LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 76
The act of rubbing twigs together to start a fire used to be a highly challenging skill.
It’s not just about strength; it requires considerable technique.
Of course, Joo Seo-yeon was aware of this.
But she just got a bit too forceful.
“…….”
Seo-yeon discarded the broken twig in her hand.
The cameraman was bewildered by her display.
Seriously.
‘Can twigs really break that easily?’
Were they dry twigs?
No, no matter how dry they were, seeing them shatter like bamboo was simply astonishing.
‘Just like that mistake with the game controller.’
Seo-yeon reflected on that.
But at that moment, she was just a little surprised.
This time would be different.
“Very gently…”
She started turning the twigs carefully.
Five minutes went by.
Then ten minutes.
‘Is it a still frame?’
The cameraman suddenly thought.
How can a person maintain the same position for ten minutes?
Even more so, rubbing twigs like that must surely be painful for her hands.
‘Isn’t she hot? Not a single drop of sweat?’
At least her stamina was definitely above average, that much was clear.
“See? It won’t work, will it?”
Park Jung-woo had already picked up some appropriately thick twigs.
Despite just wearing a plain white tee, he was proving himself to be a top actor with his outstanding looks.
‘The visual is definitely superb.’
The cameraman filled the screen with shots of Seo-yeon and Jung-woo.
The two actors who had drawn attention as Yeonhwa (Princess) and Yoon Seoil.
Shin PD emphasized that he wanted them to capture their chemistry well.
“We’re almost there.”
“Look.”
Jung-woo set down the twigs he had gathered to build a shelter.
‘…Why is there so much sawdust?’
Is she trying to gently shave the wood instead of starting a fire?
It looked strange.
“I’ll….”
Just as he was about to say, “Let me try,” Jung-woo froze when Seo-yeon looked at him.
Her narrowed gaze felt like she was trying to steal the spotlight from him.
“Don’t just rub it like that; rub it in that groove.”
“Excuse me?”
With Seo-yeon’s piercing stare still on him.
“Quickly, hand me a stick. Ugh, I’m really not doing this!”
Jung-woo took the twig from Seo-yeon and examined its tip.
It was smoothed out like he’d finely ground it with a grinder.
“Not this one, try using this one here at this place. Keep the pressure consistent.”
“……Got it.”
Jung-woo handed her a slightly thinner twig with a pointed end from the ones he had brought.
And Seo-yeon pressed it against the groove she had been carving into the log.
‘Well, even so, it wouldn’t catch fire that easily.’
Seo-yeon was probably trying the fire flow technique.
Typically, one would either rub the wood together like that or slide it to start a flame.
The main character in the movie “Cast Away” attempted to start a fire this way; Jung-woo was quite familiar with it.
Though there, it was about pushing, not rubbing around in circles.
‘But still, her posture is commendable.’
Jung-woo watched Seo-yeon diligently rubbing the wood.
Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her intense focus on rubbing those twigs looked almost picturesque.
“Got it.”
‘Huh?’
At that moment, an exclamation slipped from Seo-yeon’s lips.
‘Wait, already?’
Black smoke was genuinely rising from the twigs.
Is it really that easy just by showing her how?
With a crackling sound, black smoke wafted up from the wood, leaving Jung-woo astonished.
“Impressive, isn’t it?”
Seo-yeon said triumphantly to Jung-woo.
Though it was true that Jung-woo had helped her a little.
“It seems like you’ve read the Survival Guide series.”
“?”
Jung-woo didn’t even know what the Survival Guide series was but nodded anyway.
In any case, Seo-yeon nodded at the flame she was watching for a moment.
‘So it turns out rubbing in the groove is crucial.’
At least now she understood, and that was enough.
As she was deep in thought.
“Wow, you started a fire?”
Bang Ha-yoon, a regular cast member of “Survival Without People,” exclaimed with wide eyes, just having returned from gathering some twigs to build a shelter, much like Jung-woo.
‘Maybe she’s not just a pretty face?’
Judging from her physique and face, Seo-yeon didn’t look like she would do arduous tasks.
So she thought she might have to take on her role herself, and yet she had already managed to start a fire.
She clearly remembered Jung-woo hinting he would help but being turned down.
‘I heard she plays a convenience store clerk in “The Chaser,” so now I see why they’re pushing her.’
Honestly, Bang Ha-yoon was baffled as to why Seo-yeon was a focus in promotions.
I mean, they called her a convenience store clerk, right?
Why push her like that? But seeing her try hard, she couldn’t help but think it was acceptable.
‘This is all considering she keeps it up.’
As Bang Ha-yoon watched Seo-yeon, suddenly.
“What! You really lit a fire?!”
Team leader Jung Dae-hyun returned to the exploration team with excitement.
*
Building the shelter was quick.
After all, Jung Dae-hyun had done this a time or two on “Survival Without People.”
Making a shelter was basic knowledge.
“First, we found three tools: a saw, a knife, and finally, salt.”
While some might think it’s trivial, they were essential items for survival.
With three saws, they could make a shelter in no time.
“Wow, this reminds me of camping in the army.”
Once the shelter was completed, Park Hee-jun, who played Seo Kwang-il in “The Chaser,” chimed in with that sentiment.
“Hee-jun, you served in a special forces unit, right?”
As he said this, the proceedings began.
This was likely part of the script created by improv.
Usually, they proceed in reality, but crucial parts had scripts.
For example, promoting “The Chaser” or introducing Park Hee-jun and Seo-yeon.
“Our actor Park hasn’t enlisted yet, right?”
Just then, Shin PD asked Jung-woo, who was poking at the flame.
“Excuse me?”
