《The Hidden Young Master》 Chapter One "Get out! Once you leave that door you''ll never see me or your children again!" A familiar, yet unfamiliar mocking feminine laugh rang through the living room in response, reaching the staircase where four young boys stood. The four brothers were on a mission; they were going to sneak downstairs and steal some ice cream without their parents noticing¡­ That was the mission before they heard the fight, and they collectively came to a stop. At the front of the boys was a stunning six-year-old boy with beautiful platinum blonde hair and honey-like peach blossom eyes. He stood silently, grasping at the staircase railing to steady himself. Behind him were three ten-year-old boys, just a step behind their youngest, Shin Jun. They were triplets, almost identical in faces. The eldest of the brothers, Shin Yeong, looked the most like their father with black hair and phoenix icy blue eyes, he reached his hand to the youngest''s shoulder to keep him from going forward or falling. The second eldest, Shin Dae, had the same platinum blonde hair as their mother and Shin Jun, while also sporting their father''s blue eyes. The third eldest, Shin Hye, had black hair and honey eyes, he held the arm of Shin Dae to keep himself from tumbling down the stairs. The triplets glanced at each other as if speaking with their eyes, whilst Shin Jun stared confused down the staircase. He knew they weren''t meant to hear the fight, nor were they meant to hear those words spoken in anger by his father, but he really wanted ice cream and begged his brothers to come with him. They were already there, though. Eavesdropping like bad kids. Shin Jun knew they should turn back, but who could stop his curiosity? He could hear shuffling, but he couldn''t see what was happening down the stairs so he silently moved down the steps. One by one, the tips of his toes reached for the stairs below him until he could just barely see his parents in the living room. Shin Yeong nodded at the other two and they also quietly followed behind Shin Jun. Despite the harsh words spoken in anger, their father looked absolutely ruined. His dark brown hair was still wet from the rain outside, the water dripping from his bangs and dripping down his face. His deep blue suit that he wore from work was absolutely drenched, too. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Unlike their father, their mothers looked completely composed. Happy, even. Her long blonde hair was curled neatly, her makeup done perfectly as if the couple had just gone on a date, and she wore a beautiful light pink dress that he somehow knew his family couldn''t afford. In Shin Jun''s eyes, she looked like an angel¡­ if it weren''t for the smirk adorning her face. His eyes fell on her slender hands wrapped around the suitcase, her nails were a beautifully painted light blue and he gripped the railing again, recoiling back into Shin Yeong''s chest slightly. This time, not because he was in a rush and had to stop quickly¡­ No, he knew this wasn''t an ordinary fight anymore. All the brothers knew. Their mother''s smirk turned into a sneer as she paused to look at his father, her husband up and down before turning away to walk towards their front door: "So what? What can you offer me in this small house? I''ve already signed the divorce and the custody - you can have it all. After all, he can give me both another child and money." The door slammed shut just a moment later and the house was shrouded in complete silence for a few moments until another door, belonging to a car presumably, slammed and the family was left absolutely ruined. Their father knelt, sobbing on the living room floor, seemingly losing his strength the moment his wife walked out of the door. The four siblings stood, clenching one another silently. Shin Jun hugged his eldest brother, trying to make sense of what happened, before also allowing a few tears to silently slide down his face, unlike his father''s meltdown. He found himself being picked up and carried back to the room that the four of them shared together. Without ice cream, and without a mother. Shin Jun would always remember this night when he thought of love. He was only six years old when his mother abandoned the family to be off on their own, completely shattering his image of love. He watched his father''s pain as he healed from the heartbreak of his mother leaving for another man. He watched as he threw himself into work, only to come home when it was time to eat with the family. For a few months, he hadn''t even remembered to go to his school events. He watched as his brothers picked up the slack for the family despite their own pains. His eldest brother busied himself in cleaning the house, helping him study, and making sure the siblings were up for their online school. His second eldest brother would choose outfits for him for the day, something his mother had previously done, and take him to the doctors for checkups if he felt sick. Shin Jun was born prematurely, so he was sickly during the first few years of life and Shin Dae worried the most. His third eldest would read books to him at night, decide on the meal they''d eat, and do the grocery shopping. One thing they all had in common - all four siblings threw themselves into school, and later on, they would throw themselves into work. Despite how distant they may be, they always made time for one another. Those heartbreaking days solidified in his mind that he would never fall in love. Chapter Two Shin Jun used to believe that his parents had a beautiful love story until that night, he could still remember his father lying in bed with him and all his siblings telling them his tale. He could still remember how their eyes glittered with wonder. They had truly met due to fate as if they were protagonists in a Chinese drama that would become popular in the future. When their father was thirteen, his school would have a letter exchange program that would connect one student from China, where he was sent to school, to America. It was a meeting that would have never happened if his parents hadn''t sent him away to learn what life was like for normal families. He was the young master of a wealthy family in Korea, living humbly with a small allowance and a nanny in China. He would be set to inherit the family business ahead of his two younger siblings. Their mother, however, was born in America to a fairly average family as a single child. She was spoiled by her stay-at-home mother, and her father was often out of town as a truck driver so she grew up as a bit of a bully. Not that their father would know. At first, the letter exchange was stiff. Their father had known English due to his own mother being Canadian, but he wasn''t fluent. He would sit with a dictionary in front of him while reading the letters, and carefully put together his words. What started out as trying to learn English, would turn into a friendship. He never told her about his identity, but instead, they would talk about the smaller things in life. They would tell one another what they had for meals, snacks, and their favorite places. They would describe the restaurants to one another, as neither of them shared the same restaurant. They would speak about culture and local histories. They would tell tales about their day-to-day lives, what they studied, where they went, etc. She didn''t care if he had money, or how he did in school. She just wanted someone to talk to, to talk about her day with and it was refreshing. Eventually, the two thirteen-year-olds would grow into eighteen-year-olds. Their father would become proficient in English, and their mother in Chinese, thinking that was his nationality. They both became fond of one another and considered each other their best friend¡­ But alas, they had forgotten that they only received the letters due to the school system and they wouldn''t receive letters from one another due to graduating. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. They hadn''t told each other their full names, or addresses, and the schools wouldn''t tell them due to privacy reasons. Two years would pass. Their father went home to Korea to go to university and followed behind his father to learn the family business until he was offered to join an exchange program to Canada, the place where his mother grew up. Another moment of fate would occur as if the two were drawn towards one another by the universe, they would meet at university. On the first day of their third year in university, the two would directly bump into one another in the doorway to their lecture and they would laugh it off as they sat next to each other, slowly becoming friends once again. A few weeks later, they would find out that they were penpals, best friends for five years by recognizing each other''s handwriting when passing course notes to one another to study. Afterward, they were inseparable. They mingled in the same friend group, went to the same classes as one another, studied together, ate lunch together, went out to restaurants and cafes¡­ They would start dating after only a few months of knowing each other in person. A few years later, with a degree under his belt and a beautiful love story to be told, their father would rush back to Korea to get permission from his family to marry her and she would rush back to America to inform her family. She was already pregnant with the triplets, though they didn''t know there was more than one baby at the time. He would fail to get permission from his family. She wasn''t from a wealthy family who could bring benefits to their own, she wasn''t even Korean and it would be a hassle to immigrate her. They had already planned out a marriage for their eldest son, with one of his childhood friends who''s family business was close to their own. He disagreed with his family and said if they didn''t approve then he would just elope with his girlfriend. He didn''t care about inheriting the family business, he didn''t care about their wealth, he only wanted love. He was disowned. True to his words, he flew to America and married his dream girl, and they would move to China where he would create a small business with his friends and she would become a secretary for a corporate CEO until she gave birth. The triplets were born just months afterward. She stayed a stay-at-home mom for a year, before going back to work, where there was an in-company daycare for the worker''s children. She would stay at that job for a few years until she became pregnant with Shin Jun and decisively became a stay-at-home mom. Meanwhile, their father was building relationships with other businesses in the local town and slowly building a high-class restaurant chain. The four boys listened to their father well, and he made them promise not to tell their mother about his past. He said that their mother would be sad to learn she was the reason he wasn''t in touch with his family anymore. Later, they would be happy they didn''t tell their mother. If they had, maybe she would have stayed with their father for the wealth. Just three years after their mother abandoned them, their father''s family would come to bring them back to Korea. Chapter Three Despite the vow from fourteen years ago, Shin Jun found himself falling in love. Shin Jun''s hand dropped the plastic bag of groceries on the floor, not caring that the fruits he had picked just a half hour before were rolling through the apartment. In front of him stood his boyfriend of a year and a half, Lao Yun, with his hand tangled in a beautiful boy''s hair, kissing him frantically with his back turned to the door. At the sound of the fruits hitting the ground, Lao Yun pulled away from the other boy''s lips whilst the boy shyly hid his face in Lao Yun''s shirt. As if Shin Jun was the intruder of the apartment he himself paid for. Shin Jun pulled his emotions together, picking his broken heart off the floor to ask with a choked voice: "What?" Lao Yun pushed the boy behind him protectively, like he thought Shin Jun would attack him, like he was protecting his lover and Shin Jun finally got it through his head. Lao Yun was cheating on him. "Why? How could you¡­" Lao Yun sneered at Shin Jun and looked him directly in the eyes: "You thought you were the one for me? When did I give you that impression, huh? You were only a substitute, didn''t you know I already loved someone else? Oh - don''t give me that face, you''re too naive¡­ I could never fall for someone without even a family behind him." Shin Jun''s sorrow turned to embarrassment. He''d never been so embarrassed during his entire twenty years of life until this moment. No family? He scoffed in his mind as he heard those words. His mother had left his father because of this. Family, money, and power. Those were the only things that mattered, apparently. Why did he assume Lao Yun would be any different? He had once assumed he was someone without a family name behind him, just like his mother and Lao Yun had assumed. He was wrong. So, so wrong. