Episode 1

“Welcome to the long-awaited finale of our show!” the host shouted into her mic, her lips curled in a satisfied grin as the public loudly roared around her. “It is the very last night that we will spend here together, and with our two finalists of course!” She pointed at the two shadowed figures standing behind her.

Everyone went mum for a second, until the lights on the set suddenly sparkled over the heads of the two contestants, finally revealing their faces.

It was the first time that they were seen outside of the villa, and by the public as well. So it was no surprise that everyone around them started to hurl at the sight of the two women they voted for.

“Everything will come down to the two of them,” the host announced, clutching her script in her free hand. “And I know you’re all waiting for the results! Who will win the prize? The glorious 175 million won?” 

The crowd loudly yelled, the names of the two finalists echoing in between their shouts. The host looked at them with bright eyes, seemingly feeling just as excited as they were. 

“But before I reveal who won this season, let’s first dive back a little into each of their adventures in the villa.” 

Two months ago

“Welcome to this new season of Secret Story! I am your host, Park Jihyo.” 

The public roared as the host announced herself. They had all been burning with excitement ever since this new season had been announced. So to see it finally unfolding, after months of waiting for it, was like a dream coming true. 

“I know you’re all impatient to meet our new contestants!” Jihyo loudly giggled, followed by the crowd’s giddy shouts. “I know, me too! But before we finally dive in this new season, I need to introduce you all to someone.” 

The people in the crowd all looked at each other, some looking lost while others jumped in their seats with anticipation, knowing exactly what was coming. 

“For those of you who are familiar with the show, you definitely know him. But for the new viewers, let me introduce you to…” Jihyo’s eyes darted from left to right, as if gauging the public’s excitement. “Our iconic Judge! He will be the one in constant contact with our contestants, and also the one to explain the rules of our show!” 

The crowd hurled as a blue eye appeared on the big screen behind the host. 

“Here is the Judge.” Countless shouts could be heard throughout the set as the manly voice continued. “It is time for the House of Mysteries to open its doors once again. A house in which each contestant must protect their secret, and investigate to unveil the others’.” The voice marked a small pause, before resuming. “And I am the one to direct this game.”

The screen suddenly switched from the picture of the blue eye to a live recording from the villa the contestants would be staying in during the show. 

“And as the game is about to start, I will tell you one thing.” The voice stopped as the crowd’s yells grew louder. And just as the voice was about to resume, a door opened on the live recording of the villa.

“Beware of appearances.”

***

Jimin slowly pushed the door open, unaware of the countless eyes already watching her. While the contestants had already been warned that their every move would be seen by the viewers, she still wasn’t quite used to the idea of it. 

And the sights awaiting behind the doors were too distracting for her already overwhelmed mind to focus on anything else anyway.

The production team had made her enter through the only room that was connected to the official set of the show: the Red Room. From what they told her, it would be the place they would enter from, but also the place where eliminations would take place in. 

So if possible, she would like to avoid it at all costs now.

But behind this Red Room, stood a pristine villa; one that really caught Jimin’s breath. It looked as modern as Jimin had imagined it to be, and it was accompanied by a huge swimming pool, surrounded by a bunch of deckchairs. However, she didn’t spend too much time outside, as what interested her the most stood behind the house’s doors.

Jimin quickly stepped a foot inside before carefully roaming around the villa, her eyes scrutinizing every single detail she could potentially find there.

At first glance, the house looked perfectly normal, although its interior design was quite eccentric. There were two bedrooms, a bathroom as spacious as one that could be found in a dorm, and a classy kitchen. The rest of the rooms seemed to be various common spaces such as a living room and several game and trivial rooms. 

But there was one space that particularly caught Jimin’s eyes. 

It was situated at the very end of the villa, in a confined area. This room was dimly-lit, and there was a single couch standing in it, placed right in front of a camera. But the most interesting part of this room was the red button positioned right in between the couch and the camera. 

According to the staff, this room was called the ‘Confessional’. 

It was a place where the contestants could come to rant about what happened inside the house, free from any prying eyes. It was also the main space where they were able to communicate with the Judge if needed.

But what interested Jimin the most about this room was that red button. According to the explanations, each contestant had an initial pot of 20 million won. And when a player thought that she found a secret, she could buzz this button. If the secret was successfully unveiled, this player would earn the other person’s whole pot. But if the player failed, it would cost her half of her personal pot.

But to reach this step in the investigation, the Judge had apparently placed several hints within the house for the contestants to look into each other’s secrets. And that was exactly what Jimin was after. 

She wasn’t after the potential fame that awaited after the show, nor was she after forging bonds. 

Her only goal was to unveil everybody’s secrets and earn as much money as possible from this show. 

So while she was at it, she might as well start searching alread–

“Hello!! Is someone there?” she heard a loud voice echoing from the living room. 

“Maybe we’re the first ones to arrive?” a chirpy voice asked. 

“Either way, I can’t wait to finally settle down and eat. I’m starving!” a third voice whined. 

Feeling like she had been caught red-handed even though she had done nothing wrong, Jimin waddled back towards the living room, slightly scared of who had arrived. 

