Are You All Ready?
"Now, is everyone ready?"
Once the preparations were complete, the cast members turned to the PD with tense, nervous faces. The moment the quiz question was revealed, they had to sprint across the sandy beach to the PD! If their reaction time was even slightly off, they might lose the chance to answer, even if they knew the solution.
Huh?
Kim Tae-hyun stared at the sand stretched out before him. It was piled quite thick, meaning even if someone tripped and fell, they wouldn't get hurt.
Hmm...
Why do I have a bad feeling about this?
Seeing the wicked glint in Tae-hyun's eyes, Lee Se-yeon grew anxious. Even in Pan-On, whenever he made that face, something chaotic was bound to happen.
"Bwahaha! No Kim Tae-hyun! No Kim Tae-hyun!"
When the cat's away, the mice will play. Cain threw his arms in the air, cheering as he pranced around the living room of their lodging.
"Hehehe! Hehe!"
Is he insane?
Should we call an ambulance?
No, he's always been like this. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Jeong Su-hyeok and Choi Sang-yun exchanged weary glances. Unbothered by their judgment, Cain continued to run wild with joy.
"I'm not playing any games today! I'm dedicating this day entirely to myself!"
Tap, tap, tap.
"?"
Hearing footsteps behind him, Cain spun around. Lee Da-bi had walked in.
"W-Why... Why are you looking at me like that?!"
Guilt immediately washed over Cain, making him shrink back. To him, Lee Da-bi was basically Tae-hyun's second pair of eyes.
She's not going to snitch on me, is she?
"Ahem. Ahem."
Ignoring his panic, Da-bi pulled out a sheet of paper, cleared her throat, and began to read aloud.
"Cain."
"!"
"I can see it as clear as day—you slacking off just because I'm not there. Here I am, running myself ragged to promote Team KL..."
"..."
Even though Da-bi was the one reading, Cain could somehow hear Tae-hyun's voice echoing in his mind.
"The more I think about it, the madder I get. I'm literally gritting my teeth and enduring being on a show with Lee Se-yeon, and you're just playing around?"
"D-Did he really write that?"
"Yes. Do you want to see it?"
"No... I'm good."
"I'll continue reading. 'Are you playing around? When I get back, I'm checking your character's skills. If nothing has changed, I'll pull some strings with my connections and get you cast on Law of Survival.'"
"N-No! Not that!" Cain shrieked.
Law of Survival was a notoriously brutal program where guests were sent to remote, grueling locations to perform hard labor!
"By now, you're probably screaming in terror."
Is he... a psychic?
No, I think Cain is just incredibly predictable...
"Now that you get the point, log in and play the game. Don't waste time slacking off. Whenever you feel like slacking, just think of this letter. Take it as a reference."
"Take what as a reference?" Cain tilted his head, looking to see if there was an attachment or something. Was there some helpful tip?
"Oh, he didn't mean 'refer to.' He meant 'endure it.'"
"...I see..."
With that, Tae-hyun's letter concluded. Cain slumped, his shoulders drooping as he trudged toward his capsule. His retreating figure looked incredibly pitiful.
"Hey, cheer up. Let's do whatever you want to do today."
"Y-Yes, that's right. I'll help you too."
As Choi Sang-yun and Jeong Su-hyeok comforted him, Cain's expression softened slightly.
"But is he really that opposed to being on a show with Lee Se-yeon?"
"Well, Tae-hyun and Se-yeon have a lot of history..."
Da-bi's face brightened slightly at the thought. But Sang-yun, completely oblivious, kept talking.
"Still, don't people usually grow closer after bickering so much?"
Da-bi's face darkened slightly.
"Honestly, looking at those two, I feel like they'd stab each other before they ever grew close."
"..."
"W-Why are you glaring at me like that? Oh, look. They aren't the only ones on the show. Five Girls is appearing too."
Trying to escape Da-bi's icy gaze, Sang-yun scanned an article on his phone and mumbled thoughtlessly. Cain's ears perked up instantly.
"What?! Which members of Five Girls?!"
"Hayeon and Bora."
"Oh... Ohhh..."
"What's up with him? Is he a fan?" Sang-yun asked, utterly confused.
