She quickly covered her mouth as a sudden laugh slipped out. Minji's expression instantly hardened.
"Why are you laughing?"
"I'm just happy to hear you think so highly of me. But it's not 'jap-ssaeng,' it's 'baeb-ssaeng.' The saying goes, 'A baeb-ssaeng trying to follow a stork.' 'Jap-ssaeng'... isn't that kind of a derogatory term for police?"
"R-Right! Baeb-ssaeng! That's what I meant!"
"Oh, I thought so. I must've misheard. I didn't think Minji-nim would mix up such a basic proverb that even elementary schoolers know."
"Of course, you wouldn't, right?"
Minji's face turned red.
"Anyway, thanks for the compliment. But what can I say? I'm not as virtuous as you seem to think I am."
"Really? But I can see it. You're genuinely kind."
"Is that so? If you don't believe me, maybe I should do something bad to prove it."
Haeyoung laughed and stood up from her seat first. A flicker of irritation crossed Minji's face.
Why? I meant it. You'll see.
*****
A little while later, it was time to leave.
Haeyoung got in the car with Dojin, while Sungjoon and Taeri got into their assigned vehicles. Minji hadn't come down yet, but it seemed she would be riding with Jaeyoung.
After driving for about two hours, they arrived at their destination.
The sky was high and clear with the crispness of autumn, sunlight gently warming the air, and a refreshing breeze brushing over the wide-open hills. It was the perfect weather for filming outdoors.
Perhaps because of Minji's earlier warning, everyone showed up in comfortable training outfits—everyone except one person.
Minji stepped out of the car wearing pristine white Mary Jane shoes and a flowing white dress that swayed around her calves.
The oversized cardigan draped loosely over her shoulders only made her petite frame stand out more. She looked beautiful.
Right, that was the exact look from the viral photo of Minji online. People had said she looked like a dream girlfriend brought to life, and couldn't stop gushing about it.
Everyone had praised her like crazy.
"Minji, is that really what you decided to wear?"
"Yes!"
Minji answered brightly, even as Taeri looked at her in surprise.
"You told us to wear something comfortable—so why are you wearing a dress?"
"This is comfortable for me."
"And you're going hiking in that?"
"Yes."
"That makes no sense..."
"Why not?"
Minji tilted her head innocently. Taeri was at a loss for words and stared down at Minji's shoes.
White Mary Jane shoes—luxury designer ones that easily cost over a million won. And she was planning to hike a dirt trail in those?
Even if the shoes got ruined, her heels would be a mess in no time. Still, since Minji insisted they were comfortable, pressing her further felt unnecessary and awkward.
Is looking pretty really more important than having your feet torn up?
That's what Taeri thought—naively—until the staff member came over to announce the day's itinerary.
"You'll be heading to a sheep ranch located at the top of the hill for a feeding experience. You'll be taking the gondola up there."
"The gondola? Not hiking?"
"That's right."
The staff pointed upward. A gondola was gliding leisurely through the sky. The female contestants—except Minji—were visibly stunned, especially Taeri, who couldn't hide her expression.
She looked at Minji's outfit again.
Her outfit, honestly, was absolutely perfect for taking the gondola up the hill for a sheep-feeding experience.
As soon as the staff walked away, Taeri marched over to Minji, clearly upset.
"Minji, you specifically told us we'd be hiking and to dress comfortably. What was that about?"
"Oh my, did I really?"
"Did you lie on purpose? No wonder you're the only one dressed all pretty."
"No, not at all. I really thought it was a hike. I must have misheard… And Taeri, you look pretty too!"
"That's not the point, and you know it."
As Taeri's voice dropped in tone, the atmosphere instantly turned cold. Even the male contestants, who weren't fully aware of the situation, began glancing around nervously.
Hayeong quietly watched the entire scene unfold.
From the moment she saw Minji's outfit, Hayeong understood exactly why she had lied. Minji had wanted to stand out—so she lied and pretended otherwise.
Hayeong had thought things must have gone differently from what she remembered seeing on the show. But no, they hadn't.
Minji must have lied back then too, dressing to stand out on purpose. As a result, she had received all the spotlight during that segment. That part probably hadn't been aired, so Hayeong hadn't known.
In other words, behind Minji's sudden surge in popularity was a petty and underhanded lie.
Taeri, now forgetting even the presence of the cameras, began confronting Minji.
"You did it on purpose, didn't you?!"
