Starting a fire by rubbing sticks together is a highly challenging skill. It requires more than just strength; it demands a significant amount of technique.

Of course, Seoyeon was aware of this. She had simply applied too much force.

"…"

Seoyeon discarded the stick that had split along the grain. The cameraman was taken aback by what he saw.

'Can a stick really shatter that easily?'

Perhaps it was just a very dry branch. But even if that were the case, seeing it splinter like a piece of bamboo was astonishing.

'It's like what happened with the game controller…'

Seoyeon reflected on her mistake. She had been startled back then, but this time she was determined to do it right.

"Gently…"

She began to rub the stick against the log more carefully. Five minutes passed. Then ten.

'Is this a freeze-frame?'

The cameraman couldn’t help but think that. How could someone maintain the same posture for ten minutes, moving in exactly the same way? And shouldn’t her palms be hurting, or shouldn’t she be getting tired by now?

'And she doesn’t even seem hot. Not a single drop of sweat.'

One thing was clear: Seoyeon’s stamina was anything but ordinary.

"See? It’s not working, is it?"

Park Jung-woo had returned with a bundle of suitable sticks for building a shelter. Even though he was dressed in nothing more than a plain white T-shirt, his appearance was striking, proving why he was such a prominent actor.

'The visuals are amazing.'

The cameraman made sure to capture both Seoyeon and Jung-woo in the frame. The pair had already garnered attention for their roles as Princess Yeonhwa and Yoon Se-il. Producer Shin had emphasized the importance of highlighting their chemistry.

"I'm almost there."

"Look…"

Jung-woo put down the sticks he had collected and looked over.

'…Why is there so much sawdust?'

It looked less like she was trying to start a fire and more like she was delicately grinding down the wood. It was a puzzling sight.

"I…"

Just as Jung-woo was about to say, "Let me try," Seoyeon looked at him with narrowed eyes, almost as if she suspected he was trying to steal the final move.

"Don’t just rub it anywhere; use the groove."

"What?"

Under Seoyeon’s somewhat smug gaze, Jung-woo reluctantly took the stick from her and inspected the end. It was smoothly ground down, as if it had been sanded with a grinder.

"Try using this one instead, and rotate it in the groove. Keep the pressure steady."

"…Okay."

Jung-woo handed Seoyeon one of the thinner, pointed sticks he had brought. She placed it in the groove she had carved into the log.

'Even so, it’s not like a fire will start easily…'

Jung-woo suspected Seoyeon was attempting the "fire plow" technique, a method that involves rubbing the wood back and forth to generate heat. It was famously depicted in the movie Cast Away, so Jung-woo was familiar with it. Although in the movie, the protagonist used a different motion, shaving the wood rather than rotating it.

'Still, her form is impeccable.'

Jung-woo watched as Seoyeon diligently rubbed the stick in the groove. Her black hair fell gracefully over her shoulders, and despite the seemingly mundane task of rubbing sticks together, the scene was almost picturesque.

"It’s done."

'Huh?'

Seoyeon’s voice broke through his thoughts.

'Already?'

Indeed, black smoke was rising from the stick. Had merely showing her the technique made it this easy?

Crackling sounds accompanied the rising smoke, and Jung-woo’s mouth fell open in astonishment.

"Impressive, right?"

Seoyeon looked at him triumphantly. Though she had followed Jung-woo’s advice, she had still succeeded on her own.

"Have you been reading survival guides?"

"?"

Jung-woo didn’t know what a survival guide was, but he nodded anyway. Seoyeon glanced at the smoldering wood and nodded to herself.

'Using the groove is crucial, I see.'

Now that she knew, she was satisfied. While she was reflecting on this:

"Wow, you actually started a fire?"

Bang Ha-yoon, one of the regular members of Survival on a Deserted Island, returned from gathering sticks for the shelter and exclaimed in surprise. She had expected Seoyeon to struggle, especially after refusing Jung-woo’s help, but here she was, having successfully started a fire on her own.

'I thought she was just a pretty face.'

Based on her appearance and demeanor, Ha-yoon hadn’t expected Seoyeon to be someone capable of doing tough work. She had figured she’d have to pick up the slack. But now, seeing that Seoyeon had already started the fire, she was rethinking that assumption.

'I heard she’s playing a convenience store worker in The Chaser. I guess now I understand why they’re pushing her.'

Honestly, Ha-yoon had been puzzled by Seoyeon’s inclusion in the promotion. She was playing a minor role, so why all the attention? But seeing her determination, it was starting to make sense.

'As long as she keeps this up, that is.'

As Ha-yoon observed Seoyeon, she heard voices approaching:

"What’s this? Did you already start a fire?"

Jung Dae-hyun, the expedition leader, and the exploration team had returned.

Building the shelter didn’t take long. After all, this wasn’t Jung Dae-hyun’s first time on Survival on a Deserted Island. By now, making a shelter was second nature to him.

"We found some useful tools: a saw, a knife, and some salt."

While it didn’t seem like much, these items were essential for survival. With three saws in hand, the shelter was quickly constructed.

"This brings back memories of camping during my time in the military."

After finishing the shelter, Park Hee-jun, who played Detective Seo Kwang-il in The Chaser, remarked.

"Hee-jun, you were in the special forces, right?"

This line of questioning was clearly part of the show’s unscripted moments that were meant to blend naturally with the scene.

