Chapter Forty-Three: The Love Letter (Part Three)

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Story began: April 2005

Recommended song: "Glass Box" – Honeymoon

Disclaimer: This piece is pure fiction. Please do not take it personally; any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental!

After the interviews, it was time for Han Chae-young to make her choices.

At this point, the staff handed each participant an envelope representing a love letter, which they were to give to Han Chae-young as a token of their "affection." If she accepted, she would keep the letter; if not, she would drop it into the trash bin held by Kang Ho-dong. In the end, Han Chae-young would choose only two people.

The first was Min Kyung-hoon. Kang Ho-dong loudly asked, "Han Chae-young, will you accept or reject?" But before he could say more, Han Chae-young took the letter. Min Kyung-hoon cheered, while the others were dumbfounded. Kang Ho-dong was at a loss for words. "You can only choose two! You already picked the first; what about those who come after?"

The scene descended into chaos. Min Kyung-hoon, delighted, stepped in as host, saying, "Everyone, let's give a round of applause." Only then did the others clap, albeit stiffly.

Next up was Chun Myung-hoon, who had been especially funny today. Kang Ho-dong wasted no time teasing him: "Next is the person ranked ninth out of eight, rejected in all ten previous episodes—will he be rejected for the eleventh time today?" The tension was palpable. Han Chae-young, having already made up her mind, apologized silently and dropped the letter into the trash. Chun Myung-hoon's face fell in utter dejection.

The third was Andy. Despite Kang Ho-dong's endless chatter, Andy was also eliminated.

Shin Jung-hwan was next, and as expected, he was eliminated too. He put on a show of heartbreak and ran off, leaving the others laughing at his dramatic exit. Yoon Tae and Tim followed, both being eliminated as well.

Finally, it was Kang Yihan's turn, standing side by side with Tei for the final pick.

Han Chae-young took Kang Yihan's letter. Kang Ho-dong, ever mischievous, remarked, "He keeps saying he doesn't have a girlfriend, and seems rather dissatisfied with our Han Chae-young." Both Han Chae-young and Kang Yihan smiled helplessly at the comment.

After a brief pause, Kang Yihan's letter was tossed into the trash. He pulled a disappointed face, though he wasn't too upset inside. The second person chosen was Tei.

There was a standard 20-minute break.

"Kang Yihan, are you tired today?" Kang Ho-dong asked with concern.

"I'm alright, just not used to the show's pace," Kang Yihan replied, sipping water.

"You've adapted well; your performance was great. There are two more segments to record, so keep it up," Kang Ho-dong said with a smile.

Kang Yihan nodded and headed off to change into the black sportswear provided by the crew.

In the next studio, there was a small box enclosed by three walls, with most of the cameras set up on the open side. Kang Yihan saw the others seated inside and joined them. Only the chosen two, Min Kyung-hoon and Tei, got to enjoy dinner with Han Chae-young. The rest had to stay for "Coach Kang Ho-dong's" training, while a separate crew filmed Han Chae-young's group elsewhere.

Kang Yihan glanced at the script. The idea was that those left behind hadn't been chosen for a reason, so they needed to undergo Coach Kang Ho-dong's training. The two winners would get a shot at competing for the title of "Perfect Man" alongside the earlier picks.

The game was simple: six people squatted in a line. Kang Ho-dong would shout, "How many people fell down?" The number could be from one to five. The corresponding number of people, starting from the left, would stand up. This would repeat until someone made a mistake—either someone failed to stand when they should, or someone stood up when they shouldn't. The loser would be punished.

Kang Ho-dong howled at the start, "Yihan, Yihan, why are you here?"

"Because you kept asking me about my girlfriend, so Han Chae-young got a bad impression of me," Kang Yihan answered with innocent directness.

Kang Ho-dong fumed, "So you're saying you didn't do anything wrong, you're charming, and it's all my fault you were eliminated?"

"Well, even if that's true, I wouldn't say it in front of you," Kang Yihan replied in a mock whisper.

Kang Ho-dong, exasperated, then turned his attention to Tim. After a few rounds of banter, the game began. Kang Yihan stood at the far right, sixth in line.

