episode 8

Homecoming Queens

The new episode of Bachelors’ Paradise starts with MC Inguk standing in front of the Bachelors’ Mansion. He wears his suit, his charismatic smile and a pair of elegant looking black shoes.

“Love is like a fragile rose. Love is just as beautiful as one. But love does also hurt like a rose’s thorns.“, he starts and walks slowly down the entrance way. “Our contestants had to learn all of this during the last 7 weeks. Now, the bachelors will learn how those who get a rose from them every week grew up, who their friends and family are and how they live and what they usually do. Our contestants got to choose two bachelors each to take to homecoming dates, introducing them to their families and friends. But… did the bachelors gain approval of their possible future loves’ environment or did they fail miserably and drowned in a sea of thorns? Who knows? Oh well - we know.“

He chuckles charismatically and even winks before his sequence fades to black.

The screen splits into 8 little ones showing limousines and then close-ups from the contestants sitting in the cars. It’s followed by the seven bachelor introductions that used to be shown during the first episode, pictures of each of them with a rose being displayed on the screen before the typical “This week on Bachelors’ Paradise.“ is finishing the entrance section.

It’s still dark outside but yet, it’s obviously Seoul that the car in which the two bachelors Jimin and Jungkook are sitting in is driving through. Mapo-Gu, to be specific. And the bachelors are in the middle of a discussion about the person they’re going to meet. 

“Who of the girls is not from Seoul?“, Jungkook asks, Jimin rubbing his chin as he thinks intensely about the answer.

“I think I heard Yeonhee use the Gyeongsang-do dialect once, she must be from Daegu if I’m not mistaken. But it definitely was not the Busan-Ulsan one.“ The personal trainer shrugs and watches Jungkook nod in approval.

“If someone notices that dialect, then it’s definitely one of us.“, Jungkook agrees and sighs, again looking out of the window. “Who are you, mystery girl? Who are we going to visit today?“

The limousine passes by a row of arcade places, sauna houses and the typical restaurants and cafes until the vehicle finally stops in front of an apartment complex. The bachelors are given nothing but the information where to go, so pretty blindly they follow the instructions and end up in front of an apartment door. And when they ring the door bell… a very old lady opens it for them.

“Uhm. Hello.“, Jungkook greets her, the big eyes behind the glasses mustering the two boys before a wide smile covers the granny’s face.

“So, you two are our Miso’s friends.“, she figures, then examines the two from head to toe. “Look at you being way too skinny and you… what is that way of dressing yourself? You look like a too tiny bouncer!“

Jimin’s expressions falls as he hears the granny call him a tiny bouncer, Jungkook next to him can’t help but crack up.

In the background there’s suddenly a lot of noise coming from one of the rooms and in the next moment Miso, armed with a selfie stick and her phone attached to it, walks through the hallway.

“And here we have our two favorite bachelors, the awesome Jeon Jungkook and… yeah, Jimin.“ Her arm makes a quick move and Jungkook and Jimin suddenly blink into her phone screen where they see themselves on a live-broadcast on Afreeca TV. To the surprise of the audience, both, Jungkook and also Jimin are smiling charmingly into the camera, their on-screen professionalism ironically being on point when on the actual show they are getting less and less professional.

“Hello everyone, are you watching Bachelors’ Paradise, too?“, Jimin talks into the camera. “Don’t forget to support us in finding love!“ He winks and chuckles, Jungkook laughing and pushing him out of the camera sight.

“Ayyy… we’re not here to promote, we’re here to get to know Miso’s family. But anyway: Hello to all her fans!“ The singer directs Miso’s arm back to the girl so he has a little space between him and the phone, so he can properly greet her grandmother. “Nice to meet you, I’m Jeon Jungkook.“

“My name’s Park Jimin!“, Jimin chimes in and Miso’s granny motions them to enter the apartment.

The apartment that she lives in is rather small, offering only three bedrooms of space of which one is entirely pink and some might recognize it from Miso’s early blogger days. It’s neat and clean whereas Miso tells them that she already moved to Yongsan but still, her grandmother keeps it tidy so whenever Miso wants to visit or even thinks of moving back, everything’d be ready for her. The bachelors don’t dare to sit down on the bed, scared to burry one of the stuffed animals that are everywhere in the room to be found under their weight. Pink decor, pillows, if not for the lighting and camera equipment, the room could have gone through as Barbie’s wonderland come true.

“You lived here all your life with your grandmother?“, Jungkook wonders while browsing through one of the cupboards that is full of pink hearts, make-up and goodies Miso received from fans.

“Yupp. My parents always were abroad, so they left me and my two older brothers with my grandmother. But it wasn’t all that bad. My granny is awesome. She taught me how to enjoy what I’m doing and stay true to who I am.“

While the bachelors are having a chit-chat with Miso, two more males enter the apartment.

“Hi, my name is Im Siwan.“, the older looking one is blended in in an interview section. The info box states his name once more and informs about him being a 30-year old medical assistant. “I am Miso’s older brother and I’ve been following this show from the very first episode, of course.“ He laughs gently and his words sound very soft and kind. “I don’t really care who Miso’s dating as long as she’s happy and is with a person who truly loves her. But I am worried about the show. It’s a game. There are those Hidden Cards, right? What if it’s just for the show business and the persons that Miso likes aren’t Hidden Cards? It’s a scary situation that she’s in, I think. I just hope Miso’s feelings aren’t getting hurt.“

The second brother is introduced as Im Jaehyun, a 28-year old fitness instructor. His voice isn’t as friendly as Siwan’s. It’s rather intimidating. “I don’t like it. Nah.“

Miso leads the bachelors to the living room where her grandmother and brothers are already waiting, tea, coffee and rice cakes prepared to be consumed.

“Those are my brothers Siwan and Jaehyun!“, Miso informs Jimin and Jungkook and smiles sweetly, even moving a little differently than usually. She’s suddenly a lot more bouncy, her gestures very much reminding of a little, cute kid.

“Nice to meet you.“, Siwan wants to greet the two males but Jaehyun is interrupting the conversation too quickly.

“So who is the one who is going to be our brother-in-law, huh?“, he asks and builds himself up in front of the bachelors, his arms crossed, very obviously showing off his biceps. Jimin tries to imitate him, but Jungkook holds him back to remind him of his manners. “The jerk over here who kissed another girl? Or is it the boyband puppet?“

The bachelors look very startled, hearing how her brother addresses them. Jimin looks more upset, while Jungkook just looks shocked.

“…Jaehyun, stop it now!“, Miso huffs immediately, also a little taken aback by her brothers sudden hostility. “I brought them to show them how I live, not for you to insult them!“

Her brother doesn’t take fondly of how she defends and protects the two guests and the situation easily heats up.

“Insult, tsk.“, Jaehyun mutters. “This entire show is an insult. I don’t believe in any of this TV *censor tone*! It’s all for ratings and money! I saw all of it! The CF deals! The comments! You, boyband *censor tone*! Do you really think you can take care of our sister just because you threw away your career for this *censor tone* show?! And then the kid personal trainer who is nothing else than a *censor tone*, being on the show for no other sake than hooking up with girls who think they can find the love of their life on a show like this. Not really great options you have, Miso. Don’t have too high hopes here.“

“That’s enough!“, Miso stops him and grabs his muscly arm. “Go! If you’re only here to insult our guests, just go!“

Jaehyun looks even more angry but only shakes his head. “I am disappointed in you. You should know better than that.“, he tells her and Miso can’t hold back than to push him towards the door.

“Yeah, and I am disappointed in you for embarrassing me in front of the whole nation! LEAVE!“

The siblings quarrel until the girl manages to kick her bulky brother out, her grandmother and Siwan looking at Jungkook and Jimin, very apologetic.

“Did you already have breakfast? We should have breakfast together.“, Miso’s grandmother says and drags the males into the kitchen.

The scenes swift and from the little apartment, the next the audience can see is a part of Mapo-gu where Miso leads the guys down a road. “I’m so sorry about everything.“, she apologizes and sighs. “I didn’t expect Jaehyun to be… like that.“

“It’s okay.“, Jungkook assures her. “Siwan was nice to us. It’s probably just because your brothers are protective and they don’t mean to be actually rude…“

“Overprotective as *censor tone*!“, Jimin adds to it, he looks a lot more angry. “And it’s not okay. Can you imagine how it would look like every time to meet Miso’s family? Like that? That’s problematic.“

Miso looks down on the floor, hearing Jimin’s opinion. The happy spark is long gone and Jungkook next to her seems to notice. He looks judging at Jimin who defensively raises his two hands and shrugs.

The group walks a little longer until Miso stops in front of a PC café.

“What’s this? You’re a gamer?“, Jimin wonders, as they enter the almost empty room full of leather seats and PCs, most of them having the LOL or Overwatch loading screen opened.

“When I was still going to school I barely had any real friends. People weren’t all that nice to me, always. They often pretended to be my friends but then again were just badmouthing me behind my back. So this is the place where I stayed most of the time. It’s lonesome here but also you can just enjoy playing some games.“, she sits down on one of the chairs and gently lets her hands flow over the old, ragged surface. “Ahhh… this wakes memories.“

“So you were bullied back then?“, Jungkook wonders and sits down next to her. Jimin prefers sitting on the table, right next to one of the monitors.