From the tone of their voices, they seemed to be… quite lively. 

“Oh! There is someone after all!” The woman ran to Jimin and stopped right in front of her, a bit too close. “You’re so pretty! Nice to meet you, I’m Sana!!”

Jimin instinctively squinted as Sana’s positive energy seemed to slap her right in the face. Her shine was too blinding, and she was way too close! 

“H–Hello,” she could only awkwardly mutter, her eyes not physically ready to meet Sana’s yet. 

Another person rapidly approached, and suddenly took Jimin’s hand in hers. “I’m Miyeon!” she giggled, flashing Jimin a toothy grin. “I’m Sana’s twin!” 

Jimin’s eyes widened as she finally lifted her head up. And sure enough, Sana and Miyeon did look like each other. That was an information to keep in mind.

Too busy inside her own head, she didn’t notice the third figure approaching. “Yizhuo,” a small woman said, her hands resting on her hips. “But you can call me Ningning too.” 

Jimin had to slightly lower her head to properly get a look of Yizhuo. Her stance itself screamed attitude, though she didn’t inherently look like a bad person. 

This time, Jimin wouldn’t fail her introduction. 

“Hello,” she said in what she hoped was a steady voice. “I’m Ji–”

“Yeah Jimin, I heard already.” Yizhuo clicked her tongue, gesturing around them. “Since you arrived first, do you know where the kitchen is? I’m fucking starving.” 

Jimin looked at her with wide eyes, gulping back the rest of her sentence. Okay, maybe Yizhuo wasn’t that nice of a person. Maybe Jimin should stay away from her, at least for her own peace of mind…

“It’s uh… there,” she muttered, pointing towards the kitchen. 

Yizhuo lightly hummed (as a thanks, maybe?) and darted towards the room, whining about dying from starvation already. 

“What a weird person…” Jimin thought.

Sana, who was still very much standing in Jimin’s personal space, was about to speak when the door opened, catching their attention. Luckily for Jimin’s poor heart, the surprise made Sana step away. 

“Oh! There’s already people there!” A blonde woman entered, followed closely by a brunette. From the looks of it, she looked like a loud person; though, judging from her earlier experience with Yizhuo, Jimin shouldn’t only rely on appearances.

“Hi there!” Sana greeted, her voice filled with whimsy. At least there was an ultra extrovert in the house, meaning that Jimin was safe from having to engage in too much small talk with the others. 

It was a good thing that the attention wouldn’t be on her. 

“Aeri, baby, come!” the blonde cheerfully said, tugging the brunette behind her. It was only then that Jimin noticed that they were holding hands. 

Were they a couple? Just very close friends? Or roommates? 

Aeri slowly stepped inside and gave them all a curt nod as a greeting. Next to her, the blonde woman waved, her vigorous gestures further reinforcing Jimin’s doubts about her loud personality. 

“I’m Somi! And this–” she pulled Aeri closer to her chest, wrapping her arm around the brunette’s shoulder, “–is my girlfriend. Nice to meet you all.” 

Jimin had to physically stop herself from wincing at the sight. She had nothing against couples, not at all. But these two also kind of made her want to puke. 

Luckily for her mental health, Miyeon and Sana quickly engaged into conversation with Somi, leaving Jimin free from having to interact with this person. 

However Aeri, who was standing slightly behind her girlfriend, didn’t exactly look at ease. At least, the way she stood there, clutching the hem of her dress, was enough for Jimin to reach this conclusion. 

“What?” 

Jimin jumped, not expecting Aeri to talk so suddenly. Their eyes briefly met before Jimin awkwardly averted her gaze, choosing to focus it on the shiny floor. “N–Nothing.” 

“Hello?” 

An unknown voice broke through the awkward air, much to Jimin’s relief. Again, two women entered the villa. 

“New people!” Sana cheered, fleeing from the conversation with Miyeon and Somi to go and meet the two new contestants. “You two are so cute!” 

Jimin couldn’t exactly deny Sana’s words. On the right, stood a tall brunette with sharp features and a particularly straight posture. Instead of cute, Jimin thought it would be more adequate to qualify her as stunning. 

On the other hand, the woman who entered alongside her did fit the cute criteria. She had round eyes and puppyish features, though her expression was quite cold. She looked almost… bored..? 

“Guys!” Sana called, her arms already wrapped around each of the women’s shoulders. “These are Kazuha and Minjeong!” She then turned back to them, flashing them a bright grin. “I hope we will have lots of fun together!” 

Kazuha politely smiled back, seemingly enjoying the attention. However, Minjeong looked as stiff as a plank, as if not used to such sudden closeness. 

Jimin could totally relate. This Sana woman was clearly no joke when it came to invading people’s personal space. It was nice to see she wasn’t the only one surprised by it. 

The rest of the arrivals flashed in a blur of loud chatters and excited movements. It would be an understatement to say that Jimin felt a bit overwhelmed, though it was to be expected. 

After all, there were thirteen other women in this villa with her now. 

(She already missed this fleeting time when it was only her in the house…)

Following Kazuha and Minjeong’s arrival, six other women joined them. From what Jimin heard, four people first arrived: Momo, Nayeon, Sooin and Gawon. As she was already traumatized by the previous contestants’ arrival, Jimin had chosen to retire to the kitchen instead of staying inside the living room. 

