For the most part, it had been an unlucky life.
Born as a late child, Go Gyeol lost his parents in an accident at age 7. His older brother, who was already an adult due to their large age gap, became his guardian.
The inheritance was meager. His older brother, a recessive Omega, didn’t know how to do anything properly. They ate, dressed, and slept in a small room with the measly money his brother earned from part-time jobs.
The following year, 8-year-old Go Gyeol received a scout offer on the street from LM Entertainment, a major agency so famous that everyone would recognize the name.
“What’s a scout?”
“Can you give me your guardian’s number? Never mind. Just take this business card to them.”
Young Go Gyeol didn’t understand what was going on. He just nodded in agreement at his brother’s words saying he really hoped he would do it as soon as he heard about it.
From then on, he lived in the agency dormitory and trained as a trainee. For a whopping 12 years.
“Hyung, it’s me, Gyeol. You’re doing well, right?”
– Yeah, haah. Gyeol-ah. Sorry, but hyung is. Ah….
“…Seungho-hyung is there, huh?”
– No, not Seungho but Jungwoo… Ugh, sorry. I’m hanging up.
Around age 14, he finally understood why his brother had sent him to become a trainee. Since LM took care of room and board, it meant one less mouth to feed in their poor household. He pretended not to know that his brother’s lovers, who changed weekly, hated an Omega with a kid—for his own sake.
Trainee life was tedious. Go Gyeol’s singing and dancing skills were decent, but he had no luck with debuting.
He was repeatedly pushed out of debut lineups. The concept doesn’t fit. The next opportunity will suit you better. They shoved those overused excuses at him.
“Sorry, Gyeol-ah. Let’s definitely debut next time.”
Age 20. Finally, Go Gyeol debuted as the leader of the idol group SAVE ME.
Hope was short-lived.
Right after their debut, one of the members got caught as a drug offender. Misfortune doesn’t come just once—their main title song even got caught up in plagiarism accusations.
After ruining their debut, they dreamed of a comeback with newly recruited members. However, the world was not on Go Gyeol’s side.
“Gyeol-ah, we’re in big trouble. Yoonsu got pregnant.”
Before they could even stand on stage again, another member got pregnant. The agency didn’t even have time to handle the situation discreetly. A newspaper chasing celebrity gossip publicly revealed photos of the member going in and out of an obstetrics and gynecology clinic.
Perhaps thinking he couldn’t stay on this sinking ship any longer. The popular member Go Gyeol trusted most also ran away by disappearing and withdrawing.
Around that time, the CEO of LM Entertainment made a proposal.
“Gyeol-ah, how about transitioning to acting?”
It was essentially a declaration that they were washing their hands of the idol group already being called a failed idol group. Still, it could be considered keeping faith with Go Gyeol, who had trained for 12 years.
He took on several minor roles. His acting skills, which he expected to be clumsy, surprisingly received favorable reviews. The number of lines he got, starting with one or two, gradually increased.
He became an unnamed supporting actor, and before long, he received an offer for a supporting role with a name attached.
Hyung, you’re not answering your phone so I’m leaving a text. I got cast as a supporting role in a drama this time.
Around that time, his biological brother was hard to reach.
He was the kind of person who would spread his legs for any Alpha, so Go Gyeol was worried something might have happened.
What could he do? Go Gyeol was busy and out of his mind. Since his brother was well over thirty, he vaguely hoped he could at least take care of himself.
It was an utterly complacent thought.
With just one month left until the crank-in for the new drama.
Another unlucky thing happened. It was both a natural disaster and something that couldn’t be defied.
“I’m sorry, CEO-nim. I don’t think I can do the drama.”
With a miserable heart, he declined the drama appearance.
“What? Why? You don’t like the role?”
“No. ……I think I won’t be able to work at all for a while.”
“What?”
An irreversible misfortune had struck Go Gyeol.
***
Pheromone Island.
A vast, refreshing ocean spread out wide. Dazzling, brilliant sunlight pouring down. This beautiful island, lush with verdant greenery, was the very place where 8 Alphas and Omegas would cultivate love.
This small uninhabited island was the private property of a certain wealthy person, opened only once a year for the <AlX○ Connect> cast members.
In the center of the island stood a beautiful ivory mansion. The interior of the mansion boasted a penthouse-like interior design, and the view from the infinity pool was fantastic.
The cast members would live on the uninhabited island, and if they achieved certain conditions, they would be given the privilege to use the ivory mansion alone with their partner.
While everyone’s hearts swayed like the ocean, the first cast member appeared at the set prepared on the beach.
– Shin Junoh-ssi, please enter.