“Can you call that bullying? I don’t know. It was rather people hating me for being too much ‚in your face‘. But they also wanted to be friends with me because I somehow managed to gather a lot of people around me.“ She shrugged and moved forwards to the keyboard. “What do we have in here…? Up for a round of LOL?“

A cut follows, the next to be seen being the group sitting in a restaurant, having lunch. And the group naturally grabs immense attention, with a grape of people around them filming them while they eat.

“I’m a little sad we couldn’t spend more time with your family.“, Jungkook mentions, already done with his dish.

“Really? You want to meet the rude brother again?“, Jimin asks and gains a kick against his shin by Miso under the table.

“Can’t you just leave that topic be?“, she asks and sighs, shaking her head in annoyance.

“As much as your brother could leave it be insulting us.“, Jimin answers and empties his metal bowl of rice.

Miso ignores him further and looks at Jungkook, the people in his back all holding up their phones to record the three of them. It pretty much looked like people filming animals in a zoo. “We can go visit my granny at work if you want to.“ She tries to change the topic, smiles again and Jungkook smiles back at her.

“OBNOXIUS *CENSOR TONE*!“

A sudden voice booms through the room, causing the three cast members to wince.

“Sorry, what?“, Miso asks and looks up, trying to find the source of the voice in the rows of spectators.

“RUDE *CENSOR TONE*!“ The shouts go on and anger but also pain show up on Miso’s face.

“Ah, really?! Come out and say that right into my face, so I can fight you, you *censor tone*!!!“, she barks and jumps from her seat, forming fists that are ready to punch someone in the face.

“Oh heck, no.“ Jimin very alarmed gets up, too and holds Miso back, who is about to go rampant and just rush into the crowd to find who is insulting her. “Let’s get going, let’s get going!“, he rushes and Jungkook hurries up from his seat to stare right into the closest camera.

“Sorry for the short interruption, next stop: Granny Miso’s work place!“

Jungkook winks and the screen turns black.

The sun is about to set when a very relaxed Miso re-appears among a bunch of ahjummas in the local sauna, her grandmother handing out some hard-boiled eggs that Jimin and Jungkook gladly take, their heads covered with funny looking towel hats.

Miso’s interview gives short insight about her state of mind. “I admit, I was very upset when those random people attacked me during lunch… so it’s even better that we went to the sauna my grandma works at. Those ladies there… they were the only real friends I had, I think. I could gossip with them over whatever. It was good to meet them again. And fun to see Jungkook and Jimin interact with them.“

“Seriously, where did you keep those handsome boys the entire time, Miso? You could have brought them earlier! I could have gotten remarried with one of them like 3 years ago!“, one of the old grannies complains and pinches into Jimin’s cheeks who very appalled tries to flinch back but just gets dragged into a very strong granny hug. “Sooooo cute, these boys!“

“You look like my husband 60 years ago!“, another one compliments Jungkook and the singer can’t help but laugh.

“Hands off, these are Miso’s men!“, Granny Miso warns the women and they all cackle in amusement.

“You’re just being protective because they’re more handsome than Siwan and Jaehyun! Who, by the way, you also keep away from us!“

Granny Miso frowns. “You old hags take everything you can, I cannot let my own flesh and blood get into dangerous territory.“

“But Miso is okay?“

“Miso knows how to protect herself!“ Miso gets patted by her grandma and fed with another egg, the young female chewing happily as she glances over to the still tormented Jimin and Jungkook who is genuinely enjoying the company of those old ladies.

The sun is rising in the background of the highway where in a car two bachelors are waiting to see where it’s taking them. The bachelors are quietly sitting next to each other, Namjoon staring out of the window while Hoseok is peacefully snoring next to him, the sunglasses he is wearing almost slipping off his nose while his paper cup of coffee also looks dangerously close to dropping. From the outside the camera pans over the city that the bachelors are about to visit and the captions reveal that the place is no other than “Beautiful Daegu“. And the woman who invited them to said beautiful place is no other than Yeonhee.

“I chose Namjoon and Hoseok as my guests… because I wanted them to know more about me and get to know the place I grew up at. Namjoon… well I think that one is obvious. But Hoseok I chose because I kind of felt like shutting him out most of the time. I felt sorry.“ The female apologetically smiles into the camera.

Back from the interview, the camera pans over a house, then over the insides of it. It’s very small and filled with lots of family photos and knick knacks, a collection of colorful things that gives homely vibes. Yeonhee and an older woman are standing together in the kitchen, the caps revealing the older woman as Soojin aka “Mama Yeonhee“.

“Are you nervous?“, Soojin asks her daughter but Yeonhee simply shrugs and sips at her coffee.

“I am more worried about you being overly nervous.“, her daughter answers and gives her a warm hug. Soojin lovingly pats her daughter’s back and goes back to cooking some rice.

As the two women talk, the bachelors are arriving and Hoseok is back to the world of living, ringing the door bell while Namjoon is standing behind him, a little present in his hands. Yeonhee and her mother wince shortly, the business lady finally looking a little nervous which her mother greets with a short giggle and an encouragingly pat on the shoulder.

Before Yeonhee opens the door, she inhales slowly.

“Good morning!“, Hoseok greets her as soon as the door swings open and he rushes inside like infiltrating the DMZ borders to run over North Korea.  “Woah! It looks so cute in here!“

Namjoon’s apologetic glance over to Yeonhee is taken fondly as Yeonhee looks as overrun as Hoseok looks hyped. Soojin is very soon joining the three in front of the door and greets the two bachelors heartily, surprised that Namjoon brought her a little present.

“Welcome to our Yeonhee’s childhood home. She abandoned me a while ago but I am glad she’s still showing up every now and then.“, Soojin jokes and Namjoon and Hoseok both suddenly are looking a little more well-mannered, especially Hoseok who is looking at Yeonhee’s mother with big eyes and bows politely.

The camera follows Yeonhee and the bachelors through the entire house, showing bedrooms that are obviously not occupied anymore but still very intact as Soojin must have taken good care of keeping them exactly as they used to be when her children were still living at home. There are photos plastering the walls, the ones of what seems to be Yeonhee’s dad dominating the interior.

“This used to be my bed room.“, Yeonhee explains to Namjoon and Hoseok and sits down on one of the two beds inside one of the bedroom. "Not very impressive, I know.“

“What do you mean ‚not very impressive‘? We had impressive times here!“, another female voice rings through the door and in front of them stands someone who looks very similar to Yeonhee with crossed arms. She laughs immediately at the sight of Yeonhee’s flustered expression and walks over to give her a hug, before she introduces herself to the bachelors. “My name is Bang Eunhee, I’m Yeonhee’s sister. And this is the room in which all the magic happened. Wait. Not for Yeonhee.“

“And you probably are the one who claimed Yeonhee is a secret lesbian?“, Namjoon guesses.

“Wouldn’t be the first lesbian in your show.“, Eunhee counters back, still amused.

The scenes shift and the bachelors are shown sitting at a huge table with a bunch of people that all get captions because it’s way too much to introduce them all one by one. Yeonhee’s mother gets the caption Bang Soojin, an extremely pregnant looking woman next to her Bang Minhee, another of Yeonhee’s sisters, her husband Kim Sangwoo and their daughter Kim Haejoo seated between them. Eunhee’s sitting next to her fiancé Choi Yoonbum and that’s it. Fancy looking brunch is served and Soojin proudly shows off what she cooked by explaining to the audience what exactly she prepared. The cameras all around seem to fluster the family a little, but they still are friendly towards the bachelors and step by step warm up to them and also the heavy presence of the staffs.

“So you really volunteer in dating someone like Yeonhee? You have no idea what you’re getting yourselves into!“, Eunhee states and gains little chuckles of Minhee.

“We could totally show you some of her childhood photos. She’s always been like this. If you plan on having kids with her, chances are high they turn out the same.“, Minhee adds with a grin on her lips.

Yeonhee’s mom interferes quickly as she collects all the empty bowls and plates on the table. “You two stop embarrassing your little sister, immediately. Nobody is going to embarrass anyone here. We don’t want someone to get hurt. No matter how.“ As she speaks she shoots some warning glances over to Namjoon who notices them and eyes the older woman with perplexed innocence.

“Who of you is the one Yeonhee likes more, though?“, Minhee’s husband Sangwoo wonders and examines both of the bachelors. “To be honest, you remind me a bit of Yeonhee’s boss.“, he says, his eyes resting on Hoseok.

“So you think Hoseok has better chances? I am totally Team Namjoon.“, Yoonbum, Eunhee’s fiancé, says. “If you watched the show closely, you’d know that it’s Namjoon and Yeonhee that have their ship sailing stronger.“

Very soon the two sisters join their partners in a heated discussion about the Namjoon vs Hoseok issue, the two bachelors watching in silence and disbelief, not knowing what to say about the family’s blatant way of talking about them like that right in front of them.

After the brunch with the family, Yeonhee takes Namjoon and Hoseok to a street where a closed down bakery waits for them. Yeonhee stops in front of it, looks up at the old building and sighs. It’s a travel through her old days, reminding her of so many things.

