Chapter Text
“Younghoon-ssi? This way.” The SUV is the same sleek, black, nondescript vehicle Younghoon has seen ferrying idols and actors all over Seoul. He's only just famous enough to get this kind of treatment semi-regularly and it’s still new enough that he gets a thrill from it.
The driver is about Younghoon’s father’s age, slightly balding, with a wide, friendly face. “There are some waters and some Milkis in the cooler in case you get thirsty on the ride. The production crew wants you to film at least fifteen minutes of self cam footage they can use. Other than that, enjoy your last few hours of freedom.”
It’s unusually hot for this early in spring and Younghoon can feel himself getting sweaty under the layers he’s wearing. He’s glad he took extra care with setting his makeup this morning.
“Thank you for taking care of me,” he says, climbing into the car. The radio is set to soft jazz and the interior smells rather intensely of rug shampoo, like they spruced up the car just for this shoot.
As the SUV lurches into midafternoon traffic, Younghoon closes his eyes and steels himself. He’s handsome and talented and people like him. He’s going to just walk through these next few days with no problems. He takes a few meditative breaths, smoothes out his expression, and picks up the selfie stick with a phone already attached to it. The stick has masking tape on it with B8 written on it in black marker and the phone has a plain case with a logo sticker slapped on the back. It’s a crown and banner, with two black bow ties on the bottom corner of the white banner. In pink it says Winning My Prince.
Younghoon checks his eye smile above his mask one last time, fluffs his hair, takes a deep breath, and hits record.
***
Younghoon’s manager is the one who gets him on the show. “It's great publicity, huge with the international audience, and it should get a lot of attention for Romance 119 right before it airs.” The role of Dr. Yang Daejung -- second lead, handsome with a tragically tormented past -- is Younghoon’s biggest role yet, and he knows publicity is important. He doesn’t even mind the idea of going on a dating show, and he likes that queer people are getting mainstream enough for there to be a reality show about them.
But Younghoon’s manager doesn’t know that he really does date guys, and Younghoon doesn’t quite feel like he can tell him that, so it’s just a little uncomfortable, like he’s being homophobic to himself. And he hates the idea of putting himself on display with a bunch of other closeted actors and models or, worse, straight celebs trying to get a little press by acting gay. It’s kind of gross, and he whines about it to his favorite dongsaengs, but Chanhee tells him that if it’s between him and a straight guy getting all the good press, why not him?
Younghoon and a small cadre of other celebs and wannabes will be competing for the hand of a guy named Song Jinwoo, who Younghoon has seen in that one popular Netflix series about deep sea fishing and a few toothpaste ads on the Metro. He seems handsome enough and he probably has good breath, so hopefully it won’t be too much of a hardship.
Younghoon is a professional actor and he is a great boyfriend both in private and on screen, so he’s pretty sure he can sail through this show, come in second or third, and get some good press for Romance 119.
Unfortunately, Younghoon is possibly too good at being a boyfriend. Even more unfortunately, Song Jinwoo is a real asshole.
******
Younghoon is dozing in the back of the SUV when his driver clears his throat loudly to get his attention. “Younghoon-ssi, we’re almost there.” Grateful for the reminder, Younghoon checks his face and fixes his hair before they take the next exit.
It’s pointless anyway, because he isn’t being filmed yet, just given a very quick rundown of the show structure and his daily responsibilities by a very busy looking young woman who efficiently takes his belongings and hands them off to an even younger looking assistant.
There are ten bachelors competing on Winning My Prince and Younghoon is Bachelor Eight. He and the other bachelors are staying in this beautiful pension out in Gapyeong, right on the river. The pension consists of several wooden two-story cottages that look like whimsical towers from a fairy tale. Inside is all warm colors and artfully draped netting over the beds in a perfect faux-rustic look. The production team has divided the bachelors into two teams of five who are somehow both competing individually and also as a team, the logistics of which Younghoon hasn’t quite figured out.
His roommate Haknyeon seems to know what’s going on, so Younghoon decides he’s just going to go along with whatever he says. Haknyeon is a bright, fun dongsaeng who has a sharp mind and seems to know everyone already. He actually has a boyfriend at home, but: “Taehyun’s practical. He knows what the advantages are to me getting on TV.”
