The Art of Survival
"You used it," Tae-hyun said.
"..." Lee Se-yeon fell silent, unable to answer. But in a conversation with Tae-hyun, silence was as good as a confession.
Trying to maintain her composure, she stammered, "I—I did not."
"You know the round of thirty-two is broadcasted, right? Even if you lie now, everyone's going to see it."
"It's not like you actually watch other teams' broadcasts anyway."
"Hey, yes I do."
"..."
"..."
After a brief, tense silence, Tae-hyun spoke up.
"So you did use the bombs. Wow. I didn't realize you could be so shameless. Bragging about clearing it when you just bought someone else's items..."
"I... I'm allowed to use them! You used your undead summoning skills too!"
Cornered, Se-yeon had no choice but to argue semantics, even though she knew she was being unreasonable.
"Wait, unnie. Isn't buying and using an item someone else made completely different from using a standard skill that anyone can learn?"
Bora, who had been listening from the side, chimed in with wide, innocent eyes. Because she was an outsider to their rivalry, her objective analysis was brutally sharp!
Se-yeon looked as if she had been physically stabbed in a sore spot.
Tae-hyun clapped his hands and nodded in approval.
"Exactly! Finally, someone with some sense. By the way, who are you?"
"...She's Bora from Five Girls...!" Ha-yeon gritted her teeth as she spoke.
No matter how popular Tae-hyun was these days, Five Girls was one of the hottest idol groups around. They were even under the same agency! Yet here he was, acting like, Who on earth are you? It was infuriating.
Ah, so this is why Se-yeon unnie blows a fuse whenever his name comes up!
A sudden, belated realization! Ha-yeon finally understood why the otherwise dignified Se-yeon reverted to a petty child around Tae-hyun.
"Ah, Girls Five's... uh, Red?"
"Bora!!"
"He even got the group's name wrong," Se-yeon muttered under her breath.
She seriously wondered if he was doing it on purpose. But looking at Tae-hyun's face, he genuinely seemed confused.
He's so incredibly sharp when it comes to scheming, but the moment it's something he doesn't care about, he's completely clueless...
"Right, right. Bora. I knew that. Anyway, she makes an excellent point. Se-yeon here bragged using items I crafted, while I've never received a single thing from her. There's a massive difference."
"Y-you didn't even make them yourself! The blacksmiths in your territory—"
"Go ask them whose disciples they are," Tae-hyun replied with utter shamelessness.
Though he hadn't actually taught them much of anything, the blacksmiths did indeed revere Tae-hyun as their master.
"Honestly, people shouldn't live their lives like that. Don't you agree?" He directed his final question to Bora.
Flustered, Bora quickly hid behind Ha-yeon.
"...?"
"She's a bit timid."
"...!"
Tae-hyun realized why she was frightened. She was terrified of his face. Beside him, Se-yeon smirked, thoroughly enjoying his mild offense.
Tae-hyun glared at Se-yeon and said, "Just you wait until the tournament."
"W-what, are you going to mess with the bombs you sell me? It's too late. I've already bought all of them, so your threats are meaningless."
"I wasn't even thinking of something so petty. But that's actually a great idea. I'll keep it in mind for the future."
"..."
Normally, when people said "just you wait," it didn't carry much weight. But when Tae-hyun said it, it was genuinely terrifying. In the end, Se-yeon was the one to back down. Unlike Tae-hyun, who would run wild without limits once he set his mind to something, Se-yeon still possessed a conscience and a sense of common decency.
"Let's just play fair and square."
"Sure, sure. Of course."
"...What do I have to do to make you drop this?"
"Go back in time and shoot yourself before you can send me those texts."
"Something realistic, you idiot!"
"Hello, everyone! Today, we have two members of the hottest idol group, Five Girls, and two of the hottest pro gamers around! It's incredibly rare to get a lineup like this. Our show has truly hit the big leagues!"
Laughter erupted following the MC's energetic introduction. His smooth hosting skills even coaxed small smiles out of Tae-hyun and Se-yeon, who had been bickering just moments before.