“This used to be one of my favorite places.“, she tells the bachelors and looks at the dusty glas door to the little shop.The glass front is covered with newspaper from the inside but as nobody really took care of the building, the yellow papers already peel off step by step.

“It must have been long since it closed down. Looks…yeah…“, Namjoon mumbles while Hoseok almost presses his nose against the glas windows to get a better look at what’s inside. “Why did you like this place so much? Was it that good?“

Yeonhee smiles slightly. “My father used to take me here every Sunday. That was when the baked goods were cheapest. It was also pretty popular but when the bigger franchises opened up in this area and took over the business, the shop went bankrupt. After my father died I even worked here after school to help my mom a little bit. It was a pity when they had to shut down the shop…“

“You never talked about your father…your family must miss him a lot. I noticed the photos at your mother’s place. There were a lot of your dad.“

Hoseok finally gets back to the two, listening to what Namjoon and Yeonhee are talking about. His clothes got dirty from too much contact with the dusty glas, so he’s patting it off, his noise being a little disturbing. Yeonhee still talks, not paying too much attention to Hoseok just being Hoseok.

“He died in a car accident. I can tell you more, if you want. Even show you. The place where the accident happened isn’t all that far from here.“

Namjoon nods, but Hoseok shudders at the thought of checking out a place where an actual person died.

The three walk a little until they pull off to the side of the road where Yeonhee’s father was involved in the car accident, she mentioned.

“I didn’t want to take them to the actual graveyard. I think it’s disrespectful to bring all the cameras to a place where the dead are supposed to rest in peace.“, Yeonhee’s interview pops up shortly.

“This is where it happened. October 17, 2004. We were talking on the phone when it happened. A drunk person crashed into his car. Maybe he would have survived if it wasn’t for him paying more attention to telling me good night on the phone instead of concentrating on traffic.“ Yeonhee looks very down, the depression train hitting her hard. “Vehicles are a scary thing… very scary.“

Hoseok doesn’t manage to get his lips to move and form some words of condolence. Good thing at least Namjoon seems to know how to deal with the situation.

“I’m sorry about your loss. But it’s not your fault. Neither it’s your father’s.“

The contestant shrugs and then turns around, pulling her hair over her shoulder and letting her shirt’s sleeve slip a little. What she shows them is blurred out the TV screen, yet it’s obvious that it’s a tattoo she shows them. “I have my father on my shoulder every day.“, she describes her tattoo. “There are two Koi fishes swimming in a circle. The red one symbolizes my father. The blue one my dreams.“

“Wow, I didn’t know you have a tattoo. The meaning is beautiful.“, Hoseok gushes over the two fishes on the contestant’s shoulder. “But what exactly are those dreams that the blue fish stands for?“

Yeonhee chuckles a little before she gets her shirt back in place and her hair covers her neck again. “I always thought it’s being a successful, happy person. But honestly, when I think of my dad and the word dream… all I can think of is how happy my parents were together. So probably one of my dreams is finding the same kind of love like they did. So strong that until this day my mother never even thought of finding someone new to accompany her through life because the one and only she could ever imagine was my dad.“

Namjoon and Hoseok very soon exchange determined glances, nodding at each other.

“Thanks for sharing this with us. That really means a lot to us and… we really want to give something back to you, even if it’s not of equal worth… but can we offer you a rose?“, Namjoon asks and Yeonhee’s answer is a genuine smile.

Back to Seoul, in Jongno-gu, Hoseok and Taehyung are ready to meet the next contestant’s home. The contestant is already there, sitting at the dining table with her parents, her little daughter seated on her lap.

“You’re ready for this?“, Yumi’s father asks her and the young woman nods.

“I am.“, she answers determined.

“Are you sure? You’ve cried so much, I mean.“, he further digs deeper and laughs gently, Yumi pouting shortly.

The young mother lives in a small two-bedroom unit house complex together with her parents and her daughter, the whole building looking rather run-down with its dark red bricks, plants and pots outside, the stair case railing being all rusty. The area still is somewhat charming and looks warm and lively with the small restaurants around, the daycare, school and a park nearby being occupied by a few people at any time of the day. The walls of the apartment are plastered with photos of the little child and its mother, dominating as there’s not a lot of furniture in the apartment to be found. A small sofa, a coffee table, an old TV, a small wooden piano and a simple dinning table are all they own besides the many toys left around the place because of Yumi’s active child playing tea party with her pink table just too often, leaving her guests spread around the house and children books being hidden at every corner.

Yumi and her family are still sitting together when the door bell rings and the bachelors enter shortly after, Yumi waiting for them in the doorway while nervously holding a very excited little girl in her arms.

As soon as Hoseok shows up and he sights the little girl, his eyes start to sparkle and an excited smile spreads on his face.

“Heeeeeeeeeey!“, he greets the child even before he greets Yumi and her daughter welcomes him just as open-minded.

Behind Hoseok Taehyung follows, greeting Yumi first and then wanting to proceed to her daughter but Hoseok is already head over heels for the child, claiming her entire attention for himself. Yumi’s parents join the gathering and the bachelors are welcomed warmly, feeling more than comfortable around the little family even in the very minimalistic apartment that is far from the luxurious living standards of the Bachelors’ Mansion.

“It’s nice to meet you after all the time watching you in TV.“, Yumi’s mom says, leading Taehyung into the living room where Yumi’s daughter is already dragging Hoseok to, holding onto his hand, so he has to walk almost squatting to follow her.

“We’re even better in real life!“, Taehyung brags jokingly and finally gets to greet Yumi’s daughter, too, who introduces herself as Yuri before she starts bringing the two bachelors her collection of Pororo dolls to show off all of her precious treasures.

“Or maybe just half as good, you never know, we don’t watch the show ourselves, after all.“, Hoseok reminds his co-bachelor and laughs while a very attention jealous Yuri pats his face to force him focusing on her again.

“Well, I think you have some serious competition, Yumi.“, her father mentions as he watches Yuri completely occupying Hoseok until Taehyung slowly tries to sneak upon her to join the play fun.

A little later the family, plus guests, are having a nice lunch with Yuri sitting on Taehyung’s lap while being fed by Hoseok, Yumi and her parents watching them in amusement.

“She really loves all the attention.“, Yumi’s mother once again notices and tries to talk to her grand-child as well. “Honey, don’t you want to leave your mommy with her friends alone for a second?“, she asks and the child immediately turns grumpy.

“NO!“, she scoffs, adorably crosses her arms and jumps up and down on Taehyung’s lap with a pout on her lips. “They’re my friends, too!“

“You love us that much?“, Hoseok asks her, still the lovestruck glimmer in his eyes. “So would it be okay if one of us becomes your daddy?“

Yumi’s mouth drops open the moment Hoseok pops the question and she starts resembling a tomato a lot.

“NO!“, Yuri repeats to the surprise of Hoseok and also Taehyung.

“No?“, Hoseok asks.

“No!“, Yuri repeats. “You just marry me!“

There is sudden silence. And then everyone breaks out into laughters. Yuri seems to mean it but the little girl also very soon joins in the laughters.

“Okay, then I will marry you once you’re old enough!“, Taehyung promises. “Do you know where you want to get married?“

“In mommy’s bedroom!“, Yuri tells him.

“In mommy’s bedroom? But will our guests all fit in there?“

Impatiently the girl climbs down the bachelor’s lap and grabs his hand to drag him into the little bedroom to prove him that they could totally get married in her mother’s bedroom. Taehyung follows without protest, Yumi rushing behind them, the camera crew following them, too. Yumi’s room looks a lot like a child’s bedroom with Yuri’s stuff basically spread all around the room. The mother’s belongings only take a little corner of the room with a bureau standing there, a few nursing books carefully placed on it. Yuri climbs onto the full-sized bed she shares with her mother and jumps excitedly on it, while telling Taehyung that they can of course get married in the room and dance all together on the bed.

In the meantime Hoseok and Yumi’s father are left alone in the room as her mother disappeared into the kitchen to clear the dishes. The family father of course takes the chance to have a man to man talk with the bachelor and what waits for Hoseok is a typical father speech.

“I noticed how close you got with my daughter. And I know the concept of the show… I am entrusting my child to strangers, hoping that she makes the right decisions and that all of you are humane enough not to break those poor women’s hearts. Especially not my daughter’s. Yumi is a wonderful woman. But she’s also naive. I don’t want to see her hurt again.“ Hoseok listens carefully, the cheerfulness replaced by seriousness. “Even if you’re not trying to trick my daughter… I still have to ask you to stop all of this if you’re not intending to marry Yumi. She suffered enough, the only man I will entrust my child completely has to take care of both of my girls, Yumi and Yuri. And don’t take this matter too slightly. They’re a one-package deal and being a father means putting yourself, maybe even your love life, behind the child. You probably won’t have the privacy of newly weds, you will be stressed, you will have to be a full-time daddy of a child that’s not yours. Think about that carefully. And only if you’re ready to take this responsibility, go ahead. Otherwise I’ll ask you to step back. Especially since… you’re a mere dance instructor, right?“

Hoseok’s expression drops immediately at the mentioning of him being nothing more than a dance instructor.

