Again, welcome to all to the SooYeol Bachelor!AU.

And yes, the Yejin I'm talking about is Pyo Yejin, Sungyeol's Love returns co-star... I've really fallen in love with her. <3

All my usual ratings apply--enjoy friends!

Week 0: Premiere Night

“So, I just tell you guys about myself, right? Just make it conversational?” the raven-haired male asked, his dark irises staring back into the camera in front of him in a hesitant manner. “Um, ok… well, hi everybody--my name is, I mean, I’m--” the male suddenly let out a nervous chuckle. “Oh my God, I am terrible at this; I must sound so awkward… wait, really? You can edit it? That’s good, I guess… dear God, I hope I get better at this over time.”

The male then paused, closing his eyes briefly and took in a deep breath before facing the camera once more. “Hi, my name is Kim Myungsoo and I am 27 years old from Seoul originally. I’m a freelance photojournalist, so I do a lot of traveling which I really enjoy. I also like staying active, exploring new cities, trying new foods or experiences… I think that’s why I found the opportunity to join this show so appealing.”

“I like to think of myself as a romantic at heart,” Myungsoo continued. “I’ve just been unlucky in the past--I tend to put myself out there quickly and I’ve usually been hurt because of it. I’m hoping to find someone who understands me and wants to experience all these new things together--I hope that whoever I get to meet today wants the same.”

…”And, cut!” The middle-aged director exclaimed from behind the monitor next to the camera. “That was fantastic for your first time doing this, Myungsoo!” he said, showing a wide smile to the dark-haired male.

Myungsoo stood from his seat and gave a brief bow to the man. “You really think so, Director Shin? It won’t be too hard to edit for your team--sorry, I was just so nervous--”

“You were fine,” the director replied again with a smile. “Your shyness is actually quite an endearing quality. I’m sure it’ll make the audience and our special lady fall for you as well.”

The male showed another shy smile, falling into another quick bow to hide his face. “Well, thank you again for the compliments. And for all your team’s hard work--do you need anything else from me?”

Director Shin chuckled as he gave a small shake of his head. “It’s our pleasure to work with you, Myungsoo. And no, this take was great. You can head back to the greenroom now.”

With another bow, Myungsoo turned to exit the small sound stage he had been inside for the last 15 minutes. As he opened the door back into the studio corridors, he found himself face-to-face with another male, a few centimeters taller than himself, with tousled copper hair and doe-like brown eyes. The two males stood frozen for a brief moment before the taller male’s plush lips broke into a wide grin, gums prominent, and he shifted to his right, “After you, my friend!” he replied teasingly, holding an arm out to gesture at the cleared path.

Myungsoo felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up--the male in front of him was stunning--and the young photographer felt himself bow briefly before making his way down the hall and away from the beautiful male. Is that guy part of the show too? I have to compete against guys like that?!...What have I gotten myself into?

~*~

“Excuse me? Are you Lee Sungyeol?”

“Huh?” the tall, copper-haired male asked, turning to face the crew inside the studio. “Oh yeah, that’s me! Director Shin, right?”

The director moved from behind his monitor towards the taller male, both giving a slight bow of the head in greeting. “Great to meet you, Sungyeol-shi. If I recall correctly from the cast list, you aren’t a stranger to the cameras?”

Sungyeol let out a soft chuckle, a smile stretching across his lips. “You’re not wrong, sir. However, I’m not really used to being myself around them, if you get what I mean.”

Director Shin let out a laugh as he led the male over towards the set area. “Well, I’m sure you’ll do just as well as the young man who went before you. I’ll just tell you what I told him--be yourself.”

Sungyeol seemed to perk up at the mention of the male he saw before, glancing towards the director as a crew coordinator made some slight adjustments to his hair.  “Oh, so that other guy was a contestant too?...Interesting…”

“Why would you say that?” Director Shin asked.

“He was just… cute...”

“Well, you are just as handsome as well, Sungyeol-ah,” the director replied. “Now, just look into the camera and tell the audience a little about yourself.”

