Chapter 3

“Hello, PD Choi Mijin, I’m Joo Dansol from DinoSoul!”

“Hello, Director Kim Seontae, I’m Joo Dansol from DinoSoul!”

“Hello, Writer Park Mijoo, I’m Joo Dansol from DinoSoul!”

When Dansol arrived at the set, it was bustling with activity as everyone was busy preparing for the shoot.

Knowing the staff members’ names beforehand, Dansol eagerly greeted each of them.

Before his regression, during the first shoot, he had been late and had to rush through preparations, unable to greet anyone before starting.

The pressure of being on a survival reality show made him too anxious to notice anything, leaving him in a state of panic.

Even when he tried to greet them later, missing the initial timing had branded him as a disrespectful rookie.

The seasoned staff, who were used to the broadcast industry, did not tolerate mistakes from newcomers.

After that, no one on the set responded to his greetings.

Unbeknownst to him, the gates of hell were slowly opening.

“What? A rookie? Do we have a rookie here?”

It was Director Kim Seontae.

Many of the crew members had experience in filming movies, reflecting the significant budget invested in the program.

Kim Seontae was one of them.

He generally looked down on idols. He was notorious for capturing close-ups of Dansol whenever he looked bad, making him the target of criticism.

Among all the people on this wretched island, he was definitely in the top five of those Dansol disliked the most.

To avoid being edited out poorly, Dansol had to stay on his good side.

“Yes! Hello! I’m Joo Dansol from DinoSoul!”

“What are you good at?”

“Pardon?”

“There must be something you do in the team, like singing or dancing. Judging by your hesitation, I guess you’re just a pretty face.”

“Uh… I’m the main vocalist.”

“Really? That’s surprising. Do your best.”

He was incredibly rude.

Watching Kim Seontae walk away with a smirk, Dansol sighed.

He was as inscrutable as his sneering tone.

Just as Dansol was holding back the urge to punch him, Kim Seontae turned back and looked at him.

“But, how do you know my name?”

“That… at the meeting…”

“I didn’t go to the meeting? I wasn’t even confirmed for the job back then.”

“That…”

Despite his unpleasant personality, he was sharp.

To survive this industry for as long as he had, he had to have some exceptional qualities.

Biting his lip in frustration, Dansol realized he had made a careless mistake.

Why would an idol with no schedules remember a movie director’s name?

Kim Seontae stared at him with suspicion.

‘Think of something! You need to say something!’

“I… I’m a fan!”

“What?”

“I’m a fan of the movies you worked on… ‘Memories of that Name’ and ‘A Hundred Years of Life’… I was so impressed by the cinematography, I looked up who directed them…”

It was doubtful if this blatant lie would be believed.

Dansol had never seen those movies.

They came out when he was in elementary school.

He just mentioned the titles Kim Seontae boasted about the most.

“…Really?”

Kim Seontae’s expression softened considerably.

“They’re re-releasing those on Blu-ray. Want me to get you a copy?”

His tone became oddly friendly.

Fortunately, Dansol’s quick thinking seemed to work.

But that was it.

He had no desire to clutter his already cramped dorm with more stuff just for a small lie.

“I already bought them. I’m a fan, after all.”

“Oh… really? I’m honored. An idol being my fan. Let’s work well together and make another great piece.”

Now, with a genuine smile, Seontae patted Dansol’s shoulder.

It wasn’t necessary to win him over this much, but it was better than being disliked.

Thinking lightly of it, Dansol let him go and wandered around the set.

“Nothing’s changed here. I guess that’s expected…”

Muttering to himself, Dansol looked at the large lodge built majestically on the cliff’s edge.

Despite being filled with the finest sponsored goods, he had never felt comfortable there.

Except for one place.

“Have you been here before?”

It was the secluded backyard where he would cry alone at night, missing his group members.

Thinking no one would know, someone appeared in front of him.

It was Jung Daesoo.

Known for his noir and action roles in movies, he was an alpha who looked like a handsome bear.

With a robust build and taciturn demeanor, the omegas who approached him for his fame and looks quickly gave up due to his blunt reactions.

Eventually, he left Chunmong Island just before the final round.

‘I thought he never initiated conversations… Was I wrong?’

Although they had been in the same space for a month, Dansol had hardly interacted with Jung Daesoo.

From the beginning, the omegas who openly disliked Dansol clung to Daesoo, deliberately ostracizing him.

As a result, there were few scenes with both of them together.

Dansol wondered if his memory was incorrect.

“No… I just mean… it looks the same.”

“Participant? Staff?”

“Ah, hello, senior! I’m Joo Dansol from DinoSoul!”

For the first time, Jung Daesoo, who had been expressionless, gave a slight smile at Dansol’s greeting.

‘Yeah, laugh it up.’

DinoSoul, indeed, sounded funny.

Before his regression, when asked about the name’s meaning, he would earnestly explain the backstory crafted by their President.

Now, after the group’s failure, he realized it was just a publicity stunt.

“The name… is a bit funny, isn’t it?”

