"Fishing variety show?"

Liam, a member of the boy group Thunderst, which had just celebrated its first year since debuting, thought he had misheard. Fishing? Of course, being just over twenty years old, Liam had never tried fishing before.

"That's totally something for old men…"

"Are you in a position to be picky about your opportunities?"

"…."

Sunshine Planning was one of the top three management companies, but despite focusing on the idol business, it hadn’t seen significant success. Thunderst had managed to secure a modest fan base, but…

"To put it bluntly, you’re falling behind, Hoseung."

"Please call me Liam."

"Why? Kim Hoseung is a good name, easy to pronounce, and sounds nice."

It wasn't that he disliked the name Kim Hoseung. It just didn't seem to fit well with a boy group.

"Anyway, this isn't the time to be picky about whether it's a show for older men or not. You need to build a fan base."

"…You're right."

His team leader's words were spot on. Among the members of Thunderst, Kim Hoseung was particularly unpopular. He had an average, plain-looking face, his dancing and singing were just okay.

He wasn't especially witty, so even when he appeared on variety shows, he didn’t manage to stand out. Lately, he’d even started wondering if this job was really right for him.

"Still, if you appear on Star Angler, you could build relationships with veteran actors and develop a new image."

"That would be nice."

"Oh, and there’s talk that one of the other guests will be a woman."

"A woman? Is she an actress or an idol?"

"I don’t know."

"Is there anything you do know?"

"Ahem, but wouldn’t it be a great opportunity to build your image? You could help her out while learning to fish, right? That should make for a good image."

Apparently, the woman was new to fishing too, or so he’d heard. Fishing, after all, requires a lot of physical endurance.

'It seems like she might be in a tight spot too.'

Moreover, it was rare for a woman to appear on a fishing variety show. Female celebrities often avoided outdoor variety shows like this because they were physically demanding and risked sun damage to their skin.

So, Liam thought this was a good chance to enhance his image. If he could show himself helping out the female celebrity, whoever she was, it could leave a positive impression on the viewers.

With that thought in mind, he headed to the filming location.

"Hello."

"…."

Standing there was an actress he’d recently seen in movies. The actress currently gaining popularity for her roles in The Chaser and Dream Future.

Ju Seoyeon.

She was standing there, holding a ton of equipment, looking directly at him.

Lee Sangsoo honestly felt a bit uneasy. Star Angler was the only variety show where he could truly relax.

Although it was a broadcast, it was a show where he could go fishing with his friend, Song Gwangmin, and new guests.

So when he heard that a young actress would be joining as a guest this time, he felt uncomfortable.

'Does she even know anything about fishing?'

In truth, he didn't expect her to know. If she didn't, he could just teach her.

But he wondered if she would actually try to learn. She might listen, out of respect for her much older seniors, but she could also just pretend to enjoy it.

As an actor, Lee Sangsoo could easily see through such pretenses. He had always been good at reading other people's emotions.

'Especially if she's recently had back-to-back hits, it’s not hard to imagine how she might behave.'

He wasn’t trying to criticize Ju Seoyeon as an actress. It's just human nature.

After hitting it big as a child actor, disappearing, and then returning to score two consecutive hits, it was natural to become a bit arrogant. Especially when she was still a teenager.

But then…

"Hello, I’m Ju Seoyeon."

She bowed deeply, greeting them with a very refined and graceful demeanor. Although her features were somewhat sharp, she exuded a strangely warm atmosphere.

It was as if she was genuinely looking forward to the upcoming experience. That emotion was clearly conveyed.

"…I'm Lee Sangsoo. Seoyeon, is this your first time fishing?"

"Yes."

As she spoke, it was clear she had brought a lot of things. While the fishing rods had been provided by the show, she had brought plenty of other gear.

Backup equipment and fishing supplies.

"I’m Song Gwangmin. Nice to meet you."

The rather large-framed Song Gwangmin extended his hand for a handshake with Seoyeon. As he did, he secretly clicked his tongue.

'As expected, her hands show that she’s never done hard work before.'

Had she ever even exercised? Her skin was soft and smooth, without a single callus.

Holding a fishing rod and enduring the force of the ocean's currents seemed almost too much for her delicate frame. Besides, she was small and slender.

If a large fish were to bite, it seemed like she’d be dragged right into the ocean.

"Let me introduce myself to the seniors! I’m Liam from Thunderst!"

"Oh, okay. Looking forward to working with you."

"You can speak casually with me!!"

Liam’s energetic greeting lightened the expressions of Lee Sangsoo and Song Gwangmin. After all, dealing with a male counterpart was always easier.

As the camera captured this first meeting, PD Jung Seunghyun decided they were ready and began speaking.

"Today, we’re going to do some jigging fishing here in Wando."

They would take a boat far out and engage in jigging fishing. The basic plot of Star Angler involved splitting into teams and competing against each other.

"We’ll divide the fish into categories by size, and the team that catches the largest fish will win."

For the record, the number of fish caught didn’t count toward the score. Any unsuitable catches would be released.

"Then, let’s head out."

With PD Jung Seunghyun’s words, everyone began moving toward the boat prepared for deep-sea fishing.

"Seoyeon, have you ever been deep-sea fishing before?"

"No. This is my first time on a fishing boat."

"Oh boy, this could be tough."

"It'll be fine."

Lee Sangsoo smiled as he spoke, but he was honestly concerned. A fishing boat isn’t like a regular boat; you have to stay out on the water for a long time. Seasickness could easily become an issue.

'Is she really going to be okay?'

He had his doubts, but PD Jung Seunghyun didn’t seem too worried. After all, he’d heard a lot of things about her.

"They say she once skewered a fish with her bare hands."

"They say she caught dozens of fish with a wooden spear on a deserted island."

