Main Character of a Dating Reality Show C1

Chapter 1

For the most part, his life had been one long streak of bad luck.

Born as a late child, Go Gyeol lost both his parents in an accident at the age of seven. His much older brother—already an adult by then—became his legal guardian.
The inheritance left behind was barely enough to call money. His brother, a low-ranking Omega, was useless in almost every sense.
They ate, dressed, and slept in a tiny rented room on the meager income his brother earned from part-time jobs.

The following year, when Gyeol was eight, fate appeared to intervene.
He was approached on the street by a scout from LM Entertainment, one of the largest talent agencies in the country.

“What’s a scout?”
“Could you give me your guardian’s number? Never mind, just give them this card.”

Little Gyeol hadn’t understood what was happening.
He only nodded because his brother, upon hearing the offer, had told him earnestly that he should definitely do it.

And so, from that day onward, he lived in the company dormitory and began life as a trainee—
for twelve long years.

“Hey, it’s me, Gyeol. You doing okay?”
— “Yeah, haah… Gyeol-ah. Sorry, I—ah…”
“…Is Seungho with you again?”
— “No, not Seungho… Jung-woo. Ugh, sorry, I’ll call later.”

By the time he was fourteen, he understood why his brother had so readily sent him away.
Since LM covered his meals and housing, it meant one less mouth to feed at home.
His brother’s ever-rotating partners—those who always hated that he was raising an Omega child—were something he pretended not to notice, for his brother’s sake.

Trainee life was monotonous and grueling.
Gyeol could sing and dance decently well, but luck had never been on his side.
Each time, he was pushed out of the debut lineup with excuses like, “The concept doesn’t fit you,” or “You’ll suit the next project better.”

“Sorry, Gyeol. Next time, we’ll definitely debut together.”

At twenty, Gyeol finally debuted as the leader of the idol group SAVE ME.

But hope was short-lived.
Right after debut, one of the members was arrested for drug possession.
And as if misfortune refused to come alone, the group’s title song was accused of plagiarism.

After their disastrous debut, Gyeol and a newly recruited member dreamed of a comeback.
But the world was not on his side.

“Gyeol-ah, bad news. Yoon-soo… he’s pregnant.”

Before they could even step back on stage, another member ended up pregnant.
There wasn’t even time for the agency to quietly handle the situation before a tabloid published photos of the member entering and leaving an OB-GYN clinic.

Perhaps realizing he couldn’t stay aboard a sinking ship, the group’s most popular member—the one Gyeol trusted most—fled the company overnight, disappearing without a word.

Around that time, the LM Entertainment CEO made a proposal.

“Gyeol, how about trying acting instead?”

It was as good as declaring that he’d wash his hands of the failed idol group—
but at least it showed a shred of loyalty toward the boy who’d spent twelve years under his company’s wing.

Gyeol began taking small supporting roles.
To everyone’s surprise, his acting—expected to be clumsy—was met with praise.
The one-line roles gradually grew longer.
From nameless background parts, he soon began receiving offers for supporting characters with actual names.

Hyung, you didn’t pick up, so I’m texting instead. I got a supporting role in a drama this time.

By then, his brother had grown difficult to reach.
Considering he slept with any Alpha who looked his way, Gyeol sometimes worried something might’ve happened to him.
But what could he do? He was busy—barely keeping his own life together.
His brother was well past thirty, surely capable of managing on his own.

A foolishly naive thought.

Just a month before filming was set to begin for his new drama, misfortune struck again—
an unavoidable calamity that felt almost like divine punishment.

“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t think I can do this drama.”

He refused the role with a heavy heart.

“What? Why? You don’t like the character?”
“No… It’s not that. I just… I don’t think I’ll be able to work at all for a while.”
“What?”

An irreversible disaster had befallen Go Gyeol.

Pheromone Island.

A vast expanse of clear blue sea.
Brilliant sunlight raining down from above.
Lush greenery swaying under the ocean breeze.
This was the beautiful island where eight Alphas and Omegas would grow their love.

A private island owned by an unknown magnate, it opened to the public just once a year—for the filming of .

At its center stood a magnificent ivory mansion, its interiors as luxurious as a penthouse, and the infinity pool overlooking the ocean was nothing short of breathtaking.

Contestants would live on this uninhabited island, and those who achieved certain conditions would earn the right to use the mansion—alone with their chosen partner.

