A Helping Hand on the Stairs

Before long, the Love Coach took the microphone.

"All right, everyone has submitted their answers?"

"Yes."

Staff members collected the contestants' tablets one by one and delivered them to the Love Coach. Seolhee, who had been quietly chatting with the writers up front, leaned toward Minju.

"I'm getting nervous for no reason."

"Why?"

"What if I got zero votes?"

A flicker of tension crossed her face, which had been bright with excitement only moments before.

"Don't worry about it too much. A first impression is, well, just a first impression."

"But once this airs, everyone around me will see it. Getting zero votes would be so embarrassing," Seolhee murmured anxiously.

Just then, the Love Coach picked up the microphone again.

"Now, we will reveal the results."

The contestants struggled to smile, but they couldn't hide their nerves—clasping their hands together or biting their lips.

"The first date couple is... Han Huiju and Kim Taehwan!"

At the announcement of their names, the two smiled bashfully.

"The second date couple is... Baek Seolhee and Choi Doyun!"

"Yay! Thank you!"

Unable to contain her joy, Seolhee sprang up from her seat and bowed deeply to the man across from her. Startled for a moment by her lively reaction, he soon broke into a smile and rose to bow in return. At the adorable scene, cheers and applause erupted among the contestants.

"And finally, the third date couple is..."

Anticipation spread across the faces of the remaining contestants at the Love Coach's words.

"Seo Minju and Han Sangho!"

"Minju, congratulations!"

At the unexpected announcement, Minju stared blankly at the Love Coach. Seolhee beside her clapped her hands and celebrated as if it were her own good news.

Just then, Han Sangho looked at her with wide, surprised eyes. Apparently he had never expected her to choose him, and he stood there for a moment in a daze.

Minju, for her part, had had no idea he would choose her either. Their eyes had met when she smiled, but she'd taken it as merely a polite gesture.

When Minju shyly lifted the corners of her mouth, a bright expression finally spread across Sangho's face.

In that instant, Kwon Seokjun's gaze landed on her. Though he was offering congratulations to the newly formed couples, his eyes were strangely rigid.

Does it bother him that he missed his chance at the first date?

She suddenly found herself wondering whom he had chosen. More than a few female contestants had shown interest in him, after all.

She had assumed he would naturally be the star of the first date, so this came as a surprise.

Apparently Minju wasn't the only one thinking along those lines. Na Seon-young, the first female contestant, raised her hand and addressed the Love Coach.

"Can't you tell us who the remaining contestants picked?"

"That won't be possible. You'll find out when the show airs."

At the Love Coach's firm reply, Na Seon-young pouted in disappointment—then cast a sidelong glance toward Kwon Seokjun. She was probably curious about whom he had chosen.

Before long, the Love Coach's voice rang out again.

"For now, please head to the lodging and rest for a while. The three couples will have their dates in one hour. Those who weren't matched may spend the time as you wish."

When the explanation ended, the contestants all rose from their seats at once. Some left with excited faces, others with expressions of disappointment.

Just then, one of the male contestants—Choi Moonyeol, in his black horn-rimmed glasses—strode right up to Minju.

"Give me your bag."

"I'm sorry?"

The hand thrust out without any explanation looked for all the world like someone come to reclaim luggage he'd entrusted to her. When Minju stared at him in bewilderment, Choi Moonyeol added, still not withdrawing his hand:

"I'll carry it to the lodging for you."

His eyes behind the glasses were so unnervingly intense that meeting them felt strangely burdensome. And he stood far too close.

Minju instinctively took a step back.

"...Oh, that's all right."

At her polite refusal, Choi Moonyeol's expression hardened in an instant.

"Why? Don't you like me?"

Apparently he assumed she'd refused because she disliked him. He pushed his glasses up with his middle finger, his face dead serious.

"It's not that—I was late earlier, so I left my bag with one of the writers. I was just going to ask where it is."

"Then I'll go look for it myself."

Paying no heed to what she wanted, he had already turned and started walking. Minju was flustered by his overbearing attitude when a staff member hurried over.

"Mr. Choi Moonyeol, the PD needs you for an interview."

"Now?"

"Yes."

