Chapter 78: Desert Island Survival (3)
Chapter 78: Desert Island Survival (3)
Expedition Leader Jung Dae-hyun.
He was an entertainer who had traveled to countless remote regions while filming Desert Island Survival.
Possessing exceptional physical strength and even greater adaptability, this shoot wasn't much different from his usual work.
And that was exactly why it wasn't going to be easy.
‘Man, it’s going to be tough to get enough footage out of this.’
Two actors had joined the show to promote their movie. In cases like this, the focus usually shifted more toward promotion than the actual variety show elements.
Besides.
‘The actress, Ju Seo-yeon, is still just a teenage high schooler.’
Naturally, there were more things she couldn't do than things she could. On a typical deserted island, a young actress required a lot of looking after.
To be honest, he was puzzled as to why they had sent a supporting actress instead of a lead for the promotion.
‘Still, I have to do my best to make the broadcast work.’
He was a professional.
Whether it was promotion or entertainment, he intended to make the most of it. After all, he took pride in the fact that Desert Island Survival was one of KMB’s most popular variety shows.
However.
"Seo-yeon, the fish went that way!"
At Bang Ha-yeon’s shout, Seo-yeon raised her wooden spear. It was the spear she had been carrying around the whole time.
‘No, if you thrust it clumsily like that—’
Just as Jung Dae-hyun had that thought.
Thwack!!
The spear pierced right through the body of the moving fish. Her form was clumsy, but her sheer speed made up for it.
"Oh, I got it."
"No way!!"
The expedition members naturally erupted in cheers. No one expected Seo-yeon to catch one on her first try.
While the others applauded Seo-yeon as she smiled triumphantly, holding up the fish skewered on her spear...
‘Huh?’
Actor Park Hee-jun and Jung-woo simply watched her with looks that said, ‘Well, of course she did.’
And that was only the beginning.
Climbing mountains, catching bugs—Jung Dae-hyun watched in awe as she actively roamed around.
‘Did she used to be an athlete or something?’
It was the only way to explain her performance.
"We’ll be heading out on the raft now. Rowing will be handled by me and..."
Park Hee-jun and Park Jung-woo. Jung Dae-hyun intended to give the last oar to a regular cast member he was used to working with, but...
"...Seo-yeon, do you want to do it?"
"Yes."
She was proactive about everything. Setting aside the entertainment value, he didn't know how to describe it...
‘She seems... excited.’
Just as Jung Dae-hyun suspected, Seo-yeon was in high spirits. This was likely the most hyped she had been since her middle school retreat.
As mentioned before, because she was naturally somewhat emotionally blunt, once her mood was lifted, it didn't settle down easily. One could say she was particularly vulnerable to the thrill of the moment.
If Lee Ji-yeon had been there, she would have stopped her—even if it meant giving her a smack—but...
‘She has a side like this, too.’
Jung-woo simply watched Seo-yeon row with fascination. He had thought she was the calm type, but she was surprisingly competitive. Above all, it was obvious she loved being praised.
‘Seo-yeon seemed so prickly when I first met her.’
‘She works so hard, unlike most kids these days.’
Regardless, Seo-yeon’s behavior was viewed very positively by the cast. Seeing a young actress work so hard made her impossible not to like.
So, no matter what she did, everyone cheered enthusiastically, which triggered an infinite spiral of positivity.
And then.
"Wow, isn't rowing exhausting?"
"Seo-yeon, your stamina is no joke. Seriously."
The staff watching from the sidelines were equally amazed. It wasn't just a boat; it was a raft. Even if the current wasn't strong, it was a physically demanding task for a woman.
"And doesn't it look great on camera?"
"Ahem, you can't just broadcast stuff like this recklessly. If you push this angle too hard, Park Hee-jun's fans will kill us."
Producer Shin spoke up from another boat. Of course, his was a proper motorboat, not a raft.
‘Anyway.’
From Producer Shin’s perspective, this was unexpected. He hadn't realized Seo-yeon would be so well-suited for the wild.
Jung Dae-hyun might not have known, but the cameraman currently filming Seo-yeon was capturing her as if entranced. She was constantly doing things that were surprisingly creative.
‘I thought this was just for promotion...’
