Unintended Rivals
His prediction hit the mark. Kim Tae-hyun didn't direct his anger at Manager Kim. Of course, that didn't mean he accepted the offer with open arms either.
"But you said someone I know is also appearing. Who is it? I don't really know many people. Is it someone I met in Pan-On?"
Those people are so annoying.
Whenever people ran into Tae-hyun, they always said the exact same thing.
"We should play Pan-On together sometime!"
In the past, Tae-hyun would respond to that by asking, "Is it okay if I turn you into a bomb?" Everyone else laughed, assuming it was a joke.
That bastard is completely serious!
Cain was the only one who realized the terrifying truth and shuddered in horror! At any rate, based on Tae-hyun's experience, playing games with people who were bad at them rarely ended well. He had tried it once back in college, and it had literally ended in a fistfight.
Fortunately, the people Manager Kim was referring to weren't that kind of crowd.
"No, not at all!"
"Oh. Then who is it?"
"Well, first of all, Lee Se-yeon..."
Click.
"Tae-hyun? Tae-hyun?!"
In the end, Manager Kim had to call him back.
"Tae-hyun. Please, just listen to me."
"I'm listening."
"If Lee Se-yeon goes on the show alone... she's definitely going to talk about the tournament by herself. If she gets to control the narrative about the tournament all on her own, wouldn't that give her an unfair advantage?"
Manager Kim was secretly impressing himself. He didn't know he possessed such silver-tongued persuasion! Tae-hyun was also slightly impressed. He had pegged the manager as just a simple, good-natured guy, but this?
"You actually make a very good point."
"Right?! I thought so too the moment the words left my mouth!"
"And since we're filming on a deserted island, I might even get a chance to push Lee Se-yeon off a cliff..."
"..."
"I'm just kidding, you know."
"Ah, yes. Of course! I knew it was a joke!"
Manager Kim wiped the cold sweat pouring from his forehead.
On the boat heading to the deserted island, Tae-hyun exchanged greetings with the other cast members. Most of them knew exactly who he was, which was a testament to the sheer, overwhelming popularity of Pan-On. Not that Tae-hyun knew who any of them were, of course!
"I've been keeping up with the tournament. You made it to the finals in second place! Haha. Congratulations."
Twitch.
The speaker had meant it as a compliment, but to Tae-hyun's ears, it sounded like a blatant provocation!
"Tae-hyun. Long time no see."
Kim Chun-sik, the celebrity he had met at Yang's Gym, waved at him warmly.
"Ah! Mr. Kim Chun-sam!"
"...It's Kim Chun-sik."
"Haha. Just kidding."
"As expected! You've got a great sense of humor."
The two laughed as they greeted each other. Kim Chun-sik was one of the regular cast members of the show.
"Is this show really that difficult?"
"Yes. It's incredibly brutal."
Kim Chun-sik agreed instantly without even a hint of hesitation!
"Out of all the variety shows I've done, this one is easily the most exhausting!"
"..."
"Above all, the PD is completely uncompromising. You'd think we'd get used to it after doing it so many times, but every single episode we're dropped in the middle of nowhere and forced to build our own shelter and forage for food..."
Tae-hyun grimaced.
"So this guy is the famous Kim Tae-hyun?"
A large, muscular man approached them. It was Choi Chang-seong, a model-turned-celebrity.
"No. I'm Cain."
"Huh??"
"Just kidding. I'm Kim Tae-hyun."
"..."
Choi Chang-seong's face contorted. He extended his hand, clearly offering a handshake. Tae-hyun shrugged and clasped it.
Hmph!
Choi Chang-seong squeezed with all his might, clearly intending to show off his physical strength. However, Tae-hyun simply stood there, his expression completely unchanged.
What on earth is this guy doing?
As Choi Chang-seong's face flushed red, he let go of the grip, let out a sharp snort, and stormed off. Tae-hyun pointed a finger after him and asked:
"Is that guy mentally unstable or something?"
"N-no, nothing like that."
Kim Chun-sik waved his hands frantically, trying to defend Choi Chang-seong.
"Chang-seong has only been on the show twice. He's trying to establish his concept as the... athletic, sporty guy."
Given his modeling background and impressive physique, pushing an athletic persona on broadcasts worked perfectly for him. It was especially useful for a physically demanding show like Law of Survival.
"I think he felt threatened because I praised you so much."
"What kind of praise? Praise for my gaming?"
