Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Episode 32: Jungle Survival Manual (2)
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The house Kim Young-man had designed turned out to have a more complex structure than expected.
It was a raised hut, lifted off the ground.
First, they erected wooden pillars sturdy enough to serve as supports. Then, they split logs thinly to form the floor, and piled grass on top to create a soft sleeping area.
Just this much work was a massive undertaking.
They couldn't spend the entire day building the house.
Kim Young-man wiped the sweat beads from his forehead with the back of his hand and called out to Park Jong-woon, who had been designated as the number two for Jungle Survival Manual Season 19.
"Jong-woon! While we're building the house, go secure some food. You've already scouted the area around here, right?"
"Yes. I saw some fruit, and there's a river. Lots of eels there."
"Eels? How about grilled eel for dinner tonight?"
"Sounds good! I'll catch some right away!"
Park Jong-woon was brimming with enthusiasm.
Who would've thought they'd get to eat grilled eel in the jungle? The cast members' eyes sparkled.
Park Jong-woon would surely bring back enough eels to feed everyone.
That's what Kim Young-man believed.
But.
His plan went awry.
Three hours passed with no sign of them.
"Why haven't they come back yet?"
Kim Young-man started to worry.
The house-building was nearly complete. They just needed to finish the roof.
Kang Han-do asked,
"Should we go check on them?"
"Yeah, let's do that."
Meal time was approaching. Once the sun set, they wouldn't be able to roam the jungle anymore. They needed to gather ingredients before then.
Kim Young-man headed toward where the others had gone, with Kang Han-do in tow.
In the shallow mud puddle, Park Jong-woon and the rest were locked in battle with the eels.
"You still haven't caught any?"
Only after hearing Kim Young-man's voice did Park Jong-woon realize he had arrived.
"S-Sorry, hyung. These eels are way stronger than I thought. They're so slippery... I just can't grab them."
Eun-young had tried helping Park Jong-woon catch them, but with no luck.
"No helping it."
This was the moment for problem-solver Kim Young-man to step in.
He rolled up his pants.
He was already in battle mode.
Kang Han-do hurried to prepare for the mud as well.
"I'll come with you, hyung."
"You too? You've worked hard on the house. Go rest with the others."
"I've still got plenty of energy left. And wouldn't it be faster with me helping than you doing it alone?"
That assumed Kang Han-do wouldn't fumble like Park Jong-woon and could actually catch the eels.
Kang Han-do exuded confidence.
Maybe he had something up his sleeve. In the end, Kim Young-man allowed him to join.
The foraging team had exhausted themselves battling eels for three hours and collapsed the moment they climbed out of the mud.
Now, newly deployed Kim Young-man and Kang Han-do.
The PDs, writers, and cameramen all focused on the two men.
Kang Han-do swallowed hard inwardly.
'To create a good scene here, I have to catch at least one!'
He could see eels wriggling on the bottom.
Their thrashing was disgustingly gross. But Kim Young-man grabbed one in an instant, as if it were routine, and tossed it out.
The eel flapped wildly. It was enormous.
"Jong-woon! Grab that one so it doesn't escape!"
"O-Okay!"
Park Jong-woon scrambled up and shoved it into the net bag.
Subduing them outside was relatively easy.
Kim Young-man quickly added another one.
As Kim Young-man notched two in a row.
Kang Han-do grabbed one of his own and held it triumphantly aloft, refusing to be outdone.
"Got it!!!"
Every camera turned to Kang Han-do.
Kim Young-man catching eels wasn't surprising. They'd seen plenty of that in previous jungle shoots.
But a cast member hauling one up? That was rare.
Yet it didn't end there.
Kang Han-do followed up with a second, then a third.
He caught up to Kim Young-man's count.
"No way, Han-do. How are you so good at catching eels?"
"I worked at a sashimi restaurant once. Handling and prepping eels was my daily routine back then."
"What job haven't you done?"
"Well, it's definitely faster to count the ones I haven't done than the ones I have. Haha!"
He played it up on purpose.
In a variety show, a little exaggeration like this was sometimes necessary.
* * *
Thanks to Kang Han-do and Kim Young-man's heroics, the Jungle Survival Manual Season 19 team enjoyed a hearty first day.
Jungle Day 1 usually meant going hungry. At best, they'd roast some unripe bananas. That was it.
But not this time.
"Season 19 is off to a great start. Feels good."
Kim Young-man, grilling the eels, showed his satisfaction.
The house was solid. They'd secured enough food for breakfast tomorrow too.
A strong start.
Still, no room for complacency.
This was the jungle. Anything could happen at any time.
They had to stay vigilant for accidents.
But that was for later. Right now, filling their stomachs came first.
