The assistant director, wearing a headset, gave a signal. Hae-young slowly began to walk.
Three large cameras, capturing her from a distance, moved backward in sync with her pace. Though the filming might have felt unfamiliar, Hae-young wasn't nervous.
Where the assistant director pointed stood a grand house. The yard was surrounded by charming lights and garland decorations, the lawn was so neatly trimmed it seemed almost artificial, and at the center stood a picturesque red-brick house.
So this is the place.
A stage prepared for me, and a scene from my past.
A place that would let her live a life different from the one she had before.
After being confirmed as a cast member on a dating show, Hae-young studied relentlessly, day and night, just for this moment. She analyzed editing patterns, the production team's intentions behind each scene, and even viewers' reactions.
She was determined to use all of it as her own tools.
A few years ago, the first dating show was created. It featured attractive young men and women meeting for the first time, going on dates, getting swayed by others, and eventually falling in love.
That initial show caused a sensation, but in its wake came a flood of copycat programs. As a result, viewers quickly lost interest.
"All dating shows are the same."
It had become a saturated red ocean.
Even so, there were still a few programs that managed to stay on the path to success.
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"Between love and friendship—what's the temperature of our hearts?"
With a slogan that piqued viewers' curiosity, the show created a huge buzz from its very first broadcast to the finale.
> Im: This is it. The Yeonjae couple is a guaranteed blue-chip stock.
> Ya: Isn't Hoseo-dan here? Even if not, I'm going all in.
> - Yeonju and Jaewon's energy is insane. Huge buy.
> - Ahhh what the heck ㅠㅠ This week's Yeonju and Hoyeon date is at a pool. I'm losing it.
> - Yeonju only comes alive when she's with Jaewon. No way that's a coincidence. No arguments accepted.
It seemed similar to other shows, yet it had one crucial difference.
The unique twist was that participants appeared on the show alongside their male or female best friends.
The ambiguous relationship between guy friends and girl friends—something almost everyone has questioned at some point.
People unsure whether it's friendship or love. A timeless, endlessly debated topic.
> "I thought we were just friends... but now, whenever I see them, my heart starts to race."
> "Strangely, I get angry when I see her with another guy."
> "What are we—just friends, or something more?"
Viewers resonated with the cast's stories more than ever before, and their interest went far beyond simple curiosity.
That passionate fandom soon intensified.
> – If Yeonju and Jaewon don't get enough votes this week, they're 100% breaking up T_T
> – Yeonjae fans, please use all your voting rights, and if possible, vote using your family's phones too!
> – Right now, if you order two portions of Hosik's jokbal, you get two voting tickets! Let tonight's dinner be jokbal!
> – This week's date is in a jacuzzi. If we miss this, it's game over.
> – If you try to save your votes, the couple will miss their date T_T
> – Time to burn our wallets!
The voting system, which cleverly leveraged that intense fan passion, became another major factor behind
Unlike other dating shows, which are filmed 100% in advance,
With a cycle of several days of group living followed by rest, filming continued for a total of two months.
"The perfect couple—created by me."
This idea deeply captivated viewers.
Through voting, viewers could either grant or take away a couple's chance to go on a date.
Naturally, couples that aligned with the love lines viewers wanted to see gained huge popularity and support. Conversely, cast members who ended up with someone else despite strong viewer backing faced harsh criticism.
That alone was already provocative, but the editing style was equally intense—so spicy, in fact, that the show constantly stirred up controversy in the public sphere.
> – Kim Juhyun's two-faced behavior is insane. Literally the kind of person I'd never want to associate with.
> └ His true character came out yesterday. Even a middle schooler wouldn't act like that.
> └ What are they even saying? You could totally tell the interviews were awkwardly cut in the middle.
> └ Are we really surprised by evil editing at this point? It was clearly mixed with a morning interview.
> └ How is it evil editing when it's literally what came out of his own mouth?
> └ I had a bad feeling about him from the start.
Because of all this, the show had the potential to launch Sungjoon and Minji into fame—or become the perfect stage for Haeyoung's revenge.
Without hesitation, Haeyoung opened the door.
The strong scent of a diffuser was the first thing she noticed. Then, her eyes caught the poorly concealed cameras placed in the corners. Big and small cameras alike were all pointed toward the front entrance.
