Sincerity

“‘We Got Married’ was a sham.”

“It was a fictionalised ‘reality’ program.”

“It was just another fantasy world for delusional people.”

“It’s was all lies.”

That’s what everyone was starting to believe and so, naturally, the ratings plummeted and the production team were looking for any way to try and save the show. After a meeting with the programming head of MBC, the production team were given a deadline to salvage We Got Married and to hit an average rating of 3.5% by the conclusion of three months. They sent various offers out to many people and even interviewed a few possible candidates, but they all felt like they lacked one thing: sincerity.

That one word. That dreaded word. The little thing that created all the problems for the show were tied to a nine-letter word. The show survived for a while matching couples in the name of a new type of variety show that paired celebrities to act out a marriage life. It was a known fact. Everyone loved romance and it was a no-brainer that people would want to tune in to watch famous people falling in love on screen. But then, when the show ended and all things were said and done, the celebrities who were paired up denied any relationship outside of the show, whether romantic or even friendship. It was all just work. Things became worse when some couples faced scandals while they were participating in the program, the worst of them being when it involved an individual outside of the marriage. It wasn’t really anyone’s fault, but it was a program about falling in love and about marriage, and the image of the happy, problem- and worry-free life needed to be kept up at all times.

The production team really wanted to change their image and rebrand themselves. But, as always, there was one tiny little detail, a known fact that they could no longer brush off or sweep under the table.

The Soulmate App.

The Soulmate App was a feature that had been built into smart watches that had proven to be effective since its launch almost ten years prior. It became a massive hit and it was almost impossible to find anyone without a smart watch. When it was tested by real-life married couples, the ones whose watches simultaneously turned pink had retained their statuses of being married in the follow-up survey conducted eight years later. The ones whose watches remained a shade of blue, despite their adamant promises and declarations to stay married and prove the company and everyone wrong, eventually failed to stay together. It was possible to fall in love with someone without them being your match, but that love was a double-edged sword because that love wouldn’t keep them together in the end. And so, the reputation of the Soulmate App remained intact, completely opposite to that of We Got Married which was in shambles. People had eventually figured it out. Why wasn’t the show using this app when picking out couples? In fact, they had always assumed that the show was like a dating program, and when their favorite couple splits up, they’re the ones who are left heartbroken. You couldn’t blame the people who wanted to stay away from the show. Heartbreak was cruel, possibly even more so for fans who thought that their ship would be endgame.

However, the production team couldn’t make their chosen couples meet up beforehand and then allow them film a ‘first time’ meeting scene. That would seem too obvious that they know each other and the whole point of ‘sincerity’ would be defeated. They also couldn’t pick the couples and film the scene with both participants wearing their smart watches. If the watch didn’t turn pink that would make the whole idea of the two falling in love in terms of forever completely insincere as well. Wherever the production team turned to, they were faced with a dead end. Quietly, after a sombre meeting, the entire team decided to just live out the last three months of the program in the best possible way that they could. They didn’t tell anyone and just decided to live out their own personal wishes for couples on the show since funding was completely guaranteed. If they were going to end, they would do it by enjoying the last three months and watching their dream couples paired together.

-  JH ♥ SY -

It wasn’t the first time that Jonghyun had received an offer to participate on We Got Married. CN Blue members had been receiving multiple offers over the years ever since Yonghwa had participated with Seohyun. Unbeknownst to anyone, Yonghwa and Seohyun’s watches had both turned pink. Jonghyun could still remember the night that Yonghwa came back to their dormitory with the watch in his hand and a wide grin on his face. Apparently, after months of dancing around the issue of their feelings for each other, Yonghwa and Seohyun tested their compatibility the night of their joint birthday celebration in their sweet potato field when the cameras had turned off. Needless to say, they had been together ever since. And then, there was the case of Soojung and Minhyuk. They met on the set of ‘Heirs’, unknowingly still had their watches on when they went for the script reading, and it was love at first sight. Jonghyun was truly happy for his band members, but he couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit jealous (even though he would never admit it), that Yonghwa and Minhyuk had found their happiness early.

He had been in love before. Well, at least, he felt like he had been in love. The watches came out when he was still in high school, but he didn’t really pay any attention to it. If he liked a girl, he would pursue her, and when he felt like their spark fizzled out, or he just wasn’t feeling it anymore, he would just distance himself and break up with her. Since he became an idol, it was even harder to find a girl that he could imagine a future of happiness with.

When CN Blue stopped living in a dormitory together, he was left with more amounts of time in solitary confinement. The loneliness had been getting to him and he felt like he had been drained of energy. The days began to blend into just a long blur and he was going through life as if programmed with a predetermined sequence and was just carrying out the necessary motions.

So, when he received the offer again, he jumped at the chance. He knew that it was still a show, and in the back of his mind the image of a pink light was engraved there, but he tried to ignore it. He knew that the relationship he would be entrusted to act out might never lead to anything, but still, he gave the production head a list of preferences and conditions to be fulfilled before he would agree to do the show.

