Chapter 53

“Careful. It’s hot.”

At some point Yo Han had moved close enough to speak softly beside him as he poured hot water into Gyeol’s instant noodles.

“...Thank you.”

Gyeol forced himself to meet his eyes and smile so it would not seem like he was rejecting the gesture.

The visible upward curl of Yo Han’s lips looked suspiciously amused.

Damn it.

Gyeol swallowed the curse internally.

He really hoped this man was not misunderstanding things.

I wasn’t staring at you. I was just thinking about something stupid.

The unnecessary embarrassment made the back of his neck burn hot.

“It smells amazing. I want to eat already.”

“I’m not jealous of the brunch date at all. Right, Tommy?”

Jaekyung Park teased Tommy, who kept repeatedly checking his wristwatch.

Tommy drooped his eyebrows pitifully and whined.

“I-I don’t think that’s true.”

“Hey now, giant Potato. Did you already forget Producer Yoo said we have to make it look as delicious as possible?”

“Oh! Right. Right.”

Tommy’s adorable reaction made even Gyeol laugh.

After waiting the full three minutes, everyone finally started eating.

The noodles tasted fairly mediocre compared to expectations.

It was supposedly a collaboration product with a famous celebrity chef currently trending in popularity, complete with the slogan “Authentic European flavors brought to life!”

But honestly, the taste was so bland that Gyeol doubted it would become very popular.

“Oh, this is good.”

“It really is. I think I’d buy this again after we leave here.”

Everyone naturally chimed in with comments, but all the reactions sounded equally stiff and scripted.

It’s mild enough that kids would probably like it.

Thinking of Yuli, Gyeol carefully wondered whether it would be safe to say that aloud.

Then Yo Han caught his attention.

Even the way he ate instant noodles looked absurdly elegant.

...Better not mention children.

No matter what, being careful could never hurt.

“Wow, the umami flavor is incredible. The seasoning’s perfect too. The seafood flavor is really deep, so it feels even better eating this while looking at the ocean.”

Tommy, however, was different.

People did not become eating-show YouTubers for no reason.

The same person who turned bright red from the slightest teasing suddenly became astonishingly eloquent while describing flavors.

And that was not all.

Tommy lifted the entire noodle cup and drank the broth down to the very last drop.

“The broth is seriously refreshing too. Perfect for a hangover.”

After letting out a satisfied breath, even that simple comment somehow created the illusion that this ramen might actually be the most delicious food on earth.

Entranced, Gyeol took another bite.

Strangely enough, it genuinely tasted much better than before.

“Hell yeah, Potato TV!”

Jaekyung slapped Tommy’s shoulder dramatically in praise.

“The professional really is different. You make it look seriously delicious.”

“P-Please don’t hype me up that much...”

His professional composure vanished instantly, and Tommy’s face turned bright red again.

If someone had to choose the indispensable mood-maker of R-Connect Season 10, it would unquestionably be Tommy.

Or Jun Shin.

One of those two absolutely had to be present for the atmosphere to soften naturally.

Finding Tommy adorable, Gyeol also made an effort to eat the noodles as enthusiastically as possible.

“...It reeks so badly I feel like throwing up.”

The muttered words from his right made Gyeol briefly wonder if he had misheard.

It was Woo Seok.

Still frowning from his lingering hangover, Woo Seok glanced irritably at Tommy sitting across from him before stirring the noodles around.

The voice had been low and quiet.

Everyone else was busy chatting and laughing loudly enough that perhaps nobody else had heard.

“Oh. It says microwave cooking is possible too?”

“What’s better about microwave cooking?”

“Oh, it’s great. Crack an egg into it, pour in the water, microwave it for two minutes, and the egg stays perfectly soft while the noodles loosen up just right. It’s incredible. You seriously have to try it.”

“Tommy, you really are an expert.”

“It’s not that impressive...”

Tommy rubbed the back of his head shyly at Yo Han’s praise.

The peaceful conversation continued smoothly.

Apparently nobody else had heard Woo Seok’s remark.

Honestly, that was probably for the best.

Relieved, Gyeol decided to pretend he had not heard it either.

Even so, the irritation lingering on Woo Seok’s face bothered him.

Maybe the man simply lacked professionalism, but confronting him would not improve anything.

Dating shows were inherently dangerous formats that made even perfectly normal people become emotionally overinvested and unstable.

Every tiny action and casual word suddenly gained hidden meaning.

Things that ordinarily would have been ignored became magnified and endlessly analyzed.

The pressure of building relationships within a limited space and limited time naturally made people hypersensitive.

Gyeol assumed Woo Seok was no different.

After all, everyone gathered here had established themselves in their respective industries.

Even ordinary people lost their minds when things stopped going their way on R-Connect.

So celebrities who were used to shining positions, admiration, and constant validation were naturally bound to become even more unstable.

‘Thinking this way is easier on me too.’

It was something he consciously reminded himself.

Think positively.

Don’t overanalyze everything.