"But I have to find her bag..."

"Don't worry about the interview. I'll handle the bag," the staff member soothed, and only then did Choi Moonyeol glance at Minju one last time, his eyes full of reluctance, before finally turning back toward the interview site.

Once he had completely disappeared from view, Minju let out the tension that had piled up in her shoulders.

...Everyone here certainly has a strong personality.

She'd expected it wouldn't be easy, but already fatigue was creeping in.

A short while later, she took the handle of her carrier from the writer and slowly made her way toward the lodging. The filming studio was on the first floor of the resort's main building, and the lodging wing sat slightly below it. Stepping through the door led to an outdoor walkway, at the end of which stood a short flight of stairs.

Why did it have to be stairs...

Minju sighed inwardly and heaved the carrier up. She'd packed as light as possible, but ten days of filming meant the suitcase was still fairly heavy. As she grunted her way carefully down the steps, she couldn't see the path well and missed her footing. Her weight shifted, and her body wobbled.

"Ah—"

Just as she thought she was going down, a firm hand caught her arm. She lifted her head in relief to offer thanks—and there stood Kwon Seokjun.

...What? He didn't leave earlier?

Saying nothing, he wrested the carrier from the hand of the woman still frozen in shock.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"It looked like you were about to tumble down the stairs along with your suitcase."

His tone was indifferent, but his stride was decisive. Without giving her a chance to protest, he strode down the stairs.

"It's fine, you really don't have to help."

She hurried after him and grabbed the carrier, and he raised one eyebrow at a slant as he looked at her.

"Fine? You nearly fell just now."

If it hadn't been for him, she might truly have tumbled down. But rather than gratitude, discomfort at being alone with him took precedence. On the inside, she wanted to snap that he could ignore whether she fell or not—but a camera was surely filming from somewhere, and she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"I'll carry it from here."

She pulled at the carrier, but his hand didn't budge.

"Just let me take it. There are more stairs ahead—if you fall, it could disrupt filming."

Great. We're supposed to be total strangers meeting for the first time, and if a camera catches us tugging over a suitcase, that's a problem. Minju finally swallowed quietly and backed off.

"Then... just until the bottom of the stairs, please."

Worried he might insist on carrying it all the way to the lodging, she drew the line quickly. As if he'd read her mind, he gave a faint smile and nodded.

"Understood."

Then, as if it were nothing, he lifted the carrier and started down the steps. Following a step behind, her eyes drifted to his broad shoulders. He must have been working out diligently all these years—he seemed even broader than back then. The muscles of his forearms were nothing to scoff at either; his strength was clearly no joke, judging by how effortlessly he carried the suitcase she'd been groaning over.

He descended the long staircase in one go and waited below, watching her come down. Minju wished he would just go on ahead, but she knew he wasn't the type to listen even if she said so, so she bit her tongue and made her way down.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Eager to put distance between them, Minju offered a quick bow and dragged her carrier toward the women's quarters. But the footsteps that should have been receding instead trailed close behind her. A bad feeling made her look back—Kwon Seokjun was approaching at an unhurried pace.

What—is he following me?

"...Where are you going?"

"To the lodging."

"The lodging?"

"The men's quarters are in the same direction."

Ah.

Only then did she recall what a staff member had said—that the men's and women's lodgings were in the same building. And so, whether she liked it or not, Minju had to walk alongside him.

"Go on ahead."

"Why?"

"It seems like you're slowing down because of me."

That's what she said, but the truth was the situation itself was far too uncomfortable. Yet he, clearly aware of exactly that, feigned ignorance and gave a subtle smile.

"I didn't get a good look earlier, so I'm taking in the sights. Don't mind me."

Don't mind me? One of the many cameras planted around them was surely capturing their backs. And somehow, it felt less like he was looking at the scenery and more like he was looking at her.

Is watching me struggle that entertaining?

As she dragged the carrier along, grumbling inwardly, he suddenly spoke up.

"I hear you were in a car accident on the way here. Are you all right?"

At the unexpected question, Minju's eyes went wide. She had quietly asked only the writers to keep it from the other contestants, lest they worry needlessly—she'd never imagined he would know.

"...How did you know that?"