Seungyeon was relatively new to the business. She had trained for years to become and idol, only to have her circumstances change and lead her on the path of becoming and being an actress. She was quiet and hardworking and had been since she was a child because she was the eldest daughter. When she had received the offer to go on the show, she thought it was a good opportunity to try new things, spread her name and promote her latest drama in the process. She was grateful for every opportunity that she got, and she was also thankful for this opportunity to experience dating and falling in love even if it was for a virtual marriage program. Seungyeon really didn’t mind who she was paired up with, just as long as he was a nice guy who she could get along with. When the production team had asked her if she had any preferences, she didn’t really go into any specifics and just said that she would work hard with whoever they paired her up with. That’s who she was. Just a pure and simple girl.

In the back of her mind, she hoped that she would be paired with the guy who would make her watch turn pink. But, she was also realistic and knew there was a high possibility that it would stay blue and after going through a year of ‘falling in love’, she would have to ‘break up’ with her partner and that would be the end of that. There was a high chance that fate and destiny or whatever wouldn’t be so generous and kind enough to just let her meet her soulmate in such a simple way as going on the same show. She had to prepare herself. She really didn’t want to get her heart broken. She could at least maintain a friendship with the other guy, right?

-  JH ♥ SY -

This was it.

Of course Jonghyun was expecting someone to ring his doorbell. His manager had called the night before to remind him that it was the first filming day. He received the red mission card and was surprised that he hadn’t been paired yet, but had to go on two dates to determine the couples. He became excited and even called out to his two puppies that they were getting a mom, not realising that a decision had to be made and the two people had to pick each other in order to become a confirmed couple. He decided to put on his best image for the first meetings and decided to go far as to buy two bouquets of flowers in order to impress both the girls. He also brought his guitar, not only to boost his confidence and give him reassurance, but also to charm his potential wife. Thinking about all the possible scenarios that could happen, his mind started racing and he began his own personal monologue in the car. Nervous, at this point, would be an understatement.

The first date location would be at Seoul Sungshin Women’s University. Seungyeon was excited and also nervous at the thought that she would be meeting her future husband at her very own school. This was also her chance to live out her own fantasy of having a campus date and walking while holding her boyfriend’s hands. But the thought made her blush. How could she do that with someone on their first meeting? As she was in the car on the way to the university, her mind kept wandering to the other fantasies that she had, like eating her favorite intestines with her husband, and she became all giddy inside.

Walking towards the location of the first meeting beside the payphone was a daunting experience. Seungyeon arrived first and sat down at one of the benches. The place was almost deserted if it wasn’t for her and the crew and some students. The butterflies in her stomach were fluttering around more and more with each passing second of waiting. She cautiously checked her watch (which she decided to put on secretly) out of view of the camera and tucked it back inside of her sleeve. Still, with a little tiny bit of hope inside, she left just enough of the corner peeking out to see what color it would turn. What would she say when they meet? If it stayed blue, would it show on her face? How would she feel?

Jonghyun, armed with flowers and his guitar, made his way towards his future wife. The female students who passed him and congratulated him on his marriage gave him a boost of energy. As his careful steps took him closer to her, he checked his watch. Shaking his head, he tried to wash away all thoughts about the Soulmate App and try to live in the moment. He had secretly put it on to see if he could be matched with his soulmate. But now, he decided that he shouldn’t be dictated by it. He could still have a fun time while shooting the show.

She spots him first.

He, on the other hand, doesn’t see her and goes in the wrong direction.

With her head down in shyness, she waits for the moment until he arrives in front of her. From what she could make out from the distance, he was tall and he was handsome. With all that in mind, Seungyeon became even more shy and blushed, despite it still being cold in Seoul.

He finally sees her in her blue coat. His heart starts beating really fast in his chest as she stands up to greet him.

“Hello”

“Hello.”

When Jonghyun finally looks at Seungyeon for the first time, he stops in his tracks. He doesn’t even realise the meaning of the words that he uttered: “Are you my wife?”

“Yes. I got the mission card.”

Seungyeon has a really good first impression of him.

He thinks she looks beautiful; prettier than anyone that he had ever met before. Her eyes were mesmerising to him and without really knowing it, his footsteps came even close so he could give her the flowers that he bought. All he could think of was ‘wow’, she was amazing and he didn’t think he would ever feel this way.

Sitting down on the seat opposite her, he was happy. He couldn’t explain it any other way. His dimples were so deep and he thought that he had hearts shooting out of his eyes.

-  JH ♥ SY -

They both looked down from their shyness, but in the second their eyes were trained on their hands in their laps, something caught their attention in their corners of their eyes. They looked up at each other in surprise.

Pink lights.

Jonghyun and Seungyeon leaned forward in their seats and just stared gently and loveingly at each other. In whispers and faint voices, they finally spoke the revelation they had moments before.

“You’re…my wife.”

She nodded her head.

“You’re my husband.”

The camera crew was stunned.

There it was.

Reality.

Sincerity.