Almost everyone here seems, so far, to have a project that they’re pushing or a career they’re trying to revive. Only one of the bachelors in his group, Mingi, keeps saying that it would be nice to find a boyfriend in real life, and Younghoon and Haknyeon immediately vow to protect him from getting hurt.
After being given a too-brief time to settle in, the bachelors are all hustled into hair and makeup and are given the same black suits with their number pinned to the front. “You will be referred to by your number,” a production assistant explains. “You can only use your name if you pass the first and second round. The score will be made up of votes for each other, the Prince’s votes, and international votes through our app. Obviously the Prince’s votes will be the most heavily weighted at first, but the international audience will have more influence at the end.”
Younghoon can practically feel his manager yelling at him to get to round three from Seoul. He’s sure he has a hundred messages from him by now.
“The winner will, of course, win the prince,” the assistant continues. She’s a tired-looking woman in her late 20s to mid-30s with her hair in a messy side braid, reading off her tablet in a monotone. “You will have a fully paid vacation to Saipan, with a film crew of course, you will be expected to fulfill a number of public appearances as per the contracts you signed, and who knows,” here she finally looks up at all of them, a small, ironic smile on her face. “You just might find love.”
Younghoon sincerely doubts it, but he’ll take a vacation to Saipan and six months of free press.
Younghoon assumes that everyone else is also here for a vacation to Saipan and six months of free press, and they’d save the drama for the cameras. His fellow bachelors all seem friendly enough, and the oldest, Sangyeon, has fallen into the role of mathyung and leader easily. This is all going to be fun and games, a little friendly competition with a ton of international recognition, and Younghoon is immensely relieved. It doesn’t occur to him that the man of the hour, Jinwoo, might see it differently. That is, until the opening ceremony.
The MCs are Super Junior Kyuhyun and Poongja. There’s some banter between them that Younghoon isn’t able to hear well over the pounding of his heart, then a pop of confetti cannons that Younghoon can’t help but wince at, and Song Jinwoo steps out from under a tall, flowering archway.
Jinwoo is just a touch under Younghoon’s height, with subtle golden brown highlights in his hair, nothing so flashy as an idol’s, but enough to enhance his masculine good looks and fine features. Unlike the bachelors dressed in black, he’s wearing a white tuxedo with a red rose in the lapel. He walks up and down the rows of assembled bachelors, inspecting them head to toe, his eyes slightly narrowed.
It’s kind of demeaning, and it gets Younghoon annoyed almost immediately. When he walks past Younghoon, he murmurs “Hello handsome,” which should make Younghoon feel good but doesn’t. Younghoon is too professional to show that on his face, of course, so he just smiles, a bashful, pleased kind of smile designed to stroke Jinwoo’s ego. Jinwoo visibly puffs himself up, nods at Younghoon, and moves on to the next bachelor.
Six months of press and a vacation to Saipan, Younghoon reminds himself.
Later that night, back at the pension, Haknyeon scoffs, “He barely looked at me! He glanced at me and made this stupid little noise, like I wasn’t even good enough to be there.” He’s enthusiastically rubbing serum into his face, crosslegged on the bed. Apparently he’s a former idol trainee gearing up to go on another competition show so he can debut, and Younghoon can see the evidence of his dance training in the massive bulge of his thigh muscles sticking out from his sleep shorts.
“He doesn’t know what he’s missing out on,” Younghoon says reassuringly.
“Right? I’m good with money, I’m clean, I like to dance, and I’m a hell of a fuck! Just ask my boyfriend!” He stops, seems to realize what he said, and his expression is so comically disgruntled that Younghoon rolls back on his own bed, laughing. Haknyeon cracks up too, and they sit there giggling, slightly hysterical, until Hakneyon whispers “I guess they’ll have to edit that part out,” which sends them into another round of wheezing laughter. Younghoon feels better than he did at the ceremony, and he hopes against hope that Jinwoo is a little nicer at their second meeting.
*******
The first date night is a “coffee date,” taking place in the cleared out snack bar of the pension that the staff had redesigned to look like an intimate coffee shop. Younghoon’s teammates are all wearing casual clothes according to their assigned personality (“Boyfriend look,” his stylist had said to him firmly) and they were all sitting at different tables. According to Younghoon’s stylist, the other team was doing a PC room date, which sounded more fun than this.