The moment the stage lights focused on the tall male and the red light began to blink, the copper-haired male couldn’t contain his wide smile, gums apparent and white teeth gleaming. “Hi there, my name is Lee Sungyeol. I’m 28 years old, originally from Yongin, but I moved to Seoul when I was scouted to play collegiate volleyball. Since I retired from competition, I’ve been taking on small acting roles, CFs, and modeling jobs. My passion is acting though and I hope to start getting more regular roles as they come along. I like to think of myself as someone who’s fun-loving, always ready for an adventure, and for a laugh. I love sports obviously--I played volleyball competitively, I weightlift, and I love to go waterskiing when the weather’s nice.”

The male paused for a moment and glanced down at his lap with a shy smile. “To be honest, despite being so active as an athlete and having people tell me that I’m such a ‘fun guy,’ I really haven’t been that successful in love. In fact, my mom of all people signed me up for this show. I just--I guess it’s always been hard for me to move from being the ‘fun guy’ to being with someone on that deeper level that you would in a relationship. I think this experience will help me figure out how to get over that wall I’ve built up… maybe even find something new, who knows? We’ll just have to see.”   

“...And, cut! Fantastic work, Sungyeol!”

~*~

Myungsoo continued to hold his camera to his chest as he glanced around the room, a flurry of activity happening all around him. It seemed that the other contestants were all gathered together, each with production assistants or coordinators chatting with them quickly or making any last minute touch-ups to their styling. Unable to resist his professional calling, Myungsoo took a moment to snap a few candid shots around him--coordinators fixing a shorter, buffer man’s hair, three production assistants listening to instructions from a higher ranked director, and a stagehand readjusting some cabling at the back of the room.

“Excuse me, sir; there’s no unauthorized photography in here.”

Myungsoo started in surprise and turned to face a short, yet muscular man with a wide grin. The microphone headset gave the man away as one of the production aides and Myungsoo felt his cheeks heating at the thought that he might already be in trouble before filming even began. “Uh--um, sorry about that! Really, I didn’t know that it was against the rules--”

The production aide’s grin broke into full on laughter. “I’m actually just messing with you; it’s not a problem at all,” the male chuckled. “I just wanted to make you sweat a little before we begin filming.”

Myungsoo let out a long sigh of relief, feeling his heartbeat returning to normal pace. “Do you do this to all the contestants?” the photographer retorted.

“Just the ones that look really nervous; I need to lighten the mood a little.”

“It’s just… weird…” Myungsoo sighed.

The production aide nodded his head. “I’m sure it can be; that’s why I try to cheer up some of the contestants who look most nervous--like you.”

Myungsoo sighed again. “I don’t even know why I’m so nervous--maybe I’m just self-conscious of this entire thing.”

“Well, hopefully you’ll feel at ease once we begin,” the aide replied. “I know it may not help at all, but truly, the best advice I can give you, is just to be yourself. Forget the cameras are there. You’re here to just be you and only you know how to do that.”

Myungsoo let out a wry chuckle. “You know… strangely, that does help. I’ll try to keep that in mind. Thanks by the way.”

“No worries,” the aide said, glancing over his shoulder and placing a hand over his headset. “Ah, we’re getting ready to begin. Just remember what I said, ok? Good luck!”

Myungsoo gave the aide a nod as the male walked back to the opposite end of the green room. Glancing down at the camera in his hands, the young photographer inhaled deeply, repeating his newly found mantra: Just be you.

~*~

Kim Myungsoo, 27

“How did I feel about meeting Yejin for the first time?... Uh, well I have to admit that I was nervous--I usually am around new people. I guess… I mean, you could say that I’m more of an observer? I prefer to watch and study new environments and new people so I can figure out how best to approach the situation. But with this… literally, I walked in and there she was! So that’s definitely not my best approach... “ The photographer laughed shyly at the memory.

“But Yejin… Yejin was wonderful. She’s very pretty, obviously… I mean, it’s be expected on a show like this, I guess… But just in her demeanor too. I can tell that she’s a strong personality, but also very sweet and caring. She seemed pretty impressed with my camera, didn’t you think? I think it’ll be nice to show her how I work and let her try for herself. But yeah… Yejin was great. I can’t wait to get to know her more.”  

