Morning arrived much earlier than anyone expected.
At exactly 7:00 AM, loud music suddenly blasted through the mansion speakers.
Luna nearly fell off the couch.
"WHAT IS THIS?!"
Minho groaned and buried his face in a pillow.
"This feels illegal."
Upstairs in Room 4, Merlin slowly opened one eye.
"Please tell me that's not the morning alarm…"
Jisoo sat up calmly on his bed.
"It is."
Merlin stared at the ceiling dramatically.
"I joined a dating show, not military training."
Jisoo smirked slightly.
"You'll survive."
Merlin threw a pillow at him.
A few minutes later, all ten contestants gathered in the living room.
Most of them looked half-awake.
Except Luna.
Who somehow looked even more energetic than yesterday.
"Good morning, everyone!"
Minho blinked at her.
"How are you functioning?"
"I love chaos."
"That explains everything."
Suddenly, the giant screen turned on.
The host appeared again.
"Good morning, contestants."
The group responded lazily.
"Good morning…"
The host smiled.
"Today begins your first official mission."
The screen flashed new words.
MISSION 1: COMPATIBILITY TEST
Luna gasped dramatically.
"Ooooo, sounds romantic."
Minho leaned forward.
"Or dangerous."
The host continued.
"You will be randomly paired with another contestant."
"Each pair will complete several challenges together today."
"Think of it as… a compatibility date."
Immediately, the room filled with teasing looks.
Merlin leaned back on the couch, amused.
"Well, this just got interesting."
A digital wheel appeared on the screen.
The names began spinning.
Everyone watched closely.
The first pair appeared.
Merlin Tvara — Leon Vega
Luna clapped loudly.
"OHHHH."
Minho laughed.
"The Ice Prince and the Mystery Girl."
Merlin tilted her head toward Leon.
"Well, partner…"
Leon looked at her calmly.
"Let's survive the experiment."
The wheel spun again.
Hyun Jisoo — Kiara Rossi
Kiara smiled slowly.
"Well, this should be entertaining."
Jisoo nodded politely.
"We'll see."
Merlin noticed Kiara's tone.
There was definitely a hint of flirting there.
Interesting.
The wheel continued.
Minho Park — Luna Park
Luna cheered.
"YES!"
Minho sighed.
"This is going to be chaos."
"Correct."
Next pair.
Kaito Nakamura — Tara Novak
Both of them smiled politely at each other.
"Nice to meet you properly," Tara said softly.
Kaito nodded.
"Same here."
The final pairing appeared.
Yuri Volkov — Aria Moon
The two exchanged quiet glances.
Aria smiled slightly.
"Looks like we're partners."
Yuri nodded calmly.
"I don't mind."
The host spoke again.
"Your first challenge is simple."
"The Garden Maze."
Minho groaned.
"I already hate this."
Outside, the contestants stood near the large maze in the mansion garden.
The rules were announced.
"One partner will be blindfolded."
"The other will guide them through the maze."
Luna laughed.
"Oh, someone is definitely walking into a wall."
Pair 1 — Merlin & Leon
Merlin held the blindfold.
"So who's going first?"
Leon crossed his arms casually.
"You."
"Of course."
Merlin tied the blindfold around her eyes.
"Alright, Ice Prince."
"Guide me carefully."
Leon stood beside her.
"Three steps forward."
Merlin followed.
"Left."
She suddenly stopped.
"You sound like a GPS."
Leon chuckled quietly.
"Focus."
Merlin grinned under the blindfold.
"This is fun."
Pair 2 — Jisoo & Kiara
Kiara adjusted the blindfold over her eyes.
"Don't let me fall."
Jisoo replied calmly.
"Just listen to directions."
She smiled.
"Bossy already."
Jisoo remained quiet.
But Merlin noticed something from across the garden.
Kiara was clearly enjoying teasing him.
Pair 3 — Luna & Minho
"LEFT!"
"YOUR OTHER LEFT!"
"WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING?"
"BECAUSE YOU WALKED INTO A BUSH!"
The rest of the contestants burst out
laughing.
Pair 4 — Kaito & Tara
Their turn was surprisingly smooth.
"Two steps forward," Tara said gently.
Kaito followed carefully.
"You're good at this."
"I write songs. I pay attention to details."
Pair 5 — Yuri & Aria
Their interaction was calm and almost elegant.
"Step right," Yuri said.
Aria followed easily.
"You're very precise."
"I prefer efficiency."
Aria smiled softly.
"I noticed."
Meanwhile, across the garden…
Merlin accidentally tripped.
Leon caught her arm instantly.
For a brief moment, they stood very close.
Merlin removed the blindfold.
"Well…"
"That was exciting."
Leon looked at her quietly.
"You trust people easily."
Merlin shrugged.
"Life is more fun that way."
Across the garden, Jisoo watched them.
His expression remained calm.
But something in his eyes changed slightly.
Minho whispered to Luna.
"Why do I feel like Merlin is the main character here?"
Luna grinned.
"Because every guy keeps looking at her."
Minho glanced around.
Leon.
Jisoo.
Even Kaito occasionally looked her way.
He laughed quietly.
"This show is going to be chaos."
Later that afternoon, the contestants gathered again.
Merlin stretched her arms.
"That maze was surprisingly fun."
Jisoo looked at her.
"Enjoy your partner?"
Merlin smirked playfully.
"Jealous?"
Jisoo raised an eyebrow.
"Not really."
But Merlin noticed something.
His tone suggested otherwise.
Across the room, Kiara approached Jisoo.
"You were a good partner today."
Jisoo nodded.
"You too."
Kiara leaned slightly closer.
"We should talk later."
Merlin watched that interaction.
And suddenly…
She felt something unexpected.
Curiosity.
Because somehow…
Two people had already entered her thoughts.
Leon.
And Jisoo.
And the experiment had only just begun.