As hearts rippled like the surrounding sea, the first contestant appeared on the beachside set.

“Shin Joon-oh-ssi, please enter.”

It was Shin Joon-oh, the leader of the famous idol group Moving.

“Looks like I’m first. Hello, I’m Shin Joon-oh, an active idol singer.”

With a refreshing smile, Joon-oh began his self-introduction.
He embodied the image of a wholesome young man—bright, kind, and hardworking.
Beloved by all demographics and cast across countless shows, he was the first choice for advertisers and variety producers alike.

“My ideal type is someone with a beautiful smile and a deep heart.”

His interview flowed smoothly.

“I like people who can rely on each other—someone who lets me in and allows me to protect them in return.”

Without hesitation, Shin Joon-oh took the central seat.
A seasoned variety star, he showed not a hint of nerves.

One by one, the rest of the cast appeared—Alphas and Omegas alternating as they entered.
Unlike Joon-oh, many looked visibly tense.

“My ideal type is… um, could I get a minute to think?”

One froze mid-sentence.

“…Sorry, what was the question again?”

Another blanked entirely.

“Hi, I’m Tommy, a YouTuber! I do mukbangs and workouts, um, ah… I think I sounded like an idiot—can I redo that? Sorry!”

Teary-eyed, he even begged for another take.

Not everyone was used to variety shows, especially not one as notorious as .
Their nervousness was understandable.

The one who broke the ice was Shin Joon-oh.
Each time someone new entered, he clapped first, smiled brightly, and greeted them warmly.
Thanks to him, the atmosphere soon loosened.

And then came the final contestant.
Only one Omega remained.

“Go Gyeol-ssi, please enter.”

The cast turned their expectant gazes toward the small hill ahead, ready to clap as they had for everyone before.
But when Gyeol appeared, their minds went completely blank.

Between the swaying fronds of palm trees emerged a man dressed simply in a white shirt and cotton trousers—so plain it bordered on careless.
Yet the saying proved true: the best fashion is a beautiful face.

Framed against the sapphire sea, Go Gyeol smiled serenely—and the sight was stunning.
Raven-black hair, eyes shimmering under the sunlight, the wind teasing his shirt—it was effortless, mesmerizing beauty.
The cameraman instinctively zoomed in, filling the frame with his face.

“Go Gyeol-ssi, please introduce yourself.”
“Hello, I’m actor Go Gyeol.”

Once an idol, always an idol.
He instantly located the main camera among the many surrounding him and met its lens with perfect precision.
His smile carried a warmth so deep it could melt anything in its path.

“What’s your charm point?”
“My smile. I’m often told it’s pretty.”

“And your ideal type?”
“For me, a person’s heart matters most.”

As he spoke, Gyeol turned his gaze toward the other contestants.
Meeting the eyes of the Alphas who stared at him as if spellbound, he continued softly—

“Above all, someone who inspires trust. Someone strong enough for me to lean on.”

It was at that moment that his eyes met Shin Joon-oh’s.
Gyeol smiled faintly before turning his gaze back to the camera, perfectly composed.

Only when he began walking toward his seat did the others seem to awaken from a spell and start clapping.
Gyeol bowed politely and took the remaining seat—thankfully, at the far end of the line.
Far from Shin Joon-oh.

“You two know each other, right?”

The question came the moment he sat down—from Yoon I-soo, another Omega contestant.
The person beside I-soo chimed in cheerfully,

“That’s right! Weren’t you in the same group? What was it called again?”
“SAVE ME!”
“Right, right.”

It was an uncomfortable topic, but not unexpected.
After all, Gyeol had already known that Shin Joon-oh would appear on the show.

Without blinking, he recited the line he’d prepared for this moment.

“Ah, yes. I’m flattered you remember.”

Then, looking directly at Joon-oh, he added with a calm smile,

“It’s been a while. Good to see you again—I never thought we’d meet like this.”

Curious eyes darted between them.
For a brief moment, Joon-oh said nothing, then returned the smile with a small nod.

“Yeah, it’s been a while. I’m glad to see you too, Gyeol-ah.”

And then came the line that no one—least of all Gyeol—expected.

“I’ve missed you.”

The bastard who had abandoned the group and vanished eight years ago—
had no right to say that.

Footnotes

1. “망돌” (Mangdol) – slang for “failed idol,” referring to idols whose groups disbanded or never succeeded.