Transit Love After Revenge Chapter 10

Haeyoung had seen it coming, but she still covered her mouth and pretended to be surprised.

 

<Friendship Romance> had built its success on provocative editing and production tactics.

 

So, for Season 2, they introduced a new feature: revealing the number of messages each cast member received after the first impression.

 

It was a small tweak in format, but the ripple effect was massive, impacting both viewer sentiment and cast morale.

 

As murmurs spread among the cast, the screen changed.

 

「Chanwoo – 0 votes

Seongjun – 3 votes

Dojin – 0 votes

Jaeyoung – 1 vote」

 

Gasps could be heard as the cast members sucked in a collective breath.

 

“…No way.”

 

Everyone’s eyes flicked toward Seongjun.

 

Three votes. Which meant that, aside from his female friend, every woman had chosen him.

 

‘Just like I planned. Jo Seongjun took them all.’

 

From where she sat, Haeyoung could see Seongjun’s side profile. He looked flustered, even surprised. But beneath the feigned expression, she could see it. He was pleased.

 

‘He’s forgetting that first impressions can flip in an instant.’

 

‘Go ahead. Enjoy it while it lasts. Get cocky. Get arrogant. That’s when your real self will show.’

 

“Aren’t they going to reveal the girls’ votes?”

 

“No way, right? They’re probably just saving it for later.”

 

“I hope they don’t! I don’t want to see it!”

 

Taeri trembled, hands clenched. Minji stayed quiet.

 

She probably got two votes. But she knows better than to overreact, too many votes and you risk malicious editing.

 

“It’s up!”

 

Everyone’s attention snapped to the screen. As if waiting for that moment of heightened tension, the names appeared one by one.

「Minji

Haeyoung

Gaeun

Taeri」

 

No numbers yet. They were drawing out the suspense.

 

The cast members stared silently at the monitor, barely even breathing.

 

Then finally, the results came up.

 

「Minji – 0 votes

Haeyoung – 2 votes

Gaeun – 2 votes

Taeri – 0 votes」

 

‘…What?’

 

Haeyoung blinked.

 

‘Minji got zero? How?’

 

The two votes that should have gone to Minji, where did they go? And what was she doing with two? She should have gotten just one. Something was off. Was this a mistake?

 

That was the moment.

 

Bzzzzt.

 

[You have the prettiest smile.]

 

A message came in, deliberately late.

 

It was a staged delay, a setup to emphasize this part in editing.

 

Any smug look or cocky reaction here could be easily turned into a villain arc with the right dramatic sound effects.

 

But unfortunately for them, Haeyoung had no interest in playing along. She didn’t care about putting on a face for a twist; her focus was solely on how many messages Seongjun and Minji had received.

 

Minji, on the other hand, looked shaken. The smile that was usually fixed on her lips had vanished.

 

It was not surprising. Minji hated being overlooked. She couldn’t stand not being loved, not being the center of attention. Even when it came to Haeyoung and Seongjun, she had to be the main character.

 

‘Too bad. You’re going to be a side character in the story I’m writing. A forgettable extra with no name. Still, you’ll get paid the same appearance fee as me, so, cheer up?’

 

Minji’s eyes slowly shifted, locking straight onto Haeyoung’s.

 

Even in the noisy chaos, their gazes met, and Minji’s eyes were cold, as if to say, ‘I know this is your doing.’

 

‘Smile. Don’t fall apart just yet. It’s more fun when you struggle.’

 

As if she had heard Haeyoung’s thoughts, Minji forced her lips into a smile.

 

“What the heck, why did I get zero? So mean! You all said I looked cute earlier, was that a lie?”

 

Minji exaggerated a pout, her voice laced with playful whine. Everyone burst into laughter at her playful voice.

 

“This won’t do. Chanwoo, Dojin, Taeri—let’s start a Zero Votes Club!”

 

Minji pulled Chanwoo and Dojin close on either side, laughing brightly.

 

* * *

 

Filming didn’t wrap until the early hours of morning.

 

By the time she had showered, it was already deep into the night.

 

Haeyoung gulped down some water in the kitchen, then made her way up to the second floor, hoping to catch a few hours of sleep. But the long day had no intention of letting her rest just yet.

 

Sitting alone on the shared sofa outside the bedrooms was Minji.

 

‘What is she doing?’

 

Haeyoung stopped and watched her for a moment.

 

Minji was curled up with her knees hugged to her chest, gazing out the window into the dark sky. After a long sigh, she rested her chin on her knees.

