Biting his lip, Gyeol dragged a hand down his face.
Whenever his body heated up, a vivid flush spread across his face and the back of his neck. That was why he had once insisted on tanning.
He had wanted to hide the heat blooming so easily against his pale skin. He had been ashamed of exposing to the world that he was an Omega. Tanning hadn’t been a perfect solution, but it had been better than his naturally pallid complexion.
And of all times...
For this to happen during filming.
Feeling dampness spreading quickly down his back, Gyeol rubbed the nape of his neck and his face, trying desperately to suppress the heat.
He thought of the national anthem, of Yuli, of every god he could summon—but the assault of instinct was overwhelming. A heady warmth overtook him, and a tingling spread to his limbs. It felt like the early stages of a heat cycle.
No. No.
It was the first time his body had reacted first—beyond his control.
A dull ache formed low in his body. He felt like crying. Excitement and reason teetered back and forth, and a violent urge rose within him—to grab himself, to relieve it.
He wanted to run out of the booth immediately, but his body wouldn’t obey. It felt like everything was being stripped away.
He imagined the owner of this pheromone entering the booth right now.
Opening the door.
Reaching for him.
Touching him, here and there—
The door burst open.
“Gyeol Go. Come out.”
The sudden light streaming in made Gyeol squint. It took him a moment to recognize the person standing there.
Yo Han Sung.
“...Hah...”
A thin breath slipped from Gyeol. His body, already reduced to a mess from just a trace of pheromones, couldn’t hold itself steady as Yo Han reached out to him.
Their skin touched.
His body flinched.
Yo Han gripped his arm and pulled him up, supporting him.
“The test...”
At Gyeol’s faint murmur, Yo Han frowned.
“The pheromone matching... is it over?”
Even now, Gyeol was worrying about the program.
Looking down at him with clear displeasure, Yo Han turned his head and addressed the staff with a gentle expression.
“I’ll calm him down and get his choice.”
“Will you be okay alone, Producer Sung?”
“It’s fine. I’ll be back soon.”
Smiling, Yo Han nodded, then led Gyeol away toward the forest, out of the staff’s line of sight.
Only after reaching a secluded spot did Yo Han sit him down on a bench. He opened a bottle of cold orange juice he had prepared in advance and handed it over with a single pill.
“...Why?”
“Take it. Hurry.”
“Why... are you helping me?”
Instead of taking it, Gyeol asked in a trembling voice. The red flush blooming across his pale face and neck was unmistakable. Moisture clung to his long, trembling lashes.
With a sigh, Yo Han forcibly pressed the drink and pill into his hand.
“Why would I help you?”
The cold tone made Gyeol flinch. He lifted his reddened eyes, his gaze unsteady and transparent.
Yo Han hated the sight.
The way he looked completely undone, unaware of the Omega pheromones spilling from him.
The sweet scent drifting on the wind made Yo Han’s expression twist.
“You think I’d just let you ruin the show?”
“Ah...”
Only then did Gyeol seem to understand. He let out a quiet sound and obediently swallowed the pill. His gaze lowered.
Of course.
Yo Han Sung would never help him.
For a moment, he had almost mistaken things in his loss of control. Yo Han was the producer of R-Connect 10, and also a panelist. Having come onto a dating show himself, of course he would prioritize its success.
But even then, he could have simply left Gyeol alone. Broadcasting him in that disheveled state would have stirred controversy and driven up views instantly.
The conclusion was simple.
This man hated him that much.
“...Number two.”
“What?”
He hated him enough that he wouldn’t even use him as bait.
He already found Gyeol irritating with his acting—he wouldn’t want him drawing attention and becoming the center of Season 10’s buzz.
“The pheromone matching. I’m choosing pheromone number two.”
“......”
At Gyeol’s words, Yo Han looked down at him coldly, his gaze sharp enough to read straight through him.
Gyeol met his eyes without backing down.
“I heard you telling the staff earlier. Don’t you need my choice?”
“You’re choosing number two?”
