Amateur Hour

I was about to graduate and job hunting was a nightmare. Then I stumbled into an audition for a reality show looking for regular people, and somehow, I got cast.
On the show, the guests were asked about their childhood friends.
I said, I mostly just played with boys when I was little.
The internet comments immediately lit up: 【And there it is. The 'I'm not like other girls' girl.】
But then I added my next line: "We used to blow up cow patties with firecrackers. The girls wouldn't play with me because they thought it was gross. Looking back, it was pretty disgusting. I deserved to be an outcast."
The internet: 【Wait, what now, sis?】

1
I was a media studies major, staring down the barrel of graduation and a terrible job market. I sent out applications to dozens of companies, but my field is a minefield for new grads. Every offer was either for minimum wage, unpaid overtime, or a soul-crushing six-day work week.
I finally found one that offered a decent salary, but my enthusiasm died when the HR rep asked, “Would you be open to dressing according to the boss’s daily preferences?” and sent me a folder of "examples." I thought they were interested in my talent; turns out, they were just interested in my looks.
I applied to so many places that when HR managers called, I often had no idea which job they were even talking about. During one of these calls, it took me half the conversation to remember I’d applied to be an artist manager.
I aced the interview. The two HR reps stared at me for a long time, asking everything from my relationship status to whether I’d had plastic surgery. Finally, one of them leaned forward and said earnestly, “We actually have another position that would be a much better fit for you, Ms. Song. Are you interested?”
He told me the starting salary was over ten thousand a month after the probationary period, with full benefits and weekends off.
I was young and naive.
It wasn't until later that I realized the "position" was as an on-screen personality. But the contract wasn't one of those predatory long-term deals, so it seemed harmless enough. And just like that, they threw me onto a reality dating show as a civilian guest.
The HR guy swore up and down that if it didn't work out after the show, they’d move me to a behind-the-scenes role.
"..."
I never imagined the star-making machinery of an entertainment company could be run this haphazardly. Was this place even legit?
But hey, I was already there.
On the first day of shooting, the makeup artist was chattering away as she worked on my face. "Your company is something else, swapping out a cast member right before filming."
I'm a natural chatterbox, so I played along. "Hey, I'm the new girl. Do you know why they made the switch?"
"Oh, the original girl they cast was supposed to be the 'brainy' one. But she got a last-minute offer for a PhD program. She chose to break her contract and go to meetings with her advisor instead of becoming famous."
The makeup artist told me the girl had an Ivy League undergrad and master's degree. A PhD would complete the set. That was some serious brainpower. As a graduate from a decent-but-not-prestigious state university, I had nothing to add.
"But don't you worry, Melora," she said, patting my cheek. "You're gorgeous. When filming starts, just cozy up to a few of the guys and girls. If you can get one popular 'ship' going, you're set. And hey, if that doesn't work, you might just find a boyfriend to take home. I've checked them out, and the guys on this show are all keepers."
Wait, what? This makeup artist had clearly been around the block.
Following the producers' instructions, I made my entrance as the second-to-last female guest. I let my eyes sweep across the room, making eye contact with everyone before gracefully taking a seat next to a cool, androgynous woman with long hair and a tailored suit.
God, you know my weakness. I can't resist a butch woman in a suit.

2
I was wearing a simple white dress. On a dating show, you can't have just one type of personality; they cast for every archetype the audience might want to see. My role was the "innocent college girl," yet to step into the real world.
The last to arrive was a stunning woman in a short, red slip dress. Her long legs captured the attention of every man in the room and quite a few of the women, too. Lust is a human instinct, after all.
The show's selling point was "authenticity." Not only were there celebrity commentators in an observation room watching a live feed, but the whole thing was also being streamed online for the public.
"Alright, everyone's here. Why don't we start with introductions?" a man said, taking the lead. He looked a bit older, with deep-set features and a commanding presence. Of the four men and four women, he was the only one wearing a Rolex—a genuine one, and a model you couldn't get even if you had the money.
