With good timing, the narrator announced the start of the game. Thanks to the cast members scattering with disappointed sounds, Gyeol could also naturally turn around and avoid him.
His heart pounded wildly. Clasping and rubbing his trembling hands together, he stared at the ocean, using the brief moment.
Yoon Isu, who noticed Gyeol’s abnormality, spoke to him.
“Gyeol-ssi, what’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?”
“Ah, no. I’m just nervous thinking that we’ll be playing games soon too……”
Shaking off his hands, Gyeol forced his eyes to crease into a smile. Yoon Isu nodded as if empathizing and did a couple of jumps in place.
“Ugh, I don’t even hope for first place. I just hope I don’t come in last. I’m not good at physical activities.”
“Really? I think you’d do well.”
“I’m a complete mess. My agency told me to please be careful not to let any funny memes circulate.”
Making a hand trumpet and whispering with his voice as low as possible, Yoon Isu smiled sheepishly. The more he looked at him, the more he seemed like a friendly and decent person.
“Let’s stand side by side over here, Gyeol-ssi.”
Feeling his anxiety somewhat ease thanks to that, Gyeol straightened his body. However, it was impossible not to be conscious of Seong Yohan standing behind the camera.
***
The Alpha team match began.
The Alphas, who each warmed up and pumped their muscles with push-ups, stood at the starting line. While they all had superior physiques, just as each face was different, their body shapes also had their own characteristics.
“Choi Seon-ssi, your body is no joke seeing it in person.”
‘Choi Seon’, a former national swimming team member, boasted broadly spread square shoulders and a sleek waistline. His body formed a perfect inverted triangle.
“Tommy-ssi is beyond expectations too?”
The body of ‘Tommy’, a mukbang YouTuber who also does fitness content, was literally a brown bear. His build was large and his muscles were bulky to an extent completely contrasting with his gentle face.
“Junoh-ssi too….”
“…….”
At Yoon Isu’s whisper, Gyeol barely held back from becoming like frozen pollack eyes.
Shin Junoh’s upper body that he had seen countless times in the past. His body had become twice as bulky as before, showing how intensely he had managed his diet and exercised. Especially his firm six-pack stood out.
Gyeol recalled the ‘Idol Six-Pack Top Tier’ Shin Junoh shorts that YouTube’s algorithm had once forcibly shoved at him. It was a video of Shin Junoh pushing his top up to his face during a concert dance, revealing his chest muscles and six-pack. Especially his prominent iliac crest had been noticeable.
Who would’ve thought he’d see it in person. It would have been fine never to see it.
“Wooseok-ssi is slightly disappointing.”
“Right. Wooseok-ssi’s body is nice too, but the others are just so outstanding.”
In contrast, Jung Wooseok’s body had an overall thin feeling. It must be a characteristic of being a model, but being placed in an environment showing off physical beauty, it was unavoidable that he looked somewhat lacking.
– Beep―!
– Start!
The first game was a match to pass through obstacles in various sections.
From the start, the Alphas’ momentum was no joke. In an instant, Shin Junoh and Choi Seon shot forward.
Shin Junoh was agile, and Choi Seon had good endurance. Thanks to that, the two went back and forth between 1st and 2nd place while passing through various obstacles, competing for victory.
“Wow! This is crazy….”
The match was decided at the sixth obstacle section. While Shin Junoh was tired, Choi Seon, who had good endurance, cut through the obstacles without hesitation.
In the last sand running section, Shin Junoh in 2nd place tenaciously followed, but it was difficult to narrow the gap that had widened in the obstacle section.
― The winner of the Alpha team match is ‘Choi Seon’-ssi.
“Good work.”
“You were amazing.”
Shin Junoh, who came in 2nd, high-fived Choi Seon and they encouraged each other.
– The victorious ‘Choi Seon’-ssi is awarded a brunch date ticket. ‘Choi Seon’-ssi can choose one Omega to date tomorrow morning.
Shin Junoh, opening a 500ml water bottle cap and pouring the contents over his head, looked quite disappointed by the defeat.
For Gyeol, it was a good thing. It was better for any potential danger not to exist.
– Next is the Omega team match.
It was finally the Omegas’ turn. He had to get off to a good start.
I can do this. Hadn’t he done all kinds of physical training for this day—running, building grip strength, passing obstacles, maintaining balance?
Moreover, Go Gyeol was tall at 180cm. He was quite tall for an Omega. The other Omega cast members’ heights were at least 5cm shorter than Gyeol and seemed quite similar to each other. In physical activities, tall people inevitably had an advantage.
– Please prepare. You will start right after three beeps.
– Beep―
Gyeol clenched his fists tightly.
– Beep―
The first course was semi-climbing.
It involved crawling up an inclined section about 2.5m high. People would crowd in the center. Gyeol planned to aim for the edge.
– Beep―!
– Start!
Along with the announcement, the Omegas all dashed forward at once.
The first to reach the slope was Go Gyeol. His judgment was correct. While the other Omegas got tangled with each other in the center and became a mess, Go Gyeol climbed up the edge without hesitation.
