#76
Before arriving at the hot spring village, the mountain where we were supposed to spend some time spread out before our eyes.
How long had it been since I saw such a clear landscape? I forgot to speak for a while and just stared ahead endlessly.
When I thought of life, I usually thought of moving things. When something asserted its aliveness with its own will, I thought that was vivid.
But trees and grass aren’t like that. They just flutter with the wind and bloom and wither with the seasons. So there were days when I only half-realized that they were alive.
But the scenery here mockingly vivid against such boring thoughts of mine. Every single tree, every single plant was dazzling without exception. Just by spreading out quietly like this, they could breathe so brilliantly alive.
‘So this is what everyone was so busy traveling around to see…’
I had only thought travel would be troublesome and difficult in many ways. My heart pounded as if I’d received an unexpected gift.
“Isn’t Sanho getting off?”
When I nodded, Bae Taeseong patted Jin Woohyeon’s shoulder.
“Right. You stay there and get some fresh air while the kids look around and come back. Jin Woohyeon, if you have time, bring Sanho something to drink.”
“Should I do that? Hyung, is there anything you want to drink?”
I quickly waved my hands.
“No, no. It’s fine, so go sightseeing comfortably.”
“I’m fine too, so pick something. I’m actually a bit thirsty too… There don’t seem to be any cafes around, but there should be vending machines.”
“Hmm. Water would be fine for me. Thanks.”
“Got it. Hyung, let’s go.”
“Yeah.”
Watching Bae Taeseong and Jin Woohyeon leave while chatting, I couldn’t help but tilt my head. Because a natural question arose.
“…Were those two close?”
They didn’t seem particularly friendly, even if they weren’t growling at each other. Especially when Jin Woohyeon joined and the two were assigned to the same room, wasn’t it strangely awkward?
At least by the time they started morning runs together, that awkwardness had disappeared…
‘How did they become friends?’
* * *
[Excuse me, isn’t this combination a bit… too free of prejudice?]
[Even though there are alpha-alpha omega-omega combinations and they’re mixing in trait-breaking combinations… I didn’t expect an alpha to nominate another alpha with his own hands]
[They don’t even have feelings for each other and they’re even rivals? Similar positions, why is this happening]
└ Well, it’s fun for us to watch. Double handsome guy event
[Q. Why did you nominate Jin Woohyeon-ssi?]
Bae Taeseong: Was that not allowed? (Sound of production staff laughing) Ah. You’re just asking out of curiosity. Just… it sounds nice to call it a date, but I thought it was similar to just arranging a meeting. Sanho was already taken by Yudam.
(Couldn’t you have nominated Han Jiwon-ssi?) That could have happened, right? But he would definitely hate… *cough*, anyway, it was obvious he’d hate it, so why would I pick him? I didn’t want to eat while fighting.
[Q. How did you feel when you were nominated by Bae Taeseong-ssi?]
Jin Woohyeon: Why me? (Laughs out loud.) Just kidding. Excluding those two people, I thought it would probably be me. We have things in common. Our taste in people, for one.
And this is my personal guess, but I felt like he was curious about something regarding me. Not curiosity as a competitor who has feelings for the same person… but a feeling that he wanted to ask about something else.
(Could you be more specific?) I only vaguely noticed it, so that’s all I can tell you. It’s also true that I followed along more obediently because I was curious if that guess was right.
I couldn’t solve my curiosity, but it wasn’t bad. I think we would have become good friends if we’d met outside. He’s clear-cut and a good person. I could understand why Jiwon hyung dated him for so long despite all that fighting and bickering.
[(Photo) (Photo) Am I the only one who likes this pairing? Am I the only one who likes the fashion fox combination? ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ People hate 2-Chan too much, it’s bitter (╯︿╰) Dating and breaking up is the parties’ problem, and whether he cheated or not is just circumstantial, it’s not definitively confirmed… Even if he did cheat, it’s not something for third parties to criticize]
└ …?;
└ Seriously? You really think like this? How can this not be a trigger point? If you can’t feel anger at this… isn’t your insult sensor too broken?
└└ There’s no confirmation and he’s quasi-civilian ㅇㅇ Honestly, can you say it’s not sympathy for YSH
└ And even if this is all true and it’s Lee Chan’s fault, isn’t An Lei the victim?