There, she had found Yizhuo who was seemingly busy destroying a full plate of pasta (good for her?). But at least, the small woman was so focused on her food that she didn’t even bother attempting to chat with Jimin, much to her relief. 

It was then that the two last contestants arrived. And while Jimin hadn’t really paid attention to the first four’s entrance, these two surely made a show of themselves. 

Well the first one, who she learned was called Wonyoung, arrived in a very distinguished manner. She looked awfully classy, and overly beautiful too. 

It was the second woman who made quite… an impression. 

Her arrival itself was loud, to say the least. Upon the first second of entering the villa, she already started to cackle with the twins–so much that Jimin could clearly hear her voice from the kitchen. 

Again, she told herself to beware of appearances. But from her looks, highlighted by her dyed blonde hair (and particularly dark roots), and her voice, which was unusually blaring, she seemed to be quite the character. 

(Another person Jimin would gladly stay away from… It was a good thing that she didn’t come here to make friends, because most of the other contestants looked like people she would never speak to on a regular day.)

After about five minutes of loud laughter, the last contestant finally introduced herself. “Hi everyone, government name is Jennifer but I’d rather if you called me Yunjin.” 

Just thinking about the next two months was enough to make Jimin’s head hurt. 

But she willingly put herself in this situation, didn’t she?

Aeri glanced around and pressed her back harder against the back wall, her arms crossed over her chest, trying her best to look at ease. The living room was alive to say the least, the voices of thirteen other women filling the space. 

Having been allowed to join the house with someone, Aeri had been luckier than most. She liked to think that they were the perfect and worst couple to join that kind of show; a border toxic relationship that had been founded on a catastrophic one-year long situationship and an intense love for each other. Her relationship with Somi had never been a peaceful ride, but she was certain that it would make an entertaining show for the viewers. 

A wheel had been set in the middle of the living room, right in front of the couches where most were currently sitting on. Aeri wasn’t sure if she wanted to volunteer to be the one to spin it or not. 

“I’ll do it!” One of the girls, Sana, if Aeri could remember correctly, happily jumped to her feet. 

A smile curved on Aeri’s lips. She hadn’t really had the opportunity to talk to anyone in the villa so far, but had certainly already catalogued Sana as whimsical. 

She felt her girlfriend’s hand slide into hers not even a second later. “Do you think we’ll get to sleep in the same room?” 

Aeri looked down at their intertwined fingers and tilted her head for it to rest on Somi’s shoulder. “Hmm.. we better.” 

A blonde girl sitting on the couch laughed loudly, her head tilted back to what the girl next to her said and that drew Aeri’s attention back to the center of the room. The girl who had been the reason for this loud burst of laughter had a smile plastered on her face, Sooin, if Aeri’s memory was not failing her. 

“Okay let’s go!” Sana cheerfully said before spinning the wheel for the first time. “Let’s see who gets to join bedroom one.” 

The wheel spun for a good ten seconds before stopping on the first name.

“Yunjin,” Sana announced, nodding toward the wheel. 

The blonde girl stood and Aeri made a mental note to herself. Yunjin, that was the laughing girl’s name. She had long toned legs and her outfit was pretty. She was hot, but so were all of the girls in the room. 

Sana spun the wheel for the second time and it landed on a rather quiet but kind faced girl. “Kazuha, bedroom two.” 

Kazuha stood up with a shy grin and nodded, positioning herself at Yunjin’s opposite side. 

Gawon’s name was the third one to be called. She joined Yunjin’s side quietly and leaned to whisper something Aeri managed to catch. “I hope we have fun.” Yunjin shot her a smile in response. 

“Miyeon-ah,” Sana smiled brightly when the wheel landed on her twin’s name. “Bedroom two.” 

Miyeon practically ran to join Kazuha’s side and immediately grabbed her hand, which didn’t fail to make the quiet girl blush. “Ahhh, you’re not alone anymore!” Kazuha only nodded shyly in response and Aeri couldn’t help but quietly giggle at the cute interaction. 

“Yizhuo,” Sana called and the diva, because there was no other way to call her, stood up. Aeri had had very little time to observe her, but had immediately caught that she seemed to be someone who would surely get involved in a lot of gossip. 

A girl that resembled a doll was then called to join bedroom two. She was elegant and her dress seemed to have cost an arm and a leg. She politely smiled at her roommates and Aeri inhaled deeply. 

The bedrooms were starting to fill and neither her nor Somi had been called yet. And Aeri really, really, really wanted to sleep with her girlfriend. She had watched the previous seasons of the show, and had seen how often couples who came together… didn’t last for long, especially if separated at night. 

Sana’s own name was next to be drawn to join the first bedroom but she kept spinning the wheel. 

“Jimin!” She announced and Aeri turned her head to try and find the contestant. 

Jimin was sitting with her hands folded on her lap and stood up quietly. She joined bedroom's two contestants and offered them a tight smile. She looked tense, and Aeri wasn’t sure if she would get along well with her. She eventually chose to think that Jimin was probably just nervous. 

