Minjae follows the show the following weeks

The weeks that followed the first broadcast were a blur of emotions for me. Every Friday night, I planted myself in front of the TV, anxiously waiting for Haeun’s face to appear on the screen. I lived for those moments when the camera zoomed in on her radiant smile or when the judges praised her performance. She was dazzling, a star in the making, and I couldn’t help but feel proud. But pride was a fleeting emotion, quickly eclipsed by the gnawing jealousy that consumed me every time Jihoon appeared by her side.

From the second episode onward, their storyline became the centerpiece of the show. "Haeun and Jihoon," the hosts would say, with exaggerated delight, as though their names alone carried the weight of a love story. Clips of them rehearsing together filled the screen, Jihoon adjusting her posture or holding her hand as they perfected their routine. And then there were the candid moments—the two of them laughing in the lounge, leaning on each other after a long day of practice, their heads close as they whispered about something only they shared.

I hated it.

But I also couldn’t stop watching.

The internet loved them. I scrolled through forums and social media, my heart sinking with every post.

“Jihoon and Haeun are so hot together. I’m shipping them so hard.”

“They look like they walked straight out of a K-drama!”

“I don’t even care if it’s real or not. They better make it to the final round!”

It was endless. The photos of them—some official, some snapped by fans during public rehearsals—spread like wildfire. Jihoon with his arm casually slung over her shoulder, Haeun playfully nudging him with her elbow, both of them grinning like they had the world at their feet. They were beautiful together, I couldn’t deny that. Jihoon’s sharp features and Haeun’s delicate elegance complemented each other in a way that made them impossible to ignore.

And the fans noticed. Every time she teetered on the brink of elimination, the forums would explode with rallying cries to save her.

“We can’t let the couple break up! VOTE NOW!”

“They’re the heart of this show. Imagine how boring it’d be without them.”

“Jihoon’s reaction if Haeun gets eliminated would break me.”

The votes poured in, week after week, and somehow, she always made it through. I hated myself for it, but even I had to admit that the act was working. She was climbing the ranks, and her popularity was skyrocketing.

But it wasn’t just her career. It was her beauty that everyone kept talking about.

“Haeun’s visuals are insane. She’s the whole package: gorgeous, talented, and sweet. Next nation's sweetheart, you heard it here first!”

“Jihoon’s lucky to have her. Like, imagine having that beauty lean on your shoulder.”

Reading those comments made my stomach churn. People were thirsting over her, over her perfect body and gorgeous face. Strangers were dissecting her looks, calling her their "dream girl," and fawning over how perfectly she matched Jihoon. It was maddening.__

And yet… a part of me couldn’t help but feel something darker, something I couldn’t quite name. The jealousy was undeniable, but there was something else beneath it—something twisted and shameful. Watching her in another man’s arms, seeing the way she looked at him, it shouldn’t have affected me the way it did.

I couldn’t decide if I wanted to scream or sink deeper into the couch as I watched them in one of the later episodes. Their team had just performed a duet, and the show cut to backstage footage of Haeun and Jihoon celebrating. She hugged him tightly, her face buried in his chest, and he spun her around like a scene straight out of a romantic drama.

I clenched my fists, but my heart raced faster than I cared to admit.

“She’s doing this for the show,” I told myself, over and over again. “It’s just acting. It’s for her dream.”

But I couldn’t shake the way she looked at him—the softness in her eyes, the way her smile lingered a little too long. Was it all just for the cameras? Or was there something real behind it?

I closed my laptop, unable to look at another post. But even as I sat in the darkened room, my mind kept circling back to them, to her. I pulled my cock out, tugging pitifully as I tried to think about the sweet girl I grew up and fell in love with. But each time, his face will appear, wrapping himself around her and pulling her away from me, stripping and fucking her as I helplessly watched on...

My cock throbbed, and I came harder than ever before.