Chapter 1
[Did you see the trailer for the Hidden Match?]
Looks like Producer Kang poured his soul into this one. The lineup is insane;;
I’m already getting a dopamine rush just from the trailer, seriously.
⌞ Crazy. I’m definitely watching the live broadcast.
⌞ But who’s that guy on the far right of the poster? Damn, his face is totally my type;;
⌞ Sian. He’s a cooking YouTuber.
⌞⌞ Holy crap, that’s Sian? Didn’t he never show his face before? There were so many people saying he was ugly because of that. Damn.
⌞⌞⌞ Yeah, this is his first face reveal. Wow, so it wasn’t just his hands that were pretty;; He could easily put most actors to shame.
⌞ Damn, that face is deadly… And he cooks too with a face like that? That’s a crime, seriously.
⌞ Why does Hidden Match always start without revealing their secondary genders? It’s so damn frustrating.
⌞⌞ That’s the whole point, idiot. The tension when they’re wearing suppressants and messing around without knowing each other’s secondary gender is amazing.
⌞⌞ For real. Getting attracted to each other without knowing their pheromones, then revealing their secondary genders later and turning into enemies. That’s basically the standard formula.
⌞⌞ No, but wouldn’t they know just by looking at each other? It pisses me off how they pretend not to know lol.
⌞ Is the prize still 300 million won if they manage to avoid sex this time? lol
⌞⌞ Yeah. But secondary genders don’t know how to hold back.
⌞ Are the producers torture experts? lol The way they smile seductively and tease people with those faces. Fuck, even I would lose control.
⌞ LOLㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’ve never seen anyone actually take the prize money home. From what I saw in the unreleased footage, the content was seriously intense.
⌞ I bet my entire fortune that at least one person will lose his mind and give up the prize money.
⌞⌞ Have sex! (clap) Have sex! (clap) Have sex! (clap)
⌞⌞ Crazy lol. Are all of you this horny? Why are you guys acting like you’re the ones in heat?
⌞⌞⌞ LOL, “in heat.” But I’m freaking excited too.
⌞ By the way, I heard Wooshin is participating in the production this time? You can really smell the money.
⌞ No wonder the resort where they’re filming looks so different… I heard Wooshin Entertainment is going all out to promote this show.
⌞ I’m damn curious who the new wildcard contestant will be. I heard they’re bringing in someone really incredible?
Beautiful blue sea stretched out in every direction, but the man stared straight ahead with a stiff expression.
There was a reason he was suddenly taking a boat to a remote island in the South Pacific.
He was going there to participate in Hidden Match.
Hidden Match, which aired on Gflix, was a dating reality show where Alphas and Omegas lived together for three weeks. The final couple would receive a huge prize of 300 million won.
Despite being notorious for its vicious editing, everyone was desperate to appear on the show. That was because most of the contestants went on to enjoy huge popularity and recognition after the broadcast, using that fame to launch successful careers.
“Phew……”
The man, or rather Sian, stared at the deep-blue waves with a pale face.
He was so afraid of water that he never even went to the beach, let alone valleys or rivers. For him, riding on a boat was a first.
“…I’m doing all sorts of things because of that bastard.”
Kang Joo-ho, whom he had met through an introduction from a senior at university, had initially been an incredibly kind person.
While Sian had been completely absorbed in cooking and knew almost nothing about the outside world, Joo-ho quietly helped him run his channel. Whenever Sian was exhausted and collapsed, Joo-ho was always the first person to reach out a hand.
But accepting that hand had been a mistake.
The deeper his trust had been, the deeper the betrayal had hurt.
The brand that had been built using Sian’s recipes and name had been transferred into Kang Joo-ho’s name overnight, while all that remained for Sian was a mountain of debt he could barely handle.
He had stopped his YouTube activities, which had only just begun to take off, and eventually closed his restaurant as well.
He had endured for three years through sheer stubbornness and determination, but there was nothing he could do against the combination of rising rent and one bad thing after another.
Just when he had given up on everything, an email from the producers of Hidden Match arrived as if by fate.
At first, he assumed it was an advertisement or a scam and ignored it.
But after looking into it carefully, he realized it was genuine.
Given his current situation, there was no reason to turn it down.
The appearance fee alone was considerable, and if he made it to the finals, the prize money could completely change his life.
He needed money immediately to pay off his debts and interest and start over.
If appearing on the program helped him gain recognition, reopening a restaurant wouldn’t be just a dream anymore.
In the end, Sian accepted the offer without even properly watching Hidden Match.
And then, when Sian watched Hidden Match for the first time…
W-What is this?
The screen was filled with a sea of bare skin.
[Could you put some oil on me?]
On a sandy beach, a person barely covering their private parts asked in a seductive voice.
A man smiled and poured oil over them.
The strangely intimate movements of his hands as he spread the oil were enough to make even the viewers tense.
[Haa… This pheromone…!]
A moment later, the scene changed to a narrow room.