Those cameras would capture Haeyoung's every move—every flick of her hand, every twitch of her lips—and spin them into a story to be broadcast to the world.
Fine. Watch closely. Every single thing I do.
She passed through the entrance and slowly climbed the stairs. Several people were already seated.
"Hello."
"Hi."
The well-dressed men and women greeted each other awkwardly. Haeyoung gave a polite nod in return and quickly scanned their faces.
She recognized all of them.
After returning to the past, Haeyoung had reviewed every detail of the dating show from her memory—its format, its cast—committing it all to heart.
She wished she could've watched the show one more time, but even without that, it was enough. What she knew now was already a solid foundation for her revenge.
"May I sit in the empty seat?"
"Yes, yes, over here…"
Haeyoung made her way to the vacant spot—more precisely, between Minji, who stared at her wide-eyed in surprise, and Seongjun, who sat next to Minji with a smug expression.
"I'm Seo Haeyoung. Nice to meet you."
Haeyoung turned her head to look at Seongjun. He stared back at her in disbelief, completely stunned. Haeyoung tilted her head slightly.
"Uh, haven't we met somewhere before?"
With the kindest expression she could muster, she lifted the corners of her mouth into a gentle smile. Seongjun blinked uncertainly, unable to confirm or deny.
Yeah, better pretend you don't know me—unless you want us both kicked out.
"Oh, I guess not. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable—sorry about that."
"No, it's fine…"
Ignoring Seongjun's confused reaction, Haeyoung turned her head toward Minji. Minji was staring blankly at her, as if she'd seen a ghost.
How can you already be this flustered? I'm just getting started. Relax your face.
* * *
Haeyoung was the last contestant to appear.
Yoonhyuk was nowhere to be found. He was the "maggot."
The "maggot."
In dating shows, a contestant who suddenly joins midway through the season is called a "maggot."
There's a theory called the "maggot effect": if you put a maggot into a pond of loaches, the loaches become more active as they avoid the maggot, helping them live longer.
The term was borrowed from the "maggot effect."
In moments that could easily become boring, the "maggot"—who shakes up the entire game—is perhaps the most important figure in a dating show.
So, they don't just assign anyone this role. The latecomer must be able to stir not only the hearts of the participants of the opposite sex but also the viewers' emotions.
This meant the producers considered Yoonhyuk the most charismatic contestant among them. It also implied that the production would focus the direction heavily on him.
"I'm Yoon Taeri. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Lee Jaeyoung."
"Park Chanwon."
The contestants once again introduced themselves to Haeyoung, the last to appear.
Using memories from her past life as a foundation, Haeyoung had already done her research on the other contestants, so she was familiar with their names.
Of course, Haeyoung already knew their names, but she muttered them quietly as if she were memorizing them.
"I'm Jo Seongjun."
"Hello, I'm Woo Minji."
Unlike Seongjun, who still seemed confused, Minji smiled brightly.
Haeyoung returned the smile.
"What were you all talking about?"
"We were talking about hobbies. Do you have any hobbies, Haeyoung?"
"Well, hobbies… I'm not sure."
"I feel like you'd be into something like flower arranging."
"Oh, that suits you. You have such an elegant presence."
"That's right. You seem very intellectual."
All eyes were on Haeyoung, the last to arrive.
Compliments followed like polite small talk.
"You're flattering me. The only time I've ever done flower arranging was when I put a bouquet in a vase."
"Your smile right now totally gives off that vibe!"
"Thank you, Taeri."
Haeyoung shrugged awkwardly. Up until now, Minji had been quietly blinking, but she suddenly chimed in.
"I'm jealous. I want to be elegant like you, Haeyoung. Everyone just says I'm like a kid."
"Maybe they mean you're cute? Minji, you have this small and precious feeling about you."
"Oh, thank you."
Minji's fair skin instantly flushed bright red. Everyone burst out laughing at how embarrassed she looked from the compliment.
In an instant, the focus of the compliments shifted from Haeyoung to Minji.
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Rules of the Woo-Yeon House
1. Personal information, including friendships, cannot be disclosed.
2. Everyone respects each other and addresses one another by name only.
3. Daily meal and cleaning duties are assigned to maintain a comfortable living environment.
4. Physical contact is allowed, but dating anyone is strictly prohibited.
5. While outside the Woo-Yeon House, residents may not meet or contact each other privately.