X
Join our Discord server and get release updates for every novel you follow.
Join the ServerThe first week of August brought with it both the rainy season and the commencement of filming. For the next three weeks, everyone would be staying together from Friday to Sunday, a two-night, three-day schedule. The final week would entail a full seven-day live-in period.
On the day of filming, Lee Dohwa, having received notification to arrive at the specified address by 6:30 PM, began preparing as early as 3:00 PM.
“I think I’ve packed everything I need.”
‘What if I forgot something? Could I go back home in the middle of it?’
As he packed his laptop, iPad, heated eye mask, and other essentials, Dohwa realized he had surprisingly many items to bring. Carrying a fully packed 24-inch suitcase, he left his house.
He was moving in with his sleep schedule completely overturned, but there was nothing to be done. He had spent the previous two days binge-watching a new drama until morning, feeling that he couldn’t rest until he’d seen the final episode.
[Koo Ye-jin: ]
His phone vibrated, and Dohwa gazed dispassionately at the message from assistant director Koo Ye-jin. He thought it was normal to feel nervous before a shoot.
Yet, any sense of excitement had vanished without a trace.
Nevertheless, punctuality was paramount. Just like last time, he got his hair and makeup done at the salon, then called a taxi. Fortunately, there was no traffic.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Thank you.”
As he pulled out his suitcase, he checked the time on his watch: 6:25 PM.
‘I’m not late.’
Dohwa took a moment to observe the house’s exterior before opening the gate and stepping inside.
His suitcase wheels rumbled softly as he crossed the meticulously maintained garden. Stopping before the front door, Dohwa straightened his clothes once more before grasping the doorknob.
“I think they’re here.”
“I wonder who it could be.”
Voices drifted from within. He pricked up his ears as he removed his shoes. Entering a house unlike any he had ever seen, the reality of the situation began to sink in, and a hint of nervousness settled over him.
His goal for the first day was simply to make a good impression without standing out.
With the mindset of doing just enough to fulfill the basics, Dohwa surveyed the first floor. The voices seemed to be coming from upstairs, indicating everyone was likely on the second floor.
Donning a pair of slippers, he placed his suitcase beside the row of others already neatly lined up. He then cautiously ascended the stairs to the second floor.
One step, then another.
Reaching the top, he saw people seated on the sofa.
“They’re here! Hello!”
“Welcome.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
‘Why are there so many people?’
Receiving the undivided attention of five pairs of eyes, Dohwa paused in momentary confusion. Soon, however, he approached them and bowed his head.
“…Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
“I feel like I’ve been waiting for about an hour, but now I think everyone’s finally here.”
“Since a new person has arrived, shouldn’t we all introduce ourselves again?”
‘This is chaotic.’
Dohwa seemed to be the last to arrive, as the other five appeared to have already conversed somewhat. Meeting so many new people at once made him feel incredibly clumsy.
He found an empty seat and, without a word, turned his head sharply in the direction of the voices, observing everyone.
“I’m Chaeyeon-woo, twenty-five years old, and an Omega! I was the first one here, waiting.”
‘We’re the same age.’
Chaeyeon-woo, who claimed to have been waiting for an hour, greeted Dohwa most brightly upon his arrival. A hint of charm permeated their tone.
They had bright brown hair and a beautiful smile. Chaeyeon-woo seemed even more suited to be a protagonist than the one Dohwa had watched in a drama yesterday. A vibrant energy seemed to emanate from them.
‘Completely opposite types, we are.’
“You’re not allowed to reveal your dominant status, but you can state your name and age.”
“The rules are short, so it’ll be faster if you just take a look.”
The man sitting diagonally across stood up and handed Dohwa the rule board that had been propped beside the table.
“Thank you.”
The others had already seen them, so Dohwa quickly scanned the text.
