners? Then from now on, please gather with your matched pairs and check the recommended date courses.]
In the midst of all this, there was also a recommended date course displayed on the screen that could yield positive results based on the tendencies of the two matched people, apparently analyzed through some AI system or other. It seemed they would be traveling around various spots in Jeju Island for a one-day date according to those results.
Sungjin quickly checked the text on the screen. The course recommended for him was a schedule that included visiting Jeju Island’s famous flower garden and horseback riding ranch together. As soon as Sungjin confirmed the screen, the atmosphere became one where people started seeking out their partners one by one, so he too awkwardly rose from his seat.
Yuwon was still glaring at Sungjin with a terrifying expression. Sungjin desperately tried not to look at Yuwon and spoke in a voice as faint as a crawling ant.
“…Then I’ll… be going… and coming back….”
But was it even right to say he’d come back in this situation? He didn’t want to return to Yuwon’s side. Separate from what happened yesterday, Sungjin was still afraid of Yuwon. It was even more frightening because he was still confused about what intention he had for doing such a thing.
Even Yuwon couldn’t block Sungjin from moving according to the program’s flow, so Sungjin was able to safely move to Yunchae’s side.
“Hello.”
When Sungjin carefully approached and greeted her, Yunchae bowed her head.
“Hello.”
Contrary to his worst expectations, he didn’t sense any hostility, but since she already had someone who’d become her practical couple, she seemed cautious in dealing with him. It wasn’t incomprehensible. If he naturally built rapport with her and appeared to grow close here, from the viewers’ perspective, it would seem like a person testing the waters with this man and that man.
Sungjin also knew this, so he planned to maintain an appropriate distance.
“Please take care of me today.”
“Yes, please take care of me too.”
Among the cast members with impressive careers, Yunchae had a relatively mild personality. Of course, her profession was a specialized job that couldn’t help but draw people’s attention, but if you excluded the background of her occupation, she didn’t have a particularly strong-charactered image. With her likable impression and calm personality that wasn’t rough around the edges, she was the type of person who wouldn’t greatly upset viewers’ feelings.
In short, she wasn’t a protruding nail nor did she engage in flashy behavior, so while it would be difficult to leave an intense impression, she was a cast member who wouldn’t be labeled as unlikable.
From the perspective of someone who really came here to find a connection, she’d probably be the most eye-catching participant.
Good educational background, good profession, someone who knows how to appropriately accommodate the people around them—that would be the most preferred type in married life.
Sungjin didn’t want to interfere with her romantic venture. Since it seemed she already had someone she liked, he should just do as told at the appropriate times and come back. He didn’t want to rack his brain worrying about what would happen after that already.
[Then from now on, please move to your respective date locations following the staff’s guidance.]
Sungjin headed to the dock with Yunchae, deliberately ignoring the gaze that seemed to drill through the back of his head.
Several boats that seemed to have been rented in advance for each team to travel comfortably had arrived at the dock.
For now, let’s just pretend not to know.
The burning gaze continued to follow him, but Sungjin boarded the boat first without even glancing in that direction, then extended his arm so Yunchae could board comfortably.
“Take my hand.”
“Ah. Thank you.”
When he extended his arm for Yunchae, who was wearing a dress with a skirt that fluttered lightly, Yunchae bowed her head and grabbed Sungjin’s arm to climb onto the boat.
Contrary to his troubled mind, the weather was frighteningly clear. Under the cloudless blue sky, the endless expanse of emerald sea was so unrealistic it didn’t feel real. The gently blowing breeze ruffled Yunchae’s soft hair and the hem of her clothes.
Sungjin watched the captain start the engine to move the boat and said,
“The weather is really nice.”
“It really is.”
Please let today end without incident. Sungjin earnestly hoped as he left the island with Yunchae.
***
The place they arrived at shortly after was the main island’s dock where the production team had prepared a car in advance. The two people, having finished setting up for filming, got into the driver’s seat and passenger seat respectively as soon as they got off the boat.
The sunlight was hot, but the breeze was cool in the shade, so instead of turning on the air conditioner, they rolled down the windows pleasantly.
