Selfish Romance is a romance webtoon created by Gyogyo Park and released on July 25, 2024, updating each Friday. In Selfish Romance Chapter 1- 8, Yumin, who was recently heartbroken from a breakup, joins Hyeondo, a boy patching up his wounds. They both come up with the idea to fake–date and get their exes jealous. As they stumble through the peculiar setup, their chemistry grows, and the demarcation line between acting and actual feelings begins to blur. With moments charged with humor, emotional exposure, and surprise twists, they find themselves questioning everything. Will fake love become reality, or will they be more hurt than before?
Selfish Romance Chapter 1: Love, Lies, and That Wallet Incident
Selfish Romance Chapter 1 begins with Yumin’s boyfriend being on the phone, nonchalantly admitting he doesn’t love her. Rather, he’s been pretending for years and is now going to marry her—not because he loves her, but as a means of “paying her back” for saving his life. Unaware that she’s listening to every word, Yumin’s heart drops with each sentence. The two of them are in a café in the next scene. Her former lover is droning on regarding wedding sites, totally unaware of her internal conflict. With a placid but assertive voice, she addresses him regarding his unloving actions during the last six years and breaks up with him.
Three months passed, and Yumin was still unable to let go. Lonely and resentful of seeing loving couples, she wonders if she made the correct decision. Depressed and tired at work, she goes to the rest stop to refresh herself. Her closest friend tracks her down there and demands they have an evening out to brighten her mood.
Later, in a bar, Yumin sees Hyeondo and attempts to make small talk. In the meantime, Hyeondo appears to know her but does not speak much. When the situation becomes uncomfortable, Hyeondo’s phone rings. He suddenly departs without an explanation, leaving his wallet behind. Yumin takes it and follows him. But when she takes a turn, she overhears him in a heated argument on the phone. His tone makes her think of her ex and in frustration, she slings the wallet at him.
Hyeondo turns around, his face seething with anger and Yumin catches herself realizing that she may have overstepped. When he moves toward her slowly and deliberately, Yumin freaks out inside and asks herself – “What did I just do?” ending Selfish Romance Chapter 1.
Chapter 2: Wallet Mishaps and Awkward Introduction
Selfish Romance Chapter 2 starts with Yumin waiting outside the party, in front of an angry Hyeondo. He is accusing her of stalking him, his voice accusatory and cold. Yumin, shocked and offended, insists that she came only to return his wallet, which he left behind. Feeling he made a mistake, Hyeondo apologizes, albeit with a joke about how melodramatically she returned wallets. Embarrassed but calm, Yumin apologizes for knocking into him by accident and they agree to go back inside.
Yumin catches up with her friend Jihu at the party, who’s been searching everywhere for her. While Jihu is chatting with Yumin, he approaches Taegeun, Hyeondo’s friend. Taegeun appears very fond of Jihu, and the two become fast friends. The couple decides to support their friends, and Jihu nonchalantly drops the fact that Taegeun’s restaurant is nearby, raising more interest.
Jihu takes Yumin aside to see if something occurred between her and Hyeondo. Yumin assures her it’s nothing, dismissing the uncomfortable moment, but it’s obvious she’s still shaken by Hyeondo’s actions. Simultaneously, Hyeondo becomes irritable with Taegeun for putting him on the internet without permission. Though he attempts to overlook it, he cannot help but notice that Yumin is in the photograph. She looks somewhat familiar, and for a moment, he finds himself wondering if she could be his type. He banishes the idea immediately, reminding himself that he’s not interested.
Later that evening in his room, Hyeondo thinks about the way he went about things and vows to not get so frustrated with his ex again. He assures himself he will never cross paths with Yumin again. However, fate works differently—merely a week later, he bumps into Yumin once again, ending Selfish Romance Chapter 2.
Selfish Romance Chapter 3: Texts, Dinner, and Awkward Encounters
Selfish Romance Chapter 3 begins with Sojeong, Hyeondo’s former girlfriend, browsing social media and comes across the sole recent picture of him. With a blend of resentment and curiosity, she sends a sarcastic message about how difficult it must be for him to juggle work and moving on. Hyeondo, angry, considers responding but doesn’t. He’s distracted when his phone rings; it’s Taegeun, informing him he’s invited Yumin and Jihu for dinner, leaving Hyeondo stunned.
