Chapter 8

“Min-joo.”

At the Love Coach’s voice calling her name, Min-joo withdrew her gaze from Ha-yoon and took a light breath.

“Please introduce yourself.”

“Hello. I’m Seo Min-joo. I’m thirty years old, and I work in graphic design in Seoul.”

Her voice was calm, though there was a faint hint of nervousness in it.

“What kind of work do you mainly do?”

“I work mainly on graphics related to brands and exhibitions. These days, I’m also working on projects for cultural foundations through my company.”

“I see people working late all the time in dramas. Isn’t it difficult?”

“It can be difficult, but when I get good results, it’s just as rewarding, so I’m okay with it.”

At that moment, Sang-ho asked her a question.

“What do you usually do on weekends?”

“I like taking walks in the park near my house or lying on the couch and watching TV.”

“How do you feel about long-distance relationships, Min-joo?”

“I’ve never really thought about it, but if we’re compatible and our feelings are mutual, I don’t think distance would matter.”

Sang-ho smiled brightly, sensing a positive sign in her answer.

Just then, Choi Moon-yeol shot his hand into the air.

“If you’re a designer, you must have a good sense of style, right? Do you look for that kind of thing in men too? Like their appearance or clothes?”

“I don’t particularly pay attention to appearance, but I do like it when someone dresses well.”

After a brief pause, Moon-yeol slyly pushed up his black-rimmed glasses with his middle finger and smiled.

“Then what about me?”

“Huh?”

“I’m honestly curious about whether I’m your type.”

Moon-yeol even puffed out his chest slightly, as though he naturally expected a favorable answer.

“…I’d say you have a very distinctive style.”

His tight black T-shirt clung to his body so closely that it was almost embarrassing to look at, but Min-joo had deliberately chosen her words carefully.

However, Moon-yeol seemed to completely misunderstand her words as a compliment and laughed heartily with an extremely satisfied expression.

“Haha! I knew it! People always tell me they like my style.”

An awkward silence followed.

The female contestants exchanged glances and small smiles, but there was an unmistakable sense of discomfort and distance behind them.

The Love Coach gently clapped his hands, seemingly trying to smooth over the atmosphere.

“Good. Moon-yeol, I like your confidence. That concludes the introductions for now. After a short break, we’ll meet again at the location for the next mission.”

Once the Love Coach left, the male contestants went outside to smoke or for their individual interviews.

Naturally, only the women remained in the shared accommodation.

A brief silence settled over the room before Seol-hee, unable to contain her curiosity, spoke first.

“What did everyone think after hearing the introductions? Did anyone change their mind about their first impression?”

“I chose Choi Moon-yeol, but after hearing his introduction, I was completely turned off. Confidence is a good thing, but… he has too much of it, so it felt a little overwhelming. And that T-shirt was way too tight… His questions were rude, too.”

The women laughed in agreement.

Then Na Seon-young added,

“I’m the opposite. I liked him even more after hearing his introduction.”

“Seon-young, your first impression was Kwon Seok-jun, right?”

“Was it that obvious?”

“Completely.”

Seol-hee’s words might have embarrassed her, but Seon-young answered confidently instead.

“What did you like about him?”

“Well, he doesn’t act arrogant just because he’s a CEO, and he doesn’t show off. Other than being a little quiet, he’s completely my ideal type.”

“Me too.”

Ha-yoon chimed in as though she had been waiting for the opportunity.

Seon-young lowered her gaze before adding,

“Well, I guess we’ll see who gets chosen in the end, right?”

Her tone was gentle, but her eyes seemed to say that Ha-yoon wasn’t even a serious competitor.

After looking away, Seon-young turned toward Min-joo, who had been quietly drinking her coffee.

“What about you, Min-joo?”

Lost in thought, Min-joo looked up in surprise.

“Huh?”

“Is your first impression still Han Sang-ho?”

Seon-young’s gaze toward her was sharp.

With another competitor appearing, she seemed to be carefully testing whether Min-joo had also changed her mind after learning about Kwon Seok-jun’s career.

“It hasn’t changed.”

At Min-joo’s calm answer, a small smile appeared at the corners of Seon-young’s lips.

A hint of relief flashed across her face.

“It would be fun if the four of us went on couple dates later.”

She spoke as though the outcome had already been decided.

Just then, Ha-yoon abruptly joined in.

“You haven’t forgotten that this is a place where people can change their minds at any time, have you?”

“What are you trying to say?”

Seon-young’s smile disappeared instantly.

“I’m saying it’s too early to feel relieved.”

“Who said I was relieved?”

“I’m just saying.”

Ha-yoon gave her a meaningful smile and lightly shrugged before leaving the shared accommodation.

When the door closed, Seon-young bit her lower lip and swallowed down her irritation.

Min-joo took a small breath.

She felt uncomfortable with this atmosphere, as though she had somehow ended up caught in the middle of a conflict she had never intended to be part of.

After the individual interviews, the next mission was a kayak date.

The male contestants would first get into kayaks on the lake, and the female contestants would then board the kayak of the man they were interested in.

Following the production staff’s instructions, the contestants headed to the lake near the resort.

Under the blue sky, transparent kayaks floated peacefully across the calm surface of the water.

Min-joo accepted a life jacket but couldn’t bring herself to approach the lake.

“Unnie, are you okay?”

Seol-hee, standing behind her, asked worriedly.

After learning that Min-joo was older than her following the introductions, Seol-hee had asked if she could call her unnie, and Min-joo had smiled and given her permission.

Perhaps because Seol-hee was the same age as her younger sister, Min-young, Min-joo felt much more comfortable around her.

“I’m not really comfortable around water.”

“Did you tell the production staff?”

“Yeah, I did… but I said I’d try anyway.”

