Chapter 104

Tommy curled his large body into himself and stared at Gyeol over his shoulder.

The swing ropes let out a faint creak under the wind and their weight, but the swing itself did not move back and forth the way it was meant to. It stayed still in place.

Gyeol did not avoid Tommy’s gaze. Meeting his eyes quietly, he carefully parted his lips.

“...I think this is a moment where honesty matters, so I’ll only tell you the truth. If you’re asking whether there is any possibility at all, then it would be hard for me to say there’s absolutely none.”

Tommy’s thick hands, which had been folded together, clasped each other tightly. Gyeol did not filter the words scraping roughly at his throat. He chewed through every one and spoke them carefully.

“But if you’re asking whether I think the flow of my feelings can change dramatically within the time we have left... I don’t think so.”

He could not go back to the past with Jun Shin.

Once he drew the line with Tommy, the people left for Gyeol were Sun Choi and Yo Han Sung.

That night after he talked with Sun at Ivory Mansion, Gyeol had lain awake, thinking over and over. He had looked straight into his own heart.

There was no need to even question why Sun remained.

But Yo Han?

Why was he planning to reject Tommy first while still leaving Yo Han in place?

Was it because Yo Han knew his secret? Because he was afraid Yo Han might reveal it? Or if not that, was it because he couldn’t predict what shape Yo Han’s obsession with him might take? Because with Yo Han’s name value, he could seize public attention in an instant? Because he wanted to succeed? Or was it because his pheromones, his instincts, reacted most strongly to Yo Han? If not even that—

Was it because every time Gyeol found himself in a difficult moment, again and again, always, without fail, Yo Han appeared?

...By the time his thoughts reached that point, he realized it.

It was all Yo Han, Yo Han, Yo Han.

Without a single thought about Tommy, the name filling every corner of Gyeol’s mind before he even knew it was Yo Han Sung.

There were so many other things he could have thought instead. That Tommy only felt like a very good younger brother to him, for example. Or that Hee Jun was looking at Tommy too.

But the thoughts filling Gyeol’s head from beginning to end were all question marks pointed at Yo Han Sung.

An unresolved question.

An unquenched thirst.

An unsettled problem.

And so Gyeol’s decision was Yo Han.

Even if he could not advance his thoughts or feelings any further right now. Even if he could not put any name to the complicated, countless emotions he felt toward that man. The choice he had to make now was Yo Han.

“So I think it would be best if we became good brothers here.”

“......”

“Is that selfish of me? If you think that would be too hard, then I’ll keep my distance too—”

“No...!”

Tommy cut him off, jerking his head up as he cried out. Tears were already welling in his large eyes.

His lips trembled as he spoke.

“...Being good brothers with you. I like that.”

“......Okay.”

“You can’t avoid me. I really like you, Gyeol.”

When tears finally threatened to fall, Gyeol used the sleeve of his shirt to gently press them away.

“I don’t mean like, in the confession way. You know that, right? Don’t feel burdened. You’re really... a good person.”

His words kept breaking between sobs and sharp little breaths.

“I don’t feel burdened. I know what you mean.”

“Yeah... Yeah.”

“Oh, Tommy. Don’t cry.”

Having just rejected him, Gyeol could not bring himself to hug and comfort him, so he slowly stroked Tommy’s back instead.

“Ugh, I’m sorry. Why am I crying? This is driving me crazy.”

“No, I mean, you can cry if you want to... When I said don’t cry, I meant it more as comfort.”

Flustered, Gyeol corrected himself.

“You’re making excuses like I did, Gyeol...”

Tommy pointed it out, and they both burst into quiet laughter at almost the same time.

Tommy was right.

Thinking about it, from the very beginning, Gyeol had looked at Tommy and thought of Yuli. That was how well they matched.

If this were a work of fiction, maybe they belonged to the same genre. The way they were considerate of others, their kind hearts.

“In South Korea, they say if you cry and then laugh, something ugly happens, right? Ah, I’m crying and laughing...”

“Then a King Potato grows hair, I guess.”

“Ah, no...”

Because Tommy kept laughing through his tears, Gyeol felt sorry and yet could not help laughing along with him. Gradually, Tommy’s crying turned completely into laughter too.

And so the two of them ended their conversation sitting side by side, laughing together.

***

Using a brief opening, Gyeol checked his phone again.

There was still no contact from Bae Hyesung.

He hasn’t even read it...

Calling was too risky. It was only yesterday that Woo Seok had been caught secretly making calls and expelled from the island because of it.

“Haa...”

Gyeol pressed hard at the corners of his eyes.

Even if worry burned him hollow, there was nothing he could do. He had chosen to come here knowing all of this could happen.

No news was good news.

Repeating the sentence like a prayer, Gyeol returned to the filming area.

***

Time slipped by, and before long, evening arrived.

Tonight’s menu was, incredibly, pork belly. Even the table was loaded with side dishes and cans of beer to go with it.