If he shrank into himself and became overwhelmed with thoughts like last night, things would only get worse.

No matter what happened, the most important thing for Gyeol was preserving a good image throughout the remaining ten days.

“Gyeol.”

Just as he reaffirmed that determination, an uncomfortable interruption appeared out of nowhere.

Hanseul, who had been quietly picking at his noodles beside Yo Han, suddenly addressed Gyeol with impeccable politeness.

“Hanseul. Yes, it’s good.”

Gyeol’s chopsticks paused for a second, but he answered smoothly with a gentle smile instead of showing surprise.

Hanseul smiled back with narrowed eyes.

“Eat a lot.”

Suddenly? 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

Why?

He definitely had not acted like this yesterday.

“You too.”

Gyeol was not an idiot.

He was trying to remain calm and think positively, but it was entirely different when someone who had openly treated him like a rival suddenly changed attitudes overnight.

‘...I should stay careful today.’

The remainder of the meal passed relatively peacefully.

Everyone was amazed when Tommy finished his third noodle cup.

Hee Jun joked that Tommy deserved additional advertising fees on top of the sponsorship payment, making everyone burst into laughter.

Woo Seok suddenly spoke to Gyeol several times too, but it was mostly meaningless chatter.

Then Jun Shin and Isu Yoon returned from their brunch date.

Everyone greeted them warmly—

Only for a cheerful notification sound to suddenly echo through the lounge.

“Pheromone Island, Day 6.”

“Ahh!”

“Jesus, my heart nearly stopped.”

Everyone clutched their chests in surprise at the sudden narration.

As though responding to them, the broadcast continued.

“The second pheromone matching will now begin.”

“All participants, please gather in front of the pheromone booth.”

On the walk toward the pheromone booth, Hee Jun’s shirt caught Gyeol’s eye.

It was a pale green shirt with a pineapple logo embroidered on the chest.

‘Oh. That’s an Under the Sea shirt.’

It was one of Gyeol’s favorite brands.

Looking more carefully, he realized it was actually one of the shirts he himself had considered while preparing for R-Connect.

In the end he had given up on buying it because he lacked confidence about pulling off that shade of green.

Feeling oddly delighted, Gyeol stepped closer to Hee Jun.

“Hee Jun, that shirt really suits—”

“Wow, Hee Jun. Look over there. The sky’s really pretty.”

Before Gyeol could even finish speaking, Jaekyung abruptly slipped between them and pointed toward the sky.

“You’re right. The clouds are all fluffy too.”

“Hee Jun, you really say cute things.”

“Ah, there you go again. I keep telling you I’m not cute.”

The two continued talking naturally.

Walking on the opposite side, Hanseul joined the conversation too.

“Why not? Silver Salt fans are always saying Hee Jun is cute.”

“Exactly, exactly.”

“You two have seriously been like this since yesterday...”

The three continued chatting about topics only they understood.

They had apparently grown much closer recently.

The atmosphere felt exactly like a tightly knit friend group.

Meanwhile, Gyeol was left awkwardly cut off mid-sentence.

The nearby camera capturing everything only made it more embarrassing.

“Gyeol, plaid suits you too.”

Woo Seok suddenly approached closely and spoke to him.

“Thank you. Your outfit looks nice today too, Woo Seok.”

“Right? Being a model means I naturally look good in clothes.”

“Haha. Yeah.”

Woo Seok practically glued himself to Gyeol the entire walk to the pheromone booth.

It was less conversation and more an endless barrage of questions that always circled back into self-praise whenever Gyeol answered.

Too busy dealing with Woo Seok’s nonstop attention, Gyeol completely failed to notice Jaekyung glaring at him—or Hanseul subtly encouraging Jaekyung while patting his back.

“Inside the pheromone booth, participants will each be exposed to Alpha and Omega pheromones for a fixed period of time.”

“During the time spent inside the booth, cameras will only film above the participants’ chest line. Any physical reactions or behavior below the chest line will remain unknown to everyone except the participant themselves.”

Even though this was already the second pheromone booth session, the narrator kindly repeated the explanation.

It was consideration for the newly arrived late-entry twists and for viewers beginning the show from this episode onward.

“Today’s booth entry order will be determined by lottery.”

“Ah! I’m first!”

Tommy collapsed dramatically to his knees in despair.

“Don’t act like last time again, giant Potato. Got it?”

“I-I won’t...!”

Tommy cried out miserably.

Gyeol checked the number written on his own ball.

Ninth out of ten.

Not a good position.

Though honestly, was there even such a thing as a good order for the pheromone booth?

Still, since getting it over with quickly might have been preferable, ninth place simply meant he would spend the entire time anxiously waiting through eight other participants first.

‘The suppressant today is stronger.’

Remembering the disaster of the first pheromone matching, Gyeol steadied himself mentally.

Still, after already experiencing one near catastrophe, he could not help feeling intensely tense.

***

“The second pheromone matching. Tommy, please enter first.”