Chapter 55

Jun Shin tightly clenched his fist beneath the table.

He had to endure it.

He absolutely could not cry.

‘It’s overwhelming. Really overwhelming. I wish you wouldn’t do this.’

Desperately, he forced himself to remember the words Gyeol had said.

Yesterday, Jun Shin had already failed to control his emotions once and broken down crying in front of Gyeol. He didn’t know how the distant cameras had captured him, but even that alone had been enough to place a burden—and danger—on Gyeol.

Why do you think I endured those last eight years?

Ignoring Gyeol’s calls.

Suppressing how desperately he missed him.

Swallowing feelings so intense they hollowed him out from the inside.

Why do you think I buried all of it?

Because all he had ever wanted was Gyeol’s safety.

That was the only reason.

And now you’re going to collapse here? You won’t even be able to protect the reason you endured all this in the first place.

Jun Shin bit down hard on his molars.

His fist trembled violently as he fought back the tears with brutal desperation. He stared ahead without blinking, forcing himself to endure until the moisture gathering in his eyes slowly dried away.

To make himself look like someone merely flushed from heat, he deliberately breathed heavily and rubbed both hands over his face several times.

Then he clenched his fist again.

— Jun Shin’s pheromone matching has concluded. You may now exit the booth.

In the end, he did not shed a single tear.

But by the time Jun Shin left the booth, his mood had sunk far lower than before he entered it.

He had been gripping his fist so tightly that when he finally loosened it, sharp pain stung across his palm.

Half-moon nail marks had dug into the skin deeply enough to draw blood.

Making sure nobody noticed, he lightly curled his hand shut again before returning to his seat.

“Jun, are you okay? You don’t look well....”

“I’m fine.”

He forced himself to smile at Isu Yoon, who had spoken to him, though he couldn’t tell whether it resembled a proper smile at all.

For a fleeting moment, it felt like Gyeol’s puzzled gaze brushed against him.

Jun Shin couldn’t bring himself to look back.

— Omega Hanseul Ga, please enter.

Before he realized it, Gyeol’s turn was right around the corner.

Hanseul Ga, then Woo Seok Jung, and after that—Go Gyeol.

Jun Shin’s pale face bothered him, but Gyeol had more than enough problems of his own to deal with.

Don’t think about it.

Trying to steady himself, Gyeol slowly took a deep breath.

“Whew....”

“Nervous?”

Hearing Gyeol sigh, Woo Seok spoke up.

“Yeah. I think the pheromone matching makes me the most nervous.”

“Hm, really? I’m not nervous at all. I mean, it’s not like I’m gonna pitch a tent like Tommy or start taking care of myself in there.”

He whispered smugly, subtly praising himself in the process.

Just like earlier during the instant noodle cups, Woo Seok kept taking jabs at Tommy, and it honestly made Gyeol uncomfortable. But he couldn’t show it, so he forced an awkward smile instead.

Interpreting Gyeol’s smile however he pleased, Woo Seok brightened and scooted closer.

“Gyeol Go, give me your hand.”

“Huh?”

The request came out of nowhere.

When Gyeol hesitated, Woo Seok abruptly grabbed his wrist and pulled it toward himself.

“Ah.”

“Hold still. I’ll help you relax.”

As he spoke, Woo Seok began aggressively kneading Gyeol’s hand.

He tugged on each finger individually and slowly stroked his thumb across Gyeol’s palm.

The same unpleasant revulsion Gyeol had felt yesterday when Woo Seok touched his shoulder surged back immediately.

“I-I’m okay, Woo Seok.”

“Just stay still for a second. Relax. Relax.”

“.......”

Unable to forcefully yank his hand away, Gyeol pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

Just endure it. It’ll only take a second.

But Woo Seok showed no sign of stopping.

The hand that had been massaging his palm slid up past his wrist and onto his forearm.

That was the limit.

He couldn’t tolerate it anymore.

“Um....”

“Woo Seok Jung.”

The instant Gyeol finally opened his mouth, Yo Han Sung’s voice overlapped perfectly with his own.

Gyeol’s small, cautious voice disappeared beneath Yo Han’s.

“Yes?”

Woo Seok turned toward him with a crooked expression.

“I think you should probably start getting ready to go in now.”

Smiling faintly, Yo Han tilted his head toward the production staff.

When Woo Seok looked over, Producer Yoo gestured [N O V E L I G H T] for him to prepare.

“Oh. Right.”

Clicking his tongue in disappointment, Woo Seok finally released Gyeol’s arm.

“See you later, Gyeol Go. We should talk privately sometime.”

“...Okay.”

Still wearing that falsely easygoing grin until the very end, Woo Seok finally left.

Only then did Gyeol realize goosebumps had spread all the way from his arm to his back.

Did he help me?

Rubbing his still-uncomfortable forearm, Gyeol glanced sideways toward Yo Han.

But Yo Han wasn’t even looking his way. He sat there calmly with an utterly composed expression.

He didn’t look particularly pleased.

