Prologue

I glanced at the letter lying in front of my eyes and read it.

It was an invitation stating that I had won a vacation to Netorare Island, a famous resort island located near Japan far away.

"Ooh..."

Honestly, I didn't think I would actually win this. Still, how should I put it... I've lived a life where I'd never won a single lottery in my entire life.

Since my parents kept saying I had nothing going for me except being tall, they made me work out like crazy, so I didn't have much to offer besides having a somewhat reliable build.

"It really was sent to me..."

Because my name was clearly written at the bottom of the invitation. Seeing the name Geum Taeyang sitting right there, no matter how I looked at it, it didn't seem forged.

Yeah, my surname is Geum, and my given name is Taeyang. My parents said they named me that in hopes I'd become a young man who shines like a golden sun, but how should I put it...

Well, even so, nobody really picked on me because of this name. I mean, it would be pretty weird for someone to ask right off the bat why my name was like that anyway.

Actually, to be honest, there were quite a few. It wasn't like there were none at all.

Anyway, back then it was a good name, but as time passed, how should I put it... it kind of became a bit strange, I guess.

"Waa... To think something like this would happen in my life, it's pretty surreal."

Without realizing it, I tilted my head. Should I call it surreal? To be honest, since luck had never really been on my side in my life, whatever worked.

Either way, spending a vacation on a remote island like this is a rare opportunity. Especially for a commoner like me, winning in the first place is a super rare event.

Besides having a good physique, I hadn't saved up much money, and I blew all my stocks not too long ago anyway.

Of course, I did have a bit of saved wealth, but it's still true that it was a huge blow. It wasn't enough to kill me, but should I say it was painful enough to make my head spin and feel like I might collapse any second?

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

To make up for this loss, I'd have to slave away working for quite a damn long time. Still, thank goodness I have a sturdy body built from my parents working me to death, otherwise I might have kicked the bucket way earlier.

Since quite a lot of people kick the bucket these days from diabetes and obesity. Even if I'm only in my early twenties now, you still need to keep your body somewhat in shape.

"By the way, I really hated working out when I was little, but I never knew it would be helpful like this."

Shrugging my shoulders while having these random thoughts. Because my appa was a foreigner, I had slightly tanned brownish skin and blonde hair, which gave off a somewhat peculiar vibe.

They said with a look like this, if my body was terrible too, I'd be a prime target for getting teased, so thanks to working out, becoming solid and healthy is a bit of a consolation, I suppose.

"A six-month vacation with room and board completely free... A half-year vacation on a remote island all for free, isn't that a bit suspicious no matter how you look at it?"

Well, whatever. It's a six-month vacation anyway, and even if it's a scam, at most I'd just get scammed out of my entire fortune.

Since I already lost everything in stocks, there's no reason to refuse a free half-year vacation. And if it's a scam, umm...

Are my organs going to get sold?

While thinking about this and that, I was about to buy a bus ticket to the place written on the invitation... wait, they gave me a ticket?

A ticket all the way to Busan was explicitly attached.

Looking at the schedule, it said I was scheduled to board a cruise ship at a port in Busan and travel to Netorare Island near Japan.

The total time spent on the cruise ship is one week, and surprisingly, that island has a port and everything you need, so there's no need to worry about supplies.

By the way, this is a bit strange. The invitation is literally coated in gold, and it labels me as a VIP.

The enclosed pink bracelet is a bonus. Supposedly, wearing this gets you treated like a VIP?

Shrugging my shoulders, thinking whatever, I put on the bracelet.

The snug fit doesn't feel too bad. Surprisingly, it wasn't uncomfortable at all and was quite decent.

As for the ticket... surprisingly, they even gave me a bus ticket to Busan?

This is a bit weird, but does it make sense to even give the travel ticket for free?

I ended up tilting my head. Should I say it's somewhat suspicious? Usually, things like this are left to the individual to arrange.

It felt almost like it was screaming at me to definitely come...

Since super filthy rich people are paying for it, refusing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would be an act of an idiot, so I thought I should go no matter what.

After roughly packing my bags like that, I grabbed the bus ticket to Busan and took off. After all, there's a hotel on that island, and since I'm a VIP, they said it's free!

Hihi- laughing with a broad grin, I was constantly thinking in my head about how to have fun. Apparently, since the island is pretty large with a water park, it even seems to have a pretty decent amusement park, making me curious as to what in the world someone had to do to cram all that onto an island.

Wouldn't I find out once I get there?

How much time passed while riding inside the bus? After waking up from a deep sleep, before I knew it, I had arrived and approached the port.

But this... is something strange?

"Eueung...?"

There was a huge cruise ship at the port, and I saw people boarding it. However, every single one of them was holding a bronze invitation.

"What's this...? Is everyone else not a VIP?"

Tilting my head in confusion, I approached the staff member and shoved out my gold invitation. To be honest, I was a bit intimidated. That's because the people around me were all dressed extravagantly without exception.

It gave off a vibe like, how should I put it... it's completely packed with absurdly rich people? But somehow, every single one of them had a woman on their arm, umm... their expressions are a bit subtle?

Is this right? Rather than looking like they were being dragged along, it felt like they were anticipating something?

I felt a strange sense of chill. I worried for a moment whether I should turn back, but there was no way I could just pass up a half-year vacation.

