Born in ’96, now twenty-nine years old. Sejun, at a ripe twenty-seven in international age, lived a life that many would envy.
He grew up under the guidance of a father who was a doctor and a mother who was a university professor, lacking nothing, and from a young age had extraordinary looks that made him popular among his peers.
After leaving childhood behind, he was never short on girlfriends and was always at the center of his friends’ circle.
Not lacking in brains, he graduated from a prestigious university that anyone would recognize just by name.
Subsequently, with his parents’ support, he succeeded in starting his own business, eventually becoming the CEO of a startup and began living the life of a successful entrepreneur with a significant income each month.
Since birth, he experienced little to no hardships in life. It was almost as though he had avoided all the ups and downs that successful people often speak about.
His life was flat and smooth, like a leisurely stroll.
With outstanding talent and a supportive environment, no matter how difficult the task, he could achieve it with just a bit of effort, having everything he desired.
He was the quintessential alpha male. His acquaintances could only envy, and sometimes despise, him.
Thus for Sejun, this ‘solo party’ was also expected to be just another typical addition to his life.
Women showed interest in him while pretending otherwise, and the male competitors, trying to put on a brave face, seemed to lag behind him in several aspects.
This broadcast would ultimately flow according to his wishes. He would connect with the girl he had his eye on, while the competitors who were after her would be left staring at the roof like a dog chasing a chicken.
However, everything fell apart when a new contender, nicknamed ‘The Catfish,’ entered the scene.
The new male contestant wasn’t a problem. He was slightly good-looking, but still well within the realm of expectations.
The real issue was the newly entered woman.
“Hello, I’m Mun Ah.”
With smooth silver hair and blue eyes, she was unlike any woman he had ever encountered.
Her appearance, her aura, her words, and her actions all felt distinctly different.
Her mysterious vibe made the confident Sejun hesitate, leaving him unable to utter a single word.
Normally, he would have boldly approached her, asking about her age, her hobbies, and whatever else popped into his mind.
He wasn’t the type to care about others’ opinions; if he liked someone, he would approach them faster than anyone else.
However, this time was different. Just looking at her made his neck stiff and his mouth dry. He found himself fidgeting and adjusting his clothing for no reason at all, unable to keep his hands and feet still.
It just couldn’t be. Watching her made my neck stiff and my mouth dry. For some reason, I found myself rearranging my clothes and couldn’t keep my hands and feet still.
He, with his sharp mind, quickly figured out why he was suddenly feeling this way and what had happened to him.
‘Am I nervous?’
It was the first time he’d ever felt this emotion. Sejun rarely felt nervous like other people, as he was usually laid-back.
The unfamiliar tension and trembling reached their peak during the voting reveal. Each participant had the chance to vote for someone they liked.
The voting was anonymous, and only the viewers would know the results, but even so, Sejun couldn’t control his nerves when it was time to cast his vote.
How many votes would he get? No, it didn’t matter how many votes he received. Would she actually vote for him?
The votes from the men were overwhelmingly in favor of Mun Ah, and Sejun received a total of 2 votes.
Despite being first among the men in votes, and achieving a fairly decent result, his expression wasn’t bright.
– Day 2 Night, there are… no couples who received date passes.
“Ah…”
Soon after, the announcement broadcast began, and hopeless voices could be heard everywhere.
The fact that there were no couples who received date passes meant there weren’t any matched couples at all. The men, realizing they had not been chosen, wore bittersweet smiles.
Sejun also didn’t show it, but he was deeply disheartened, his expression darkening. Someone voiced a question laden with confusion.
“…? So, who did Mun Ah choose?”
“Huh?”
“No, think about it. We all picked the same person; if one of us was chosen, that person should have been matched, right?”
“…That’s true?”
Upon hearing this, it made sense. For a while afterward, discussions in the men’s dorm continued about who on earth Kayak had chosen.
*
“My chosen person is…”
A beauty with silvery hair opened her note slightly with a somewhat shy expression.
On that slightly faded paper, there was….
– Nothing.
There was nothing written.
– Q: Why didn’t you vote for anyone?