“Aeri, bedroom one!” Sana said and a wave of relief washed over Aeri. Until she realized that there was no guarantee that Somi’s name would be called for bedroom one. 

She quickly leaned to kiss her girlfriend’s cheek. “I love you,” she pressed her lips together before crossing the room to join Yunjin, Gawon, and Yihzuo. 

There were two spots left in bedroom one and three in bedroom two, which meant that there was a higher probability for Somi to be away from her. 

“Sooin, bedroom two!” Sana said and Aeri’s fingers clenched around the hem of her own dress. 

Two to two. There was still hope. 

Aeri didn’t have Somi’s hand to crush anymore, so she tried her best to keep her cool. They would be fine if separated, right? But that would also mean that Somi was going to sleep with another girl inside her–

“Momo, bedroom one!” Sana announced and Aeri gulped almost audibly. 

“Fuck,” she cursed under her breath and then mentally scolded herself, “don’t let other see that she’s your weakness as of now, play it cool.”

“Nayeon, you’ll sleep in bedroom two!” Sana shot her a smile and the girl threw her roommates a peace sign before joining their side. 

Aeri glanced at her girlfriend nervously and shifted on her feet. Somi seemed relaxed compared to her, her sunglasses still perched on top of her head and a cool posture that couldn’t let anyone think that she cared if she ended up with Aeri or not. 

“Somi, bedroom one!” Sana announced and Aeri emptied her lungs out of relief. 

“Jesus,” she muttered under her breath and melted into Somi’s embrace when the taller girl hugged her from behind. 

“I was right to have faith in us,” Somi mumbled against Aeri’s neck, pampering the skin with kisses but Aeri gently pushed her away, not wanting to display full on PDA to everyone within the first thirty minutes. 

She hummed, a smile still forming on her lips and watched the last girl join bedroom two’s contestants. Minjeong, who had just been called last, had a puppyish face and looked like she would never hurt a fly. 

But Aeri knew better than to only rely on her own first impressions. Every contestant was there to win, and just because they looked kind didn’t mean that they would actually be. 

“Oh there it is,” Gawon said as the group reached the bedroom entrance. 

Aeri’s eyes widened as she took in the room. Three double beds and a single bed were all lined up against the wall. There was an empty space in the middle of it all and an archway leading to the other bedroom. She instantly spotted two cameras in the corner of the room and looked at the other contestants, waiting for them to decide who would sleep with whom and which bed to take.

“This one is nice,” Somi said as she sat down on the bed that was closest to the wall. 

Aeri hummed and smiled politely to the other girls. “Is it fine with you guys?” 

The blonde and tall girl turned to look at her. “Yeah I don't mind, I’m not picky. I’m not sure we'll get much sleep anyway.” A smirk curved on her lips and Aeri internally rolled her eyes. 

“Fuck, my feet hurt,” Yizhuo whined as she sat down on another double bed. 

The pairs seemed to consist of: Yizhuo with Yunjin, Sana with Momo, and Gawon alone in the single bed. 

Aeri dropped her suitcase by the end of their bed and sat on it. Well, this was a bit awkward. 

“The bedroom is cozy,” Sana cheerfully said, seemingly exploring the surroundings. “Oh, the bathroom is right there! Woah, it’s huge!” 

Aeri turned to look her way and Somi pulled her by the hand to go and explore. She let herself be led and took in the environment. 

Sana was right, the bathroom was huge. Several sinks were lined up against the wall, and three showers were positioned in different corners of the room. Hairdryers and hair straighteners had been carefully placed in boxes for them to use and all of the cabinets were empty. 

“There are cameras absolutely everywhere,” Yizhuo erupted from behind, pointing at a camera in the corner of the bathroom, and then to another one near the mirrors. 

Somi leaned to whisper in Aeri’s ear, “we’ve never tried anything public yet, have we?” 

Aeri rolled her eyes and she gently hit her girlfriend’s side. “Shut up,” she let out a small giggle.

Everyone took their time to unpack, filling the wardrobes with fancy or not so fancy clothes. Before entering the house they had been instructed to bring party outfits, but also indoors outfits they could chill in. 

After spending two months together, they’d probably end up not caring about appearances at some point, or perhaps not. Perhaps they’d spend most of their time by the pool, bikinis as their preferred outfit to wear. 

“Do you think we’ll have to do something tonight?” Momo asked casually, her shoulder pressed against the wall. 

“I heard from someone, Nayeon, I think that we had to get ready for a party.” Gawon said, laying flat on her bed, her chin resting in between her palms. 

“Oh. My. God. Yes!” Yizhuo stood up immediately, almost running toward the bathroom. “This is going to be fun.” 

Somi quickly pressed a kiss to Aeri’s lips before standing up. “I’ll go get ready with her, baby, try to get to know the girls better.” 

Was there a dress code? Or could Aeri just show up wearing whatever she wanted? Could she plan a specific outfit to try and impress the viewers? She hadn’t forgotten her initial goal, even though already a bit distracted by the loudliness of the place. 

Either way, she could pick and outfit and adjust if needed. 

