Hot steam curled thickly through the air.
With a large towel draped over his head, Gyeol awkwardly stepped into the enclosed space and relentlessly cursed himself inside his mind.
Gyeol Go, you idiot. You stupid bastard. You never think things through. That’s why you couldn’t even protect your group and ended up like this.
What’s the point of hardening your resolve every day? You always circle back around and do something brain-dead again. Seriously, you’re beyond saving, Gyeol Go. How are you supposed to survive in a world this brutal?
“Gyeol Go.”
The stream of insults abruptly stopped.
Unsure where to look, Gyeol answered vaguely.
“......Yes.”
“Why are you staring at the floor like that?”
There was amusement hanging from the end of Yo Han Sung’s voice.
He was teasing him.
No—mocking him.
Right. This was the plan from the beginning. I’m the idiot for agreeing without thinking.
Pressing his lips tightly together, Gyeol slowly lifted his eyes.
A feast of bare skin.
How can a human body look like that....
An Alpha with a devastatingly sexy body stood before him, half naked.
Half naked? Are you insane? Upper body. Upper body.
Hurriedly correcting himself, Gyeol’s gaze still ended up hollow and lifeless.
The hot tub was wide enough for three people comfortably, but Yo Han Sung was so large that with both of them inside, it felt like their bodies would inevitably press together.
And on top of that, they were completely alone.
After filming in the hall, the production crew had withdrawn from the Ivory Mansion. Gyeol had heard cameras were installed somewhere, but they were hidden so well he couldn’t spot them. Now he understood why R-Connect was infamous for its insane level of explicitness.
White and red rose petals floated across the water’s surface so blatantly that it was absurd, but honestly, he was grateful for them. Even if a certain part of his body reacted physically, at least it wouldn’t be immediately visible.
...Wait. Did they scatter the petals specifically for that reason?
As the surprisingly reasonable thought rolled through his head, memories from two days earlier resurfaced hazily.
Something hot and slick forcing its way into his mouth. Lewd wet sounds. And then returning to the bathroom alone and...
“Gyeol Go.”
“Y-Yes!”
Startled, Gyeol looked up with a face burning red.
The moment he saw Yo Han Sung smiling, his own disgrace became even more vivid.
Was it just his imagination, or could he already faintly sense Alpha pheromones? Even low in his stomach, a subtle tingling spread.
What do I do? Fucking trait. Fucking Omega body.
“You’re not coming in?”
Tilting his head slightly, Yo Han Sung swept back his damp hair with one hand. His thick neck, veins visible beneath the skin, looked almost indecently sensual.
“Take the towel off.”
Damp with water, Yo Han Sung looked undeniably alluring.
Dangerous. Unstable.
“Come here.”
His breathing tightened painfully. The steam had to be thinning the oxygen.
His lips felt dry. Gyeol wet them unconsciously with his tongue before slowly removing the towel.
Under the dim reddish lighting, pale skin was revealed.
Gyeol’s body was fair. Like a dominant Omega, the curves of his joints were smooth, his skin soft and light. But he wasn’t simply thin. Lean muscle built from countless part-time jobs clung beautifully to his frame, making his proportions stand out even more.
Yo Han Sung’s gaze settled heavily on him.
“You’re beautiful.”
“.......”
At the quiet praise, Gyeol couldn’t find a response. His lips only parted soundlessly.
The swim shorts barely covered half his thighs, and suddenly he became painfully conscious of them. Omegas on R-Connect often wore swimsuits as revealing as bikini briefs, so he had thought this was already conservative enough.
I should’ve brought ones that went down to my knees.
Now that he was here, it felt like he was exposing far too much skin.
Then again, this was his first time revealing this much of himself in front of an Alpha.
Splash.
Even Yo Han Sung’s smallest movement sent deep ripples through the water. Approaching Gyeol’s side, Yo Han Sung extended a hand toward him.
“Come here.”
Clenching his jaw, Gyeol placed his hand onto Yo Han Sung’s palm. Yo Han Sung gripped it firmly.
“Careful not to slip.”
Relying on the hand of his enemy, Gyeol cautiously lowered one foot into the water. Warmth wrapped pleasantly around his skin.
“That’s it. This way.”
Splash, splash.
Guided by Yo Han Sung’s hand, Gyeol slowly lowered himself fully into the hot tub. The moment the warm water touched his freezing body, heat spread instantly through him. It felt as though his entire body was melting.
“How’s the water temperature?”
“...It’s perfect.”
Just as he had expected. No matter how much he tried to keep distance between them, the hot tub was too cramped. Their skin touched inevitably.
Uncomfortable.
The moment he tried edging away toward the opposite side, his footing slipped beneath him.
“—!”
Just as his body tipped toward the water, Yo Han Sung’s arm wrapped around his waist.
Then suddenly the world tilted.
Thunk.
With a dull sound, Yo Han Sung’s head hit the edge of the tub.
