[Raon, you who are truly the prettiest, kindest, most Buddha-like, Jesus-like, Mary-like person in the whole wide world.]
…They really do say to beware a silver tongue.
The favor that opened with such long-winded flattery was downright staggering.
[I told you over text before, right? Jang Yunseok. That I split with that crazy bastard. So that day I drank a ton, spent forever deleting our couple photos off Insta, and flopped into bed? And then a few days later, a DM came in.]
[Said it was
<Forever Alone Dating>. Something N-flix is planning this time, apparently a super fun dopamine-rush program. Said they'd had their eye on me because I'm sooo pretty, and since I'd just broken up, they reached out right away.][Anyway, since I was so pissed at that piece-of-sh-t too, I went, sure, I'm in~. But… But… here's the thing, Raon. My pretty, Buddha, Jesus, Mary-like Lee Raon.]
[I went and got back together with Jang Yunseok…?]
The basic requirement for a contestant on a dating program was simple. Be single. Even the people coming on as romance experts all had to be currently single. Anyone in a relationship absolutely could not take part.
[Ah, but of all times! I went and reconciled when the pre-interview was already booked. I'm a crazy woman, truly.]
So here's the thing, Raon.
[Won't you give it a go for me…? You said yourself you needed money because of that piece-of-sh-t cousin. Since you'd be a regular-person contestant whose face gets out there, they said they pay the base fee plenty generously.]
[Honestly, I think you, Raon, are seriously a freaking knockout? Not because you're my friend, but you've got the height. The personality. The face. All of it. You're Michelin-tier, truly.]
Or, if it feels too much pressure and you're worried… what if you just do the pre-interview and decide from there?
[They said they'll call you by a nickname instead of your real name anyway.]
[The director will reach out and explain the details.]
[Huh? Huh? This could be a genuinely great opportunity for you, you know? You said you've got tons of exhibition prep coming up. So it'd be a chance to get your name out there at the same time, right?]
So, you see.
[Just! This once! Treat it like getting scammed and just go check it out, okay?!]
<Even If You've Never Dated, You Can Find Love!>
Shortened to <Forever Alone Dating>, it was a reality program made with serious budget and intent by an OTT site — a dating show built around a total of eight contestants.
1) The filming location was a hotel on the coast of Seogwipo, Jeju Island.
A hotel that had gone under during the foreign-exchange crisis had been converted wholesale into a set, so outsiders were of course barred from entry.
2) The shooting period was ten days total.
3) All flights, lodging, meals, makeup, and other extras were fully provided.
4) Any prize money and items won through missions were the contestant's to keep.
5) Phone use was permitted.
6) No personal overnight stays or outings allowed. In case of withdrawal for unavoidable reasons, a penalty fee could be charged. Additionally, if a contestant harmed the program through scandals, exposés, or other disgraceful incidents during the broadcast period, damages amounting to double the appearance fee already paid would be claimed.
7) Five million won per episode. Twelve episodes confirmed in the plan. (Sixty million won total.)
8) No penalty even if you don't end up as a final couple.
9) August 1st: pre-interview shoot.
And.
Main filming began August 8th.
"…So I'm really going through with this."
Which was today.
The truth was that Raon hadn't decided to appear right from the start, either.
Thanks to his introverted nature, cameras had been out of the question since childhood. He was the kind of kid who'd volunteer to play the tree at the daycare recital, that's how much he disliked being the center of attention.
And now a variety show, of all things.
A dating program, of all things.
Any other time, he wouldn't have given it so much as a glance.
[Look at you actually listening to hyung, our Raon. Even reaching out yourself for the first time in years.]
"…"
[Guess money really is terrifying. Huh?]
If it had been around twenty million won, he could've scraped by somehow with a loan. But sixty million wasn't that.
That was hard to manage even with a standard personal credit loan.
He'd done his military service, but he was still unemployed.
In a sense he was a freelancer, but banks treated that profession as jobless.