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Three years after his mother packed up and left, his father''s family came to fetch them home with regret. Their grandparents regretted being so rash and not even taking the chance to get to know their future daughter-in-law. They regretted chasing their son out of the house in anger when they themselves had married for love. They regretted not being there to see their grandchildren being born, growing up, and becoming teenagers. They had been shocked to learn that their son had children without informing them. What kind of parents are they, when their child doesn''t let them know? They found out thirteen years too late! They swiftly came to pick the family up, only to be surprised that it was a family of five instead of a family of six. What their mother didn''t know, was that they were willing to accept her... But she''d already run off and got married to some local new money family and even had a child with him! A child born only seven months after she ran away from home, a fully healthy baby... Meaning, she''d been cheating. Of course, they wouldn''t accept her! They didn''t inform her when they packed up to leave for Korea, grateful that she''d long since signed divorce and custody agreements and didn''t want to take anything. Afterward, Shin Jun previously led a relatively free life with his newfound family. His family was that of old royal blood and had flourished in the business world for decades upon decades, every male in the family and even a lot of females had all achieved great things. His father was a CEO, his elder brother was a CEO, his second brother was a CEO, his third brother was a CEO¡­ His entire family was CEOs! No family name? Even if he had nothing else - he still had his family behind him. He was nine when the family went back to the Shin family. Despite the immense pressure from his last name, he wasn''t expected to do anything. He was pampered before he was even taken to the Shin family by his own little family of six, being the youngest child who was originally sickly as a baby. They just wanted him to live, they couldn''t care less if he was successful, wanted to inherit the business, wanted to build his own business¡­ They could take care of him for ten lives if they so wished. Sadly, he would die around 100 years old. Shin Jun was a beautiful boy who grew up to be a stunning man. He had perfect peach blossom honey eyes, abnormally long hair for a man that was normally tied behind his back, and pale skin. Matched with his delicate figure and jade-carved jawline, he was simply handsome. His whole family was known in the circle¡­ Besides himself. When the family went back to the capital they knew that the media would attempt to snag a picture of him, so they simply left him in their hometown for a few weeks before he flew in on a private overnight plane and slipped unnoticed to their home. Therefore, everyone knew that the Shin family had four children but they didn''t know if the youngest was a girl or a boy. Even after they settled in, they were never able to get a photo of Shin Jun. It was like he never existed in the world. He had a family, but he didn''t need to depend on his family to live. That was the largest difference between him and Lao Yun, who didn''t even know who he truly was. Chapter Four He shouldn''t have fallen in love, that was Shin Jun''s thought as he stared at the couple in front of him. As Shin Jun grew up and was given the option of debuting to the world, he declined. He hadn''t been able to go to a normal school until he was sixteen. He''d been home-schooled with his siblings under the guise that he might get sick if he went to school. Later, he wanted to get to know his family more so the more time spent at home meant he could spend more time with his grandparents, uncles, and cousins. Gradually, his siblings went back to school with his cousins and it was just him and the elderly couple and uncles, but he would finish his work far too soon. He, a person with photographic memory, had far too much time on his hands when he was done studying. His grandfather would teach him calligraphy and painting. His first uncle would teach him to invest. His second uncle would teach him how to fight. His grandmother would teach him piano and the dizi flute. Later on, his eldest brother and first cousin would teach him how to code and he would gradually become a hacker. His second eldest brother would join him in learning how to fight, and they would gradually get a master to teach them martial arts seriously. His third eldest brother and second cousin would join in investing lessons. Shin Jun became a jack of all trades, a hidden powerhouse in the Shin family who had no intentions of starting his own business or inheriting anything. He made enough money from investing that he could support himself in whatever he wanted to do without needing the allowance from his family. However, they still sent it because he was a baby in their eyes. During those years, he became engrossed in films and novels. He learned how to write novels, and eventually posted them online. A few years later, his novels would gain popularity and he would sign over his copyright to his second brother''s company, create his own scripts, and allow them to be turned into dramas and movies. It was during this time that he began to go to a normal school and get out in the world. Although he went to the same school his siblings went to, they''d already graduated and no one knew of his connections with the Shin triplets. He kept a low profile. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. He intentionally scored a few marks below the top scorer, as to not stand out too much. He preferred it this way because he wanted a normal life with no one approaching him due to his connections. He didn''t want to know people like his mother. It was disgusting. He wore a black mask all the time. Both for privacy and sickness reasons. He didn''t participate in competitions, events, or school trips. No one knew he was from the Shin family, they only thought he shared a similar last name. However, by the time he was eighteen, he found himself being pursued by another handsome second-generation man and gradually began to fall for him, coming to the realization that he too was gay. For the first time he had felt the sparks fly, the butterflies flutter, all the cliches talked about in novels and movies. His face was often red below his mask from blushing and he even found himself playing with his hair. He threw away his disdain for love all because of one man. Lao Yun. A second-generation rich kid whose family had business dealings with their own. He''d known about him before he''d been approached. Unlike him, Lao Yun was extremely popular, of course, because he was rich but he also had the best grades and was handsome. He seemed kind to everyone but kept his distance at the same time until it came to Shin Jun. At first, his family was extremely skeptical. Was this boy just approaching Shin Jun for his money and background and if so, how did he find him? They allowed Shin Jun to date Lao Yun but they told him never to bring up money. If he cared about their money - he wasn''t the right man for their youngest. They had been dating for a year and a half and lived together for half of that. He flickered his eyes and gazed at two men in their shared living room, a bitter feeling in his heart. He was planning to tell his boyfriend his identity this weekend but¡­ Lao Yun was standing there arrogant, his black hair pulled up by a gel to frame his face beautifully, also showing his expression all too vividly. Like he was a joke. The other boy was slightly shorter than himself with mid-length dark black hair, light honey eyes, and pale skin. He stood shyly behind Lao Yun, just barely peaking his face around to see who was there. Shin Jun laughed coldly at the scene and smirked while holding his hand out to the seemingly shy boy, "Shin Jun, the fourth son of the Shin family at your service. Ah, Lao Yun? We''ll be canceling our collaboration with your family, perhaps you can inform your father for us?" The adulterous couple stood in shock. The boy, well, he knew that he was Lao Yun''s white moonlight and although he was a bit skeptical when he went to school abroad and heard about Shin Jun, he knew he''d won Lao Yun''s heart. He knew the other boy had nothing to compare to himself and hurried back as soon as he could. If this man was really from the Shin family, didn''t he hold nothing above him? Lao Yun on the other hand paused for a moment before laughing. Who didn''t know that the fourth child of the Shin family was either hidden or dead - in any case, it definitely wouldn''t be this kid. He was just playing himself up because he was heartbroken: "Hah, you think I''ll believe you?" Shin Jun just shook his head, containing his bubbling emotions, and shattered with an emotionless facade. He turned his back on the adulterous couple and boldly collected his belongings from the apartment, leaving only the clothes that he didn''t care for anymore and the fruit on the floor before leaving his key on the counter. It was his apartment, but he would either kick them out or collect rent from them later on, either way, he wouldn''t be staying in the place where he and Lao Yun slept together. He felt disgusted even being inside the building. He called his eldest brother as he entered the elevator: "Brother, cancel the collaboration with the Lao family. Also, I''ll be going away for a while - cover my tracks." Chapter Five
Chapter Six Three months later - in a small, undisclosed coastal town in Korea. Shin Jun sat on the floor with his back against his couch, his hands typing gracefully and quickly along the keyboard of his laptop which was sitting on a messy coffee table. Pages threatened to be blown away with a small wind, whereas two notebooks sat underneath the loose pages. Beside the coffee table was a sprawled-out futon, left unfolded although the blankets were neat and tidy. This had been his work area for the previous three months. He''d wake up, grab something quick to eat with coffee, go to his laptop, and write for a few hours, and then he''d watch some television as he ate dinner only to end up at his laptop once again with the television as background noise. The first few nights, he''d hurry up to his room once he was too tired but decided just to put a futon in the living room to curl up in. Quite simply; it had been the most productive three months for his writing. A cell phone began to ring from the couch behind Shin Jun, but he kept typing. At the fourth ring, he clicked enter and leaned back into the couch with a large smile while reaching his hand behind his head to answer his phone. Shin Dae was the first to speak with a bit of a coaxing tone: "My dearest younger brother, how are you?" Shin Jun looked down at his phone and then up at the screen in front of him with a raised brow, still smiling, but gradually turning into a laugh: "You haven''t spoken to me like this in years¡­ What do you need?" "I''m glad you asked! Well, I''d like to inform you that me and Shin Hye may have taken the initiative to sign you up for a dating show¡­ And it kind of starts this weekend." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation."I''m gay." Shin Hye stole the phone from the older twin of a few minutes: "We know you''re gay, we''re your brothers. That''s why we signed you up for a gay dating show! Are you done writing your book yet? Do you have time? We just want to see you get out in the world, even if you just make friends it''s okay!" Shin Jun''s face began to change as he tried to process all the information. A gay dating show. A reality program. Gay. They''re making a gay reality show¡­ With dating. The world was so advanced? What had he missed? Would people actually be interested in it? Wait, that''s not the important thing¡­ He doesn''t want to fall in love again! Women suck, men suck, everyone sucks! Love isn''t worth the pain it brings to others. His eyebrows furrowed and his voice was displeased: "Why didn''t you inform me? I''m not going." A fight began on the other side of the phone, and Shin Jun listened to it amused. Shin Dae: "See, I told you he wouldn''t take it!" Shin Hye: "We''ve already signed him up, ah, cousin will be so disappointed in us!" Shin Dae: "Cousin? So what if it''s his company - think about how Shin Yeong will beat us later! Ah, I can''t handle it. Shin Jun, little brother, the cutest brother in the world¡­ Can you help us out? You don''t need to fall in love, just make a few friends and choose no one at the end!" Shin Hye: "Right, right, there are many different types of people there. You can take it as meeting new people and getting new experiences for your book, too!" Shin Jun held his forehead and shook his head at the two idiots. How were these his brothers? Did they share one brain cell? Shin Jun popped into the conversation: "I''ve just finished the book. Fine, I''ll make a few friends but nothing else." Chapter Seven
¡°Shin Jun?¡±
A low-level crew member wearing black clothes, a mask, and a camera in his hands scoffed. He had just exited his car in the middle of the small coastal town.
