104. Stage Two, Round Five

Yumin decided to acknowledge and accept Soyoung, who had resolved herself more firmly than he had anticipated. Of course, he still wasn't confident he could treat her on equal footing with the other women in the group or cherish her to the same degree. But he was satisfied that his strained relationship with Soyoung was starting anew.

Yumin resolved to think slowly about how to treat her going forward and what kind of consideration to show her. Right now, there was something more pressing he had to do first: introduce her to the group.

"Soyoung, let's head back down now."

"Yes, Yumin oppa."

Yumin led the way, with Soyoung following behind. But she was coming along naked, clutching her clothes in her hands.

"No... you should put your clothes on..."

If he brought her down like this, some of the sharper-tongued ones might shoot lasers from their eyes. Soyoung slipped on her clothes, murmuring an excuse in a low voice.

"I... Oppa didn't tell me to put them back on..."

It seemed she really would have paraded into the square stark naked if he hadn't said anything.

Returning to the square with Soyoung and settling back into their spot, Yumin reintroduced her to the group.

"This is Seo Soyoung, my junior from the same department. You all probably know her name and face already, but starting today, she's going to be staying with us."

It felt a bit awkward introducing people he'd known for a while, but first impressions were crucial in relationships, so he couldn't just skip it.

Suji glanced back and forth between Yumin and Soyoung, relieved to see things had worked out between them.

"Soyoung, it's been forever, right? We've seen each other in Paradise before, but I think this is the first time we're properly greeting each other. Isn't it?"

"Yes, Suji sunbae. Long time no see. I'm really glad."

Suji took the initiative to greet her. Excluding Yumin, she had the closest connection to Soyoung here, so it made sense. But her reasons went deeper than that.

Suji knew about the awkward history between Yumin and Soyoung, and she was aware that the other women harbored some wariness or outright hostility toward her. For Soyoung to blend into the group now, she needed support from those around her. Someone had to look after the newcomer—who'd surely feel awkward and out of place—and act as a buffer to soothe the existing members' dissatisfaction. Suji had volunteered for that role herself.

She wasn't the nosy type who went looking for trouble. But if things stayed awkward between Soyoung and the group, Yumin—who had brought her in—would end up in a tough spot. That was what worried Suji. Her nosiness only extended to Yumin.

She had anticipated this from the moment Yumin and Soyoung headed upstairs and had signaled Jiwon with a glance to preempt any comments from her. For smooth relations going forward, Suji judged it best to keep their past under wraps. So, among the current group, only she and Jiwon knew about the friction from their university days.

With Suji breaking the ice, Jeongho and Seohyeon followed as the others gradually exchanged greetings with Soyoung one by one.

"Nice to meet you, Soyoung. I'm Kim Jeongho."

"No need to be so formal, Jeongho oppa. Can I call you oppa?"

"Sure. Or should I?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then I'll drop the formalities too. I'm Ahn Seohyeon. Nice to meet you, Soyoung."

"Yes, Seohyeon unnie. Nice to meet you."

Thanks to Suji's groundwork, Soyoung was accepted more smoothly than expected. It wasn't perfect harmony, but it was better than feared. Still, Soyoung sensed an invisible wall from the group. She wasn't disappointed, though. She hadn't expected easy acceptance from Yumin or his companions right away. From now on, she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠vowed to serve Yumin devotedly and work hard to earn recognition from the entire group.

And so, Soyoung joined Yumin's group. Even from the outside, it didn't look like a warm welcome—but to Mikyung watching her, it was enviable beyond words.

Mikyung had spent a long time in lonely isolation. Even with the square open, she had no one to talk to. Once, she'd subtly tried slipping into Yumin's group, only to get shut down—after her past misdeeds toward Gayeong came to light.

She didn't know the details of what had happened between Yumin and Soyoung. But judging by Soyoung's demeanor, it was clearly something major. If Soyoung could earn forgiveness and join the group, maybe her own chance would come someday? Mikyung clung to that hope.

But she had no grasp of the weight of her own actions. Soyoung's wrongs were emotional betrayals and breaches of trust—serious mistakes in relationships. Mikyung's were outright crimes, legally punishable. She had no idea her vain hopes would never come true.

----------

As square time ended, Yumin returned to his private room feeling a mix of accomplishment and relief, like he'd wrapped up a massive project. Naturally, an envelope lay on his bed. He climbed up, leaned back against the wall comfortably, and opened it.

Inside was Minseo's personal information.

The first things to catch Yumin's eye were, predictably, Minseo's height, weight, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠three sizes at the top. Even from the numbers alone—as noted in the traits section—her figure was extraordinary. No, the numbers fell short of capturing its true magnificence.

Minseo's legs were especially long and beautiful, making her seem even slimmer and more statuesque than the measurements suggested. Her breasts appeared fuller than the numbers indicated, possessing a beauty that defied quantification.

In terms of physique, she was top-tier in Paradise right now. No, even strolling through Seoul's bustling streets, such a body was rare. Preferences varied, of course, but objectively, no one could deny Minseo's was the best.

Yumin's gaze shifted to her sexual preferences, and he couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. Participant Lee Yumin, the developer of her erogenous zones, needs to pay careful attention and show consideration? Well, he had to concede that part, since he was her first and only partner so far. The sexual acts in Paradise's missions were anything but vanilla, so an inexperienced girl like Minseo definitely required extra care.

But what Yumin wanted was Minseo's personal info, not some parent-teacher newsletter. It felt like blatant teasing—mocking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him while enjoying his flustered reaction. A familiar kind of prank.

It was natural he'd think that; Angel pulled this on him all the time. Maybe she was the one compiling these profiles for Paradise? Yumin deduced with strong conviction.

His eyes moved to Minseo's ideal type next, leaving him dumbfounded again—this time for a flattering reason. The description lavished praise on him to an embarrassing degree. It read less like an ideal ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠type and more like a checklist for the perfect groom.

Even though it was about him, it felt utterly alien. Yumin forced himself to stay calm and read down to the attachments.

As he pored over Minseo's info, memories of their first meeting surfaced. She had been boldly forward with him, a total stranger and older man.

"Hi, Yumin oppa. Oppa sounds better than teacher, right?"

"Has Yumin oppa ever tutored a high school girl? Well, I'm graduated now, so not a high schooler—just a 20-year-old adult..."

"So unlike high school girls, I can date freely. And unlike them, I won't get hauled off in handcuffs for anything weird."

Normally, the older male tutor should take the lead with a shy female student, right? Her confidence had left Yumin—who lacked experience with women—stammering and backing off.

That awkwardness didn't end there. Juggling studies, housework, and another part-time job, Yumin tutored her twice a week. Each visit, her outfit was scandalously revealing. No one could fault casual homewear, but with that body?

Minseo rarely wore long sleeves or pants. Tank tops and hot pants that showcased her figure were standard; sometimes even miniskirts, which became ultra-minis on her long legs.

Sitting right beside her to teach was torture for Yumin. He struggled to know where to look, feigning disinterest and focusing solely on the lessons. The more he did, the bolder her advances grew.

She'd stretch her arms overhead, emphasizing her already prominent breasts under the tank top. Or lean in with questions, pressing her ample chest against his arm.

Situations that should have been blissful were pure agony for him.