Chapter 10

The next morning, when Jiwoon woke up, Seo Taecheon was nowhere to be seen.

“Uh… Where did he go?”

Rubbing his eyes, Jiwoon instinctively looked for him, then quickly snapped back to reality.

“What does it matter where he went? I need to pack for Jeju Island.”

Since Jiwoon had fallen asleep without packing last night, Jiwoon had to start organizing his suitcase diligently now. Toiletries, clothes, snacks, and plenty of pheromone suppressants this time. With his packed suitcase, Jiwoon took a taxi to the airport.

“Jiwoon! Over here.”

“Chief! Welcome.”

Employees had already gathered in small groups at the meeting point inside the airport.

They chatted excitedly about how much fun it would be, how thrilled they were, and how some hadn’t slept a wink last night.

“Did you also stay up because you were too excited, Mr. Lee?”

“Uh… I slept well.”

“What? Are you not looking forward to it?”

“No, I am. I am.”

After chatting for a bit, the PR team arrived.

Along with them were staff from the content production company, including cameramen and sound engineers.

“Nice to meet you all. We will start recording right away.”

“What? How?”

Ki Hyunjin asked in response to the PR team’s statement.

“We’ve randomly assigned plane tickets. Board with anticipation to see who your first partner will be.”

“Wow! That sounds fun.”

“Really.”

As soon as Jiwoon sat in his airplane seat after passing through the boarding gate, his partner appeared. It was Assistant Ki Hyunjin.

“Jiwoon, looks like we’re seatmates.”

“Oh, Assistant Ki, you’re next to me.”

“This is great! I’m lucky.”

“Not that much… haha.”

After a polite laugh, Jiwoon settled comfortably into his seat and started thinking about mango bingsu.

‘It was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I can still taste it on my tongue.
But why did BBG bring me shaved ice? He must have bought it for me. I wonder why.’

“Jiwoon?”

“Ah, yes?”

“Why are you zoning out?”

“Sorry, I was just thinking about work for a moment.”

“Why are you thinking about work here? Forget about it and enjoy.”

“You’re right.”

When Jiwoon nodded, Ki Hyunjin asked,

“After hearing the program explanation earlier, today’s filming sounds really fun.”

“Really?”

“Especially the part where we make impromptu confessions during the campfire. It sounds thrilling and fun.”

‘Was there such a segment?’

Jiwoon wasn’t paying enough attention to the explanations to know.

When Jiwoon responded vaguely, Ki Hyunjin lowered his voice and asked,

“By the way, Jiwoon.”

“Yes?”

“Do you… have anyone you care about?”

“What? Care about someone?”

“The program hasn’t officially started yet, but do you have anyone you want to be matched with?”

“Not really….”

Just as Jiwoon was about to say there wasn’t anyone, a dark robe flashed before his eyes.

What the heck, why am Jiwoon thinking about that?

Jiwoon quickly pushed the image out of his mind.

“There isn’t anyone.”

“Hmm. Really? Then it’s possible someone might come up in the future.”

“Ah, yes… maybe.”

Ki Hyunjin’s eyes were filled with anticipation as he looked at Jiwoon.

***

“Wow, this place is amazing!”

The employees exclaimed in awe as they entered the shooting location, a resort in Jeju.

Being part of the premium line within the group, the Jeju branch was exceptionally grand, with even a huge fountain in the garden.

Since this resort was built under Seo Taecheon’s initiative, Jiwoon was once again impressed by how remarkable he was.

To boldly push for such a luxurious resort, with room rates exceeding one million won (around 725 USD) per night….

‘He really is an extraordinary and brilliant person. And such a man is my (temporary) legal husband, what a world.’

“Hello! We are the on-site team!”

A group of people walked out to the lobby. They were the team that had been preparing the location and setup. A friendly-looking PD greeted the employees.

“Although the cameras will always be following you, please treat them as invisible. Don’t be conscious of them.”

“Yes!”

“Feel free to relax in your individual rooms. During the scheduled filming times listed, please cooperate precisely! Here is today’s schedule.”

An assistant director handed out a sheet of paper to the employees. The notice indicated that they would have a leisurely afternoon and the first filming would be in the evening.