"I'll go first," he said. "My name is Nathan Zhao. I'm 28. I started a new media company a couple of years ago, so I guess you could call me a small business owner."
Wow. The classic CEO type.
【Whoa, a real-life alpha CEO.】
【I knew they existed! Young, handsome, and rich!】
【Just the watch on his wrist costs more than a 'small business.' Who the hell stole my trust fund baby life!】
Next was the guy beside him, dressed head-to-toe in trendy streetwear. He was handsome in a very polished way. "Hi everyone, I'm Leo Lin, 25. I did my undergrad and master's abroad and just graduated from Columbia last year with a degree in finance. I'm working at my family's company now, but I'm really passionate about music, so I'm also a musician on the side."
So we had the international finance bro, too.
The next two men were a lawyer named Rainn Su, who wore wire-rimmed glasses and a simple silver ring, looking elegant and subtly husband-material in his gray slacks and white shirt, and a young actor named Ethan Xu. At only 20 and still in college, he was clearly here for exposure. You could already see his small but dedicated fanbase spamming the live chat.
After the men, it was the women's turn. The cool woman in the suit went first.
"My name is Victoria Zhuang, I'm 27, and I'm one of the investors in this show. My family thinks there's something wrong with me for being single at this age, so when they heard this was basically a matchmaking show, they forced me to join. They said there'd be men and women, and I should just take my pick."
Wait, what?
The live chat exploded.
【Did she just say she's not picky about gender? When did domestic reality TV get this bold?!】
【She's an absolute queen. That one sentence has me hooked.】
【A 'matchmaking show' LMAO.】
【With Victoria here, I'd watch this show even if it was terrible.】
A flustered voice came from the production team's direction. "Uh, guests, please be mindful of your comments. Please refrain from saying anything that doesn't align with the show's core values. This is a live broadcast."
Not only did the chat erupt in laughter, but everyone in the room, including the celebrity panel, couldn't help but chuckle.
The woman in the red dress tossed her long hair back and smiled. "Hello, everyone. I'm Sienna Jiang, 24, and I'm a model." Her figure was, indeed, spectacular.
The last woman had her hair in a high ponytail and introduced herself as a programmer. She didn't fit the stereotype at all. "Hi, I'm Hannah Xu." She had a warm, gentle smile, and her eyes crinkled when she laughed. She seemed completely harmless.
Finally, it was my turn. "Hi, everyone, I'm Melora Song. I'm 22, and I haven't graduated from college yet."
On a dating show, being an unemployed student didn't exactly make me stand out. But someone had a question.
It was the lawyer, Rainn. "Melora, how did you end up on this show?"
I figured he was just curious about the casting process. I glanced past the camera and saw the hopeful look on a crew member's face, probably expecting me to spin some charming, media-savvy story.
I paused for a moment, then said hesitantly, "Would you believe me if I said I was looking for an internship...?"
"..."
I think I saw the director's soul leave his body.

3
【She found a dating show while looking for an internship? Is that a thing?】
【Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England.】
【Which company is trying to push this girl? Victoria's 'family matchmaking' story was way funnier. This excuse is so lame.】
Of course, I had no idea what the viewers were saying. The company hadn't given me a script. I wasn't an Ivy League student, and I didn't have a glamorous job. I had nothing to sell but my honesty. The HR guy who hired me said that even if I bombed, they’d just give me less screen time in the final edit. Getting a little hate online was part of the deal. Besides, they were paying me.
When you put eight people with different personalities and life experiences together, you're never short on conversation. Everyone was surprisingly chatty, especially when the topic turned to their own fields of expertise. It was like a group interview.
Somehow, the conversation drifted to childhood playmates.
Ethan, the youngest, said eagerly, "I grew up at my grandparents' house. I spent my days climbing trees and swimming in the river with the neighborhood kids. I got in trouble a lot."
Hannah softly shared that she had a best friend she'd known since childhood, a very cheerful and outgoing girl.
When it was my turn, I thought for a moment and, again, told the truth. "I mostly played with boys when I was little. The girls didn't like me."
