BEhind the scenes #9

Final Decisions.

“No meeting with the contestants out of the reach of the camera staffs - you got us?“

The staffs were reminding them of that so often, Ken rolled his eyes hearing them repeating themselves for the 20th time. He wasn’t here for them. He was here for his friend.

“…as long as we’re offering lots of scandal potential, we’re good enough for them, eh?“, Cipher commented and chuckled, turning around to Hugo, Ken and Bogeum. “I thought Yoongi’s in charge of this show. Why do we have to even pull up with all of this…?“

“Someone thirsting for the attention of a certain contestant?“, Bogeum asked and Cipher snorted, yet rather in an amused way.

“A woman like Nara deserves attention, my friend.“

Cipher was about to start listing all the things that made Nara admirable to him, but Ken was faster in starting a completely new topic that got everyone’s attention within seconds.

“Did anyone of you notice how Seokjin and Yoongi act together?“

Bogeum frowned as Hugo raised his eyebrows and Cipher annoyedly grimaced, offended by how he was not allowed to finish because of an issue like that.

“What do you mean?“, Bogeum asked.

“They used to be so close. Seokjin used to be Yoongi’s advisor in almost everything and he also was the only one who managed to make Yoongi hold most of his salt and savagery back. Not even Namjoon managed to.“

The moment Ken informed the others about what he had noticed, they all fell into silence, thinking intensely about the weird situation between Yoongi and Seokjin.

“Do you think jealousy is the reason?“, Bogeum wondered.

Cipher snorted. “Pfffft, why would it? Yoongi has Mihoon, why would he long for someone else then?“

“Johanna.“, was all that Ken had to say about it.

Cipher snorted again. “Do you even know what you just said? Compare a woman like Mihoon to a woman like Johanna.“

Behind the face mask, Hug’s lips moved while his eyes formed crescends. “Mihoon’s a strong cup of black coffee in a world that is drunk on the cheap wine of shallow love.“, he said, leaving the others in wonder if it was a pro or con comment for Mihoon.

Something in Bogeum’s suddenly blinked up. “Oh, then Johanna is like Espresso? Like in it can change from what you add to it?“

Hugo kept on smiling and patted the man’s shoulder. “Almost.“

“…hey, are we still talking about this issue even? I’m seriously worried!“, Ken tried to get back.

“Whatever must be, will be.“, was everything he got as a response coming from Hugo.
 

Everyone hated him. There were maybe one or two exceptions, but the general opinion was: Jimin was an . And Jimin knew that the others couldn’t share a really big liking for him. Good thing he never cared anyway. To Jimin this show had a very special purpose. And he was willing to go all the way to fulfill his ultimate goal. No matter what it would cost him.

“Jungkook?“

It was already the last week and Jimin knew that if he wanted to get Jungkook’s burned at least for a few more times, he’d have to be quick in driving every possible chance into escalation. What was helping more than a crazy fangirl then? Call it luck or fate (Jimin did after all), but Jiwoo was a present of God in any way. A higher might was smiling upon Jimin and he was willing to milk the luck he was offered until the source of it was completely drained.

“Jungkook?“, he repeated, cautious not to be heard by the remaining girls while he was wandering the floors of the mansion.

Since it was the last week and their friends were around, the bachelors weren’t supposed to meet up with the girls as often as before. The producers in charge had briefed them priorly to stay the f out of the girls’ businesses. Not all of the bachelors obeyed, of course. But they had to be careful not to get caught. Thinking of that, Jimin sighed at the thought of Yoongi’s incapacity to
maintain what was his. It wasn’t the first time that Yoongi failed in it. Especially Jimin was one being able to sing a song about it. But it was filling him still with enough satisfaction to watch him loose control over everything in his life. But the satisfaction wasn’t enough yet. He needed some of the others to suffer, too.

The door in which Jimin had camped for a while finally opened a little and through the small slit, where the light was gushing through to enlighten the dark corridor, Jungkook’s stern eyes were pointed at Jimin.

“Can’t you finally back off? I don't want to talk to you!“, he hissed.

