"What do you mean?"
"Don't you get it? Your girlfriend doesn't know you're planning to break up with her. She even thinks you're going to marry her. But even so, she's acting like that right in front of you—it's like she's completely ignoring and deceiving you."
"...Is that so?"
"Of course. How can your actions be the same as hers? Haeyoung is just excited because she's finally getting attention she's never received before. You've been together for six years, and you don't see that? That's why she's acting so shameless—ignoring you and flirting with others."
"That doesn't mean there's anything I can do about it."
"What? One word from you, and Haeyoung will come back to how she used to be. She really is kind, you know? What else does she have besides that?"
Sungjoon lowered his eyes, lost in thought. At this point, Haeyoung could be dealt with easily.
"And from now on, make sure you send your text votes to me."
"Huh? Why?"
Why?
She couldn't believe he actually asked why.
"Don't want to?"
Minji's eyes widened. Sungjoon's gaze wavered.
Of course it would work. From the start, she was annoyed that Sungjoon had voted for other girls instead of her.
"You saw I didn't get a single vote... I'm scared I'll keep getting none. Can't you at least give me your vote? Huh? Joon-ah. You're the only oneon my side here."
"...But won't it look bad on the show? If you start texting your friend this early, people will say, 'Why did you come on a dating show if you're just going to date your friend?'"
"So you don't want to?"
"That's not what I mean…"
Sungjoon trailed off.
You actually have the nerve to hesitate? Ridiculous.
"Thanks... There really is no one else but you. If things go well here, should we date after we leave?"
"R-Really?"
Sungjoon's voice got louder. Minji covered his mouth and moved closer.
"Shh. No... I just realized there's no one like you here. I'm just thinking out loud. Hey, don't take it too seriously. It's just how I feel right now."
Sungjoon was still stammering. Minji hugged him tightly once.
I'm glad you're here with me, she whispered, then pulled away. Sungjoon's ears turned bright red. That was enough.
"Then I'm not feeling well, so I'll go upstairs and get some rest, Joon-ah."
She waved her hand quickly and hurried inside. Her mood had lifted considerably.
Now Haeyoung would stop acting up so much, and she'd avoid getting zero votes. Good. It was time to seriously focus on my own love line.
Dojin already went on a date with me, but since he texted another girl, there's no hope there. Chanwoo… well, he's not really my type, so Jaeyoung is better.
Planning tomorrow like that, Minji returned to her room.
Meanwhile, after Minji left, Sungjoon lit a cigarette.
"You want me to give my vote to Woo Minji?"
But what about the other contestants who are doing well right now? Gaeun and Taeri are eagerly waiting for their votes too.
Sungjoon's cheek twitched. Smoke puffed forcefully from his mouth.
"Isn't Woo Minji just acting like that because she wants my vote?"
That was understandable. I was getting two or three votes every day, but Minji hadn't gotten a single one so far.
Although I was looking forward to filming, I never expected all the women to like me this much.
Had I been too timid until now? Honestly, I was way better than Minji.
I regret all the time I wasted being dumped by Minji and stuck in her friend zone.
*****
After waking up late, I feel refreshed. It seemed like I had slept deeply.
When Haeyoung finished washing up and went downstairs, all the female contestants were gathered, chatting together.
Chanwoo had gone out for personal reasons, and Sungjoon, Dojin, and Jaeyoung had gone for interviews.
Minji linked her arm with Haeyoung's, sticking close.
"Haeyoung, are you feeling better? I should've taken care of you, but I ended up getting sick too... I'm really sorry. How about you just rest well today?"
Today, Minji seemed even more fake than usual.
Haeyoung knew everything. Since Minji got caught faking a fever yesterday, she had been so angry that she yelled loudly in the bathroom, unable to hold it in.
Not only that. Haeyoung's sleeping seemed to annoy Minji, who stomped around all night, turning the lights off and on repeatedly.
Of course, the angrier Minji got and the less she controlled herself, the more satisfied Haeyoung felt and was able to sleep soundly.
Anyway, less than twelve hours had passed since then.
