The contestants at Woo-yeon House were all stunning beauties and handsome men—people you might only meet once or twice in your lifetime.
But seeing them all side by side, Yoonhyuk was overwhelmingly impressive even among them.
Not only because of his flawless, smooth features, tall height, and physique, but especially because of the aura he gave off.
He had a relaxed and confident demeanor that set him apart from the others.
An aura that can only come from someone who truly knows their own worth.
"Did you have to wait long outside?"
"No," Yoonhyuk answered briefly.
"Have you eaten?"
"Not yet."
"In that case, I'll bring you something."
Gaeun jumped up. She set down a generous spread in front of Yoonhyuk—bossam, tteokbokki, and even kimchi stew. It was more food than necessary.
Seongjun frowned. He wasn't pleased to see Gaeun showing such enthusiasm toward Yoonhyuk—something she hadn't done with him.
"What would you like to drink? Alcohol? Soda? We have every kind."
Taeri stepped forward as well. Instead of answering, Yoonhyuk took the cup she offered and poured himself a beer.
His long, large hand gripped the bottle. His forearm flexed slightly as he lifted it. His neck stretched upward, and his strong jawline stood out. Nothing about him was ordinary.
Even though it wasn't something unusual, somehow when he did it, it seemed special.
"But you're really handsome..."
Taeri muttered half to herself.
"Thank you."
"Oh, you heard that? Yoonhyuk, are you an actor? You look like one."
"Well, I'm not sure."
"Oh, right. They said we shouldn't mention your job, didn't they? I forgot. You're just so handsome… Wait, why do I keep saying things that make you uncomfortable? Sorry."
"It's okay. It's because I'm handsome."
"Oh my, you're even funny."
After that, trivial conversations went back and forth. The female contestants burst into giggles every time Yoonhyuk said something casual.
It felt like invisible pink flowers were fluttering above their heads.
Haeyoung sat at the seat farthest from Yoonhyuk, keeping her reactions moderate enough that it didn't clearly show they were friends.
Still, his gaze frequently drifted to Haeyoung, who sat farthest away, then away again.
Each time, an inexplicable discomfort crept over her, but it was replaced by a sense of relief knowing everything was going according to plan.
As she stood up to pour herself some water, she sensed someone behind her.
It was Seongjun. His expression was tense and stiff—he clearly wasn't in a good mood.
"Hey, Haeyoung, do you think Yoonhyuk is handsome too?"
Was that polite speech or casual?
People say mixed politeness can be charming, but Seongjun's half-polite tone was seriously off.
"He's handsome, all right."
"More than me?"
The mic was on—why say that now?
Haeyoung glanced Seongjun up and down. She realized he must have thought he was the most popular guy here, but with Yoonhyuk's arrival, his mood had soured.
Instinctively, he knew he was completely outmatched by Yoonhyuk.
"You're handsome too, Seongjun."
"Too?"
"Both of you… If you're asking for my personal opinion, I think Seongjun is more handsome."
"Is that so?"
Although he meant it as a question, Seongjun's smile quickly grew wide.
She immediately understood why he had come after her.
Seeing that Haeyoung wasn't actively engaging in conversation with Yoonhyuk like the other contestants, Seongjun must have thought she would take his side and followed her.
In other words, he was trying to use her as a sort of self-esteem booster.
"Yes, you were really impressive at the sheep ranch today. You stepped up to protect Minji like a prince."
Haeyoung smiled brightly and gave a thumbs-up. Seongjun's eyes crinkled as he laughed.
He was clueless. He probably felt good thinking she was still on his side. Let him have that illusion.
When she went outside, Yoonhyuk was sitting at the table, resting his chin on his hand, talking with the other contestants.
He spoke with a neutral expression but smiled slightly when he noticed Haeyoung. That smile quickly faded when he saw Seongjun following behind her.
Haeyoung tried to smile back, but maybe because of the awkwardness of pretending, her smile didn't come easily.
"So? Yes? What kind of type do you like?"
Before she knew it, Minji had taken the seat next to Yoonhyuk and playfully grabbed his arm, shaking it.
Yoonhyuk, who had been looking at Haeyoung, turned his head toward Minji.