Yo Han let out a mocking laugh. Gyeol clenched his jaw and answered.
“Yes. Number two.”
“After you ended up like that over number five?”
He was right.
The one that had shaken Gyeol the most was the last pheromone.
But that was exactly why he didn’t want to choose it.
Gyeol was already the most talked-about Omega among the participants. His first pheromone match would get significant screen time. If he chose the last one, the footage of him losing himself to it would be aired at length.
He wanted to avoid that.
And—
“I believe choosing the pheromone that attracts me most is the participant’s right.”
He was afraid.
Afraid of how deeply that pheromone had shaken him.
“Or do you have a different outcome in mind, Producer Sung?”
It was instinct.
An instinct to stay away from something dangerous—something that felt like it would devour him whole.
“Failed idol turned aspiring actor... no. Should I call you an aspiring dating show lead now?”
Yo Han’s smirk was infuriatingly perfect. As always, his insight into Gyeol’s thoughts was precise.
“You think I’d want anything from someone like you?”
Gyeol didn’t deny it.
He didn’t want to be toyed with any further. If anything, he was grateful—thanks to Yo Han, his head and body had cooled.
“...Then there’s no problem. I’ll go with number two.”
“You’re planning to lie?”
“No. I’m telling the truth.”
It was a lie.
But desperately wishing it were true, Gyeol forced the words out.
“The pheromone I was most drawn to was number two.”
“......”
Yo Han stared down at him for a moment, then let out a quiet laugh.
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
Watching his broad back retreat, Gyeol buried his face in his hands.
He can see right through me.
***
We will now reveal the results of the first pheromone matching.
The couple who successfully matched is Tommy and Hee Jun Kang. Congratulations.
Only one pair matched.
Relief flooded Gyeol.
He had chosen number two—the least overwhelming option, excluding number four, Jun Shin, and number five, the one that had shaken him.
He had desperately hoped it wouldn’t match.
The matched couple will now enter the Time Booth together.
Part of what made pheromone matching famous was the reward that followed.
“Skinship time” in the Time Booth.
Once a pair successfully matched, they were locked in a room together for one hour and required to maintain physical contact at all times. Even a single second without touching was not allowed. Additional rules varied by season.
However, starting this season, new rules will apply to the Time Booth.
“New rules?”
“Wasn’t it always just skinship time?”
The participants’ eyes widened in surprise. Tommy fidgeted anxiously, while Hee Jun Kang repeatedly ran a hand over his face.
There are now three types of “Time” available in the Time Booth.
One: Skinship Time.
Two: Pheromone Time.
Three: Off Time.
Pheromone Time and Off Time had been added.
The narration continued steadily.
Skinship Time remained the same.
Pheromone Time required the pair to release their pheromones together in the sealed room for one hour.
And Off Time—
As the name suggested, the cameras would be turned off. Only audio would be recorded for the hour.
“Wow, that’s insane.”
“Honestly, Skinship Time sounds the safest now. What do we do?”
“Wouldn’t Off Time be better? The cameras are off—that’s it, right?”
No.
Depending on the situation, Off Time could be the most provocative of all.
Only the microphones would be on.
No one would know what was happening inside.
For some, it might mean nothing.
But for a pair already stirred by pheromones—if even a spark had passed between them—there was no telling what could happen.
The production team clearly knew that.
Gyeol glanced briefly toward the cameras. Producer Yoo and writer Soeun looked visibly pleased with the reactions.
As expected.
Without sparing Yo Han a single glance, Gyeol waited for what would come next.
“Can I ask something?”
Tommy, his face still bright red like a burning potato, raised his hand.
“Can we choose freely between the three options...?”
His eyes were desperate. Hee Jun Kang also looked at the narrator expectantly.
No.
The answer was merciless.
One “Time” will be selected at random.
“Ah—!”
“We’re doomed.”
“That’s brutal.”
Isu clapped a hand over his mouth.
Gyeol swallowed.
Just because he hadn’t matched this time didn’t mean he wouldn’t in the remaining two rounds.
We will now begin the selection.