~*~

Lee Sungyeol, 28

“Was I nervous to meet Yejin for the first time? Well, I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t… but it was just a little bit! I swear!” the copper-haired male said with a wide smile. “I’m used to meet a lot of people for work--ensuring that you make the best first impression possible, wide smile, always be the agreeable person--it’s all part of the job for me. It can also make you really good at figuring out someone’s motives at first glance--whether they just want to use you for their purposes or whether they want to create a lasting relationship… for business, personal stuff, whatever… and I could just tell that with Yejin, there’s this sincerity about her. Like, she is who she is and that was almost refreshing to see, since so many people like to hide behind a bunch of facades.”

“But--getting back to that first meeting--of course, it’s still nerve-wracking. I mean, have you seen some of the other guys here? There’s some stellar looks going on here--your’s truly included--and they all had these little props and symbols to show off to Yejin. I just--I wanted to come to her just as myself, as me...which I guess meant empty-handed,” Sungyeol laughed again at the memory. “It did feel a little weird being one of the only guys who came to her without something else… but I should hope that made me unique--memorable even. If she remembers me as me, rather than the guy holding whatever, that’s a good thing, right?” The male looked off to the side in thought briefly, before facing the camera once more. “As for Yejin herself, I sensed this wild contradiction in her personality. Yes, she’s beautiful, but her eyes and how she carries herself holds this strength to it that you can tell she doesn’t back down easily. Yet, she has this softness to her looks and her personality… I don’t know how else to describe it, but it’s really interesting. And I guess I like that--as much as I hope she liked me too, of course!”

~*~

Upon finishing all their one-on-one confessionals, the production crew then gathered all eight of the contestants back together in the green room to lay out the boarding situation. Myungsoo couldn’t help but to glance around at the other contestants close to him--every other male was obviously handsome, some taller, some more muscular than he; he couldn’t help marvelling at the production’s ability to really get a varied cast. His attention was drawn back to Director Shin taking his place in front of the gaggle of staff and contestants.

“Hello everyone! I know I said this to each contestant individually, but I want to thank you all as a group for all the hard work and your patience today. The first few days of filming are always a learning process, but I want to thank this crew for their dedication and you contestants for making this as seamless as a first day’s shoot could go! Tonight’s filming is complete and it’s time for us to go to our lodgings for the remainder of our film schedule. However, I first want to run through some important things to know for all of you to be aware of.

“This is an entirely closed set, so there will be no visitors at all. Additionally, we are filming this as a completely confidential set, so contestants will not have access to outside content, so no news, no social media, no contact with the outside until filming is complete--we don’t want public opinion to sway any of your decisions or action on the show. For room and board, we’ve booked this entire east wing of the Lotte Resort. Contestants, you will be rooming on one end of the wing, with Yejin staying on the opposite end, and the crew staying in between to ensure no unauthorized contact is made. You’ll also be bunking in pairs. Now, we won’t be filming for the show every day, so you are free to enjoy resort amenities and activities; sometimes Yejin may join you all and sometimes we may film these scenes, just for extra content. We’ll also continue more confessional scenes on-site; each pair will have an aide explain this to them tonight. For now, gentleman and crew, fantastic first day and let’s keep the momentum going!”

After Director Shin’s final words, the senior producers began to guide the crew and contestants to grab their belongings and file into the hallways for room assignments. The flurry of activity made Myungsoo’s head spin and the young photographer soon became one of the final members left to receive their room assignment. As he made his way down the corridors to his room, it finally hit Myungsoo--I’m here. I’m on a dating show of all things, exposing myself to the world.