“Ooooh… don’t be like that, boo.“, Jimin’s voice tweeted through the thin air like a little bird trying to beguile that nice looking lady bird sitting on the colorful branch of the neighboring tree. His hand slipped through the door slit and pressed it open. Jungkook sighed unwillingly as he watched him pass.

“What do you want now?“, he asked.

“You know what I want.“, Jimin answered and walked over to Jungkook’s bed to let himself fall into the soft sheets. “So why are you still asking?“ A smug smile graced his lips as his hands was moving in circles on the white blanket.

“Yeah, I know what you want. I just don’t know what you’re going to do next to get it.“

“Then your answer should have been ‚What are you planning, Jimin? Can you let me know, Jimin?‘ ‚Please stop, Jimin.‘ “, the smaller guy said.

“’Please stop, Jimin’ is something you could tattoo on my face. It has become my personal slogan. Cut that out of your list.“, Jungkook corrected him and sat down on his armchair in the corner of the room. “I have to admit, I was hoping you’d focus on Yoongi when we joined this. But for some reason… you redirected all your anger at me.“

“Oh, I am surprised, too! But you’re a lot more fun, Kookie.“, Jimin said and laughed.

“So this is… for fun?“, the youngest of the bachelors wanted to know. “And you’re using Jiwoo for that? You know that she’s also a human being who deserves some respect.“

“Says the one who banged his own sasaeng fan.“

Jimin remained completely unimpressed, staring at his fingernails. Jungkook in contrast had his mouth dropping open, as he heard the other man mentioning his mistake of the past.

“Are you doing that often? Getting your fans into your room to have some fun, Kookie?“

“That was… that was…“

“A mistake? Sure.“ Jimin finally got up from the bed again and moved over to where his bachelor mate was sitting. “You did so many mistakes, my friend. It’s time they haunt you… don’t you think?“
 

Jiwoo had missed her oppa so much. When she was eliminated, she felt betrayed. Jeon Jungkook was hers. She had given him everything. It was only fair if he gave her the same. And she'd get it no matter what. She’d get that delicious cookie.

In the shadows she was waiting for him. The door to his room was sealed, but Jiwoo was ready to strike. Like a hungry lioness she was waiting for her prey.

So many girls had left, but she was still here … with some… interruptions. But she was still here when people like Bunbun and Miso had to leave. It was her time to shine. Outshine everyone else and then sail into the sunset with her Oppa, all nice and neatly shackled and gagged next to her. She’d do it out of love, of course. Don’t get her wrong.

As the light coming from her beloved one’s room was suddenly flooding the corridor, Jiwoo flinched back, afraid she’d get captured by whoever dared to bother her destined one.

Cautiously she sneaked around the corner again to watch Jimin tresspass Jungkook’s room. She didn’t like it. Nobody was allowed to enter Jungkook’s room. The last time she watched someone entering Jungkook’s room, things that shall not be named again happened. It didn’t make a difference to Jiwoo that it was Jimin who dared to be the one. Yet… pictures were flashing up in her mind. Pictures of a wet Jimin, only wearing swimming trunks. And then Jungkook popped up. Just like God created him.

Jiwoo started to get goose bumps and she couldn't help but flush.

She didn't know how long both of the guys took together but when Jimin left the room, he looked extremely content. Jiwoo knew how it felt to leave Jungkook's room and she also knew how Bunbun looked when she left.

THIS MEANT WAR.

As she was following Jimin to his room, the bachelor was happily whistling, his hands placed in his pockets, before he reached his room and disappeared into it without noticing the girl behind him just once.

In front of his door, Jiwoo was waiting. Waiting and thinking. Thinking of ways how to eliminate Jimin. The anger squeezing her was strong enough to turn her into Hulk. When she finally came up with the idea to just jump and strangle Jimin, she knocked. Ready to scratch his eyes out and spit on his dead body before preparing a dance, she could perform on his grave, she waited for Jimin to open the door. And when he did…

… he was only having a towel wrapped around his hips.

Jiwoo gulped as she watched those damned water drops rolling down his stomach.

“How can I help you?“, Jimin asked with a charming smile on his lips.

NOOOOO!

The girl had forgotten both, everything she wanted to say and do and that she was even angry. She just stood there, frozen on the spot with her jar dropping more and more, the longer she was watching water rolling down Jimin’s body.