Rules of Timing in Love
1. You may reveal your name, age, and secondary gender, but not your dominant status or personal information.
2. Intentional date requests are prohibited.
3. Sharing SNS accounts or contact information is forbidden, and personal communication is not allowed.
4. You must not enter into a romantic relationship with anyone until the final day.
5. You may send a message to only one person.
When the bell rings, a mission will be distributed.
“I’ve read them all. My name is Lee Dohwa. I’m twenty-five, like Chaeyeon-woo, and my secondary gender is Omega.”
“Looks like I’m the oldest after all. I’m Joo Jae-hyun, twenty-nine, and an Alpha.”
No sooner had Dohwa finished speaking than the man sitting opposite him scratched his head and introduced himself.
‘It’s hard to believe that face is twenty-nine.’
He had a refined appearance, yet possessed a puppy-like charm. He looked like he could be the second male lead in yesterday’s drama.
“Among the Omegas, I’m the oldest, aren’t I? I’m Woo Sori, twenty-seven!”
The man hugging a cushion also smiled brightly as he spoke. While different from Joo Jae-hyun, he, too, had a puppy-like face.
The man who had earlier requested introductions was seated right next to Dohwa. When the same voice spoke again from beside him, Dohwa’s gaze shifted in that direction.
“I’m Ma Won-ho, an Alpha, twenty-seven—two years older than you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“…It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”
Their eyes met at close range. A slight smile played on his lips, but his gaze was so sharp that his expression seemed devoid of true mirth.
Finally, it was the turn of the man who had handed him the rule board from across the room. Dohwa looked at him, and their eyes immediately met, as if the man had been watching him. A strong aura emanated from his impassive face and demeanor.
“Kang Hae-il, twenty-seven, Alpha.”
Perhaps because he spoke more slowly than the others, Hae-il’s introduction imprinted itself firmly in Dohwa’s mind.
Once everyone had finished introducing themselves, a silence fell. Dohwa used this time to silently repeat their names to ensure he wouldn’t forget them.
Chaeyeon-woo and Woo Sori were Omegas, while Joo Jae-hyun, Ma Won-ho, and Kang Hae-il were Alphas. Since he and Chaeyeon-woo were the youngest, he would use formal speech with everyone else.
“Since everyone’s here, shall we take a look around the house?”
“The two of us came early and already looked around once. The house is amazing!”
As if responding to Joo Jae-hyun’s words, which had broken the silence, Chaeyeon-woo stood up.
They then gestured to Ma Won-ho and themselves, suggesting they all explore the house together. As everyone else rose, Dohwa also subtly got to his feet.
‘There’s a terrace.’
Dohwa, who had just arrived and hadn’t yet fully grasped the layout of the house, paused where people had passed. He slowly surveyed the second floor, noticing that, due to its spaciousness, there were several common areas and a large terrace. He wouldn’t go out, though, given the heat.
“Dohwa, have you seen our room?”
“Oh, no.”
“Our rooms are at completely opposite ends of the hall.”
Woo Sori suddenly approached him and struck up a conversation. His bright brown eyes, close up, drew Dohwa’s gaze. Woo Sori pointed to one end of the corridor and then the other, then beckoned Dohwa to follow.
“…The room is really nice.”
“Since there are three beds, it seems no one else is joining us.”
He had expected bunk beds, but they were all single beds. The room’s overall color scheme was a light sky blue, accented with yellow. While such an interior might only be possible for a broadcast, it was quite lovely.
“Is everyone here…?”
“Ah, yes.”
“We haven’t decided on beds yet, have we? Shall we play rock-paper-scissors to pick?”
Chaeyeon-woo, who had abruptly entered, pulled one hand behind their back as if ready to play rock-paper-scissors at any moment.
“I’m going to throw scissors. Rock-paper-scissors!”
Dohwa reflexively threw a fist. It happened so quickly that he didn’t even think; since Chaeyeon-woo said they’d throw scissors, he threw a winning rock. Beside him, Woo Sori also threw a rock.
“How could you all do this to me!”
The person who said they would throw scissors actually threw scissors.
