Chapter 100

The number one taboo of a dating reality show.

The contestants cannot already be in a relationship.

Anyone with a partner was ineligible to appear on the show. If someone hid the fact that they were dating someone and joined the program anyway, only for the truth to come out later, they would be torn apart by viewers and buried under criticism.

That was why every contestant had to be “single.”

When it came to reality-style variety programming, the thing viewers wanted most was authenticity. Something that seized people’s emotions and pulled them into the show.

Which meant there was no logic whatsoever in someone who already had a lover appearing on a dating program.

Of course, there were variables. Cases where someone started dating between being cast and the beginning of filming. Cases where two people had been in a long situationship and filming started right before they officially got together. Or cases where someone deliberately hid their relationship and joined the show for fame.

No matter the circumstance, the ending was always the same. Voluntary withdrawal, or forced removal.

The entire purpose of the program was to show people developing feelings and gradually connecting emotionally. Someone who had already achieved that goal had no place there. It was deception toward the other contestants, and to viewers, it created the same disgust as watching someone openly cheat on their partner.

No matter how reluctant the production staff might be to lose contestants midway through filming, this was the one issue they had no choice but to cut off decisively.

If they tried to cover it up out of fear of damaging the existing love lines or losing viewers invested in those pairings, only for the truth to emerge later, the producers themselves would become targets of public outrage.

There had already been precedents for that.

“So he came on the show while he already had a girlfriend?”

After hearing the reason for Woo Seok Jung’s forced removal from the production staff, Jaekyung Park spoke in disbelief.

Everyone was watching their words because the cameras were rolling, but the shock on their faces was impossible to hide.

The explanation from production continued.

They would still use all the footage filmed so far. Woo Seok Jung would be removed from the lodging and expelled from the show. However, because of the inevitable backlash the program would face and the hardline stance from Woo Seok’s agency, they would not publicly disclose the exact reason for his removal.

“But it wasn’t voluntary withdrawal. He was forcibly removed. Won’t viewers be able to guess the reason anyway?”

Hanseul Ga raised his hand as he spoke.

Producer Yoo, whose dark circles made it obvious she had not slept at all after an emergency all-night meeting, let out a short sigh before answering.

“I don’t think that part falls under our responsibility. That’s something Mr. Jung will have to deal with himself.”

This season, of all seasons.

They had prepared it with desperate determination, pouring everything they had into it. And now Woo Seok Jung had dumped ashes into a perfectly cooked meal. She was furious.

Even at the very end, Woo Seok and his agency had stubbornly insisted the official statement should say voluntary withdrawal or mid-show departure instead of forced removal. As if they thought R-Connect was a joke.

Producer Yoo had drawn a hard line, but she knew they would keep harassing the staff right up until the broadcast aired.

Already sick to death of the entire ordeal, she ground her teeth inwardly.

And that was not all.

At first, Woo Seok had insisted he was innocent. He claimed they were not officially dating, only “seeing each other,” so there was supposedly nothing wrong with him appearing on R-Connect.

It was a ridiculous argument.

If that were true, then at the very least he should have refrained from contacting the person during filming.

Producer Yoo had decided his excuses were not even worth listening to and coldly informed him he was being removed from the show.

At that, Woo Seok completely lost it, shouting that he had been wronged and asking whether they really thought he would just sit back and accept it.

Left with no choice, Producer Yoo personally showed him the video recording of the phone call.

“Babe. I’m telling you, this whole thing’s rigged from the start.”

The first line was slightly quiet because of the distance. But the content came through clearly enough, and even the cameraman seemed startled by what he heard because the footage shook once.

Since the slope was steep, Woo Seok himself was not visible yet. Only the surrounding forest filled the frame.

“Just wait a little longer. There’s only a few days left anyway.”

The cameraman later testified that at this point, the assistant producer walking with him had pressed a finger to his lips, signaling him to stay quiet.

The two of them silently crept farther up the slope.

Without turning off the camera.

“Why would we break up? Don’t say that. Okay?”

At last, Woo Seok’s feet appeared on screen.

“Yeah. I love you, babe. I love you more than anything in the world.”

The camera slowly swept upward along his body until his face was captured clearly on screen.

The moment Woo Seok noticed movement, he spotted the camera and the producer and recoiled in shock. He lunged forward immediately, reaching for the camera lens.

But the cameraman, already on guard, reacted faster.

He grabbed the camera and bolted downhill first, with the producer following behind him.

After watching the evidence recorded in the footage, Woo Seok became mute as a stone.

His face had gone completely white.

Then he violently shook his head and shouted,

“How is this okay? You can’t just film people wherever you want outside the designated camera zones!”

He kept slipping between informal speech and honorifics in his panic.

Completely losing his mind, Woo Seok thrashed around hysterically.

The “designated camera zones” he mentioned appeared to refer to the permanent filming areas production had explained before the start of filming. The lounge, conversation zones, the areas outside the lodging, and everywhere inside except the bathrooms.

“Because this is a reality program, the contract explicitly states that filming may also occur outside the permanent camera zones we informed you about beforehand. Mr. Jung personally signed that contract as well. It’s part of the contestants’ basic guidelines. Your agency also agreed to those terms.”

There was no escape route left for Woo Seok anymore.

To begin with, he had never been innocent.

When nothing existed except evidence proving his wrongdoing, how could he possibly prove his innocence?

After all the arguments and disputes were stripped away, only one undeniable truth remained.

Woo Seok Jung had deceived everyone and joined R-Connect anyway.