“Do you even think you can provide a good life for Yumi and Yuri? I don’t mean to be superficial or something. Yumi can marry whoever she wants, I will respect that. As long as her and your love is genuine, that’s fine. But please consider that taking care of two more persons will cost a lot. You won’t be able to live as you wish anymore. You will worry about finances and how to get over the rounds often. I am just asking you to think carefully. That’s all.“

It gets very obvious, that he doesn’t think Hoseok is a hidden card, yet he has hope that the bachelor still is serious about his daughter. Hoseok remains silent. And the burden on him seems to weigh heavily.

A cut transitions from that scene to the next one and Yumi, Yuri and the two bachelors are on the way to the daycare near their home since Yumi wants to show the guys where she works. Yuri is upbeat, wanting to meet all the other kids and have a jolly play time once more, showing off her future husband and future daddy to the others. The kids indeed are all excited to meet the two bachelors and Yuri as expected is proudly presenting them her new family addition. She doesn’t get to play for too long, still, as her grandparents pretty soon pick her up and the bachelors and the contestant are moving further, checking the Bukchon Hanok village where Yumi usually works as a cleaner for some rich people.

“I am a housekeeper for some very nice elders and I wanted to show the bachelors how my everyday life looks like. So this was surely a new experience for them.“, Yumi explains in her interview why and how Taehyung and Hoseok in the next scene happen to be dressed like cleaners, Taehyung vacuuming one of the houses while Hoseok picks up some trash and carries it out.

Yumi herself mops the floor that Taehyung just vacuumed and even though they aren’t talking much and cleaning is exhausting, there is some coziness and peace to be felt, even for the audience who only watch.

“DONE!“, Hoseok announces once the house is completely cleaned up and Taehyung already is redressed in his jeans and leather jacket, a flower in his hands.

“This is yours.“, he says and hands Yumi the rose.

The young mother smiles proudly. She managed to show the bachelors a part of herself and introduced them to her daughter… and received a red rose for that.

When Yoongi and Seokjin arrive at their next destination, each of them looks very confused.

“This is SNU.“, Seokjin says as he stands in front of the main gate of the Seoul National University.

The bachelors aren’t the only ones in front of the abstract looking gate to the more than huge campus. A bunch of students either pass by or keep standing around, phones in their hands to record the two alien figures and the camera staffs with them.

“It’s Johanna.“, Yoongi tells him. He doesn’t even have to think two seconds about it to already know that SNU is what Johanna calls home. And he’s right, Johanna is walking up to the two bachelors shortly after. She smiles at each of them and spreads her arms, looking a little awkward doing it.

“Welcome to SNU.“, she says and it’s undeniable that she feels a little pressured by the other students staring and using their phones to record the special event happening around them. “This is where I spend most of my time.“

The camera pans over the giant campus, showing the many different buildings and shuttle buses that most students prefer over walking all the way up to their majors’ main buildings. Johanna, too, takes the two bachelors with her on a ride in the shuttle bus with once again phone cameras directed at them from everywhere, yet there is at least some respect distance between the three of them and the students in the bus.

The bus stops in front of the group’s destination, most students who don’t need to get off at the same stop disappointedly watching how the Bachelors’ Paradise team leaves the bus. Johanna and the bachelors shortly after enter one of the classrooms of the astronomy department, the other students that are taking the same courses as Johanna in awe when they see her being accompanied by two ‚celebrities'.

“I think none of us ever expected Hana to ever join a program like Bachelors’ Paradise. It’s crazy. But it’s good for her. She can be with handsome men now and enjoy stuff we don’t get to experience.“, one of her fellow students tells the camera when asked about what she thinks of Johanna joining a show like Bachelors’ Paradise.

The students take a break from studying to focus on Johanna and her guests, forming a circle of chairs that the bachelors and the contestant join so they can talk comfortably to the students. Johanna is seated between Seokjin and Yoongi, very careful not to accidentally touch one of them in any way but Seokjin being careless as can be, just sits comfortably and casually touches her knee with his. Johanna shortly winces but then starts to relax as Seokjin doesn’t seem to move his leg any time. She leans a little towards him, further away from Yoongi what doesn’t go unnoticed by neither the music producer nor the cameras.

“What do you think of being with someone who is still studying?“, one of the students asks.

“Is that a problem? Aren’t we all kind of the same age? Damn, you make me feel like a grandpa now…“, Seokjin answers and laughs freely. Yoongi just snorts and crosses his arms.

“It’s just… you two are already very successful, aren’t you?“, the student adds and looks at Seokjin first, then at Yoongi. “…are you?“

Her question is met by Yoongi’s disgruntled gaze. He doesn’t seem to approve of her questioning him and his occupation but the students remain skeptical about it, still keep their quiet about it. However, their glances speak volumes.

The scenes shift and Johanna shows the bachelors around in the university’s observatory.

“So this is our observatory. I prefer being here. Cosmology is fascinating. The origins and development of the universe and all its matter and where it’s going… that’s what I focus on. Dark matter and dark energy in particular.“

The moment she starts talking about observational evidences of the dark matter, words like spiral galaxies, galaxy clusters, solar system and even milky way falling, Seokjin and and Yoongi both look as if they drown in their thoughts. Their eyes are widened and they look interested in what Johanna has to tell them but at the same time they look absent.

“I felt inspired all of a sudden.“,Yoongi justifies his look during a short interview snippet while Seokjin doesn’t look defensive like the composer, he rather looks hyped.

“A dress inspired by the universe…it may sound hipster but wouldn’t that be cool. The milky way to your soul.“ Seokjin’s eyes are sparkling from excitement.

The bachelors and Johanna stay in the observatory until it’s late and they even order some chicken to the observatory for dinner before they head back outside, making a short stop at one of the campus convenience stores to buy some popsicles.

“Are you living in the dormitory?“, Seokjin wants to know and the girl blinks shortly at him.

“Yes, why? You want to see my room?“, she wonders and suddenly her eyes widen in panic.

“Would be interesting to see how you live.“, the fashion designer says and beams at her.

“B-But…“, Johanna stutters at him before her interview is blending in, a very frustrated and embarrassed Johanna revealing why she’s not too happy about his request. “The truth is… that I am maybe a little messy. Just a tad. Like Mihoon and Nara, probably?“ She chuckles uneasily.

Yoongi stops and clears his throat, forcing Seokjin and Johanna to stop, too. “We don’t need to go to the dormitory. It’s not even that I’d want to see it now. Let’s just go somewhere else.“

Seokjin and Johanna shortly frown, the other bachelor feeling more attacked than the contestant. “…I’d still like to see.“

The producer shrugs it off. “Then you just go alone and I check out the area together with Johanna.“

The background music that usually goes with the show is suddenly turned off, close-ups from each of the three shown before dramatic music is played instead.

“I have no idea what was going on with Yoongi.“, Seokjin’s voice dubs the scenery in the background as a very stern looking Yoongi is dominating on the screen. Then the speaking bachelor is shown sitting in the little interviewing booth. “It felt like he wanted to pick a fight with me.“

In response Yoongi’s interview follows. The bachelor leans back against his chair, arms as so often crossed. “Hah.“, he only says and grins. Arrogant. Distanced. Mockingly.

“Are you saying we should split up?“, Seokjin asks.

“Exactly.“

Again strained silence.

Yoongi doesn’t give in, he even pressures Johanna to make a decision. “Johanna, you just go and choose whatever you prefer. Showing Seokjin your room or showing me the area.“

The contestant looks for help, directing her eyes at Seokjin who shrugs, also helpless in a situation like this. Their little exchange seems to be the wrong answer as it just maddens Yoongi all the more the moment he notices Johanna looking for help in Seokjin instead of him. “Ugh, forget about it.“

Hands roughly pressed into his pockets, he turns around and walks away. Johanna and Seokjin silently watch him go, nobody knowing what to say about the weird reaction of him.

The gloom Yoongi left with the two others remains even when Johanna and Seokjin really check out the shared university housing in which Johanna lives with some roommates. At least for Johanna. Her spirits seem to be downed ever after Yoongi left while Seokjin is shocked by so many things in her room.

“Woahahaha! I thought Nara and Mihoon are the only messy persons in the mansion! And what’s that!“ He points at Johanna’s dorm cupboard that is packed with a massive number of instant noodles of any kind.

Johanna smiles weakly, Seokjin noticing and loosing the excitement, too. “Hey, don’t take Yoongi’s… whatever that was too much to heart.“, he tries to somehow cheer her up but it doesn’t seem to work a lot. What Seokjin does then is using his ace up his sleeve by getting his rose from one of the staffs to hand it to Johanna.

“Cheer up! Yoongi might be all normal tomorrow again. And if not… just stay for me.“

As the waves of the sea are hitting against the shore right next to the street that the limousine, in which Hoseok and Yoongi sit, drives on, the younger bachelor of the two has his face stuck out of the window like a dog hanging out his tongue into the salty wind. The captions reveal the place they’re at as the island Marado, home of Mihoon.

“UUUUUUP WHERE THEY WALK! UUUUUP WHERE THEY RUUUUUN!“, Hoseok sings loudly.

Meanwhile Yoongi is sitting on the cold leather, legs and arms crossed, his face straight as can be. He’s as salty as the sea winds.

