a state of uneasiness or anxiety.

THE INTERVIEWS.

What are your feelings coming into this show?

Her hands resting on her lap, Chorong twiddled her fingers as she tried to think of a suitable answer for the PD asking the questions. The filming for The Romantic & Idol would begin in about a week, so the producers had called her in for an interview. The audition process she had undergone a few weeks ago for this program was a fluke, if anything. Chorong hadn’t at all expected the producers to find her suitable for this type of dating program, but apparently they had. The moment she learned of the news, excitement had coursed through her. Having watched the last two seasons of the show, Chorong was nothing short of eager to be able to experience the wonders of Jeju Island herself. But now … how exactly did she feel?

“Before, when I was talking to the A Pink members about this, they were all really encouraging and telling me things like ‘You’ll do great!’ and ‘Don’t worry!’, so I was really confident and happy about appearing here. Now that the time is coming closer though, I just feel nervous and anxious. ‘Ah, will I do well?’ ‘Will I really be able to fall in love?’ These are the types of things that I keep thinking about.”

Are there any certain guys you hope will appear on the show?

“Ah, my ideal type … Someone that’s skinny, but manly, and has single eyelids! Is that a little too specific? Haha. Something about guys like that is really attractive to me, but I don’t have anyone specific in mind.”

The producers didn’t seem satisfied at her weak answer, obviously hoping that she would name certain idols and add more to the hype of the show. However, Chorong had honestly never really singled out any fellow idols and thought “He’s the one!” She just figured that when she saw the right guy and got to know him a bit better, only then could she pinpoint him as her ideal type. More questions were asked, but they were all formalities and on run-of-the-mill topics such as whether or not she’s dated before, so Chorong didn’t give much thought to her answers. After all, this interview wasn’t the hard part of the program at all. Once she met her fellow cast, that was when things officially got started.

. . . . . . . .

Brushing her hair out of her eyes, Nana settled onto the stool placed in front of the plain backdrop. The interview room she had been brought to was simple, but that was expected, since the main filming of the show wouldn’t take place here anyways. Her manager had told her that this would be a short affair, just a few questions for the producers to get short footage from, and then she could leave. Nana’s back straightened as she saw the signal telling her that the camera would begin rolling.

Do you have any previous experience with dating?

“Since I debuted, I haven’t really had time for anything like that. Before though, I did have a little experience, but it was just one relationship that didn’t last very long. The guy ended up being the bad type, which I really hate, so I made sure to end it as soon as possible. I guess my experience with dating hasn’t really been good, haha. Hopefully it won’t be the same after this?”

So you don’t like the bad boy type? What do you like then?

“I think as long as the guy isn’t that type, then anything is fine. So I guess I like guys that are nice and polite … but still have a cool side to them? Someone with pretty eyes when they smile is what I look for too. I admire guys like Lee Sungyun and Song Joongki the most.”

Nana could see her manager giving her a satisfied smile from behind the camera. She had given a safe answer by naming actors, and not idols, so the producers were in a limbo between being content with what she said and being disgruntled by it. One thing that worried Nana was whether or not she would be able to stray away from “safe answers” and show a more real self to the male idols that were cast.

. . . . . . . .

Nicole gave a happy smile to the production crew in front of her as she arrived at the designated interview area. With a cheeky wave, she plopped into the seat set out for her, hands settling on her knees as she waited for the producers to be ready. Despite her cheery outwardly appearance, Nicole’s heart was beating far too rapidly for her liking. Dating was an entirely new concept to her, save for the fluke of a relationship she had with a friend in her younger years, and her nerves were getting the better of her. Hara had tried to reassure her, saying that dating was actually an easygoing thing that shouldn’t be fretted over. Seeing a hand gesturing towards her, Nicole fixed her gaze on the camera that was now rolling.

What expectations do you have of this show?

“I guess what I want to do is … have fun? I’m really inexperienced when it comes to this type of stuff, but I’ll still try my best! It would be nice if everyone could get along, I think. I know we’re supposed to try and find love, but making friends … that’s good too right?”