 

Maybe it was the baggy, sky-blue pajamas, but she looked smaller, more fragile than usual—delicate, even.

 

Then she ran a hand through her still-damp hair, revealing a pale, slender neckline.

 

Every little movement, her posture, even the composition, it was like something straight out of a romance comic.

 

‘Why is she doing that?’

 

Sensing someone nearby, Minji turned her head. Even that motion looked too perfect, like it had been rehearsed.

 

The moment she realized it was Haeyoung, a flicker of wariness entered her eyes. But Minji wasn’t foolish enough to show open hostility on camera.

 

“You’re not sleeping, Minji-nim?”

 

“Haeyoung. I’ve just got a lot on my mind. You should go ahead and rest.”

 

“But still….”

 

“You don’t have to worry about me!”

 

To anyone listening, it would’ve sounded like a sweet, considerate exchange.

 

“I’m really fine. Don’t worry.”

 

Minji smiled, look pretty, but tinged with sadness. Her head tilted slightly down.

 

“You’re so elegant and pretty, Haeyoung-nim. You’re really charming.”

 

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

 

‘What’s with that out-of-nowhere compliment? There’s a reason for it, I’m sure.’

 

“You’re beautiful too, Minji-nim.”

 

“No… I don’t think so. I didn’t get a single vote. I’m jealous.”

 

She let out a soft, self-deprecating chuckle.

 

‘Ah. I get it now.’

 

That spot she was sitting in, the lighting was flattering, and it was right in front of the main camera on the second floor.

 

And this space? The second-floor lounge wasn’t exactly the best place to mope. People came and went, and the cameras were always rolling.

 

She could’ve stayed in her room if she really wanted to be alone. But no, she had chosen this public stage to put on her act. ‘Telling me she was jealous?’

 

Minji was putting on a performance. Haeyoung recognized the signs right away, she had seen this exact routine before.

 

“Jun-ah, I’m sorry, but could you take me home instead of Haeyoung? I feel really dizzy… I think I’m going to faint…”

 

“Something bad happened today… No, no, forget it, your anniversary with her is more important. Don’t worry about me. Haeyoung eonni, have a great date, okay? I’ll be fine.”

 

Every time there was something special between Haeyoung and Seongjun, Minji got sick, depressed, or ‘something came up’. Always with that same expression.

 

But her real target wasn’t Haeyoung. It was the viewers on the other side of the lens. After all, she was on the second floor, near the women’s rooms, not downstairs where the men were.

 

Smart move. In the end, Minji didn’t care about finding love. What she wanted was fame. And to do that, she needed to turn tonight’s zero votes into something sympathetic, into a narrative.

 

People instinctively root for the underdog.

 

She wanted viewers to see her, a lonely girl, unable to sleep after getting no votes, and feel sorry for her.

 

―Poor Minji… she’s like a sad little puppy.

 

―She just feels like someone you can’t ignore.

 

―She looked down the whole time… I bet she’s still upset about the vote ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

 

Haeyoung could already imagine the comments flooding in.

 

‘So this is the angle she’s going with? Interesting.’

 

But she had no intention of letting Minji’s plan play out so neatly.

 

Haeyoung turned around and went back downstairs. After raiding the kitchen for snacks, she headed not to her room, but to the other girls’.

 

* * *

 

“Minji-nim, are you okay?”

 

“Yes?” 

 

Minji blinked, confused, as Gaeun and Taeri suddenly appeared in front of her.

 

“Wh-what do you mean?”

 

Instead of answering, they plopped a pile of snacks down on the table. Minji’s eyes darted around, trying to make sense of the situation.

 

“You’re feeling down, right?”

 

“Wanna join us for one more beer?”

 

“Yeah, come on. We brought chips and chocolate too. Sweet stuff’s the best cure when you’re depressed.”

 

Gaeun and Taeri plopped down beside her, casual and cheerful. Minji looked caught off guard. This definitely wasn’t in her script.

 

Just like that, the lead-female storyline she had tried to build, where the sad heroine earns sympathy, got hijacked. Now it changed in an instant to a friendship narrative between female cast members.

 

“So why were you feeling down? Was it about the vote?”

 

It was Taeri who said what Minji wanted Haeyoung to say.

 

Minji froze, unable to respond.

 

Taeri had also gotten zero votes just like her, but she didn’t seem particularly bothered. 

 

She took Minji’s silence as a yes.