– Um… I wasn’t sure if this was okay, but everyone is so nice and doing so well that, so far, there’s no one who stands out as someone I like…
“Is it okay to do this? Everyone is doing so well and they’re all nice people. But so far, I don’t really have someone who stands out as particularly likable…”
<"Why not just pick one then?">
<"A no-show vote haha, that’s insane legendary haha!">
<"Wow haha, live it up haha!">
<"Even with these fierce Alpha Males, you're still not satisfied...? Your standards are sky-high, Kayak.">
<"Well, the Broadcast Host is making an effort to keep our promise, so she’s definitely not dating any other guy.">
Kayak had some personal feelings for her, but in technical terms, the fans cheered, yet most opinions were leaning towards just picking someone.
Haryeong, who was watching the live broadcast in real-time, felt the same.
“What’s going on? Pick someone you like even if it’s just a little. Why didn’t you choose?”
“It hurts, Haryeong.”
Slap slap.
Haryeong was creating quite a scene, hitting Kayak’s arm like an excited aunt watching a daytime drama.
Kayak wasn’t actually in pain, but he looked somewhat tired of it.
Haryeong was one of Kayak’s neighbors.
Living about 5 to 10 minutes away from his place, she had been watching the live show too and couldn’t hide her excitement as she barged into Kayak’s house.
Since Kayak was already watching the broadcast, he saw no reason to reject her visit.
“Anyway, that was all scripted. So you don’t have to freak out about it—”
“Ah….”
With a sigh, Haryeong’s energy plummeted. Kayak, realizing he had broken the immersion of someone who was really into it, looked at her apologetically.
After a brief sulk, Haryeong perked up again and changed the topic.
“So, were the others all scripted too? If so…”
“Um… probably not. They only gave me a heads-up on that day. They said the all-in vote had come out, but it would be fun even if no one chose, so there’s no need to force a pick—something like that.”
“Hmm… I feel like the staff is just controlling the broadcast whatever way they want, which bothers me.”
“Well, it was all pretty much the same. I didn’t really find anyone particularly likable anyway, so I think I would’ve just picked anyone…”
But even with my lackluster answer, Haryeong seemed curious about my actual choice from that time.
“But still, if the production team hadn’t said that and you had to just pick, who would you have chosen?”
“Um… I’m not sure…”
“Well…”
Honestly, what does it even matter now, but Haryeong, the loyal fan of ‘Solo Party’, seemed to think differently. She appeared to be in a state of what one might call over-immersion.
It looked like she was intensely curious about my inner thoughts since she was watching more diligently than anyone else.
Who did I choose during the favorability vote on the first night? Technically, the choice could vary greatly depending on the emotions and circumstances at that time, but as the person involved, I had a pretty good guess.
Answering wouldn’t be too hard, so why not share it?
“Sejun? That person is super popular. Personally, I think Jin Woo seems nice… he’s a genuinely good person…”
“Both of them are great people. None of the participants here are flawed.”
“Right, but who did you actually choose? Tell me!”
“I…”
After pondering for a moment, I continued speaking.
“Hayeon or Soohee? Those two really fit my style.”
“Uh…”
But this wasn’t the answer she expected, as Haryeong, who had been all enthusiastic, suddenly stiffened. In a somewhat flustered tone, she asked,
“But they’re both women… W-what’s the reason? Why did you like those two?”
“Hayeon was really attentive to me since day one… and Soohee looked so delicate yet ate a ton. I just find people who eat well really appealing.”
If you want to get technical, it’s just a favorability vote, not a couple matching, so why must I choose based on gender?
Of course, I likely voted for a male participant on the show. This kind of choice would spark controversy, after all. But Haryeong seemed to be looking for a candid answer since we were in a private setting.
“Ah… I see… Kayak’s type is like that…”
“That’s based on the favorability vote on the first night. I barely talked to anyone else, so it was tricky to choose…”
After hearing my selection, Haryeong seemed to keenly observe Hayeon and Soohee from then on. I felt it intensely, as if I had a microscope trained on me.
Then suddenly, Haryeong added,
“…I eat well too.”
“Excuse me?”
“I eat well too…!”
Watching Haryeong clench her fist as she said that made me think,
‘…What on earth does she want from me?’
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