When evening came, the production staff gathered all the cast in the front yard of the lodging. The yard was set up like a campsite, with a bonfire and lots of cozy camping props.
Jisu roasted a marshmallow and handed it to Dansol. Even after calming the crying Daesu, Dansol's headache still hadn't gone away for a long time, so he'd skipped dinner.
As he chewed, stuffing his mouth with sweet marshmallow, the broadcast came on.
—There was a small accident, but welcome back, Joo Dansol. Is your body okay?
"Mmph... yes!"
—That's a relief. I gathered you here to announce the results of the previous game. There was a slight accident, but congratulations to the winners: Jeong Daesu, Han Jisu, Lee Yiyeon , and Yoo Dohyeon.
Since earlier, Jegal Minhyeok had been slumped on the ground like someone who'd lost his country. He seemed pretty upset about losing the date ticket.
On the other hand, Mateo and Yoon Yeomin didn't look like they cared. If anything, Yeomin looked pleased, like he was glad he wouldn't have to wake up early.
—Each of the four winners will receive one date ticket. Dates may take place anytime tomorrow between morning and 6 p.m., and leaving the island is permitted. However, if you fail to return on time, you will receive a penalty in the next elimination selection, so please be careful.
—Yoo Dohyeon? Do you have someone you want to date?
"Uh... Lee Yiyeon sunbae."
Unlike Dohyun's shy smile, Yiyeon's expression stayed flat.
You're going to date Yoo Dohyeon anyway. Don't rack up karma for nothing—just treat him well.... Tsk.
Knowing the future, Dansol forced himself not to look at Yiyeon and kept putting marshmallows in his mouth.
No matter how much time had passed and how much he'd thought he was over it, for Dansol—who had never even had an ordinary crush—Iyeon was basically his first love.
And because of that, he'd gotten way more hate than he deserved.
It still wasn't easy to watch them.
His heart felt bitter while his mouth was sweet.
—You've been chosen by your game partner, Lee Yiyeon . This time, it's your turn to choose. Who will you date?
"Joo Dansol."
The eyes of the chewing Dansol went blink wide. Jisu and Daesu's expressions hardened too.
"I'm dating Dansol too."
Jisu pulled Dansol in by the shoulder as he spoke.
"That won't do."
Daesu lightly slapped Jisu's hand away and looked toward the staff.
—Uh.... Han Jisu, are you saying you'll date Joo Dansol? That isn't possible. Omegas can only choose Alphas.
"I'll date Joo Dansol too."
When Jisu's expression stiffened at the staff's answer, Daesu continued, looking almost delighted.
Cold sweat ran down Dansol's back. Lee Yiyeon , Jeong Daesu, Han Jisu—three people choosing him meant his hopes of getting completely cut were over.
As he deliberately looked away, Dansol's eyes met Yoo Dohyeon's—who looked like he might cry.
Dansol wanted to clutch his temples and collapse right there.
I'm screwed.
There was no way the variety director's sharp camera would miss the tears of Yoo Dohyeon, who had chosen Yiyeon.
Yoo Dohyeon choosing Yiyeon, Yiyeon choosing Dansol—if this continued, it would just be a repeat of before the regression.
How do I get out of this? Think...!
"Let's just have Dansol decide."
Daesu spoke up.
"A date ticket doesn't mean anything to me unless it's with Mr. Dansol anyway."
"Same. I have no intention of dating the Alphas here. I'll give my date ticket to our Sol too."
Trying not to lose to Daesu, Jisu added on. Watching them, Yiyeon also looked at the blankly standing Dansol and said—
"I feel the same. I'm curious who Dansol will choose."
At their words, Dansol's legs went weak. He wanted to cry for some reason. He couldn't understand why the spotlight kept focusing only on him.
If they showed interest like this and then turned their backs—would he become trash again?
Was his fate to be dragged through people's mouths like a short-lived piece of entertainment?
No matter who he chose, Dansol didn't have the confidence to bear the karma that would follow.
—If that is everyone's opinion, then the production team will grant Joo Dansol a date ticket. However, since Joo Dansol is not the winner of the game, although he has received the transfer of three date tickets, he may only make a single choice.
—Joo Dansol, please choose one person you would like to date.
"I... uh...."
Dansol couldn't answer at all.
Then his eyes landed on Minhyeok.
With his drooping expression—and his limp seaweed-like hair hanging down—he looked so miserable it felt like looking at his own situation.
If he went on a boring date with that gloomy musician instead of these sparkling people, maybe he could get cut out. That vague, gut-feeling wrapped around his whole body.
If Dansol chose Minhyeok, then Jeong Daesu, Han Jisu, Yoon Yeomin, and Mateo would remain at the lodging.
Lee Yiyeon would have to go out anyway since Yoo Dohyeon had chosen him, but it was obvious the people staying behind—more famous and more popular—would take up far more screentime in every way.
"I...! I want to date Jegal Minhyeok."
At Dansol's words, Minhyeok's gloomy face visibly brightened. Life returned to his zombie-like eyes.
His plan had been to win the game with Dansol as his partner and earn a date ticket, but he'd lost the game, lost the date ticket, and then watched three people show interest in Dansol—he'd been discouraged at that exact moment.
"Dansol...!"
Minhyeok lifted his head and looked at Dansol. If there weren't people around, out of gratitude and guilt, he wanted to run over and pull Dansol into his arms immediately.
Except for Minhyeok, who believed their hearts had aligned, it was a night that turned into a complete mess for everyone.
"Sol."
Back in the room, Jisu looked heavily subdued. For some reason, Dansol felt like he had to watch Jisu's mood.
He knew Jisu had been taking care of him a lot. But Dansol thought Jisu's kindness was nothing more than a top star's handout.
