Following Minji, the other contestants also took turns reading their introductions. Chanwoo's introduction was entirely filled with playful teasing.
One part, in particular, had everyone—including Chanwoo himself—bursting into laughter:
"Ever since he accidentally farted in the lecture hall, his nickname has been 'Ppoong-woo'."
Then it was Sungjoon's turn.
"My dear friend Sungjoon, whom I love so much, may have a strong and manly appearance, but he has a gentle and deeply considerate heart. On a day when I was feeling really down, he once traveled four hours round-trip just to buy the tteokbokki we used to eat together as kids."
"The only problem is, his taste in women is absolutely terrible—like his eyes are on the soles of his feet. He's always been the type to give his all, only to be treated like a worn-out shoe.
I couldn't stand to watch Sungjoon get hurt by just any woman anymore, so I dragged him here with me. I want to choose someone for him myself. There must be a woman here who can love someone as foolishly kind and, at times, incredibly dependable as Sungjoon, right? I know it's a bit shameless, but please take good care of my friend."
The Sungjoon described in Minji's letter was nothing like the one Haeyoung knew.
Four hours round-trip just to buy tteokbokki? That's funny.
Sungjoon often found it too much trouble to even order food via delivery apps, usually asking Haeyoung to do it for him.
He even used to say that cheap street food like tteokbokki wasn't to his taste—and in the six years they'd been together, they hadn't eaten it together even once.
And the comment about his terrible taste in women? That was a direct shot at Haeyoung.
Unless he'd been cheating, Sungjoon hadn't dated anyone but her for nearly six years.
Sungjoon sneaking glances at me made it clear.
My insides were boiling.
And yet, strangely, I also felt relieved—relieved that I was no longer the one being toyed with between Sungjoon and Minji.
Now, it was my turn to make them dance in the palm of my hand.
And for that moment, this was nothing.
"Next is Haeyoung's turn, right?"
I opened the introduction Yoonhyuk had written. It wasn't long.
Trying not to make it too obvious that we weren't actually friends, I began reading it softly, cautiously.
"Haeyoung is kind. Many people see this as a weakness and try to take advantage of her.
Sometimes, even Haeyoung regrets it—wishing she weren't so soft-hearted.
But to me, the real fools are those bastards who underestimate her…"
Haeyoung paused for a moment.
She wasn't sure how to read the next part aloud.
She should've checked Yoonhyuk's introduction beforehand.
> "They're… complete… assholes."
Laughter erupted among the contestants.
It seemed the wording was just light enough to pass as a joke. Relieved, she continued reading the rest.
"In a world where it's easy to turn cruel, Haeyoung remains kind—and that makes her stronger and more admirable than anyone.
I hope she meets someone who sees her true worth, not someone who tries to take advantage of her."
When she finished reading, the turn passed with a round of applause.
But Haeyoung couldn't concentrate at all on Gaeun's introduction.
The stiff, thick paper of the friend's letter crinkled faintly in her hand.
Yoonhyuk's words kept echoing in her mind.
How did he know?
That she was kind to the point of being foolish—and always the one people took advantage of?
The information file Haeyoung had sent Yoonhyuk to help him act as her "friend" hadn't contained anything like that.
Could he have guessed just from hearing that she was trying to get revenge on her boyfriend of six years?
The introductions wrapped up with the final one—an affectionate and calm letter praising Jaeyoung's gentle, composed personality.
Feeling a sense of camaraderie from having completed a big task together, the contestants clinked their glasses.
The heavy tension in the room began to ease again.
"Honestly, I think everyone wrote nicer things than I expected. Well, except for mine…"
As Chanwoo trailed off, everyone burst into laughter, remembering his introduction.
"Still, reading those introductions really makes it feel like Friendship Romance has officially started, doesn't it?"
"It really does."
"Then I guess that means that part is coming up soon."
"Ah, that."
Everyone knew exactly what "that" was.
As if on cue, the monitor lit up.
The Friendship Romance 2 logo appeared, soon replaced by a line of text:
Who made your heart flutter today?
It was time to vote for the person who stirred your feelings that day.
This was a must-have segment in every dating show—and one of the most crucial parts.
Among avid fans of dating programs, there was even a saying:
"If you're unsure of how a contestant really feels, just check who they text."