They each had a minute and a half to make an impression on Jinwoo, who was going from table to table. Younghoon tried to think of what he would want in that situation, so he went to the “cashier” (a set assistant in an apron) ordered two hot chocolates and some milk bread with fruit, and hustled back to his table just as Jinwoo arrived. “Hyung,” Younghoon said, gambling that Jinwoo would like the playful intimacy. “You must be so sick of coffee.” He placed the hot chocolate in front of Jinwoo and handed him a fruit fork.
Jinwoo raised his eyebrows. “Bachelor Eight, right? I remember you from yesterday, handsome. You sure know how to take care of a man.” Younghoon tries his hardest to keep his eyes from rolling out of his head by taking a sip of his hot chocolate and putting on a face of wide-eyed fascination. “If I had one more coffee or had to listen to another second of insincere flattery, I was going to puke.” He pokes at a strawberry and takes a bite in a way that might possibly be considered erotic. To someone.
Younghoon wasn't sure he could drum up sincere flattery at this point, so he settled on, “That sounds exhausting.” This was enough of an opening for Jinwoo to go on and on, complaining about how hard it is to find someone these days, and how it was good he had the connections to get on the show, plus a list of all said connections, until the bell -- the sweet, sweet sound of freedom -- dinged to let them know it was time to move on.
“You're a good listener,” Jinwoo said as he got up from the table. “And you're a good height.”
For what? Younghoon didn't ask. “Thank you,” he said, bowing at an angle that kept his face on camera.
“I drank so much coffee waiting for my turn that it gave me the shits,” Hakneyon announced after the cameras were turned off. “And that was still better than the date.”
********
In the first group competition, they have to engage in several rounds of foot volleyball in order to determine which team gets first pick in the wardrobe of clothes, which then culminates in a fashion show.
Haknyeon turns out to be a total jock, as is their teammate Sangyeon, and Mingi is more competitive than Younghoon realized, so they win that one easily. They get to pick from the entire wardrobe of outfits, from outrageous to classy to casual to downright silly. Younghoon is considering wearing pajamas to stand out from his group, but the staff quietly direct him toward a very expensive looking turtleneck and a wool pea coat. “Like a drama protagonist,” one of the style team noonas says. “Jinwoo-ssi wanted to see you in this.”
The other contestants are giving him odd looks, and Younghoon feels strange being singled out like this, but he puts on the outfit as requested. He’s modeled before, when he was launching his acting career, and it comes easily to him to walk down the runway. The other models do well, of course, and most of the actors. The idols are a mixed bag. The one or two “normal guys” (who had enough industry connections to wrangle an invite) were dismal.
Younghoon is impressed by Bachelor Five, who is in the other group and modeling sportswear, but ultimately Jinwoo picks him again. Sangyeon is eliminated on the basis of his height alone, which Younghoon thinks is really unfair.
“Aw man,” Haknyeon says off-camera. “I was going to ask him if he was into threesomes. Taehyun is totally on board.”
“My innocent ears,” Younghoon pouts, pretending to hide his face. “I don’t need to hear about your depraved nonsense.”
As a reward for winning the challenge, Younghoon gets to go on a romantic paddle boat ride around the lake, in which he does most of the paddling while Jinwoo complains about nearly everyone he’s ever worked with. The vacation to Saipan is starting to feel like a prison sentence rather than a grand prize, but it’s too early to bow out now and he's been trending on Twitter for three days straight. Younghoon grits his teeth, laughs at Jinwoo’s stupid jokes, and paddles harder. Filming a show is a lot of sitting around and waiting for your moment in the spotlight, even a show with as packed of a filming schedule as theirs, but he’d take another hour of napping upright with full makeup on rather than spend another second with Jinwoo.
To Younghoon’s immense regret, Haknyeon gets eliminated in the second group activity (an elaborate murder mystery mafia game). “Ah, hyung, it’s okay,” he tells Younghoon as he’s packing up his stuff. “It was good while it lasted and I got my face on tv a few times. Anyway, we all know it’s between you and Bachelor Five anyway.” He also shows Younghoon that he has Sangyeon’s contact info right before he leaves, which Younghoon doesn’t want to know anything about.
