In the end she decided to wear a simple shirtdress in light pink with tiny little ornaments in a slightly darker pinkish tone. It was a rather cute and innocent outfit but Wheein was perfectly satisfied with her choice of clothing. It wouldn’t catch a lot of attention so it was perfect for what was awaiting her.

After her third makeup check she decided that she couldn’t change much more about her appearance and with the support of deep and steady breaths, Wheein somehow managed to turn the doorknob open.

Further down the corridor there was an elegant traditional staircase that separated her from the other candidates. It led to the open hall where everyone already gathered together, their eyes fixed upon the stairs in joyful anticipation. The last obstacle Wheein had to overcome now was the unpleasant feeling in her stomach that made her want to vomit on the spot.

A last brief glance at her shaking hands confirmed Wheein that her nervousness was indeed apparent, so she tried to hide it by placing her hands behind her back. This posture made her look like the least relaxed person in the house and she was painfully aware of the fact that her anxiety was written all over her face, but it was impossible for Wheein to find anything enjoyable about the situation she had put herself in.

The moment she stood at the entrance and saw way too many eyes focused on her was the worst, undoubtedly, but thankfully it was also short lived. Without a big hurry Wheein took one careful step after another while smiling innocently at the crowd, avoiding direct eye contact at all costs. Or at least she tried to because the moment she saw a very familiar smile, Wheein had to assure herself that her vision didn’t try to trick her for a second time.

But who else but Hyejin could shine this bright with such a simple yet rescuing smile, which always has been a very welcome one to Wheein. In fact it was Hyejin’s smile and unique laugh that caught Wheein’s attention when she met her in class 15 years ago for the first time. Even as a young teenager Hyejin had this special aura to which Wheein feels drawn to ever since then.

Most certainly Wheein wasn’t the only one in the room who noticed Hyejin’s presence and she sensed that probably a few of the other candidates would show their interest in her best friend since it’s not against the rules.

Wheein may be the one to conquer but there are alternative ways to win in the show. That being said, the only way to win the prize money is to get chosen by Wheein at the election of the last day. Those are the conditions Wheein and the others were informed about but only little did they knew that the full details of all the rules wouldn’t get published until the next day.

“Ladies, it’s a big pleasure to present you the highlight of the show, Miss Jung Wheein!”

A noisy male voice appeared out of nowhere, probably the host or something like that Wheein thought while being as surprised as everyone else. She quickly formed an even wider grin when they turned their heads at her, some of them even started to applaud.

“You’re probably wondering who I am, why I’m here and where my voice is coming from but don’t worry about that, you won’t get to hear me a lot. It’s about you and of course about our Bachelorette! For tonight you’re free to do what you want but be prepared for the start of the show tomorrow. This is your chance to spent some private time with the woman of desire, so don’t miss it!”

When the introduction was finished, Wheein wasn’t sure whether she should burst into laughter or not. There’s no way they’re that serious about it?

For a moment she regretted that her careless-self refused to read the whole summary of the show but if she was being honest with herself, she didn’t care enough. It wasn’t her goal to simply play along anyway. Wheein disagreed with the producers about the whole contract so many times that without Byulyi’s help, they never would have come to an agreement. She was the one who also made sure that the bedrooms and bathrooms weren’t equipped with cameras or microphones, a condition Wheein never considered to provide. She was grateful for her friend who took care of everything and protected her from any vague ideas. Byulyi was delighted whenever Wheein yelled at the producers for their shameless suggestions, even though she would have agreed to everything if Byulyi wasn’t there to inform her. But that was just her way to deal with all the unfamiliar pressure and soon Wheein learned that she can only survive in the entertainment business if she becomes thick skinned.

Being extra nice to the candidates wasn’t an option either. Wheein refused to talk for more than two minutes with the same person and of course she rejected any invitation that would lead to an unhealty amount of drinking and partying. It’s the first of many nights that lie ahead of them and Wheein wanted to stay unapproachable for now. That didn’t stop the other women from flirting with each other though, but it came in handy and Wheein was relieved that she didn’t have to deal with them by herself.

At some point it seemed like they have totally forgotten about her presence and she was quickly enough to take advantage of the opportunity by hiding somewhere in the garden, so far that she barely could hear the loud music or their chats.

Between a few tress and huge bushes Wheein found a remote spot that couldn’t be seen from the villa. A perfect, comfortable rest.

The peaceful quietness was a welcome contrast to all the stress she had gone through in the last hours and even though it was kind of chilly outside, Wheein enjoyed every gentle breeze that touched her bare arms and legs. With closed eyes and a small but content smile on her lips she drifted away, far away from where she was right now.

It was the easiest thing for her to simply escape like that.

When Wheein opened her eyes again she was faced with a marvelous landscape. Countless stars illuminated the night and she asked herself if the volcanoes in the distance and the fresh ocean breeze have been there for the whole time.

She really pitied those who missed the view of the stunning nature, especially at such a beautiful and bright night.