“Wow, Go Gyeol-ssi is really fast!”
The Alphas admired him.
Having climbed the slope in an instant, Gyeol didn’t hesitate and readily passed through the route of stepping across slippery sponge stepping stones floating in the pool.
When Gyeol arrived at the fourth obstacle section, he was already far ahead compared to the other cast members.
Rolling and jumping over, Gyeol easily got through the obstacle section and as soon as he stepped on the sand, he started running frantically.
“Really fast!”
“Go Gyeol-ssi is definitely getting first place!”
It was when he was frantically running on the hot sand where his feet kept sinking, certain of victory.
Suddenly, a scream burst out from behind.
Gyeol looked back without realizing it. Far away, while the other Omegas were just starting to run, Yoon Isu was sitting down. Judging by how he was holding his ankle and hanging his head down, it seemed he had twisted it.
‘What should I do?’
The finish line was right in front of him. In the brief moment when his running speed slowed as he took in Yoon Isu, Go Gyeol fell into deep conflict.
Two Omegas were getting closer and closer. There was no time to hesitate.
‘Ugh, I don’t even hope for first place. I just hope I don’t come in last.’
At that moment, the words Yoon Isu had said flashed through his mind.
‘Damn it.’
Gyeol turned his body. He changed course and started running backward.
“Huh, uh……? Oh!”
The surprised Alphas exclaimed, and soon the Omegas passing by Gyeol’s side also wore expressions of disbelief.
Don’t be ridiculous. You think I’m doing this for someone else’s benefit.
Originally, things like this are all an image battle. Going to help Yoon Isu can build a better image in the long term.
……Or so he rationalized to himself as Gyeol reached Yoon Isu who was sitting down.
“Isu-ssi, are you okay?”
“Gye, Gyeol-ssi. You came back because of me right now?”
“Can you stand up?”
“What should I do because of me. Gyeol-ssi was in first place.”
“It’s okay, so stand up.”
Gyeol pulled Yoon Isu’s arm and placed it over his shoulder. Carefully lifting his body, he supported him and slowly started walking toward the finish line.
Only after the two passed the finish line did the announcement ring out.
― The winner of the Omega team match is ‘Kang Heejun’-ssi.
While Kang Heejun jumped and rejoiced, Yoon Isu didn’t know what to do, feeling sorry toward Gyeol. Gyeol shook his head and patted Yoon Isu’s shoulder.
“It’s okay. I wanted to do that.”
“Gyeol-ssi……”
“Really. I did it all to build a good image for myself, you know?”
At Gyeol’s consolation, Yoon Isu made a moved expression.
To have victory snatched away right before his eyes. His stomach burned, but Gyeol didn’t regret it. Although Go Gyeol was rationalizing it as being for his image, in reality, he was the type of person who would make the same choice even if he went back.
***
After finishing the games, the cast members showered, finished grooming, and gathered in the outdoor kitchen-lounge to eat dinner.
“Choi Seon-ssi, have you decided on your brunch date partner?”
“I’m still thinking about it.”
“I see. You must be a careful type.”
“It’s an important opportunity.”
I see. Eavesdropping on the conversation he could hear, Go Gyeol moved his body diligently as usual. Shin Junoh being in the same space was slightly annoying, but he felt much more at ease because Seong Yohan, who had been standing behind the camera the whole time, was nowhere to be seen.
“Gyeol-ssi, your knife skills are no joke.”
“Huh? Ah, no.”
Gyeol, who had been skillfully chopping green onions with a tack, tack, tack, tack, hesitated. It was a skill he had unintentionally acquired while raising a child and working multiple food service part-time jobs.
Did I move too professionally? I don’t know. Since he’d already started, it seemed better to just show that he was good at it.
“Wow, this is so so delicious!”
Gyeol demonstrated his skills and whipped up rolled omelets and stir-fried cabbage with pork in no time.
Thanks to that, he was able to feed the Omegas who had no talent for cooking due to their busy entertainment industry lives and the Alphas who said they would cook tomorrow until they were full.
‘Mm, delicious.’
Meals can’t be skipped carelessly. Satisfied with the taste of the well-made rolled omelet, Go Gyeol smiled.
***
When he opened the mailbox to check the first impression selection, Go Gyeol completely froze.
Since there were 4 Alphas, 2 people for the first selection. He thought if no more and no less than 2 or more people chose him, it would be a very good flow as a first start.
“……”
But Go Gyeol’s mailbox was piled high with cards.
Go Gyeol, who briefly doubted his eyes, knocked his forehead against the mailbox with a thud. It was an action conscious of the camera.
“Whew……”
Soon, Gyeol, who had calmed himself, began to take out the cards one by one.
One, two…….
All 4 Alpha cards were in Go Gyeol’s mailbox.
But.
“No way……”
That wasn’t the end.
Gyeol took out the last card remaining in the mailbox.
“Why are there five?”
Not 4 cards matching the number of Alphas, but 5 cards—one more—had arrived for Gyeol.