[I really wonder if we watched the same program]
[I didn’t know because they cut off people who don’t match… but sometimes when I search or change tabs, there’s a whole bunch of weird talk ㅎㅎ;]
[Transfer of Love really seems to have crazy ratings, listening to all sorts of nonsense]
[Well, everyone has different tastes and different ranges of what they can allow between lovers, so I’ll respect that ㅎ but isn’t it problematic to call Lee Chan a civilian? He came out because he has influencer ambitions and is famous in the industry as a famous designer’s son… He was talking about making a brand soon ㅋㅋ;;;;]
└ No, but can we even call the stories of kids appearing here >>>personal matters<<<? It’s a bit much to call it public property, but anyway, they consented to some degree of openness since they appeared on broadcast
[I have no intention of insulting 2-Chan as a person and I think he goes well with Lei2… But apart from that, there were criticizable points in his behavior toward X Sanho, and the people living together felt it too, so subtle discord was transmitted to us beyond the screen. To simply say that’s just because we like Yoo Sanho so we find Lee Chan annoying…]
[It’s okay to have no lingering feelings, okay to be hit by a new person, but when the two are being lovey-dovey, should they consider X’s feelings… Well, it would be nice if they did, but it’s okay if they don’t. But after that, when the X he dumped is doing well with someone else, he shows he doesn’t like it > What are you doing?]
└ Right!!!! Just stop caring about Sanho!!!! Who said let’s each go our own way, he said it himself
[Sigh, forget it, there’s no point getting heated about other people’s relationships ㅋㅋ Stop over-immersing ㅠ]
└ But if that worked, we wouldn’t go hunting for romance shows every season, would we?
[My life where my stomach bursts, dopamine bursts, and anger bursts – only Jeon Yudam and Hwang Yeonwoo are “healing”]
└ Candidate #3 Hwang Yeonwoo ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Yeonwoo bragging about muscles in front of Bae Taeseong, when is he not funny
[Just having Hwang Yeonwoo next to you makes you feel good… Come forth, my Hwang-tonchild]
[(Video) No, they’re really letting Jeon Yudam graze on the mountain]
└ Go on!!!! He’s sitting like this ah ㅠㅠㅋㅋ
[But isn’t the number of people too few… Sanho isn’t there, Woohyeon isn’t there, why isn’t Lee Chan there]
└ He’s probably with Lei
└└ ㄴㄴ (Photo) Lei is here with Jiwon
[Only three are missing but they skipped over with edited transition so it’s fucking bothering me;]
└ Aren’t they fighting?
└└ Nah… surely not;
Who was it that said it? That “surely not” kills people. For me, it couldn’t be more accurate.
‘He’ll be spiteful.’
Choosing Jin Woohyeon instead of Lee Chan as this benefit partner was natural for me.
As he said, there are things we need to talk about, and for that, it would be more comfortable to have cameras around. No matter how much we agreed to show our love stories to the public, that doesn’t mean we’re willing to reveal all our personal matters.
But that’s Lee Chan’s situation. I had no intention of giving up this good opportunity for a conversation with him. It also meant that conversation with Lee Chan wasn’t that important to me.
Lee Chan would be displeased with this. Because things weren’t going his way. Because I, who used to spare nothing for him, was becoming increasingly stingy. Because he didn’t like that change that was becoming disadvantageous to him.
Finding the cause of all problems outside himself is that guy’s long habit. Even during the heat cycle, Lee Chan made arbitrary misunderstandings about me and Bae Taeseong and sneered.
I thought he might take out his frustration on me and Jin Woohyeon for no reason this time too. If there was something more worrying than last time, it was that unlike Bae Taeseong, who would get angry once and then let it go casually, Jin Woohyeon seemed like he wouldn’t leave incoming quarrels alone.
‘They might fight…’
I was immersed in such a premonition.
“Sanho hyuuung.”
When I looked down slightly, Hwang Yeonwoo was waving at me.
“What are you doing in the bus? Aren’t you bored?”
He smiled like a mischievous child.
“Want to take a walk together? It’s such a waste to just sit and look when we came all the way here.”
“Uh…”
It was awkward to say I wanted to conserve my energy so I’d stay here. I was worried it would sound like throwing cold water on him when he looked so excited.
“Should we walk just a little?”
“Yes, yes. Come down quickly. Are you alone in the bus, hyung?”
I glanced around. There was no one in the bus except me, only a few unmanned cameras. Most people had gotten off as soon as the bus stopped.
When I nodded, Hwang Yeonwoo tilted his head.
“Huh? Chan hyung said earlier he was going to the car to get something.”
Meeting Lee Chan in an empty bus? Just thinking about it was suffocating. I stood up resolutely and said.
“Let’s take a walk.”
As I hurried down the stairs, a hand suddenly shot out and firmly grabbed my waist, then lifted me up.
“Hyung? Why are you suddenly coming out?”
It was Jin Woohyeon.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