"What?"
"Huh? I was asking what your ideal type is."
"A kind person."
"Oh! I hear I'm really kind a lot!"
"Is that so?"
"Yes!"
Yoonhyuk quietly stared at Minji. It was his turn to speak next, but he didn't say anything. No common answers, no jokes.
As the silence grew longer, Minji seemed uncomfortable, blinking rapidly and looking away.
"That's right, Minji is really kind," Taeri interrupted.
Because of what happened earlier that day, Taeri's words didn't sound like a simple compliment.
Minji seemed to realize this, giving Taeri a slight glare before turning back to Yoonhyuk and smiling sweetly.
"You heard that? I'm kind~"
How shameless. Even knowing Taeri's true intentions, she said it like that.
Just as Haeyoung was genuinely admiring her, another notification sounded from the monitor. The cast, who had been feeling at ease, let out sighs of frustration.
"What now?"
"Is it not over yet?"
"Mr. Han Yoonhyuk, please choose your date for tomorrow."
"Right now?"
"Publicly, here? Oh no, what do I do?"
While everyone was unsettled, Yoonhyuk remained calm, as if it wasn't his concern.
"Let's give some time to think first. Choosing right away is too—"
"It's okay. I'll choose now."
"Right away? But wouldn't it be better to talk a bit more before deciding?"
"No need."
At his firm reply, the other cast members fell silent, focusing intently on what Yoonhyuk would say next.
Yoonhyuk stared intently in one direction. The cast members followed his gaze, glancing repeatedly at Haeyoung.
"Must be Haeyoung. No wonder he's been looking at her all this time. If his ideal type is a kind person, Haeyoung fits that well."
Whispering just loud enough to be heard, everyone tried to guess what he was about to say.
Slowly, Yoonhyuk spoke.
"You Minji."
Without even the usual honorifics like "nim" or "ssi," Yoonhyuk's gaze finally shifted to Minji.
Haeyoung quietly smiled. It was all going according to plan.
The other cast members looked surprised by Yoonhyuk's blunt and straightforward confession. The female cast covered their mouths in shock as they stared at Minji.
Minji blinked rapidly, either truly surprised or just pretending to be. If you tapped the back of her head, her big, clear eyes looked like they might pop right out.
"M-me?"
"Yes."
When Yoonhyuk confirmed, Minji's fair skin instantly flushed bright red. Even that biological reaction made her look like a heroine straight out of a romance comic.
Everyone stared at the two of them in surprise.
"Don't you like it?"
"N-no!"
Minji waved her hands nervously, then, embarrassed, lowered them and bit her lip tightly.
"That's… good."
Her barely audible voice was adorable.
After that, during the rest of the drinking party, Minji was definitely excited. Her voice tone became higher, and her words were filled with charm. It seemed she was genuinely happy that Yoonhyuk had chosen her.
No wonder—she must have felt hurt after getting zero votes all this time. Suddenly, a handsome new cast member had picked her.
Yoonhyuk choosing Minji was part of Haeyoung's plan.
From Minji's perspective, Yoonhyuk probably looked like a prince on a white horse. Maybe she had already decided that she was going to be the main character of this season.
"Minji, as long as you're happy, I'm happy too. Enjoy it as much as you can. After all, the higher you climb, the more fun the fall can be."
Since there were only a few days left to enjoy, Haeyoung sincerely hoped that Minji would go to sleep tonight with a joyful heart.
*****
Yoonhyuk engaged in the usual small talk with the other cast members. Mostly, they asked questions, and Yoonhyuk answered.
The initial amusement soon faded, and he began to feel bored. When he hinted that he was tired and would get up first, the gathering naturally started to wind down.
Yoonhyuk went to wash up and then came back out to the living room. All the other cast members had returned to their rooms, and traces of the recent drinking session still lingered on the table.
It looked like they had only half cleaned up. The house rules clearly stated that cleaning was required, but everyone seemed to have forgotten that. Or maybe they just pretended to forget, hoping someone else would do it.
But just as Yoonhyuk was dismissing that thought, he heard the sound of running water from the kitchen. Even without looking, he felt certain who it was.