She quickly picked a tight black dress from what would become her new closet for the next two months, if she managed to stay until then, and quickly glanced at herself in the mirror. That would do. 

Aeri took a last glance at herself before heading outside to join the other contestants. Or maybe not, because most of them were still getting ready. 

She stepped outside and didn't even have time to say hi to the puppyish faced girl before her heel caught in between the wooden slats of the deck. 

Her fall was agonizingly long, and she ended up on the ground, a yelp escaping her lips. 

“Oh my god–are you okay?!” Minjeong immediately asked, running to her side and lowering herself to make sure she had not hurt herself too badly. 

Aeri dramatically put an arm over her face and closed her eyes. “Don't mind me I-I’ll just stay there for a while,” she whined loudly, shame taking over her entire body. 

She had embarrassed herself not just in front of Minjeong, but also in front of the viewers. And she was more than sure that such an embarrassing fall would give people a good laugh and travel across the internet at light speed. 

“Do-does it hurt?” Minjeong asked, her hands uselessly hovering over Aeri’s body. “You can't stay there–you need to get up, everyone is going to be there soon.” 

“Let me just pretend that I’m dead, I think it'll be better for everyone,” Aeri opened just an eye to look at Minjeong, finding the way the girl was worried absolutely adorable despite the rather comical side of the incident. 

“No! I mean–let me help you,” Minjeong grabbed both of her arms and tried to stand up, pulling Aeri's body upright. 

Aeri, who surely wanted to keep pretending to be dead, wasn't of great help. She didn't put much effort into standing up and that only led to a new disaster. 

Halfway through the process of making Aeri stand up, it was Minjeong’s turn to trip over her own feet. And this fall was faster than the previous one. 

That's pretty much how they ended up sprawled on the floor, Minjeong’s face buried into Aeri’s neck, her hands desperately placed on each side of her head. 

That surely was a great way to get to know a still total stranger. 

“I’m sorry–I wanted to help but–” Minjeong’s face was flushed as she smoothed down her own dress, her eyes avoiding Aeri’s at all cost. 

That's when Aeri burst into laughter for the first time, finally allowing herself to make fun of the situation. 

“No it's fine,” Aeri ran a hand through her hair and fixed her own clothes, shaking her head to the side. “I’m glad you tried, and I’m glad I’m not the only loser in this situation.” 

“Hey! I’m not a loser!” A pout formed on Minjeong’s lips and she crossed her arms over her chest. “I'm just a bit clumsy.” 

Aeri’s lips curved into a smile and she nodded. “Right, just a bit clumsy!” 

Luckily for them, the other girls only started walking outside when they were both back on track, and their voices started echoing into the night. 

“Ready to party?” Yizhuo asked, grabbing a flute of champagne that had been placed by the staff onto a table. 

“As I've ever been!” Somi raised another flute of champagne, after handing one to each of the girls around. “Cheers, to our freshly founded.. group.” 

“Cheers!” All of them followed, the clink of their glasses echoing in the night. 

On the other side of the pool, under what seemed to be an outside bar, Jimin and Wonyoung both awkwardly stood next to each other, seemingly not quite ready to strike a conversation. 

But… it was to be expected. After all, Wonyoung had stayed in her corner ever since she arrived in the villa, probably feeling a bit overwhelmed by the… colorful personalities of the other contestants. 

And Jimin was no better. Aside from the quick chit-chats with the twins during her arrival, she hadn’t been the most sociable person in the room. But, although she wasn’t that introverted of a woman, it was still hard for her to find exactly where she could fit in between all these loud people. 

“Jimin, right?” 

She turned her head to see a girl with bangs looking at her with a polite smile. If she remembered correctly, her name was Sooin; they were in the same bedroom. Next to her, stood another woman whose expression was… intense. She looked pretty intimidating.

“Yes,” Jimin replied, trying her best to sound natural. She hadn’t expected to be approached like that, but it was a good thing. Because, despite not caring much about her bond with others, she knew that the public loved interactions. “And you’re Sooin, right?”

Upon hearing that Jimin remembered her name, Sooin beamed, her smile reaching her ears. “Yes! Gosh, I was scared that you’d find me weird for approaching you so suddenly… Imagine if you didn’t remember me, that would be so embarrassing! Right, Gawon?” 

Gawon’s expression morphed from a severe one to a mocking grin. “I would have loved to see that actually.” 

“Rude!” Sooin pouted. 

Jimin found herself laughing at that, finding Sooin’s panic and Gawon’s snarky remarks amusing. “All good! I’m not the best at approaching others so I’m actually glad that you did,” she said, offering the two women a kind smile. 

Sooin seemed overjoyed to hear that. “It’s okay! Do you want to go see the pool together?” 

Jimin could only nod in response, following after the giddy woman and leaving a stiff Wonyoung behind. 

She could only hope that Wonyoung would be able to make a better impression, both to the public and the other contestants. She wasn’t close enough to the woman to care, but she still felt a little bad for her.

“Would you take a look at that?!” Miyeon gestured toward a cozy little spot in the corner of the garden with outdoor furniture and a fire pit in the middle. 