The man next to him nodded in agreement: ¡°Shin Jun said to be twenty years old. He¡¯s the only one we don¡¯t have a clear picture of, and he¡¯s going to be the second youngest on the show.¡±
The two men in black were supposed to film a little bit of the areas they picked the boys up from, but they didn¡¯t need to record audio yet. There would be a song playing over it in a fast-forward motion, anyway.
The low-level crew member sneered and mocked the boy as they set up to start filming: ¡°It looks like it¡¯s going to be some country boy. The program is going down the drain. I don¡¯t know why they want to film a gay reality show anyways - aren¡¯t they just waiting to be canceled and shut down?¡±
¡°Speaking of Shin Jun, what if he¡¯s ugly? Not even the producer knows¡­¡±
¡°Then he just won¡¯t be chosen by anyone to go on a date with. Either way, it¡¯ll be good content whether he¡¯s ugly or a hidden beauty!¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it weird that he was added so last minute? Never mind, let''s just get the filming over with and pick him up¡­ His address looks to be a few streets down.¡±
The men shut up. The low-level crew member held a camera over his shoulders and began to film.
He may have a dirty mind and mouth, but he truly did the small-town justice. He filmed the sea from between the buildings, zoomed in on couples at a small ice cream shop, and even filmed a few elderly friends laughing warmly at a local cafe. The atmosphere was warm, almost mythical.
They continued to film as they walked toward Shin Jun¡¯s mansion, but they ended up cutting some of the footage later for privacy. A small bathhouse, a few local students walking home, and a beautiful view of the ocean.
If nothing else - this would be great footage to use to boost tourism.
¡°Hello, may I ask what you¡¯re filming?¡±
Just a street away from Shin Jun¡¯s mansion, the two crewmen were stopped by a group of middle-aged women looking¡­ Quite concerned. They were worried, even.
One of them spoke before they could answer: ¡°Did someone die? Was there a murder? A break-in? An accident?¡±
The crew members looked at one another with raised eyebrows, both thinking the same thing: ¡®Do we look like news reporters?¡¯
¡°Miss, we¡¯re filming a TV show¡­ We¡¯re going to pick up the participant now.¡±
¡°A TV show? Oh my! Xiao Xiao, our town going to be part of a show!¡±
¡°Who¡¯s the participant?¡±
¡°This is exciting! Will we see ourselves on TV?¡±
It could be said that a group of women can chat up gossip, in one ear and out the other, for hours on end. That¡¯s exactly what happened to the two crew members as soon as they spoke: ¡°Shin Jun, he seems to be a local here.¡±
Immediately, the atmosphere turned from excitement to dread once again. The eldest woman of the group crept forward: ¡°I heard he was a criminal, you want to take him on your show? Are you filming a delinquent drama?¡±
Shin Jun had no idea that such rumors were being spread through whispers and tales over cups of tea in the morning and glasses of beer in the evenings.
Seeing content before filming even began, the second crew member held a mic toward the group and asked: ¡°You said Shin Jun is a criminal¡­ What did he do?¡±
The group of gossipers looked at each other with their own questionable eyes. What did he do?
Technically they¡¯d only heard things but¡­
¡°He¡¯s obviously a criminal. Why would such a handsome young man choose to settle down here? Look here mister, we¡¯re a small town and the last place that youngsters want to stay is here - we can¡¯t even keep our kids from growing wings and flying to the city!¡±
¡°That¡¯s right, they only come back when they¡¯ve made a name for themselves and want to retire¡­ I haven¡¯t seen my grandson for so many years now.¡±
¡°He came here off the bus one day, bought a mansion, and hasn¡¯t left it since. His food even gets delivered! Would someone who isn¡¯t suspicious stay inside all day for months on end?¡±
¡°I heard from my friend that he sent someone to the hospital.¡±
¡°I heard that he murdered someone!¡±
¡°He¡¯s also jobless - my friend said that his lights are on well into the night. Maybe he¡¯s running a shady business!¡±
The two cameramen looked at one another with shock in their eyes. Just what had they gotten themselves involved in? How could the executives allow a criminal onto the show? Could they slip this recording in? Chapter Eight The two crew members walked the rest of the way to the mansion, taking scenic shots of the views without showing the location of the house. They didn¡¯t want to accidentally dox a participant so it was likely some of the shots would be scrapped if there were any markers. No one else approached them, but they continued to keep the thought in their mind that they needed to contact the producers later on and show the footage of the elderly locals speaking. They could decide what to do with it. Neither of the crew members expected to see a desolate, beautiful mansion as the address given to them by the program. ¡°How much dirty money do you think was used¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, do you want him to hear us?¡± ¡°Us regular civilians can¡¯t afford this in their lives, but this gay criminal can? The world is unfair.¡± He didn¡¯t think of the fact that Shin Jun may not be a criminal, it was solidified in his mind as he spoke and he didn¡¯t even register that the camera was also picking up audio even without the sound stick connected. It was significantly quieter, but later on, the editors would report that the program hired two idiots who also happened to be homophobic to work on a gay reality show. Shin Jun, of course, was oblivious to the rumors being spread by the locals and the newly formed misconceptions that the crewmen had of him. If he did know, he would have answered that he needed space to heal from an unlucky love event and to write his novels. He sat on the couch leisurely, waiting for the program to get him as he chatted with his eldest brother, Shin Yeong. ¡°Those idiots! Even if they wanted to find you love, should they send you off on a reality show? Who¡¯s idea was it?¡± Shin Jun chuckled, he imagined his older brother sitting in his office on the highest floor of the Shin Group building with his phone propped up on his desk and a pile of paperwork in front of him. He wasn¡¯t too far off, though, Shin Yeong wasn¡¯t sitting. He was pacing around the office as he ranted with a calm demeanor that didn¡¯t fit his voice: ¡°They¡¯re idiots! How are we triplets, huh? Where did they get their brain cells? Did I steal them?¡± Shin Jun had thought the same thing earlier but didn¡¯t comment as he spoke in a soothing voice: ¡°Elder brother, calm down. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just go to make a few friends and maybe I¡¯ll find some inspiration for my next novel, it¡¯s supposed to be a modern story anyways.¡± ¡°Haah¡­ I¡¯ll deal with those three later, including your cousin. What¡¯s your plan?¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.Shin Jun cheekily smiled: ¡°I won¡¯t involve the Shin Group or family, I¡¯ll say some half-truths and pretend to be only a successful author¡­ I have built this persona already, so people from my old school will surely back it up if reporters question it.¡± Shin Yeong sat at his desk and shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t care if you involve the family. I would prefer you did, this could be your reveal to the world and we could openly protect you. I get where you¡¯re coming from though.¡± ¡°Have I ever needed protection?¡± ¡°Hah, you brat! Come home right now!¡± Shin Jun animated his actions as he spoke, not that Shin Yeong could see him: ¡°I¡¯m about to go on a reality show, fall in love, and fly the coupe¡­ Don¡¯t worry brother, I¡¯ll come see you once a year.¡± ¡°Shin Jun!¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding, only kidding. I won¡¯t fall in love in this life.¡± ¡°Shin Jun¡­¡± Shin Jun crumbled with laughter, it was so fun and easy to mess with his eldest brother. He was about to wind him up again when he heard a doorbell ring through the mansion: ¡°Ah, they¡¯re here. Bye brother, love you. Drive home safe and don¡¯t put anyone in the hospital!¡± Shin Jun was wearing a comfortable, yet stylish outfit for the first day. A slightly oversized, street-wear-like black sweater with a light blue phoenix on the back. One side of the sweater was hooked under the jeans'' waist, ornamented by a stylish black belt with silver embroidery that brought the look together. His natural, long platinum blond hair was bound with a black ribbon with two braids hanging loose at the front. He would fit right into a historical, wuxia drama if he wore a different outfit. His hair bounced off his lower back as he leaped to open the door with a smile playing on his face: ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Shin Jun.¡± The two cameramen were stunned for a moment. They had imagined a rough, ugly gangster and had met a stunning young man with deceiving long hair that almost made them think he was a woman. Long blond hair. Baggy black clothes. A jade-carved face. An immortal-looking gay gangster. They pulled themselves out of their thoughts and silently motioned Shin Jun to grab the suitcase displayed next to the door as they slyly moved the camera to take a quick shot of the home. After they got their shot, they filmed Shin Jun locking the door, walking to the car, and getting in the back before they shut down the equipment and started the all-to-silent, awkward drive to the house the program rented. Chapter Nine
Awkward, stifling silence fell over the car for three hours. Three whole hours of silence! Shin Jun had attempted to make conversation at first, but with no response, he too became silent and melted into the seat. He had a hard time staying awake, his eyes would flutter shut for a few minutes at a time before he¡¯d open them again. At one point, he thought there were imaginary crickets singing in the back seat!