"Cain actually knows Hayeon from Five Girls personally," Su-hyeok explained.
"What? Really?"
Sang-yun stared at Cain with deep skepticism. The look offended Cain.
"What!"
"No, I mean... you're not just delusional, are you? You know how some idol fans get..."
"..."
"It's not a delusion," Su-hyeok chimed in, unable to watch any longer.
Only after hearing Su-hyeok's explanation did Sang-yun finally accept it.
"Wow. You... you rascal. Why didn't you tell me things were going that well between you two?!"
"Well... we haven't really been in touch lately..."
Instantly, Sang-yun's face shifted to one of deep pity. He patted Cain on the back.
"It's okay."
"What's okay?"
"There are plenty of other fish in the sea..."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Cain snapped, swatting Sang-yun's hand away. He didn't need this kind of pity!
"Cain, I'm saying this for your own good... She might think it's already over between you two. You might think you're dating, but..."
"We aren't even dating, you idiot!"
"How long has it been since you last contacted her?"
"..."
"See? I knew it. But hey, you might still have a shot. Why don't you call her and ask?"
Sang-yun was already convinced Cain had been dumped, but he threw out a lifeline just in case.
"A-Ask what?"
"Just ask her what she's been up to lately. Have you really never reached out first?"
Is this guy really her acquaintance?
"Well... I've never actually initiated contact. She was always the one who reached out first..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Even Su-hyeok was now staring at Cain with a look that clearly said, Yeah, that's definitely not it.
"W-What? Why?"
"No, I just... she's always so busy, and I didn't want to bother her..."
"What kind of useless consideration is that?! No wonder you got dumped!"
Frustrated, Sang-yun grabbed Cain by the shoulders and shook him back and forth. Cornered, Cain turned to Da-bi for support. Sang-yun and Su-hyeok might think that way, but surely Da-bi would understand!
"I-I didn't really do anything wrong, did I? I thought showing her my hard-working side was the best way..."
Da-bi shook her head firmly.
"Here comes the question!"
With the PD's announcement, a placard displaying the question was raised. The cast members stared at it with intense, focused eyes.
A math problem? If it's complex multiplication, I'm doomed...
Please let it be a geography question.
Nonsense trivia or celebrity gossip would be great...
Hmm. If I use that guy to trip up one person, then knock down the person right next to them, I can easily catch up to the two slow starters and knock them down too.
[MATH QUIZ]
The number of distinct real roots for the two equations P(x) = 0 and Q(x) = 0 are 7 and 9, respectively. If set A is... ...and the number of elements is denoted as n(B), this value varies depending on P(x) and Q(x). Find the maximum value of n(B).
"..."
"???"
Faced with a completely baffling question, the cast members froze in confusion.
"W-What on earth is this?"
"Is that even Korean? Is it a language question?"
"It looks like math... It has sets and infinity."
The MC raised his hand in protest.
"Hey! Kim PD! How are we supposed to solve this?!"
"Oh, by the way, if none of you get it right, one of your items will be confiscated."
"...!!"
Only then did the cast realize the PD's scheme. He was throwing impossible questions at them to strip away their starting items!
No wonder the items they gave us were so good!
I thought they were being generous to the newcomers because they didn't give us much food, but Kim PD is so petty!
No matter how much they grumbled and complained, the PD remained unmoved. He was a true professional with an unyielding work ethic.
The show is only fun when you push the cast to their absolute limits!
"I'll give you a hint."
"!"
"The answer is between 0 and 99."
"..."
Patter, patter, patter!
In that exact moment, Tae-hyun bolted forward. The others watched in shock.
"What? He solved it?"
"Is he just guessing?! No, guessing right now is a bit..."
"No! Guessing might actually be the better strategy!"
The MC snapped his fingers.
"The probability of guessing right increases the later you go, so you should wait until the very end..."
While they were debating, Tae-hyun reached the front and blurted out the answer.
"15."
"C-Correct!"
"?!?!?!"
"What?!"
The PD, the cast, and the entire crew gasped.
Lee Se-yeon, who had been trying to solve it from the back, asked in disbelief, "Did you just guess?"