“Woah,” Somi followed her lead, nodding eagerly. “Perfect spot to sip and gossip.” 

Yizhuo, who had just gone back from refilling her glass, joined them. “My god, some people here are kinda..” she trailed off, taking a seat and rolling her eyes. 

Somi rested her elbow on her thigh, clearly interested in whatever Yizhuo was going to say. “Kinda…?” She pressed, prompting her to keep talking. 

“Boring,” Yizhuo shrugged, swirling her glass in her hand. “I don’t know, some people look like they don’t want to have fun, like they’re just there to.. actually play the game.” 

“I mean, to each their own but..” Miyeon let out a laugh, rolling strands of her hair between her fingers. “I’m here to have fun, and eventually win.” 

“Hi guys,” Yunjin walked closer to them, a smile playing on her lips. “Can I sit?” 

“Of course,” Somi nodded, gesturing toward an empty space on the couch. “If you don’t mind a little gossip.” 

Yunjin tilted her head to the side. “Already?” She let out a soft laugh, “did something happen?” She plopped down on the couch, crossing her legs. 

“Not really, but some people seem more promising than others.” Miyeon grinned, looking at the other contestants from a distance, analyzing their behaviors. 

Yunjin slightly frowned at that, but she didn’t press, not wanting to make enemies so early in the competition. 

“Bringing your girlfriend into the competition was really bold of you,” Yizhuo smirked over the rim of her glass, looking at Somi. “Aren’t you afraid?” 

“Afraid? Not even in the slightest,” Somi rolled her eyes playfully, though she downed her flute of champagne. “I don’t see anyone in the villa that could be a potential threat.” 

Yunjin couldn’t help the smirk that formed on her lips, and she had to look away to avoid anyone seeing it. 

“You might not want to worry about your couple, but about people stealing your spotlight,” Miyeon ended the brief seconds of silence, pointing toward a trio composed of a duo that seemed particularly close. 

Not so far from where the small group was gossiping, Momo and Nayeon seemed busy chatting while a bored-looking Sana stood next to them, her eyes fixed towards the bar. 

It was rare to see Sana sport such an impassive expression. But a closer look at Nayeon and Momo’s discussion was enough to understand why the usually cheerful woman felt so… bored. 

It was as if they were stuck in their own little bubble, whispering in each other’s ears and giggling like highschoolers. Luckily for everyone’s wellbeing, it was hard to truly hear what they were muttering about. But from how close they stood from one another, it was easy to guess that the tone of the conversation was quite the flirtatious one. 

The public would surely love it. And the same also applied to the contestants who loved gossiping. 

Romance–or lust–had this effect on people after all. 

“You know, you’re really pretty,” Momo loudly whispered, her face steadily growing closer to Nayeon’s. 

“I know,” Nayeon giggled. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

From afar, someone whistled; which wasn’t all that surprising, considering that Nayeon and Momo were flirting in the middle of the party, in front of all prying eyes. 

But as their faces slowly inched closer, they at least had the decency to step away towards a corner of the garden. 

Sana rolled her eyes at the sight and marched away from the scene. She didn’t mind a little action, she was all for it actually! But gosh, maybe they could have done that somewhere other than right in her face?! 

The public would get their steamy action, so good for them. But she, and most of the other contestants, would gladly pass on being third-wheels like that. 

She quickly reached the bar and found a lost-looking Wonyoung there. Ever so the social butterfly, Sana impulsively rushed to Wonyoung’s side, clicking their glasses together. 

“Are you bored?” she asked, offering the serious woman a crooked smile. 

Wonyoung heaved out a small laugh. “I just don’t know what to do.” 

Sana lightly giggled at that, taking a sip of her drink. “I’ll try my best to entertain you then!” 

Not that further away, Aeri was getting to know Kazuha. The two had been chatting for a while now, occasionally dancing in between conversations and exchanging stories.

“–yeah I’ve always been more of–” Aeri said before feeling hands placed on her waist, spinning her around. A frown formed on her face. “What are you–” 

Somi didn’t waste another second and pulled her flush against her. Aeri blinked slowly, not understanding what was happening and before she could even say anything else, she felt her girlfriend’s lips pressing against hers. 

She made a small sound inside her mouth and gently tried to push her away. “I–I was in the middle of a conversation–” she whined, but Somi only sucked on her bottom lip in response, capturing the flesh in between her teeth. 

“Hm–I’ll leave you guys alone–” Kazuha quickly said, almost running away from the… interesting scene happening on the terrace. 

Aeri tried to shoot her a sorry glance and eventually ended up closing her eyes. Her girlfriend was kissing after all, and she couldn’t deny that it felt good. 

After a good five minutes of intense make-out, and Aeri ending pressed against a nearby wall for everyone to see, she eventually pulled away. 

“What was that?” She asked, slightly out of breath. 

“We’ve got a reputation to build baby,” Somi smirked and leaned to press a last peck to her lips. 

Aeri arched a brow, not sure what she meant by that but shrugged, a small giggle escaping her lips. “If you say so.” 

After running away from the interesting public display of affection, Kazuha stopped by the buffet, desperately needing something to fill her stomach. 