In fact, when Min-joo first learned that the next mission would be a kayak date, she had cautiously approached the production staff and told them about her fear of water.

However, preparations for filming had already been completed.

They assured her that there would be safety personnel and life jackets and told her not to worry, so she could no longer insist.

Even though she became nervous whenever water reached her waist, she worried that she might disrupt filming for everyone else, so she eventually nodded.

She had made up her mind to do it, but when she actually faced the lake, whose depth she couldn’t even see, fear suddenly surged through her.

Just then, the Love Coach gave further instructions.

“Today, the female contestants will be the ones making the selections.”

A collective groan immediately came from the male contestants.

But the Love Coach continued without paying any attention.

“If several people choose the same man, you’ll take turns riding with him. All right, let’s begin.”

At the Love Coach’s signal, the first person to move was Na Seon-young.

Without hesitation, she walked toward Kwon Seok-jun’s kayak.

“Is it okay if I join you?”

Seok-jun gave a short nod.

“This is my first time kayaking. Have you done it before, Seok-jun?”

“Yes. I tried it as part of a recreational activity while entertaining a client on a business trip.”

“No wonder you look so relaxed.”

Seon-young was clearly excited about the date with him, but soon she turned around at the sound of footsteps behind her.

Two other female contestants were standing there.

A displeased expression briefly crossed Seon-young’s face. She had believed she would have Seok-jun all to herself.

Baek Seol-hee chose another male contestant’s kayak this time rather than Choi Do-yoon’s.

The disappointment he failed to hide made it obvious that Choi Do-yoon was interested in Seol-hee.

Finally, it was Min-joo’s turn.

After hesitating for a moment, she headed toward Han Sang-ho’s kayak.

However, Ha-yoon had already arrived and was waiting there.

Min-joo hesitated, feeling as though she were intruding, but the moment Sang-ho spotted her, his face lit up and he waved.

“Min-joo, come on over!”

“Can I… ride with you too?”

“Of course!”

However, Ha-yoon, who had arrived first, had gone stiff.

Her expression seemed to say, There are plenty of empty seats. Did you really have to come here?

An awkward expression crossed Min-joo’s face.

Seeing Ha-yoon’s reaction, Sang-ho suddenly stood up.

“Just a moment. I’ll be right back.”

He then practically ran over to the Love Coach.

“Coach, by any chance… can the men refuse?”

“That isn’t allowed.”

When Sang-ho returned with a disappointed expression, the contestants who had realized what was happening broke into teasing cheers and jeers.

“Hey, Sang-ho! You’re making it way too obvious!”

“You were planning to have only Min-joo ride with you, weren’t you?”

“That’s how a man should do it! Go straight for what you want!”

Min-joo felt her face grow hot and lowered her head.

She was embarrassed, but strangely enough, she didn’t dislike it.

When Sang-ho returned, Ha-yoon, who had been there first, snapped at him in a sharp voice.

“I got here first. Isn’t that a little unfair?”

“I’m sorry. I’m just… the type of person who only looks at one person.”

Sang-ho even bowed his head as he apologized.

Ha-yoon couldn’t argue with that, so she crossed her arms and looked away with an unhappy expression.

“Everyone, please board your kayaks.”

At the Love Coach’s words, Sang-ho and Ha-yoon reluctantly got into the kayak.

The other contestants also paired up and slowly made their way across the lake.

Back under the shade canopy, Min-joo waited for the heat in her face to fade as she watched the kayaks moving across the water.

Baek Seol-hee already looking bored.

Han Sang-ho silently paddling away.

One couple talking nonstop, and another laughing with one hand shielding their eyes from the bright sunlight.

Amid all those scenes, Min-joo’s gaze involuntarily settled on one particular place.

The kayak carrying Kwon Seok-jun.

Na Seon-young was smiling brightly, but somehow, her smile looked a little exaggerated.

As though she knew exactly how to smile to look her prettiest, she tilted her head slightly to one side whenever she laughed.

Eventually, her gaze landed on Kwon Seok-jun, who was quietly paddling on the opposite side.

Min-joo could only see his back, not his face, but he was probably enjoying the date.

If he disliked Na Seon-young, he wouldn’t have entertained her conversation the previous evening.

Objectively, the two of them suited each other.

They were a pair with attractive appearances that naturally drew people’s attention, along with ability and wealth to match.

Compared to him, Min-joo suddenly felt inadequate.

She had worked hard and lived her life as best she could after their breakup, but when she compared herself to his impressive career, she somehow felt lacking.

She couldn’t even begin to imagine how long she would have to save to buy the luxury car he used to drive around so casually.

The gap between them that she had occasionally felt even in the past resurfaced, and a corner of her heart shrank for no reason.

Even though he was now someone who had nothing to do with her.

Just as she was about to force herself to look away, the kayak changed direction, and her eyes met Kwon Seok-jun’s.

Min-joo’s heart dropped for a moment, but she didn’t deliberately look away.

They were far apart, and she didn’t want to look like someone who had been caught secretly watching him.

The gaze that she had expected to pass briefly did not break easily.

In the end, unable to withstand his persistent stare, it was Min-joo who looked away first.

It was only much later that his gaze finally left her.

A short while later, the couples who had finished their kayak dates began returning one by one.

Following the staff’s instructions, Min-joo slowly walked toward the dock where the kayaks were moored.

Just then, Na Seon-young approached from the opposite direction after finishing her date with Kwon Seok-jun.

Their eyes briefly met, and a subtle tension hung in the air.

Seon-young gave her a short smile and said,

“Have a good time.”

But there was a strange sense of triumph hidden within that smile.

Min-joo nodded as calmly as she could, but without realizing it, her fingertips tightened.