Gonggi Mastery and the Winter Forage Challenge
Time to wrap up the Samgyeopsal Expedition's feast on this uninhabited island and switch back to survival mode. What should we have for dinner? Worrying about the next meal right after eating one—talk about roughing it. At least things had improved a bit with the knife and seasonings we'd scored earlier. Seeing O Seokgyun, who was sitting next to me, start to get up, I figured it was my cue to do something too.
That's when Ha Bong-seok PD came strolling over from afar, holding two steaming mugs.
...Coffee?
The sweet, fragrant aroma of instant mix coffee wafted to my nose. My mouth watered instantly. Sweet mix coffee after greasy sashimi and ramen? Heaven.
"Phew, the weather's gotten really chilly, huh? That sea breeze makes it bite even harder."
...Was he seriously saying that right now? If a winter seaside wasn't cold, that would be weird. I narrowed my eyes and looked up at him.
"PD-nim. You bored or something?"
"Huh?"
"Or maybe you're just here to mess with us 'cause you're bored. You're not bringing that coffee for us, are you?"
I snapped a little, and Ha Bong-seok PD jumped back like I'd accused him of murder.
"Hey now! What do you take me for? I'm not that guy!"
He held out the mugs toward us.
"You two just looked so cold... Thought it'd warm you up. Have some hot coffee, on the house."
"...For real?"
I kept my suspicious glare, but the steam rising from the rippling surface softened my resolve. I'd just eaten, but I was dying for something to sip afterward. O Seokgyun's eyes sparkled as he reached out—clearly on the same page.
"Aigoo, hyung-nim! Only you look out for us like this."
I sneaked my hand out too.
"Ah... Thanks. I'll enjoy it..."
The second I went for the mug, Ha Bong-seok PD yanked it back.
"Not so fast!"
"..."
"Win the mission, and it's yours!"
Aish. Knew it. My hand froze in midair. O Seokgyun stared at him with a deflated look.
"Hyung-nim... That's playing dirty with coffee."
"Haha, where's the fun in just handing it over? It'll make great footage and get your blood pumping!"
Ha Bong-seok PD shook the mugs with that infuriating grin. That devilish smile. Should've seen it coming. No way he'd give it up easy.
"...Fine. What's the mission this time?"
Come at me. We'd nailed the cube and pitched the tent. What ridiculous nonsense was he throwing next?
He grinned wider and pulled something from his pocket.
"This one's super simple. The prize is just coffee—can't be hard, right? It's a national classic everyone knows."
"National game?"
"Yep. Fun for all ages, a nostalgic playground staple."
"Hyung-nim, even you still have some conscience left. What is it? Footbag? Jacks?"
"Haha... Anyway, here's the mission."
He opened his hand. Roll, roll. Something dropped right in front of me as I squatted there. Five small, round plastic pieces.
Huh? This is...
"Gonggi?"
"Ding ding ding! Right on the money. Gonggi it is! You know it?"
Ha Bong-seok PD clapped.
"Rules are easy. Five pieces, from level 1 all the way to flipping—that's eating the years. Nail it in one go. But you gotta eat at least ten years at once to win! Easy peasy, right?"
"..."
Gonggi. Definitely a national game. But...
O Seokgyun shot me a troubled look.
"No way, hyung-nim! Areum's only twenty-two—gonggi? Kids these days don't even know it exists. They'd have done something... classier!"
"Oppa. What's so 'classy' about games?"
"Uh? Well...?"
"Hey now, Seokgyun-ssi. Don't underestimate Areum-ssi. Areum-ssi, ever played gonggi?"
Ha Bong-seok PD asked me with a sly wink. I stared at the scattered pieces on the ground. Pink, light green, yellow... The colorful plastic bits stirred up a wave of nostalgia.
Gonggi, huh...
Sure, it might be alien to kids today. But not to me. If anything, it was so familiar it bordered on boring.
Did this guy do a background check or something? How'd he keep picking stuff I'm good at?
"PD-nim."
"Yes, Areum-ssi? Want a rules rundown? If you don't know how..."
"Thanks, but no need."
"...Huh?"
He blinked in confusion. Instead of answering, I palmed a piece, squeezing and releasing to get the feel. Perfect weight. Snug grip. Not bad.
"Watch closely."
I scattered them on the ground.
Level 1. Toss one lightly, pick up a ground piece, catch the falling one. Tap, tap. The crisp sounds echoed off the rocky shore.
Level 2, 3, 4. My hand flowed like water.
"Whoa...?"
O Seokgyun's jaw dropped. Ha Bong-seok PD's eyes widened.
Then the grand finale: level 5, flipping. Pieces on my palm, flicked into the air. Caught them all perfectly on the back of my hand. Every single one landed.
But that wasn't the end. Flip them up again and snatch into the palm.
Hup!
My hand sliced the air. Clatter! Exactly five pieces in my grasp.
"Five years."