Everyone looked at me, a little surprised, waiting for the rest of the story.
The live chat was buzzing.
【And there it is. The 'I get along better with guys' girl.】
【Of course, she's the one who's popular with men but ostracized by women. So original.】
But then I continued, "I grew up in the country, and my favorite thing to do was blow up cow patties with firecrackers. The girls didn't want to play with exploding crap with me. Looking back, it was pretty disgusting. I deserved to be an outcast."
The guests fell silent.
The internet:
【Wait, what now, sis?】
【What kind of girl plays with exploding cow dung?!】
【Are you telling me this girl who looks like she smells of sunshine and vanilla was out in a field playing with crap with a bunch of grubby boys?】
After a moment of stunned silence, Ethan asked a very sincere question: "Did you ever get in trouble for that?"
The question brought back a flood of memories. "No. There was this really annoying older boy who lived next door. I think he was a clean freak. He would always watch us from a distance, and he wouldn't let me go home until he'd supervised me washing my hands and feet."
"Annoying older boy?" Victoria, sitting next to me, repeated.
I rested my chin on my hand. "I thought he was annoying back then. He was bossier than my parents. But now that I'm older, I realize it couldn't have been easy for him, dealing with a pack of filthy kids every day." I couldn't even relate to my childhood self anymore. The boy had a stern face and seemed intimidating, but he would also wipe the other kids' faces and play games with them. He just drew the line at exploding cow dung. At the time, I thought he was pathetic for not understanding the joy of it.
I sighed. "He moved to the city eventually. After that, I'd come home covered in mud every day, and my mom's shrieks could break glass." I finally got the spankings I'd been avoiding.
The other guests couldn't help but laugh. It seemed none of them had much experience with country life, except for Ethan, who had spent time in a remote village for a role once.
"What about now? Are you still in touch with that boy?" Sienna asked with a playful smile. The model's smile was devastating. The moment she aimed it at me, I felt a jolt. Heh.
"No," I said. "I moved to the city for school, too."

4
My only memory of the clean-freak boy was a vague nickname.
The show was scheduled to film for about two weeks. During that time, all eight of us would be living together in a large villa.
After the tour, it was time to choose rooms.
Leo, the finance bro, suggested with a grin, "Want to make it more interesting?"
"How?" Ethan chimed in. Even the usually composed Nathan raised an eyebrow.
"We'll number all the rooms and draw lots. Let fate decide."
Fate. I liked the sound of that.
The producers had originally told us to decide on rooms amongst ourselves. The rooms were all different—some larger, some smaller, some with private balconies or walk-in closets.
"I'm in," Sienna said, the first to agree. "Drawing lots is fairer. No one can feel like they got the short end of the stick."
No one else objected, and neither did I. This internship was a dream come-true—no real work, a good salary, and free room and board.
After numbering the rooms, Hannah found some paper and a pen, and just like that, we had eight folded slips of paper.
"Alright, let's begin. We'll go in order. Ethan, you're the youngest, you go first. Then we'll go clockwise."
Ethan drew the first slip, followed by Hannah. By the time it was my turn, there were only three left. I picked one at random. When everyone had a slip, I unfolded mine.
Number 5. A guest room on the second floor.
Nathan had drawn the master bedroom on the second floor, which came with an en-suite bathroom, a small balcony, and a walk-in closet. Hannah was also on the same floor. Nathan, ever the gentleman, offered to switch with one of us. Both Hannah and I immediately shook our heads like bobbleheads.
"We agreed," I said. "Whatever you draw is what you get. We have to follow the rules."
Sienna drew the master bedroom on the third floor, while Ethan and Rainn got the other two rooms up there. That left Victoria and Leo on the first floor.
Leo seemed pleased with the result. He grinned at Victoria. "Looks like we'll be close neighbors for a while."
Victoria was the picture of a wealthy heiress. Her looks, her mannerisms, and her family background combined to make her, arguably, the most eligible woman in the house.