The car stops and the bachelors have to get out, Hoseok exploring his surroundings as if he had taken Yumi’s daughter Yuri with him and slipped into her body to be a child once more. From a little further away, there’s a little boat with a fisherman on it, yelling out to the sea. And from a bit closer Hoseok and Yoongi see an old lady swimming in the sea yelling back at the guy.

“*censor tone* YOU *censor tone* THAT’S MY FISHING SPOT! GET THE *censor tone* *censor tone* *censor tone* OUT OF MY SIGHT!“

Wide-eyed Hoseok and Yoongi watch the ordeal until someone behind them clears and the bachelors turn around to face Mihoon, standing in front of them in her typical tight, black jeans and a plaid shirt, her hairs falling down on her shoulders in soft waves as the salty, humid air turns it into a beautiful mess.

“I see, you already noticed… the haenyeo. Welcome to Marado.“

The atmosphere is a little tensed, especially between Yoongi and Mihoon but Mihoon tries her best not to be any kind of hostile. She every now and then even steals a glance to check where Yoongi’s eyes are directed at. Most of the time… at the ground. Hoseok in comparison is a ray of sunshine, enjoying to be at the seaside.

Mihoon leads them through tiny Marado and everywhere is sea to be seen. In front of them, to the right, to the left, even behind them. The little island has like one big road that leads back to where the fairy that transported the bachelors’ limousine had stopped for them to get off.

“It’s so peaceful here!“, Hoseok says.

“You mean boring. Not peaceful. Boring.“, Mihoon corrects him. Hoseok looses his excitement for a sole second which causes Mihoon to smirk slightly.

From all corners of what is more like a super tiny village, women wave at Mihoon and the bachelors. It’s incredible how many women man the island with only a few men to be seen around, chasing after their overly active kids. Mihoon comes to a halt in front of a compound of houses, sighing shortly, then moves towards one of the doors and knocks at it. After that a bunch of people flood the entrance.

“Mihoon!“

The first to come out of the house to greet her is someone who looks identically like her. Just a lot more pregnant. A LOT A LOT more pregnant.

“Mihoon, you’re pregnant!“, Hoseok calls out and points at the big belly of who seems to be her twin sister.

“That’s not Mihoon, you .“, Yoongi comments from behind.

Mihoon’s sister starts laughing. “I’m Gahoon, Mihoon’s sister.“, she introduces herself and bows in front of the bachelor. She really looks like Mihoon. A bit more content and less stern-looking with her clothes differing as one can tell that she’s going to be a typical mom just from the way she dresses. But they’re both the same kind of pretty.

“Oh man… I just started liking the idea of calling you the pregnant Mihoon…“, Hoseok mutters a little disappointed.

Very soon the bachelors sit inside of one of the houses, surrounded by Gahoon and her husband, the twins’ parents and their grandparents. The women all have one in common: they are super tanned, probably because they are out diving the whole day. Even Mihoon’s and Gahoon’s grandmother.

The family itself is very close and involved in each other, each of them being overly interested in the bachelors but also in what Mihoon is doing at the moment. It gets apparent that she has not been in vivid contact with her family as they have no idea what is going on in the woman’s life apart from what they know from the show. Mihoon even distances herself from them while the bunch of people sits together. Nevertheless, she doesn’t look uncomfortable. Just… distant.

“You’re still bartending, right?“, Mihoon’s father wants to know. “That’s at least what the show says about you in your profile.“

Mihoon suddenly looks a lot less comfortable.

“Don’t you want to come back? You could still work as a haenyeo like us. You’ve always been a talented swimmer and diver.“, her grandmother chimes in.

Not a single second passes that Hoseok hears her grandomother speak and he immediately gets up from his seat, all scandalized. “But why would she? She’s an amazing bartender! Her drinks are legendary! And her bartending shows, too!“

Gahoon next to them shrugs while she gently rubs her belly. “Mihoon was never about that life. She left when we were 16, don’t forget that. Imagine her still living on Marado with us. Pregnant or already with kids.“

Mihoon shudders and so does Yoongi. Even Hoseok makes a face.

“If there’s one thing Mihoon’s not good at, it’s kids.“, Hoseok mentions and a flashback to the kindergarten scene of Mihoon and Miso having to deal with the kids there is briefly shown.

“That’s our Mihoon. Outlier at heart.“

The family all approves of that and that’s where the cut happens.

Yoongi and Hoseok find themselves in the middle of the village, surrounded by all the people of the island, everyone excitedly talking to them and asking for their attention. Hoseok feels like a rockstar, enjoying every single bit of it while Yoongi wishes to be somewhere else as his face shows all too clearly.

“Look at this!“, Mihoon’s grandma exclaims and holds up a giant lobster. “How about having lunch?“

“OOOOH! A LOBSTER! LET’S CALL IT ALLESANDRO!“

Yoongi and Mihoon both almost trip at hearing Hoseok baptizing their lunch.

“Did you go insane, Hoseok? You can’t name it, we’re going to eat it!“, Yoongi reminds him of the lobster’s fate but Hoseok enjoys himself way too much to care.

The bachelors get to eat the finest of seafood Marado has to offer and Hoseok further indulges in the hospitality of the locals and Mihoon’s family. And while Hoseok is being entertained by Gahoon, her husband and the twins’ grandmother, Mihoon takes the chance to steal Yoongi away from the masses.

Mihoon and the bachelor escape to the main road that is basically close to the water no matter where they go. The contestant every now and then looks pretty annoyed at the cameras but they nevertheless follow the two.

Close to the lighthouse is where Mihoon and Yoongi decide to stay, sitting on the green meadows close to the street, cliffs and rock formations in front of them and like that they sit there. In silence. While Hoseok is having a great time, embraced by Mihoon’s warmhearted family, Mihoon and Yoongi spend the rest of the day looking at the sea. Yoongi doesn’t seem to intend to talk, he just looks bothered by something. Downbeat and maybe even annoyed by what could be interpreted as worries that sneak their way upon his brows and lips and cause them to curl and twitch at times. His female company notices. And at some point, Mihoon not so accidentally places her hand next to Yoongi’s. The only thing causing the skinship between the two are their pinky fingers very slightly touching each other. It’s not holding hands, but Mihoon makes sure their fingers are somewhat connected. They don’t talk about it. They don’t even look at each other. They just sit there, watch the sunset and touch their pinkies.

It’s already completely dark when Mihoon and Yoongi return to Hoseok and the family who have already returned to their houses what, considering of the 40 households living on Marado, can already be counted as neighborhood.

At the sight of the two, the family starts applauding, noticing how Mihoon has a red rose with her.

“Oh, what a pity…“, Mihoon’s mother says, but still smiles, even if with an undertone of sadness. “If Mihoon gets to marry a rich city boy, how are the chances that she’ll ever return to us?“

Love Ryu.

The big, classy letters are prancing over the entrance of the officetel like a sign in Las Vegas. Inside it looks cosy, yet professional, giving off a friendly vibe and to the surprise of the audience the color selection of the interior is not as crazy as Nara’s taste in fashion.

A pretty woman pops up at the screen, hair blonde dyed and perfectly styled, make-up on point, clothed like a typical business woman with a very classy, fashionable finish in form of a lavender colored silk scarf.

“Hello, my name is Sohyun and I am Nara’s partner. And I pretty much took care of Love Ryu all by myself since Nara left for Bachelors’ Paradise.“

For once the bachelors don’t meet the contestant at the destination. Nara already sits sandwiched in between Seokjin and Namjoon in the limousine, super excited, super talkative and of course like a queen throning on her seat with her servants to her left and right.

“Today you’re going to see my baby, my heart.“, she announces and almost outshines her sparkly yellow dress with her smile.

The limousine halts in Apgujeong and the three get quickly to the officetel entrance which is littered with fan letters and matchmaking requests. Nara looks more than proud while she collects some of the colorful letters when a voice from inside can be heard.

“I’m very sorry but we can’t take any requests until the show is over and the CEO returns.“

The person on the phone must have been very persistent as Sohyun’s voice gets more and more desperate. Nara, with Seokjin and Namjoon right by her side, approaches her behind the front desk, grabs the telephone and hangs up with a very content smile on her lips.

“Finally.“, Sohyun says and sighs in relief. “You have no idea how people are running us over.“ The female points at a huge pile of more letters that is neatly arranged on the desk. “I thought you’d like to read them so I kept them all. Every. Single. One. So when you’re back… you surely won’t get bored.“

Nara’s smile grows and grows as she goes through some of the many letters, starting to get overly excited and already turning on her PC to check some of the profiles that could match with the requests in the letters.

“Seriously, I think we have to move, your fans are flocking the officetel, I’ve been living in idol hell and I’m not even an idol!“, Sohyun complains and sits down next to Nara, watching her work. “Plus, we have so many costumer requests, we need a bigger place.“

Seokjin and Namjoon stand in front of the desk, both looking at the two women like attention needy puppies but the females’ eyes are stuck on the screen where Nara is busy going through some profiles until Namjoon coughs.

“OH! I almost forgot you two! Hey, since we’re at it, can you tell me Yoongi’s and Jimin’s birthdates?“

“Why? You want to create dating profiles for them?“, Namjoon wonders and Seokjin next to him chuckles in amusement.