Bachelor Five is on the other team. His real name is Lee Jaehyun, he’s the same age as Younghoon, he has thick hair that has been lightened to a soft amber color, he’s quick to smile, and he’s even quicker to crack jokes. Where Younghoon is giving (and has been given) the image of a perfect Prince Charming, Bachelor Five is the irrepressible rogue, the wisecracker, the one who will steal your heart. Or at least that’s what he’s seen and heard from listening to the producers and contestants. He cheats at games and is sarcastic, and he’s been billed as the “villain” for the show, but he gets just as many votes as Younghoon and he’s massively popular on the fan forums.
Younghoon recognizes him as a model, known for a particularly notorious magazine spread, but the really shocking thing is how much more handsome he is in person. Younghoon can’t help but watch him during group shoots, even though he knows it’s going to be edited as him “sizing up his competition” or something stupid like that.
The next individual contest is archery, with a whole Cupid theme, and Younghoon does well enough to win a “private” dinner with Jinwoo. The table is set up under gauzy layers of fine mosquito netting, with real candles on the table and twinkling fairy lights around them. The dinner is a mix of Western food -- steak, rose pasta, shrimp in some kind of garlic sauce -- along with kimchi and banchan, as well as jjampoong and rice. It all looks delicious, and Younghoon is determined to not let Jinwoo ruin his meal.
That is, until Younghoon takes a serving of pasta.
“Really?” Jinwoo says, raising an eyebrow. “Eating flour while filming a show? That’s brave.”
Younghoon fights the urge to shove the whole bowl in his mouth. “Ah, it’s a special occasion though, isn’t it?” He adds some shrimp to his plate, noting that Jinwoo has only taken steak and kimchi.
“The thing is,” Jinwoo says seriously. “Flour is poison to your body. Let me tell you, Younghoon-ah, a few months with me and my trainer? I’ll change your whole life.” He reaches across the table, entangling their hands together. “Let me tell you about ketosis.”
Younghoon is very proud of himself that he doesn’t flip the table and run, but it’s a close thing.
By the time the evening is done and Younghoon gives his individual post-date interview, he feels like slightly less of a human being than he did going into it. A shower doesn't even make him feel better, and even though he's tired, he can't settle down enough to fall asleep.
Younghoon just wants to be done with this whole situation. He wants to get on a plane and go home and forget this ever happened. But his manager is thrilled and interest in the drama has been steadily gaining, so how can he do it now? In a fit of annoyance, he turns the cameras off in the bungalow. He's too agitated to play nice right now.
Just as he's starting to let himself relax, there's a soft knock on the door. Damn it. He already filmed his individual commentary, what more do they need?
“Coming,” he calls out, carefully patting his hair into place. “Be right there!”
He opens his door not to a camera crew, but the infamous Bachelor Five. He's in all black, barely visible in the dark of the courtyard. “Stop yelling,” Jaehyun hisses. “Do you want us to get caught?”
Younghoon has said maybe three words in total to Jaehyun before tonight. “Us?” he points at himself. He looks behind Jaehyun, in the bushes, for any sign of a film crew, in case he’s being pranked.
“Yeah, are the cameras on?” Younghoon shakes his head. “Well let me in, then. I have a proposition for you.”
“A proposition?” Younghoon steps aside to let him in, checks the cameras with the RF detector he keeps near the door, and turns back to see Jaehyun pulling his hood down to reveal fluffy, curly hair. He's really handsome up close, Younghoon notices. Maybe even more so than in his modeling spreads.
Jaehyun flops on Younghoon’s couch like he owns it. “What would you say if I could help you get revenge?”
“Am I- Do I need revenge?”
“Okay, maybe revenge is too strong of a word,” Jaehyun concedes, patting the cushion next to him on the couch. Which, for the record, is still not his couch. “But you don't want that ass Jinwoo to get all the good press right? He's terrible and he's going to be unbearable in public and bad people shouldn't have good things.”
“Okay,” Younghoon says cautiously. He sits down next to Jaehyun. “I don't disagree, but my manager will kill me if I cause trouble on set. And I can't really afford to lose advertisers--” but Jaehyun is grinning, wide and a little manic.