After the rooms were assigned, we all had some time to unpack. I was about to haul my suitcase upstairs when I heard Leo offer to help Sienna, who had two large bags.
"Melora, let me help you with that," a voice said suddenly.
Before I could react, I saw Victoria effortlessly lift my 24-inch suitcase and start up the stairs. She had taken off her suit jacket, and the sleeves of her blouse were rolled up to her elbows. As she lifted the bag, I could see the defined lines of the muscles in her forearm.
Damn, was it possible to be this cool? Is this even allowed?

5
Nathan carried Hannah's suitcase upstairs for her before even touching his own.
It was only the first day, but the initial pairings seemed to be taking shape.
I didn't have much luggage—just clothes, makeup, and some toiletries.
While we were unpacking, the live feed cut to the observation room, where the four celebrity commentators were excitedly placing bets on their favorite potential couples.
"This Melora girl is interesting. Her hobbies are a bit… unique. I think she and Ethan have potential. They're around the same age, so they should have a lot to talk about."
"I don't know, I see a weird kind of chemistry between her and Nathan."
"Are you kidding? Nathan and Victoria are the real power couple here. They're equals."
"But Victoria and Ethan have that classic 'mature older woman and puppy-dog younger guy' vibe."
"What about Sienna and Rainn…"
Three of them were debating animatedly when one of them called out, "Liam, what do you think?"
Before the man in question could answer, the first commentator added with a laugh, "That story the girl told about the neighbor's kid who was obsessed with hygiene sounds a lot like you. A little bit of a clean freak, a little bit of OCD."
The man sitting next to him was leaning back casually in his chair. He was young, with a face so handsome it was almost unfair. He was idly spinning a pen in his hand.
"I just like to be tidy," he said coolly, his voice clear and smooth. "I wouldn't call it a phobia."
"Alright, alright, whatever you say. So, which couple are you rooting for?"
"It's too early to tell."
"No wonder you're single."
"?"

6
After I finished unpacking, I went downstairs to find that most of the others were already gathered. Dinner was provided by the show, a sort of ice-breaker meal to see who liked what.
I was starving. My eyes were glued to the dishes on the table. And I wasn't the only one. Beside me, Ethan was inhaling his food with gusto. "This braised chicken is amazing," he mumbled through a full mouth. "You guys have to try it."
"And the spicy boiled pork! It's so good. If you can handle spice, you need more of this."
"Even the rice is good…"
Poor kid. He must not eat well usually.
As everyone knows, when one person at the table is eating with that much enthusiasm, it makes everyone else's food taste better. And it wasn't just Ethan. I was devouring my food, too, tears of joy practically streaming down my face. This was the best meal I'd had in ages.
Suddenly, a piece of meat was placed in my bowl. I looked up, confused, into Hannah's kind, almost maternal gaze. "Eat slowly," she said gently.
When I looked up, I realized the other six people were watching me and Ethan. Ethan noticed at the same time and looked up, embarrassed. "My company usually has me on a strict diet to maintain my figure," he explained.
He was only twenty, the poor guy.
"The cafeteria at my school… is not to my taste," I said.
If the cameras weren't rolling, I would have been more honest: It wasn't just "not to my taste," it was an abomination. It was the kind of food that made you feel sorry for the ingredients that died in vain. It was the kind of food that made alumni shudder years after graduation. And the campus was so far from the city that our delivery options were limited.
Ethan and I exchanged a look of shared trauma. We were fellow sufferers, united in our culinary misery.
The chat was probably going wild.
【This is not the dating show I was expecting…】
【What kind of lives do these two kids lead? They're eating like they've been starved for weeks. Is the food that good, or is their daily life that bad?】
【Maybe the show should pivot to a food theme. Watching them eat is making me hungry.】
【Melora's my classmate. I can confirm, our school's cafeteria is genuinely terrible.】
I didn't spend the entire meal just eating, though. I eventually joined the conversation. Hannah mentioned that she loved to cook and often invited friends over for big meals on her days off.
At that, both Ethan and I lit up.
"Really? Can we be friends?"