He thoroughly regretted listening to his elder brothers and joining the show. He should have rejected them and if his cousin really needed someone then he could be a participant himself if he wanted!
His eyes blinked open once again and he looked at the two men who took turns looking at him suspiciously. One, the driver, from the rearview mirror, while the passenger looked through the side mirrors. Neither would make eye contact, and if they did they would quickly look away as if they were frightened.
Shin Jun looked down at himself and scrunched his eyebrows. Was he really that scary? Maybe they were both just extremely shy.
As if the world was taking pity on him, the car slowly came to a stop on the side of the road in a wealthy, cozy-looking neighborhood. One look at the front yards could tell you a lot about a home, and the yards that he was able to peer into were all neatly cleaned, the grass chopped, the trees trimmed and the driveways were nearly spotless. Professional work.
Shin Jun worked on getting himself together whilst the cameramen set up their equipment once again. He worked his hands through his hair to untangle the spots he had pushed up behind him, styled it lazily, and waited until he heard a little ¡®knock¡¯ on the window of the car.
He¡¯d read the filming schedule for day one beforehand. It was the only schedule given to the participants, but it was still not detailed enough to know what was going on that day. He was just told to: ¡®get picked up, have an interview, drive to the location, walk into the front doors set your luggage down in the living room, and grab a card. We will check your luggage to make sure you haven¡¯t brought a phone, laptop, or snacks while you¡¯re gone!
PS. All other participants have had a small trailer of their normal life filmed before filming, because you are a late participant we will film yours after filming ends¡¯.
Hence, Shin Jun got out of the car and began walking up the road to the house. There was a small sign that pointed to a driveway. It was a light blue rectangle with a white font that read ¡®Path to Love!¡¯, the dating show¡¯s name with a heart as the o in love.
Shin Jun glanced at the sign, then at the driveway to the house, and chuckled. It was a cringe name, but this house really was the perfect location for such a concept.
The driveway itself was like a path to another world with light grey and pink unsymmetrical bricks and white gravel on two sides to separate from the front garden. The front garden, which could be seen by an opening through the flowering blossom trees, had its own small pond and large rocks clearly made to be sat on. Looking straight, one wouldn¡¯t be able to see the house clearly until they rounded a corner.
The cameramen filmed Shin Jun as he took in the scenery with a serene look on his face as he walked at a slow, casual pace. His platinum hair softly fluttered with the wind, but it wasn¡¯t an ugly type of movement. The one holding the camera could already tell¡­ This shot would be in the first episode!
This sketchy man¡­ Why did he have to be so beautiful?
Shin Jun took his time, eventually rounding the corner to show the home. It was two stories high and looked to have a basement that was built into a small hill that led to a backyard garden which he couldn¡¯t see very well from his angle.
He followed the path up to the house and the cameramen seemingly disappeared as he knocked on, and then opened the door. From then on, he wouldn¡¯t see those cameramen again.
Shin Jun glanced around and could hardly see the installed cameras, but he knew they were present. Otherwise, it¡¯d be a show with only the intro and end with nothing spicy inside the house aside from audio from the mics they had on!
The living room was right in front of the doorway so he traded his shoes for a pair of black slippers and went to the room. There were only two cards left on the table with the same design as the sign outside, and it was clear that others had chosen their own cards already. He didn¡¯t spend time deciding, instead lazily picking up the card closest to him.
He flipped it over and read it out loud: ¡°Today is your first blind date, someone is waiting for you at the location down below!¡±
Shin Jun turned back towards the door and thought to himself: ¡°Will this be my first friend in this house?¡±
I just got home from an unexpected family event, sorry for the late upload. Chapter Eleven The difference between love and wanting to be loved¡­ Shin Jun couldn¡¯t help but ponder if that was why he gave Lao Yun a chance originally. He hadn¡¯t wanted to find love, and yet the affection he received from this man felt good. Lao Yun chased him to the point it was difficult to say no to him. He appeared in front of his classroom with food or flowers, a charming smile gracing his face as he expressed his intentions to chase him. He would accompany him to his classes even when he had a class in another building. He would pull him away from the campus to go get food or drink at the bar. Shin Jun would scoff at first, but later on, he gradually became used to the attention. He craved the affection he received from someone who wasn¡¯t a family member, it made him feel special. Wanted. Though he couldn¡¯t deny that he would later feel love, a love so powerful that he went against his own beliefs¡­ It likely started in that way. He glanced up at the man in front of him, leisurely sipping his coffee, and gave a small smile, forgetting about the cameras and leaning back to look at the ceiling. ¡°I¡¯ve only been in that one relationship so I can¡¯t speak on others, yet, it likely began similarly to what you mentioned. I can understand the feeling.¡± Ryung looked at Shin Jun thoughtfully. He seemed pure when speaking of relationships but his temperament wasn¡¯t immature or naive. He wanted to learn more about this first blind date of his but he couldn¡¯t go against the rules of the show and ask things that could identify them¡­ He found a loophole. ¡°What were you like growing up?¡± Shin Jun glanced at the man in front of him and tilted his head with a chuckle. ¡°I liked to learn a lot, but not because I specifically loved learning. I was just so bored - I would learn one thing, and get tired of doing it because I felt like I had nothing left to learn. Personality-wise, I was fairly docile and weak as a child. How about you?¡± Ryung nodded along and answered, ¡°My brother was sick so I was home-schooled with him until I was ripe for middle school, he had just graduated high school so there was no need for me to stay home and learn with him. I was always a little troublemaker, so I was always bringing trouble to my parents once they set me free.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.Shin Jun laughed. ¡°I was also home-schooled but when I went to public school I was non-existent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to make new friends when you join later than everyone else, you¡¯re either accepted into a friend group immediately or the kids look at you like you came out of a zoo.¡± ¡°I was avoided like the plague!¡± ¡°At first I was too, but then I forced others to notice me by joking around or starting fights.¡± Shin Jun glanced over the man in front of him with a skeptical look that read - you, starting fights? Ryung held up his hands and defended himself immediately, ¡°Hey, I was a little demon but I learned and grew up eventually.¡± The two men looked at one another and burst out laughing. Although Ryung looked buff, Shin Jun really wouldn¡¯t have guessed he started fights based on his temperament. The way he held himself was just like his eldest brother, a businessman. He looked at Ryung who was about to roll up his sleeves and waved his hands, still laughing brightly. ¡°Alright, alright, I believe you!¡± He suddenly felt like this man was someone who he could become close friends with in the future. Even if they¡¯re on a dating show with one another, their personality is very similar. He hadn¡¯t realized that the atmosphere that was originally awkward and stiff had turned light and fluffy like two old friends getting together to chat about the time they¡¯d missed one another. Ryung leaned forward once again with a smile on his face. ¡°So you have siblings?¡± Shin Jun nodded and threw up his fingers. ¡°Three brothers, but two cousins who are as close as brothers. Ah, I¡¯m the youngest in the family though.¡± Ryung threw up one finger. ¡°I only have one brother, he¡¯s older but I feel like I¡¯m older than him.¡± ¡°They have that sort of personality too, sometimes they seem like wise old men and overprotective hens, while sometimes I wonder how they can be older than me yet be so stupid.¡± ¡°My older brother is smart, but he¡¯s been sickly since he was a child so he can be naive to the outside world.¡± Suddenly, the waiter who had served them before came out and glanced at their table. ¡°The producers said it¡¯s time to go back, the other contestants are on their way back now as well. I hope you have a lovely day!¡± The two men quickly left their seats and Ryung held the door open on their way out. Chapter Eleven The difference between love and wanting to be loved¡­ Shin Jun couldn¡¯t help but ponder if that was why he gave Lao Yun a chance originally. He hadn¡¯t wanted to find love, and yet the affection he received from this man felt good. Lao Yun chased him to the point it was difficult to say no to him. He appeared in front of his classroom with food or flowers, a charming smile gracing his face as he expressed his intentions to chase him. He would accompany him to his classes even when he had a class in another building. He would pull him away from the campus to go get food or drink at the bar. Shin Jun would scoff at first, but later on, he gradually became used to the attention. He craved the affection he received from someone who wasn¡¯t a family member, it made him feel special. Wanted. Though he couldn¡¯t deny that he would later feel love, a love so powerful that he went against his own beliefs¡­ It likely started in that way. He glanced up at the man in front of him, leisurely sipping his coffee, and gave a small smile, forgetting about the cameras and leaning back to look at the ceiling. ¡°I¡¯ve only been in that one relationship so I can¡¯t speak on others, yet, it likely began similarly to what you mentioned. I can understand the feeling.