"They say she started a fire by rubbing sticks together?"

"I’ve heard she has incredible strength…"

"They say no one has ever seen her tired during a shoot."

…To be honest, it was hard to tell which parts were true and which were exaggerated. But one thing everyone agreed on was that she had great stamina and athletic ability.

So there was also an expectation that she would pick up fishing quickly.

"Since it seems like it’s everyone’s first time fishing, let me show you. The fishing rod is used like this…"

Song Gwangmin took the lead in teaching Seoyeon and Liam how to use the fishing rods.

"Like this, right?"

"Wow, nice form. Young people these days pick things up quickly."

When Liam swung the fishing rod, the line flew out and splashed into the sea.

"If you had released your index finger from the line a bit quicker, it would have been perfect."

"Should I try again?"

"Don’t worry about it; you did well."

As the broadcast officially began, the two veteran actors started speaking more casually to Seoyeon and Liam. They figured that sticking to formal speech might make the show a bit too stiff.

"Seoyeon, don’t be scared. Give it a try. You can do it, right?"

"Yes!"

Seoyeon was full of enthusiasm. Fishing!

Honestly, it had been one of the things she’d wanted to try ever since her previous life. Watching from the sidelines, she couldn’t quite understand what was so fun about it, but seeing the faces of people who succeeded in catching fish—she had always wanted to experience that thrill.

'The thrill!'

That exhilarating feeling. Seoyeon really wanted to experience it.

So, full of determination, she gripped the fishing rod with just the right amount of strength and swung it powerfully.

In an instant, there was a sharp sound as something shot out, followed by an intense sound as the fishing rod bent dramatically, and the metal jig, designed to resemble a fish, went flying.

"Oh…"

Lee Sangsoo had never seen a metal jig fly straight while fishing. It usually flew in a curved trajectory, but this one shot straight into the sea. No, it was almost launched.

If it had hit someone, it might have impaled them.

'…What just happened?'

Liam, who had been thinking he did pretty well for his first time fishing, rubbed his eyes. Is fishing supposed to be like that?

The sound the fishing rod made when Seoyeon swung it was chilling, and the way the metal jig flew was like a bullet. Is fishing about shooting fish with bait?

"Um, you don’t have to swing it so forcefully."

"Okay."

Her voice was calm, but there was an oddly excited tone to it.

"Loosen the line, loosen the line."

In any case, it seemed Seoyeon had properly studied how to fish. After casting the bait, she calmly tightened the line.

With the fishing underway, the two veteran actors, who had initially been focused on Liam, were now mainly watching Seoyeon.

It was only natural. Seoyeon’s posture as she held the fishing rod was very straight. Clearly, she had practiced properly.

Her consistent jerking of the bait, which involved shaking it to mimic a swimming fish, was also spot on. Without a certain level of stamina, it would be impossible to keep that up, yet she didn’t break a sweat.

"Seoyeon, didn’t you bring a hat? Should I give you mine?"

"No, I’m fine."

Seoyeon shrugged and said,

"The sun can’t do anything to me."

Her white skin had never once been sunburned. Invincible skin. Though she had applied sunscreen out of courtesy, it wasn’t really necessary.

"Oh, really?"

He didn’t quite understand what she meant, but if she said she was fine, then she must be fine. On the other hand, the one really struggling was Liam.

'Isn’t this tiring for her? How is that even possible?'

Seoyeon was having the time of her life, continuously shaking the fishing rod without stopping. Anyone who has tried fishing knows that while it might be fine at first, if you keep shaking the rod, your arms start to feel like they’re going to fall off.

Normally, people don’t fish that way. But since Seoyeon was doing it non-stop, Liam felt pressured.

If he just stood there holding the rod and watching, it would look like Seoyeon was working hard while he was slacking off.

"Both of you have great stamina."

"Yeah, we couldn’t keep up like that."

Meanwhile, Lee Sangsoo and Song Gwangmin just laughed, seemingly enjoying themselves. For the record, Lee Sangsoo and Seoyeon were on the same team, while Song Gwangmin and Liam formed the other team.

They had noticed that Seoyeon’s behavior was a bit out of the ordinary, but they decided to just go with it for fun.

"Ah."

At that moment, Seoyeon felt something tug on her line.

"Oh, you've got something! How does it feel?"

"Do I just reel it in now?"

Hearing Seoyeon’s calm question, Lee Sangsoo assumed it must be a small fish.

"Just reel it in slowly, and let me know if you need help."

"I’m fine!"

Seoyeon pulled the rod with a focused expression and started reeling in the line. Seeing her slightly biting her lip suggested she was exerting quite a bit of strength.

'Is it a red seabream? Or maybe a flatfish?'

Even a red seabream would be enough to secure a win. He hoped it would be at least 50 centimeters.

Just then, the fish hooked on Seoyeon’s line surfaced.

"Oh! …Oh?"

At first, it seemed pretty big. But something about the perspective felt off.

The fish was… kind of huge? Very huge, actually.

"Wh-what?"

PD Jung Seunghyun jumped up in shock.

"Seoyeon! If it gets dangerous, let go of the line!"

Reacting to PD Jung Seunghyun’s alarm, Liam turned his head. He saw Lee Sangsoo and Song Gwangmin moving closer to Seoyeon. What’s going on?

Rushing over to her side, Liam finally saw it.

"…What?"

A massive fish was dangling from Seoyeon’s fishing line, being dragged along. The fish was almost as long as Liam himself.

"No way! What is that?"

"Quickly, help Seoyeon!!"

But Seoyeon shook her head as if she was fine.

"I’m fine, I’m stronger than it!"

"No, it’s not about being strong!!"

The fish was a 170-centimeter long sailfish. An ultra-rare species in Wando, with only a few dozen caught each year.