But this was actually quite good.
To the public, Ju Seo-yeon was Princess Yeonhwa—she had a strong image of being calm and haughty.
Especially...
‘They’re strangely protective of her image.’
Both Nova Entertainment and Seo-yeon’s manager seemed to be on edge about it. Her image. But the Princess Yeonhwa image wasn't a bad one. It felt more like they were worried about a specific bad image forming.
"Seo-yeon, this variety show is for promotion, but try to keep a bright image as much as possible. Got it?"
"Yes."
Seo-yeon’s manager had followed her, and Producer Shin happened to overhear that conversation.
‘A bright image?’
The Princess Yeonhwa image was already bright enough.
‘Is it because of The Chaser?’
Producer Shin had been in the industry a long time. Naturally, he was quick on the uptake.
‘There’s something there.’
He decided he would ask about it discreetly later.
"Director Min. Please make sure Seo-yeon gets plenty of screen time."
"Huh? Not Actor Park Hee-jun?"
Among the guests, the lead actor, Park Hee-jun, would normally get the most focus. However, Producer Shin nodded.
"Yes. Make it at least a fifty-fifty split."
"Um, alright."
Regardless, Seo-yeon was captivating to watch, so there was no harm in filming her.
‘I hope that stamina lasts,’ Producer Shin thought as he watched her row vigorously.
"Ah, the oar broke."
"Huh?"
Seo-yeon held up the snapped oar. The raft drifted further away, and it ended up taking quite a long time for them to return.
*
Usually, the thing people struggle with most on Desert Island Survival is sleep.
The climate is different, it’s humid, and bugs are everywhere, so most people end up tossing and turning.
Knowing this, Seo-yeon spoke to Jung-woo in a worried tone.
"I'm worried because this is my first time sleeping outdoors."
"The bugs are the main problem. Still, even if you have to force yourself—"
Jung-woo stopped mid-sentence and turned his head. Seo-yeon’s head was already tilted to the side.
"...Zzz."
"..."
I thought you said you couldn't sleep.
Anyway, having slept well, Seo-yeon practically flew through the rest of Desert Island Survival. Even the cast members, who had initially just been applauding her, were starting to find it strange.
‘Why... doesn't she get tired?’
Three days and two nights. It was a short schedule, but a first outdoor shoot usually left people exhausted.
Yet, she hunted, rowed, and climbed trees. Throughout it all, Seo-yeon ran around without rest. At one point, the cameraman was too exhausted to keep up with her.
‘Is the audience going to think this is scripted?’
The thought even crossed Producer Shin’s mind.
Park Hee-jun, being a former special forces soldier, was also impressive. He was the type who could survive alone even if dropped on a deserted island. But he had the background for it.
Seo-yeon was just an ordinary high school girl. For an ordinary high schooler to be on par with special forces...
‘Just what kind of movie is The Chaser?’
Most people watching Seo-yeon had similar thoughts. However, it wasn't as if she was perfect at everything.
"Don't you ever cook again."
"Why not?"
"Just don't."
Jung-woo said this while eating a coconut dish Seo-yeon had prepared. It seemed she had tried to make something based on a recipe using lobsters they caught on the island.
‘Is this... really how you season things?’
Park Jung-woo managed to finish it all, but the verdict was clear: Seo-yeon couldn't cook. It wasn't that she was dramatically bad at it, but...
‘There’s a limit to how much you can wing the seasoning.’
It was like a dish thrown together by a guy living alone in a studio apartment. Just toss in about this much salt, do this and that, and it’ll be food, right? The dish was filled with that kind of lazy logic.
"I'll handle all the cooking from now on."
In the end, Jung-woo rolled up his sleeves. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was lazy cooking.
"Just let him do it, Seo-yeon. Park Jung-woo once played a genius chef in a drama..."
Apparently, he had been obsessed with cooking for a while back then. At Producer Shin’s words, Seo-yeon nodded as she watched Jung-woo’s expert knife skills.
‘I’m not the only one who gets immersed in a role.’
Park Jung-woo didn't use the same extreme method acting that Seo-yeon did. He was an honor student type; he focused on researching and interpreting the role as much as possible. His technical skills were already perfected.