¡± Ryung looked at Shin Jun thoughtfully. He seemed pure when speaking of relationships but his temperament wasn¡¯t immature or naive. He wanted to learn more about this first blind date of his but he couldn¡¯t go against the rules of the show and ask things that could identify them¡­ He found a loophole. ¡°What were you like growing up?¡± Shin Jun glanced at the man in front of him and tilted his head with a chuckle. ¡°I liked to learn a lot, but not because I specifically loved learning. I was just so bored - I would learn one thing, and get tired of doing it because I felt like I had nothing left to learn. Personality-wise, I was fairly docile and weak as a child. How about you?¡± Ryung nodded along and answered, ¡°My brother was sick so I was home-schooled with him until I was ripe for middle school, he had just graduated high school so there was no need for me to stay home and learn with him. I was always a little troublemaker, so I was always bringing trouble to my parents once they set me free.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.Shin Jun laughed. ¡°I was also home-schooled but when I went to public school I was non-existent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to make new friends when you join later than everyone else, you¡¯re either accepted into a friend group immediately or the kids look at you like you came out of a zoo.¡± ¡°I was avoided like the plague!¡± ¡°At first I was too, but then I forced others to notice me by joking around or starting fights.¡± Shin Jun glanced over the man in front of him with a skeptical look that read - you, starting fights? Ryung held up his hands and defended himself immediately, ¡°Hey, I was a little demon but I learned and grew up eventually.¡± The two men looked at one another and burst out laughing. Although Ryung looked buff, Shin Jun really wouldn¡¯t have guessed he started fights based on his temperament. The way he held himself was just like his eldest brother, a businessman. He looked at Ryung who was about to roll up his sleeves and waved his hands, still laughing brightly. ¡°Alright, alright, I believe you!¡± He suddenly felt like this man was someone who he could become close friends with in the future. Even if they¡¯re on a dating show with one another, their personality is very similar. He hadn¡¯t realized that the atmosphere that was originally awkward and stiff had turned light and fluffy like two old friends getting together to chat about the time they¡¯d missed one another. Ryung leaned forward once again with a smile on his face. ¡°So you have siblings?¡± Shin Jun nodded and threw up his fingers. ¡°Three brothers, but two cousins who are as close as brothers. Ah, I¡¯m the youngest in the family though.¡± Ryung threw up one finger. ¡°I only have one brother, he¡¯s older but I feel like I¡¯m older than him.¡± ¡°They have that sort of personality too, sometimes they seem like wise old men and overprotective hens, while sometimes I wonder how they can be older than me yet be so stupid.¡± ¡°My older brother is smart, but he¡¯s been sickly since he was a child so he can be naive to the outside world.¡± Suddenly, the waiter who had served them before came out and glanced at their table. ¡°The producers said it¡¯s time to go back, the other contestants are on their way back now as well. I hope you have a lovely day!¡± The two men quickly left their seats and Ryung held the door open on their way out. Chapter Twelve As the two men came closer to the house they could hear voices escaping from an open window. Seemingly having the same thoughts, the men turned to each other as they stood in front of the door and asked the same question. ¡°Are we the last ones here?¡± Shin Jun¡¯s lip twitched upwards, the previous nervousness escaping him as he chuckled softly. ¡°Well, at least we won¡¯t have to wait long if we are the last ones¡­¡± Ryung nodded with his thoughts and calmly opened the door, motioning Shin Jun to go first. ¡°Thank you.¡± Shin Jun quickly took off his shoes and slid on his slippers as he made way for Ryung to enter the house. He put a pair of slippers on the floor for the other, completely oblivious to the gazes on his back. The conversation in the living room had paused and the six men who were previously chatting amongst themselves about room placements observed the new arrivals with curiosity. Shin Jun looked like he just walked out of an xianxia set, whilst Ryung looked like he belonged in an office building, not a dating show set. Those were the first impressions set by the two men. Nonetheless, both men were handsome and the six people on the couch felt varying levels of emotions. Some were wondering if they would be able to snatch one of the men up, others were wondering if their small crush would be stolen, while others were just curious. It took more than one blind date for people to fall in love so there wasn¡¯t any jealousy displayed. Shin Jun turned around after tying his hair up in a high ponytail. He gave a small smile and wave before rushing over to sit in an empty spot on the couch as he looked at the men with clear eyes. Did he accidentally join an idol group competition show or a dating show? These men were simply either too handsome or too beautiful! Ryung swiftly sat down, just a person away from Shin Jun, and nodded. ¡°Sorry if we made you wait.¡± The person between the two newcomers shook his head and waved his hands lightly. ¡°We only arrived five minutes ago. We haven¡¯t introduced ourselves yet, should we do so now?¡± The men glanced at each other and then the rules on a chalkboard stand next to the door. ¡®1. You cannot use your personal phone during filming, only use the phone provided to you by the team. It is set to screen record, so be careful what you search up or say! 2. You cannot share any personal information aside from your first name until given the go-ahead by the team. 3. Your roommates are chosen by fate so you cannot change them unless there is a challenge reward! 4. At the end of each day aside from day 1 you will get a chance to express your interest in another person through text, but you cannot tell them your name. 5. The only spots out of the camera or microphone radius are the toilet and shower areas. 6. The team will communicate through cards or text messages unless there is an emergency in a member''s family, a health emergency, etc. We will give an allowance for groceries per week. Have fun, we hope you find your soulmate on this path to love!¡¯ The guests tried not to cringe at the last sentence and the person who previously spoke sat forward with his hands on his thighs. ¡°We can at least say our first name if nothing else.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.The man furthest away from Shin Jun sat forward and introduced himself with a deep, yet calming voice that you could fall asleep to. ¡°I¡¯m Chul.¡± Chul looked to be in his mid-twenties. He wore a black trench coat over a white t-shirt with light blue jeans, his deep black hair was styled so his bangs were parted in the middle and showcased his deep brown eyes. Shin Jun¡¯s first impression was that this man could be a model. He had long legs and a face that matched his voice with a chiseled jawline. The man next to Chul spoke next. ¡°I¡¯m Ji, a pleasure to meet you.¡± Ji had a lazier posture than Chul as he leaned back into the cushions of the couch with his light brown eyes fixed on Shin Jun. He was wearing a black sweater with black jeans and had styled waves in his dyed silver hair that fell down to his shoulder. Shin Jun smiled lightly at Ji as he stared at him and his first impression was that this man looked like he was the lead dancer in a K-pop group. In fact, he somewhat resembled one of the main characters in an older novel he wrote. The man next to Ji leaned forward to glance at the group with a small smile adorning his face. ¡°I¡¯m Tae.¡± Tae was only wearing a black t-shirt with dark gray sweatpants but he made them look stylish as they showcased his toned arms full of vibrant watercolored tattoos. He had a small face and his black hair was gelled back. If Ji was a K-pop lead dancer, Tae would be the leader of the group. In the corner piece of the L-shaped couch, a young man observed silently for a second before stating. ¡°I¡¯m Hanseul.¡± Hanseul had sharp honey eyes that wandered around the other guests, not paying attention to one in particular and only observing. He had natural lighter brown hair that was cut similarly to a bowl cut with three small hoop piercings on one ear. He wore a burgundy crew neck with black skinny jeans. Shin Jun nodded to himself while thinking that this man could also be a model. The person on Shin Jun¡¯s left nodded his head down in a small bow as he introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m In-Su.¡± Although Hanseul looked slightly like a delinquent, In-Su matched the bad-boy look the best. He had a buzz cut that faded as it got further down his neck which showcased his sharp jawline and seductive, small brown eyes. His straight eyebrows had a slit either shaved or scared that brought focus to his eyes. Moreover, he wore nearly the exact same clothes as Shin Jun¡­ Shin Jun peered down at himself and thought quietly - were the cameramen judging him for stealing the style of another contestant? He quickly introduced himself and looked toward the person between him and Ryung. ¡°Young-Sun.