The next morning, Dansol opened his eyes to go out at the time he'd promised Jegal Minhyeok, but he had to struggle for a long while just to pry Jisu's arm off him—Jisu was hugging him so tightly it was hard to breathe.
Han Jisu sunbae is really built.... If someone saw him, they'd think he was an Alpha. I should ask him later how he works out.
Unlike Dansol, who worried because his muscles never grew no matter how much he practiced dancing all day, Dansol sincerely admired Jisu's rock-hard arm—even in his sleep.
When Dansol made the click of going into the bathroom, Jisu's eyes—which'd seemed asleep—snapped wide open.
Fuck... What kind of date starts at the ass-crack of dawn. And here I am, knowing he's pretty.
The warmth of Dansol's hands kneading his muscles still hadn't faded—he didn't even realize Jisu had been trying to keep him tied down because he didn't want to let him go. If he could, he wanted to put a bell on him and tie him to his side.
"Hello! Good morning."
Worried Jisu might wake up from his voice, Dansol even changed into his going-out clothes inside the bathroom, then came out after barely towel-drying his hair and greeted the staff.
Since he couldn't use a dryer, the chilly morning air made him rub his upper arms, and he could feel the staff murmuring.
Did I do something wrong...? Why is everyone staring....
"Chief PD, that kid's definitely going to blow up when this show ends. We should film him a ton before he gets even bigger."
"You see it too, Director? He isn't even walking around with a stylist like the others, but he's sparkling. Is it because he's young? You'd think he just came back from a salon."
Feeling embarrassed by the staff's commotion, Dansol just fidgeted with his wet hair. The moment the filming director zoomed in on him and caught a one-shot like a commercial—
"Dansol! You came out early. If I'd known, I would've come out even earlier."
Minhyeok came out after opening the Alpha lodging door. It wasn't that Minhyeok was late—Dansol had come out ten minutes earlier than the promised time.
Without even being told where they were going or what they were doing, Dansol had only been told to wear comfortable clothes, so he'd come out in a denim shirt. Minhyeok, wearing a denim jacket that oddly looked like a couple outfit with him, had a guitar slung over his shoulder.
"A guitar... You brought it?"
"Yeah, well.... Haha."
Minhyeok blushed and scratched the back of his head like he was embarrassed. It felt awkward, like he'd been caught blatantly trying to impress Dansol.
Dansol had thought Minhyeok was a musician who looked indifferent to everything in the world, but Minhyeok was also just a normal person who got shy in front of someone he liked.
But unlike Minhyeok, who looked so lively, Dansol's expression stiffened a little. Seeing the guitar on Minhyeok's back made him think of the guitar that always sat dusty in the agency CEO's room.
On the day Dansol broke under the CEO's violence, it would've had its neck snapped and been thrown in the trash—but Dansol, who still couldn't hear well in one ear, had memories stuck before the regression.
It hasn't happened yet. Get it together, Joo Dansol.
"Dansol?"
"...."
"Dansol!"
"Huh—! Yes!"
Dansol was quietly trying to steady his quickening breath, and he didn't even realize Minhyeok was calling him.
Maybe it seemed strange that Dansol had no intention of moving even though they had to get in the car, because Minhyeok lightly held Dansol's shoulder. Only then did Dansol's awareness return to reality.
"Are you okay?"
"Ah... yes! I'm okay. In the morning I get a little spaced out...."
"...Sorry. I told you to come out too early, didn't I? Or should we sleep a bit more and leave later?"
"Ah! No! Let's go now!"
Afraid they'd delay the schedule because of him, Dansol hurriedly climbed into Minhyeok's Jeep—and sincerely admired how neat the interior was.
"Wow.... It's really clean."
"Why? Surprised because it doesn't match how I look?"
Minhyeok's joking tone made Dansol flinch like he'd been seen through.
Minhyeok, a singer-songwriter who liked messy medium-length hair, a beard, and Americana casual style, had an aura that couldn't be called tidy even as a polite lie.
"...."
"I was joking... but I guess it's true...."
"Th-that's not...."
"Ha...."
At Minhyeok's sigh—his expression briefly hurt—an awkward silence filled the car.
As if he'd become self-conscious because of Dansol, Minhyeok pulled a hair tie from the console and started tying up his drooping hair. He tied it so tightly his heavy-lidded eyes looked like they were being pulled up into the sky.
"How about it.... Is it cleaner now?"