Kim Young-man beckoned the camera director.
He pointed at the eels.
Come film this.
The eels dripped with fat. Kim Young-man and Kang Han-do had prepped them themselves.
Normally, raw prep was Kim Young-man's domain. Not many could handle it, especially celebrities.
But Kang Han-do, thanks to his sashimi restaurant experience, could prep not just eels but all sorts of fish.
He actually did it better than Kim Young-man.
"Looks like they're done."
Kim Young-man gestured to the Season 19 members.
Their eyes had been glued to the grilling eels for a while now.
The grilled eel stimulated their salivary glands.
Kim Young-man portioned it out piece by piece.
"Alright, to celebrate our first dinner in the jungle—cheers!"
It wasn't exactly a toast-worthy situation.
But they played along with Kim Young-man's bit to liven things up.
They clinked their eel pieces together.
Then dug in.
"Whoa...!"
"So delicious!"
"Best grilled eel I've ever had!"
The Season 19 members showered it with praise.
Just simply salted and grilled. Yet the taste was exquisite.
Eun-young seemed especially moved.
"This is so good, we could sell it at a shop! Seriously!"
"How about partnering up with Han-do?"
Kim Young-man slyly suggested it to Kang Han-do.
Of course, it was a joke.
As a former comedian himself, Kim Young-man had a habit of turning casual lines into gold.
Kang Han-do decided to roll with it.
"Shall we draw up a contract? I happen to have my seal right here."
He pulled out a lumpy stone he'd picked up while building the house.
Everyone burst out laughing at the sight.
No matter how much of a show it was, jungle life was grueling. Moments like this were when Kang Han-do stepped in to bring back the smiles.
In fact, their happiness levels spiked dramatically right then.
When they'd first arrived, the average was dismally low. But eel dinner, Kim Young-man's antics, and Kang Han-do's humor pushed it well above average.
Laughter was the ultimate cure-all.
Kang Han-do already knew it, but Jungle Survival Manual reminded him anew.
* * *
The next morning dawned.
Day Two hit a snag from the start.
Rain suddenly poured down.
Kim Young-man donned a raincoat and headed out.
Seeing him rush off, Kang Han-do called out.
"Hyung Young-man! Where are you going?"
"Need to reinforce the roof some more. Bigger rain's coming soon. Better prep now."
A storm was brewing.
His experience and instincts screamed it.
Kang Han-do and Park Jong-woon threw on raincoats and followed.
Even if Kim Young-man was a jungle survival master, they couldn't leave everything to him alone.
With their help, the roof repairs went smoothly.
Back at the shelter, the group gathered.
Kim Young-man patted Kang Han-do and Park Jong-woon's shoulders.
"Good work. Having you two makes me feel secure. Especially glad Han-do joined. Honestly, I thought you sucked at this stuff."
"Haha, guess that's the vibe I give."
"But you're way better than I expected. And you can prep fish too... Wanna join me as a regular?"
Kim Young-man couldn't decide fixed cast unilaterally. But his influence on the show was huge.
Without him, the show wouldn't exist.
Kang Han-do gave an awkward smile.
"If you'll have me, I'd be honored. Give me a shot anytime, and I'll show up."
"Yeah, yeah. Getting older, it's tough going solo. With solid backup like you, it's easier for me too. Perfect!"
Kim Young-man was totally smitten with Kang Han-do.
Not empty words—he genuinely wanted to recruit him to his crew.
But Kang Han-do couldn't commit to constant jungle trips.
Star House, Pobokjeoldo, and PDs lining up to create shows with him.
He wasn't called entertainment's blue-chip for nothing.
'This guy's popularity is becoming a problem.'
Kang Han-do swallowed a wry smile.
* * *
After the rain stopped, the group boated down the jungle's vast river.
They even spotted real crocodiles, like something out of a zoo.
That wrapped up Day Two, filming the jungle scenery.
Morning of the final Day Three arrived.
Their last day in the jungle had come.
Kang Han-do had fully become a jungle dweller by now.
The environment felt natural.
'And probably won't see it for a while.'
He wanted to bring a personal cam to film the scenery for his channel.
But capturing Mother Nature fully was beyond him.
Still, he tried to convey the vibe to viewers as best he could.
After his personal shots.
Kang Han-do greeted the members one by one as they woke.
Eun-young was first up.
"Good morning. You're up early."
"Morning practice made it a habit. What were you up to, oppa?"
"Shooting for my channel."
"Right, you run a personal channel. Mind if I guest sometime?"
"If you come on, I'd love it. For sure?"
"Yes! Call me anytime!"
Just like that, he'd booked a hot girl group member.
Maybe Mother Nature's gift to him.