¡± Young-Sun had short brown hair with a flattering side part. He was the only contestant that had eyes other than black, with vibrant big hazel green eyes. He wore a black top buttoned up to hit the neck with black suit pants. Shin Jun couldn¡¯t help but think to himself if Tae was the leader of the K-pop group¡­ Young-Sun was the strict manager. Chapter Thirteen Ryung was last and he sat forward with a small smile. "I''m Ryung, I hope we get along." As if scripted, the boys all nodded to one another once again signifying the end of the introduction phase for now. Shin Jun couldn''t help but feel awkward as he belatedly nodded towards the others. What should he do? What should he say? He wouldn''t consider himself shy, but ah, this was so awkward! Hanseul leaned forward with the same thought and pointed to the white cards on the coffee table. They laid face down with the logo of the show on the back, while a small chalkboard told them to choose their rooms by fate. "Should we take them and reveal them one by one?" Young-Sun crossed one leg over the other and hummed. "We can choose our rooms, unpack, and then come back here for dinner and get to know each other a bit more." Chul nodded and leaned forward to grab a white card while he carefully covered the bottom with his other hand and laid it on his thigh. "How many rooms are there?" Young-Sun leaned forward and grabbed a white card while pointing to the dining room table. "There''s a single, two doubles, and a triple¡­ so four rooms." Hanseul grabbed a card and sighed. "I think I snore, I''m sorry in advance if I''m stuck with you¡­" Tae chuckled and grabbed a card. "Please, I believe in fate - don''t put me with Hanseul." The air in the living room became less awkward as the men laughed and the the remaining four grabbed their cards and placed it upside down on their legs. Shin Jun leaned back while playing with the corners of the card on his lap. Although he didn''t mind being put in a single room, he''d be less lonely if he were in a double or triple room. On the other hand, he''d never spoken about his sleeping etiquette with his family or boyfriend - what if he snores too? Ah, he''d never be able to live it down if his fans saw him snoring on a dating show. Young-Sun, whom Shin Jun had dubbed the new leader and decision-maker of the house, was the first to flip over his card. He first showed the boys before looking at it. "First floor, double room." One by one, the boys flipped over the cards in the same manner and soon dispersed from the living room with their luggage. Shin Jun watched as the one person he had a conversation with went up the stairs while carrying a suitcase and turned his back towards the five men who stayed downstairs, following them through a hallway. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.The house was rented from the production team so in order not to damage any belongings of the main owner, their valuables were located behind a locked door on the first floor while the rest of the house was free reign. At the end of the hallway was a large space with a low white couch, beanbag chair, TV, and three doors on the furthest wall. The doors had a small chalkboard attached which read ''Double Room #2'', ''Triple Room'', and unlike the other chalkboards upstairs - there was a small piece of chalk stuck to the chalkboard to fill out the section under ''Roommates!''. In between the two rooms was a washroom to be shared between the five men, but there was also another small washroom with just a toilet and sink at the beginning of the hallway where the living room meets the kitchen. The group split and Young-Sun and Chul pushed open the doors to the double room while Tae, Ji, and Shin Jun pushed open the doors to the triple room. Immediately, Tae turned to Young-Sun while blocking the view of the two men behind him by closing the door slightly. "Are there two beds in your room?" Young-Sun raised his eyebrow and stopped pushing his suitcase. "Yes¡­ Why?" "Is the program group playing a prank on us or am I going to cuddle someone tonight? We have two beds too." Tae pushed the door wide open while his eyebrow twitched. Although Shin Jun was quite tall, he was short when compared to the rest of the group and Ji was able to see over his head. "At least the beds are big. They look quite comfortable to." Young-Sun chuckled from his door and grabbed his suitcase to go in behind Chul. "Just play a game to see who gets to sleep with who." After saying that, the door closed leaving three men in the open space. If Shin Jun had his phone, he''d call his cousin and ask what he met by this but alas¡­ He didn''t have his phone. The program took it. Technically, his cousin has his one and only phone! His eyebrow twitched but he grabbed his suitcase and entered the room while still in thought. The room itself was fairly large. There were two beds separated by two nightstands, three clothing racks that lined one wall with just enough space between each for a suitcase, and a large window that opened to the first-floor balcony outside. Tae followed behind Shin Jun, placing his suitcase next to a clothing rack. "I suppose this is one way to get to know each other." Chapter Fourteen The three new residents of the triple room on the first floor stood in a triangular position, facing one another. Their faces were deadly serious, eyes focusing on the three outstretched hands in front of them. One hand was folded into a fist whilst the other two had decided to copy each other as their thumb, ring, and little fingers were folded. Shin Jun¡¯s expression stayed the same for the sake of his roommates and the camera, but his mind was in absolute peril as Tae muttered. ¡°Wow, I guess I really get to cuddle up to someone¡­¡± They had taken Young-Sun¡¯s opinion seriously and had decided to play rock paper scissors to decide on the losers. Alas, Tae¡¯s hand had the same mind as Shin Jun¡¯s and they were eliminated together in the first round. First round¡­ Lost¡­ Sleeping together¡­ Cuddling¡­ The series of revelations made him flustered as he answered with a hollow laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I kick or snore.¡± Tae chuckled and waved his hand as he turned to open his suitcase to fill his section of clothes. Ji fell onto his solo bed with a large smile and leaned in a way that he could still look at his two new roommates. ¡°Your hair is so long that he can use it as a sleep mask.¡± Shin Jun hummed and joined Tae on the floor, sitting crisscross in front of the clothing rack in the middle as he unzipped his suitcase. He thoughtfully continued the conversation to keep the atmosphere light, besides, he did want to make new friends. These two roommates of his didn¡¯t seem bad. ¡°I¡¯ll tie my hair tonight, tomorrow I might get it cut.¡± Tae glanced over as he folded his jeans to put on the second shelf of his clothing rack. ¡°Is your hair naturally that color or did you bleach?¡± ¡°Natural.¡± Ji leaned closer. ¡°Are you mixed?¡± Shin Jun nodded and folded the pajamas he¡¯d brought. ¡°My father was a mix, his mother was Canadian and his father was American. He barely looks like it, he just has blue eyes. But¡­ My mother was a full-blown American, so the genes hit us children harder.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The image of his mother sneering as she mocked his father ran through his mind and he stood up to start hanging his shirts and sweaters. He had thought he brought too much previously but after seeing Tae¡¯s haul he was satisfied. Tae brought even more than himself! The roommates sat in comfortable silence for a while until Tae eventually glanced back towards Ji, who was looking thoughtfully at Shin Jun¡¯s back, and rolled his eyes with a playful tone. ¡°Are you going to unpack or will you be using your suitcase the entire time?¡± ¡°My underwear is on the top¡­¡± Shin Jun glanced at his suitcase and quickly lifted the top with his foot and let it fall shut, praying that his cousin was nice enough to cut that moment from the episode. He completely forgot that the cameras might be above them in the room - what if they saw his underwear? Tae and Ji both saw the action and burst out in laughter. Tae teased the two of them and set his underwear on top of his other clothes on the shelf. ¡°Are you that shy?¡± With a hand covering his forehead, Shin Jun leaned back with a smile, closed his eyes, and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not just us who have to see our underwear.¡± On the bed, Ji pushed himself up and sat with his legs crossed as he nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you guys see it but¡­¡± Tae chuckled and put his underwear under his folded-up pants so the ¡®viewers¡¯ couldn¡¯t see them later on and motioned for Ji to come over. ¡°I¡¯ll stand guard and block the viewers so you can hide it.¡± Shin Jun was done hanging his clothes, the only thing left was his underwear which he could skillfully hide tonight when the lights were off in the room. He had also brought his skin care products and placed them on the first shelf of the clothing rack, the notebook and pens he¡¯d brought as well. There were no rules against bringing in notebooks¡­ He thought that he¡¯d be able to use it later on when the others were busy or when he was bored. The two switched positions, Shin Jun lying on his side on the bed he was going to share while Ji was opening his suitcase. Tae stood behind Ji and exaggeratedly stretched out his arms, unsure if he was blocking any hidden cameras. Participants were able to see some of the cameras, such as the camera in the top left corner of the room facing towards the bed and the balconies, but they didn¡¯t know exactly what angles it had nor did they know if it was the only one. As the production teams said - only the bathrooms were safe zones. Shin Jun wasn¡¯t interested in going on a hunt for all the cameras and angles. Let it be a surprise to both him and the viewers, otherwise he might get shy. The three roommates joked around with each other for a while longer until they heard footsteps and voices emerging from the top floor signifying that the others had also finished unpacking. Tae glanced at the two other men and tilted his head. ¡°I wonder if anyone¡¯s good at cooking¡­¡± Chapter Fifteen The eight men slowly trickled into the dining room and sat around the dining table. It was noticeable how in just a half hour, the men had become considerably less awkward with one another. A tinge of awkwardness still filled the air, but Shin Jun only saw it as reasonable - who wouldn¡¯t feel awkward around people they don¡¯t know? Shin Jun was only surprised to find that there didn¡¯t seem to be any personalities that clashed with one another. His personality was the type that could get along with anyone, if someone were to ask his MBTI result it would be a strong ENFJ. He could adapt to any situation, easily take leadership, read others'' emotions, and feel empathetic but if he were to tell anyone a difference that came with the stereotypical rating of ENFJs - he wasn¡¯t particularly dominant nor aggressive in a relationship or with friends. That was something that he learned about himself in his relationship with Lao Yun. It didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d let himself be taken advantage of, though. Actually, the only reason he knew about MBTI was due to his reader''s curiosity. He didn¡¯t tell his readers much, if anything, about himself aside from his personality type when asked and the fact that he was in his twenties. Shin Jun sat beside Chul at one end of the table, followed by Ji and Tae. Across from him was In-Su, followed by Young-Sun, Haneul, and Ryung, who held an envelope that he¡¯d found at the door after the bell rang between his fingers. Tae sat with one leg propped up, his other crossed on the chair and he joked. ¡°Are you going to open it today?