Chapter 3

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“Transfer Love” is a dating reality show directed by producer Lee Jinju. It brings together couples who have broken up for various reasons, offering them a chance to rediscover lost love or start new relationships. When it aired last year, it received excellent feedback. So, even the early news of a second season’s preparation has already sparked lively discussions online.

Yoon Heewoo had no prior experience with dating shows, so to be safe, she watched a few episodes of the first season online to understand the main duties of the studio observers. She was a smart girl and quickly grasped the concept: the studio observers essentially serve as the viewers’ “spokespersons,” voicing timely opinions or shipping couples on behalf of the audience.

However… her gaze couldn’t help but linger on the face of one of the observers from the first season on the screen. There was something oddly familiar about him.

Yoon Heewoo racked her brain trying to recall any memory related to the artist named Simon Dominic but came up empty. She scratched her head, wondering if it was just because his appearance seemed kind and approachable.

She shook her head and dismissed the thought.

The ratings for “Crash Landing on Love” steadily climbed, reaching an impressive 23% in the final 16th episode. After the series ended, statistics showed an average viewership of 21.7%, breaking the record previously set by tvN’s 2016 hit drama “Goblin.”

On the night of the finale, the production team held a celebration banquet at the hotel. Heewoo had taken her manager’s advice to heart—to post less on Instagram during filming—but that night, taking advantage of the final moments, she generously uploaded more than a dozen updates.

[“Kkkkkk, is Heewoo drunk?”]

[“It’s obvious, Heewoo is totally her sister’s fool, all those photos with Yijun xi, hahaha.”]

[“The photos with Hyunbin, Son Yijun, they look like a family of three: beautiful and gentle mother, handsome and charming father, and their daughter who perfectly inherited dad’s height but is a silly girl.”]

In another hotel room just a few walls away, Jung Kishi smiled warmly, the sound of his phone’s camera shutter clicking repeatedly. The lens was, of course, focused on today’s little birthday star—his beloved niece, Chae-won.

“Chae Chae~ Chae Chae, look at me.”

The little girl, only two or three years old, was stunningly beautiful—perfectly shaped skull, a cute upturned nose, and a fair, delicate face that looked both adorable and lovely. She wore a pink princess dress and obediently turned her gaze toward her uncle.

“Oh, our Chae Chae is truly a princess, princess, yay~”

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Jung Kishi’s smile deepened, completely unable to take his eyes off her—a genuine uncle who was utterly smitten with his niece.

Chae-won’s mother laughed heartily. “Uncle loves kids so much, hurry up and get married so you can have one yourself…”

Jung Kishi was about to reply when he noticed his mother’s eager gaze fixed on him. How could it not be eager? He was almost thirty-five and still unsettled. Recently, she had asked a friend to set him up on a blind date, but the unfilial son apparently went to dinner once and never followed up.

Though his mother said nothing aloud, the moment Jung Kishi felt her gaze, his scalp tingled. Without thinking, he made an excuse: “I don’t like kids in general. I only like Chae Chae, okay?”

Feigning innocence, he looked at his little niece with a cheesy tone, “Right, our princess Chae Chae?”

His mother gave him an exasperated glare. “I don’t care. You have to bring a girlfriend home this Lunar New Year for me to meet.”

Her words sounded a bit unreasonable, and Jung Kishi could only half-laugh, half-cry, “Mom.”

“Where am I supposed to find a girlfriend to bring home?” he asked.

“That’s up to you,” his mother said with a crossed-arm humph.

Considering Chae-won’s healthy routine, the birthday party ended around nine. The family took the elevator down to the hotel entrance, waiting for the men to bring the car around. Jung Kishi hadn’t driven in years due to a retinal detachment in his left eye affecting his vision. Also, chased by his mother’s nagging about marriage, he stood holding his niece, making small talk with Chae-won’s mother.

“Oh, isn’t that Hyunbin!?” Chae-won’s mother whispered excitedly. “Could it be the celebration party? They’re staying in the same hotel as us!”

Noticing Jung Kishi’s blank expression, she explained, “His drama with Son Yijun xi has been really popular lately. I’ve been watching it too.”

Jung Kishi nodded. Seems like… it was the drama that Loco had been following relentlessly. He glanced briefly toward the stream of famous actors emerging from the other side, then quickly looked away.

Meanwhile, Yoon Heewoo, drunk from celebrating, was helped into the car by her manager, Lim Hyejin. Clearly, she had overindulged again. Lim scolded her as she opened the driver’s door, got in, and started the engine.

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Heewoo’s dazed eyes unintentionally caught sight of something nearby and suddenly froze. She felt as if she had seen the kind of light that only a destined person would emit. In fact, as a quick-transmigration worker, she could perceive the bonds of fate with everyone she met in her little world. The strength of the bond appeared in various colors: moderate bonds, like between manager Lim Hyejin and herself, showed yellow; strong bonds—close friends or family—showed red; and the destined person to be pursued within the little world had the highest bond value, glowing gold.

She blinked sluggishly, rolled down the window, and strained to look back. As the distance grew, the golden glow faded and became less obvious, but in the blurred night, the other person’s gesture of holding a child stood out clearly.

Heewoo was dumbfounded. Could she have been mistaken? Could her destined person really be someone already married with a child?

While she was still doubting, Lim Hyejin began urging, “Close the window quickly. You just drank so much and now you’re catching the wind. Do you want to get sick?”

Heewoo sheepishly rolled up the window. It must have been her mistake.

Unlike her steadily rising career, she had been in this world for some time but still had no clue about her destined person. She leaned back drowsily, puffed her cheeks, and sighed.

At that moment, she had no idea that just one week later, the very person she sought would come knocking on her door.

Backstage at the recording studio for “Transfer Love Season 2,” Yoon Heewoo was chatting with fellow studio guest Yura when a familiar face appeared at the door. Thick brows, deep-set eyes, sharp features—a man dressed in a simple yet stylish white jacket. He entered with a faint smile, bending slightly at the waist in a polite greeting, his voice low and steady: “Hello everyone, I’m Simon Dominic.”

Heewoo’s casual gaze suddenly sharpened as she stared at the dazzling golden light radiating from his head, her pupils trembling in disbelief.

She stared at Jung Kishi for a long while, suddenly recalling her impressions from weeks ago when watching “Transfer Love Season 1” on TV.

So it wasn’t because he looked kind after all?