"I'm fine."
"No, you said you're going to the sheep farm today, right? I asked around quietly, and they said you'll be using your body a lot today. Really, you should just rest at home."
Minji looked at Haeyoung with a sad expression.
Why does she want me to rest at home? Does she think nothing goes right when I'm around? That's right. Maybe she's more perceptive than I thought. She clearly pinpointed the exact reason why things keep going wrong.
But the more you want me to disappear, the more stubbornly I'll cling to your side. Besides, today is an important day.
Today is the day we're going to the sheep farm. There's nothing special about it. The episode about going to the sheep farm didn't have much airtime.
However, among those scenes, Minji's appearance caught on camera became a huge topic, and that sparked a sudden rise in her popularity.
♡Misso
♡@1shgo 5h
Pure, cute, refreshing girlfriend vibes overflowing. No matter who you pair her with, she's just a guaranteed hit. Everyone, please support Woo Minji #FriendshipRomance #WooMinji
#romanceandfriendship
1.5k likes 4.2k comments
The post included a short video of Minji. Against the backdrop of a blue sky on top of a hill…
She was standing, holding onto her hat blown by the wind, smiling brightly.
It was truly a perfect shot—Minji was sparkling and radiant in it.
• Who is she???? So freaking pretty; is she a rookie idol? Why haven't I heard of her yet?
ㄴ She's a contestant on Friendship Romance.
ㄴ Romance show? Ah...
• She's a civilian with that face? How has she avoided talent agencies until now???
• I don't usually watch dating shows, but should I start now?
Riding the wave of explosive reactions, the clothes, hat, shoes, and even the socks Minji wore that day reportedly sold out completely.
And that wasn't all. Since that day, Jaeyoung also had completely made up his mind.
And knowing that, they still told her to rest at home?
"I want to go. I like the sheep."
Haeyoung smiled at Minji. Yes, she was going. She definitely was going.
"Alright, let's go together. If it gets too hard, we can rest in the car. But more importantly, they say you'll be doing a lot today?"
Taeri interrupted and asked Minji, referring to the earlier suggestion to rest.
"It'd still be better if you rested. Yes, I overheard the staff talking. It seems like it's going to be tough today."
"Is that so? Then what should I wear? I was actually wondering about that."
"They said it's a dirt path with steep hills. They said we'd be doing something like hiking."
"Hiking? All of a sudden?"
"Yes. So I think everyone should wear comfortable clothes."
At Minji's words, a question popped into Haeyoung's mind.
That was strange. In the video that had gone viral, Minji was wearing an innocent white dress. Had something changed?
"Ah… I was planning to wear a saved-up outfit since we're going out, but I guess I'll have to wear workout clothes? Ga-eun, do you have any workout clothes? I don't have any."
"I do, but…"
The two quickly grew serious. Then, saying it wasn't the time for this, they hurried upstairs to pick out clothes.
Haeyoung didn't want to stay alone with Minji either, and was about to get up when Minji grabbed her arm.
"Haeyoung unni."
Why was she saying this? Even without hearing the full sentence, Haeyoung already felt uneasy.
"I really like you, Haeyoung unni."
Haeyoung barely managed a small smile.
"You really seem kind. Even in your friend introductions, it said you're kind. That fits you perfectly."
It was a compliment, but not really a compliment.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. But that suits you well too. Kind Haeyoung unni. Don't change."
Minji's mouth smiled, but her eyes did not.
It wasn't hard to read the hidden meaning. Minji was warning her—stay just as you are, don't do anything.
Minji's motivation for saying this was obvious. She was still simmering from yesterday's incident. Since coming here, nothing seemed to go her way. She couldn't stand it without snapping at someone.
"Yeah, that's right, zero-vote Minji. You'd be anxious and angry too."
Haeyoung remained silent, so Minji seemed to think her words were sinking in. She kept babbling.
"When someone suddenly changes, things just don't work out. There's a saying—'A fake stork trying to imitate a real one ends up tearing its crotch.' People have their limits. Haeyoung unni, you're just kind—"
"Pfft."