“I didn’t laugh because of the name.”

Feeling awkward, Dansol added, but Jung Daesoo’s expression turned serious.

The tension between them grew until a manager’s voice called out from a distance.

“Hyung! Daesoo hyung! Where did he go again…”

“Uh… you should probably go…”

“I’ll go ahead first.”

The two broke the silence simultaneously.

“Let’s meet again next time.”

Jung Daesoo was the first to leave.

He patted Dansol on the shoulder a couple of times and left.

‘Phew… He’s finally gone.’

At one time, Dansol also dreamed of making a cool movie like him.

The thought of mingling with famous stars excited him when looking at casting lists, but now, they were just people he desperately needed to avoid.

Especially in the early stages of the program, Jung Daesoo was someone who gained almost unanimous popularity among the Omega participants.

If he lingered around him for no reason, he might get scolded even more severely than before the regression.

“This is a new life I’ve earned, and I’m not going to get involved with someone like him and get caught again. No way!”

* * *

“Shooting will begin now!”

The first scene was of the cast appearing from various places in a large mansion and gathering in the square.

There was a lot of fuss about the order of appearance from each agency even before the shoot, but Dansol’s company was naturally quiet.

After all, Dansol, being the youngest both in terms of years and age, had to come out first.

Even before the regression, he had spent all day clapping under the scorching sun, causing his skin to turn red, which he had suffered from for a while.

The mean people even made fun of him for putting cucumber packs on his sunburned skin.

‘It might happen once, but not twice.’

Dansol sprayed sunscreen all over himself and went outside.

Emerging from behind a vibrant orange tree, Dansol acted as if it was his first time.

“Huh…? No one’s here?”

Wearing a neat sky-blue shirt, Dansol filled the silence with a cheerful laugh.

Instead of the flashy shirt his stylist sister had chosen, which he didn’t like, Dansol wore a low-key “wallpaper” look he had picked himself.

However, contrary to his intentions, the color that matched his skin tone made his beauty shine even more than before the regression.

The director had a curious and subtle expression.

His camera zoomed in on Dansol, whose earlobes were turning red.

Though his awkwardness and shyness coexisted, it also conveyed the fresh charm of a young man.

Even the sharp-eyed assistant director noticed the satisfied smile on his face.

But no one knew that Dansol’s changing expression wasn’t from awkwardness but from anger.

‘Since it’s in the order of Omega to Alpha, next would be Lee Yiyeon. That bastard.’

Lee Yiyeon was a model-turned-actor who had recently gained great popularity.

He was full of talent and a straightforward person.

From the beginning, he had openly shown interest in Dansol.

He was someone who could create fun situations without being overbearing, so Dansol also had a favorable impression of him.

However, their relationship quickly deteriorated when he tried to initiate physical contact too soon.

Maybe it hurt his pride.

When Dansol asked for help, Yiyeon got angry instead and was the first to turn away from him due to Yoo Doohyun’s instigation.

Ironically, although he didn’t get much attention at first, he survived until the end of the survival show, being called “the one you can’t ignore.”

If Dansol were to hold a grudge list, Lee Yiyeon’s name would come right after Yoo Doohyun.

‘Calm down, manage your expression. Manage your expression.’

Though his face was about to twist unintentionally, Dansol, knowing the production crew would catch the moment and make him a national traitor, shaded his eyes as if the sunlight was too bright and looked at the door Yiyeon would come out of.

“……Huh?”

But the person who came out of the door was Jung Daesoo.

The order had changed from before the regression.

Given his recognition and popularity, Jung Daesoo should normally appear last for better editing and interest.

“……Hello?”

“Haha, yes… Hello!”

Jung Daesoo, as if seeing him for the first time, greeted Dansol who stood there with his mouth open at the unexpected situation.

‘This is problematic… If I’m next to someone as famous as Jung Daesoo, I won’t be edited out.’

Dansol, who had only been preparing for Yiyeon’s appearance, found Jung Daesoo a big variable.

While waiting for the next person, Dansol deliberately distanced himself from Jung Daesoo.

But Jung Daesoo matched his steps, moving closer to Dansol.

This would keep Dansol in Jung Daesoo’s shadow.

In the past, this would have been a welcome situation, but not now.

Whenever Dansol took a step away, Jung Daesoo took another step closer, and when he moved half a step, Jung Daesoo followed half a step.

The PD finally spoke up during this ongoing silent battle.

“You two are out of the frame. There’s plenty of room for others to come in, so please move further inside.”

If Dansol were alone, the PD would have probably cursed at him, but with Jung Daesoo there, he gave polite directions.

Feeling awkward, Dansol walked further inside, and Jung Daesoo followed him closely.

Looking at Jung Daesoo, wondering why he was acting like this, Jung Daesoo briefly explained.

“Sunlight.”

Dansol, puzzled by his words, looked down at his feet.

As Jung Daesoo said, his large frame cast a shadow.

Among all the staff, Dansol was the only one not squinting under the blazing sun.