“I have a feeling it’ll be the middle bed, but let me know once it’s decided. I’ll be outside.”
With that, Chaeyeon-woo promptly turned and left the room. The situation unfolded as swiftly as a sudden storm.
The remaining two played rock-paper-scissors one more time. Woo Sori threw a rock, and Dohwa threw paper.
“I’ll take the very end.”
“Then I’ll use this one.”
After Dohwa claimed the innermost, window-side bed, Woo Sori chose the bed closest to the door. This automatically left the middle bed for Chaeyeon-woo.
At Woo Sori’s suggestion to leave, Dohwa exited the room and immediately encountered Ma Won-ho nearby.
‘I hadn’t realized when he was sitting, but he’s tall.’
“Everyone’s downstairs.”
“Then let’s head down.”
Wondering if only the three of them were still upstairs, Dohwa and Ma Won-ho followed Woo Sori down the stairs. In the living room, they saw Kang Hae-il standing idly.
“What are you doing?”
“Waiting.”
“Did you see everything?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, I haven’t seen the first floor yet… I’ll go take a quick look.”
Dohwa heard Woo Sori speak to Kang Hae-il while he surveyed the living room. However, Woo Sori quickly left, seemingly embarrassed.
As Dohwa was about to follow them toward the kitchen,
“Are you good at cooking?”
“…No.”
Ma Won-ho, who had been standing beside him, spoke to Dohwa. While cooking was his hobby, he wasn’t particularly skilled. He only knew how to make the dishes he liked, with no interest in anything else.
“Are you… good at cooking?”
“I’m not bad, I suppose.”
Dohwa glanced at Ma Won-ho, who had belatedly added a polite suffix. It seemed Ma Won-ho wanted to speak more casually, but since no one else had yet, Dohwa decided he would suggest it later.
As Dohwa entered the kitchen, Ma Won-ho followed. For six people, the space was incredibly large overall, and the kitchen was fully equipped with various tools.
“Everyone was here! Did you all move your luggage? We just finished putting ours away!”
Joo Jae-hyun entered the kitchen with Chaeyeon-woo. It then occurred to Dohwa that he still hadn’t moved his own suitcase.
“My spot is the middle one, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
“I knew it! I said we should decide by rock-paper-scissors, and when I said I’d throw scissors, you both threw rock, didn’t you?”
Watching Chaeyeon-woo’s grumbling, Woo Sori laughed and said they had just thrown whatever came to mind in their haste.
Dohwa took advantage of a lull in their conversation to slip out of the kitchen to move his suitcase.
“…”
“…”
‘He was in the living room.’
Dohwa paused upon seeing Kang Hae-il standing alone in the living room while everyone else was in the kitchen. Having no particular reason to speak to him, Dohwa walked past him toward the entrance. Among the three remaining suitcases, he dragged his own toward the stairs.
He grasped the handle, and his body was already one step up the stairs, attempting to lift the suitcase.
‘It won’t budge.’
His hand holding the suitcase and his upper body tilted downwards. The suitcase, which he had naturally expected to lift, refused to move. He tried once more, but it only lifted for a moment before dropping again. He then recalled its contents.
The laptop and iPad would have some weight, and the books he had brought to read were likely making it heavy. ‘Should I just open it here and take out the heavy items to carry upstairs?’
As various methods flashed through Dohwa’s mind, a voice suddenly startled him from behind, without any prior warning.
“Give it to me.”
He spun around to see Kang Hae-il standing there, his face expressionless.
You think this chapter was thrilling? Wait until you read The Eldest Sister Leaves Home: Building a Fortune and Making Her Toxic Family Seethe!! Click here to discover the next big twist!
Read : The Eldest Sister Leaves Home: Building a Fortune and Making Her Toxic Family Seethe!
If You Notice any translation issues or inconsistency in names, genders, or POV etc? Let us know here in the comments or on our Discord server, and we’ll fix it in current and future chapters. Thanks for helping us to improve! 🙂