"No, your physical fitness. I told him you were so incredible that you could easily overpower the active athletes at the gym. He's probably worried you'll steal his spotlight..."
"Hmm. So the reason a complete stranger is picking a fight with me is because you couldn't keep your mouth shut..."
"I didn't mean for that to happen!"
"I'm just kidding. It's not your fault, Mr. Chun-sik."
In any case, now that he understood why Choi Chang-seong was acting that way, he didn't feel particularly offended. Unlike Tae-hyun, whose primary focus was Pan-On, Choi Chang-seong was staking his entire livelihood on these broadcasts. It was only natural for him to feel anxious when someone with an overlapping concept appeared.
It was just like how Yong-yong got incredibly anxious when Heuk-heuk first showed up!
Amused by a comparison that would have absolutely infuriated Choi Chang-seong had he heard it, Tae-hyun nodded. Of course, that didn't mean he was going to go easy on the guy.
Business is business, and personal is personal.
Tae-hyun was the type of person who, rather than offering a peace offering to someone he disliked, would beat them until they were black and blue. The guy should be grateful he wasn't getting thrashed right now!
"!"
Tae-hyun, who had been contemplating taking a nap until they reached the island, suddenly locked eyes with Lee Se-yeon.
Dun dun dun—!
I swear I can actually hear the dramatic sound effects!
Ha-yeon, who was trailing behind Lee Se-yeon, thought to herself in sheer amazement. But what happened next was even more shocking.
"Hello there."
"...H-hello?"
Ha-yeon was utterly flustered. Why was the notoriously shameless Tae-hyun greeting her so politely? And why was he completely ignoring Lee Se-yeon while doing so?
Ha-yeon still vividly remembered her first meeting with Tae-hyun, when he had lied and claimed his name was Cain, which eventually led to her actual encounter with the real Cain...
"My, have you been well? That... what was it... Girls Five's new song was really great."
"It's Five Girls, and we haven't released any new music recently."
"Damn it."
"..."
In the meantime, Lee Se-yeon stepped up beside her and spoke.
"Ha-yeon. Tell the person next to you..."
"Miss Ha-yeon. Please ask the person next to you where on earth she learned the manners to interrupt someone else's conversation."
Twitch.
A prominent vein throbbed on Lee Se-yeon's forehead. In truth, as a top-tier celebrity, Se-yeon didn't need to appear on Law of Survival at all. Even if she rejected the PD's desperate pleas, it wouldn't have mattered. Even if her relationship with this particular PD soured, she had plenty of other shows lining up for her. Besides, skipping a single guest appearance wasn't going to ruin her standing with the network anyway.
The only reason she had agreed to appear on Law of Survival was out of a lingering sense of guilt. She had felt slightly bad for teasing Tae-hyun so mercilessly in the past! However, the very moment they stood face-to-face, every shred of that guilt evaporated instantly.
"Ha-yeon. Tell the person next to you..."
"Miss Ha-yeon. Tell the person next to you..."
The moment Lee Se-yeon tried to speak, Tae-hyun cut her off again! He had absolutely no intention of giving her a single chance to talk.
"Aaaaaah!"
Ha-yeon suddenly shrieked, clutching her head, and tried to bolt. It was an entirely unexpected reaction!
"S-sorry, Ha-yeon. I guess my joke went a bit too far."
"It was just a lighthearted tease, so don't take it to heart. By the way, have you been keeping in touch with Cain lately?"
Ha-yeon pouted and turned her head away. As expected, his polite tone from earlier had been entirely performative.
What a twisted, devious human being...
Hmm. I get the distinct feeling she's cursing me out in her head.
Tae-hyun's intuition was remarkably sharp when it came to things like this.
"Actually, we haven't been talking."
"Why? Did Cain do something annoying again? Well, if that's the case..."
"N-no, it's not that! It's just... Cain said he's practicing so hard that he's even cutting back on sleep to prepare. I was worried that calling him out of the blue might distract him, so I've been holding back."
"...?"
Tae-hyun tilted his head in confusion. Cain was practicing so hard that he was cutting back on sleep? That was completely news to him.
"He actually told you that?"
"Well, he didn't say it to me directly, but... you know, in his interview."
"Don't tell me you actually went out of your way to look up Cain's interviews?"
"W-why! Am I not allowed to look them up?!"
Lee Se-yeon sharply nudged Tae-hyun in the ribs. It was a silent warning to read the room and show some tact regarding her close friend's budding romance. Naturally, there was no way Tae-hyun would listen to her.
