The living room buzzed with quiet excitement.
Everyone had just heard the announcement from the screen.
Five rooms.
Two people per room.
Which meant one thing.
No one would be living alone.
Luna immediately clapped her hands.
"This is going to be fun."
Minho laughed.
"Fun for you, maybe. Some people might already be nervous."
He glanced around the room teasingly.
Several contestants smiled awkwardly.
Because sharing rooms meant spending more time with someone.
And in a dating experiment…
That mattered.
The host's voice echoed from the screen again.
"The room selection will be simple."
"Upstairs are five rooms."
"Each room has two beds."
"You may choose freely."
"But once a room has two occupants, it will be locked."
Luna gasped dramatically.
"Oh wow… this is like survival already."
Without wasting time, Minho walked toward the stairs.
"Well, I'm not sleeping on the couch."
Everyone laughed lightly as he went upstairs.
Soon, the others followed.
The second-floor hallway was long and elegant.
Five doors lined the corridor.
Each with a small nameplate beside it.
Room 1.
Room 2.
Room 3.
Room 4.
Room 5.
Minho quickly opened the first door.
"Nice!"
The room looked spacious and modern.
Two beds.
A large window.
Soft lighting.
"I'm claiming this one."
Kaito stepped forward politely.
"If you don't mind… I'll share with you."
Minho smiled.
"Works for me."
Room 1 was taken.
Meanwhile, Luna and Tara peeked into another room.
"This one has the best window view," Luna said.
Tara smiled softly.
"Then let's take it."
Room 2 was filled.
Kiara glanced at Yuri.
"We should probably choose before the good rooms disappear."
Yuri nodded.
They quietly entered Room 3.
Only two rooms remained.
Room 4.
Room 5.
Merlin had been quietly watching everyone.
Her mind naturally analyzed everything around her.
Who seemed comfortable.
Who seemed cautious.
Who seemed competitive.
Typical ENTP curiosity.
She loved understanding people.
She finally walked toward Room 4 and opened the door.
The room looked peaceful.
A soft balcony view overlooked the garden outside.
"Hm…"
She smiled slightly.
"This one is nice."
"Then I'll take the other bed."
A calm voice spoke behind her.
Merlin turned around.
Hyun Jisoo stood at the doorway.
His hands were casually in his pockets.
His expression was calm.
But his eyes were observant.
For a brief moment, Merlin blinked in surprise.
She hadn't expected that.
"Well…"
She laughed softly.
"That was fast."
Jisoo shrugged slightly.
"It seemed like a good room."
Classic ISTP logic.
Simple.
Direct.
Merlin stepped inside the room.
"So… roommates."
Jisoo nodded.
"Looks like it."
For a moment, the atmosphere felt slightly awkward.
Not uncomfortable.
Just unfamiliar.
Merlin looked around the room again.
"You're quieter than I expected."
Jisoo leaned casually against the wall.
"What were you expecting?"
"A survival-show ace idol to be louder."
Jisoo smirked faintly.
"Stage and real life are different."
Merlin tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Fair point."
Across the hallway, Leon watched the interaction silently.
He had arrived a few seconds too late.
Room 4 was already taken.
And the person inside it was Merlin.
With Jisoo.
Something about that didn't sit well with him.
But Leon's expression remained calm.
He opened the last room.
Room 5.
A moment later, Aria walked toward him.
"You took the last one?"
Leon nodded.
Aria stepped inside.
"Then I guess we're roommates."
Leon didn't mind.
But his thoughts were somewhere else.
Inside Room 4, Merlin sat on the edge of her bed.
"This place feels unreal."
Jisoo sat on the other bed.
"You'll get used to it."
Merlin looked toward the balcony.
"I wonder what kind of chaos thirty days with idols will create."
Jisoo chuckled quietly.
"Probably a lot."
Merlin looked back at him.
"You're surprisingly relaxed about all this."
Jisoo shrugged.
"I'm curious."
"About love?"
Jisoo paused for a moment.
Then answered honestly.
"About people."
Merlin smiled.
"Same."
Downstairs, the host's voice suddenly echoed through the mansion speakers.
"Attention contestants."
Everyone paused.
"Your first mission will begin tomorrow morning."
"Until then, enjoy your first night in the Idol Mansion."
Merlin leaned back slightly.
"Well…"
"This experiment is officially starting."
Jisoo nodded.
"Yeah."
Outside in the hallway…
Leon walked past their door.
For a brief second, he glanced toward it.
His expression was unreadable.
But one thought crossed his mind.
Merlin Tvara.
He didn't know why yet.
But something about her…
Made him curious.
And curiosity…
Was often where feelings began.