He'd seen too many people approach with smiling faces, using him as a tool to show off their generosity and goodness.
"Yes?"
"Do you like Jegal Minhyeok?"
"Uh... well, we played the game together. I thought it might feel a bit more comfortable...."
"I see... Our Sol feels comfortable with Jegal Minhyeok. Ha... This is a secret, but..."
While Dansol opened his suitcase and pulled out pajamas, Jisu turned off the cameras in the room one by one.
One good thing about sharing a room with Jisu was that they could always turn the room cameras on and off.
Before the regression, the reason Dansol's screentime had been overwhelming was partly because he was a rookie who didn't know what to do about all the cameras everywhere.
Even though no one was listening, Jisu came close and whispered into Dansol's ear.
"That Jegal Minhyeok guy... I heard he's a massive 꼰대. Like, when he wants, he makes juniors line up and all that. And since you're a singer, he might bully you even more as a direct junior. I heard sometimes he even gets physical... and they say he doesn't care whether it's an Alpha or an Omega. Be careful, okay?"
"Ah...! Yes, I understand."
At Jisu's words, Dansol unconsciously snapped to attention. Seeing that, Jisu smiled like he found him cute.
"You don't need to do that with me. Our Sol can do anything to hyung."
"Um... I'll go wash up, sunbae. You said we're leaving early tomorrow morning...."
"Yeah. If we're going on a date tomorrow, you'll be tired, so go wash up."
Even as Dansol rummaged through his suitcase for underwear and a toothbrush, Jisu didn't leave.
Feeling that hot gaze on his underwear, Dansol hurriedly hid in the bathroom.
Is he judging me because it's not designer underwear...?
Before the regression, he'd been insulted no matter what he wore or used—too expensive, too cheap—so every single look people gave him made him nervous.
That included Jisu, who kept showing him kindness.
That learned tension didn't loosen easily.
While Dansol showered, Jisu lay on the bed, listening to the sound of the water.
"Ah, fuck. I shouldn't have insisted on sharing a room."
As he regretted it, his imagination wandering under the shower noise, a vibration buzzed from somewhere. Jisu casually pulled a phone from his bag.
From the start, in Jisu and Daesu's case, it had been agreed at casting that even if they used a second phone, it would be edited out.
Jisu had raised hell, saying confiscating phones from grown men like students was a human-rights violation.
CrybabyDaesu
Hey
Why
CrybabyDaesu
Is Mr. Dansol…? I was worried he might be hurt somewhere
The person texting was Daesu.
Huh? Our Sol is showering right now. He's totally fine. He's going to stay up all night playing with me.
Jisu sent a hamster emoji showering in a sultry pose. Daesu, clearly furious, typed and deleted for a long time without replying.
CrybabyDaesu
Just in case, don't even think about doing anything stupid
I was already going to, but after your message, it's gotten even stronger
CrybabyDaesu
You scammer bastard...! You like it, pretending to be an Omega when you're an Alpha? If you get found out, you're done too. What the hell are you thinking, sharing a room with him?
Trying to make things work with Dansol
CrybabyDaesu
You son of a—ㅇ머리ㅑㅏㅁ러
Jisu, picturing Daesu fuming on the other side of the chat, couldn't help snickering. Who knew he'd ever have a moment where he'd be grateful to the agency boss who'd disguised a perfectly fine Alpha as an Omega.
When Jisu first started modeling, the industry was in a phase where androgynous images were popular. Jisu's natural build wasn't as extreme as Daesu's, but it was good enough that he pushed himself into extreme fasting to fit the market's image. Because of that, he'd been praised as a model with an Alpha's frame and an Omega's lines.
But when he transitioned into acting, Jisu had to completely discard the atmosphere he'd held as a model. At the time, his agency CEO decided it would be more advantageous for Jisu to go out as an Omega. The man was seasoned, and the choice was right.
Jisu, despite not being Omega-like at all—with his tall height, powerful physicality, and his cool, intelligent, distinctive image—became an irreplaceable actor.
He'd gained untouchable wealth and fame, so he didn't have many complaints. Sometimes he'd get hit with reality when Alphas approached him without knowing he was an Alpha, or when he saw the "Omega" label following him around, but it was a strategy that had earned him more than it cost. He could always just disappear and retire whenever he wanted.
But—
"Sunbae... are you crying?"
Hearing that worried voice from the lamb who'd looked over at his snickering, Jisu thought Kim CEO's greedy plan wasn't half bad.
Because thanks to it, regardless of date tickets, he could lie in the same room and sleep in the same bed with Dansol.
Jisu hid the phone under his pillow so Dansol wouldn't see it, then quickly composed his face.
"Ah... I usually have a comfort plush I hug to sleep, but I left it behind."
With that about-to-cry expression, Dansol looked like he'd seen something he shouldn't have. Even the damp hair that looked like it hadn't been fully dried was perfectly Jisu's type.
"A comfort plush...?"
"My insomnia is bad. I can't sleep without it."
"Ah... I see."
"So… could you sleep in my bed with me, as a replacement for the plush?"
"What⁈"
In the end, fooled by Jisu's act, Dansol laid his bedding on Jisu's bed, even though his own bed was wide.
Since he'd slept crammed in with his members on an even smaller single bed in the dorms, it wasn't that hard for him.
"What about you, Sol? Are you the type to be bound by traits?"
"Ah... no. Not at all...."
"Just as I thought... Our Sol is too small and precious to be playing with those filthy Alphas. Hyung will protect you, so you just trust this hyung. Okay?"
"Yes... but hyung... can you loosen your arm? I can't breathe...."
Maybe being a replacement for a comfort plush was too much. Jisu held him so tight and wouldn't let go, to the point Dansol felt like he was running out of oxygen.
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