“Younghoon-ssi, would I go through all this trouble just to tank both of our careers? No, I have a plan that gives us all the good press and makes him look like a fool.”
“We’re the same age and we're scheming together, I think we can drop the formalities.” Younghoon is so sick of Jinwoo’s face and his subtle or overt mistreatment of the bachelors, he’s absolutely willing to hear Jaehyun out. “So what's your plan?”
“You’re going to win, right? And I haven’t been voted off yet because I make good television and I’m handsome and everyone needs a villain.”
“Anyone could win,” Younghoon is quick to add. But he knows what Jaehyun means. He’s been given extra attention by the hair and makeup staff for days and he has more solo shoots than anyone else.
“So you win, he wins the hottest guy on the show--”
“Wait, aren't you the hottest guy?” Younghoon asks. “You're like, the hot bad guy.”
To his surprise, Jaehyun startles, looking genuinely flustered. It's pretty cute, and Younghoon finds himself wanting to push it and flirt more deliberately, but he tries to focus on Jaehyun, who is blushing and stuttering a little.
“Ah, well, I guess, um, anyway, so what does the audience want? What do the producers want?”
“Money?” Younghoon guesses.
“Absolutely. And what gets them money? A story.” Jaehyun is starting to look excited now, his eyes sparkling. “But not just any story, they want a love story, romance, a sanitized gay happy ever after to titillate the fangirls and give hope to the little gay children all around the world.” Jaehyun spread his hands, indicating the entire world, or at least their 20,000 Viki viewers.
“And?” Younghoon prompts.
“And so we give them one,” Jaehyun says, leaning back on the couch and smiling. “Wanna fall in love?”
“I-” Younghoon’s brain grinds to a halt, then the gears start turning again. He gets it. It’s brilliant. “A secret romance,” he says slowly. “We couldn't help it.”
“Our animal attraction,” Jaehyun says solemnly. “It was unavoidable.”
Younghoon makes a face to show him what he thinks of animal attraction, but he goes on. “We’re madly in love and we can't hide it anymore. We can't go through with the farce of this show.”
“And what better time and place to announce this--”
“Than the series finale,” they both say together, grinning at each other.
“It could work,” Younghoon admits. “And it's better than having to pretend to like Song Jinwoo for months.”
“It will work if we sell the fangirls and the media the most beautiful love story of all time. We have to seriously commit to the bit. And we’re going to have to answer a lot of questions.” Hyunjae taps his chin, looking thoughtful. “Hmmmm, where did we meet?”
Younghoon rolls his eyes. “Here, you dumbass.” Jaehyun cackles. It's annoying, but cute. “But seriously, we can say it was just like this. You came to see me away from the cameras, we talked about the stress of the show, and it went on from there.”
“We should actually do that, try to sneak over to see each other, but not too often,” Jaehyun says. “We can’t get caught ahead of time or we’ll just be kicked out, but if they can look back and piece together odd camera lapses, it will strengthen our story.”
It sounds like more fun than Younghoon has had since he got here. More fun than he’s had in months, honestly. “Junseo hyung,” he said slowly. “The unit director? I think we should give him a heads up. He likes me and hates Jinwoo.”
“If you think he won't blow the whistle.”
“I won't tell him the whole thing, just that he should be prepared for something to happen so the cameras are ready. They won't feel so blindsided that way.”
“Maybe you can get him to tell you a little more about the finale,” Jaehyun suggests. “So we can plan the announcement.” He's starting to bounce a little in excitement. “Oh my god,” he says. “This is gonna work. I can't believe you went for it.” His excitement is infectious, and Younghoon can’t help but smile back.
“Yeah, well,” he says. “That guy sucks. And I think you’re right, if we’re careful we can get good press out of it, especially internationally.”
Jaehyun grins back at him, and wow, yeah, he is really handsome. Younghoon watches him as he hops up from the couch and heads for the door. Younghoon doesn’t want him to go, even though he should, he should get back to his own pension, but —
“Hey,” Younghoon blurts out. Jaehyun turns to look at him. He's putting his hood up over his mop of curly hair and Younghoon wants to push it off again. Instead of doing that, he just says, “so if we're doing this, if we're going to play up a secret relationship, maybe you should kiss me.”