“Why not? They need it, they really do!“, Nara answers.

“Well, rest in peace Yoonhoon.“, Seokjin whispers towards Namjoon and gains a warning glare from Nara straight.

Namjoon ignores Seokjin’s comment and tries to get involved in what is happening in front of them but unfortunately without the bachelors. “Don’t you want to introduce us?“

Nara looks at Sohyun and mouthes an “Oh!“.

“Of course, of course! This is Sohyun, the creative manager and co-founder of Love Ryu.“

“And the person who didn’t allow you to choose colors for the office, otherwise people would run screaming.“, Sohyun adds.

Nara rolls her eyes in disapproval but then gets up and claps her hands. “Do you want to see my baby?“

The contestant shows the bachelors around in the officetel, showing them every nook and cranny of Love Ryu, going into the smallest of details as the fire of passion dances in her eyes. The amount of effort and dedication she’s put into the place is undeniable, even though it’s just a growing business. There’s a little kitchenette, a bedroom upstairs, that Nara and Sohyun share, a consultation room and even a small research lab, which Nara calls her own. The research lab is full of pictures, printed articles, scattered books, and - what a surprise - trash. It’s basically Nara personified, and yes, it is messy as hell.

“You didn’t clean?“, Nara wonders and throws a sideglance over to Sohyun who follows the group the entire time in silence.

“I usually do but I thought you’d feel more at home if I leave it like this.“, the co-founder tells her and shrugs. “Thinking about it… yes, we really need that new place. And separate apartments. I really can’t wait not having to clean after you anymore. Too much cleaning. Way too much cleaning!“

“You forgot the nosiness.“, the matchmaker reminds her and the two women laugh about it happily.

After their tour through Love Ryu, Sohyun gets them some Subway sandwiches for lunch. Nara enjoys every bite of it, being reminded of how life used to be before the fancy Bachelor Mansion happened.

“Oh yeah, four inches has never been so satisfying.“, she almost moans and looks up at the ceiling as if she was thanking god for the heavenly bread.

Namjoon almost chokes on his and starts coughing. “W-What the heck?“

Nara grins at him, even winks and shrugs innocently. “What do you mean?“

“You think that innuendo went unnoticed?“

“It’s your thoughts turning it into an innuendo, isn’t it? So why blaming me?“, Nara takes the game a little further. Namjoon doesn’t look amused, he just forms small slots with his eyes and looks at the female.

“Hey, hey, having the ability to turn any thought into a ual innuendo isn’t a bad thing. It’s a true talent!“ The fashion designer next to Namjoon pats his back. Nara laughs about Seokjin joining forces with her, the other bachelor just gets more frustrated.

“Good thing I speak three languages then: Korean, sarcasm and ual innuendos.“, Nara says.

Seokjin approves once more, finally causing Namjoon to completely loose his appetite.

“You may be a cunning linguist, but I’m a master debater.“

Seokjin wins the round, not only because of his witty answers, but also because he gets to eat Namjoon’s sandwich as well. He comfortably sits on his chair in the consultation room, looking at some of the slogans printed in pretty letters on the wall, while chewing the leftovers of everyone else, Sohyun taking the trash out.

“How does a typical consultation looks like?“, he wonders and Nara is all ears, the passion overflowing from her eyes immediately.

“That’s always up to the client. Everyone is different after all.“, she answers and folds her hands into each other as her red lipstick frames her wide, professional smile.

“How would you consult us?“, Namjoon digs a little further to Nara’s very contentment.

“Since I know you two for a few weeks now… I’d tell you straight what the matter is. That’s how it’d work best for the two of you, I guess.“ Nara tilts her head a littl, thinking further and then nods. “As in Seokjin should stop caring about the co-bachelors and go for the girl he’s interested in.“

The bachelors both frown.

“What about me?“, the rapper wants to know but Seokjin cuts him off in an instant.

“Who should I go for?“

Nara is obviously amused about the interest of the men. She focuses on Seokjin first, however. “Johanna.“

“What?!“ The fashion designer’s mouth drops open, Namjoon being conflicted if he wants to know more about that or his own issue. “You think I’m interested in Johanna?“

“Oh honey…“, Nara sighs, “Very obviously, yes. I think you didn’t notice it yourself yet but the way you look at her, the way you two talk to each other… you’re already into her. A lot, even.“

“I am not.“, Seokjin contradicts and the matchmaker starts to laugh.

“Yes, you are.“

“No, I’m not!“

“You are. You just need to accept the fact. Then the two of you can ride into the sunset together. Just you wait and see. Then one day you’ll thank me and tell me ‚Oh, you were right!‘ You’re a perfect match for each other. It only makes sense if you two’d start dating.“

“But what if I want to be with someone else instead?“

“Then I’d tell you that unfortunately you’re no match.“

Namjoon watches how his co-bachelor grows angrier with every time Nara claims that she’s right and he’s not. He looks uneasy and decides to give it a shot, changing the topic.

“No, really, what about me?“

Seokjin once again cuts him off, getting off his chair as his voice turns mad. “So you say I should go for Johanna? Is that what you say? Then what about Yoongi? You’re still trying to get him with Mihoon? Are you trying to get anyone else together to your liking? I didn’t ask for your consultation, I want to make choices by myself! Don’t matchmake people who don’t ask you for your help! Everyone should go the way they want!“

“But some people just need help!“, Nara argues back, a lot calmer than the bachelor. “Like you. Everyone can see your interest in Johanna. Everyone can see Yoongi’s interest in Mihoon - even though it’s covered by a thick layer of his tsundere - self-guilt *censor tone*. And you’re not the only ones I saw through. Miso looks for someone that she definitely will not find in your show, Yeonhee needs to learn that love and work don’t conflict each other and she needs someone to understand that which I cannot find among you bachelors, either. And-“

“STOP!“

Seokjin throws his fists at the surface of Nara’s table. “Stop it! None of us asked you for your opinion who their perfect match would be! Love isn’t something you can explain by mere objective reasons! Love is to be felt! Not to be thought! And that’s what you, as a matchmaker, should understand, too. So what if I fall in love with someone with no money at all, who needs my help and will be a burden to me at all times even though I’m stressed and all I originally wanted was peace and calm and someone to not put more pressure on my shoulders? What if I’m broke and can’t afford anything but still want to be with that person that has even more baggage than me? Rational thinking would tell me not to open up to that person. But if my heart says yes, then that person is who I choose to be with! And I don’t need a matchmaker to tell me what to do! Never! All you do is analyzing people so the result will be perfect. But I don’t want perfection. I want imperfection. Exciting imperfection. Imperfection I choose myself! Love is paradox! No logic needed! Just feelings! So just stop!“

He doesn’t even let Nara answer to that and rushes outside, almost crashing into Sohyun who perplexedly jumps to the side, almost throwing the cups of tea she has with her to the ground.

Namjoon and Nara remain silent for a moment until the bachelor breaks the ice.

“Nara, why did you join this show?“

“I wanted to make South Korea fertile again.“, she repeats the answer she already told over and over again.

“But what about yourself? Do you even want to fall in love?“

Sohyun backwards moves out of the room again, Nara shrugging at Namjoon’s question.

“I don’t know.“, she answers, “I don’t know. Maybe there’s nobody for me here. Maybe I just ruined everything for myself again. If I can’t help myself, all what is left is helping others. That’s what I do. I help others find love.“

“You’re running away from your own decisions to be made for yourself by focusing on others. That’s what you do. Nothing else. But that’s not the intention of this program. We all just want to fall in love. Our own way. Maybe it’s naive, even stupid. But then let us just fall in love stupidly.“ He leans a little forwards to get closer to Nara, lowering his voice. “There’s something I had to learn while working so hard on my dream, my career. Your career can give you satisfaction and fulfillment because you know that you achieved something and you do what you love. But at the end of the day it doesn’t take away loneliness. It doesn’t. And then you start wondering what you did this all for? For yourself? For others? There’s no one to share this happiness with. You might have friends. But they will fall in love, too. And then? Will you begrudge them? Will you be angry because they left you behind alone?“

Nara listens without answering. She just looks straight at Namjoon, swallowing every of his words.

“You said that Yeonhee has to learn that work and love don’t conflict with each other. You have to learn the same. You put your work before your own love life and that’s not healthy. Just let yourself fall, trust in not only us, but yourself, and try to fall in love instead of wanting others to fall into the love you picked for them. Can you do that? Can you…“

Namjoon inhales slowly to sigh in disbelief about his own words. And yes, he hates himself a little for doing it.

“… Love Ryu-rself?“

Nara quietly starts giggling about his words and even bites her lower lip to keep her earnest in a moment like this. Namjoon reaches his hand out to the staffs and he quickly gets handed a rose.

“This date is shorter than any other. But no matter what your answer will be… I am very positive that you want to spend some time with your work alone as you missed it so dearly. I respect that. And there’s no reason for me to stay longer if your answer is a No.“

The rose in Namjoon’s hands shines in its deep, dark red as Namjoon asks Nara what might turn out as the hardest question ever asked to her.

