Chapter 103

“Let’s go eat fried mud crabs sometime.”

As Gyeol took Sun Choi’s hand and rose to his feet, laughter escaped him defenselessly.

So really, saying they should go eat fried mud crabs “later” was flirting in its own way, wasn’t it?

And not just any flirting, either. This was Sun Choi—the man who always turned awkward specifically around Gyeol—actually throwing out flirtation that implied a future after the island.

All over fried mud crabs the size of finger joints.

“I did mean it to make you laugh, so this time you’re allowed to laugh as much as you want.”

Sun puffed out his chest proudly, emphasizing that it had been an intentional joke.

After laughing for a while, Gyeol noticed the lounge growing noisy again and gestured that they should head back.

Even as they walked side by side, weak bursts of laughter kept slipping out of him.

Fried mud crabs. Let’s go eat fried mud crabs. What even was that?

He had never heard flirting like that anywhere in his life. There wasn’t a single romantic thing about it.

And yet somehow, the words made his heart feel lighter.

Just before they reached the lounge, Gyeol called to him quietly.

“Sun Choi.”

“Yes?”

“I know you said that because you were being considerate of how I feel. Thank you.”

“No. I really said it because I want to eat fried mud crabs.”

Sun answered firmly, his thick brows flattening into a straight line.

So now he’s making jokes too.

Warm amusement filled Gyeol’s eyes.

“What I said before—I really will keep my promise. So please wait just a little longer.”

Confusion flickered across Sun’s face at Gyeol’s words.

Just as he thought. Sun really had been trying to ease the weight of that conversation from the previous night.

“I’ll give you my answer about the fried mud crabs then too.”

As though “fried mud crabs” were some kind of magic phrase, Sun’s slightly stiffened face melted loose into a smile.

“If possible, I’d prefer it to be an answer that ends with us eating fried mud crabs.”

“Sun Choi, you’re really obsessed with fried mud crabs.”

“Very.”

Still smiling at each other, the two finished their conversation and stepped into the lounge.

By then, every contestant had returned and taken their seats.

***

The contestants spent a short time introducing themselves alongside the new arrival, Hwang Gyujin.

He said he worked as a fitness model, but even though he and Woo Seok Jung shared the same profession, their vibes were completely different.

More than anything, Gyujin was large and solidly built, with bold, heavy features. He was sociable too, quickly growing friendly with the other Alpha contestants over the topic of “muscle loss.”

Hanseul Ga and Jaekyung Park, seated on either side of him, both seemed interested in the newcomer.

On the surface they acted friendly toward one another, but ever since Yo Han Sung and Jaekyung had gone on the Ivory Mansion date together, tension had gradually started building between them. Jaekyung had tried to excuse himself by saying, “There wasn’t really anyone else I wanted to pick, and I just wanted to try going on a date with Yo Han once,” but Hanseul clearly hadn’t taken it well.

At this point, it wasn’t really about whether they genuinely liked Hwang Gyujin or not. The two of them were practically competing over him just to beat each other.

They’ve got a lot of energy...

Meanwhile, Gyeol simply observed.

He had a habit of trying to interpret relationships around him as positively as possible. It had hardened into instinct long ago.

But things were different when it involved problems unrelated to him directly. The moment a certain distance existed, Gyeol became sharp-eyed, coldly objective, and rational enough to seem almost detached.

He had no intention of getting tangled up with Hwang Gyujin. And the other man didn’t seem interested in Gyeol either. Which was for the best.

Because of that, the power struggle between Hanseul and Jaekyung was painfully obvious to him.

Woo Seok had self-destructed, and while keeping an eye on how the remaining Hanseul would move afterward, Gyeol decided to wait and see what happened.

After everyone spent some time centered around Hwang Gyujin, the next program segment approached.

— The new Alpha contestant, Hwang Gyujin, will now enjoy one-on-one dates with each Omega contestant for twenty minutes each.

It was a benefit given to Gyujin for joining the island late.

One week trapped on the island. Between the Woo Seok incident and filming now passing the midpoint, the atmosphere had reached the stage where exhaustion could easily start setting in.

So aside from whichever Omega contestant was spending time with Gyujin, everyone else was granted complete free time. Not the kind of “free time” that was only free in name while practically forcing them into compatibility-based conversation dates, but real free time in the literal sense.

Jun Shin was the first to say he wasn’t feeling well before heading back to the lodging.

Tommy stayed behind, happily monopolizing Yo Han Sung and Sun Choi while chattering nonstop.

Waiting for a pause in the conversation and the moment their attention scattered, Gyeol leaned toward Tommy and whispered quietly,

“Tommy, let’s talk separately later. After I finish talking with Gyujin.”

“Oh. Yeah, yeah!”

Tommy answered energetically, his face lighting up so brightly it was obvious how happy he was.

If he’d had a tail, it probably would have sounded like a helicopter propeller spinning behind him.