It wasn’t just a coincidence that the villa was located in Jeju-do, a beautiful volcanic island. Wheein visited that place whenever her schedule and money allowed her to. She appreciated the clean air on this island a lot and its overall comfortable healing environment never failed to calm her down. The way she adores Jeju-do was enough affirmation for the production team to record the show there.

But if felt different from any other time she has been here. Obviously it was partly because of the show but also something else was bothering her inner peace.

“So here you are?”

Oh yes, how she could forget about her? Behind Wheein’s back there was her best friend, fighting her way through a few bushes and shrubs. How could she find Wheein in such a hiding place? A closer look at her gave away that she probably started searching for Wheein a good while ago. Hyejin’s face was covered with sweat and dirt and her breathing was irregular.

Wheein had to stop herself from worrying about her. She was still angry and confused about her sudden and unreasonable attendance.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been searching for me. I thought I made it clear by avoiding you that I don’t want to interact with you here.” She said coldly but Hyejin knew her better. She always reads Wheein without the need of words.

“I know you are upset and you have every right to be. But would you please listen to what I have to tell you, Wheein?”

Her pleading voice was hard to reject but Wheein didn’t want to be a total jerk, no matter how infuriated she was at that moment.

“I’ll give you one try. One try and if you won’t be able to convince me that you being here is absolutely necessary, you can take the first flight home tomorrow. Me, upset? I’m far beyond that, Hyejin. You’re ruining my plans and you’re thoroughly aware of it. Damn it! We spoke about it so many times! Don’t you realize that your presence here also is absolutely risky?!”

Hyejin didn’t dare to interrupt her furious friend but she was tempted to calm Wheein down, knowing how easily it could escalate into an emotional outburst.

“First of all, I’m sorry. I know I haven’t been the most supportive friend for the last few weeks.”

Huffing and puffing Wheein avoided her gaze, Hyejin however closed the distance and continued.

“But you have to believe me that I couldn’t stop thinking about yo-… your plans… I know you wanted to attempt to this show to promote you and your art but what if you also get to win the money? Together we…-”

“-I’m not afraid of losing.” Wheein interrupted her. “It’s not about the money or the possibility of developing genuine feelings for someone. But you won’t get it. “

“Wait… So why are you, - why are we here then?!” Confused and irritated Hyejin looked at her with questioning eyes. Wheein took her time with considering her next words. She had to be careful due to the possibility of hidden cameras or even worse, microphones. Thanks to Byulyi she knew that the final setup for the garden equipment would be done after the first night due some technical difficulties but Wheein didn’t want to risk her luck.

“I don’t know why you came but let me assure you that I have my… intentions of being here.”

When Wheein finally returned her gaze, neither of them had another word to say. For a while they kept exchanging unreadable looks until Hyejin lost her patience and abruptly turned away to leave her alone again.

Even though night sky lost its sparkle and it seemed like the wind and the stars disappeared, Wheein stayed a few minutes longer in order to mentally prepare herself of going back to the villa.

The rest of the night she had spent with blank conversations and a lot of fake smiles and laughs. It wasn’t like she felt bored by the other women but the incident with Hyejin won’t stop lingering in the back of her head. Additional to that, Hyejin was nowhere to be seen and that made Wheein feel unsettled. Maybe she was a little bit too rude with her but that didn’t change the fact that Hyejin messed things up. Of course Wheein would be angry at her.

During the remaining hours of the first night, Hyejin didn’t show up again what made Wheein feel both relived and anxious. Since no one of the candidates got the permission to disappear in one of the bedrooms already, it was clear that Hyejin was hiding from Wheein now. It also was very likely that she just stayed somewhere inside, surrounded by snacks and some good drinks, Wheein told herself.

Or maybe she really did leave the show?

Just when she was about to convince herself that her friend packed her bags for real, she spotted her through the window, sitting at a stool in the kitchen. To Wheein’s amusement Hyejin indeed was holding a glass of white wine in one hand and an almost empty bottle in another. What she didn’t find amusing was the fact that her best friend seemed to be in a way better mood than she herself, laughing shamelessly at some stupid jokes someone must have told her.

The said person was a tall woman with short black hair and an ugly glittery dress that gave Wheein a headache whenever her eyes unintentionally wandered to the two of them.

One empty bottle later Hyejin was basically sticking to that woman. From time to time they shared a few brief touches on their arms and tights, sometimes they even whispered at each other even though no one was paying attention to them. Well, no one besides Wheein who now was more than ready to throw some fist.

She never saw Hyejin acting like that with a total stranger and it made her even angrier that she was doing this during a live broadcast. Was she trying to irritate Wheein? And what even was her purpose of attending to this show? Obviously, the reason Hyejin gave her earlier wasn’t very honest but until now Wheein didn’t care about her real intentions.

Only now Wheein wanted answers but she knew all too well that no conversation here was safe. So she had to come up with an alternative way.

At the same time Wheein was getting lost in her thoughts again, Hyejin already has caught her spying on them for a few times. Patiently she waited for the moment when hers and Wheein’s eyes would meet. Nedless to say, it didn’t take long until she actually got Wheein’s attention again.

And it was precisely at this moment when Hyejin leaned over to her companion, their faces now awkwardly close and eyes half shut...