“When are you going? Oh, don’t tell me you’re planning to avoid it?”
“Oh, I’ll go. Of course, I have to. But why are you suddenly bringing that up…?”
The military issue in the entertainment industry is sensitive.
With Shin PD’s teasing remark, Jung-woo sighed.
“My father said that if a man doesn’t go to the army, he’s not a man.”
“…….”
Seo-yeon flinched at Jung-woo’s words.
It was as if something hit too close to home.
“……For you, it’s only natural not to go.”
“Y-yeah, of course, naturally not.”
Seo-yeon said as she carved a twig with the knife she had gathered.
‘I didn’t go last life either.’
Seo-yeon couldn’t go in her past life due to illness.
Coincidentally, a person with a similar illness was swept up in a gun accident.
‘Not a man, huh?’
Seo-yeon glared at Jung-woo.
Though she was a woman now, she felt as though her past self had just been slapped.
Naturally, Jung-woo found it absurd.
Why was she glaring at him all of a sudden?
“……What are you making over there since a while ago?”
“Oh, this.”
Seo-yeon held up the twig.
It was pointed and looked quite sharp.
“A spear.”
“…….”
Huh, why a spear?
She was thinking about fire, but how much was she expecting “Survival Without People”?
“Hunting, of course. But there’s a proper order to this.”
Having built the shelter and started a fire, gathering food was next.
Now that they had the stamina, this was the perfect time.
“For now, the survival team should stay and harvest some fruits. Do you see that? That’s a coconut fruit over there!”
Jung Dae-hyun raised his hand and pointed at the tree.
Coconuts hung in abundance from the trees.
“If we can get those, they’ll be handy in many ways.”
Jung Dae-hyun said as he looked at the survival team.
Honestly, the friends sharing this hunt didn’t fill him with confidence.
Even though they talked about hunting, reaching that point would be quite a challenge.
Especially someone like Seo-yeon hunting?
“…….”
Of course, Seo-yeon somewhat understood Jung Dae-hyun’s thoughts.
However, rushing in blindly wouldn’t be good.
This was still a variety show, and just going by appearances, she seemed like a childish girl trying to show off.
“Since the survival team won’t have much to do anyway, let’s go together.”
Seo-yeon’s face was scrutinized by Jung-woo as he spoke.
“Excuse me?”
“Gathering coconuts is quite risky from what I know. It might be better to go together first and then go hunting afterward.”
Harvesting coconuts did indeed carry considerable danger.
Coconuts weigh over 1.5 kilograms.
When you consider that palm trees are roughly six meters tall, that’s a 1.5-kilogram rock dropping from six meters!
“Hmmm, that’s true.”
While he thought it would be okay since Bang Ha-yoon was present, Jung Dae-hyun saw Jung-woo’s words differently.
‘Is he trying to help her get screen time?’
Due to the structure of the show, it was naturally inclined to highlight the exploration team over the survival team.
‘However…’
Moving through the tropical jungle turned out to be tougher than expected.
There’s a greater chance of capturing unfavorable moments.
Especially if Seo-yeon, still in high school, got involved in dangerous tasks.
“Well, to pick coconuts, we need a long pole.”
As Jung Dae-hyun said that, Seo-yeon lifted her spear.
“……That one won’t reach; it’s too short.”
Typically, when picking coconuts, one would use a long pole to skilfully cut the branches that hold the fruit and let them down gently. Bang Ha-yoon was quite skilled at this, which was why she was on the survival team.
“In the first place, since coconuts are that high up, even if you throw something, it wouldn’t have enough force.”
That was undeniably true.
Having seen Bang Ha-yoon’s demonstration that followed just proved it even more.
‘So that’s how you properly detach the cluster of coconuts.’
Seo-yeon casually watched as others diligently gathered coconuts and then shifted her gaze.
To a tree standing there, completely empty.
Naturally, Jung-woo noticed Seo-yeon’s strange demeanor as well.
“What are you planning to do now?”
Of course, the cameraman moved along.
They learned from Seo-yeon’s unusual antics earlier when starting the fire.
“If I hit it with a rock just right, wouldn’t they all fall at once?”
“Are you serious?”
Let’s be realistic here.
If that were possible, others would have thought of that already.
“Throwing a rock will only cause the fruits to bounce off since they’re clustered together. Do you know how hard coconuts are…?”
Whack!!!
Boom!!!
A whole cluster of fruits dropped to the ground.
Jung-woo momentarily turned his gaze from the rock Seo-yeon threw to the palms.
“…….”
As he approached the spot where the fruits fell, he saw some split coconuts.
‘What the?’
He rubbed his eyes.
Did she just throw a rock and pierce through the coconut?
Did she sever the connection that held them together?
“Whoa, seems like she shook the fruits down by throwing the rock.”
Jung Dae-hyun, arriving later, assessed the situation.
Well, that was the reaction expected of a common sense approach.
“Ah, yeah. I mean, of course.”
Jung-woo answered like that and looked at Seo-yeon.
Seo-yeon shrugged her shoulders.
As if to ask, “Did you see that?”
“B-beautifully done.”
“Right? This will help them fall faster.”
“No, don’t do that anymore.”
“Why not?”
Seo-yeon frowned as if wondering what’s wrong, leaving Jung-woo baffled.
He pointed at the coconuts.
“Half of them are smashed!”
“That’s true, I see that now.”
Seo-yeon nodded in agreement.
Perhaps it was better to leave coconut gathering to the experts.
“Here you go.”
Then Seo-yeon proffered the fallen coconut poking her finger into the holes for Jung-woo to take.
As Jung-woo took it naturally.
“?”
He finally noticed the hole in the coconut.