"Me too! Can I be your friend?"
Hannah: "..."

7
After dinner, we each had a one-on-one interview to discuss our first impressions of the other guests. This part wasn't live-streamed.
"Please give a brief evaluation of the other seven guests," the director said.
When asked to judge people you've just met, anyone with a normal level of social awareness will stick to vague platitudes. I rambled on for a while, and by the end, I couldn't even remember what I'd said.
"If you had to choose one guest to go on a date with, who would it be?"
Now that was an interesting question.
"I'd choose Victoria," I said.
The director started to say, "You can't choose—"
Before he could finish, I switched my answer. "Sienna."
The director's face was a blank mask. "You can't choose someone of the same sex."
"...You could have led with that."
Maybe it was my lack of professional experience, but I had momentarily forgotten the nature of this show. I consume so much diverse media online that I just remembered "dating show," not "heterosexual dating show." My own preferences are flexible, but I chose a woman because I genuinely enjoy spending time with other women. My childhood aversion was a phase; I'd grown out of it.
"Okay, then Ethan," I said. We seemed to get along when it came to food, so we'd probably have something to talk about.
"Please state your reason."
"He's handsome, has a great personality, and even though he's the youngest, he's always looking out for everyone."
"But Ethan is an actor. His job might require him to be away on set for months at a time. If you were to date, you'd have to deal with long periods of long-distance. Are you okay with that?"
I propped my chin on my hand. "Director, you asked who I wanted to go on a date with, not who I wanted as a boyfriend." There's a fundamental difference.
The director seemed taken aback by my "player" response. He stared at me, visibly stunned.
After my interview, he had to talk to all the other guests. By the time he was done, he looked like he had aged ten years. I wonder what he went through.
After the interviews, there was another activity. We had to go to a wardrobe room prepared by the show and choose an outfit for our potential date. The villa next door had been rented for this purpose.
At first, I thought the producers were trying to be mysterious, but then I overheard a staff member mention that the neighboring villa was originally for a different film crew. The lead actor had a scheduling conflict, so filming was postponed. To cut their losses, they rented it to our director at a discount.
Waste not, want not.
"..."
This villa was much more luxurious than ours, clearly designed for a drama about a wealthy, dysfunctional family.
As I walked toward it, I saw a tall man dressed all in black emerge from the front door. It was impossible not to notice him. His long limbs and perfect proportions were not something you see on an average person. As he got closer, I recognized him immediately.
Liam Pei.
He was a top-tier actor who, despite his young age, had several hit dramas under his belt. His face was flawless, as if sculpted by a master artist. I don't know when he debuted, but by the time he entered my pop culture awareness, he was already a household name. You'd have to be living under a rock not to know who he was.
He was one of the celebrity commentators for our show. I’d done my research beforehand. So, the observation room was right next door.
"Good evening, Mr. Pei," I said.
It would have been rude not to greet him, especially since I might end up working in the entertainment industry. It was only proper to be respectful to a senior colleague.
I expected him to give a polite nod and keep walking. But he stopped.
His eyes rested on my face, his gaze so intense that I wondered if I had something on my cheek. The camera was following me, but this wasn't being broadcast live.
"Melora Song, right?" he asked. His voice was even better in person than it was online.
"Yes, that's me."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, and then he walked past.
Maybe it was my imagination, but for a split second, I thought I saw the corner of his mouth lift into a smile. And his eyes… they held a strange, almost fond expression.

8
In the wardrobe room, I put together a men's outfit based on my own aesthetic preferences. In the adjacent room, the men were presumably doing the same for the women. I understood the point of this activity; a person's choice of clothing can reveal a lot about their tastes.
After the day's filming was done, we had free time. We removed our makeup, showered, and chatted a bit. But we were all still strangers, and it's hard to get close to people on the first day.
For the first week, our electronic devices were confiscated to prevent online opinions from influencing our choices. It was essentially a closed-door group date. They even took my laptop.
Fortunately, I have a habit of being able to sleep anywhere, so I crashed immediately.
