Chapter - 33화 (33/150)
"Have you all been well?"
Two days later, PD Choi greeted the cast as they gathered back at Chunmonggak again, his smile awkward. His face had always looked hollow, but this time he looked like he'd truly been through it—ashen and gray.
"Well… I already relayed this to your managers, but because of the lawsuit situation… we've reorganized things. First of all, since the schedule we promised before got thrown off… and you all have other schedules, we'll proceed like this: we'll film on the island for one week, then you'll spend the next week off the island handling your individual schedules, and then come back in."
Even though he still looked sharp in a different way, PD Choi's face now looked utterly exhausted. Then, in the middle of explaining the newly changed rules, PD Choi suddenly started sobbing.
"Charles, you fucking bastard! What did I do so wrong?!"
"What the hell?"
Standing behind Dansol with his arms crossed, Daesu's brow pinched hard.
"He's been taking little sips of something this whole time. Guess it was alcohol…."
PD Choi, who'd been slamming the ground and whining that an eight-month pay cut was unfair, got dragged out. A still-inexperienced assistant director stepped up, sweating buckets.
"Uh… for now, please go into your rooms… and we'll explain the next schedule. We're sorry…."
"Because of this, our schedule got completely messed up, so our next album is probably going to get pushed back too."
Taeohh flopped onto the living room sofa after coming into Chunmonggak. The others nodded like it wasn't just his problem.
"Dansol-ssi, are you okay with your next album schedule?"
At Taeohh's question, Dansol fell silent. More accurately, he had nothing to say.
In his previous life, DinoSoul's albums disappeared completely after they finished promotions for the song they were currently performing.
"We… don't have any plans yet."
—Hello, contestants. It's been a while.
Right as Taeohh was about to ask something else, the broadcast came on. Hearing it again after so long made Dansol's heart pound for no reason. A situation completely different from his previous life. After what happened at the chicken place, a small hope had started to bloom inside Dansol.
Maybe this time, he could live a different life?
Even if he didn't become as popular as Daesu or Jisu…
At least enough not to get cursed at.
Maybe he could keep making music.
—Before we tell you today's schedule, we'd like to introduce the new member who has arrived at Chunmonggak.
The cast—who already knew there was a new face after hearing Jisu and PD Choi arguing before they left the island—looked unimpressed.
—To heighten the tension of the survival format, a new member will be brought in starting the week after an elimination occurs.
—Next, we will introduce the rules for adding new members. If an alpha is eliminated, an omega member will be added. If an omega is eliminated, an alpha member will be added. Since last time the eliminated member was omega Yoon Yeomin, this week an alpha member will be added.
"What?"
"What does that mean?"
"Huh."
A format where new members join after someone is eliminated was common in dating survival shows. But an omega gets eliminated and an alpha comes in?
Tension snapped through the living room in an instant. Whether the cast's expressions soured and rotted or not, the speaker kept rolling with the introduction.
—Introducing the new member.
Instead of a name, a song suddenly played through the speakers.
"Kuhk."
Jisu, who'd been sitting next to Dansol and doing nothing but stare at Dansol's fluffy-profile like he was possessed, coughed like he'd choked.
"No way. It can't be…."
—Shh! Secret! Our secret, the more you try to hide it, the deeper my touch digs in~
Unlike Jisu, muttering as if he could deny reality into disappearing, Dansol and Taeohh's eyes lit up at the lyrics.
"Bloom?! Bloom—who is it?!"
Bloom was the legendary idol group that gave Dansol his dream of becoming a singer. When he'd auditioned to become a trainee at thirteen, he'd even sung a Bloom song. Just the thought that his idol might walk in made Dansol's eyes sting.
"Who? Don't tell me—it's him?"
Taeohh looked the same. Before they knew it, Taeohh and Dansol were on their feet, bodies already leaning toward the entrance. It was only natural. If you were their age back then, there wasn't anyone who didn't love Bloom.
Right on cue, the front door opened, and someone walked down the hallway. In a moment thick with slow-motion tension, Dansol swallowed hard.
Every member of Bloom had been charismatic, but if he had to pick just one…
There was someone with an easygoing, universally likable personality, looks that felt like he'd stepped out of a manhwa, and skills in dance, singing, and acting—still considered the textbook "all-rounder" even among younger idol generations.
