❤︎ resort entrance

looming in the horizon, a tall figure began to emerge on set. at first glance, it seemed like a stray tree blowing away in the summer breeze, but no - this figure had legs, gaining on the set with purpose. it became apparent upon second glance that this was a man, adorned in a bright hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts that barely grazed his knees, birkenstock sandals dusting sand in the air as he jogged on the sand. it seemed as if a retired father had come on set to bother his adult children, but no, he was, indeed, a contestant on the show.

his face lit up as he caught the eye of a crew member, breaking into a wide, friendly grin. his dimple deepened as he waved enthusiastically with a brisk jog, closing the distance between him and the crew. "did i arrive late?" he asked with a perky smile, his nose and eyes scrunching cheerily. he rubbed his palms on his thighs as he stretched his neck to discover the crowd of contestants, bowing his head in respect to the crew as he dismissed himself to join the pack.

his mouth was open wide in excitement as he approached his fellow contestants, flashing them a bright grin as he extended his hand to each member with a firm handshake. "i'm byun wooseok, though you may know me as tanuki," he introduced himself with volume, his head bowing to each person as he greeted them individually, "it's so nice to meet you all in person!"

normally it didn’t take this long for lisa to get ready. but this time it was inevitable she felt the need to look her absolute best before making an appearance— first it had been for the proposal itself, and now? the grand entrance she was to make with the man of her dreams. he who was undoubtedly making her take a little longer than she should have as the best distraction of them all. something as simple as reapplying her tinted rosy red lipgloss was taking forever because she wanted to do nothing more but coat him all over with smooch marks. a little extra something to let everyone know that this man was all hers.

“baby. love. hubby.. i am so sorry. i know we gotta go, but.. you staring at me like that literally isn’t going to help?” she cried out with a chuckle, her eyes averted from her compact mirror as she instead took in his delectable visage with undivided attention. god forbid that they have a bit more time to spare just so she could truly act out on all the fantasies mingyu has managed to unlock in such a short period, but, for now, she would settle for planting just a chaste peck upon his lips as she walked over. then another one, and one more after that. and.. maybe just one on his cheek for good measure. “there we go! now i’m sure both of us are ready?” beaming cheekily from ear to ear, it didn’t take long before her hand found his like a puzzle piece, as their wedding rings shimmered delicately betwixt their laced fingers. ”let’s get going, hm?”

absolutely nothing was going to deter lisa from enjoying herself. not when she had many good things and good people with such good vibes to look forward to, let alone, the future she could only dream of spending to no end with mingyu as his forever mrs. right. so, it was with that same confidence she would emerge by the bonfire, engulfed by the same warmth and glow she felt brimming in her palpitating heart and the smile on her face. “rawr~ got room for some more? hello, everyone! it’s tigs, well, lisa! but maybe this time you could call me, mrs. kim?— i’ve been dying to meet everyone, let’s all have fun together from now on!”

Though Joohyuk made ample efforts in the pods to get to know other contestants, he wasn’t able to connect the way he wanted to, partly due to his nerves and the other part— his suddenly packed work schedule and demanding boss. There were no regrets, however. In the time where he was able to immerse himself into the process of finding love blindly, he got to know a handful of wonderful people and possibly locked in on future friendships. Due to his hermit like nature, there weren’t many opportunities to make friends or socialize. Having a wall between him and the other person he was talking to helped him open up in ways he never thought was possible. It was crazy how he would miss making such connections in the outside world where he allowed his nerves to run rampant.

He didn’t let it get in the way of his goals when the show started off and he was sure as hell he wouldn’t let it get in the way this time. Or so he told himself while he sat in the backseat of the chauffeur’s car, reluctant to get out. An hour went by since he arrived at the bonfire event hosted by Blinded. An hour of just sitting and looking out the window as other contestants filed in before him, happy. Confident. He could be confident, too. “Wonder if Dove’s arrived? Or Panda? Tigs?” How was he suppose to know which contestant was who just from watching from the car? He could only guess.

“Look sir. My shift was over 30 minutes ago. I’m going to have to charge production extra.”

“Ah… Sorry sir. I’ll make my way out, now.,” he apologized and quickly fumbled with the door knob, stumbling out soon after. “Thank you.”He straightened up and blew his hair out of his face before shutting the door.

Joohyuk glanced down at the beach and groaned inwardly. He just had to hold it together for a couple of hours. All joohyuk had to do was say hi, make a few comments to conversations he had no interest in, and leave. He nodded firmly at the game plan, determined. The overgrown lamppost made his way down to the bonfire where the other contestants chattered away over the crackling flames. The warmth from the pit danced over his soft, drowsy features as he shifted from foot to foot before rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Hey, I'm joohyuk, better known as mouse," his voice was barely audible over the other voices coupled with the crackling fire, but there was sweetness to his awkwardness. "I don't usually come to these things, but... it’s nice to meet you all."

Anxiety. The feeling most commonly associated with being into an unknown situation, surrounded by people, strangers, whom you knew nothing about. It wasn’t a feeling that was unfamiliar to her. No. Not when all those years ago, she made the decision to move away from home, stepping into a foreign country with no knowledge of the unknown, armed with only a dream and the thirst for adventure. That was anxiety.

But this, arriving at a resort island, free from the confines of expectations and responsibilities, this was heaven. It was everything she wanted and more. It was only a bonus that she was to experience this paradise with her newfound acquaintances, albeit few in number, but dear to her nonetheless.

And as the sand slipped between her toes and the breeze carried the scent of the sea, Sana felt content.

She was excited, absolutely buzzing with the idea of seeing the faces behind the witty messages. To complete the images grafted in her mind of the other participants. Just what sort of chaos will ensue now that they were all put together?

With every step she took, her smile grew wider and the scene grew more clearly. The mixture of personalities stood out now that they’ve all gathered in one area, unmasked. But that was enough observation. One can only do so much waiting and watching from the sidelines. It was time to step out there and meet the others.

“Good morning everyone! I’m Elly, oh wait, I should probably use my actual name now shouldn’t I? Pause, rewind. The name’s Sana, nice to finally see you all.”