Jimin chuckled and then tilted his head, wet streaks of hair moving into his face.

“You want to come in?“

Inside of Jiwoo’s head she heard a far away “OPPAAAAAAAA!“ but in front of her, Jimin’s body worked it’s magic on her, nevertheless. It was playing a strange melody, like a flute that made her want to follow the song. It promised her that it’d be sweet no matter how dangerous the situation looked. Jimin was here to save her. To ruin her.

Jimin was her Pied Piper.

It felt so bad. But bad was good. Was this how Eve felt when she tasted the apple? Was this paradise? Or was it where her paradise would break?
 

Aejin was SO pissed.

Taehyung was constantly forcing distance between them. Aejin didn’t give a single damn about the rules that the staffs had told them about. She knew better that nobody really cared for them. Nobody except for Taehyung, as it seemed. How else could they explain to her why Hoseok and Yumi were sneaking out every other night, romantically watching the stars.

EGH.

The love cell in Aejin was rebelling. It was yelling loud and clear, telling her to push the couple off the balcony. But then again she found herself watching them all dreamily, envying the merry twosomeness they were together. With Yumi’s daughter they’d be the perfect, little family. And then again the anger was back, telling Aejin to not envy them because if Hoseok wasn’t a hidden card, the two wouldn’t last just one more day.

“Sorry Aejin, we’re not allowed to spend time together now.“, Aejin aped Taehyung’s prior excuse to disappear in his room all alone. She could have went with him! If he just let her. They could have been HoMi 2.0. TaeJin would have been beautiful. And the Jin was surely not Seokjin.

“You want to come in?“

Aejin’s head went up from the floor when she suddenly heard Jimin’s voice and quickly she hid behind the next corner. Wow. Why was she even hiding? It was not as if she wasn’t supposed to hear what anyone was saying in the mansion. This was a free place, nobody would judge her. Yet, she felt as if she was about to witness something she wasn’t supposed to.

In fact, Jiwoo was the one Jimin was talking to. Hah! Look at the irony when the one spying on others was suddenly the one being spied on. But what on earth was she doing with Jimin and why was he inviting her over into his room? This wasn’t boding something good and when Aejin dared to lean a little bit more out of the corner and noticed that Jimin was topless, she quickly moved back into her hideout.  And when she did, she noticed that she wasn’t the only one who’d know about this little secret between Jiwoo and Jimin.

Nara and Mihoon both were walking up the floor where Aejin was hiding and Aejin quickly hectically moved her hands to tell them to keep quiet and not to move any further, fearing that they all would get caught and end up in a very uncomfortable, embarrassing situation.

“What’s wrong?“, Nara asked and raised an eyebrow before her curiosity won over her and she ended up in the same position as Aejin a few moments ago. Mihoon next to her wasn’t anything close to the behavior of the two other women but she didn’t intervene, either, letting Nara be as curious as she could be. “Oh!“, Nara voiced out in a delicate whisper full of euphoria. “This is interesting!“

“Interesting?“, Aejin questioned her sanity. “You’re watching the Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hide girl entering Jimin’s room and you find that interesting?“

Granted. Now that she had said it herself and got a full grab of what she was saying, she couldn’t deny that it indeed had some entertainment value.

“You mean Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. .“, Mihoon added when the sound of the door closing signalized them that they could enter the area again. Both Jimin and Jiwoo had disappeared.

That was when not only Nara, but also Aejin ended up chuckling.
 

If there ever was a time to regret life decisions, the time had come for JoKwon right now. Jiwoo was such a creep, the way she inspected him, the way her lips curled up and then started this uncanny giggling. It almost felt as if Jungkook had tricked him into some weird- horror movie. The more time he spent with Jiwoo, the more he judged Jimin for bringing her back. And the reason wasn’t that Jiwoo was clinging onto his arm like a bug. This challenge was such a pain in the . Who came up with this ?

“Hey little girl, could you just leave my arm alone for a single second?“, he tried very politely.

He could hear the camera staffs laugh behind the cameras. Everyone knew that something was really wrong with this girl and they wer totally about to use this to entertain the nation. JoKwon didn’t know who he felt more sorry for. This girl or himself.