"Pfft."
Like he was heading out to a school talent show, his grim, determined look made Dansol burst out laughing without meaning to. Seeing Dansol finally relax, Minhyeok smiled playfully too.
"What is that! Minhyeok, your eyes look like they're going to tear!"
"Ah... yeah. I think I'm about to get a migraine."
"Untie it!"
"Sorry, but today I'm going to stay a little messy. We have to go. I'll go to a salon next time."
Minhyeok messed his hair back down, started the car, then buckled his seatbelt.
"You look cool."
As Minhyeok checked the side mirror and was about to pull out, Dansol's single sentence made the car jolt.
No—more than the car, Minhyeok jolted.
"Your long hair. It's cool, so don't cut it."
In Minhyeok's eyes, Dansol's bright smile filled his vision.
Minhyeok didn't like cheesy song lyrics. He'd even written columns criticizing the pop industry as cheap romance marketing—calling lyrics childish when they went on about hearts skipping, pounding, and being unable to sleep.
But now, he hated his narrow-minded past self.
"...Th-thank you."
"I mean it."
Dansol truly thought Minhyeok looked cool.
Unlike Dansol—who got pounced on and torn apart the moment he so much as frowned—Minhyeok talked about sensitive things without hesitation and built his own style with confidence. Dansol envied that.
If he hadn't debuted as an idol and had just debuted as a singer, would he have avoided being cursed like he was the worst person alive?
But it was still only a what-if.
Even after regressing, Dansol was still an idol.
Right after they started driving, Minhyeok got awkward again, and now he could barely even turn his head toward the passenger seat. Dansol kept looking out the window, and maybe because he was short on sleep, he fell asleep with his head lightly bonking the window.
Only then, seeing Dansol sleeping so deeply, Minhyeok finally relaxed and took a big, quiet breath.
"Guess you were really sleepy."
At a long red light, Minhyeok even leaned his head on the steering wheel and watched Dansol, then gently pushed Dansol's head so it rested against the seat.
When Minhyeok started moving again at the changed light, the car ran far quieter and softer than before.
"Dansol."
"Mmph...."
Had it been a little under an hour by car?
Minhyeok carefully woke Dansol. Realizing he'd fallen asleep, Dansol jolted awake like a startled animal.
"Ah! Sorry.... I wasn't going to sleep, but I just—"
"It's okay. I'd love to let you sleep longer, but once it gets hot, it'll be rough."
"Huh?"
Minhyeok got out of the car after saying something cryptic, and Dansol looked around outside the window, then followed him out of the passenger seat.
...A field?!
For a second, Dansol thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. A field as the first date location—would the staff really approve this?
As he searched for the main PD with his eyes—
"Village head! I'm here!"
From afar, Minhyeok waved his long arm toward an old man hurrying over.
"You little bastard! Why are you only showing up now! I was about to plow up all the sweet potatoes!"
"I'm sorry—."
Dragging out his words in a cutesy way that didn't fit him, Minhyeok took a hoe and work gloves from the old man, then handed them to Dansol.
"Surprised? Today's date is a sweet potato farm experience."
"Who's this kid? Your wife?"
"Not my wife yet, but someone I'd like to make my wife."
"...He still looks like a little kid."
"He's grown. Right, Dansol?"
"Uh... yes. I'm twenty—"
Dansol almost blurted out his pre-regression age and hesitated, and the village head smacked Minhyeok's back whack whack, then stared at Dansol's face for a long time.
With baby fuzz that still hadn't fully faded—and just having woken up—Dansol looked even paler, rounder, and more like a child.
"Oh, you little thief bastard!"
The old man actually raised the hoe and chased Minhyeok. Minhyeok, acting cheeky, looked like he was about to get whacked, and he hopped and bounded through the sweet potato field.
So we came to dig sweet potatoes. Standing here awkwardly is worse—I should just work.
Watching the bizarre scene, Dansol slowly pulled on the work gloves that had ended up in his hands, crouched down where he was, and started digging up sweet potatoes.
{RO Match Survival in Island Portal}
(A very typical first-date location in this country.jpg)
(A 3300-square-meter field personally owned by Jegal Minhyeok.jpg)
↳ Fuck, it's so huge it makes me even madder
↳ In the countryside that isn't even big. It's basically a garden plot. Probably a weekend farm thing
↳ No—if he's going he should go alone, why is he dragging labor to his weekend farm?