No way. I'm going to dig even deeper.
Hey...!
Tae-hyun completely ignored Lee Se-yeon's glaring eyes and pressed on with his questions.
"What interview? I didn't think he'd done many of those."
"This one."
Looking closely, it wasn't an official media interview, but rather a recorded video of Cain answering questions from fans he had encountered in Pan-On. In the clip, Cain was visibly trying to strike a cool, professional pose as he spoke.
That bastard was literally reading comic books yesterday...
At least wet your lips before lying like that! Tae-hyun thought to himself. In any case, Ha-yeon twiddled her fingers nervously as she spoke.
"So I figured it wouldn't be right for me to get in his way... and that maybe I should wait until after the tournament to contact him. But... someone like Cain might easily find another girlfriend... since he probably has a lot of fans..."
As she spoke, Ha-yeon cast a subtle, sidelong glance at Tae-hyun.
Her eyes practically screamed: Since you and Cain live together, if he's seeing anyone, you'd better tell me right this instant!
"He doesn't have anyone."
"Don't just brush it off like that! There's no way he doesn't!"
Tae-hyun straightened his posture and stood directly in front of Ha-yeon. The sheer pressure of his presence made her flinch. Tae-hyun spoke with absolute, unwavering sincerity.
"He doesn't. I'm telling you, he doesn't. Snap out of it. Cain has absolutely no prospects like that."
"...R-really?"
"I said he doesn't!"
Having firmly nailed down the truth, Tae-hyun shook his head in disbelief.
"The world is truly a mysterious place. I have no idea what you even see in a guy like Cain."
"You are the absolute last person who should be saying that."
"Hmm... well, seeing how popular you are..."
Tae-hyun said, staring intently at Lee Se-yeon. Se-yeon raised her fist as if to strike him, but ultimately held back.
"Hey."
"What."
"Let's cooperate during the broadcast."
"Do you mean cooperate in pushing you into the ocean?"
"...If you've watched this show, you'd know that the regular cast members usually band together, and the invited guests form their own group."
"But I want to join that group over there."
Tae-hyun pointed toward the regular cast members. The MC, Kim Chun-sik, Choi Chang-seong, and the actress Shin Yeon-ju. These four were the show's permanent fixtures, and the program progressed by throwing the newly invited guests into the mix with them. Naturally, the regulars, who were well-accustomed to these hardships, held a massive advantage.
"Do you really think they'd accept you? You don't even fit the betrayer concept. Honestly, it would have been hilarious if Do Dong-su had come on this show instead."
"That actually sounds plausible."
Do Dong-su appearing on a variety show and playing the role of an outright spy... Just the thought of it was hilarious. Of course, the man himself would never agree to do it in a million years.
The moment Choi Chang-seong locked eyes with Tae-hyun, he snapped his head away again. His hostility and wariness were painfully obvious.
"Isn't he being a bit too much for a first meeting?"
"Well... he pours his soul into these broadcasts, so he probably finds it deeply unfair that someone like you, who barely appears on TV, is vastly more popular than him."
"Oh dear. Then I guess I have no choice but to be considerate of his feelings. I'll just stay quiet."
"Stop saying things you don't mean. Securing screen time is one thing, but if we don't stick together, we're going to suffer far more than they do. Even if it's just a TV show, I have absolutely no desire to suffer under an unfair disadvantage."
"Fine. Let's join forces."
Bora, the youngest member of Five Girls who had been quietly listening to their conversation, whispered to Ha-yeon.
"Unni. Are those two on good terms or bad terms?"
"Well... I don't really know either..."
Despite watching them closely from the side, their relationship remained an absolute enigma! Once they agreed to cooperate, Lee Se-yeon finally brought up the question she had been dying to ask.
"By the way, how did your team clear the dungeon?"
"You're not asking that actually expecting me to give you a straight answer, are you?"
"You don't have to go into detail. Just a brief summary is fine. Besides, once the first round of the finals is over, everyone's strategies will be laid bare anyway."
Even if the gaming teams tried to hide their strategies, everything was bound to be revealed the moment the first round of the main tournament concluded. Tae-hyun stared intently at Lee Se-yeon. Under his piercing gaze, Se-yeon felt a slight pressure.
"Did you... by any chance, use bombs?"
"?!"
Lee Se-yeon was momentarily startled. How on earth did he know?!