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?"@@@@

"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.