#23
After everyone revealed their ages and occupations, one of the most surprising people was Choi Eungi.
He, who I thought would be much older, was only one year older than me. When he said his job was bodyguard, I found myself nodding without realizing it. It fit very well with his clean-cut impression and taciturn nature.
Choi Eungi was actually a judo black belt holder. He exercised regularly and was usually interested in sports-related events. I didn’t know because he didn’t make it obvious, but he said he recognized Bae Taeseong as soon as he saw him. He knew that Bae Taeseong had won domestic fencing competitions.
The fact that someone who was good with his body was also good with swords was somehow a peculiar point. Meanwhile, Bae Taeseong, whose actual profession involved swords, would stiffen up awkwardly even when handed just a potato peeler.
‘Of course, it’s a bit much to call fencing swords “blades”……’
Come to think of it, who was Choi Eungi’s ex?
Having unintentionally learned about Han Jiwon and Bae Taeseong’s relationship, I could roughly calculate the others.
If there was a couple among the residents who were both Alphas, then conversely there would be a couple who were both Omegas. In my view, that couple was Kim Sehyeong and Hwang Yeonwoo.
‘Thinking about it, those two were awkward from the beginning.’
Kim Sehyeong didn’t know what to do, and Hwang Yeonwoo became strangely sensitive whenever other Alphas were kind to Kim Sehyeong.
Then the remaining one was…… An Lei.
“……”
I suddenly felt troubled. Was Choi Eungi’s ex An Lei after all? If so, what did he think while watching An Lei get along well with Lee Chan? Everyone in this dormitory knew that the two were showing clear interest in each other, so wasn’t he also watching his ex’s new romance unfold before his eyes, just like me?
He probably doesn’t know that Lee Chan and An Lei seem to have known each other before entering the program, right? I hope he doesn’t know. I didn’t want Choi Eungi to feel this sense of being played with that I was experiencing.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
Choi Eungi, who had been driving silently, asked. Today was our first date day since entering the program.
“Your expression keeps changing so dramatically.”
“Ah, just…… I was thinking about this and that.”
“This and that?”
“Just. Thoughts like how I’m emotionally very turbulent these days? I feel like I’m experiencing a lot of feelings I’ve never felt before, in the dormitory.”
“Ah.”
Choi Eungi briefly agreed.
“It’s definitely a special situation.”
“How about you, Choi Eungi-ssi, no, Eungi hyung?”
“I’m still not sure.”
What does he mean he’s not sure? Even when An Lei is getting along so well with Lee Chan like that?
“When I wasn’t seeing them, I was fine, but after meeting again, I think I did have some lingering feelings.”
“Right. It’s hard to pretend not to see what’s visible. You must have been quite disturbed yesterday and today.”
Whether heaven was helping the two, Lee Chan and An Lei became each other’s first random date partners. The two, who were overjoyed, stuck close together until late last night, busy planning what to do at the amusement park.
“It was peaceful though.”
“……What?”
“Yes?”
Did the meaning of peace change without me knowing?
He and I looked at each other for a moment.
“You said it was peaceful?”
“Yes. Well…… was I supposed to be confused?”
“But you said you had lingering feelings? For your ex.”
“I do have lingering feelings.”
“But you said yesterday was fine?”
“Yesterday was fine. Nothing happened after all.”
Did he hit his head to erase his memory every time Lee Chan and An Lei were together?
Choi Eungi asked with a puzzled expression.
“Is that not allowed?”
“It’s not that it’s not allowed……”
“Should there be something more?”
“That’s also not…… or is it? Shouldn’t there be?”
“What are we talking about right now?”
“I wonder……”
Is this not it? I muttered without realizing it.
Could his ex not be An Lei? Then that would mean An Lei dated either Hwang Yeonwoo or Kim Sehyeong, but that makes even less sense. He definitely seemed to prefer Alphas.
Could it be that An Lei also broke up with Lee Chan and came here as his ex?
Then what about Choi Eungi?
“Eungi hyung. You didn’t enter alone without an ex, did you?”
“……What kind of thinking led you to that conclusion?”
“I don’t know either……”
I looked at the camera attached above the glove box with a somewhat disturbed expression. I began to worry a little, no, actually a lot, that I might be edited to look quite foolish.
But the water was already spilled.