But the mission needed ten-plus. Once more. I went to restart from 1, but Ha Bong-seok PD yelped.
"W-Wait! What was that? How are you this good?"
"Not done yet."
I ignored him and scattered again. Faster this time. Whoosh, whoosh. Blurring speed through the levels.
Flip again. Back of hand, perfect snatch.
"Ten years. Success, right?"
I jingled the pieces at him. He gaped, speechless.
"......"
"Whoa..."
O Seokgyun let out an awed sigh.
"Areum-ah, what can't you do...?"
"What the—why are you so good at this? Kids don't play it anymore!"
Ha Bong-seok PD muttered in disbelief.
"I've been tagging along with Grandpa and Dad on volunteer work since I was little."
"...Volunteering?"
"Yeah. Orphanages don't have many toys. Even if they do, there's only a few... So to play with the kids, I'd improvise with body games or simple stuff."
Old memories surfaced. No smartphones, no game consoles. Sitting in the dirt with the kids, losing track of time.
"Four-square—er, hopscotch, or gonu, dodging stones, gonggi... That's what I grew up on. Gonggi was my favorite by far."
His face twisted at my explanation. Then he clutched his head like it was the end of the world.
"Argh! Damn it! Fooled again!"
He stomped in frustration but was careful not to spill the coffee. It was kinda hilarious.
"A promise is a promise. Coffee, please."
He handed them over with a pout.
"...Here. Enjoy."
"Thanks, I'll savor it."
The mug's warmth seeped into my fingers. One sip, and sweet mix coffee flooded my mouth.
"Ahh... Perfect."
The chill melted away. O Seokgyun grinned happily beside me with his mug.
"Thanks to you, Areum-ah, we're living large. You're the best."
"No biggie."
We savored coffee time gazing at the sea. But peace didn't last.
Once the mugs were empty, reality hit.
What about dinner?
Lunch was lavish with seat dome sashimi and ramen, but nothing for tonight. Needed to prep before sunset...
"Oppa, so what's the dinner plan?"
"Good question. Check the trap basket again, maybe. Or real fishing till then..."
I eyed the production rod. But Ha Bong-seok PD cut in.
"Ah, no fishing today."
"What? Why?"
"Waves are rougher than expected. Rocky shore's too dangerous. Safety first."
Ugh... No fishing. Dinner hinged on the basket or...
Forage in the woods...
O Seokgyun's face darkened. Slim odds on blind fish in the trap again. Foraging it was. But winter. Bare trees, no green leaves—finding food? Daunting.
Then Ha Bong-seok PD sidled up, eyes glinting mischievously.
"You two look so glum."
"...Whose fault is that?"
I grumbled, and he flashed a grin.
"That's why I have a proposal."
"Proposal?"
"Yeah. Dinner worries? I got you covered."
He beckoned a staffer, who brought an icebox. Lid up: thick, ruby-red pork slabs.
"Samgyeopsal!"
O Seokgyun gulped. My eyes locked on it. Perfect fat-to-meat ratio. Charcoal-grilled... Drool-worthy.
Ha Bong-seok PD whispered temptation.
"Samgyeopsal mission call?"
"..."
Another mission? Seriously?
"...Isn't that a lot of missions? Didn't feel this frequent watching TV."
"Nah, this is standard. Every two hours or so? Just not all make the cut for airtime."
He shrugged shamelessly.
"We've been here two hours?"
"Ahem. No need for pork then? We'll take it back."
He moved to close the box.
"Ah, come on! Can't even joke? Haha..."
Damn... Holding samgyeopsal hostage. Ruthless, soulless demon. But we needed it.
"Fine. What's the mission?"
O Seokgyun nodded too.
Ha Bong-seok PD pointed to the woods.
"You've hugged the shore too long. Time to venture inland."
"The forest?"
"Yeah, we've stuck to one spot too much, Areum-ah."
He agreed. Fair point. Variety shows hate stagnation—gets boring. And on an uninhabited island, exploration's half the fun.
"Mission reveal!"
Gulp. Not me—O Seokgyun swallowing hard. The anticipation was killer.
Ha Bong-seok PD shouted.
"Head into the woods and find ten 'edible' ingredients!"
"......"
Edible ingredients? Like wild greens, fruits, roots... Problem: dead of winter. Bare-branched hell—finding edible plants? Nightmare difficulty.
"Ten? In winter?"
"Scouted it—no dangers. Plenty of edibles too. Lost? Straight ahead ten minutes hits the shore..."
His briefing: Watch your step, don't get lost. Safety guaranteed.
But that wasn't the issue. I glanced at O Seokgyun.
...What does he even know?
Actor or not, winter foraging knowledge? Doubtful. Acorns or pinecones maybe—if he could tell edibles from poison.
Even if he nabbed two or three, I'd need seven or eight. In a winter forest.
A sigh escaped. Whew, not easy. But for samgyeopsal? Game on.