“A-Are you okay—!”
Startled, Gyeol braced himself against Yo Han Sung’s chest to sit up—and froze.
Because after the sudden commotion, he had ended up practically cradled in Yo Han Sung’s arms.
“I’m fine.”
Gyeol reflexively tried to recoil, but Yo Han Sung tightened the arm around his waist.
“Careful. The water’s slippery. I think they put bath bombs in.”
Right. So that was why the water felt slick.
But right now, that wasn’t the important part.
Their faces were too close.
Close enough that Yo Han Sung’s breath brushed against Gyeol’s lips and cheek.
Close enough for Gyeol to inhale the faint scent mixed into that breath—his pheromones.
And that wasn’t all.
“Are you okay, Gyeol Go?”
Their lower bodies were touching.
***
The seaside lounge was open on all sides.
The gray ocean churned violently beneath the pouring rain. Watching it silently, Sun Choi ran a hand through his hair.
“Haah......”
After dragging a dry hand down his face and pushing his hair back, he leaned deeply into the chair.
Thoughts surged through him like waves. Again and again, he replayed yesterday’s events.
The unicorn float flipping over.
Gyeol falling into the water.
Yo Han Sung overtaking him and rescuing Gyeol first.
Ordinarily, Sun Choi was not the kind of person to brood this heavily, but he couldn’t help feeling unsettled.
Especially because since yesterday, his left shoulder had been throbbing unbearably.
Sun Choi had a secret the public did not know.
His left shoulder was ruined.
It had happened near the end of his athletic career.
A car accident.
A sedan had slammed into him from the left side. Miraculously, he survived, but alongside severe full-body injuries, his left shoulder had been shattered and his arm broken.
The driver had been an elderly man over seventy, raising a young grandchild alone after losing his son.
When Sun Choi saw the old man kneeling in tears, begging forgiveness, he had reached out without hesitation.
“Please stand up, sir.”
They settled privately.
No money exchanged hands.
In truth, it had been closer to one-sided forgiveness.
Ever since his teenage years as a swimming prodigy, Sun Choi had constantly lived beneath public scrutiny. He could easily imagine what would happen to the old man and his grandchild if the truth became public.
He didn’t want them drowned in hatred.
Nor did he want people praising him for what he considered the obvious choice.
The accident had already happened. He decided to accept it.
He comforted himself by thinking that, thanks to it, he could finally let go of a career filled with endless training and battles measured in fractions of seconds.
His striking appearance brought endless offers from the entertainment industry after retirement.
Commercial shoots poured in nonstop. Wanting to sever his lingering attachment to swimming completely, he accepted almost every offer his schedule allowed.
Variety shows called constantly as well.
But Sun Choi had never possessed natural wit or showmanship, so he repeatedly declined.
Years passed like that.
Then finally, worn down by his agency CEO’s persistent persuasion, he stepped into his first variety program.
That program was R-Connect.
“I was worried. ...I wanted to be the one to save you.”
The moment he saw Gyeol fall into the water, panic flooded his limbs.
That urgency made him lose his pace.
When he forced the water aside and swung his left arm powerfully above the surface, agonizing pain tore through his shoulder.
The rescue team checked Gyeol’s condition, carried him away on a stretcher, and confirmed the safety of the other contestants. Sun Choi’s shoulder throbbed violently, but he quietly shook his head.
Even during his interview, he offered no excuses.
He never mentioned the pain or the accident.
He simply accepted defeat in silence.
“If we’re drinking beer anyway, doesn’t that mean you have to give up avoiding blood sugar spikes today too?”
Gyeol’s smiling face had looked so kind.
Sun Choi could tell he had been trying to cheer him up.
It was strange. It had been such a trivial sentence, yet somehow Gyeol’s words soothed something deep inside him.
Maybe that was why thoughts of Gyeol refused to leave his mind.
Gyeol running back to help Isu Yoon instead of securing first place. The way he smiled while offering French toast. His face glowing softly beneath the campfire light.
The memories kept resurfacing.
“Sun Choi! What are you doing out here?”
“Woo Seok.”
“Everyone’s looking for you. It’s cold outside today. We all decided to hang out in Jaekyung Park’s room together.”
“Ah, sorry.”
Only after Woo Seok Jung appeared did Sun Choi finally pull himself from his thoughts and rise from his seat.
Woo Seok Jung, bundled tightly in a hoodie, clicked his tongue when he saw Sun Choi wearing nothing but a short-sleeved shirt.
“Wow, Sun Choi. Aren’t you cold?”
“No. I’m fine.”
“That’s impressive.”
Silently, the two began walking back toward the lodging.
Under separate umbrellas, they walked a few steps ahead and behind each other until Woo Seok Jung suddenly broke the silence.
“Oh right, Sun Choi. There’s something I’m curious about.”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
“Are you seriously planning to pursue Gyeol Go directly?”