One thing was for sure, though. He would not lead her to Jungkook. No way in hell, he’d do it. Jungkook was his friend after all. He didn't plan on ruining the boy’s life with this girls. Sasaengs were creepy. Even when they were not yours… and clinging onto your arm.

“When will you take me to my Oppa?“, Jiwoo asked and something about her calling Jungkook Oppa just felt wrong.

“Oh honey, I don’t know if someone ever told you, but you know… you and Jungkook… you don't have the chemistry you need to be lovers.“, JoKwon dared to bring it straight to the point.

Jiwoo just laughed. “Oh, stop kidding me!“, she said. “Oppa and I are madly in love!“

Madly. How fitting.

“No, honey, you’re not.“, he contradicted and her expression instantly darkened

The girl’s face lightened again and that weird smile appeared on it again. “So you're not taking me to my oppa?“, she asked.

JoKwon shook his head and Jiwoo started mumbling something that sounded a lot like “Okay, then I will make Piper-Oppa crush you.“ which gave him the creeps.

For a brief moment there was silence as the two walked further and Jiwoo finally let go of JoKwon’s arm. Maybe she gave up on it? He really hoped so. But then he noticed how she was holding something in her hands that looked a lot like his phone.

“You know this?“, she asked.

“What…? How? You little thief!“, JoKwon bursted out in anger when he confirmed that it really was his phone by checking his pockets. “Give it back!“

“Only if you take me to Oppa!"

“No!“

“What?!“

This was enough. There was no need in being friendly or polite anymore. This freak wanted to fight with him? Fine!

The camera staffs were recording how JoKwon was chasing after Jiwoo, multiple spectators filming how he was yelling at the girl and the staffs.

“DON'T YOU DARE AIR THIS ANYWHERE! I’LL SUE YOU!“
 

As Johanna and Seokjin were sitting together during Johanna’s fairly won dinner, the camera staffs and even the producers around them didn’t look very happy with them. Probably because they were… how to say it? Oh. Boring.

Seokjin’s lips curled up every now and then, when he noticed another one of them sighing as all that he and the contestant were doing was talking. It was a nice talk. They were talking about God and the world, laughed together, discussed about different stuff. But it wasn’t worthy being aired on TV as it seemed. There was no gossiping, nothing scandalous, not even the slightest hint of extraordinary cheesiness that could have had the nation swooning over them. They were two adults, enjoying the evening together. That was it.

If he had wanted, he could have delivered a show for everyone. He could have set new standards with Johanna tonight. But he didn’t want anything of this aired, whatsoever. Love to him was sacred. Love had a meaning to him. And love was private. Private as it should be. So, it wasn’t a big surprise that when Johanna and Seokjin went back to the mansion, the staff finally gave up and disappointed comments were dropped here and then.

“We did disappoint.“, Johanna mentioned, yet didn’t look as if it was bothering her.

“So that’s a bad thing?“, Seokjin asked playfully.

“No, I had fun tonight. It was nice talking to you about normal stuff like normal beings. For once I forgot that there were cameras around… well at least to the extent possible…“, the young woman said.

“You mean unless people were shoving cameras into your face?“

They both laughed about it as they were walking inside. The staffs behind them were contemplating if they should still follow them but as one of them made a face at the thought of listening to those two boring people longer, they all let them leave in peace.

Seokjin was innertly patting his own back. He hadn’t been trained in acting all those years before he redirected his life towards fashion for nothing. It felt good to know that he still was able to pull some manipulation tricks as before and so a satisfied smile was spreading on his face.

The two came to a halt when the floor parted. One part directing to the contestants’ rooms. One to the bachelor area. Silently they were looking at each other, waiting for each other to say something first.

“Uhm…“, Seokjin decided to make the awkward silence stop. “Let me accompany you to your room.“, he offered.

“Won’t the others notice then?“, Johanna asked.

“They already know you won the date today. Can’t hurt to bring you to your room, then.“

He knew he was right and so did Johanna. She didn’t argue further and they walked a little longer next to each other  when they suddenly heard someone rashly walking up and down the floor, rambling muttered words to himself.