The second- and third-tier lenders were the same. Which left him wondering whether he should just lose his mind and go to a loan shark…
"Daily interest, weekly interest, monthly interest. Pick exactly one of these three. The rate'll fluctuate depending on what you choose, so keep that in mind."
"S-sorry. My apologies."
Not yet wanting to ruin whatever life he had left, Raon decided to back out cleanly.
If he'd only had a bit more time, he'd have at least found a job.
But.
[It's by the last day of this month, Raon. If you can't pay back the sixty million within August, you'll be royally screwed at hyung's hands. I could literally screw you with my dick, too.]
The deadline Ga Gijo had set was the end of August. Four weeks or so, at most.
He couldn't go work at an illegal establishment. And turning his back on his cousin meant losing his parents' belongings.
So he'd accepted it.
It was the one and only means, the most legal way, to get his hands on a large sum.
In truth, rather than refusing it, he should've wept and called it a gift from heaven.
Where else could you earn sixty million won in ten days?
He was at the point of owing Minhee daily morning courtesy calls, thanking her for letting him be the stand-in.
How am I supposed to tell them I'm gay in there…
The sexual identity he'd settled on back in middle school wasn't even known to his parents.
Just one person.
Everyone except Ga Gijo.
He won't suddenly out me later, will he…?
No, that'd wreck his own image too, of course…
…To say that, this is a guy who's lived way too recklessly. Yeah, he wasn't the type to worry about anything like that.
And so, just as he stood there in front of the Jeju airport, fretting alone, the inside of his pocket abruptly started buzzing.
It was a call from a <Forever Alone Dating> filming staffer.
[Hi, Raon. Have you arrived at the airport?]
"Ah, yes. I've arrived."
[Then could you come to Gate 3? We've got a car waiting. A white van. Just in case, would you stay on the line while you come?]
"Yes, I'll head right over."
Right, is now really the time to be worrying about getting outed? The broadcast date will be around the end of the year anyway.
By then I'll have it all neatly forgotten and back to drawing attention, Raon rationalized to himself.
"Over here!"
The instant he stepped out of Gate 3, a bright voice called out.
When he turned his head toward the sound, a woman stood in front of a white van.
"H-hello. I'm Lee Raon."
"Hello! Shall we get you in the car first?"
The moment she finished, the door slid open.
At the same time, another staffer who'd gotten out loaded Raon's suitcase into the trunk. Raon, who'd been standing there hesitantly, was practically shoved into the car at the urging to come on in.
"Was the trip okay? It's a Jeju shoot, so it must've been a bit of a hassle."
"No. It was fine."
They'd even covered the taxi fare so he wouldn't be worn out. The flight they'd sponsored was a major airline, too, so the seat was comfortable.
There hadn't been a single hard thing about it.
"That's a relief. Ah, and from now on we'll be calling you 'Cherry' instead of Raon. Even if you happen to spot someone you know among the contestants, please communicate by nickname, not by name."
"Understood."
Would there even be anyone I know? He'd heard they usually picked people with high buzz or scouted off SNS.
To run into an acquaintance there, Raon's social circle was hopelessly small.
Right. Everyone'll be a stranger anyway.
They'll all be nervous like me.
Thinking the others would be much the same put his mind a little more at ease.
"As you've probably heard, the <Forever Alone Dating> contestants total eight. They'll be split into a forever-alone team and an expert team, four each. We'll explain the detailed rules once everyone's gathered."
"Yes."
"You're free to use your phone, but you absolutely cannot say you're currently filming <Forever Alone Dating>. You can just say you're filming, but then people usually ask what you're shooting, so we'd recommend not mentioning it at all from the start."
After running through several more precautions to observe inside, the staffer turned her head toward the window.
The car passed through the busy downtown and was soon racing along the coast.
"You'll be reaching a stop soon. From there you'll transfer to a different car and head to the filming location."
"Understood."
"Filming starts the second you step out of the car you transfer into, so just keep that part in mind."
A short while later.
The car came to a stop on a relatively deserted coastal road.
"Shall we get out now?"