Myungsoo continued to immerse himself in his thoughts as he finally found his way to his assigned room, using the keycard to open the door and enter his new ‘home’ for the next few weeks. The room was bright, with the few lamps illuminated and the curtains facing the mountain tops along the outskirts of Seoul. Two king beds sat against one wall, with one already occupied by a large suitcase and two smaller carry-ons--Myungsoo could hear the shower running in the bathroom in the back of the suite, his roommate seemingly having made himself at home already. The photographer took the opportunity to place his camera bag on the desk next to the unoccupied bed and drop his suitcase at the foot of the mattress before collapsing his body into the plush sheets. For Myungsoo’s more reserved nature, today had been exhausting.

The young photographer could feel himself beginning to drift off and barely registered the bathroom door opening until a surprised, yet cheerful voice carried through the room. “Ah, so you  are my roommate! I was starting to wonder if I really had one or not…”

Myungsoo sat up and turned towards the voice before briefly choking as he recognized the same tall, gorgeous man from his introductory filming--only this time, the male was in long sweatpants, hair damp from the shower he had just left, and his shirtless torso only showcased the broad shoulders and toned upper body hinted at from their first meeting. “Uh--well, I--I just… I got caught up in the green room… and got a little lost…”

“So you’re saying that I’m going to have to keep an eye on you then?” the taller man replied with a teasing grin. “ I guess I can do that, being your roommate and all… I’m Lee Sungyeol by the way.”

Sungyeol had stretched his hand out for Myungsoo to shake, but the other male found himself unable to move, continuing to stare at the handsome male in front of him. As if sensing the other man’s hesitation, Sungyeol moved his hand back and glanced down, apparently just realizing his state of undress. “Oh my--right, I forgot my shirt when I went in there. My bad!” The taller moved to his opened suitcase before finding a grey t-shirt and pulling it over his head.

Myungsoo gulped to clear his throat discretely before finally speaking up. “I’m Myungsoo, Kim Myungsoo.”

Sungyeol moved to sit on his own bed, crossing his legs and facing Myungsoo with the same friendly smile. “Good to meet you, Myungsoo; I remember we had our brief walk-by earlier--it must have been fate bringing us together!” the taller replied with a chuckle.

Myungsoo couldn’t help but show a smile of his own at Sungyeol’s mirth--the other man’s happiness was incredibly infectious. “I guess so... “

There was a small lull in conversation, where Myungsoo couldn’t figure out what to say next while Sungyeol’s eyes seemed to be begging for him to speak. The photographer broke their eye contact with an awkward laugh, before quickly apologizing. “I’m sorry… I’m just--I’m not all that great with small talk.”  

Sungyeol’s grin merely got wider, giving Myungsoo a nice view of the man’s teeth and gums. “That’s fine; not everyone likes talking,” he replied. “It would be good to know a little bit about the person we’re going to be sharing close quarters with, am I right?”

“True,” Myungsoo nodded. “So what do you want? My life story?”

“Oh ho, so you do have a sense of humor under all that shyness!” Sungyeol retorted, as both men laughed again. “Nah, just tell me a little about yourself--what do you do for a living, where you’re from… you don’t have to tell me why you’re here or anything--I mean, that’s kind of obvious...”

“Maybe for some,” Myungsoo replied shortly, trying to tamper the brief pang in his chest. “But that’s a story for later, if we both get through these first few rounds.”

“That’s fair,” Sungyeol replied, sensing that the issue would be a sensitive one. “Well, how about I go first since I’m making you be social?” At Myungsoo’s brief nod, the taller sat slightly straighter, as though giving a formal introduction. “As I said before, I’m Lee Sungyeol, originally from Yongin, but I’ve lived in Seoul since I started university. I actually used to be a collegiate and professional volleyball player for a few years until I blew out my knee. Since then, I started doing more modeling, CFs and such, and eventually started auditioning for acting roles.”

Myungsoo perked up in almost reverence at the other male. “Wait, you’re an actor? And an athlete?”

“Former!” Sungyeol emphasized teasingly.

“Who cares?!” Myungsoo replied, putting his hands to his cheeks in embarrassment. “I’m on a show with freaking models and actors and then there’s just me, just Myungsoo here!”

Sungyeol only continued to smile. “Oh come on now--you may be just Myungsoo, but just Myungsoo is probably plenty interesting. Try me.”