¡± Ryung sighed and tapped the envelope on the table with a defeated expression. ¡°Everyone¡¯s staring at me, I feel quite shy.¡± Shin Jun glanced at his first ¡®date¡¯ partner with one of his eyebrows lifted slightly. He seemed so confident in their first meeting, was he wrong about him? Maybe he should have compared himself to his second cousin instead of eldest brother¡­ Growing shy in front of a crowd is quite normal, and he had mentioned being an outcast at school. Perhaps¡­ Should he help his first friend in the house read the card? ¡°Bullshit,¡± In-Su, Ryung¡¯s roommate in the double room interrupted his thoughts and Ryung gave a cheeky grin in response. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Ryung pulled a letter out of the envelope, followed by a bank card, and glanced down at the message. ¡°Fine, fine. I was only creating a little suspense¡­ Hmm. It says that we can¡¯t reveal any information about ourselves yet, but seeing that it¡¯s our first night we can order takeout and go grocery shopping with one of the cars provided by the program tomorrow.¡± The men ordered takeout after a discussion and decided to set up the phones issued by the program for a few minutes as a break from interacting with people all day. This was also the moment Shin Jun realized he¡¯d been pranked by his cousin, the person behind this program. It began with a simple remark from him. ¡°Ah, why are you adding contacts?¡± Chul, the receiver of the question looked toward the long-haired boy with a puzzled expression. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t supposed to contact anyone else for three weeks, right?¡± Ryung glanced toward him from the other side of the table. ¡°Eh? You thought that¡¯s why we had to leave our phones behind?¡± Seven men stared at him in various states of confusion and concern, causing him to realize that perhaps he¡¯d been wrong as he questioned. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Ryung shook his head and explained. ¡°That rule¡¯s only so we don¡¯t secretly contact other members or give out our information until the end of the show.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Right, besides since we¡¯re still working we need to have some sort of communication method with our bosses and coworkers.¡± Shin Jun came late so while the other members had all spoken to the producers, he was a tad naive when it came to this show. He had assumed that he needed to live with the members without contacting the outside world for three weeks but that wasn¡¯t the case. Young-Sun gave more details as they waited for food while the other members continued setting up their phones or scrolling on social media. Apparently, this entire situation was due to another dating show run by the same company that plunged into controversy last year. Apparently, a female star on the show had secretly given her phone number to one of the male stars and they had been gossiping and flirting throughout the night, even having secret meetings off camera. It¡¯s a dating show, so it shouldn¡¯t have been a problem for two participants to get so close¡­ If he hadn¡¯t been committed to another female star on the show already. Hence, all the guests, viewers, and producers could see was the beautiful interactions between the male star and the second female star as they became closer and they had even committed to picking one another at the end of the show in the second to last episode. Compilations of their story were made and everyone was happy to see an endgame couple that matched so well together. They had great interactions, their humor matched, and they even shared the same profession! Everyone was blindsided when he chose the first female star who had virtually no interactions with him in the house other than when the guests ate together. Anyways, it was a mess. Shin Jun hardly watched reality TV and scarcely followed news of shows so he had no idea. During this conversation, Shin Jun also learned that not only were they allowed to contact their family and friends, but they were also allowed to go out and work! He swore up and down that he¡¯d beat his cousin and the two younger of the triplets when he finished filming. Chapter Sixteen Shin Jun added the contacts of his family to his phone and sent varying messages, all of which were being recorded but he didn¡¯t care. To his eldest brother, Shin Yeong, he complained like an aggrieved child. [Brother, I was tricked! I can contact you at any time, I can even go out to work¡­ Can you find an office or hotel room and buy me a laptop?] To his second brother, Shin Dae, he threatened. [When I get out of here I¡¯ll tell Father that you¡¯re the one who broke his prized vase when you were seven and blamed it on the dog.] To his third brother, Shin Hye, he also threatened. [I¡¯m going to tell Grandfather to send you on more blind dates.] To his cousin, the cause of all of this he only sent a few words with a cute little sticker attached. [You bastard.] He didn¡¯t expect to receive a swift reply as they were all busy adults and he¡¯d messaged from a random number, yet he¡¯d gotten the weight off his shoulders and felt relieved. Actually, he didn¡¯t feel like running from the house anymore. Despite only knowing the other members for less than two hours, they seemed like generally nice people. The only worry he had was breaking someone''s heart if they chose him at the end of the show. Although he was repellent to the idea of love, disgusted by it in its entirety, it didn¡¯t mean that he was invulnerable to friendships. Meeting new people, creating close relationships that could last an eternity¡­ He craved that sort of connection. Would it be possible here, where everyone is hungry for love? He wasn¡¯t sure but after chatting and observing the men here¡­ He thought it was possible. Besides, even if he didn¡¯t make a friend he would have memories to look back on and hopefully gain some inspiration or motivation for his next project. Shin Jun placed his phone face down on the table and observed the unassuming group surrounding the table for a few moments. The other men were focused on browsing social media or setting up their phones. Ryung and Young-Sun were typing away furiously like he¡¯d been a moment ago, yet their expressions were quite serious and he suspected that they were in a management-type role. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. He¡¯d find out the truth when the program allowed them to share their jobs but he was quite confident in his assumption. The others¡­ He had no idea. All of them could be part of a K-pop group or actors and he wouldn¡¯t be shocked. His phone buzzed on the table just as the doorbell to the house rang and Chul grabbed the card to answer the door, In-Su behind him to help carry the food. Shin Jun flipped it over to see that Shin Yeong had replied. [I¡¯ll tell uncle about it, we have access to the cameras by the way and I don¡¯t agree to any of them being a brother-in-law. I booked a hotel room and I¡¯ll send you the address and have a laptop sent over by tomorrow.] [Cuddling¡­ Do you know there are cameras on you?] After musing for a while, Shin Jun answered. [Eldest brother is the best! Don¡¯t spy on me, I¡¯m shy.] [¡­ Be good.] A moment passed and the group had set the table and began to eat in an awkward silence. It was the first day and although the group had begun to interact with one another, no one knew the other¡¯s eating habits. Does anyone prefer to eat alone? Do they like to have in-depth conversations while getting to know each other? Is anyone annoyed by the sound of eating? Gosh, there are camera¡¯s watching them eat! Moreover, their conversations were limited as they couldn¡¯t talk about work, names, ages, or anything that could expose their lifestyles. Needless to say, the group finished eating quickly and took advantage of the dishwasher before meeting in the living room with drinks. They subconsciously sat in the same spot they had a few hours prior as if they¡¯d decided it was their seat now. Ryung took one for the team and started the conversation with a question as he poured himself a drink. ¡°Who here can cook?¡± Chul, Young-Sun, Tae, and Hanseul collectively raised their hands, although Tae added. ¡°I can cook enough to survive.¡± Shin Jun watched the scene and leaned back with a smile. ¡°We won¡¯t starve!¡± The group laughed at his enthusiastic remark and Young-Sun hummed with a small smile. ¡°I guess we¡¯re the chefs of the house now¡­ Is everyone busy tomorrow?¡± Everyone nodded. Shin Jun had to go get his hair cut tomorrow and if everyone else was going to be busy at work then it¡¯d make sense to get use of the hotel room and get some work done as well. He didn¡¯t want to be sitting around on his ass all day. It was a bit inconvenient to go to a hotel just to use a laptop so he might try to reason with his cousin or a crew member later on to allow him and the others who may be able to work from home to do so. Tae tilted his head and asked. ¡°Are we allowed to carpool if we¡¯re going to the same area?