"And besides, aren't our two gamers hot in a completely different way?"
"?"
"?"
"As the ultimate pro-gamer power couple! Hahaha!"
Should I kill him?
I should definitely kill him.
Clench. Ha-yeon and Bora could see it clear as day—Tae-hyun and Se-yeon's fists tightening in unison!
So scary!
"I heard your connection goes all the way back to Pan-On 1. Do they say fighting breeds affection?"
"Ah... Hahaha. Yes, I suppose you could say that." Se-yeon forced a bright smile and answered. Tae-hyun was genuinely impressed.
A true professional indeed! If it were Tae-hyun, he would have snapped, Sure, let me beat you up and see how much affection we breed! But Se-yeon maintained her perfect television smile and brushed it off. Honestly, her professionalism was worthy of respect.
Of course, Se-yeon was Se-yeon, and Tae-hyun was Tae-hyun.
"What? I don't feel any affection at all."
"..."
Se-yeon's face froze. The MC burst into roaring laughter.
"Bwahaha! So it's just one-sided affection from Miss Lee Se-yeon?"
"Grind... No. Grrriiiind. He's just joking. We're actually very close when the cameras aren't rolling."
"We are? What are you talking about? What affection?"
"Ahahaha. Know when to stop joking," Se-yeon said, grabbing Tae-hyun's hand. To an outsider, they looked like close friends playfully teasing each other.
Squeeze!
Wow. Tae-hyun marveled once again. She was digging her nails into his skin with literal murderous intent.
Is this some kind of assassination technique?
Does this not even hurt you?!
Haha. I've been training for years. You think this is going to make me flinch?
Having endured all kinds of physical agony at Yang's Gym since he was a child, this level of pain wasn't even worth a grimace.
"Whoa, whoa, you two! You can't be this passionate here! Our show isn't that kind of program!"
At the MC's teasing, Se-yeon blushed and let go of his hand. If only Tae-hyun hadn't spouted such nonsense, she wouldn't have had to resort to this!
"Now, look at the beautiful scenery of this island! Doesn't it make your heart flutter?"
"Flutter? More like shudder. We're just going to suffer..."
"How do you guys keep finding these remote islands anyway?"
The regular cast members grumbled at the MC's words. Tae-hyun scanned the island stretching out behind them. It was beautiful, but spending two days and one night here was bound to be a grueling ordeal.
The mountain in the back is steep and densely forested, so moving around there will be a pain... The weather is pretty chilly too, so sleeping is going to be a hassle.
On top of that, Law of Survival was notorious for how relentlessly the production crew pushed the cast. Simply surviving here was hard enough, but they also threw ridiculous missions at them.
I overheard some staff members earlier mentioning they released some animals on the mountain. Don't tell me they're going to make us catch and eat them?
Tae-hyun's prediction was spot on. Though he had never watched the show and was only guessing, that was exactly what had happened in several past episodes.
Look at him. He's totally lost. How cute.
It's always like this for first-timers. Hehe. I get it.
Shin Yeon-ju and the MC smiled warmly as they looked at Tae-hyun. To them, his looking around made him seem completely overwhelmed. Seeing Tae-hyun—who was always cool, calm, and collected during Pan-On tournaments and broadcasts—look so lost was highly entertaining. Naturally, anyone appearing on the show for the first time was bound to be flustered.
In contrast, the regular cast members, backed by their wealth of experience, were much more relaxed. Of course, the shoot was just as physically demanding for them, but having done this multiple times gave them a clear psychological advantage.
Hmph. Just you wait. Once we start, I'm going to humiliate you. Choi Chang-seong thought, glaring at Tae-hyun.
Playfully teasing the invited guests was one of the show's staple elements. While it was usually kept to lighthearted pranks, Chang-seong intended to use this opportunity to thoroughly embarrass Tae-hyun. He was already burning with jealousy, and seeing Tae-hyun act so close (in Chang-seong's eyes) with a beauty like Se-yeon only made his stomach turn.