“I am willing to hand you this rose. I am willing to keep you in the show. But you have to promise me to focus on yourself and stop trying to interfere with others love lives just until the show is over.  I know you miss this all. Your life as a matchmaker. But this is not about others and being selfless. It’s about love. And love is about yourself. Can you do that? Can you think about yourself? Can you for once matchmake yourself?“

Nara looks at the rose, then at Namjoon. She hesitates.

And then…

She reaches out for the rose.

“It’s going to be the hardest two weeks of my life… thank you, Namjoon. That’s on you.“

Namjoon laughs.

“No risk, no fun.“

“Three reasons why this is going to be my day: First, I have a bone to pick with someone. Second, my home is going to win that someone’s heart over all and for once. Third, it’s just my day, okay? Whatever the *censor tone* I do, today I am going all-in!“ Aejin’s determination is stronger than ever and she very sternly glares into the camera.

“Everything perfect?!“, Aejin’s voice rings through her apartment as she runs into the kitchen where her mother is in the midst of cooking. Her father is standing next to her, hands full of plates and glasses, unable to proceed as he just helplessly looks at his daughter, indirectly asking for help. Aejin sighs but rushes over to help him, being very cautious to not touch anything with the dress she’s wearing as it looks very expensive, as super exclusive. From behind, another female moves into the kitchen, the captions informing the audience that it’s Yoon Sera, Aejin’s best friend. “Keep in mind: This could be the day you might meet my future husband!“

“Aejin is really trying hard. She invited her parents over and asked her mother to cook. If the bachelors don’t fall for her mom’s cooking, nothing can make them fall.“, Sera tells the audience during a little interview snippet and smirks casually.

The table soon is completely set and as the door bell rings, Aejin excitedly jumps away from the table, almost crashing into her lost looking father, rushing down the hallway to open the door for the two males. Shortly after that Taehyung and Seokjin are standing in the floor, welcomed by Aejin’s mother and father, then by her friend who approaches Taehyung first, giving him a little slap at the back of his head that confuses him big time. Seokjin notices her little act and immediately starts chuckling, meeting Taehyung’s more than irritated side glances.

After the little welcome, the group is shown sitting together, already done eating but in the midst of a lively conversation as Aejin’s mom cleans up the table, Seokjin lending her a helping hand that is very much flattering her.

“I swear to god, that’s exactly what happened! That’s how I made Bang Aejin apply for Bachelors’ Paradise! She was all drunk, complaining about how she’d die a alone because I started seeing a guy.“, Sera says and laughs while Aejin is dying of embarrassment right next to her.

“She wasn’t the only one thinking she’d die a .“, Aejin’s mother suddenly adds to it and everyone starts laughing, except for Aejin whose face glows more and more in a deep shade of red. “But with the right man, she’ll be married soon and doesn’t need to worry about her job anymore.“ As the older lady talks about it, she glances swiftly at Seokjin and clears . “Seokjin, you’re a fashion designer, right? Why don’t you help our Aejin a little? Any advice for her? Or support you could offer to her?“

Aejin notices how her mother gets closer and closer to him, the bachelor’s eyes growing bigger as she approaches him. “Moooooom! Stoooop iiiiiiit!“, she quickly interferes and drags her away from Seokjin.

Her father watches the two of them disappear into the kitchen, being left with Sera and the two males. He again looks a little lost but tries his best to start a conversation, this time dragging Taehyung into the focus. “What are you doing? Where were you born? What do you think about our Aejin?“

Run over by so many questions, Taehyung blinks at Aejin’s father and then remains silent for a whole moment, making the suddenly appearing awkwardness among the ones still sitting at the table almost unbearable. Everyone stares at the saxophonist before he finally unlocks his lips and gives an answer. “My name is Kim Taehyung, I gain my money with blowing the love of my life passionately, I was born on no other star than this one and I think Aejin is a very fun person.“

With his answer he gains frowns from each side, even Seokjin’s, and the silence returns with no end in sight until Aejin gets back to join the group.

Not long and her parents leave, the awkwardness still lying upon them like a thick blanket but Aejin’s mother smiles brightly, more towards Seokjin than Taehyung, but she does her best to share her friendliness equally.

Once the elders are gone, Aejin and Sera take the bachelors out for a walk, leading them straight to Aejin’s little store that only opens for Bachelors’ Paradise, being closed ever since Aejin joined the show.

“Sorry about my parents…“, Aejin mutters towards Seokjin while Sera tries her best to keep Taehyung from all the clothes, but the guy is already up to no good, piles of clothes collected in his arms, sunglasses on his nose that hide his eyes behind the dark, round glasses and almost slipping off his face.

“You should never apologize about your parents.“, Seokjin tells her and beams shortly before he laughs at Taehyung running around in some colorful pants, a girly hat and a top that pretty much looks as if it’s not made for guys to wear. “But I do apologize for my friend over there.“

Aejin chuckles at the sight of Taehyung and shakes her head. “He’s not gonna win any fashion competition like that.“

Seokjin nods in agreement. “But he calls himself a fashionista.“

“I give up!“, Sera waves the white flag and joins the bachelor and Aejin, throwing her hands up and looking shortly over her shoulder to watch how Taehyung throws away another jacket to exchange it with one more that doesn’t match the colors of his pants. “He’s not listening at all.“ She sighs, crosses her arms and rolls her eyes, then notices how close Seokjin and Aejin stand right next to each other and grins. “So… what were you doing…2Jin?“

“2Jin?“, Seokjin repeats and laughs. “Is that a couple name?“

“It is, Sherlock.“, Sera answers. “Anyway… what does the great fashion guru say about this little, cute store. Any advice you can give to my dear friend?“

Seokjin makes a thoughtful sound, rubs his chin and then nods. “Easy.“, he says and turns around to Aejin. “Your clothes are pretty. But they look like you’re designing them for others, not for yourself. You stick to typical things that are popular these days. That’s okay. But it’s going with the trend. You have to do something else, something special to stand out. It’s not about going with fashion, it’s about making fashion. There’s a big difference. Because one is just sticking to what others create and the other one is giving your designs a soul. Your soul. So don’t go with the trend, be the trend.“

Aejin and Sera listen in awe, however, Aejin looks a little hurt by Seokjin’s words.

“It was great to hear his opinion, really.“, she says while being recorded separately. “But it hurt hearing that my clothes have no soul. That was just…“ She breathes in heavily. “I don’t know.“

The sun already sets and the group moves over to a BBQ restaurant, the smoke of the grill surrounding the guys, Taehyung and Seokjin laughing and pouring drinks while Aejin and Sera enjoy eating the meat cooked by them. On the table at least half a dozen bottles of Soju are taking over and Sera keeps asking to play drinking games.

Taehyung is already pretty drunk, leaning onto Seokjin’s shoulder while flicking one of the Soju bottle’s seal, missing it.

“Do you need help, Taehyung?“, Sera asks and giggles.

“You know… what?“, he responds and points his finger up, his hand moving automatically from the left to the right and back again as if he was walking on a boat on the sea. “I put the pimp into pimple.“

Seokjin, Aejin and Sera immediately burst out laughing, Taehyung not getting what’s so funny as he’s more than serious about his words.

“We should stop with the games.“, Seokjin suggests and Taehyung pouts at him like a toddler whose pudding was taken away.

“Can I still drink?“, Taehyung asks.

“I don’t know if you can.“, the other bachelor responds.

“Let’s do this: I will be the MC, asking each of you a question and you will have to answer honestly. Oh, I like that! Let’s imagine I am Seo Inguk, your favorite Bachelors’ Paradise host!“, Sera suggests cheerfully.

“I don’t know if I want to imagine you being Inguk.“, Aejin comments and raises an eyebrow.

“Ugh, don’t be such a party-pooper! If you don’t want to answer my question, just drink another shot as penalty. Okay?“

The others shrug and that’s when the game starts.

“Aejin, who’s your favorite bachelor at the moment?“

The contestant frowns but then looks shortly at Taehyung and her face turns disgruntled all of a sudden. “It’s Mr. Fashion God over here.“, Aejin answers to the surprise of everyone.

Sera looks taken aback and she needs a second to move over to Seokjin.

“Seokjin, what was your first impression of Aejin?“

Seokjin looks thoughtful. Then a little insecure about his answer. But he still tries to keep being honest. “The first time I really noticed Aejin was… when she did that super awful rap for Namjoon.“, he answers and laughs slightly. “I thought that Aejin would rather go for him than…“ He then looks at Taehyung and silences, Sera grabbing the silence as a hint and moving over to the next bachelor.

“Taehyung, how do you feel about Aejin now?“

Taehyung blinks in silence and speechlessly looks from Sera to Aejin. And then… he grabs his glass and drinks. Awkwardness once again lays upon the group and Seokjin tries his best to brighten up the mood.

“Oh well, it’s late.“, he says and stretches a little, before he yawns. “We should probably head back, tomorrow is another stressful day, I guess.“ He forces a soft smile on his lips, the weary eyes looking for something. “I think it’s about time, soooo… Aejin, it’s been a fun day with you today. I think I am speaking for the both of us, asking you… if you will accept this rose?“

As he holds up the red rose, Aejin looks at Taehyung, snorts and grabs it.