It was Shin Junoh, the leader of the famous idol group Moving.
“Looks like I’m first. Hello, I’m Shin Junoh, currently active as an idol singer.”
With a fresh smile, Shin Junoh began his self-PR.
The image of a wholesome young man with a positive and good image.
Crossing over between music stages and variety shows, enjoying popularity regardless of gender, age, or phenotype, he was the number one casting choice receiving love from both advertisers and variety show networks.
“My ideal type is someone with a pretty smile and depth.”
A smooth self-introduction and interview continued.
“I like someone I can rely on. I think I’m attracted to people who give me their side that much and leave open a place for me to protect them.”
Shin Junoh took the very center of the empty seats without hesitation. As expected of someone well-versed in variety shows, he was relaxed without a hint of nervousness.
Following him, cast members appeared one by one.
Alphas and Omegas appeared appropriately mixed together.
Unlike Shin Junoh, some cast members couldn’t hide their nervousness.
“My ideal type is… I mean, could you give me a moment to think?”
They requested time as if their brain had stopped.
“…What did you just say?”
They asked questions back.
“Hello! I’m Tommy, currently active as a YouTuber. I do mukbangs and also exercise……. Um. Uh……. Um, sorry, but I feel like I talked like an idiot, can I do it over? I’m sorry.”
They even asked with a tearful face if they could film again.
Not all cast members were familiar with variety shows, and it was the notorious <AlX○ Connect>, wasn’t it? These were reactions that weren’t strange at all.
It was Shin Junoh who melted those who were frozen stiff with tension. Every time a new person appeared, he took the lead in clapping and smiled and greeted them first. Thanks to him, the atmosphere quickly became harmonious.
Before they knew it, it was the last turn.
Now there was one Omega left.
– Go Gyeol-ssi, please enter.
The cast members’ expectant gazes turned toward beyond the low hill. Everyone was ready to clap as they had been doing.
But the moment Go Gyeol appeared, everyone’s minds went blank.
The person who appeared, parting through the large palm tree leaves, was dressed in a white shirt and cotton pants. It was an outfit so ordinary that one might even think it looked careless, but wasn’t it said that faces complete fashion?
Go Gyeol, smiling brightly against the backdrop of the azure ocean, was extremely beautiful.
Jet-black hair like ebony, light-colored eyes sparkling as they caught the breaking sunlight, even the way his shirt fluttered endlessly in the sea breeze.
The camera director instinctively zoomed in without realizing it and filled the screen with his face.
– Go Gyeol-ssi, please introduce yourself.
“Hello, I’m actor Go Gyeol.”
Even a failed idol was still a former idol, after all. Go Gyeol found the camera filming him among the several cameras like a ghost.
The face making eye contact with the camera wore a smile that seemed like it could melt everything.
– What’s your charm point?
“My smiling face. I often hear that my smile is pretty.”
– What’s your ideal type?
“What I consider most important is a person’s inner self.”
Saying that, Go Gyeol turned his eyes toward the cast members.
Making eye contact one by one with the Alphas staring at him as if enchanted, he continued.
“Above all, someone who gives me trust. And I think I like someone solid that I can lean on.”
That was the moment. Go Gyeol and Shin Junoh’s gazes met head-on.
Go Gyeol smiled softly and then naturally turned his eyes toward the camera again.
It was only when he finished his interview and started walking to his seat that the cast members began clapping one by one as if awakening from a spell. Giving them a light bow, Go Gyeol sat in the remaining seat.
Fortunately, it was the very last seat.
A seat quite far from Shin Junoh.
“You two know each other, don’t you?”
As soon as he sat down, one of the cast members spoke up. It was Yoon Isu, an Omega cast member. The person sitting next to him chimed in with a bright face.
“Right. Weren’t you two in the same group a long time ago? What was the name?”
“Three One Mi! SAVE ME!”
“Right, right.”
It was an uncomfortable topic, but it was within the range he had fully anticipated. He already knew that Shin Junoh was appearing on AlX○ Connect.
Without batting an eye and with a smiling face, Gyeol recited the comment he had prepared.
“Ah, that’s right. I’m embarrassed that you recognized us.”
Then he looked straight at Shin Junoh.
“You’ve been well, right? It’s nice to see you. Who would’ve thought we’d meet again like this.”
Curious gazes went back and forth between the two. After a moment of no reaction, Shin Junoh smiled back and nodded.
“Yeah, I’ve been well. I’m glad to see you too, Gyeol-ah.”
The words that followed contained content he never imagined.
“I missed you all this time.”
Those were definitely not words that a bastard who abandoned the group and ran should say after 8 years.
