The night air outside the studio felt cooler than expected.
One by one, the contestants stepped into the sleek black vans waiting outside.
Excitement buzzed quietly between them.
No one fully knew what to expect.
The host's voice echoed again through the speakers.
"Contestants, you will now head to your new home for the next thirty days."
"A place where this experiment will truly begin."
Thirty minutes later.
The vans slowly stopped in front of a massive iron gate.
Soft golden lights illuminated the long driveway beyond it.
Behind the gate stood an enormous mansion surrounded by gardens and fountains.
It looked less like a house…
And more like a luxury resort.
Luna pressed her face slightly closer to the window.
"Whoa…"
"Are we really staying there?"
Minho chuckled.
"If this is an experiment, at least they made it comfortable."
The gates slowly opened.
And the vans drove inside.
When the contestants stepped out, cameras were already waiting.
The mansion looked even more breathtaking up close.
Tall glass windows.
Elegant balconies.
Soft lights glowing from inside.
A sign near the entrance displayed the show's logo.
THE IDOL LOVE EXPERIMENT
Merlin stood quietly for a moment.
Her eyes slowly moved across the mansion.
Thirty days.
Thirty days living here with strangers.
For someone like her, who usually preferred observing people rather than rushing into things, this was both exciting and intimidating.
But Merlin wasn't the type to stay silent for long.
Her mind was already racing with curiosity.
This place is huge…
I wonder how everyone will behave here.
Her ENTP personality naturally wanted to explore everything.
New people.
New situations.
New possibilities.
"Let's go inside."
Luna suddenly grabbed Tara's arm and walked ahead excitedly.
The rest followed.
Inside, the mansion was even more stunning.
A huge living room welcomed them with soft couches, warm lighting, and a large staircase leading upstairs.
The atmosphere felt strangely comfortable.
Almost like a vacation.
But everyone knew it wasn't.
This was still an experiment.
A screen in the living room suddenly turned on.
The host appeared again.
"Welcome to your new home."
"For the next thirty days, this mansion will be where your story unfolds."
The camera slowly showed different areas of the house.
Bedrooms.
A pool.
A rooftop lounge.
A music room.
Even a small cinema.
Minho whistled.
"They really want us to fall in love here."
The host continued.
"Tonight, you will choose your rooms."
"There are five rooms upstairs."
"Each room will be shared by two contestants."
Immediately, the contestants looked at each other.
Luna grinned.
"Oh… this is already interesting."
Merlin leaned slightly against the staircase railing, watching everyone carefully.
Her mind quickly began analyzing the dynamics in the room.
Some contestants were already comfortable.
Others looked cautious.
Her eyes briefly moved toward Jisoo.
He was standing quietly near the window.
Unlike the others, he wasn't talking much.
He simply observed.
Classic ISTP behavior.
Calm.
Analytical.
Detached.
But not uninterested.
Because from time to time…
His gaze returned to Merlin.
Meanwhile, Leon stood across the room.
Silent.
His expression unreadable.
But his eyes had already found someone.
Merlin.
Something about her intrigued him.
Not loud like Luna.
Not guarded like Kiara.
Merlin felt unpredictable.
And that alone caught his attention.
"Alright!"
Luna suddenly clapped her hands.
"Who's choosing rooms first?"
Minho raised his hand.
"I volunteer as tribute."
Everyone laughed slightly.
The tense atmosphere softened.
But while everyone talked…
Two people remained quiet.
Jisoo.
And Merlin.
And for reasons neither of them fully understood…
Their eyes met again.
Just for a second.
Upstairs.
Their rooms were waiting.
New alliances.
New friendships.
And perhaps…
The beginning of something more.
But somewhere in the mansion…
The producers watched through the monitors.
One of them smiled.
"Interesting chemistry already."
Another nodded.
"And we haven't even started the first mission."
Because tomorrow…
The real experiment would begin.