Pheromone matching.
A signature system of R-Connect—a format that scientifically measures and analyzes the pheromones of Alphas and Omegas to determine the pair with the highest mutual compatibility.
Season 5, when pheromone matching was first introduced, recorded the highest ratings in the show’s history. It was the defining feature that cemented Season 5 as legendary and the driving force that established R-Connect as a long-running hit.
Of course, the public wasn’t getting excited over mere numbers.
The real dopamine trigger of pheromone matching was—
As you all know, the participants’ pheromones have already been collected in advance.
Participants will enter the pheromone booth one by one.
Inside the booth, they will be exposed to Alpha and Omega pheromones for a set period of time.
During their time inside, the camera will only film above the chest line. In other words, any physical reactions or actions below the chest are known only to the participant.
That part.
That was exactly why R-Connect had gained a reputation as an adults-only broadcast, stirring endless controversy and remaining at the center of both attention and scandal for years.
“Ugh, I’m so nervous. What do I do?”
The idea of being exposed to someone else’s pheromones in a sealed room—and having that broadcast unfiltered—
“Gyeol, aren’t you nervous?”
“I am. I’m really tense about this.”
Gyeol rubbed the back of his neck, agreeing with Isu, who had somehow started calling him older brother already.
I have to hold out.
There was a reason Season 5 had become legendary.
One of the Alpha participants had failed to hold back inside the pheromone booth—and done that.
Wait, is he seriously doing that right now...?
Holy shit what am I even watching
No way, right? He wouldn’t do that with cameras rolling...?
The camera angle staying above chest level is genius, you can imagine anything, legendary
Why is he the only one muted too LOL that’s even more suspicious
I swear I’ve seen this somewhere before, that expression is unmistakable
⤷ What do you mean “seen it somewhere”?
⤷ Adult videos
⤷ Why are adult videos being brought up in a dating show thread??
⤷ Just go to sleep
Damn... 100%
⤷ This lighting... “temperature.” “humidity.”
⤷ LMAOOOO
That scene had caused an enormous uproar. In the end, the participant stepped forward to explain that he had been sensitive due to his rut cycle and had not done anything like that—but no one believed him. The explanation vanished without a trace.
Meanwhile, the production team remained silent to the very end. Rumors spread across YouTube and social media, speculation ballooned, and naturally, more people flocked to R-Connect just to judge the truth for themselves.
It was a vicious collaboration between a system and editing designed purely for views and buzz.
That was why Gyeol was nervous.
Even before arriving on Pheromone Island, he had expected pheromone matching to be his greatest hurdle.
I took the medication properly.
To prevent any accidental reactions, Gyeol had taken a strong hormone suppressant.
It’ll be fine.
And pheromone matching wasn’t a one-time event.
Over the course of filming, they would enter the booth four separate times.
In the first pheromone matching, participants may choose the person whose pheromones attract them the most.
Participants who successfully match will have the identity of that pheromone’s owner revealed.
In other words, if an Alpha and an Omega chose each other, they would learn whose pheromones they had reacted to.
If the choice wasn’t mutual, they gained nothing.
No matter how many times he thought about it, it was an animalistic system.
To choose someone purely based on pheromones—on instinct.
It was, in essence, choosing the person your body reacted to.
It could be seen as fully utilizing the nature of secondary genders... but debates about human dignity had never ceased.
Now, we will begin the first pheromone matching.
Alpha Sun Choi, please enter.
At the sound of his name, Sun Choi rose calmly. Unlike the other visibly tense Alphas, he looked almost unaffected.
“Have a good one, brother. You’ve got this.”
Jun Shin encouraged him, raising a fist. They shared a room, didn’t they? The way he casually called him brother suggested they had already grown close.
Sun Choi lightly bumped his fist against Jun Shin’s before turning—and briefly glanced at Gyeol.
Hm? That wasn’t just my imagination, right?
For a moment, Gyeol was puzzled by the direct look, but then he figured it was just the rapport from their date earlier.