Taking a deep breath, I approached the staff member and offered a light greeting.

"Hello. I brought my ticket here. Supposedly if I have this, I get recognized as a VIP...?"

"Eh...?"

Widening her eyes for a moment, she quietly scanned me from top to bottom. Soon after, wearing a strangely satisfied expression, she gave a nod and said:

"Yes! Welcome, VIP-nim! Please enjoy your vacation on Netorare Island to your heart's content~! And please don't pay any mind to the inferior trash behind you."

"...? Huh?"

Wait, what did she just say?

As I was puzzled by the sudden profanity out of nowhere, the other party tilted her head instead, and the words coming out of her mouth were quite something.

"Are you unaware? Well, you'll find out once you get there. The VIP-exclusive room is on the 3rd floor, so please get plenty of rest for a week!"

"?????"

Left bewildered, I tilted my head without realizing it. No, no matter how I look at it, this is suspicious, is this right?

But judging by what she said, it didn't seem like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠they were going to rip out my organs. Since turning back now would be awkward anyway, I stepped inside with the mindset of just barging right in.

Looking at the room assigned to me, how should I put it... isn't it way too luxurious for something free?

It's way too luxurious for something free, but seeing this state, at least they didn't seem to have any intention of tearing out my liver.

If they put me in a room like this just to rip out my organs, the loss would be far more severe, so it was only natural.

I spent the whole week like that on this cruise ship, and what I felt was, how should I put it...

They provided breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and there were plenty of leisure facilities inside, but somehow, umm... it felt like ranks were divided?

It felt like I, a literal VIP, and a bunch of other lackeys were separated into distinct tiers while living together. Of course, since it's fundamentally a cruise, it's extravagant, but still, this is a bit... somewhat uncomfortable.

Tilting my head without realizing it, I agonized over whether this was right. That's because no matter how I looked at it, it was beyond suspicious.

As I stepped outside, an extraordinarily gorgeous beach was revealed. On the island where the sun was shining brightly in broad daylight, a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hotel stood imposing quite a distance away.

"By the way, there's no particular schedule, and it's free time from now on. What's this event?"

Supposedly there's a pool party starting from nighttime, but VIP tier doesn't need to prepare anything?

Eueung...? I tilted my head. That's because I couldn't really understand what they meant by not needing to prepare anything.

Well, thinking whatever, I shrugged my shoulders and slowly shuffled forward. Then, after taking my luggage to the hotel to unpack, washing up, and changing into swimwear, I came outside.

Looking at the women out on the beach, it felt like a feast for my eyes, but thinking it wouldn't be right to keep staring, I discreetly averted my eyes.

Still, getting sued for sexual harassment is a hard pass. Above all, they look way richer than me, so if I mess with the wrong person, my life is over.

Thinking that, as I sat quietly under the shade, someone's voice suddenly reached my ears.

"You over there, are you by any chance a VIP?"

"Yes?"

Wondering why she was asking that out of nowhere, as I raised my head, the sight that met my eyes was, how should I put it...

Clad in a bikini, an exotic woman revealing her exceptionally great figure as it was stood right before my eyes. Possessing striking blue eyes that were quite impressive, she only had a shirt thrown on over her swimsuit.

As I let out an exclamation of "Waa...", she smiled gently and soon stepped closer to me.

"W-Wait... Do you know... uhm... I mean-"

"There's no need to force yourself to speak a foreign language. This bracelet here has an automatic translation feature. The world's gotten pretty convenient these days."

"Ah, I see..."

Nodding my head since it sounded plausible. So I didn't need to struggle trying to speak a foreign language then?

Just as I thought that and tried to lie back quietly, she suddenly grabbed my hands tightly and spoke to me.

"I'm called Alice, should I say I came to Netorare Island to hang out for a bit? It seems we'll be seeing each other often from now on, so nice to meet you."

"Ah, yes... But I don't really know why you're being so kind to me."

"Hmm? That's because you're a VIP? I can tell just by looking at your body, anyone can see you're a VIP."

"Huh? What does my body have to do with that?"

"Are you unaware? Well, it doesn't matter since you'll find out slowly. You definitely have to come to tonight's pool party! They're doing something fun there, so if you participate, you'll be able to enjoy yourself quite a bit!"

As she smiled relaxedly and gave a readily agreeable nod, I tilted my head.

Before I knew it, Alice-ssi quietly laid down by my side. Then, while holding my hand, she began scanning my body thoroughly.

"By the way, you even have abs, impressive... It's super hard. I'm looking forward to tonight...♥"

Isn't this sexual harassment? Is it okay if a woman does it to a man?

As I glared at her slightly coldly, she even casually placed her hand on my abdomen and stroked it.

Mmm... honestly, I wonder if this is right. Her voice, which reached my ears faintly and sounded sweet for some reason, was quite strange.

"Ah... If it's this, it might actually be worth submitting to...♥"

It was so quiet that I couldn't hear it well, but at least it didn't seem to have a good meaning.

Suddenly, not too far away, I saw someone watching us.

"...?"

For some reason, the sound of a slightly oddly-looking ugly guy gulping down his saliva—ggulggak—with a strangely expectant look reached my ears.

The events of the first day spent at the resort were beyond bizarre.