"Hello. I'm Ha Minseong."
"Hah… it's really Minseong-hyung…!"
"Oh my god…! Oh my god!"
While Dansol and Taeohh freaked out, too overwhelmed to even approach, Minseong wheeled in his suitcase—and greeted only Jisu in a low voice.
"Jisu, long time no see."
{Alpha×Omega Inner Interview}
Q: Jegal Minhyuk-ssi, how do you feel about welcoming the new member?Jegal Minhyuk: I'm really sorry, but… I didn't know who he was. Back then I was training, so… I thought he was just an actor, but apparently he used to be an idol….
Q: You didn't know Bloom?Jegal Minhyuk: No….
Q: Jeong Daesu-ssi, how do you feel about welcoming the new member?Jeong Daesu: Korean 방송 has… really come a long way.
Q: Why did you think that?Jeong Daesu: PD-nim, you of all people… why are you pretending you don't know?
Q: I… I what?Jeong Daesu: Come on. Who in Korea doesn't know Han Jisu and Ha Minseong dated?
Q: Lee Yiyeon -ssi, how do you feel about welcoming the new member?Lee Yiyeon : Wow… but this… is this really okay? I knew PD Choi was harsh, but… I didn't think he'd go this far….
Q: Yoo Dohyeon-ssi, how do you feel about welcoming the new member?Yoo Dohyeon: Wow. As a spectator it sounds insanely fun… but I don't think I'll get any screen time. At this point, just make it a Han Jisu special.
Q: Ma Taeohh-ssi, the new member—Ma Taeohh: First of all, Minseong-hyung is literally my idol. Ha… but seriously, it doesn't feel real that he's going to stay here with me at Chunmonggak. Earlier I carried his luggage and he went, "You're Zeus's Ma Taeohh, right? I've been watching you." Like—holy shit… our hyung knows my name? From that moment my heart started pounding like a jajinmori rhythm…. This is no joke. I almost ran out and called my members.
Q: Joo Dansol-ssi, how do you feel about welcoming the new member?Joo Dansol: When I went to my first audition… I sang a Bloom song. And it was Minseong-hyung's part. Want to see?
Q: No.Joo Dansol: Shh! Secret! Our secret, the more you try to hide it, the deeper my touch digs in~ The more you try to escape, no chance—don't refuse! Don't say no~ yeah!
Q: …Thank you.
Q: Han Jisu-ssi, how do you feel about welcoming the new member?Han Jisu: Puhahaha, well… it's fun. I was a little thrown off, sure. But this kind of twist? I can see why people who make shows would want it.
Q: So you have no feelings about it now?Han Jisu: Puhahahahaha, of course. Honestly, I'd forgotten. It was so long ago… I was young back then too. Well… honestly, we were just friends. We were kids. Anyway, where's PD Choi?
Q: Ha Minseong-ssi, how do you feel about moving into Chunmonggak?Ha Minseong: Well, first of all, it's nice that so many people are welcoming me. There are familiar faces too.
Q: Han Jisu-ssi, you mean?Ha Minseong: Ah, Jisu is a familiar face, sure. But more than that, there's someone I'm personally really curious about—and a fan of. I'm a bit nervous.
Q: Do you already have an omega you like?Ha Minseong: Ah, does it turn into that? Let's just say it's someone I'm curious about. For now.
After the new member was revealed, Jisu's nerves were stretched tight. On top of that, all the alpha rooms on the alpha floor were full, so Minseong started unpacking in the room Yeomin had used. It meant sleeping with only a wall between him and his ex.
Even so, Jisu snatched Dansol's suitcase handle.
"Hyung…! I can carry it!"
"Your ankle still isn't fully healed."
Dansol's braced ankle wriggled, embarrassed. They'd made up, but now that he was back at Chunmonggak, he kept remembering what happened last time, and for some reason he couldn't stop shrinking in on himself.
Unlike Dansol, Jisu naturally tried to carry Dansol's suitcase straight into his own room—until the youngest FD stopped him.
"Uh…! Han Jisu-sunbae! Th-that is… you two have to use separate rooms now!"
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