Chapter 19

[RO Match Survival in Island Portal]

I’m a field staff member. It was Dansol and Doohyun. I’ll take questions for 5 minutes and then delete this.

⤷Was it really Dansol? ㅠㅠ What happened to our dear Dansol? Did he really get belittled as a failed idol?
⤷No. He is liked by seniors. He’s nice and cute, so veterans like Han Jisoo and Jung Daesoo like him.

The director and other staff find him adorable, and he’s actually the most popular. Only a few people don’t like him. Doohyun openly belittles him. Honestly, that scene was quite provocative, but worse things have happened on set. I can’t say more.

⤷Any couple with the highest chance of happening?
⤷Honestly, none at the moment. Everyone subtly shows interest, but no one is paired like a couple yet.
⤷What about Lee Yiyeon and Doohyun?
⤷There, Doohyun is chasing one-sidedly. This might be a spoiler for next week’s episode, so I’ll stop here.
⤷Why doesn’t Jaegal Minhyuk appear on camera often? Does the staff dislike him?
⤷Not really. He’s always off somewhere playing guitar under a rock or tree, so he doesn’t show up often. We have to call him like children at a playground when it’s time to shoot.
⤷I bought stocks in Daesoo-Jisoo couple. Is there any chance for them? What percentage?
⤷0 percent.
⤷Why so firm? Please say you’re joking ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
⤷0.000000001 percent…?
⤷Which cast member is most different from their on-screen image, and who is the most similar?
⤷Jung Daesoo. In reality, he’s not scary and quiet but takes good care of people. He’s genuinely nice and well-disciplined. The most similar is Dansol. He’s truly adorable, polite, and really nice. Taeoh and Dansol are the same age, but Taeoh seems like a kid, while Dansol feels like he’s lived two lives.

⤷Who was wrong first in the failed idol incident?
⤷Honestly, I wrote this post because I was worried it wouldn’t all be shown on the broadcast. Doohyun was wrong, and Dansol was very patient. Lee Yiyeon showing interest in Dansol made Doohyun jealous, leading to this. Dansol eventually snapped. Five minutes are up. I’m deleting this. Goodbye.

(Joo Dansol’s cooking genius moment.jpg)

⤷What does DinoSoul usually eat… How could he find that delicious?
⤷It might just look like that but taste good…
⤷But today’s episode was really emotional, hearing about the gap between Taeoh and Dansol made me tear up ㅠㅠ
⤷And asking if he lives with his aunt was so cute… Dansol does everything, even feeding his younger siblings ㅠㅠ
⤷But Taeoh originally had Dansol’s role during Zeus’s first album ㅠㅠ He was the leader but had some recognition, so he appeared on variety shows and did things like clapping contests with seals.
⤷Whoa, that was Taeoh? I remember seeing that.
⤷So he might feel more sorry towards Dansol ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
⤷But Dansol is surprisingly funny, attacking with a spicy edge ㅠㅠ Taeoh might cry.
⤷Ah ㅠㅠ Does My Fairy live in a basement? Eight people in two rooms? Is their agency crazy ㅠㅠ Just hearing that is suffocating ㅠㅠ
***

“Sol, can I come in?”

“Yes…”

When Dansol, who had been crying for a long time, came out of the shower trying to hide his swollen eyes, Jisoo knocked and entered the room.

Even though it was his own room too, Jisoo entered cautiously, making Dansol feel that he had unnecessarily troubled him with his commotion.

“Hyung… I’m sorry.”

“Dansol, your nose is red. You look like Rudolph, it’s cute.”

“I’m sorry for causing a fuss…”

Jisoo tried to comfort the downcast Dansol. Surprised by Jisoo’s words, Dansol jumped up from his seat.

“It’s okay, there’s a bigger commotion happening outside right now.”

“What… What do you mean?”

“Ma Taeoh and Yoon Yeomin are having a fistfight.”

“What?!”

“To be exact, it’s a one-sided fight that Ma Taeoh is losing.”

“No… No way! We have to stop it!”

“It’s already over before we could stop it. Ma Taeoh got knocked out after one punch.”

“Who did?”

