The Private Booth sat at the far end of the north corridor.
Small. Silent. Isolated.
No chandeliers. No soft couches.
Just a single velvet chair, a glowing screen, and a camera that captured every hesitation.
The lighting was dim—violet, almost unreal—turning every second into something heavier than it should be.
One by one, they were called.
And the walk to that room felt different for everyone.
Kaito went first.
He sat down neatly, hands resting on his knees.
The screen lit up.
Names appeared.
He didn't scroll.
Didn't hesitate.
His finger moved immediately.
Luna.
A small smile appeared on his face before he stood and left.
Luna entered next.
She paced once.
Then twice.
Then dropped into the chair.
"Okay… okay…"
Her finger hovered.
"Don't mess this up."
She took a deep breath—
And tapped.
Kaito.
Then immediately covered her face.
"Done. I'm not thinking about it again."
Minho walked in with his usual confidence.
But the moment he sat down—
That confidence faded.
He stared at the screen longer than expected.
For once, he wasn't joking.
Then—
He tapped.
Tara.
No second thoughts.
Tara followed quietly.
Her steps soft.
Her expression calm.
She didn't look at any other name.
Minho.
Her finger pressed the screen gently—
But without hesitation.
Aria entered like she belonged in the silence.
She sat down slowly, observing the screen.
Not emotionally.
Carefully.
Her eyes moved across the names, measuring something no one else could see.
Then—
Yuri.
A deliberate choice.
Yuri took his time.
He didn't sit at first.
He stood, studying the screen.
Analyzing.
Possibilities. Outcomes.
Three minutes passed.
Then—
He selected Aria.
Kiara walked in next.
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
She wasn't choosing.
She was deciding.
Her gaze went straight to one name.
Jisoo.
Her finger tapped it instantly.
Then—
Leon.
He didn't sit.
Didn't move.
Didn't think.
He stood in front of the screen, still as stone.
The violet light reflected in his eyes.
Focused.
Unshaken.
Certain.
His hand lifted—
And pressed.
Merlin.
Jisoo entered after him.
Calm. Composed.
He leaned back slightly in the chair, looking at the screen.
Not searching.
Remembering.
Merlin in the theater room.
Quiet.
Still.
Trying not to react.
His expression softened slightly.
Then—
He selected Merlin.
Merlin was last.
The corridor felt longer than before.
Each step heavier.
Each breath slower.
When she entered the booth, the silence closed in around her.
She sat down slowly.
The screen lit up.
Jisoo.
Leon.
Her eyes stayed on the names.
One felt steady.
Warm.
Safe.
The other—
Unpredictable.
Pulling.
Unsettling.
She closed her eyes.
Jisoo.
Easy conversations.
Comfort.
Leon.
That sharp, charged moment in the kitchen.
That look she couldn't explain.
Her finger hovered.
Seconds passed.
Then more.
Even the control room had gone silent.
Waiting.
Finally—
She pressed the screen.
When Merlin returned, the living room felt suffocating.
Everyone was there.
But no one was relaxed.
Luna sat curled into herself, tearing a napkin into pieces.
Minho stared at the ceiling.
Kiara leaned back, her eyes fixed on Jisoo.
Aria sat quietly, observing.
Yuri stood near the wall.
Leon stood by the window.
Merlin didn't look at him.
But she felt it.
"So…" Luna's voice came out smaller than usual.
"Anyone want to guess what just happened?"
No one answered.
"The screen will tell us," Leon said.
His voice calm.
Flat.
Controlled.
He didn't turn.
Time passed.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Thirty minutes.
Then an hour.
Every sound felt louder.
Every movement sharper.
Every glance heavier.
Merlin kept her eyes on her hands.
But she could feel it—
Jisoo beside her.
Steady.
Present.
And Leon—
somewhere across the room.
Watching.
Then—
The screen turned on.
"Selections have been finalized."
The Host's voice filled the room.
"Some of you have found exactly what you were looking for."
A pause.
"Others… have not."
The screen flashed.
MATCHED: KAITO & LUNAMATCHED: MINHO & TARAMATCHED: ARIA & YURI
Luna gasped and immediately hugged Kaito.
Minho exhaled deeply, his hand finding Tara's without hesitation.
Aria stood calmly.
Yuri stepped beside her.
No surprise.
No reaction.
Just quiet understanding.
As they moved toward the exit—
Aria paused.
Just for a second.
Her eyes shifted toward Merlin.
Then—
toward Leon.
A small, knowing look.
Then she turned and walked out.
The doors closed.
The mansion felt emptier instantly.
But the tension—
Remained.
The screen flickered again.
"For the remaining contestants… the situation is unresolved."
Faces appeared.
Merlin. Leon. Jisoo. Kiara.
Lines formed between them.
Crossing.
Conflicting.
Unclear.
"Some of you were chosen by more than one person."
"Some of you chose someone who did not choose you."
Silence.
"Due to this conflict… no further matches will be made tonight."
"You will remain in the mansion."
"To face the outcome of your choices."
The screen went dark.
No one moved.
Merlin felt the air leave her lungs.
She turned slightly.
Jisoo was already looking at her.
For the first time—
His expression wasn't easy to read.
Then—
She looked the other way.
Leon.
He was already watching her.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Just that same steady intensity.
And something else.
Something heavier.
More certain.
Merlin's chest tightened.
This didn't feel like a game anymore.
It felt like something she had stepped into—
Without knowing how to step out.
And what unsettled her most—
Wasn't rejection.
It was the possibility—
That she had been chosen.
More than once.
And she still didn't know—
What she had chosen in return.