“Wow. What should I wear?”

“What will we film in the evening? I’m nervous. Will it be a game?”

“Maybe we’ll introduce ourselves first.”

Contrary to the excited conversations of the cast, Jiwoon was spacing out. At that moment, commotion erupted next to me.

“Eek!”

“What’s going on?”

One of the male participants clutched his stomach and collapsed.

People and the production team rushed over, frantically calling 119.

Soon, an ambulance arrived, and the man was swiftly taken away.

“What happened?”

Jiwoon asked, bewildered, and Ki Hyunjin frowned.

“That guy said he had a stomach ache since earlier… It seems serious.”

With the situation unresolved, the assistant director stepped in.

“Everyone, it seems we can’t proceed immediately. We might need to adjust the evening filming schedule as well. For now, please go to your individual rooms, and we will contact you.”

“Yes.”

Having no choice, people dispersed after receiving their keys at the front desk. Since Ki Hyunjin and I were on different floors, we took the elevator together but separated midway.

Getting off on the 7th floor, Jiwoon looked around the wide corridor to find his room.

Even the sound of Jiwoon suitcase wheels was absorbed by the luxurious carpet, making it very quiet. When Jiwoon opened the door, the stunning view of Aewol’s sea greeted him.

“It’s really nice.”

‘How long has it been since I saw the sea? Probably the first time since a trip to Busan during my college days.’

As soon as Jiwoon flopped onto the bed, his body felt as light as a feather, completely at ease.

Exhausted from flying and the stress of the day, sleep soon overtook him.

He quickly fell into a deep, untroubled sleep, not even snoring or moving an inch, until the buzzing sound of his phone startled him awake.

Could it be the director?

He hurriedly checked his phone, but the caller was Hyunjin.

“Ah… Yes, Assistant Ki.”

“Didn’t you see the group message? They want us to gather at the business lounge now.”

“It’s already time… Yes, I’ll be right there.”

Looking out the window, he saw that the sunset had given way to darkness, painting the sea in deep hues.

“How long did I sleep… and why did I rush to answer the phone?”

‘Why would the director gather us, anyway?’

Jiwoon splashed his face with cold water to wake up fully.

‘Jiwoon, you’re here to meet other alphas. Keep your mind clear.’

He repeatedly reminded himself, staring into the mirror.

***

When Jiwoon arrived at the business lounge, all the participants and production staff were already gathered.

“Jiwoon! Over here.”

He sat in the seat Hyunjin had saved for him.

Soon, the assistant director started speaking.

“The person who collapsed earlier had acute appendicitis. They’ve been hospitalized and will need surgery, so they won’t be able to participate in the rest of the program.”

After a brief pause, the assistant director continued.

“However, we’re concerned because we now have an odd number of participants. We’ve arranged all the activities and games for twenty participants, evenly paired. So, after some discussion…”

Just then, clear footsteps echoed through the lounge.

Jiwoon’s eyes widened.

Why is he here?

Seo Taecheon, impeccably dressed in a suit and accompanied by his secretary, was approaching.

“Oh? Director!”

“Good evening.”

“Yes.”

After nodding in response to the greetings from the staff and production team, Seo Taecheon called the assistant director aside.

Though Jiwoon couldn’t hear the conversation, it seemed quite serious.

What’s going on? What are they talking about?

As Jiwoon strained to listen, the conversation ended.

The assistant director returned, beaming.

“Everyone! Amazingly, we now have an even number of participants.”

“What? How?”

“Director Seo Taecheon has decided to join the program!”

The room erupted in cheers, excitement, and exclamations.

The applause was deafening.

The omegas and betas blushed, unsure of how to react, while some of the alpha participants looked dismayed as if their business had just gone under.

No one was more shocked than Jiwoon.

“What…?”

Seo Taecheon briefly met Jiwoon’s eyes and, with his characteristic deep voice, said quietly,

“Please take care of me.”

Thunderous applause followed. Jiwoon’s head was spinning.

‘Everyone, I’m a married man appearing on a dating reality show, and my husband is joining me.’

It was the kind of story Jiwoon wanted to report to the show “Unbelievable but True!”