Dansol only realized it then—why the Omegas had gone so crazy over Jeong Daesu.
'Wow... what is with this guy. I almost got my heart fluttering. Get a grip, Joo Dansol.'
"I'm low on vitamin D. I need to do a bit of photosynthesis, sunbae."
Dansol lifted his head with a grin and stepped back under the sunlight. When Jeong Daesu saw that bright, smiling face, he pressed his lips together like he was at a loss for words.
Behind Jeong Daesu, the cast started coming out. Maybe because Jeong Daesu had come out first, the order got tangled. Even then, Jeong Daesu kept staring at Dansol.
The Alphas were Jeong Daesu, the film actor; Lee Yiyeon , the model-turned-actor; Jegal Minhyeok, the singer-songwriter; and Mateo, the idol and leader of Zeus.
The Omegas came out next—Han Jisu and Yoon Yeomin, after Dansol and Yoo Dohyeon. Everyone other than Dansol was an actor.
The moment Dansol saw them, his breath caught in his throat.
After he fell into the abyss and couldn't even set foot in a broadcasting station anymore, he swore he would get revenge if he ever met them again. But when he actually faced them, he shrank even more than before, and his body started trembling.
He learned later that Yoo Dohyeon belonged to a subsidiary under the large company that Han Jisu and Yoon Yeomin were signed to.
There had been a reason the people involved turned a blind eye to Yoo Dohyeon tormenting Dansol—because Yoo Dohyeon was backed by a company with that kind of power.
'It hasn't happened yet. I can change it. It's fine.'
Before appearing on this show, Dansol wasn't this weak or timid. His breathing felt like it was about to tip into hyperventilation.
"What about you? Everyone else is someone we all know... so introduce yourself."
What snapped Dansol back to his senses was Yoo Dohyeon's line. He said it even though he knew Dansol was an idol, and that he'd played the youngest son in the daily drama Mister Kim's Five Sons.
With that bright, smiling face, it was obvious he was intentionally giving Dansol attention from the start, trying to make him mess up out of nervousness.
After living shut-in and only reading community comments from his room, Dansol had gained an eye for reading people's moves.
'Back then I wouldn't have seen that vicious intent, but I'm not falling for it now.'
Before the regression, while he greeted people and watched everyone's reactions during the opening, his face had accidentally twisted into something like a glare. If it had been anyone else, it would have passed, but later people used that as "proof" that Yoo Dohyeon and Dansol had been clashing from the opening.
Dansol, evolved into a keyboard warrior, steadied himself. This place was a jungle, and he had to survive. Not by standing out—by not being noticed.
After taking a deep breath where no one could see, Dansol immediately moved into the strategy he'd stayed up all night planning.
Ruin the mood.
The opening of a dating variety show was supposed to be heart-fluttering.
He needed to make the awkward, fresh atmosphere go cold—create a scene so unsalvageable that PD Choi could furiously cut out every part where Dansol appeared.
"Hello, sunbaes! I'm Joo Dansol, leader of DinoSoul!"
Like he was in a music show waiting room, Dansol slammed into a ninety-degree bow, squeezed his eyes shut, and stepped forward.
Oh! I've been waiting for you, I~
Until I'm left behind as a trace~
Someday you'll find me
Me waiting far below the earth~
You'll know when you see the big footprints~
I left them so you could see~
Follow me, follow me
I'll be under there
DinoSoul!
Dansol danced harder than he ever did filming a music video, struck DinoSoul's signature pose, and panted at the camera like an "ending fairy."
Yoo Dohyeon, who had told him to introduce himself, and everyone on set, all gaped. The set fell silent in an instant. Everyone looked like they were thinking, what the hell did I just see?
'Whew... this should be enough to get me cut out completely, right?'
Dansol wanted to die of embarrassment. But being embarrassed in front of a few cast and staff was better than turning the whole nation into his enemy.
PD Choi Mijin was sentimental. There was no way she would keep something this cheap and tacky.
Dansol put on a satisfied expression. Worried the camera might catch him, he kept up that bright, innocent smile even after returning to his spot.
Jeong Daesu, standing beside him, seemed to be suffering secondhand embarrassment—his ears turned red, and he couldn't even look at Dansol.
'It worked.
There won't be any usable opening footage.
Yes! Cut me out completely!
With this atmosphere, maybe I'll even get eliminated in round one? Please, please, eliminate me in round one....'
Clap.
Clapclapclap—
Starting from someone's applause, flustered clapping broke out here and there. An awkward air flowed between the people still standing in a daze and the people clapping.
"Th-then... we'll do proper introductions inside, so we'll wrap up the opening here."