"One person fell down," Kang Ho-dong commanded.

All went smoothly until it was Yoon Tae's turn to stand, but he missed the cue and was caught—the first loser.

This round's punishment was a flick to the forehead. Shin Jung-hwan and Chun Myung-hoon opted for a hard flick, while Andy and Tim went for a light one, forming two rival camps: the "wicked" and the "gentle." When it was Kang Yihan's turn, he cracked his knuckles, looking fierce. Yoon Tae, visibly frightened, tried to retreat, but Kang Yihan grabbed his head and delivered a resounding flick that echoed through the studio, startling everyone.

Kang Ho-dong exclaimed, "What a powerful newcomer!"

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Next, when Shin Jung-hwan was caught and it was time for his punishment, the scriptwriter interjected: "Andy, go hard on Jung-hwan—pretend there's a grudge. The two of you should play off each other. Myung-hoon, go with the flow and keep everyone guessing. Yihan, do as you wish."

Kang Yihan was momentarily confused before understanding—the show's relationships were partly scripted for entertainment. Everyone adjusted their roles and began flicking Jung-hwan's forehead.

Andy gave a hard flick, and Jung-hwan's mock anger had everyone laughing. Kang Yihan, ever the enforcer, prepared his unique technique, positioning his middle finger against his thumb, ready to strike with full force. This caught Kang Ho-dong's attention: "Yihan, what's with that hand gesture?"

"I want to flick hard and sweep across the whole forehead," Kang Yihan explained innocently, prompting startled laughter.

"You want to sweep it? Hahaha!" Kang Ho-dong clutched his stomach in laughter.

"My forehead isn't a drum! Why so ruthless?" protested Jung-hwan.

"Isn't this a punishment?" Kang Yihan replied shyly, "I just wanted to take it seriously."

"You don't have to be that serious, really," Jung-hwan pleaded.

Suppressing his laughter, Kang Yihan delivered a crisp flick, which seemed genuinely painful. Jung-hwan chased after him, shouting, "You really went all out, you rascal!"

Kang Yihan laughed guiltily, standing off to the side.

Tim and Chun Myung-hoon also got caught and punished. Until the second-to-last round, Kang Yihan performed excellently in both the game and the punishments, leaving a strong impression with his finger strength.

Unfortunately, he was caught in the penultimate round, to everyone's excitement.

This time, the punishment involved wearing a hat with a rubber band and snapping it against the chin. Kang Yihan, a bit anxious, put on the hat and stood in the corner.

Tim went first, pulling the band to a moderate length before releasing it. Kang Yihan closed his eyes; it stung, but just a little. Relieved, he exhaled. But then came Shin Jung-hwan, whose expression made Kang Yihan nervous.

"Hey, isn't this the guy who was so aggressive just now? Why so innocent now?" Jung-hwan teased gleefully.

After a moment's hesitation, Kang Yihan said, biting his lip, "I really like you, senior Jung-hwan."

"Really?" Jung-hwan feigned disbelief. "I actually do like you, but I won't go easy!" He pulled the band as far back as it would go. Though scared, Kang Yihan didn't crouch to shorten the distance, prompting Jung-hwan to say, "This kid's got pride—doesn't flinch!"

Jung-hwan then rhythmically snapped the band a few times before letting it go with a loud pop. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt much, and Kang Yihan showed no pain, to Jung-hwan's disappointment.

For the next half hour, the spotlight shifted from Kang Yihan to the comedic rivalry between Shin Jung-hwan and Andy, which became the highlight of the show. Though Kang Yihan had less screen time, he learned a lot from the experienced seniors' performance techniques.

The scriptwriter had only provided a basic idea, yet the seasoned performers' chemistry brought the show to life. Kang Yihan realized he still had a long way to go in variety shows.

By the end of the recording, Kang Yihan was exhausted.

But there was still one final segment: The winners of the training, Tim and Andy, now joined Min Kyung-hoon and Tei, while the four losers—Kang Yihan, Shin Jung-hwan, Chun Myung-hoon, and Yoon Tae—formed a group for a series of performances to win Han Chae-young's favor.

