Chapter 7

— Did everyone enjoy their meal?

— Oh dear! Some of you dined with excitement, while others had a lonely meal by themselves?

— But don’t be disheartened. Today is only the first day, right? There’s still plenty of time to get to know each other!

— After an hour of free time, there will be a couple’s game for the first date privilege.

— For the Alpha who had to eat alone in tears, they will have the right to designate an Omega to partner with for the game.

— Now, please take a good rest until the broadcast resumes.

* * *

[Inner Thoughts Interview]

Q: Mr. Jaegal Minhyuk, how did you feel about having to dine alone?

Jaegal Minhyuk: Well… it wasn’t great. I was hoping someone would join me. But it’s just bad luck, not because I wasn’t chosen, so it’s fine. I have the right to choose an Omega, so I’ll make an opportunity.

Q: Mr. Lee Yiyeon, how did it feel to have a meal with Mr. Yoo Doohyun?

Lee Yiyeon: Neither good nor bad? Just about that level. But if I had known about the Omega designation right, I might have preferred eating alone.

Q: Mr. Yoo Doohyun, how did it feel to have a meal with Mr. Lee Yiyeon?

Yoo Doohyun: I was so excited that I didn’t know if I was eating through my nose or my mouth.

Q: You’ve mentioned that Mr. Lee Yiyeon has been your ideal type since your debut…?

Yoo Doohyun: Yes, yes, I’m a huge fan. Honestly, I didn’t expect anything when I opened the door, but there he was, sitting there. I thought I was dreaming. I don’t even remember what I said, just that I probably didn’t answer his questions properly. I can’t even recall what I talked about. I didn’t make any mistakes, right?

Q: Mr. Ma Taeoh, how did it feel to have a meal with Mr. Yoon Yeomin?

Ma Taeoh: Well… it wasn’t comfortable. He’s much more senior than me… it was a bit hard. He kept nagging… Is this a variety show or a variety show training school…? It felt a bit like dealing with an old-fashioned senior.

Q: Mr. Yoon Yeomin, how did it feel to have a meal with Mr. Ma Taeoh?

Yoon Yeomin: A kid…? It felt like having a meal with my nephew. His hair color was flashy, and there was no sexual attraction. But since he’s much junior to me, he seemed eager to learn, so I gave him some advice. He seemed to really like it.

Q: What type of person do you like, Mr. Yoon Yeomin?

Yoon Yeomin: Gentle on the top, tyrant on the bottom? Haha.

Q: Mr. Jung Daesoo, you had a meal with two Omegas. Congratulations. How was it?

Jung Daesoo: It could have been a cozy date, but there was an unwanted third wheel, so it was very unpleasant.

Q: Who was the unwanted third wheel?

Jung Daesoo: Can’t you tell by looking?

Q: Ms. Han Jisoo, how did you feel about dining with Mr. Jung Daesoo?

Han Jisoo: No, no, I had a meal with Dansol. There was a big boulder-like thing in front of me, but I didn’t mind it. Pretty and cute kids like Dansol attract flies all the time. I can handle those background decorations. I’m Han Jisoo, you know?

Q: Ms. Joo Dansol, how did you feel about dining with Mr. Jung Daesoo and Mr. Han Jisoo?

Joo Dansol: The braised short ribs… were delicious. Really. (Thumbs up)

* * *

After the whirlwind meal, Dansol went outside to spend his free time alone. He headed to the back of the building where he used to hide at Chunmong Pavilion.

Someone was following her, but Dansol, deaf in one ear, didn’t notice at all and squatted down in his usual spot.

“How did you find such a place?”

“Ah! You scared me…!”

Surprised by Lee Yiyeon suddenly appearing behind her, Dansol fell back onto his bottom.

“Are you okay? Sorry… I called from behind but you didn’t hear? I thought you knew I was following.”

He pretended not to see Lee Yiyeon’s hand as he helped him up.