“Since Gyujin has joined us, we prepared this so you could all eat and enjoy yourselves comfortably tonight.”

Producer Yoo, looking hollow-eyed, opened with that before explaining the beer sponsored product placement.

Since the contestants had already sensed what was coming from the moment they saw one brand of beer lined up neatly on the table, they listened to the explanation without much comment.

“Then we look forward to your cooperation.”

The pork belly and beer party began.

Unexpectedly, the ones who stepped up as the “meat-grilling team” were Tommy and Yo Han Sung.

“Yo Han, are you good at grilling meat...?”

Tommy looked suspiciously at Yo Han, who had volunteered to grill.

“Yeah. Why? Do I look like I wouldn’t be?”

As he asked, Yo Han stood in front of the sizzling grill and pulled off his loose shirt without even unbuttoning it.

A black short-sleeved T-shirt appeared underneath, clinging smoothly to his upper body and revealing the lines of his muscles. It looked like ordinary functional sportswear, but on Yo Han, it gave off the impression of an FBI agent’s off-duty work clothes.

At the sight, like something from a movie or commercial, the contestants unconsciously let out impressed “whoa” sounds.

Apparently not expecting that reaction, Yo Han gave an embarrassed smile, ran a hand through his hair, and tipped his head.

“Sorry. I thought I’d sweat.”

“What was that? What was that reaction just now?”

Tommy shouted threateningly, pointing the tongs at the people sitting around the table.

The sight reminded Gyeol of the mud crabs he had seen earlier that day, so he secretly found Tommy cute.

“Looks like King Potato got excited now that there’s meat.”

“I feel amazing, obviously. I had French toast yesterday too.”

“Ahem. Everyone, be quiet. I’m holding tongs!”

Thankfully, Tommy seemed to have recovered quickly. Though his eyes were slightly swollen, he was smiling brightly and mingling with everyone like usual, and Gyeol felt deeply relieved.

Sssss.

As meat hit the grill, an appetizing smell rose instantly.

Meat grilled outdoors was special by itself. But grilling it by the seaside on top of that?

That was game over.

The person who had kept ruining the mood at every turn was gone, and a new person had joined them too. The contestants relaxed and enjoyed themselves.

Of course, there was someone who could not quite lift his mood no matter what. Jun Shin.

Since he was apparently still aware of his duty and responsibility as a celebrity standing in front of cameras, he managed to smile and join in somehow. But Gyeol could notice the subtly unnatural curve of his mouth and the faded pallor of his face.

It was something that needed time.

Gyeol’s heart was not comfortable either.

“Alright, everyone has beer, right?”

“To our new face, Gyujin!”

“Cheers!”

Everyone chorused together and clinked their beer cans.

The beer, imported and targeted toward younger drinkers, was a pleasantly fragrant ale. There were several varieties—peach, lemon, apple, floral—and everyone took turns giving little tasting impressions, saying it was fun to choose between them.

Gyeol chose the apple flavor. Since he wanted to avoid drinking because he was worried about messages, he only lightly wet the tip of his tongue with the beer. The scent reached his nose first, then the bitterness of alcohol followed, and finally a sweet aftertaste pooled on his tongue.

He had just thought it was fairly decent overall when a mountain of meat was piled onto Gyeol’s plate.

“......?”

For a moment, Gyeol doubted his eyes. Naturally, his gaze lifted toward the person who had bestowed the meat upon him.

Yo Han stood with one hand on his hip, clicking the tongs open and shut as he said smoothly,

“Eat a lot.”

“...This seems like too much.”

“You need to eat more and gain some weight, Gyeol Go.”

Yo Han smiled with his eyes curved.

“What is this, Yo Han! Our plates are empty too!”

The contestants seized the opportunity to tease him and shouted in protest.

“Yo Han. Give me meat too.”

The moment Hanseul, who had taken the seat beside Hwang Gyujin, added his sulky request, Tommy filled their plates at remarkable speed.

It was truly impressive skill.

“I can’t stand seeing an empty plate.”

Tommy looked like he had an aura of meat glowing behind him.

“Wow, this is the first time King Potato has actually looked cool.”

“Let’s call him King Meat from now on.”

“No!”

Laughter broke out, and Hanseul, conscious of Gyujin beside him, snapped his gaze away and pretended to eat meat.

Whether he did or not, Yo Han just kept staring at Gyeol.

“Why are you standing there like that?”

Please just fuck off.

When Gyeol asked, Yo Han smiled radiantly and answered,

“I was wondering if you were going to eat.”

“I’m going to eat.”

Gyeol answered curtly, meaning for Yo Han to leave already, but Yo Han did not move an inch.

He’s seriously annoying.

Reluctantly, Gyeol picked up his chopsticks and was about to take a piece of meat.

Then Yo Han’s tongs picked one up first and headed straight toward Gyeol’s mouth.

“Here. Say ‘ah.’”

This fucking lunatic.