“Who else, Ma Taeoh. It seems athletic skills and power are different things. I’ve never seen Yoon Yeomin work out, but he must be secretly taking ginseng or something…”

***

After Dansol entered Chunmong Pavilion, Ma Taeoh was anxious, worried that Dansol might have been hurt because of him. That anxious heart of Ma Taeoh was scratched by Yoon Yeomin’s words, leading to the incident.

“I didn’t even say anything wrong. He’s got nothing but his pride is sky-high.”

Whack—

At some point, Ma Taeoh had begun to identify with Dansol.

No longer able to tolerate Yeomin’s constant belittling of idols, Ma Taeoh swung his fist at Yeomin. It was the first punch he’d ever thrown in his life.

“Is he crazy?”

Smack—

Yeomin, hit unexpectedly on the cheekbone, returned the punch with one that made Ma Taeoh see stars.

When Ma Taeoh hit, it made a dull thud, but when Yeomin hit, it was a sharp, intense sound like something breaking. Unlike Ma Taeoh, who was punching a person for the first time, this wasn’t new for Yeomin.

***

It was late at night when Dansol came out to the kitchen. Due to the series of violent incidents, the day’s filming had long since been abandoned.

Thanks to Hera’s support truck, the staff, who had been enduring a grueling schedule since the program began, seemed to be having a rare party, drinking and celebrating.

The loud noise from the front yard was muffled against the glass windows.

In contrast, the inside of the dormitory was as quiet as if ice had been thrown in. Dansol guessed it was because of the fight between Yeomin and Ma Taeoh.

Having skipped dinner, Dansol approached the dining table intending to eat the fried rice he had made earlier and found Ma Taeoh rubbing a raw egg.

“Ma Taeoh? Are you okay?”

Startled by Dansol’s call, Ma Taeoh accidentally touched his bruised nose and let out a groan before trying to act nonchalant for Dansol’s sake.

“Ouch… I’m okay. This is nothing…”

“But I heard you fainted?”

“Who said that! That senior’s punch was so weak, I thought it was a pillow and dozed off for a moment!”

“Pfft—. Ma Taeoh, you don’t have to pretend to be tough with me.”

“I’m not pretending, I really am tough! I landed the first punch, too. But the good news is, we agreed not to make a big deal out of it since it was a mutual fight. I almost thought we’d make it to the morning news…”

Dansol laughed brightly at Ma Taeoh’s playful attitude despite his swollen nose. He felt sorry for Ma Taeoh but also found a sense of camaraderie in their similarly battered situations.

“Ah, Ma Taeoh. Can I give you a gift?”

“A gift?”

Seeing Ma Taeoh’s bruised face with sympathy, Dansol suddenly stood up to fetch a gift. Despite the limited options on the island, Ma Taeoh felt a flicker of anticipation.

“Yes, close your eyes. Don’t open them!”

Obediently closing his eyes, Ma Taeoh listened to the sounds of Dansol moving around, coming closer, then moving away again, until finally, Dansol spoke.

“Open your eyes.”

“Fried rice?!”

In front of Ma Taeoh was the fried rice and side dishes Dansol had made. Ma Taeoh, who hadn’t eaten either due to the commotion, suddenly felt a strong hunger as he smelled the food.

“There’s one more thing. Hold out your hand.”

Turning his back to the camera, Dansol handed something to Ma Taeoh. Expecting a piece of candy or some other dessert, Ma Taeoh opened his hand to find a small piece of paper.

“This is…”

It was a voting ticket to eliminate a contestant.

“I thought you might need it…”

Dansol smiled faintly.

“But… Don’t you need this too, Dansol?”

Ma Taeoh was thinking of Yoo Doohyun. Dansol shook his head.

“I don’t need it… yet.”

Yet. Though he was bothered by Doohyun and Yiyeon, Dansol wished more for his own elimination rather than theirs.

Not knowing Dansol’s plan, Ma Taeoh’s heart pounded as Dansol handed him the voting ticket. The smile and the lovingly prepared table made the space feel like a romantic setting just for the two of them.

“Don’t feel too pressured, it’s just a loan. When I need it, you can help me, okay?”

“Okay… I’ll do that. Whatever it is, if you ask for help…! I’ll help!”

That night, Ma Taeoh tossed and turned, caught between Jisoo and Dansol. Neither of them knew about his restless sleep.