Thus, his acting was always smart and professional. The cooking must have been an extension of that.
‘He nitpicks everything I do, though.’
Still, she found his sincerity toward acting admirable. Come to think of it...
‘Ah.’
Seo-yeon suddenly remembered something while looking at him.
‘Dream Future.’
The male lead for Dream Future was none other than Park Jung-woo.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Jung-woo approached her, carrying the food on a plastic plate they had scavenged.
"Senior."
"Yeah?"
"When is the audition for Dream Future?"
Jung-woo’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Dream Future. How did she know about that?
‘Does she know someone on the production team?’
This was one of the dramas KMB was putting a lot of effort into. It wasn't that it had a massive budget, but it was an experimental project in many ways.
"A month from now. But aren't you already filming a movie?"
"I've finished all my scenes."
"Ah, right. That's why you said you were out here for promotion."
Jung-woo trailed off and stole a glance at Seo-yeon. Her expression was its usual blank slate, making it hard to tell what her intention was.
"Why? Are you planning to be in it too?"
"Yes."
"..."
Jung-woo was momentarily speechless. After all, he was the main male lead of Dream Future.
The drama featured several young actors, each with their own romantic pairings. But the most significant roles were 'Kim Si-hwan,' played by Park Jung-woo, and his counterpart, 'Song So-ha.'
‘Is she... aiming for the role of Song So-ha?’
Jung-woo reflexively swallowed hard. They had acted together during Princess Yeonhwa, but she had been much younger then. The thought of doing a romance with the now-grown Seo-yeon... was something he hadn't even considered.
‘It’s a month away. I wonder how competitive the role of Jo Ha-rin will be.’
Of course, the role Seo-yeon was aiming for wasn't Song So-ha, the one paired with Park Jung-woo. She was looking at the role of Jo Ha-rin, whose screen time was neither too much nor too little. It was a charming, likable character that had gained immense popularity despite her supporting status.
It was a character that was the polar opposite of Cha Seo-ah, her role in The Chaser. If Cha Seo-ah was someone who couldn't feel emotions properly, Jo Ha-rin was the opposite. According to the character description, she felt emotions twice as intensely as others. She was sensitive, lively, and cute.
To be honest, Seo-yeon lacked confidence. Having a character personality opposite to Cha Seo-ah’s meant it was also opposite to Seo-yeon’s own.
‘Still.’
It was a role she really wanted to try. Her initial motivation was to protect the 400 million won she got from the advertisement, but as an actress... it was a path she had to take. She couldn't stick to one type of character forever. She couldn't just do the acting she was comfortable with. She had to be able to show range. That was an essential skill for an actor.
‘The competition for Song So-ha will be fierce...’
‘Maybe the competition for Jo Ha-rin will be a bit lighter?’
As their differing thoughts crossed, the second day came to an end.
*
"Great work, everyone. We're finally back in Korea."
Three days and two nights. It was a time that felt both long and short.
‘This is going to be quite popular when it airs,’ Producer Shin thought.
Honestly, when they first asked to promote a movie on Desert Island Survival, he thought it was a long shot. But now, his mind was changed. The first day was one thing, but on the second and third days, Seo-yeon’s performance during the missions had been incredibly impressive.
‘Especially...’
He noticed Seo-yeon’s clear, pale skin. Despite being under the scorching sun for three days, her skin remained bright and white, without a hint of a tan!
‘They said she filmed a cosmetics commercial.’
Even Bang Ha-yun had been so amazed by Seo-yeon’s skin that she was caught on camera asking what products she used. Of course, for the broadcast, Seo-yeon didn't mention a brand and just smiled.
‘Once this airs, it’ll be a whole different story.’
It was obvious she would become the center of attention for many reasons. And there was one more thing.
The camera was still focused on Park Jung-woo and Seo-yeon. Since they had been involved in so many scenes together, the crew kept a close eye on them until the very end. The filming wasn't over yet.
"Are you going straight back?"
"Yes. I have something to do."
"Work?"
Jung-woo was curious. It seemed like she always had something going on. At his inquisitive look, Seo-yeon gave a rare, pleasant smile.
"Yes. It's my birthday today."
"..."
At her words, Jung-woo could only stand there, frozen.