“Woah easy there,” Yunjin said from the other side of the table, a smile playing on her lips. “What happened to you?” 

“I hm–I was talking to Aeri but Somi joined us and well–” she rubbed the back of her neck, avoiding the blonde girl’s gaze. 

Yunjin furrowed her brows and looked past her shoulder, her gaze landing on the very much still glued couple, and caught the way their lipstick smudged. “Oh..” she trailed off, “oh, I see.” 

Kazuha smiled awkwardly and bit into a slice of pizza, nodding slowly. “Yeah.” 

“Aside from that, are you enjoying life inside the house so far?” Yunjin asked, taking a seat on a nearby chair. 

Kazuha hummed and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Yes! Everyone is very friendly and outgoing, I like it so far. You?” 

“You’re so.. normal compared to other girls I’ve chatted with earlier.” Yunjin admitted, sipping on her drink. “That’s a compliment by the way.” 

Kazuha lowered her head to laugh a little and her cheeks reddened slightly. “Thank you, Yunjin.” 

“What do you do for a living?” Yunjin casually asked before pressing her lips together. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, sorry that was a bit sudden.” 

“Oh no, all good,” Kazuha nodded, offering her a reassuring smile. “Unless this is part of your investigation…?” 

Yunjin held up her hands and let out a soft laugh. “Woop, you got me there. Let me try again. Do you have any hobbies? What are the things you’re to miss most while being inside?” 

Kazuha took a few seconds to think, resting her chin into her palm after taking a seat across from her. “I guess my family? And going for walks in the forest too.” 

“A nature lover, I see.” Yunjin smiled as she refilled her glass. “And a sports lover.” 

“That’s right.” Kazuha silently thanked her for the drink and brought the glass closer to her lips. “You?” 

“Perhaps going out with friends, but I guess I can make some here and have just as much fun.” Yunjin briefly looked at the other contestants before returning her gaze to Kazuha. “We could exercise together tomorrow morning if you want? I saw some gym weights earlier in the living room, we could use them.” 

Kazuha nodded eagerly. “Yes please, I think I’m going to go crazy if we spend our days doing nothing.” 

“About that,” Yunjin pressed her lips together. “Do you think things are going to turn messy early on? Or only when we run out of things to do?” 

“I don’t know,” Kazuha shrugged. “I’ve watched a few episodes from other seasons and feelings always seemed to be multiplied inside the house so… I guess things could go south after the first elimination.” 

“Oh god yes, I had forgotten about that.” Yunjin bit down her lip, running a hand through her hair. “I think forming alliances is going to be crucial even pretty early on.” 

“Let’s talk about that tomorrow morning.” Kazuha raised her glass. “If you manage to beat me at deadlifts, I’ll be your ally.” 

“Deal,” Yunjin clinked her glass against hers. 

Yizhuo walked towards the pool, satisfied with the amount of gossip she had done for the night. Lightly clutching her flute of champagne, she let her gaze wander on the languid movements of the water. 

They had been at it for a while now. The others, although still going strong with partying and mostly drinking, were starting to lose some energy, allowing Yizhuo to step away and breathe a little bit. 

She wasn’t alone around the swimming pool though. Gawon, Sooin and Jimin were still there, seemingly having spent most of their evening talking among themselves. 

Yizhuo, who had nothing much to do, decided to approach them, her signature sly smile already painted on her face. “Hey girls!” 

They all turned towards her, surprised.

“Oh, Ningning!” Sooin smiled, gesturing for the small girl to approach. “We were just chatting about the house, the game, and all that stuff.” 

Yizhuo lightly hummed, only now noticing how stiff Jimin suddenly looked. A quick search in her own memory was enough to remind her of her earlier introduction to Jimin. 

In her defense, she had been super hungry. But yeah, maybe she hadn’t made the best first impression in the other woman’s eyes. 

Attempting to ease down the tense air around them, Yizhuo sent a small wink in Jimin’s direction, before casually clinking their glasses together. “Thanks for earlier by the way.” 

Jimin, who seemed surprised by such a sudden change in Yizhuo’s behavior, frantically nodded. “No problem.” Despite looking just as awkward as before, the tension in her shoulders slowly decreased, and Jimin even clinked Yizhuo’s glass back, much to the woman’s surprise. “Hope you’re not hungry anymore?” 

Yizhuo couldn’t help but to giggle at that. “Hungry for food? I’m good now, thanks to you!” She sent them all a mischievous wink. “But hungry for good gossip? I always am.” 

They all giggled at that, the atmosphere grandly easing as Yizhuo started to crack a few jokes. 

However, the more the night advanced, the more chaotic things grew within their group. 

Yizhuo’s arrival was already enough to send Sooin, Gawon and Jimin in a frenzy of laughter. But Miyeon, who was tired of being Somi and Aeri’s third wheel and who had been abandoned by Yunjin, had decided to join in the fun.

Except that she had created a whole mess by jokingly pushing Yizhuo inside the pool. And Yizhuo, who wasn’t ready to back down, had pulled her and Sooin, the poor bystander in this story, inside the water with her. Upon hearing the sudden excitement, Sana had interrupted her conversation with Wonyoung to join the impromptu swimming party.