Again they stopped, Seokjin holding Johanna back from approaching the person that was walking up and down in front of her door like an imprisoned lion. Yoongi was grumbling unintelligible words to himself, every now and then Seokjin picked up some words that sounded a lot like the bachelor reprimanding himself for stalking Johanna’s room like a creep. Yeah. This wasn’t really Yoongi’s style.

“Shouldn’t we…?“, Johanna breathed quietly.

Seokjin just shook his head, waiting for what his friend would do next. The producer was mooching up and down a few more time before he grumbled something like “Stupid idea…. embarrassing…“ and was gone.

“What was that?“, the girl asked.

Seokjin shrugged. “Forget about that…“, he told her. “He’s probably nervous since the final is up soon. Anyway… I should get going, too.“

Johanna blinked at him shortly, but then nodded and let him go his ways.

Back in his room, Seokjin let himself fall into his bed and starred at the ceiling. It would be over soon. They wouldn’t spend time together under the same roof anymore. None of them. He wouldn’t see the contestants anymore, neither would he see the other bachelors too often. Jungkook would leave for good. And -

Knock. Knock.

Seokjin looked up as the door opened without him even granting the person permission to enter. Hoseok was peeking inside, giving the designer puppy eyes that were begging him for the allowance to join him on the bed. Seokjin chuckled, shook his head and patted a spot next to him on the bed. A big grin covered the dance instructor’s face and he rushed over to jump next to the older guy.’

“What’s the matter?“, Seokjin asked.

“I have a request to you.“, Hoseok came straight to the point and the grin once again mixed with the puppy eyes.

“What request?“

“So…“, Hoseok started and stretched, “… you know there are some persons in the mansion that don’t have pretty dresses with them… because they don’t own one.“

Seokjin knew straight who he was referring to. Yumi always was wearing the exact same dress. A dress that didn’t even fit her. It was a little too large, probably something that her friends handed her, so she wouldn’t show up completely unfitting to the rose ceremonies.

“You want me to make one for Yumi, right?“, he asked.

Hoseok looked completely baffled, mouth gaping open as he tried to pretend it wasn’t. Seokjin laughed about it and patted his head.

“I’ll do it. Don’t worry.“

“I want to pay you for this!“, Hoseok told him eagerly and started looking for something in his pockets.

“You don’t need to pay me, Hoseok, we’re friends after all.“

“No!“, he argued and then finally found what he was looking for. In the very next moment, crumpled 50.000 Won notes were raining from his pants. “I want it to be a gift, so I will pay for it! How much are your dresses? Those are all of my personal savings! Use it!“

Seokjin wanted to tell him to take his money back but Hoseok jumped up from the bed and raised his pointing finger.

“Just take it!“, he whispered and then rushed outside again.

Crazy boy. He had always been like this. But actually, that gesture… was very nice of him. Seokjin started collecting the money to notice that it still wasn’t enough to actually pay just a single dress that Seokjin would sell… but… that he’d keep as his very own secret.

A dress for Yumi it should be.

There was another woman that Seokjin could think of being in need of a very unique dress especially tailored for her.

 

Loud yelling was to be heard coming from the front door. Aejin was angrily throwing her suitcase into the car as Taehyung was trying to talk to her.

“YOU BLINDSIDED ME!“, she brawled.

“I’m sorry.“, Taehyung responded.

“I thought I was the Harley Quinn to your Joker! I thought we were soulmates!“ Aejin was crying so much, her face had become all puffy and bloated. Her make-up was completely messed and her hair was wildly flying around as she walked up and down in front of the car, throwing her arms up in the air while Taehyung was walking behind her, apologizing after each sentence she blamed him with.

“Why?!“, she wanted to know. “WHY?!“ The girl stopped and forced Taehyung to face her as she hammered her pointing finger against his chest.

“It’s just… I like you. But I don't love you.“

“BULLCRAP!“

The walking went on.

From the inside the other contestants were watching the scenery and even Bogeum and Jimin were watching.

“I really thought that we could work out together! You made me feel like a lovable woman again! You made me feel a connection again!“, she told him as she was sobbing and sniffling. “BUT YOU BLINDSIDED ME!“

Bogeum next to the girls sighed. "I told him not to do this. I told him not to join this show…“, he muttered and some of the girls looked a little confused at him saying something like that.