¡± Hanseul sighed and shook his head. ¡°Probably not until we reveal our jobs.¡± Day one passed without much excitement and the boys visited a second, small house on the property to give their impressions and answer questions that the crew prepared. Chapter Seventeen It was quite easy to find the small house on the property. Although there was a thin line of trees between the two buildings, as long as you stepped out onto the back patio you¡¯d see a stone path leading in that direction - away from the lounge area and garden. The team also made it especially idiot-proof by turning on a blinking light, like they were an airstrip at an airport guiding a plane to land. This could have been avoided if the staff members had shown them where to go in the first place. Shin Jun pushed open the doors and was met by a staff member dressed in all black and wearing a black half-mask to hide his privacy despite not appearing on camera. He nodded curtly but didn¡¯t engage in any conversation as he led Shin Jun to sit on a comfortable, somewhat cliche, soft pink couch in front of an intricately designed room divider. With three cameras on tripods pointed at him, this whole situation made him feel more self-conscious and awkward but he sat patiently as the staff member organized his notes. Other than the couch, cameras, a table with a laptop, and room dividers, there was only equipment set up in the bachelor-styled room. The homeowners or crew had thoughtfully hidden away the previous furniture, only leaving the kitchen and washroom on the left side of the home untouched. The crew member pointed the laptop toward Shin Jun and finally spoke. ¡°For now, just explain how you felt during these moments as best you can.¡± Shin Jun patiently explained his feelings during the walk to the house, his finding the letter, and his walk to the coffee shop. He didn¡¯t feel like it was that exciting but he wasn¡¯t one to judge what the viewers thought was interesting. He thoughtfully avoided all the instances of him wanting to run away, and the topic of him not wanting to fall in love. The viewers would surely chew him out if they knew those thoughts. ¡°I was pretty tired from the drive. After this interview is done, I¡¯ll probably go and pass out.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°The letter¡­ I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d be going on a blind date so soon so I was pretty nervous.¡± ¡°My first thought on Ryung¡­ He¡¯s quite handsome. He reminds me a lot of my eldest brother, especially with his posture.¡± At that moment, the crew member chimed in and asked. ¡°Do you have any thoughts on his age and job?¡± Shin Jun nodded. ¡°He¡¯s probably in a management role, boss, or a freelance consultant. His age¡­ I think he¡¯s in his mid-twenties.¡± The crew member nodded and moved on to his next question. ¡°Did he make your heart flutter?¡± ¡°We had a good conversation but I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d say he made my heart beat faster¡­ Maybe his handsome face did?¡± The interview continued for a few minutes and Shin Jun annotated his feelings during the meeting, the room division, and dinner before he was sent back to the house. The viewers would learn that he was shocked, but not uncomfortable with sleeping in the same bed as someone else - he was worried about snoring and sleep posture. He didn¡¯t know what the other boys would say about him, but he¡¯d later find out. Ryung, like him, didn¡¯t feel anything for him yet but he thought he could become a good friend. In fact, after arriving at the house, he found his heart moving toward Young-Sun who took care of everyone. Young-Sun was similar to Shin Jun - he didn¡¯t have anyone he was interested in yet. He and Chul had their first date together. It was too soon to catch a crush or have feelings, but he mentioned that there wasn¡¯t anyone that he disliked in the house. Toward Shin Jun he only thought he was kind of pretty, explaining that he wondered for a moment if he walked into the wrong set due to his long hair. Chul, like Ryung, found himself drawn toward Young-Sun and was happy that they were roommates. He was focused on observing more before making his mind up on the other men and didn¡¯t have any particular thoughts on Shin Jun yet. Then, came Shin Jun¡¯s other two roommates. Both of them were somewhat interested in Shin Jun, but very conscious of each other as Ji and Tae had gone on their first date together and found that their personalities in terms of relationships would clash. Hanseul and In-Su were the only two who shared their feelings. Both of them were interested in each other and wanted to go on a date to get to know one another more. As Shin Jun was the first to return to the mansion, he was also the first to get changed and pass out in his shared bed. He didn¡¯t even wake up when his roommates walked in, got changed, did their skincare, or when Tae crawled into bed with him. Chapter Eighteen ¡°That bastard! Get your dirty little hands off him!¡± Three men sat in front of a computer set up with four monitors. Two monitors showcased various camera angles of the mansion the Valley of Light team rented, one monitor showed close-ups of said camera angle as they clicked on them, and the other had an editing software with clips of yesterday''s footage pieced together. Shin Cheng had been hounded for an entire day by Shin Yeong. This arrogant cousin demanded that his little brother be set free from the show, given a private room like a prince, kept away from the men¡­ He thought that showing him the footage would have made his life easier - obviously, Shin Jun was doing fine! No, it wasn¡¯t fine! He was going to die, he was so dead. Those were the only thoughts in his mind as he paled in his seat. Why did he think this was a good idea? Was this dating show going to be the death of him? ¡°Which hand is it? I¡¯ll cut it off!¡± He was so dead¡­ He peeked at his two cousins from the corner of his eyes, yet decisively stayed as still as a deer in headlights to not attract the predator''s attention. Shin Hye locked eyes with him, lodged in the middle of the two eldest cousins, and shook his head while mouthing. ¡®Don¡¯t.¡¯ Past him, sitting closest to the ¡®preview¡¯ screen was his other cousin dressed in a simple black business suit and styled black hair. Shin Yeong, the big boss, the heir to the Shin group, the normally calm and collected man who terrorized the business world¡­ Was staring at two men cuddling on the screen. Fuck. He¡¯s done for. To be fair, it was obviously Shin Jun who initiated it, turning toward the closest sign of heat and barreling himself right into the other''s chest. Tae only subconsciously wrapped his arm around the warm object shoved into him. It was his own smallest cousin''s sleeping habits that were about to get him killed. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. If it were any other couple he would be ecstatic, jumping in excitement at the juicy scene and signs of romance. Shin Yeong rose from his chair and glared at Shin Cheng. ¡°You¡­¡± Shin Cheng may not be the heir to his family''s business, but that didn¡¯t mean he was dumb. He swiftly kicked the chair toward Shin Yeong and began to run. ¡°Bastard!¡± Meanwhile, the participants of the show were unaware that their producer was in trouble as alarms began to wake them up. At 5:30, Ryung was seen nearly falling over himself as he rolled out of bed and started to get ready for work. By 5:45, he was wide awake, dressed in a black suit, hair styled, and had made himself a to-go cup of coffee. He quietly made his way out of the house and disappeared from the camera¡¯s view. At 6:00, the camera switched to Young-Sun who swiftly turned the alarm off and sat up, looking to make sure he didn¡¯t wake Chul up from his sleep. He silently tip-toed to his side of the room, grabbed his clothes, and walked into the washroom to get ready. At 6:10, he reappeared with glossy skin and a black suit, tip-toed to get his bag from the room, and swiftly left the house. At 6:30, two people on different floors rose from their alarms - Ji, from the triple room, and Hanseul from the double room on the second floor. Well, it¡¯s more favorable to say that Ji rose at 6:30, and Hanseul kept silencing his alarms until In-Su threw a pillow at him without opening his eyes. Ji threw on a pair of sweatpants, and a comfortable light blue sweater, and didn¡¯t even look at the other bed before rushing out of the house. If he had, he would have gotten a good look at two people cuddling. Hanseul, despite being forcibly woken up, wasn¡¯t in a hurry like the other members. He made himself breakfast while still lounging in his pajamas, and was still eating when In-Su rushed out of the house at 7:15 in jeans and a white T-shirt. He then proceeded to get ready by himself in the double room and left after another alarm went off at 7:30. Tae was the next to wake. He didn¡¯t wake to an alarm, just naturally around 8. He had tried to sit up but quickly realized that something was obstructing him his eyes popped open and he stared at the fast-asleep man lying on him. He slowly laid back down and stared at the man attached to him. Although he¡¯d joked about getting cuddles, he really didn¡¯t think he¡¯d get them - especially not on their first night in the house. He detached himself from Shin Jun and got out of bed, gently placing Shin Jun¡¯s arms down to not wake him, and walked out of the room with a small smirk and a hand towel. Chul and Tae left the house one after the other a half hour later, both in jeans and sweaters. Laters, viewers would note that although a few of them had passed each other in the morning - no one held a conversation. A polite nod or a ¡®good morning¡¯ was all the interaction the members had. Shin Jun, despite being the first to fall asleep, had surprised the viewers by not only sleeping until a little past ten - but also sleeping through Tae¡¯s detaching, and falling off the bed. He slept on the rug for a good half hour!