* * *
Despite my worries when I heard the date location was a national park, there was no dragging my feet up mountains. Choi Eungi naturally took me to the walking trail course.
We walked very slowly along a low trail path. After leisurely going around once, we decided to visit a large temple that was said to be nearby. It was a temple very famous for temple cuisine, so we decided to have lunch there.
With the fresh forest air, pleasant spring breeze, and the unique fragrant smell of the temple, I felt like all the accumulated fatigue and worries were being washed away completely. I guess you could say the moderate quietness seemed to gently comfort my tired body and mind.
Walking together, I realized that Choi Eungi had no romantic interest in me. That is, he didn’t see me as a romantic prospect. His attitude was simply plain and polite, like treating an appropriate peer.
That made Choi Eungi even more comfortable to be with. When I was with him, I didn’t need to be unnecessarily tense, worry, or observe the other person’s reactions. Of course, considering that the program we’re filming is a dating show, I do feel a bit sorry for the production team……
‘Lee Chan will probably fill the screen time on his own.’
So let’s consider today a holiday. I quietly apologized inwardly and picked up a pen. Perhaps because Buddha’s Birthday is next month, they were holding a lantern festival.
“Are you done writing?”
I heard Choi Eungi’s voice from behind me. I jumped up in surprise.
“No! Just a moment!”
After hesitating briefly, I bent over and carefully wrote down my wish.
「Please let my parents go to a good place and be at peace in the next life too.」
Of course, if there really is an afterlife for people, my parents would have already crossed over long ago. They both passed away before I even turned ten.
It’s been almost 20 years now. Now I can only barely recall my parents’ faces as the smiling faces in the few family photos we have. Perhaps because we parted when I was too young, I felt sad and regretful that the memories we shared together were gradually fading.
“Let’s go now, Eungi hyung.”
The temple food eaten in a comfortable atmosphere had a neat and clean taste.
Choi Eungi kept pushing side dishes toward me, saying this was the first time he’d seen me eat so well since entering the program. I didn’t decline and heartily ate various seasoned vegetables, acorn jelly, rice wrapped in lotus leaves, clear warm soup, and fragrant rice cakes made with mugwort.
“……Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Choi Eungi, who had been staring at me eating, smiled faintly.
“You eat so diligently, like a squirrel.”
“Where is there a squirrel this big……”
After finishing our meal, we went to the main hall to learn how to bow properly. After watching Choi Eungi and clumsily following along, he said I did quite well and told me about the 108 bows.
“It contains the meaning of cutting off 108 kinds of worldly desires and growing.”
“Don’t tell me I have to bow 108 times in one sitting?”
“Well, we can’t do 1,080 times.”
I said let’s hurry back to the dormitory.
But we couldn’t return to the dormitory. Just as we were about to turn around after he said let’s just look at the pond one last time, we received contact from the production team.
[Please choose who you want to have dinner with.]
[If you mutually choose the same person, the matching succeeds.]
[Successfully matched participants move to the appointment location, failed participants return to the dormitory.]
[Participants of the same trait group and your own ex cannot be selected.]
In other words, I had to choose one among Choi Eungi, Bae Taeseong, and Han Jiwon. Since I was currently with Choi Eungi, it essentially meant choose either Bae Taeseong or Han Jiwon……
As I gripped my phone and began seriously deliberating, Choi Eungi started openly watching me.
“Come to think of it, you seem to get along well with both Bae Taeseong-ssi and Han Jiwon-ssi.”
“They’re good people. But being told to choose one of the two is a bit……”
“Is there a need to think about it so difficultly?”
Choi Eungi said in a calm voice.
“How about spending time with whoever you’re more curious about.”
“……”
“Or you could choose someone you can talk more comfortably with.”
Someone more comfortable. It would be fine to do as he said. I wrote down three letters of the person’s name and sent it back to the production team.
A few minutes later, a text arrived saying the matching was successful and to come to the next location.
“Did you get matched?”
I nodded at his question.
“What about you, Eungi hyung?”
“I’ll go back early and rest. Since I’m driving anyway, I’ll just drop off Sanho-ssi.”
Since there was no reason to refuse, I replied “Thank you,” then suddenly became curious and asked.
“But who did you choose that you didn’t get matched?”
Instead of answering, Choi Eungi smiled broadly.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