“Wow….”
Yunchae also let out an exclamation while looking out the car window at the beautiful scenery. The weather was so nice that it seemed like it wouldn’t matter much who was sitting next to him. Sungjin glanced at Yunchae’s reaction and moved to a lane where the scenery was more visible. It seemed fine anyway since there was quite a distance remaining until the next turn.
Today’s schedule is….
In the morning, they would go to the flower garden for a walk and eat brunch, then in the afternoon, move to the horseback riding facility to finish the horseback riding and ranch experience before returning to the island.
It was a schedule that required spending more than half the day outside the resort. And that, one-on-one with just Yunchae alone.
Of course, the filming staff would be attached again starting from the flower garden so it wouldn’t be a perfect one-on-one, but if Yunchae hadn’t already given her heart to someone, it would have been quite a burdensome situation.
It’s fortunate, at least, that she has absolutely no interest in me.
Juhoon, who had been stuck to Yunchae like they were one body since yesterday, was a veterinarian one year older than Yunchae. Though not as prominent as the businessman Muncheol, he attracted the attention of several female participants with his moderately sociable personality and neat appearance. It seemed Juhoon found Yunchae the most appealing among them.
A veterinarian is good….
A specialized profession, stable, good image. Of course, there’s the difference between people and animals, but since they both have the common ground of treating someone, they’d probably communicate well too.
Sungjin silently gripped the steering wheel and just drove, then thought that no matter how little interest they had in each other, if only this silence flowed, the production team might edit their relationship to seem bad in a provocative way.
I’d better just make some small talk.
Sungjin cleared his throat inwardly and carefully broke the ice.
“Have you visited Jeju Island before?”
It was a question he asked thinking she’d probably have the experience at least once, since families often come, and it’s also a good travel destination for friends or couples. Then Yunchae, who had been looking out the car window, turned her head toward Sungjin and answered.
“No, this is my very first time.”
“Ah, you haven’t been here with friends or family?”
At the unexpected answer, Sungjin tilted his head. Even an outsider with no friends like Sungjin had been dragged to a sightseeing schedule for an academic conference.
It was puzzling that Yunchae, who seemed to have a good personality and belong to mainstream society by anyone’s standards, had never been to Jeju Island even once.
“Yes. Actually… my parents have been very busy since I was young. They’re people who find it difficult to take vacations, so I naturally just stayed home too.”
“These days, schools also go in groups a lot.”
“Yes, but our school trip went to Japan….”
“Ah….”
So it wasn’t that she’d never traveled at all, just that there had been no opportunity to come to Jeju Island. He didn’t want to probe any deeper, so he nodded appropriately.
“Then is this your first time experiencing horseback riding too?”
“Yes. It won’t be scary or anything… right?”
“Hmm….”
At Yunchae’s worried voice, Sungjin readily answered.
“Yes, it’ll be fine.”
Sungjin had only done it once himself, but it remained as a not-too-bad experience.
Of course, it hadn’t been smooth sailing. Sungjin was basically tall, so among the group he went with, he was assigned the largest horse, but unfortunately, that horse didn’t like Sungjin. Horses are originally quick-witted and have strong pride, so if they carry someone they don’t want, they get irritated—the horse that found Sungjin disagreeable kept shaking its head, rejecting him.
I may be someone who’s outside mainstream society, but I never thought even a horse would reject me. It was so absurd that he was just standing there dumbfounded when the horse tied in the next cage smoothly lowered its head and looked up at Sungjin.
……?
What’s this one doing? Could this be a warning behavior before attacking? Just as he was about to step back hesitantly, the horse’s muzzle rushed toward Sungjin before he could dodge.
I’m going to get bitten. What touched Sungjin’s cheek as he squeezed his eyes shut was, surprisingly, not hard teeth but a soft, warm tongue.
Sungjin learned for the first time that day that horses also lick people.
‘Oh… this fellow is quite picky about people’s faces, but it seems the student caught her fancy.’
For Sungjin, who had always been rejected because of his outward appearance, it was an unfamiliar experience.