Being involved with Lee Yiyeon could mean reliving that hellish life again without any reward.

“I was just focusing. You can rest here, sunbae-nim. I’ll be going.”

“Wait, hold on!”

Lee Yiyeon was puzzled, but all Dansol could do was avoid him.

If the jealous and possessive Yoo Doohyun saw this…

“What are you two doing here?”

Damn!

Dansol cursed internally.

He had run into the situation he wanted to stay away from the very first episode.

When the program started, he had no idea, but Yoo Doohyun had been a long-time fan of Lee Yiyeon.
His reason for joining the show was Lee Yiyeon, and after the show ended, they maintained a public relationship for quite a while.

Even after the show ended, Yoo Doohyun often brought up how Lee Yiyeon showed interest in Dansol in early interviews.

Every time a clip of Yoo Doohyun smiling tearfully while talking about it circulated, people criticized the sly Joo Dansol, and just when it seemed forgotten, it would resurface, making Dansol’s life miserable.

‘It’s better to drop out now than to get entangled with those two.’

“I wanted to talk to you, Dansol. Did you hear about the room assignments? There’s a double room, and it seems like we, the youngest, should share it…”

‘I knew he’d bring that up.’

Originally, the room selection was based on game rankings, but Yoo Doohyun had insisted on sharing a room with the senior members, leaving Dansol to suffer.

Throughout his stay at Chunmong Pavilion, he lost 5kg from lack of sleep and stress.

Whenever Dansol entered the room, Yoo Doohyun would turn off the camera and mutter to himself in annoyance, slamming things to make him feel unwelcome.

He rummaged through Dansol’s belongings without permission, using them without a word of thanks, and often belittled the brands he used, breaking things without apologizing.

Despite all this, Yoo Doohyun would transform into an angel on camera, making Dansol look like the bad person whenever he confronted him.

At the end of the program, he even deliberately hid his belongings and framed Dansol as a thief.

Thinking about that moment, tears welled up in Dansol’s eyes.

Having gone through all this trouble to return, he felt incredibly foolish for not being able to do anything in front of these people.

‘Stupid Joo Dansol! If you meet them again, you should at least punch them!’

Returning didn’t change anything.

Instead, the severe social anxiety and self-hatred caused by the relentless bullying made Dansol feel even more trapped.

If he had known it would be like this, he would have just died.

Why did he come back here again, thinking he’d see something good?

In an instant, Dansol’s consciousness plummeted to the depths.

Just because you know what’s going to happen doesn’t mean you can necessarily change it.

Having wandered for years, Dansol was now devoid of the courage or will to fight against a world that hated him for no reason.

“Hey, no, no. Dansol was supposed to share a room with me, right?”

At that moment, it was Han Jisoo who grabbed Dansol’s hand, which was sinking deeper into the unknown depths of the ocean floor.

Who knows how much he had heard, but Jisoo pulled Dansol towards him, as if to shield him in his embrace.

Other than the playful Han Jisoo, everyone—Dansol, Yoo Doohyun, and Lee Yiyeon—seemed surprised by his sudden appearance.

—Did you all enjoy your free time? Now the main schedule at Chunmong island begins. Those who have changed into comfortable clothes, please gather at the beach below Chunmong Cliff!

Thanks to the timely announcement, Dansol was able to escape the awkward situation.

“Um… I think I need to change clothes…”

“Oh, right. Dansol, should we go to our room, unpack, and change?”

“Oh… okay…”

Although Dansol saw the hardened expressions of Yoo Doohyun, he pretended not to notice and walked towards the lodging. Jisoo, who had quickly caught up and put his arm around Dansol’s shoulder, subtly glared at Doohyun behind his back.

Doohyun flinched at Jisoo’s expression, which was completely different from the smile he showed Dansol.

“I’ll go in first.”

“Oh… okay…”

Despite Jisoo brushing past him with a sour look, Doohyun was still caught in a chilly sensation.