“Thanks.“, she says, sounding angry. “Just let me say I am taking this rose because of you and not because of him.“

Taehyung avoids direct eye-contact and awkwardly looks for his jacket, already getting up. Seokjin looks at Aejin, eyes drenched with unspoken apologies. But Aejin doesn’t see it. She just sees how Taehyung avoids the whole ordeal.

The very last homecoming has a huge surprise waiting for certain two bachelors who are sitting in the car and are informed about that the last contestant is someone very special who is returning from the eliminated ones. Jimin almost climbs through the car towards the camera.

“Wait! Is it Juna?! Please, tell me that it’s Juna!“

The car stops and Jimin rushes outside, Jungkook slowly and very cautiously following him. The house they’re visiting is located in Mokpo, Jeolla. It’s a peaceful looking outer area of the city, a one-story house, styled in the traditional Korean way but modernized with the popular, modern features, waiting for them. The bachelors don’t even need to ring the bell to already hear a very loud, ear-piercing scream booming inside of the house. And then the door opens and all that Jungkook is able to bring out is a very devastated “Oh, hell, no!“.

Jiwoo jumps past Jimin and runs straight towards Jungkook who attempts to set a step back, ready to turn and run but Jiwoo’s too quick, already pressing her whole weight against the singer as if they’re one. She climbs up the singer’s body, holding onto him like a Koala baby.

“OPPAAAAAAA!“

The bachelors very soon can be found in the living room of the house, Jiwoo tugging tightly to Jungkook, Jimin right next to them and Jiwoo’s parents sitting right in front of the three, smiling friendly at the two men and their daughter, sandwiched between them.

“Nice…house…“, Jungkook tries to start a conversation in that very awkward situation with Jiwoo rubbing her face on his arm like a cat that is needy for some rubs.

“My parents bought it back in 1948, right after the war when prices were dirt poor.“, Jiwoo’s father explains and the situation just gets more awkward. Her mother soon comes to help.

“What he wanted to say is that it’s pretty old but we renovated everything quite well. Only the basement is left from the original house. It has been locked for the past ten years, but should look alright still, I guess.“ The female smiles friendly and urges the bachelors to eat more of her apple-stuffed hotteok, she introduces as the best of the region, awarded by the Mokpo housewives association. Jimin stuffs his mouth with them, Jiwoo’s mother going on talking. “Too bad Jiwoo’s brother is still serving in military, it would have been great to have him getting to know you two.“

All in all the little family seems very ordinary, very friendly and a little bit dull considering their seemingly non-existent notion of Jiwoo’s obsession over Jungkook. At least it pretty much looks like that until Jiwoo’s father drops a bomb nobody ever expected.

“I see you two want to be with our lovely Jiwoo. Have you considered what to do after the show? She’s just 20-years old, she’s still attending university. What are you going to do about it?“, he wants to know and Jimin seems very much at a loss while Jungkook eyes a panicking Jiwoo.

“20?“, the bachelor asks and frowns. “…when were you born exactly, Jiwoo?“

Her father again chimes in, spilling all the secrets that the girl had tried so hard to hide. “What are you talking about? Shouldn’t you know her birthday when you want to be with her? Jiwoo’s born January 19 in 1997.“

Right next to Jungkook Jimin breaks out laughing out loud. The amusement can’t be shared and Jungkook further frowns as he eyes the contestant. “You’re older than me… why are you calling me oppa then?“

“B-But OPPAAAAAAA!“, Jiwoo whines as the bachelor roughly frees his arm from her. “Oppa, I just… I just…OPPAAAAA!“

The whining goes on but Jungkook mercilessly distances himself from Jiwoo in an instant even though her parents are right there, watching. Jiwoo grows angry and she lets it out on the person responsible for the mess.

“DADDYYYYYYYYYYYYY!“, she screams.

“I wonder who she’s gonna call daddy next.“, Jimin comments entertained and nudges Jungkook who is still not amused.


The day passes and obviously, Jungkook can’t wait to finally leave again. “Honestly, I really just wanted to leave. And when I thought it’s all over… things just got worse.“, he reveals during his interview and his whole face turns gloomy.

Jimin and Jungkook are literally on their way out, Jiwoo’s parents talking about Mokpo with Jimin when Jiwoo strikes back and pulls Jungkook away as he’s walking in the back with her. Nobody notices when they disappear. Jungkook is about to call for help but Jiwoo presses a cookie into his mouth so he’s silenced for at least a moment. The only moment she needs to drag him towards the basement. The basement. The freaking basement she opens with a super old looking key and the panic in Jungkook’s eyes gets real as he tries to spit out the cookie again.

The cameras follow the two downstairs, were low chants are to be heard and it’s foreboding exactly what the viewers expect. A picture straight out of a cult. Pictures of Jungkook everywhere - on the walls, on the ceiling. The floor is covered with a huge Jungkook carpet and Jiwoo hisses at the camera staffs the moment they are about to step on it.

“Step on the outer corner! Nobody’s allowed to step on Jungkook’s perfect face!“, she hisses and the camera guy slowly and cautiously follows the two, Jungkook every now and then throwing a help-searching glance over his shoulder, his eyes practically screaming that he wants to be rescued. There is every piece of Jungkook merchandise BigHit ever produced in the basement, and in the background the chants one could hear when they opened the door to the basement can finally be recognized as Jungkook’s voice from sequences edited from his interviews. The center of the basement is occupied by a huge shrine, illuminated with Jungkook lightsticks, with tons of flowers surrounding the podium. On the podium there’s a framed picture of Jungkook, and in front of it a plate of cookies is positioned as offering. Words like “And ye shall take no bias wrecker” and “Thou shalt have no other bias before Jungkook” are plastering the walls around the shrine.

“Holy *censor tone*“, the camera guy can’t hold back and Jungkook throws an upset glance at him for not helping him out when there still was a chance to run.

Jiwoo stops and looks up at the shrine, her eyes glistening in the dimm lights of the basement. “Isn’t it beautiful?“, she asks. “Should we speak some prayers?“, she asks and smiles at Jungkook who from minute to minute looks more and more distraught.

“Jungkook? Jiwoo?“

Jimin’s voice rings from up the stairs and as his steps echo down the stairs, Jungkook can’t help but free himself once again from Jiwoo who is a tad too distracted and loosened her grip around his arm when Jimin called.

“*censor tone* What on earth is this?!“, Jimin says as he enters the basement and sees the creepy interior. “Is this Kookvana?“ He laughs shortly and then notices the shrine that causes him to laugh out loud again. “Oh my god, are you serious?!“ In contrast to frightened Jungkook, Jimin seems as if he just found a hidden treasure in a cave. One that promises him to get super rich. And he hasn’t enough yet. “What’s in there? Even more merch?“, he asks and walks straight to the closets. In the dark corners of the basement, they stand. Looming and foreboding.

“Don’t!“, Jiwoo screams but it’s too late and the closets are open, revealing a bunch of merchandise. But not Jungkook merch. GOT7. EXO. BLOCK B. Tons and tons and tons of merchandise, stuffed away from prying eyes.

“I’M A SINNER!“

Jiwoo collapses on the floor, starting to sob, then crawls over the floor to the closets where she grabs one of the Exo albums. “I’M SO SORRY! I COULDN’T THROW THEM OUT! But… but I have to focus. Focus on Jungkook. DESTROY THE BIAS WRECKERS! But not Baekhyun. Baekhyun and his shining abs…“

While Jiwoo is having her breakdown, Jimin scurries away and leaves awkward Jungkook behind with the crying girl. For a few minutes the singer speechlessly watches the girl rolling around on the floor, hugging her EXO album tightly. Then Jimin shows up again. And he has a rose with him.

“WHAT?! Are you serious?!“, Jungkook exclaims and Jimin only laughs.

“Hey, look at her! She’s a girl in need! In need of a rose! So who am I to not hand her one. We have one left anyway.“

Jungkook wants to stop Jimin from handing Jiwoo the last rose. But she gets one. And that’s how the last homecoming ends.
 

A last time the camera pans back to the city that was shown first and the viewers finally get to see what happened to Miso after the boys went to her grandma’s workplace with her.

It’s the three of them that walk together through the enlightened streets, only their shoes scratching on the ground to be heard. Jungkook walks in the middle, hands safely placed in his pants’ pockets, yet his eyes are directed towards the night sky that hides the stars behind a thick layer of smog. Jimin just stares at the ground, trying his best not to look as if he has anything to do with what is bound to happen.

“Miso…“, Jungkook starts and the young woman next to him looks up to him. Jungkook stops and so does Jimin. “You know that we have to decide who we keep in the show and who we bid farewell.“

Miso nods understandingly. She looks nervous, even biting her lower lip.

“The last thing I want to happen is to be eliminated. I think the bond between Jungkook and me is special. I can’t imagine he doesn’t feel it, too.“, her interview is shortly shown before a close-up of Jungkook replaces it, his earnest look shown as he speaks to the contestant.

“I thought about this very thoroughly. I don’t know if I can be with someone whose family opposes to me that strongly. It might just be your brother. But it’s family. And blood is thicker than water. If we date, we might break up one day and then I’m gone. Your brother will never be gone. Or at least you shouldn’t loose him, neither risk that relationship.“ He inhales and it feels like hours. “Miso, I don’t have a rose for you today.“

 

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