“I can’t leave like this! This is bullshit!”

Even until the very end, he was a complete spectacle.

Woo Seok grabbed both sides of the doorframe and fought like a madman.

In the end, Tommy finally muttered, “I’m really sorry, Woo Seok,” before wrapping both arms around his waist and physically dragging him away by force.

Remembering the entire process of getting Woo Seok off the island, Producer Yoo clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“Anyway, this matter falls under the confidentiality agreement stated in your contracts, so we ask everyone to remain silent about it. And I also apologize to Gyujin for joining under circumstances like this.”

At Producer Yoo’s words, the new Alpha contestant, Hwang Gyujin, gave an awkward smile and waved his hands dismissively.

“We got the reaction shots we needed, so we’ll do some short individual interviews about the situation. After that, we’ll film Gyujin’s welcome scene again and continue today’s schedule.”

The interview question was simple:

“How did you feel when you heard about Woo Seok Jung’s removal?”

If he were being honest, Gyeol felt relieved.

Woo Seok had kept doing strange things, constantly hovering around him and following him everywhere, and it had exhausted him.

But there was no way he could answer honestly.

So Gyeol filtered his words appropriately.

“I was really shocked. But I guess it’s good that it came out now rather than later.”

After the interview ended, Gyeol took the side path back toward the lounge, his thoughts in turmoil.

The space between the interview area and the main filming site was always a camera blind spot. It was probably consideration from production, accounting for the emotional aftermath contestants might experience after interviews.

At this moment, Gyeol was sincerely grateful for that.

His complicated emotions were probably written all over his face.

What do you think will happen if the world finds out a father came on a dating show?

Did he even have the right to condemn Woo Seok?

Wasn’t he essentially doing the same thing by hiding the fact that he was raising a child while appearing on a dating program?

Even if Yuli was not his biological son, even if legally the child was officially registered under his older brother’s name, Yuli was still Gyeol Go’s son.

He always had been.

He was now.

And he always would be.

Yuli was Gyeol’s deepest weakness.

The resolve to do anything to protect the child was a double-edged sword. For Yuli’s sake, Gyeol could become infinitely strong.

But at the same time, infinitely fragile.

Anything involving Yuli made him emotional far too easily, and once his feelings spiraled, he found it difficult to regain control. The way Yo Han Sung’s provocation had shaken him so badly. The way he had spent all day restless after hearing Yuli was sick.

There was someone on this island who knew Gyeol’s secret.

Someone who knew Yuli existed.

How long would that person continue keeping silent?

Gyeol walked with his gaze lowered until he suddenly sensed another presence and looked up.

Speak of the devil.

Yo Han Sung was walking toward him from the opposite direction, probably heading to his interview.

Gyeol quickened his pace.

His thoughts were already in chaos. He did not want to speak with Yo Han right now.

He lengthened his stride, nearly breaking into a run as he tried to pass by him—

and Yo Han grabbed his wrist.

“What is it?”

Gyeol immediately jerked his hand away on reflex.

His heart pounded violently. He could not tell whether it was because he had been walking too fast or because of Yo Han.

Yo Han barely reacted.

He simply kept his eyes fixed on Gyeol and stepped closer.

Then he bent slightly at the waist until their eye levels matched and studied Gyeol’s face.

“What’s wrong with your complexion?”

Gyeol half-covered his face with the back of his hand and avoided his gaze.

“What’s with commenting on somebody’s face? Do you know how rude that is?”

“You’re even more sensitive than usual right now.”

Unlike Gyeol, who was visibly tense, Yo Han spoke in an infuriatingly calm tone.

“God... if you’re trying to start something—”

“It’s not that.”

Yo Han interrupted casually.

“I’m worried about you.”

“......”

The sudden closeness of his face felt overwhelming, and Gyeol instinctively took a step back.

“Why don’t you just go do your interview already?”

Yo Han immediately closed the distance again.

Then he lowered his head slightly and leaned close to Gyeol’s ear.

“Aren’t you happy?”

Gyeol frowned and covered his ear.

The whisper had tickled.

“Happy about... what?”

“That I got rid of him.”

Gyeol’s brows furrowed deeper.

“The trash.”

His voice had dropped even lower that time, yet despite covering his ear, Gyeol heard every word clearly.

Startled, Gyeol’s eyes widened as he stared at Yo Han.

Yo Han burst out laughing, apparently delighted by his reaction, then straightened back up.

“What are you talking about?”

“What do you mean, what? Aren’t you smart, Gyeol Go? You already figured it out.”

Got rid of the trash.

At that instant, a sharp instinct flashed through Gyeol’s mind.

“No way...”

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s not like I personally did anything. He ruined himself all on his own.”

Just in case, Gyeol quickly scanned the surroundings.

Woo Seok had let his guard down and gotten caught on camera. There was no harm in being cautious himself.

“You’re really naïve, Gyeol Go. If there were cameras around, do you think I’d be acting like this with you right now?”

“......”

Inside Gyeol’s head, the scattered pieces rapidly began fitting together.

And when the puzzle finally formed a complete picture, he asked in genuine disbelief,

“Why...?”

“Why?”

“Why would you go that far?”

Yo Han laughed as if he had just heard something incredibly amusing.

Without losing the bright smile spread across his face, he answered easily.

“Because that bastard laid his hands on you.”

Gyeol could not understand this man.

“I couldn’t stand watching trash touch you.”

Really.

He truly could not understand him.