The next morning, my alarm went off, and I woke up with a yawn, momentarily forgetting I wasn't at home or in my dorm room.
After a quick wash, I went downstairs and found Rainn and Hannah already busy in the kitchen. A lawyer and a programmer—they seemed to have a lot in common.
A dating show is a visual medium, and all the guests were attractive. I'm not conceited, just objective. My parents often marveled at their good genes. The pair in the kitchen looked like something out of a magazine, and I couldn't help but linger on the stairs, watching them.
Suddenly, a male voice whispered behind me, "They're cute together, right?"
The unexpected sound made me jump. I turned to see Ethan, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "You walk like a ghost! You scared the life out of me!"
The commotion startled the pair in the kitchen, breaking the quiet atmosphere. Ethan just grinned. "Don't be mad, Melora. I didn't mean to. I didn't realize you were so engrossed."
He was a fast worker. He was already calling me by my first name.
Ethan and I went downstairs. "Rainn and I were up early," Hannah explained. "The fridge was stocked, so we decided to make breakfast for everyone. It's almost ready."
A few minutes later, everyone else appeared, dressed in the pajamas they’d worn the night before. Over breakfast, we all politely praised our two diligent chefs.
Hannah blushed slightly. "It was nothing. I just heated up some frozen things and cooked a few side dishes."
"Well, since Hannah and Rainn made breakfast, the rest of us should handle the cleanup," Nathan suggested.
Ethan immediately volunteered. "I'll do the dishes with Melora." He turned to me. "Is that okay?"
I just nodded, a little dazed.
The others looked at us with a knowing glint in their eyes. To be honest, even I felt a little awkward.
While we were cleaning up in the kitchen, the conversation was normal. The producers informed us that the outfits we’d chosen the night before had been delivered. We would draw colored balls, and whoever drew the same color would wear the outfit chosen by the other and go on a date for the day. A blind date selection.

9
One by one, everyone drew a ball from the bag. I got a blue one. When I turned, I saw Ethan holding a matching blue ball.
Fate, it seemed, had a sense of humor. Ethan looked pleased.
The other pairings were Victoria and Nathan, Sienna and Leo, and Hannah and Rainn. And just like that, our dates were set.
Next came the "fashion show." The producers, likely for dramatic effect, had us change one by one and make a grand entrance, each reveal met with a chorus of "oohs" and "aahs." Thankfully, there were no major fashion disasters.
Victoria emerged in a pale green cheongsam, a stark contrast to her previous day's attire. It gave her an air of cool elegance. The outfit she had chosen for her date was a pair of brown trousers and a white shirt, giving off a classic, almost British vibe. Nathan, who clearly took care of his physique, looked quite dashing in it.
Next were Sienna and Leo. The outfit for Sienna looked like it had been tailor-made for her: a long slip dress with a black and red rose pattern, paired with red heels. She was breathtaking. She, in turn, seemed to favor a cooler style; Leo was dressed in dark jeans with a silver chain and a brightly colored top.
Hannah was in comfortable-looking pants, while Rainn wore light brown, loose-fitting trousers, a white t-shirt, and a short-sleeved dark blue shirt over it, with a black pendant around his neck.
When I went into the changing room, I found that Ethan had picked out a tracksuit for me. It was casual and practical, with absolutely zero romantic undertones. When I came out, I was, unsurprisingly, met with a wave of laughter.
Ethan defensively insisted, "What's wrong with it? I think it looks great!"
The live chat:
【If my boyfriend picked out an outfit like that for a date, he'd be single by the end of it.】
【Is Ethan completely clueless? Of all the clothes available, he chose the ugliest tracksuit. His taste is a crime.】
I understood the contrast he was going for. It wasn't that he didn't know what looked good; it was a deliberate choice to create a moment for the show. This whole outfit-swapping activity was subtly brilliant. Once we were all dressed in clothes chosen by our partners, a new layer of intimacy hung in the air.
Each couple had a different date planned. Ethan and I were sent to an amusement park. A whole day at an amusement park. Heck yes.