Jaehyun stares at him. Younghoon taps his own cheek.
“I don't usually kiss guys on the cheek,” Jaehyun says, finally. He drops his eyes to look at Younghoon’s mouth.
Younghoon walks up to him slowly. Everything is quiet except the buzz and chirp of insects outside and the slight whirr of the air purifier. He pushes Jaehyun’s hood back and runs his hands through his hair, all while Jaehyun is watching him with big, wide eyes. “Okay,” Younghoon says. “Kiss me somewhere else, then.”
“Damn, you're good at this,” Jaehyun mutters, while grabbing the front of Younghoon’s shirt and pulling him down. “No wonder you're winning.” And then he kisses him.
He’s forceful and decisive, just like Younghoon might have expected. Younghoon lets him manhandle him into position against the door, Younghoon's hands wrapped around his waist as Jaehyun licks deeper into his mouth. Younghoon can’t help but make happy little noises as they kiss. He loves kissing and it’s been way too long since he’s been kissed by anyone.
It's almost turning the corner into something more than kissing, with the way Younghoon is cradling Jaehyun’s face as he kisses deeper, walking him backwards until they bump into the kitchen island. Jaehyun’s hands are gripping the loose fabric of Younghoon’s t-shirt, pulling it taut. It's more and better than Younghoon has had in a long time, and he's so caught up in the little noises Jaehyun is making that he almost misses the knock at the door.
A knock again. “Younghoon-ssi?”
They freeze and look at each other. Jaehyun looks maniacally thrilled, like this is all hilarious to him. “Go,” Younghoon hisses, pushing him down behind the island, out of view of the door. Jaehyun goes, but he is trying so hard not to laugh that he's shaking with it, one hand clapped over his mouth.
Younghoon points at him and mouths be good before opening the door.
Outside is one of the tech guys whose name Younghoon doesn't remember. “Sorry to bother you, Younghoon-ssi, but there's something wrong with your camera.”
“Oh, I shut it off because I was going to bed. Is that okay?” Younghoon knows full well that the producers shut them off remotely at 10 pm.
“We usually shut them down ourselves, just let us know if you're going to need some more privacy in the evening.” His tone suggests that such a thing would be unthinkable and unwelcome. Younghoon tries to lean across the doorway as casually as he can, hopefully blocking Jaehyun from the producer’s view.
“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again,” Younghoon said. “Would you like me to turn them back on?” Behind him, he hears a muffled little squeak from Jaehyun that he tries to cover by coughing.
The tech guy already looks bored, tapping something on his tablet. He’s older, maybe in his early 40s, but he has the taut, shiny skin of someone who has spent a lot of time in the medical spa. He smells faintly of cigarettes. “No, it’s almost 10, just keep that in mind going forward.” He nods, touches his earpiece, and starts to walk away, giving rapid-fire instructions to someone on the other end.
Younghoon shuts the door and slumps against it, eyes closed. “Oh my god,” he mutters. He can hear Jaehyun’s wheezing laugh threatening to turn into a full blown cackle. “Be quiet,” Younghoon hisses, trying not to laugh. He picks up a package of masks from the entry table and throws them at Jaehyun’s head. He misses, and Jaehyun just rolls onto his back, holding his hands up.
“Hey, hey, hey,” he wheezes. “I’d have been gone already if you hadn’t been the one to bring up kissing.”
“Okay but you weren't complaining.” Younghoon reaches down to pull him up. Jaehyun runs his hand through his hair and straightens his clothes. “There isn't that much time left of the shoot. Want me to come over tomorrow after the cameras go off?”
“Yeah, we’ll get our story straight and stuff.” Younghoon holds his hand up like he's going for a high five or a bro hug, but then it's awkward because he remembers that they had just been kissing, and maybe he was supposed to be kissing him goodbye?
But Jaehyun just leans into the bro hug, slaps him on the back and says, “See you tomorrow!”
It's a long time before Younghoon falls asleep, but it's the most relaxed he's been since he got here. This is probably a stupid idea, but if he gets to kiss a cute boy and maybe humiliate Jinwoo, then it might make the next few months bearable.