The house speaker crackled to life again just after breakfast, cheerful as ever.
"Housemates, please get ready in your best swimwear! Your first outdoor challenge starts in 30 minutes by the pool!"
"Let's gooo!" Jayden pumped his fist in the air.
Angela was already halfway up the stairs. "This is my moment. I was born ready."
"Challenge accepted," Ruby declared, dramatically holding her orange juice like it was a trophy.
Mikha was more calm, sipping water. "I just hope it's not one of those run-around-the-house-for-a-bucket kind of games."
Lena blinked. "Is that… actually a thing?"
"You'd be surprised," Ruby whispered with a grin.
Thirty minutes later, the sun was shining, cameras positioned across the pool deck, and the housemates emerged one by one like contestants on a summer-themed fashion show.
Angela came out in a bold red bikini with a white wrap that floated behind her like a cape.
Mikha chose a powder blue one-piece, effortlessly elegant.
Ruby had something sporty and neon—full of energy, just like her.
Jessie strutted out in a black high-waisted bikini with silver detailing, paired with a matching mesh sarong knotted at the hip.
Lena stepped out last, her light lilac swimsuit layered under a sheer cover-up. Modest, simple—but the way the sunlight hit her hair made her look quietly radiant.
She used to wear sexy outfits all the time—backless tops, halters, body-hugging dresses that made heads turn, swimsuits that left little to the imagination. Confidence had never been her problem.
But that was before.
He used to get jealous—easily, and often. The kind of jealous that didn't explode, but simmered beneath tight jaws and sharp silences. She'd brush it off at first, thinking it was sweet, flattering even. But soon, it became stifling. He wasn't cruel—just overprotective. Quietly overprotective in a way that made her start second-guessing her wardrobe, her words, her walk.
She adjusted for him.
So she stopped.
Stopped dressing for attention.
Started covering up more.
But that was all a long time ago.
They weren't kids anymore.
They weren't together anymore.
And now, she stepped into the sunlight in her lilac swimsuit, sheer cover-up drifting with the breeze, and told herself she had nothing to prove. She wasn't here for anyone's approval—least of all his.
Still…
She caught Jason looking.
Just briefly.
He turned away the moment their eyes met, pretending to adjust the towel on his shoulder, jaw tight.
She couldn't tell what he was thinking.
Not from that glance. Not from the way he turned away, like her gaze had startled him—like looking at her for too long would undo whatever boundary he'd set in place.
Was he feeling regret? Nostalgia?
Or was it just polite curiosity, the kind you give to someone you used to love?
She didn't know.
And worse—she didn't know how she felt either.
Seeing him again, just days ago, had been a gut punch. The kind you don't brace for because part of you still thinks you've healed. And now, in this swimsuit, in this house where everything felt like a test, she didn't know if her heart was fluttering or flailing.
It wasn't just about attraction—it was memory.
Muscle memory. Emotional memory. That dangerous space where grief, longing, and habit all blurred.
Lena wrapped the ends of her cover-up around her fingers as she walked down toward the pool deck. She let the sunlight warm her skin. Let it remind her of the girl she used to be—before the compromise, before the weight of love turned into a quiet kind of control.
She breathed deep and squared her shoulders.
She was still her.
Maybe softer. Maybe more guarded.
But still her.
And today—she'd choose to be seen.
--
The host's voice echoed from a speaker near the pool:
"Welcome to your first challenge: Float or Flirt!"
Laughter broke out immediately.
"Each contestant must sit on a float in the middle of the pool. You'll be asked questions about each other. Get it right, you stay dry. Get it wrong… well, the float might not float for long."
"Oh no," Jordan muttered, squinting at the inflatable flamingo he was supposed to ride.
"I call the donut float!" Ruby shouted, racing toward it.
Marcus and Jayden dived into the pool for a warm-up lap. Mikha sat calmly on a swan float, already balancing like a pro. Nathan tiptoed in slowly with the caution of someone who doesn't like cold water.
Lena nervously climbed onto a pineapple-shaped float.
And Jason… took the shark.
The questions started light.
"Remember when we gave you those application forms with limited time for each housemate?" the host reminded them. "You'll be using that information to answer questions in today's challenge."
They were all gathered by the pool now, floating on colorful inflatables.
"First question: Who is the youngest person in the house?"
"Me!" Angela shot her hand up, barely keeping balance on her flamingo float.
"Correct."
"Next question: Which guy said he was afraid of cats?"
Marcus raised his hand confidently. "Jayden."
"Wrong."
Before he could react, the air began hissing from his float.
"Wait—wait—!"
Too late.
His inflatable collapsed dramatically beneath him, sending him flailing into the water.
Splash.
The girls erupted into cheers and laughter.
"Serves you right for answering so fast," Mikha teased, holding her palm out for a high-five from Ruby.
"I panicked!" Marcus yelled from the water, wiping water from his face. "I knew it was Jason but—"
Jason, lounging calmly on a black-and-white float, lifted a brow but said nothing.
Lena peeked over at him.
Afraid of cats.
She didn't remember that from the forms—but she did remember how he used to freeze every time a stray wandered too close.
And the way he once told her, during a thunderstorm, that cats were too unpredictable. "Like they're plotting something," he'd said with half a grin. "You think they like you, and then they claw your soul."
She smiled faintly at the memory.
Then came one that made Lena tense.
"Next question, which girl said in her application that her last relationship ended in heartbreak?"
Lena froze.
Before she could say anything, Jason's voice came—low but certain.
"Lena."
Every head turned.
Her heart skipped.
The host's voice came again.
"Correct."
Lena's cheeks turned warm. Why did he remember that? She had written it down so briefly, tucked in the smallest part of her bio.
Jason didn't look at her. He just readjusted himself on his float, like it was nothing.
But Lena knew it wasn't nothing.
Because now Ruby was staring at her with wide eyes and a grin that said I'm asking you later.
By the end of the challenge, half the housemates were soaked, others were clinging to the edge of the pool, laughing.
Angela somehow managed to win, having never once fallen off her swan.
"I demand a crown," she said, wringing water from her hair.
As they dried off with towels and headed back inside, Lena lingered by the pool stairs, water dripping down her legs, sun kissing her skin.
Jason passed by her on the way to the door.
They didn't speak.
But their arms brushed slightly.
And neither of them pulled away.