As the show progressed, the contestants' words and actions could later be edited—cut out or reinterpreted to create a different nuance.
But the text message votes were different. They couldn't be manipulated.
That's why the daily text vote was the most direct and honest glimpse into the contestants' true feelings.
Everyone picked up their phones, faces a mix of nervousness and excitement.
Some began typing right away, while others paused to think deeply.
Haeyoung didn't start writing immediately. Instead, she fidgeted with her glass of whiskey.
If everything went as usual, Minji would receive three votes, and Sungjoon one.
Minji, who had been popular from the very beginning, continued to hold her place at the top. Naturally, that meant more screen time, too.
Her bright, confident charm attracted both the other contestants and the viewers alike.
But Haeyoung was planning to change that outcome.
She had no intention of letting things play out the same way as before.
No matter what, she had to pull Sungjoon and Minji away from success.
"Ahem."
A loud, deliberate cough snapped Haeyoung out of her thoughts.
It was Sungjoon, sitting across from her.
You better vote for me. Got it?
That's what his eyes were practically shouting at her.
He had said it didn't matter if he didn't get her vote, but now that the moment had come, he clearly seemed worried.
Haeyoung tilted her head slightly, pretending not to notice what he meant—but just enough for him to catch on.
Sungjoon's eyebrows twitched, and his lips parted slightly.
If they had been alone, he would've shouted, "Vote for me, you idiot!" without hesitation.
But of course, he couldn't do that here.
Still wearing a confused expression, Haeyoung turned her gaze back to her phone.
Today, just as she'd told Sungjoon in advance, She would vote for him.
But still—if he stayed anxious until the results came out, that was just a little bonus for her.
["Sungjoon is the most handsome." – to Sungjoon]
She could already picture his silly, satisfied grin after reading that text.
But it wasn't the kind of message he could feel entirely happy about.
Messages like that often stirred controversy among viewers later on.
Some would relate to what Haeyoung wrote. Others wouldn't at all.
The important part was this: Sungjoon's looks were now up for public judgment.
Who else would vote for him?
If she remembered correctly, Sungjoon was likely to get two votes—hers and Taeri's.
No, it should be three.
Haeyoung glanced subtly over at Gaeun.
Gaeun had a quiet and thoughtful personality.
She had a hard time approaching other contestants first.
So earlier that evening, while Gaeun was doing the dishes alone, Haeyoung had subtly pushed Sungjoon over to her side.
With eight people's dishes to wash, the two had ended up talking for quite a while.
Maybe that was enough for Gaeun to consider giving her vote to Sungjoon.
If that happened, Sungjoon would immediately puff up with pride.
He'd start thinking that every woman here liked him, that he held the power of choice.
And anyone who grows overconfident eventually reveals their weakness.
As Haeyoung watched Gaeun still deep in thought, her eyes suddenly met Jaeyoung's, who was seated beside her.
She gave an awkward smile.
All the contestants had now set their phones down. A strange silence settled over the room.
"Uh… should we do a toast?"
To lighten the mood, someone suggested a toast, and one glass of alcohol after another was poured down.
Before anyone realized it, everyone was raising their voices and chatting animatedly.
Then, as if a message had arrived, the contestants who had been laughing and talking one by one picked up their phones again.
Minji, sitting across from Haeyoung, also lifted her phone.
Her gaze lingered on the screen for a long time.
Had she received a lot of votes? Would today's results be the same as before? Or would Haeyoung's presence change the flow even a little?
Since the outcome depended entirely on the male contestants' votes, there was nothing Haeyoung could do for now.
She could only hope that the impression she had made on the other contestants today was good enough that at least one of Minji's votes would come her way.
Brrring — Haeyoung's phone buzzed.
["You can't eat Pringles alone. Let's share them."]
If it was Pringles, it had to be Dojin. They had picked them out together while grocery shopping.
One vote was already taken away. Compared to what she had expected, it wasn't a bad outcome. Haeyoung silently thanked Dojin.
After that, she held her phone and waited a little longer, but no more messages came in. It was, after all, the expected result.
At that moment, music began to play from the monitor.
"What's this?"
All eight pairs of eyes shifted simultaneously to the screen.
What are today's text vote results?
"What? They're going to reveal the text messages?"
"No way, why? Wasn't this supposed to be a secret vote?"