So now here they were, throwing water at each other and loudly giggling like giddy children, even if they were all dressed like they were going to a gala. 

And Gawon, who had been the smartest of them all, took this opportunity to go chat with Wonyoung near the bar, away from all the chaos, leaving Jimin as the only sane person in the area. 

Jimin could only roll her eyes at the mess unfolding in front of her, but couldn’t stop her lips from curling into an easy smile. She was only now realising that it was the lightest she felt ever since she stepped a foot inside the villa. 

Before, there were so many thoughts clashing inside her mind: how to keep her secret safe, where she should start investigating, how she should keep her distance from the others to not be too vulnerable in this mind game. 

But just for this night, maybe letting go of her determination and taking it easy was okay. 

“I didn’t know you could smile like that.” 

Jimin turned her head to see the puppyish woman, Minjeong if she remembered correctly, looking at her through hazy eyes. 

She was drunk… wasn’t she? 

Was it okay to be like that in front of the cameras? Jimin knew that the show let them behave freely, but wasn’t this too much..? 

Minjeong flashed her a small smile, lightly swaying from left to right. “You know, you looked super stiff and even kinda annoying at first. But now that I saw you smiling, you look super fun to be around!” 

Jimin wasn’t sure if she was supposed to feel flattered or irritated by such a remark. But with Minjeong looking at her like that, with her glassy eyes and round cheeks, she couldn’t bring herself to feel mad about it. Instead, Jimin relished in the light feelings of the night. 

“I’ve been told, yeah,” she hummed, offering the drunk woman an easy smile. 

Minjeong nodded to herself, before pouting. “Wait sorry, I was kinda rude there, no?” Jimin was about to answer that it was alright, but Minjeong interrupted her first. “When Sana jumped on me earlier I saw your compassionate look and kinda had the urge to go hide behind your back, isn’t that funny?” 

Jimin’s eyes widened, suddenly feeling flustered. “H–Huh?” 

The drunk woman let out a nervous giggle and scratched the back of her head. “It kinda felt like I had an ally there. But then you looked scary and ran away so… yeah.” 

Jimin could only laugh at that, feeling bad for how she acted when they first arrived. She swore that she wasn’t bad with social interactions–she spent the whole night with Sooin and Gawon and had a lot of fun with them! But back then, things felt a bit too overwhelming for her. 

“It just felt a bit… too much, you know?” she said, lightly gesturing her hand in the air. 

Minjeong vigorously nodded. “I get that! So many people and so many things to take in at once can be a lot.” She then flashed Jimin a toothy grin, her eyelids slowly fluttering close. “But we will manage!” She hummed to herself. “I knew it… Someone as pretty as you would definitely be interesting.”

Jimin was about to answer that they would surely manage–while blissfully ignoring the not-so subtle compliment–but couldn’t as Minjeong’s shoulder suddenly bumped against her arm. Luckily, Jimin swiftly caught her, unknowingly preventing Minjeong from falling and embarrassing herself for the second time of the night. 

“Erm… Minjeong..?” Jimin called, not sure what to do. But judging from Minjeong’s peaceful expression, she seemed to be okay? 

But wait, had she just fallen asleep in the middle of their conversation?

Jimin heaved out a small sigh. Was this house only filled with weird people? 

They all had secrets, and knowing how unhinged some of the mysteries from the previous seasons were, the contestants being a tad strange wasn’t all that bizarre. 

But still! Was Jimin the only sane person there?! 

She shook her head in disbelief, looking left and right to see if anyone could help her with the drunk woman in her arms. Unfortunately, the others all seemed busy either making a mess or avoiding it, or making out in the corners.

She had no allies in this case, right? 

It seemed like she would have to drag Minjeong back to their bedroom by herself then… 

What an eventful start. 

But well, it wasn’t all that surprising. After all, the House of Mysteries was made to welcome chaos, wasn’t it? 

Confessionnal 

Night 

Yizhuo: Woah… where to start? Lots of things happened, but I think you’ve already managed to figure out what kind of person I am, haven’t you? I love gossip, so I’m all for it. A little bird told me that Nayeon and Momo kissed. All I have to say about this is that the other couple should step up their game or they’ll fall behind. The public loves a good gossip, right? It’s not my problem though, I don’t need any of that to be relevant. But oh, well. 

Momo: I didn’t plan on diving into… action this fast but– I just couldn’t help myself, you know? Nayeon is hot and nice so… yeah! I know I should focus on secrets and all that stuff but frankly, that’s just who I am. There’s no harm in a little kiss, right? 

Somi: Didn’t know someone was going to try and steal our spotlight so fast, but I don’t mind a little competition. I’m here to win, so I’ll make sure to win the viewers’ hearts as well.

Wonyoung: The evening was pretty nice, but I didn’t expect the production team to let us– I mean, them, be this wild so quickly… 

Sana: The party was so fun!! Oh, I had such a blast, I wanna go back there already! Will there be other parties? Maybe a pool party or something? Aaaah, either way, I can’t wait! 

Kazuha: The party? It was pretty nice! Some parts were a bit… traumatizing… but it was a lovely party!