Seeing that bright smile made guilt rise in Gyeol’s chest automatically.

Forcing himself to smile back, Gyeol was just about to return to his seat when a staff member poked their head into the lounge.

“Gyeol Go, please get ready. You’re up after the next person.”

“Okay. Would it be alright if I used the bathroom first?”

“Sure. You’ve got time.”

Gyeol retrieved his bag from the box the production staff kept nearby. A label reading “Gyeol Go” was attached to the top.

Phones, cigarettes, cosmetics, and other personal belongings were all stored together this way inside their own bags.

If they kept things in their clothing pockets, it ruined the silhouette of their outfits on camera, and any visible phone models or cosmetic brands would require separate blurring during editing. This had been the production’s solution.

Since he didn’t have enough time to go far, Gyeol headed toward the temporary bathroom set up behind the filming area.

Using the bathroom was only an excuse.

What he really wanted was a safe place completely out of camera range where he could check his phone.

After stepping into a stall and locking the door, Gyeol glanced around cautiously before opening his bag and pulling out his phone.

Since he’d left the power on and simply switched it to silent mode, he only had to unlock the screen to check it immediately.

Fortunately—or unfortunately—there were no messages from Bae Hyesung.

Only a few advertisement texts had come in.

“Haa...”

Letting out a relieved sigh, Gyeol tapped open his messenger app. His fingers moved quickly as he sent Hyesung a text.

Hyesung, is Yuli okay? Nothing happened, right?

1

He waited for a moment, but the small number 1 beside the message remained there, unread.

No news is good news.

Trying to suppress the worry steadily growing inside him, Gyeol pressed the side button to turn off the screen and shoved the phone deep back into his bag.

***

“So I heard you’re the most popular person here, Gyeol Go?”

After the usual greetings, Hwang Gyujin suddenly asked the question.

His expression was bland enough that there didn’t seem to be any malice behind it. He simply looked like the type of person who spoke bluntly.

What a pointless thing to say... though Gyeol could easily guess who had probably run their mouth about it.

Most likely Hanseul. If not him, then Jaekyung.

Rather than pointing that out, Gyeol simply smiled mildly and answered smoothly.

“I guess a lot of people have been kind enough to think well of me.”

“Hm. Yeah. I can see why you’re popular.”

Resting his chin against the back of his hand with one elbow on his knee, Gyujin smiled lazily.

The conversation continued for a while. What kind of work do you do, what’s your ideal type, guess my MBTI—just the usual predictable topics.

And the result was that both men instinctively realized they were completely incompatible.

The time dragged unbearably.

Their hobbies, interests, values—even their MBTI types—didn’t overlap in a single way.

If Gyeol was cream, Hwang Gyujin was soy sauce.

If Gyeol was French toast, Hwang Gyujin was green onion pancakes.

And so the conversation ended with both of them firmly concluding within twenty minutes:

This person definitely isn’t for me.

“Well then, I had fun talking with you, Gyeol Go.”

“Me too. Please take care of me from now on.”

After politely saying goodbye, Gyeol left the conversation area feeling like all his energy had been drained away.

***

In the end, Tommy and Gyeol returned to the swing where they had talked before.

When Gyeol hesitated over where they should talk, Tommy had asked if they could go back there again.

Tommy folded his large frame onto the long swing, and Gyeol squeezed himself into the remaining space beside him.

Since they were slightly higher up, the breeze was cooler than down by the beach even though it was still daytime. The giant old tree stretching its branches overhead cast a broad patch of shade over the swing.

“I wanted to talk with you here again, Gyeol. Looks like that wish finally came true today.”

Tommy began brightly, smiling wide.

He looked so happy that Gyeol found himself unable to speak easily.

Tommy seemed completely unaware of what Gyeol intended to say.

“I really wanted to go on the Ivory Mansion date with you too... but I was so bad at the games that we couldn’t go together.”

“How is that your fault? I share responsibility too.”

Still, now that he had made up his mind, he needed to say it.

For Tommy’s sake too, it was the right thing to do.

“Even so. Next time, definitely—definitely! I’m going to win the Ivory Mansion date pass.”

There was still plenty of possibility left for Tommy and Hee Jun Kang.

If Gyeol drew the line before things went too far, those chances would only grow.

“......”

Gyeol smiled silently.

There was bitterness in his expression.

Watching his face quietly, Tommy fidgeted with his hands before carefully speaking.

“Gyeol... actually, since we got this chance... there’s something I’ve really wanted to ask you.”

“Yeah. What is it?”

There’s something called atmosphere between people.

Something that lets you sense the nature of a relationship even without words or obvious expressions. A current that arrives before you even have to guess or predict it.

“...I’m not the only person who likes you, right?”

That’s why sometimes, you can feel when the flow of a story is about to change.

“Among the people you care about... am I one of them?”

Like right now.

“Do I have even a little chance with you?”