The next day, filming resumed with a much lighter atmosphere.
After the tension of the previous dinner, the producers decided to shoot a fun couple game segment for the show.
All the actors gathered on the bright outdoor stage built in the mansion garden.
A large board stood in the middle.
The host explained the rules cheerfully.
"Today we'll play Couple Acting Charades!"
The cast clapped politely.
The host continued.
"One partner must act out a word without speaking, and the other must guess it."
"Couples who guess the most words win the round!"
The teams were quickly formed.
And of course—
Aria ended up paired with Kim Min-jae.
Her "boyfriend."
Aria looked at the board, then at him.
Inside her head she sighed.
"Great."
"Another romantic couple activity."
Min-jae heard her thoughts clearly.
He hid a small smile.
Across the stage, Chen and Luna stood together in another team.
Chen kept glancing toward Aria.
Something about her had changed completely.
And he couldn't stop noticing it.
Meanwhile Luna watched quietly.
Her expression remained gentle.
But her eyes were calculating.
The Game Begins
The host clapped.
"First couple — Aria and Kim Min-jae!"
Applause followed as they stepped forward.
Aria picked the first card.
She read the word silently.
Then she looked at Min-jae.
"…Alright."
She began acting dramatically.
She held her chest and pretended to cry.
Then she pointed at the imaginary sky.
Min-jae answered instantly.
"Heartbreak."
The buzzer rang.
Correct.
The crowd cheered.
Aria blinked.
"That was fast."
Inside her mind she thought—
"Wait… how did he guess that so quickly?"
Min-jae pretended to think.
"Lucky guess."
But Aria wasn't convinced.
The next word appeared.
She acted again.
He guessed again.
Correct.
Then again.
Correct.
Again.
Correct.
The staff started whispering.
"They're too good."
Chen frowned slightly.
"How is he guessing everything so fast?"
Meanwhile Aria was starting to feel suspicious.
Her thoughts slowly formed a strange idea.
"Wait…"
She glanced at him.
"Can he read my mind?"
Min-jae froze for half a second.
But quickly hid it.
Aria kept thinking.
"No way."
"That's impossible."
She continued acting.
He guessed immediately again.
Correct.
The host laughed.
"This couple is unstoppable!"
Aria stared at him suspiciously.
Inside her head the thought returned.
"But seriously… can he hear my thoughts?"
Min-jae looked perfectly calm.
But inside—
He almost laughed.
The final word appeared.
Aria acted dramatically again.
Min-jae answered immediately.
"Broken promise."
The buzzer rang loudly.
Correct.
The host raised his hands.
"And the winners are — Aria and Kim Min-jae!"
The crowd applauded.
Chen looked shocked.
Luna's smile stiffened slightly.
Aria herself still looked confused.
She leaned closer to Min-jae and whispered quietly.
"…You're cheating."
Min-jae raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
Aria crossed her arms.
"I don't know yet."
Inside her mind she added—
"But I will find out."
Min-jae heard that clearly.
And smiled faintly.
A Realization
Later that evening the filming paused for a short break.
Min-jae stood alone near the garden balcony.
The wind was quiet.
But his mind wasn't.
For a long time he had been observing Aria.
Listening to her thoughts.
Watching her actions.
At first she was simply… interesting.
A girl who clearly didn't belong to this world.
A girl who knew the story.
But somewhere along the way—
Something changed.
When she complained about the system.
When she struggled through ridiculous tasks.
When she still protected herself with sarcasm and courage.
She wasn't acting.
That wasn't the character Aria.
That was Ji-won.
The real girl behind the role.
And somehow—
He found himself smiling every time he heard her thoughts.
Kim Min-jae looked toward the garden where she stood laughing with the staff.
Then he realized something unexpected.
He wasn't just curious about her anymore.
He was starting to fall for her.
Not the character inside the novel.
Not the actress on the show.
But the strange, honest girl who came from another world.
And the more he listened to her thoughts—
The harder it became to ignore how much he liked her.