Nor displeased.

Just perfectly polished and gentlemanly, exactly as usual.

Was it really coincidence?

At this point, it felt suspicious how often Yo Han kept helping him.

Gyeol lowered his gaze to the hand wrapped in bandages.

He acts like he wants to devour me alive, and yet....

He truly was impossible to understand.

— Omega Go Gyeol, please enter.

Finally, it was Gyeol’s turn.

Leaving his tangled emotions behind, he headed toward the booth.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

A completely ventilated, odorless room greeted him.

He closed the door and sat in front of the camera glowing red.

Along with the guidance announcement, the first Alpha pheromone began spreading through the room.

Bread.

It was the same pheromone Gyeol had chosen during the previous matching.

A sweet bread scent that lifted his mood just enough to feel pleasant.

Perhaps because the pheromone concentration was stronger than during the first matching, warmth lightly spread through his body this time.

The unfamiliar physical reaction made him tense briefly, but fortunately that was all.

Without much trouble, he moved on to the next pheromone.

Forest scent.

This one went beyond simple dislike.

For some reason, it felt vaguely nauseating.

His stomach churned, and his brows instinctively tightened.

Control your expression, Go Gyeol. No matter whose pheromones these are, nothing good comes from showing disgust on your face.

Steadying his expression, Gyeol focused on other thoughts to hold onto his rationality.

Which pheromone should I choose today?

There were still three remaining pheromones, but since he had already experienced all five Alpha pheromones during the previous matching, he found himself thinking ahead already.

Even if the concentration had increased, the overall feeling likely wouldn’t change drastically.

Of course, there were variables.

For example, if someone’s emotions and relationship with a particular person deepened over time.

In those cases, pheromones that once felt unpleasant could suddenly become seductive—or even trigger sexual desire.

An actual participant from last season had once furiously declared, “I absolutely hate this pheromone.”

But by the final pheromone matching, that same participant became completely intoxicated by it, reversed their decision, and chose differently instead.

Eventually, they ended up becoming the pheromone owner’s final couple.

The community had exploded afterward.

People argued endlessly over whether instinct came first or emotion came first, like debating whether the chicken or the egg had existed first.

The possibility that a contestant’s first pheromone choice might not last until the end—and that emotions could overturn instinct itself—became one of the show’s biggest dopamine-inducing hooks for viewers.

Thanks to that, pheromone matching had cemented itself as an irreplaceably addictive high-stimulation format.

In the end, it became a system blending both instinct and emotion together.

But not for me.

Gyeol’s case was different.

He firmly believed nobody had shaken his emotions enough within these mere five days to overturn his instincts.

So for now, strategy still mattered more.

Instincts, emotions—none of that was important compared to one question:

Which choice benefited him the most?

Around then, the third Alpha pheromone spread through the room.

Gyeol recognized its owner instantly.

Jun Shin.......

Within the now far clearer citrus scent, Gyeol slowly closed his eyes.

For some reason, sadness washed over him.

Jun Shin’s tearful face flickered through the darkness behind his eyelids.

It’s too late.

He repeated the words he had told Jun yesterday inside his mind.

Too late. Far too late.

The phrase circled endlessly like a proper noun whose meaning could never change.

And because of that, there was no reason for him to choose Jun Shin’s pheromones.

...Just endure two more.

The problem was that one of those remaining two belonged to Yo Han Sung—the living time bomb.

Still, at least he was already halfway through.

The citrus scent slowly faded away.

Exhaling quietly, Gyeol opened his eyes.

Not long after, the fourth pheromone spread through the room.

The one he had previously mistaken for soap.

Now that the concentration was stronger, he realized it wasn’t soap at all.

It leaned aquatic.

A scent that felt like it would bloom softly while gliding through water.

Huh?

But something was strange.

Unlike last time, warmth fluttered softly inside his chest.

His breathing gradually calmed.

His limbs relaxed.

His entire body loosened pleasantly.

What is this? This feels good....

A gentle floating sensation.

Like being submerged underwater.

He couldn’t understand why the change had happened.

It didn’t feel like a simple matter of stronger concentration.

Rather, it felt as if something entirely new had filled an empty space inside him.

...Don’t tell me my feelings toward the owner of these pheromones changed?

It seemed unbelievable, but it was the most plausible explanation.

Since the feeling was clearly positive, it couldn’t be Woo Seok.

And excluding Jun Shin and Yo Han—whose pheromones he already knew—that only left Tommy and Sun Choi.

It was true he liked both of them.

They were good people.

Talking with them was enjoyable.

Being around them felt comfortable.

But if you ask whether it’s romantic attraction... honestly, I still don’t know.

Lost deep in thought, Gyeol barely noticed as the fourth pheromone faded away too.

He sniffed lightly in disappointment, but not even a trace of the scent remained.

For a brief moment, he found himself impressed by the incredible ventilation system.

Then the final pheromone suddenly flooded the room.

Yo Han Sung’s pheromones.

The very moment Gyeol had dreaded most.