Yumin, too, is surprised, hesitantly agreeing to meet, not knowing if she would have to confront Hyeondo once more. Upon arrival at the restaurant, Hyeondo receives them coldly, while Yumin can’t help but sense the tension between them. While eating, Yumin discovers that she likes his cooking better than she anticipated, finding herself unable to stop eating. Throughout dinner, Jihu and Taegeun discuss their exes, which makes Yumin think about her own break-up. Jihu matter-of-factly states that the best way to make an ex call you is by making them see how happy you are with someone else, which resonates with Yumin.
The evening winds down, and in their readiness to leave, Yumin accompanies Hyeondo. Just when she’s ready to open her mouth, she bumps into her former lover unexpectedly. She reacts instinctively, taken by surprise by the encounter. There is an electric charge in the air—what will befall next?
Selfish Romance Chapter 3 concludes on this dramatic turn of events, leaving readers in suspense and curious about what happens next in this complicated web of emotions.
Chapter 4: Tensions And Requests
Selfish Romance Chapter 4 begins with Yumin’s flashback about how she met her ex, Iseon Kim, in school. He was the suave son of one of the teachers, winning everyone over effortlessly, including her. Now, as fate reunites them, Yumin has a combination of fear and curiosity. She never anticipated that this meeting would take place, and when Iseon is coming her way with his new girlfriend, she panics. She notices Hyeondo standing nearby and, being desperate, hides in his jacket.
Hyeondo is taken aback, insists on knowing what she’s doing. He’s angry, but Yumin keeps hiding, dismissing his objections. When Iseon simply blurts out about his girlfriend, it hurts—how is it possible that he’s already moved on? Yumin has a pang of sadness, her feelings disintegrating as she sees herself bursting into tears. They wind up sitting in a park, drinking, as Yumin complains about her ex-boyfriend, but Hyeondo doesn’t seem to care, lost in thought.
Suddenly, Hyeondo calls her out, telling her she could’ve greeted Iseon when she bumped into him, since he would have definitely assumed that she is dating. Realizing this makes Yumin feel bad about being with Hyeondo, and she wishes she had done things differently. Frustrated, she just can’t help but think if she will ever get to make it right with him. The evening takes an odd turn when, while returning, Yumin suddenly asks Hyeondo if he’s seeing anyone. She suggests a pretend dating arrangement—something to keep her mind off her emotions. It sounds innocuous enough, but there’s a twist. Hyeondo looks at her, his face inscrutable. “What do I get out of it?” he asks, and Yumin, teasingly, inquires if he wants money. He smiles, “I want to use you too,” ending Selfish Romance Chapter 4.
Selfish Romance Chapter 5: A Plan Unfolds
Selfish Romance Chapter 5 begins with Yumin coming into the office, obviously still reeling from the wine last night. Jihu sees right away, her eyebrows furrowed with worry. She is sure they did not just drink wine. As soon as Yumin attempts to speak, someone overhears and yells across the office, “You got drunk with men, didn’t you?” Jihu intervenes quickly, telling everyone to get to work, her voice defensive on Yumin’s behalf. Yumin’s phone rings. It’s a message from Hyeondo, inviting her to see him. Having been surprised but intrigued, Yumin goes to the café where they had decided to meet. Hyeondo is already present when she arrives, sitting with a cup of tea in front of him. She offers apologies for the previous night’s impropriety, telling him she doesn’t expect anything from him. But he cuts her short, informing her he’s still in on their scheme.
Hyeondo wants to assist, and he’s okay with pretending to be her boyfriend for the next two months—no strings attached. They begin to plan out the specifics of their scheme, being vague, but there is a sense of assurance in their tone as they decide on what comes next. Yumin, still unsure but trusting, acquiesces. She thanks Hyeondo for his assistance and wishes that they could coexist during this period. As she smiles and extends her hand to him, Hyeondo can’t help but appreciate how beautiful her smile is. In his head, he’s already scheming—this will be just the way to rile Sojeong. He can’t wait to see how she’ll react. But little does Yumin know, Hyeondo’s scheme is a lot more intricate than it appears. Selfish Romance Chapter 5 ends with us wondering how far he is willing to go to make this happen?