Gyeol made a small fist in return and silently mouthed, You’ve got this.
A faint smile spread across Sun Choi’s lips.
“Wow, Sun Choi actually smiles.”
Hee Jun Kang said it in surprise. As comments followed about how much better he looked smiling, Sun Choi entered the pheromone booth without hesitation.
***
Before long, Sun Choi emerged, the tips of his ears red. The staff gave him free time to recover after exposure to multiple Omega pheromones.
Without a word, he left his spot. The other participants, anticipating their own turns, couldn’t even muster a greeting.
Next, Omega Hee Jun Kang was called.
Everyone entered the booth with similar tension—but came out with completely different reactions.
Flushed faces.
Calm expressions.
Or... unmistakable physical reactions.
“Ahhh—please stop looking at me.”
It was the Alpha built like a giant potato.
Anyone could see it—there was a visible bulge.
“...Wow. That size is insane.”
Someone muttered under their breath.
“You said that out loud, didn’t you?”
“Ah—! I’m sorry, that just slipped out.”
“Woo Seok, you’re seriously hilarious. First time I’ve seen an Alpha reacting to another Alpha’s size.”
Woo Seok Jung waved his hands frantically, while the giant potato Alpha turned bright red and fled.
His name was... Tommy, right?
Gyeol felt a bit sorry for him. Would the ruthless production team really edit that out? They were the kind who would broadcast something like that without hesitation.
Tommy, with his potato-blond hair.
Early twenties, the youngest participant. A Korean-American YouTuber, his Korean was slightly awkward. And with his large build, he often seemed clumsy.
In many ways, he reminded Gyeol of the child he’d left at home—Yuli.
There’s over a decade between them, but mentally... they feel about the same.
Omega Gyeol Go, please enter.
As he thought of Yuli while watching Tommy, Gyeol’s turn came.
Think of Yuli. Just think of Yuli singing the national anthem. If I react, I’m dead.
Repeating it over and over, Gyeol stood up with grim determination.
***
Inside the pheromone booth, things went more smoothly than he expected.
A cool forest scent.
A sweet bread-like smell.
A soft, clean soap fragrance.
Each scent filled the booth in turn.
The forest scent triggered an inexplicable rejection.
The bread scent lifted his mood slightly.
The soap scent did nothing.
That was all.
Are they releasing it lightly since it’s the first round?
What fascinated him was how each pheromone evoked different emotions—and faint physical reactions.
So the rumors were true.
That everyone was drawn to different pheromones, and that this could be quantified.
Though R-Connect is the one that proved it in practice.
I worried for nothing.
Just as he was about to relax—
A familiar pheromone settled over him.
Jun Shin.
A strong citrus scent.
There was no way he could forget it.
Distinct. Clear. It had always been that way.
The smell he’d been surrounded by for years—
During long dance practices.
In the dorms, when they were inseparable.
When Jun Shin pulled him into an embrace.
“......”
Gyeol carefully controlled his expression.
Would his eyes look damp from the surge of memories?
I didn’t think of this. Not my body—my emotions reacting.
He forced himself to think of Yuli.
“Dad!”
Yuli, chattering endlessly.
It had only been two days, but he already missed him.
As expected, Yuli was the perfect remedy.
A slow smile spread across Gyeol’s pale face.
Then—
A heavy scent suddenly wrapped around him.
“...!”
A sharp sensation prickled across his skin. Without realizing it, Gyeol wrapped his arms around himself.
A deep musk.
Something raw mixed within it.
An intoxicating pheromone that pressed in, overwhelming him in an instant.
Right.
There were five Alphas.
I need to hold my breath.
I shouldn’t inhale this.
But it was already too late.
The unknown Alpha’s pheromones had already saturated his lungs—his entire body.
He couldn’t reject it.
No.
His body temperature spiked sharply.
Like drinking strong liquor in one gulp.
His breathing turned shallow—and heat began pooling ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) low in his abdomen.