As we stood at the entrance, Ethan and I exchanged a look.
"Are you afraid of heights?" he asked.
I shook my head.
Then we both turned to our cameraman. "Sir," we asked in unison, "are you afraid of heights?"
The cameraman: "?"
And so, we rode everything: the roller coaster, the giant pendulum, the drop tower, the spinning swing ride, the log flume… We rode them all. The feeling of weightlessness as we soared through the air was pure bliss.
Just as we were getting on the roller coaster, before the cameraman could join us, Ethan quickly and discreetly turned off both of our mics. "Melora," he whispered conspiratorially, "I know you're also here on a company assignment to get some screen time. How about we agree to play up a 'showmance' for the cameras? It's a win-win. What do you say?"
So that's what all his earlier attentiveness was about.
"Deal," I said. It was an internship, after all. I had to cooperate.
By the end of the day, Ethan and I were glowing. Our cameraman, however, looked like he had seen a ghost.

10
Ethan and I returned, still buzzing from the day's excitement, to find that all the other couples were already back. The atmosphere was… different. A subtle, romantic tension filled the air.
For dinner, we had a barbecue in the backyard, gathered around a charcoal grill. I may not be a great cook in general, but when it comes to grilling, I'm a prodigy. Everyone who's ever tasted my barbecue has raved about it. This was my time to shine.
Ethan was beside me, devouring a skewer of meat and giving me a thumbs-up, his mouth too full to form words.
Everyone naturally sat with their date from the day, sharing stories from their outings. I kept my head down, focusing on the grill. My mission was to ensure that no one left without trying my barbecue.
"Melora, where did you learn to grill like this? This marinade is incredible!" Sienna said, leaning in close. Her beauty was almost overwhelming.
I felt a blush creep up my neck. "I learned from my grandparents," I mumbled, looking down.
On my other side, Ethan let out an exaggerated gasp. "Melora, are you blushing? We spent the whole day together, and you didn't blush once. Sienna gives you one compliment, and you turn red? Did I not praise you enough today?"
In just one day, we had forged a solid bond of friendship.
I smiled and gave him a gentle elbow jab. "Don't be ridiculous."
He opened his mouth to say something else, but I shoved another skewer of meat in it, and he finally quieted down.
Listening to the other couples recount their dates was fascinating.
Ethan nudged me. "Hey, sis," he whispered, "how come their dates sound so different from ours?"
How should I know? I had no experience in this department either.
The third day was a group activity. We were divided into teams to buy groceries within a budget and cook a meal together. There was a shopping team and a home team. I was on the shopping team. Hannah, Nathan, Rainn, and Sienna were in charge of the kitchen.
Of course, while we were out, they were free to do as they pleased in the villa, and I'm sure there was plenty of interaction.
When the food was served, it was clear that Hannah had been the head chef, but the other three had each contributed a dish.
"So, what do you think? Is it good?" Hannah asked, her eyes full of hopeful anticipation.
I replied with my now-signature line: "Hannah, we are definitely going to be good friends."
Ethan added, "Count me in! This is delicious!"
Everyone else was full of praise as well. Leo said cheerfully, "Hannah, with skills like these, you could be a successful programmer or a restaurant owner. You'd kill it at either."
The greatest compliment you can give a chef is to devour their food with gusto. I don't know if it was because I was so engrossed in my meal, but I could have sworn I saw that same, gentle, maternal look in Hannah's eyes again. It reminded me of how my grandma used to look at me when she was fattening me up as a child.
That evening, the producers arranged for us to play games. The quintessential ingredients for a romantic atmosphere: Truth or Dare and alcohol.
Under the dim lighting, surrounded by attractive young people, with a subtle current of flirtation in the air, I almost started to believe that some of these budding connections were real. At least, my "shipping" instincts felt very real. I finally understood why viewers get so invested in these shows. In this kind of atmosphere, you could almost forget that these people had only known each other for a few days. Or maybe it was precisely because they were strangers that the unspoken attraction was so captivating.

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