Two people released their pheromones as if revealing their true identities and seducing each other. Before long, unable to hide their excitement, they kissed.
Watching the scene, Sian swallowed hard.
Someone’s intimate private life was being displayed without restraint on the screen.
Sian was shocked at the thought that he might end up in a situation like this himself, but since he had already decided to participate, there was no way to turn back now.
…They said Hidden Match is an unscripted reality show, so all I have to do is keep my head straight.
Even though the daring exposure, dangerously suggestive scenes, and drama-like editing were enough to make his head spin, Sian desperately tried to reassure himself.
There was nothing he could lose anymore.
He would succeed here and get his revenge on Kang Joo-ho, showing him that he had made a huge mistake.
But the moment he actually got on the boat, both his anger toward Kang Joo-ho and his determination to win 300 million won were completely overwhelmed by seasickness.
“Haa……”
The boat rocked violently with the waves.
It felt like being on a roller coaster.
The problem was that this was a roller coaster he couldn’t get off whenever he wanted.
The foul smell of oil coming from the old motor mixed with the salty air, turning his stomach inside out. Cold sweat poured down his face.
Ah, seriously. Why did it have to be a boat? Couldn’t we have gone by plane?
Sian resented the producers for choosing a filming location like this, but there was nothing he could do now.
He glanced at the few passengers who looked like they might be members of the production staff and tightly bit his lip.
…Just endure it. I don’t want to make my first impression as the contestant who threw up on the boat.
But his stomach was getting worse and worse.
Soon, Sian felt like either smashing his head against the railing or jumping straight into the sea.
That was when a dark shadow fell over his head.
“Are you all right?”
…Do I look all right to you?
His nerves were already on edge, and he didn’t even have the energy to answer, so Sian simply nodded.
“Did you not take any motion sickness medicine?”
It was a low, firm voice.
At first, Sian didn’t even realize that the man was speaking Korean.
He tried to raise his head to see him, but the intense sunlight shining directly into his eyes made him turn away.
All he could tell was that the man had a large, solid build.
“…I lost my medicine bag, so… Ugh.”
Sian quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
“I have some motion sickness medicine. Would you like to take it?”
“…Th-thank you.”
Sian was about to swallow the medicine the man offered him in one gulp, but he stopped.
Because of his constitution, there was only one type of motion sickness medicine he could take.
Fortunately, after checking it, he found that it was the same medicine he normally took.
The medicine should start working soon. Maybe I’ll feel better.
Just as Sian began to relax, the boat rocked violently.
At the same time, the awful smell of oil slammed into his nose once again.
I can’t do this anymore. It’s too much…!
Sian suddenly stood up and leaned toward the railing.
The moment he grabbed the railing and stuck his head over it—
Splash!
A large wave crashed into his face.
It was almost as if the sea had slapped him across the face for trying to vomit into it.
“Uuuugh.”
The salty taste of seawater filled his mouth.
A nauseating sensation rose from his stomach, and Sian quickly pulled his head back.
At the same time, his body tilted toward the sea.
“…H-Huh?!”
The hand holding the railing slipped into empty air.
His foot lost its grip, and his body plunged into the cold seawater.
No, wait…! I can’t swim…
The cold seawater wrapped around his entire body like a snake.
Seawater began rushing into his mouth and nose.
He desperately flailed his arms and legs, but his wet clothes clung heavily to his body, making it difficult to move.
The more he struggled, the further his body sank.
…He hadn’t jumped into the sea like the hero of a movie trying to save his lover.
He had fallen into the ocean while trying to vomit because of seasickness.
If Kang Joo-ho found out about this, how much would that bastard laugh at him?
That irritating face suddenly flashed through Sian’s mind.
Gritting his teeth, Sian struggled desperately one more time.
At that moment, someone firmly grabbed him around the waist.
Sian instinctively reached toward the person in his desperate attempt to survive.
Through the cold water, he felt a warm body.
“Puh…!”
The moment his face broke above the surface, Sian coughed violently.
Something that could have been tears or seawater streamed down his cheeks.
It wasn’t long before he was pulled up onto the pier.
As soon as his back touched the hard wooden floor, his body went limp, perhaps from the overwhelming relief.
…I’m alive.
I almost died while trying to throw up.
“Cough, cough.”
His lungs felt as though they were burning.
He kept coughing violently, repeatedly spitting up seawater.
Even though the man who had rescued him was still beside him, Sian couldn’t even lift his eyelids.
Amidst all this, a strangely cool scent brushed against the tip of his nose.
It smelled like a forest at dawn after the rain.
An unfamiliar scent that didn’t seem artificial.
It was definitely his first time smelling it, yet somehow, it felt strangely familiar.
It reminded him a little of the perfume he had once smelled on someone long ago.
But this scent was much deeper.
Much stronger.
The man’s large, cool hand gently covered Sian’s eyes.
“Stay still.”
With the man’s hand resting over his eyes, Sian lost consciousness.