Though mostly unscripted, Survival on a Deserted Island still had key segments that were planned, like promoting The Chaser and introducing Hee-jun and Seoyeon.

"Our Park actor hasn’t served yet, right?"

At that moment, Producer Shin teased Park Jung-woo, who was tending the fire.

"Huh?"

"When do you plan to go? Or are you planning…?"

"No, no, I’m definitely going. Of course, I have to go. Why bring this up all of a sudden…"

Military service is a sensitive topic in the entertainment industry, and Producer Shin’s teasing made Jung-woo sigh.

"My father says a man isn’t a real man until he’s served."

"…"

Seoyeon flinched at this comment, almost as if she felt personally attacked.

"…You know, it’s not like you have to go."

"Y-yeah, of course not."

Seoyeon said this while whittling a stick with the knife they’d found.

'I didn’t go in my past life either.'

In her past life, Seoyeon hadn’t been able to serve due to health reasons. There had been a shooting incident involving someone with a similar condition, which had sealed her fate.

'A man isn’t a man unless he serves, huh?'

Seoyeon glared at Jung-woo. Even though she was a woman now, she felt like her past self had just been punched in the gut. Of course, from Jung-woo’s perspective, this was bewildering.

Why is she glaring at me?

"…What are you making, by the way?"

"Oh, this?"

Seoyeon held up the stick she had been carving. It was sharpened to a fine point.

"It’s a spear."

"…"

Why a spear? From the moment she insisted on starting the fire, he wondered just how much she had been looking forward to Survival on a Deserted Island.

"We need to hunt, of course. But there’s an order to these things."

They had built the shelter and started the fire, so the next logical step was to secure food. While they still had energy, this was the best time.

"For now, the survival team should stay here and gather some fruit. See those trees? Those are coconut trees, right?"

Jung Dae-hyun pointed to the trees laden with yellow fruit.

"Coconuts are incredibly useful, so let’s focus on gathering them."

He looked at the survival team, realizing they weren’t exactly the best suited for hunting.

Hunting sounded impressive, but reaching that point would be challenging. Especially if someone like Seoyeon tried it?

"…"

Seoyeon could tell what Jung Dae-hyun was thinking. But charging ahead recklessly wouldn’t do any good. This was still a variety show, and it would come across as a naive child trying to show off.

"Since the survival team doesn’t have much else to do, let’s all go together."

Jung-woo suggested, watching Seoyeon’s expression.

"Huh?"

"From what I know, gathering coconuts can be dangerous. It’s better if we all work together, then we can go hunting afterward."

Indeed, harvesting coconuts came with significant risks. A coconut could weigh over 1.5 kg, and falling from a 6-meter-tall tree, it could be lethal.

"Hmm, that’s true."

Jung Dae-hyun initially thought it would be fine with Bang Ha-yoon helping out, but Jung-woo’s words made him reconsider.

'Is he trying to give her more screen time?'

In the structure of a variety show, the exploration team naturally got more focus than the survival team.

'But…'

Trekking through a tropical jungle was no easy feat. The chances of capturing unflattering moments were higher. If Seoyeon, a high school student, ended up doing something dangerous, it could cause controversy.

"To gather coconuts, we’ll need a long pole."

Jung Dae-hyun explained, and Seoyeon raised her makeshift spear.

"…That’s too short to reach."

Normally, coconuts were harvested by using a pole to carefully dislodge the clusters of fruit. Bang Ha-yoon was particularly good at this, which is why she was on the survival team.

"And even if you throw it, you won’t have enough force to make it effective."

Jung-woo watched as Bang Ha-yoon demonstrated how to use a pole to shake the clusters loose.

'So that’s how you harvest coconuts.'

As Seoyeon observed the others gathering coconuts, her gaze shifted to a nearby empty tree.

Naturally, Jung-woo noticed her strange behavior.

"What are you planning now?"

Of course, the cameraman followed her as well. After her previous unusual behavior with the fire, he was curious to see what she would do next.

"If I hit the cluster with a rock, won’t the whole bunch fall down?"

"That won’t work."

It was a ridiculous idea. If it were that easy, others would have already done it.

"Even if you hit it with a rock, the coconuts are too tough and would just bounce off. You have no idea how hard…"

Smash! Thud!

A cluster of coconuts crashed to the ground. Jung-woo, who had been watching Seoyeon, quickly turned his gaze back to the tree.

"…"

He approached the spot where the coconuts had fallen and saw that one of the coconuts had split open.

'What…?'

He rubbed his eyes. Had she really thrown a rock and pierced through the coconut, severing the cluster?

"Wow, did she shake the bunch loose by throwing a rock?"

Jung Dae-hyun, who had come over after hearing the coconuts fall, commented.

Well, that would be the logical explanation.

"Oh, yes. Something like that."

Jung-woo responded, looking back at Seoyeon. She shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, "Did you see that?"

"Amazing."

"Right? If we keep doing this, we can gather them much faster."

"No, let’s not do that anymore."

"Why not?"

Jung-woo was taken aback by Seoyeon’s puzzled look. He pointed to the split-open coconut.

"Half of it is smashed."

"That’s true."

Seoyeon conceded. Maybe it was better to leave the coconut gathering to the experts.

"Here."

She handed the damaged coconut to Jung-woo. He took it instinctively.

"?"

Only then did he notice the gaping hole in the coconut.