As expected, it was the main PD who brought the situation under control. After saying that, the PD—who had been frowning for a long time—continued with the program.
"Uh... starting now, on RO Match Survival, you won't be able to use phones or any communication devices until you leave the island. Please submit all belongings."
It was a rule everyone already knew, since it had been the same in previous seasons.
"Ah, do we really have to hand them in?"
Lee Yiyeon , quick on the uptake, pretended not to know and made a regretful remark even in the unsettled atmosphere Dansol had caused. He really did have good variety sense.
That was exactly why Dansol hadn't been able to protest a single word even while being devil-edited.
To maintain secrecy, the schedule was tightened to a near-live-broadcast pace, so when Dansol finished filming the final round and got home, he was already an irredeemable nationwide villain.
Dansol fiddled with his old phone for the first time in a while. Right now it was a phone that barely got any messages except the group chat with the members, but after the program ended, he had to change his number multiple times because of obsessive anti-fans' phone-terror.
When he powered it off and placed it into the box the main PD handed over, it finally started to feel real—he had truly come back.
Before, he at least sent the members a quick check-in, but now he put his phone into the box without contacting anyone. If things went wrong again, none of them would look for Dansol anyway.
"Now everyone will move into the lodging—."
After the cast put their phones into a locked box, the assistant director shouted loudly.
Even then, PD Choi kept a deeply thoughtful expression.
Seeing the PD's serious face, Dansol felt reassured as he went inside.
But Dansol didn't know—no matter how much he resisted, he was fated to get one-shots, born with the destiny of an "idol."
"Ah... this is weird."
Kim Seontae, the cinematographer, approached PD Choi, who couldn't take her eyes off the monitor, rubbing the stiff back of her neck.
"PD Choi, is something wrong?"
"That kid. I cast him without expecting much... but he keeps sticking in my mind."
On the monitor PD Choi was staring at, Dansol's dancing from just now was replaying on repeat.
"Me too. Weirdly, my eyes keep going to him. Did you see earlier? Dancing with no music on bare dirt. For anyone else, it would've been plenty embarrassing, but...."
"Isn't it cute how hard he tries?"
"Yeah. What if we keep that scene? It's not your usual style, PD Choi, but."
"What's this? Coming from Director Kim."
Kim Seontae wondered if, at his age, he'd fallen for an idol.
Was this the so-called sudden stan accident? No—when he looked at Dansol's face, it wasn't that simple. It felt pitiful and strangely unsettled. He didn't bother saying that feeling out loud to PD Choi.
"His features have storytelling. Let's watch him. Let's see how far he makes it among those hotshots."
Only then did PD Choi get up, brushing herself off. On the monitor, Dansol's image was paused, filling the screen.
Blue sky, a green garden, Dansol in a sky-blue shirt and cotton pants, frozen mid-gesture like he was in a sports drink commercial.
PD Choi felt something strange when she looked at it too.
{Alpha Inner Thoughts Interview}
Q: Based on first impressions, which Omega stood out the most?
Jeong Daesu: Joo Dansol.
PD: Why?
Jeong Daesu: He feels close to my ideal type.
PD: What kind of style is your ideal type?
Jeong Daesu: Cute.
PD: Please describe it more specifically...
Jeong Daesu: Small things are pretty.
Lee Yiyeon : ...Ah, Joo Dansol? I think he's seriously crazy. He was so cute. I honestly came without expecting anything. Seriously, where did he come from? A dinosaur... wow.... I've never seen a dinosaur this cute since Dooly.
Jegal Minhyeok: That Joo Dansol—what was the title of the song he sang?
PD: "Follow Me."
Jegal Minhyeok: Mm.... It was cool. Really. As a fellow musician. I'm the type who's picky about stages now. Haha, I've got some years on me. But seeing him do that with no music reminded me of when I used to busk. He's the kind of person who makes you remember your original intention. I want to talk with him. I'm curious.
Mateo of Zeus: Joo Dansol from DinoSoul? It made me wonder why I never saw him on TV. Ah, I should've gotten close sooner.... I was actually really sleepy, you know? I only slept an hour today. But when I saw Dansol sing, I woke up instantly. He was standing there looking like a model student, so I thought he was a rookie actor. But the way he sings is pure idol material. Sparkly—he was shining. We're both idols, and we're about the same age. I think we can get close fast.
{Omega Inner Thoughts Interview}
Q: Based on first impressions, which Alpha stood out the most?
XXX: Does it have to be an Alpha? I keep thinking about Joo Dansol. Ah, did I not say it? I don't really separate Alpha and Omega. But... do I really have to date only Alphas?
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