Chapter 23

That evening, on their way back after feeding the cats, Dansol and Minhyuk ran into people who had gone shopping.

They had bought so much stuff it looked more like they were moving house than going camping. There were even ropes and axes among the items, whose purposes were unclear.

“Sol-ah, are you feeling better?”

As they were curiously looking around, Jisoo approached Dansol and spoke first.

Only then did Dansol remember that Jisoo had lied to let his sleep longer. Feeling embarrassed for making him a liar, Dansol stammered.

“Well… that is…”

“You don’t seem to be feeling well. Hyung even bought medicine, let’s go inside.”

As Dansol fumbled, Jisoo almost forcefully took his from Minhyuk’s side.

“But… Hyung, did you make up with Jung Daesoo?”

“Huh? No.”

Dansol saw Jisoo unloading a box full of new items with Daesoo. Despite their previous altercation, it seemed they had quickly reconciled, given their close friendship. Dansol, smiling brightly, asked Jisoo.

“But I thought you came in together earlier…”

Noticing Dansol’s gaze repeatedly shifting toward Daesoo in the yard, Jisoo lowered his voice.

“Uh… it’s because of the camera. Sol-ah, this is a real secret… actually, Jung Daesoo is really a gangster.”

“What?!”

“Shh! I’m the only one who knows this… That’s why he pretends to be close to me. If rumors spread, he might try to kill me first. Sol, you won’t tell anyone, right? Promise?”

“Uh… yes! I won’t tell anyone!”

Dansol was so shocked he almost hiccupped. There had been rumors about Daesoo being the son of a gangster or the heir to the Yakuza because of his intimidating appearance and quiet demeanor.

But the ‘Daesoo’ Dansol knew was… though difficult, he was observant and cared for people.

Dansol especially liked his acting. he wanted to discuss acting with him before the program ended.

But to think he was really a gangster… Dansol’s pupils shook.

From then on, Dansol noticeably avoided Daesoo.

Especially when Daesoo was sharpening a knife to cut the meat that Taeoh had mistakenly bought, or holding strings for his hiking boots, Dansol would unconsciously gasp and avoid him.

‘I should have been more discreet… he must have noticed, right?’

Of course, Daesoo, who was perceptive, noticed Dansol’s behavior. However, he only raised his left eyebrow slightly.

***

“Good morning, everyone!”

“As announced yesterday, today we will go camping at the pride of Chunmong Island, Mt. Majusan.”

“Scream! Woohoo!”

“Wohoo!”

Only Jaegal Minhyuk’s shout echoed through Chunmong Pavilion. The other participants, who were not keen on camping, looked reluctant.

Understandably, as Mt. Majusan was a challenging climb for novice campers.

Having climbed it before his regression, Dansol remembered spraining his ankle and needing a partial cast for a while.

‘Are you okay?’

‘Hyung… I’m sorry.’

‘You’re so light I didn’t even notice you were on my back.’

Back then, Dansol was with Yiyeon. The memory of him sweating and carrying his without complaint flashed through his mind.

“It wouldn’t be RO Match Survival if it were easy, right?”

“Please draw a capsule to select a partner to climb the challenging Mt. Majusan with. Due to Yoon Yeomin’s elimination, we will climb in pairs and trios.”

As the program progressed, Dansol found himself with more people he wanted to avoid. With lingering bad feelings towards Yiyeon and Doohyun, and the inexplicable discomfort and fear towards Daesoo.

With a resigned sigh, Dansol drew a capsule. Inside was a black paper.

“Han Jisoo, Ma Taeoh, Jaegal Minhyuk.”

“Yiyeon, Yoo Doohyun.”

“And Joo Dansol, Jung Daesoo will climb the mountain together.”

“Each team’s starting point is different, with difficulty levels ranging from the most challenging to a neighborhood hill. The course difficulty is random.”

Holding the black paper, Dansol stood still.

The black paper seemed to symbolize his bleak future.

Jisoo also looked disheartened upon seeing the teams. Yiyeon and Doohyun, needless to say, were enveloped in awkwardness.

“Ah! Our staff has hidden voting tickets throughout the mountain. You can find them as if you’re on a childhood treasure hunt!”

“Everyone, please gather your belongings and get into the cars according to your teams! If we want to reach the summit on time, we need to move quickly!”

Although Producer Choi’s voice echoed across the filming site, Dansol couldn’t move from his spot.

“Sol, be careful and see you at the top. And don’t get too close to that guy.”

Jisoo patted Dansol’s head reluctantly.

If he could, he would have liked to hide in Jisoo’s backpack.

“Hyung…”

“I won’t hit you in front of the camera. Take care of your personal camera, okay?”

“Yes…”

Feeling like he was being dragged to a slaughterhouse, Dansol saw a giant shadow behind him.

When he looked up, thinking the weather had turned bad, he saw Daesoo’s sharply handsome face right in front of him.

“Uh… Senior.”

“Let’s go.”

Daesoo swiftly took Dansol’s bag and slung it over his shoulder, then walked to the car.

Left without his bag, Dansol hesitated before getting into the car.

Since the mountain was on an island, the journey to the entrance wasn’t long. But the awkward silence with Daesoo made the ten minutes feel like a hundred years to Dansol.