If you end up not being able to find love, how would you feel?

“Probably sad for a while, but it’s something I can get over. I mean, if I hadn’t gotten the chance to go on the program, I wouldn’t even be able to escape from being an idol. So I’ll just tell myself ‘Ah, I gave it my best shot and if it was meant to be, then it was meant to be.’ Love isn’t something that you can force, so I won’t keep my expectations too high.”

Nicole gave a solemn nod to the camera, silently reminding herself to live by these words when the time came around. She held back the fluttering feeling of anticipation that arose when she realized that time was arriving sooner than later.

. . . . . . . .

Hyunyoung was surprised at herself. While she had expected to become overwrought with giddy emotions the moment she was confirmed for The Romantic & Idol, her reaction had been anything but. Instead, she had been as composed as possible, not even blinking an eye as the members of Rainbow cooed over how lucky she was. Even Seungah, who had to experience a horribly difficult time, was still encouraging Hyunyoung and saying that it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. She wanted to fall in love, but she was afraid of exposing a vulnerable side of herself after seeing what Seungah endured. Now, sitting in front of the producers waiting to interview her, Hyunyoung was already scared of revealing her emotions.

What would you like to do once you reach Jeju Island?

“What we’re supposed to do is date right? I want to be able to see all the sights that Jeju has to offer. It would be better if my date enjoyed it to, but even if he doesn’t, I’ll do my best to enjoy it by myself.”

That seems like such a lonely answer, don’t you have anyone in mind you want to spend the time with?

“Rather than having an ideal type, I want to be able to keep an open-mind about the guys. I hope they’ll be able to do the same for me.”

She knew that she was giving off a rather cold image, a far cry from her usual aegyo-filled self, but Hyunyoung didn’t want to go off and fall for a boy, only to have him make her cry later on. She wondered how long she would be able to keep up this pretense for, though.

Jaejin, despite his slight build, walked in with an air of confidence and assuredness. Even though he had seen his fellow bandmate, Jonghoon, mope around for days after his failed attempt of finding love in the previous season, Jaejin wasn’t to be deterred. He was an easygoing guy and one failed shot at love wasn’t going to send him running to the hills. Jaejin was looking forward to just letting events run their course. He would obviously do his best, but if things didn’t work out, he would calmly move forward.

What type of girl interests you the most?

“I like girls that are cute and somewhat shy, with a slim face and pale skin. There isn’t really anyone in mind, but if a girl on the show matches that description, then I would be really happy. I won’t ignore a girl just because she doesn’t have that appearance though, it’s just something that appeals to me.”

Did Jonghoon give you any advice about this show?

“He pretty much told me to give it my all. He told me that he doesn’t regret going the full mile for Yewon, even though she didn’t choose him in the end. Jonghoon is a really loyal guy once he settles on something, but I think he was a bit too quick to choose. I’ll give it my all once I have a better idea of all my options.”

With only a few days left to go before filming officially started, Jaejin could barely contain his anticipation for what was to come. Inevitable heartbreak or not, there was nothing that could bring his mood down.

. . . . . . . .

Woohyun made a heart and gave a cheesy smile to the camera pointed at him. He knew how greasy he was acting, but it was all in good fun. Crafting his persona to be one of an affable Casanova’s meant that he would never be expected to show a more serious and mature side to himself. Sure, he had a manly presence while performing, but everybody assumed it wouldn’t be the same the moment he stepped off the stage. Girls would think he acted charming indiscriminately, when in fact he did so simply because he wasn’t interested in dating. Now though … He wasn’t sure what had compelled him to apply for The Romantic & Idol, but here he was. Woohyun found himself actually anticipating what was to come, knowing that this could be a once-in-a-blue-moon chance to find a girl willing to have a serious relationship. For that girl, Woohyun would be more than willing to drop his Casanova act.

What kind of qualities would you like in a girlfriend?