The winners serenaded gently with a love ballad, while the losers put on a comedic show, singing a cheerful, playful song. Kang Yihan relaxed, collaborating happily with the others, keeping rhythm with a tambourine, and laughing freely. Being with these seniors felt easy. By the end of the song, Kang Yihan had smiled more than in the entire day, truly displaying his own charm.

At last, it was time for the final selection—the "Perfect Man." First, everyone changed outfits for the fourth time that day and lined up.

They stood on a track, each with a light behind them—one blue and one red. A red light meant elimination; blue meant being chosen as the day's "Perfect Man."

Before the result, Kang Ho-dong smiled and asked, "Yihan, do you really have a girlfriend?"

"Really, I don't. Believe me, I have no girlfriend," Kang Yihan replied earnestly.

Kang Ho-dong turned to Chun Myung-hoon, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

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"Yes, it's Han Chae-young," came the smooth, practiced reply.

"Yoon Tae, do you have a girlfriend?"

"Yes, she's right in front of me—Han Chae-young," Yoon Tae answered just as naturally.

Kang Ho-dong gave a knowing look, and Kang Yihan, embarrassed, said, "Ask me again."

"Kang Yihan, do you have a girlfriend?" Kang Ho-dong asked once more, this time with gravity.

"Yes, I have a girlfriend," Kang Yihan declared boldly.

"Oh, I see," Kang Ho-dong replied, pranking Kang Yihan once again and prompting another round of laughter from the whole group.

Everyone watched anxiously as the final decision was announced—and, unexpectedly, Kang Yihan was chosen. Thus, Kang Yihan unexpectedly became the "Perfect Man" of the eleventh episode of "Love Letter."

The reward for being the "Perfect Man" was a kiss on the cheek from Han Chae-young, which left Kang Yihan blushing.

At last, the six-hour recording wrapped up, and everyone, starving, returned to the waiting room, eager for the boxed meals. Kang Yihan and Kang Ho-dong found seats together, chatting and preparing to eat. Suddenly, a voice called out, "Kang Yihan, be careful!"

Startled, Kang Yihan looked up to see the PD from "A Million's Happiness." With a sigh, he set his lunch down again. Kang Ho-dong, gleeful, snatched the lunch away, saying, "Yihan, you're still filming 'A Million's Happiness,' aren't you? Hahaha!"

Seeing Kang Ho-dong's delighted face, Kang Yihan nodded in resignation. The PD added, "If you show off a personal skill, you can buy this meal at a discount."

"Really?" Kang Yihan's eyes shone with hope.

After getting confirmation, Kang Yihan immediately began bargaining with Kang Ho-dong. "I want that piece of meat."

"No way."

"Then I want the small one."

"Still no."

...

Kang Ho-dong's attachment to the meat left Kang Yihan speechless. In the end, Kang Yihan exchanged a song for a 500-won discount on half a box of food. Once the deal was struck, Kang Yihan cleared his throat, picked up a water bottle, and began to sing the chorus of his own hit song, "Castle." The brief performance captured everyone's attention.

When he finished, Kang Ho-dong was the first to applaud, and the PD praised him, "It's much better live—excellent!"

"Can I get it even cheaper?" Kang Yihan pleaded, eyes wide with hope.

Everyone sweat-dropped, and of course, the PD refused. In the end, Kang Yihan gave in, paid 500 won, and happily sat down with his half-filled lunch box.

"Is it really that good?" Kang Ho-dong asked, drooling.

"Yeah," Kang Yihan replied, undisturbed, munching away contentedly, even though it was mostly vegetables.

"Let me try some!" Kang Ho-dong immediately grabbed a chopstick full of food from Kang Yihan's box, leaving him helpless. "Ho-dong hyung..."

Kang Ho-dong pretended not to hear, turning his back on Kang Yihan.

A word from the author: Apologies if the show descriptions weren't detailed enough—some readers have mentioned this, and I'll pay more attention in the future. I'm not sure how this chapter of "Love Letter" turned out, so please share your thoughts. Today's state was so-so; here's one chapter, and I'll work hard on the second. If it doesn't go well, please forgive me.