“Aejin, please listen to me-!“

SLAP.

Taehyung had tried to grab Aejin’s hand to stop her from walking away from him but the moment his hand touched hers, she turned around and slapped him into his face.

Inside an “OOOOOOOOH!“ was making it’s round and Jimin was cackling in a corner.

“Stop it, Taehyung! We’re done. Good bye!“

With a last angry stare at the bachelor, Aejin jumped into the car and disappeared, leaving an afflicted Taehyung behind.
 

The rose in her hands felt somewhat weird.

Yeonhee kept it in them like a little bird she tried to keep alive when her fingers were threatening to smash it. It felt so fragile, just as the feeling that was tingling around her heart. After the chat with Cipher the woman was sure she’d have to go home. Secretly, she had bid all her hopes of love farewell, yet she was still here. But… why?

The evening had already painted the sky in a dark shade of blue when Yeonhee walked up to that balcony where she had spent that one meaningful night right next to Namjoon, talking about love and life. And there he was again, his back pointing at her as he was looking up to the sky, following the many stars with his eyes as they were raining silver showers across the endlessness of the universe.

“Is it okay… if I join you for a bit?“, Yeonhee asked, still wearing that dress from the rose ceremony. Namjoon too was wearing his suit, the past elimination freshly sticking on them like heavy glue.

He nodded and so they kept standing next to each other examining the sky. From further away people could have mistaken them as some students that spent the prom night together at a balcony, having a moment. But Yeonhee knew it was different. Because the feeling in her stomach weren’t butterflies that tried to push her to confess. It were worries.

“Namjoon… why did you give me this?“, she finally asked and held the rose up, pointing it at the bachelor, almost as if she was blaming him for it.

“What do you mean?“, he asked with raised eyebrows.

“Cipher didn’t like me at all but you keep me here. Why?“

Her eyes lay stern on the silhouette of Namjoon, that she saw in front of her in the darkness, covered by the embrace of starlight.

“You think I’d make my decision based on Cipher’s opinion?“, Namjoon’s voice was tingling through the fresh air, an amused undertone dancing along.

“Isn’t that the reason you invited all of your friends?“, Yeonhee wondered.

“Kinda.“, the man answered. “Some of us really trust in what their best friends have to say about you girls. But… some of us trust in their own decisions. I know Cipher wasn’t fond of the idea that you stay longer in this mansion. He told me you’re not ready to dedicate yourself to a relationship. That’s the whole deal of a relationship. It’s about happiness. But also about compromise and sacrifice. You can’t expect a relationship to give you everything you want and need without giving something back. Most of the time you don’t even get what you desire, but instead have to find the golden middle between what you and your partner want. I wonder if you can open up for that. If this show can pave you the way to getting ready for a relationship. That, Yeonhee, is the reason why I want you to stay a little longer.“

Yeonhee blinked as she tried to see how Namjoon’s face looked like. Was he smiling? Was he making a serious face? Or did he even look sad while saying that? She couldn't tell. And she didn’t trust in how she perceived his voice as his words warmed her heart and the dizziness started to spread in her head. Sometimes she wished the wisdom of this man could rain on her mind forever.

“Huh… you’d make a really good couples therapist, you know that?“, Yeonhee mentioned and caused Namjoon to laugh.

“I rather leave that job to Nara.“, he said and then the both of them fell silent again.

Under the sparkling stars, Yeonhee wished she could stand right next to Namjoon until the very last light on the sky was swallowed by the warmth of dawn.
 

The camera equipment was fully installed around the final contestants and Johanna was blinking irritatedly into one of the flashing lights directed straight at her face.

“C-could you…?“, she asked while raising her hand. The staffs were muttering something, then the light was slightly dimmed. It wasn’t very comfortable, still. But better. So Johanna decided not to complain further.

It was a weird feeling. This would probably be the last time they would record a scene in the mansion. Soon this all would be over. Soon they would be standing on that stage in front of so many people. Yes. Stage. Big stage.