“Mm, I like girls that have a nice smile, with pinchable cheeks. And since I like to cook, it’d be good if she would eat my cooking. I’m the type of guy that would really like it if, even if my girlfriend doesn’t know how to cook, tries her best to help me anyways. That type of considerate girl is what I like.”

Did any of your members give you dating advice before you came here?

“Haha, none of the Infinite members are really good at this type of stuff. They just told me not to embarrass myself by doing stupid heart signs, but I kind of already did that. Sorry guys. I’m good friends with Mir though, and he told me that this type of experience can’t be described and that I have to undergo everything by myself to know the feeling. He was a totally different person after he filmed.”

Woohyun hoped that he could emerge as a different person after The Romantic & Idol, but he wasn’t sure if any change would be for the better or worse.

. . . . . . . .

Jungshin felt like a tall, lanky teenage boy about to go on his first date, with how his hands were shaking nervously. Running a hand through his hair, he wasn’t even sure if it was the anticipation or the nerves getting to him. Normally not an awkward person, Jungshin was afraid that upon meeting the rest of the cast he would become some sort of lone sheep that was too shy to talk. He knew he would have to put in his very best effort during filming, not only to “find love” as the producers kept telling him, but to also maintain a comfortable relationship with the rest of the idols. Jungshin only hoped that he didn’t end up being the oldest or anything, with everybody else being years younger than him. Inwardly shuddering at that worst-case scenario, he redirected his attention back to the questions being asked of him.

What would you do if you end up leaving Jeju Island alone?

“No!”

Even the producers seemed surprised by his sudden outburst and Jungshin felt his face redden in embarrassment.

“Ah, I’m really bad at containing my excitement about this. I’m really looking forward to having the chance to just do things freely, so I don’t want to think about what I would feel if things won’t work out in the end. It’s better to just start happily, right?”

Are you afraid of competition?

“I don’t think this is the type of program I want to have to compete on. If I like a girl but she likes someone else, I don’t really want to into that relationship. I’d like to become friends with the guys too, so having a competition between friends over a girl isn’t really something I like to do.”

Jungshin wasn’t sure what the atmosphere would be like on the island, but he hoped it wouldn’t be ruthless. After all, Jeju Island was supposed to be a relaxing place, right?

. . . . . . . .

The only conclusion Suho could draw from his thoughts was that he was entirely unprepared for this. The Romantic & Idol was all about escaping busy schedules and letting the idol side of yourself go in favor of a normal life – But what was he supposed to do when he was so new to the industry? Suho barely even knew what the “idol life” fully entailed yet. What exactly was he okay to expose audience, if anything at all? Severely lacking in experience in the aspect of variety and reality shows, Suho could only hope that gut instinct would kick in and he would be fine.

Is it really okay for you to date, with how popular EXO is now?

“Thank you for the kind words about EXO, but I really hope people don’t think that just because we reach a certain point of popularity that we’re suddenly not human anymore. We still want to do the same things that everyone else does, like have fun, hang out with friends, date … I hope people can be understanding of this.”

What do you think happens after this show, if you find someone that you really like?

“After the show? I guess … The only option left is to date her, right? If we both like each other, I don’t think it’s wrong for us to do that. I wonder if it’s possible to meet your future wife on this show? Haha, I’m kidding, but it would be really nice if I get to meet a girl that I can fall in love with here.”

Going through the questions, Suho felt himself becoming more and more relaxed about the idea of filming. All he had to do was be himself, right? Since there was no script, he would have to keep himself in check, but if he allowed himself to forget about the cameras rolling, then this whole experience would actually seem like a blessing. Getting paid to do fun things and try his hand at dating, all on a beautiful island – Suho didn’t even know why he was scared in the first place.

Even though they were all in different places, the eight idols were all wondering about the same thing. Who would be the fellow idols that would join them for the filming? Would they all get along? Was love really possible? They would be meeting in groups by gender the next day to discuss the different locations for the first date, and nobody could deny the anticipation that was building up in them.