“OK then, just be prepared. It’s pretty tame compared to former athlete slash rising actor,” Myungsoo started. “All right, so I’m Kim Myungsoo… I’m from Seoul originally and I’m a photojournalist for The Foreigner magazine… and yeah, that’s pretty much it.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Sungyeol replied with a straight-faced expression. “So, you look like this, but you’re a photographer. And not just a photographer, but a photojournalist for one of the leading Asian policy magazines?! Next you’re going to tell me that it’s such a drag to travel for your assignments--”

“Well, jet-lag really can be a sometimes--”

“Shut it!” Sungyeol exclaimed playfully. “I’ve only been out of the country for athletic competitions, and even then the farthest we went was Beijing. It’s not like I got to see any major sites or anything…”

“It was still work!” Myungsoo defended meekly.

“Whatever,” Sungyeol replied, his smile returning. “I see I’m going to have to help you with this selling-yourself-short schtick too. You really do have an awesome story, Myungsoo. I hope you brought some of your pictures because now I want to see them all--”

A knock at the door to their suite brought both men out of their conversation and Sungyeol rose from his bed to answer. The taller moved aside upon opening the door, allowing the same production assistant Myungsoo met before to enter the suite. The small, yet muscular guy was without the headset from before, but carried a clipboard that Myungsoo had seen multiple production aides walking around with before. “Ah, such a positive vibe I feel in this room!” the assistant said with a wide grin. “I’m glad--some of my colleagues were finding some of the other contestant pairs a little...testy, if you know what I mean.”

Sungyeol gestured toward the desk for the assistant and the male took the seat gratefully. “I guess…” the taller replied, confusion evident in his expression. “Can we help you?”

“Ah! I wanted to come by and introduce myself--Jang Dongwoo, assistant producer for the show!” the shorter said. “Director Shin didn’t go into some of the finer, day-to-day things with the contestants earlier, so that’s why I’m here. There are three other assistant producers like me and each of us are assigned to a contestant pair. I’ll be your go-to person for any questions you have about filmings, schedules, what you can and can’t do during the activities and events, that type of thing!”

Myungsoo nodded his head briefly in understanding, with Sungyeol doing the same. “So, you’re going to be the one telling us what we’re doing each day?”

“Pretty much,” Dongwoo replied cheerily. “Now, I am here to tell you that we are not doing event filmings each day, so you don’t have to worry about having those occurring constantly. But you will be filmed each day, sometimes multiple times… you know those one-on-one confessionals you all have been doing?” At both males’ nods, Dongwoo continued. “I’ll be handling those from here on. Since it’ll always be me, you can both get really comfortable, even conversational with me. I’ll be the one doing all the edits to those pieces as well, so I will know you both and be able to provide the best showings of who you are for the show--sound good?”

Myungsoo nodded silently again, while Sungyeol verbally agreed. “Yeah, that works with us. So Dongwoo-shi, what’s on our plates coming up?”

Dongwoo leaned back in the chair, making himself comfortable. “Well to be honest, nothing much tomorrow. We wanted to give you all a chance to settle in, get used to the resort, your roommates, and the confessionals. I think your first task is in a few days, so you both just settle in and enjoy! ...And with that, that’s all I have to say here, so you both have a good night!”

Dongwoo moved himself out of the chair, beating Sungyeol to his feet, and proceeded to let himself out, a combination humming and giggling coming from his mouth upon his exit. Sungyeol stared at the closed door wide-eyed, while Myungsoo remained frozen on his bed once more.

After another minute, Sungyeol moved to sit on his bed once more. “Well then--”

“Yeah--” Myungsoo replied, seemingly just as confused.

The taller’s emotions quickly shifted to mirthful once more, a laugh coming from his mouth. “Wow… just wow… what have we gotten ourselves into here, Myungsoo?”

Myungsoo found himself falling back onto his bed once more. “Honestly, I really don’t know--but I guess we’re going to find out.”

And so it begins! Week 1 and the first challenge of Finding Their One is next!

As always, let me know what ya'll think--makes all the difference. :)