“Did you all understand what I said? The final episode will be recorded in our studio, in front of the audience. You will get a big stage, the rest you will see once the time comes.“, the PD explained while the mask staff was getting Inguk ready. He looked exhausted, somewhat waxy. But when he noticed Johanna eyeing him worriedly, he gave her a short smile.

Yeonhee was nervously looking from camera to camera while Nara struck one pose after another, enjoying standing in the spotlight like that for a last time. Mihoon just struck… another Mihoon worthy pose, the cynic stare that weighed heavy on her eyebrows, as her arms were as crossed as her legs. Yumi just seemed irritated at how Jiwoo was starting to tell her about her family planning but without dropping the name Jungkook for just a single time.

“You’re ready?“, Johanna heard the PD say when Inguk took position and the next thing happening was Inguk welcoming the audience on screen like a priest reciting his prayers. It was mesmerizing, every time he did that. And when he suddenly turned around to the women sitting on the couches in the living room, she felt like being struck by a truck.

“Ladies, are you ready to make a decision for the very last time? At the end of this floor… there’s a room in which you’ll find a single card for each of you. Until tomorrow night you have to write down the name of the bachelor you wish to be with. Choose wisely. Because this decision can’t be undone and you can only write a single name on it.“

Johanna gulped. Yes. Of course. She could only choose one man. It wasn’t like South Korea was a country where polygamy was welcomed, neither was she a person of polygamy. But decisions were so hard to make. And as Inguk had stated it earlier… it was a decision she wouldn’t be able to undo.

Of course these worries weren’t plaguing all of the contestants. The very next day, Yeonhee was already informing the others about her having handed in her decision card early in the morning, just to get to know that Mihoon had handed in hers straight after Inguk had made the announcement. Jiwoo, to the surprise of everyone, took a little longer, but she was the third to stroll through the house all relaxed after the other two women. Nara and Yumi remained more anxious, sitting together with Johanna, Mihoon and Yeonhee in the living room.

Nara was busy with one of her favorite things to do: lists. In front of her two long lists were covering the floor, multiple things on it being struck out in read and painted over in green again. It was a colorful disaster happening on the paper. Johanna even wondered how the chaos on those lists must have looked inside of Nara’s head. What she couldn’t understand all too well though was how Yumi was still a bundle of anxiety when she could have already handed in her card. Everyone knew she’d pick Hoseok. But she still didn’t.

“Is there a reason you don’t want to hand in Hoseok’s name?“, Yeonhee dared to ask the question that everyone was burning to ask. 

“I…“, Yumi stuttered. “I… it’s…it's difficult.“

“Babe, we all have difficult stories.“, Nara told her. “Maybe we can give you advice.“

Yumi sighed shortly, but then gave in. “It’s just… I’m scared that Hoseok might not be who he pretends to be… I once made the mistake to trust someone that left me in the end. I don’t want to make the same mistake again… I just want to be happy.“, she shared her thoughts.

“We all want to be happy and no one knows how many of the bachelors are even a hidden card. Maybe it's just one and the rest of us will go home heartbroken. A lot of us already did.“, Nara said and from a corner Jiwoo was whispering “My oppa is a hidden card“.

“Maybe we're all being scammed. Time will tell.“, Mihoon added.

Johanna kept silent about it, yet worries spread in her mind. What if this all really was just a set up and they were being scammed? She couldn’t believe it. The moments she shared with Seokjin and Yoongi. Could it be that they were all fake? That none of it was real?

“Let’s just trust in the bachelors.“, Yeonhee said, ready to leave the conversation.

Johanna sighed, deciding that it would be better to get some fresh air to think about her decision. She needed a moment to herself to make sure who to pick, who to trust in.

When she arrived in front of her room, something was hanging on the doorknob. A clothe hanger with a dress on it. It was an elegant, long dress, completely covered in black, little stones. When she touched it and the cloth moved a little, the stones were suddenly shimmering in pretty colors, like the stars in the universe. There was a little piece of paper tagged at the fringe of the dress.

“I hope you like it - Seokjin.“, Johanna read it and felt overwhelmed by the present Seokjin just made her.

This couldn't be fake. Or was she just as blindsided as Aejin had been?

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