"No, I solved it. Though it looks like you haven't yet."
Along with his words, Tae-hyun shot her a subtle, mocking glance. It was a silent, provocative message that only the two of them could decode!
Realizing what it meant, Se-yeon seethed with rage.
"I-I wasn't even trying that hard because I didn't think anyone would get it..."
"An ugly excuse from a sore loser."
"#@&^*!"
Ignoring Se-yeon's quiet curses, which were too low for the cameras to pick up, Tae-hyun proudly walked back.
"H-How did you solve that?"
"By doing the math."
"!"
Kim PD was utterly flabbergasted.
What kind of monster is this guy?
The problem he had selected was a notoriously difficult math question known to have a success rate of less than 1%.
No more math questions.
Kim PD quickly signaled his staff.
Hold off on the math questions for now!
He had planned to eliminate a few items right off the bat, but he had an ominous feeling that things were spiraling out of control.
"Bwahaha! Look at Kim PD's face! He's completely panicked. You didn't expect this, did you?"
The MC cheered as if he had won himself, thoroughly enjoying the PD's visible distress.
"I-I am not panicked."
"Oh, come on, you're stuttering."
"Kim Tae-hyun! Please choose your item!"
"Hmm..."
Tae-hyun scanned the selection of items and picked one up. Instantly, laughter and cheers erupted from the cast.
"No takebacks! No takebacks! You can't change your mind!"
"?"
The item Tae-hyun had chosen was a tool set.
"I have no intention of changing my mind."
"Bwahaha! Yes! I love the confidence of youth!"
The MC egged him on, while Kim PD wore a triumphant smirk.
"Is there a problem with this? I chose it because it has a lot of useful things inside."
Kim Chun-sik spoke up with a look of pity.
"Well... newcomers always seem to pick the tool set, but it's actually a classic trap."
"Why?"
"Because trying to build anything with that takes way too much time and energy. It's not something a beginner can just pick up and use effectively. One guest in a past season tried to chop wood and build a wall, but he ran out of time, night fell, and he had to sleep on the bare ground."
"Hmm. Well, I'm different, so it'll be fine."
"...?"
Chun-sik was momentarily stunned. When Tae-hyun said it, it somehow sounded entirely plausible.
N-No, that makes no sense...
"Moving on to the next question!"
The PD brought out the next question. This time, he was determined to make everyone fail and successfully eliminate an item!
[GEOGRAPHY QUIZ]
Located in Oceania, this country has a total land area of 21...
"Nauru!"
[SCIENCE QUIZ]
Synthesized in the serotonergic neurons of the central nervous system, this neurotransmitter...
"Serotonin!"
Despair washed over Kim PD's face. He thought these would at least stand a chance!
The other cast members were equally stunned. The MC's team, in particular, was growing deeply anxious.
"We should have stolen Tae-hyun instead of Lee Se-yeon!"
"At this rate, isn't he going to sweep all the items?"
"Kim PD! Lower the difficulty a bit!"
Kim PD snapped out of his daze and nodded. He had raised the difficulty to torment the cast by taking away their items, but it had backfired, allowing Tae-hyun to monopolize everything.
If he lowered the difficulty, surely the others would stand a chance!
But he was dead wrong.
[BASIC MATH]
What is 2 + 2 × 2...
Whoosh!
"?!?!"
Only then did the cast realize.
They had been so focused on Tae-hyun solving the difficult questions that they had overlooked one crucial detail.
Tae-hyun was...
Incredibly, unbelievably fast.
Even Kim Chun-sik, who trained regularly at the gym, and Choi Chang-seong, who constantly bragged about being in better shape than Chun-sik, couldn't even begin to compete with his raw physical speed!
As Tae-hyun easily snatched the simple question and claimed yet another item, a sense of impending doom swept through the cast.
At this rate, Tae-hyun really was going to take everything!
Such a sweep had never happened in the history of the show, but Tae-hyun's overwhelming momentum made them realize it was a very real possibility.
We have to block him somehow!
Chun-sik, Chang-seong, try to hold him back!
But they had no idea.
They didn't realize who truly held the advantage when things turned physical.