↳ There's even a name tag in the corner that says "Jegal Field," fuck, I'm losing it
(Jegal Field cap.jpg)
↳ And he stole the date ticket from Jeong Daesu and Lee Yiyeon and brought him here, field-date lol
↳ Beating those two to bring him here is the kill point lol
↳ Dansol, runnnㅠㅠㅠ
↳ Wait but the baby looks like he's actually enjoying it?
(While Minhyeok runs away, Dansol ignores him and digs sweet potatoes.jpg)
↳ He's digging like a pro lol
↳ Look at him crouchingㅠㅠㅠㅠ why is he so tiny, are you a mole?
↳ (Dansol just woke up in the car and has a sprout hairpin.jpg) The sprout shakes every time he digsㅠㅠ
↳ The sun is so bright, give Dansol a straw hat or somethingㅠㅠ
Did you see the preview? Jegal is playing guitar like a grasshopper next to him and Dansol is digging sweet potatoes like an ant.
↳ LOL but why is that picture so funny, look at the dirt on the baby's cheeksㅠㅠ
↳ Nah but I think the preview is bait, the places Minhyeok passed look like they got plowed by a tractor
(Jegal Minhyeok digging sweet potatoes like an ox.jpg)
↳ Oh yeah, you're right. I misunderstood him as a lazy bastard from the preview, sorryㅠ
↳ The sunglasses are so skinny it makes him look like a lazy bastardㅠㅠㅠㅠ
↳ No but whether he dug a lot or not—everyone, this is supposed to be a date
↳ Everyone forgot it's a date and is praising Jegal Minhyeok for working hard lol
(The Alphas waiting at home right now with murderous expressions.gif)
↳ LOL if they find out Dansol is covered in dust doing field work, they'll lose it
↳ The vibe is fucked
↳ They look like they'll eat someone alive
↳ But the winner…..? (Jegal-the-grasshopper playing guitar.gif)
↳ (Village head running out with a sickle.gif)
Why is Jegal Minhyeok becoming such a comedy character? I swooned when he tilted Dansol's head in the carㅠㅠㅠㅠ
↳ Me too.. I went all-in on Minhyeok×Dansol stock but it's gone off a cliff
↳ No, into a sweet potato field….
↳ But look closely at the preview—Dansol is smiling super bright. Maybe he actually likes field dates?
↳ He's so cute, getting dirt everywhere and smiling heheheㅠㅠㅠ
↳ But from Dansol's perspective, what else can he do besides smile? Jegal is a singer sunbae.. He can't refuse so he's probably like "might as well enjoy it"ㅠㅠ
↳ Yeah… and with someone else their expression management would've broken, but our baby is so kind, look at him smiling..
I've been a Jegal Minhyeok fan for 10 years. The level of hate on this board toward Jegal Minhyeok seems to be rising, so I'll add a word. I'm sorry. Even I can't shield this. Why did he do that.
↳ LOLOLOLOL I thought you were going to defend him and clicked, but even a 10-year fan can't understand his world
↳ Joo Dansol, I'm sorry
↳ But he looks so decadent that if someone said he did drugs I'd be like "ah, I see," but his hobby is weirdly wholesome
↳ Same, his hobby is farming lol
↳ Then maybe his skin isn't from tanning—maybe it's from farming?ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ big reversal
↳ He got darker than when he was a soccer playerㅠㅠ It wasn't a tanning salon—he has a sleeveless tan line. Put on sunscreenㅠㅠ
↳ Wait, Jegal Minhyeok was an athlete? Why didn't I know?
↳ They said it on the broadcast during dodgeball, didn't they? He was a youth national team soccer player. Quit because of injury and became a singer
↳ Holy shit.. People who're good at one thing are good at everything.. but why can't he date..... sweet potato what even...
(Jegal Minhyeok's plot twists this episode.jpg)
↳ Thinking he was a sickly character but finding out he was an athlete was shocking enough, but he's also way more of a gag character and his hobby is insanely wholesome
(Jegal Minhyeok tying his hair.gif)
↳ LOLOLOL look at his eyebrows lifting
↳ I burst out laughing at this, who ties their hair like thatㅠㅠ
↳ But isn't it kinda swoony? Like he did it on purpose so Dansol wouldn't feel awkwardㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
↳ Field date is the worst but then you see stuff like that and you forgive..... pick one, just one, pleaseㅠ ugh you idiot!
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