Whoosh—
Kim PD and the staff began laying out various random items on the sandy beach. Seeing this, Tae-hyun asked, "What's all that?"
"...Please, I beg of you, watch at least one episode of a show before you guest on it. They let us choose items before we start."
The selection was diverse, ranging from toolsets with saws and hammers to food items like instant ramen and rice.
Ah. So we have to choose wisely right from the get-go. Tae-hyun caught on instantly. Items like candles or neckties were obviously useless. Those were duds. The kind of stuff Cain would pick! If they got stuck with something like that from the start, things would definitely get annoying.
"What looks good to you?"
"Hmm..."
"Instant food would probably be the most convenient, right?" Se-yeon asked, pointing toward the ramen.
Tae-hyun shook his head.
"Why?"
"I don't really feel like eating ramen."
At his incredibly spoiled response, a vein throbbed on Se-yeon's forehead.
"...This isn't a matter of what you 'feel like' eating right now...!"
"What, do I have to force myself to eat it? I just had some a few days ago."
"Besides, it's not like we can just take whatever we want. We have to beat the other team to get them. The four of us need to come up with a solid strategy..."
"Kim PD, so what's the game this time?" The MC asked with a look of apprehension. The producer was notorious for torturing the cast with tedious missions and games.
"If you make us swim in this weather, I swear..."
"Haha, don't worry. Since we have many new faces today, we don't want to exhaust you right from the start. The first game is... a quiz!"
"?"
"A quiz... Is that a good thing?"
Everyone looked surprised, and the MC tilted his head with a skeptical expression.
"Yeon-ju, are you good at quizzes?"
"Not at all... What about you, Chang-seong?"
"Uh, I'm not great at quizzes either."
"I guess Chun-sik is our best bet."
"Chun-sik did study a bit back in the day. As for that team..."
The MC glanced over. Tae-hyun, Lee Se-yeon, and Five Girls' Ha-yeon and Bora. The smartest-looking one was undoubtedly Lee Se-yeon. When Se-yeon first started broadcasting, she was famous for having it all: prestigious academic credentials, stunning looks, and top-tier gaming skills.
"We're at an overwhelming disadvantage here."
"Yeah, we'd do much better if it were a physical challenge."
"Kim PD! This is way too unbalanced! You've got to give us a brainiac too!" Realizing the situation, the MC began to complain. Even if it seemed a bit unreasonable, his talent lay in making such complaints entertaining without offending anyone.
"What do you mean 'our team'? Are the teams already decided?"
"Looks like it."
"Come on, if it's the newcomers versus the veterans, the guests are actually at a disadvantage. You should accept this minor handicap. Or would you like to mix the teams up a bit?" Sensing that the balance was indeed off, Kim PD turned to Se-yeon and asked.
But Se-yeon flatly refused. "We're fine like this."
"Not even one person? You'll be at a huge disadvantage."
"Not at all."
"Oh. In that case, can I switch sides?" At Tae-hyun's question, Se-yeon glared at him with a murderous look.
Wow, look at her glaring at me from an angle the camera can't catch.
But the MC didn't give up. "Still, a quiz is way too unfair. What if we don't get a single question right?"
"Then what do you propose?"
"Just bench Lee Se-yeon for this round! In return, we'll bench one of our members during a later mission!"
Se-yeon hesitated. It was obvious that doing so would put her team at a disadvantage.
If I sit out... I don't think Ha-yeon or Bora will be able to answer much...
That left only one option. Se-yeon stared intently at Tae-hyun.
"What are you looking at?"
"Are you good at quizzes?"
He had answered every question correctly on a quiz show before, but those had mostly been about Pan-On.
"I'm great at guessing."
"...I should probably just do it myself..." Se-yeon was about to change her mind and insist on playing.
But while she and Tae-hyun were whispering, the producer and the MC had already wrapped up their negotiation.
"Great! Let's do that!"
Ah. Too late!
Now, she had no choice but to put her faith in Tae-hyun.