Chapter 6: The “Official Date”
Selfish Romance Chapter 6 begins with Taegeun discussing a night out with Jihu, when Hyeondo suddenly appears, causing Taegeun to jump. “What are you doing here? There’s still time before reopening,” Taegeun inquires, but Hyeondo waves it aside, adding he is planning to experiment with some new recipes. He invites Taegeun to assist him, but Taegeun, picking up Hyeondo’s odd behavior, asks him more questions regarding his dating life. The shocker? Hyeondo just started a social media account.
Hyeondo was asked why he did it and shrugged, “Just wanted to try it out.” Later, Hyeondo returns home, looking drained after dealing with Taegeun’s constant questions. He flops onto the couch, exhausted, and turns on the TV. That’s when he sees Sojong on screen. Just as he’s zoning out, his phone buzzes with a message from Yumin, asking if he’s free for a date on Sunday. He agrees, although it’s clear he’s still processing everything.
The date is a clumsy blend of awkwardness and comedy. Yumin trips while they’re walking, and in trying to catch her, Hyeondo clamps awkwardly onto her face instead of putting out a hand. People around them watch them, and Hyeondo, blushing, hastily apologizes. Yumin waves it off, saying he didn’t have to apologize.
Meanwhile, back at Iseon’s place, he’s washing dishes when he receives a call. The caller expresses concern for him and tells him that his father is angry, not letting him in unless he brings Yumin home. This makes readers curious: what went wrong between Iseon and Yumin? And why is she so significant to his father?
The mysteries grow deeper in Selfish Romance Chapter 6—what is the past for these characters, and what does it hold for Yumin?
Selfish Romance Chapter 7: Uneasy Connections
Selfish Romance Chapter 7 begins with Hyeondo sitting at a corner table in the café. Meanwhile, Yumin was in the restroom, gazing at her reflection, silently berating herself. Pondering why he grabbed her face like that, her mind was in knots between confusion and self-blame. She promised to be more careful with her steps and not overthink his behavior. When she came back, Hyeondo looked up for a moment before returning to the menu. They ordered their food, and Yumin’s curiosity about his social media account boiled over. She wanted to know why he didn’t have a profile picture. “I don’t have any good ones,” he confessed. Yumin volunteered to take one for him, but he dismissed the offer hastily.
Later, though, Hyeondo took one himself—his way of quietly committing to their charade of being a “couple.”
As the dinner went on, Yumin dispelled the tedium. “Look at me and tell me something.” She playfully coaxed him into speaking. Their banter momentarily relieved the tense mood, but Hyeondo finally asked her what she was hoping to achieve with this.
Yumin honestly tells him she wishes him to understand he still has feelings for her and regret. Yumin turned the question around on him. They separated with neither response fully answered. Hyeondo couldn’t get rid of the way Yumin held on to the idea of a resolution—it nagged at him, uncomfortably familiar.
On his way home, still lost in thought, Hyeondo unexpectedly came face-to-face with Iseon, ending Selfish Romance Chapter 7.
Chapter 8: Crossing Paths
In Selfish Romance Chapter 8, Hyeondo and Iseon finally meet outside their apartment building when Iseon is playing with a stray cat. Recognizing Hyeondo as his fifth-floor neighbor, Iseon greets him warmly, mentioning he lives just a floor below. It’s their initial dialogue after Hyeondo resettled a month prior, and their interaction is relaxed with an instance over the cat. When Iseon returns indoors, Hyeondo considers this to be less desolate with courteous neighbors and cute cats.
The scene shifts to a flashback where Iseon’s sister, Hagyeong, confronts him about his breakup with Yumin. Upset and worried, she presses for answers, but Iseon avoids the topic. At that moment, he first notices Hyeondo moving in, which briefly distracts him from their tense conversation.
Meanwhile, Yumin stumbles across Hyeondo’s latest social media post featuring her picture from their last “date.” Frustrated, she criticizes his hypocrisy, posting so openly while once chastising her for similar behavior. Taegeun notices the post too, shocked enough to draw Jihu’s curiosity, but he brushes her off.
The following day, Yumin eavesdrops on coworkers discussing a local TV shoot with Sojeong, her idol, in the neighborhood. Thrilled, she manages to sneak into the set and is surprised to run into Hagyeong there. The two talk and share a laugh while Sojeong observes Yumin from a distance. As the chapter ends, Yumin considers asking Hagyeong something meaningful, and Selfish Romance Chapter 8 leaves the reader wondering, leaving them looking forward to knowing what she will do.
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