"N-no! I swear I didn't! But still…"
"I'm truly sorry. I shouldn't have spoken without knowing the details… I only meant to be helpful, but I was wrong. I shouldn't have said anything when I wasn't sure. I should've just kept quiet… Taeri, Gaeun, Hayeong—I'm really sorry, again."
Minji clasped her hands together and bowed her head.
The fact that she deliberately mentioned the names of all three other women was no coincidence. She was carefully crafting the image of one person being ganged up on by several others. And people naturally tend to sympathize with those who seem like the underdog or the victim.
Sure enough, Seongjun, completely oblivious, jumped in.
"Come on, Minji probably didn't mean any harm. Don't be too hard on her. Taeri, you're being a bit scary right now. At this rate, you're going to make Minji cry."
"No, it's okay, Seongjun. This really was my fault."
Minji tugged gently on Seongjun's arm and bowed her head again.
Tears began to roll down Minji's cheeks as she held her head low. Pretending to be surprised, she quickly wiped them away.
"Aww, now look—you made her cry. It's just clothes, for heaven's sake. You all are being too much."
Like the loyal, long-time male friend he was, Seongjun jumped in to cast Minji as the poor, mistreated victim—and the other women as cold and heartless bullies.
Watching someone other than herself become the target of Minji's victim act stirred unexpected emotions in Hayeong.
Taeri's face was turning visibly red with anger. If this continued, she might actually end up getting into a full-blown argument with Minji on camera.
That couldn't happen. If it did, there was a much higher chance the footage would be edited in a way that made Taeri look bad.
"Then—"
Hayeong, who had been silently observing the entire exchange, finally spoke up in a calm voice. Everyone turned their eyes toward her.
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Why don't we all just go hiking together?"
"Huh?"
"We all came thinking we'd be hiking anyway. If we just do it as planned, there's no problem."
There was a brief silence as everyone tried to understand Hayeong's words. Then Taeri's eyes lit up.
"Yeah! Sounds good, let's go hiking!"
Earlier at the lodging, she had complained about hiking, but now she clearly understood Hayeong's intention better than anyone.
Minji froze completely, as if she'd even forgotten to put on her tearful expression.
"B-But… we could take the gondola, so there's no need to hike, right?"
"Why? Minji, you'll take the gondola, right? Anyway, with those shoes, hiking would be impossible for you. I thought so. No matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem like you dressed for hiking."
"No, I did! I really dressed for hiking! Why don't you believe me?"
"Then let's walk up together. The weather is perfect for a walk! Or just admit it and take the gondola."
"Fine! I'll walk too. What's the worst that could happen?"
As Taeri pressured her, Minji reluctantly agreed through tears.
She had no choice. If she refused here, it would only make her look worse.
While everyone prepared to head up, Minji looked up at the hill and let out a deep sigh.
*****
"Ugh, huff!"
Minji grumbled as she dragged her heavy legs forward.
Her labored breathing was tinged with irritation. With every step, the thick cardigan kept slipping off her shoulders, forcing her to pull it back up each time.
Not only that, her hair was messy from the wind blowing all along, and her heels were scraped, causing her to limp.
"Minji, shall we go a bit slower? Is your foot okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. It's actually great! So refreshing, I feel amazing!"
When Haeyoung looked back and asked, Minji smiled brightly as if she hadn't been frowning before.
But what good is that? Her sweat-soaked face and the tangled hair sticking to it clearly showed how she really was.
"That's a relief. But would you like to borrow a hair tie? Your face is a bit—"
Haeyoung glanced at the nearby camera with a subtle gesture. Minji followed her gaze, looked at the camera, and seemed to realize what she meant. She bit her lip tightly.
She seemed to be struggling — whether to keep her pride and stay as she was, or give it up and avoid looking a mess.
"If you don't need it, then never mind."
"P-please!"
Minji reached out her hand. Haeyoung smiled softly and put her hand into her pocket.
Fumbling, she put the hair tie she found back into her pocket and pulled out just her hand again.
"Oh, sorry. I thought I had one, but I don't. Should I ask the other girls? If you say you're uncomfortable because of your hair, I'm sure they'd gladly lend you one."
"I'm fine! I'll just… just go!"
"All right, if you need it, just say so. I'll ask the others to lend you one anytime."
Haeyoung left Minji behind and walked ahead.
Why would anyone lend you a hair tie? Even if it meant being crushed under a pile of hair ties, there wouldn't be a single one to give Minji.