“Get out.”

“Yes…”

Producer Choi didn’t like overly staged scenes where the camera followed the cast closely.

This led to many moments where the cast’s emotions were openly displayed, which became good material for malicious editing.

“This course is the shortest but also the toughest. Our camera team will only follow you to the entrance and meet you again at the summit. The terrain gets too rough for us to carry our equipment furthim.”

The assistant director added an awkward excuse while handing each of them a camera. As they carried the cameras that could be hung around their necks, it truly felt like the hike was beginning.

Dansol awkwardly tapped his hiking boots on the ground. In his past life, he had slipped on a moss-covered rock. Determined not to repeat the mistake, he followed Daesoo, who gestured for them to start climbing.

“Ha… Huff…”

The assistant director’s words seemed true as the slope grew steeper from the start. After worrying for a while about what to say to Daesoo, Dansol found the current silence more comfortable as he was too exhausted to talk.

However, Daesoo seemed calm as if he were climbing a small hill, and he even matched his pace to Dansol’s slower steps.

“Let’s take a break.”

“Yes, please!”

Thirty minutes into the climb, drenched in sweat, Dansol gratefully accepted the electrolyte drink Daesoo handed him.

Startled by the sudden gesture, Dansol’s eyes darted around, and he mumbled, unsure of what to do with his wet forehead and flushed cheeks.

“Th-thank you!”

“Does Han Jisoo say that?”

“Uh?”

“That I’m a gangster.”

Dansol spat out the electrolyte drink he had been holding in his mouth.

When he looked around, the production crew that had been following them were nowhere in sight. The crow cawing in the distance made the previously ordinary mountain path feel eerie.

Daesoo’s muscular arms bulged as he retied his hiking boot laces.

“H-how did you know that…?”

“He always says that.”

“What?”

Daesoo, who had tied his laces neatly in a bow, approached slowly.

Sighing deeply, he knelt in front of Dansol and began to retie Dansol’s hiking boots, continuing to speak.

“To everyone I like, he says that.”

Dansol’s brain seemed to freeze at the unexpected revelation.

More surprising than finding out Jisoo had lied to him was Daesoo calling him ‘someone he liked.’

After tying the laces securely, Daesoo looked up.

As Dansol, who was still distrustful, gazed down at Daesoo’s head, Daesoo met his eyes.

“I’m not a gangster, nor the son of a Yakuza. I’m a 34th generation descendant of the Jung clan of Taepyeong. My English name is usually Danny. I played American football in school, graduated from university with a major in business administration. My family is in America, my parents run a small business, and my younger sister is a pianist. She sometimes trolls my articles, so don’t worry if you see negative comments. Got it?”

“Huh?”

“I don’t talk much to avoid saying the wrong things, but I’m good at listening. If you want to vent about anyone, call me. I’ll always side with you.”

“Senior-nim?”

“I’ve saved quite a bit, and I usually do two or three projects a year, so you don’t need to worry about meals. And…”

“Wait… Senior-nim, why are you saying all this?”

Dansol couldn’t understand why Daesoo was suddenly giving him so much information. He had spoken more in this short time than since the start of the program.

“Sorry… I just want you to know more about me than Han Jisoo.”

Daesoo, looking embarrassed, stood up and fiddled with his earlobe, which had turned red.

“I was worried you’d misunderstand me because of his lies. If this makes you uncomfortable, I’m sorry.”

Daesoo was just as flustered. Being misunderstood because of Jisoo’s jokes was nothing new.

Daesoo didn’t care much about people who believed such rumors and thought it was better not to keep them around.

Instead of defending himself, he found it more fun to spread rumors that Jisoo was obsessed with alphas, making things awkward for Jisoo.

They treated each other’s love lives like a sport.

Though their preferences overlapped, they never seriously fought over anyone.

“This is why I don’t talk much. But I already did, and it was a mistake.”

But this time felt different.

As Daesoo watched Dansol engage in such behavior over something trivial, he felt unusually anxious.

The two had become quite close after sharing a room, leaving no room for him to intervene. Dansol, who had been avoiding him since the previous night, made Daesoo increasingly restless.

“Let’s go up.”

With a dejected expression, Daesoo slung his backpack over his shoulder again.

At some point, the small items that had been attached to Dansol’s bag were now tied to Daesoo’s.

Realizing he wasn’t a gangster, Dansol found the previously intimidating Daesoo somehow endearing.

Although it felt odd to find someone much larger than himself cute.

“Um… senior.”

“….”

“Thank you.”

Dansol smiled brightly at Daesoo, who looked as dejected as when Dansol had been struck in the face.

“I was really scared you might be a gangster, so thank you for clearing that up.”

***

[Behind the scene]

Joo Dansol: Senior, so you don’t have any tattoos?

Jung Daesoo: No.

Joo Dansol: Wow… I thought you might have some hidden on your back or buttocks. So, you’ve never hit anyone?

Jung Daesoo: Outside the ring or filming set…?

Joo Dansol: …….

Jung Daesoo: …Once in the locker room.

Joo Dansol: …….

Jung Daesoo: Twice…?