Episode 26

The boat rocked more than expected.

“Wow, So-hyeon noona must have had a hard time.”

“Seriously, I felt so dizzy. And I’m quite scared too.”

So-hyeon arrived ahead of them and was sprawled out at the Gaeyado Health Center, just as they had thought.

“Ugh, I feel so dizzy.”

Originally, Jun-ho and So-hyeon were supposed to arrive first and explore the island for filming, but unexpected seasickness left So-hyeon unable to move.

On the other hand, Jun-ho left So-hyeon at the health center and was now walking uphill to the old house where the members would spend their weekends for the next few weeks.

“Wow, the village is quite far from here. Don’t you get thirsty?”

Jun-ho asked the VJ who was filming him, but the response was just a nod.

“Really, doing variety shows is like talking to myself.”

Without realizing, he found himself walking a bit further and saw a gray fence.

The rusted gate felt almost eerie, and the overgrown vines that reached up to the top of the gate were ancient. The occasional creaking of the rusty metal, carried by the wind, sounded like someone’s scream.

“…Is this the place? For real?”

Jun-ho turned to the staff writer who had followed him and asked, and they simply nodded in response.

Beyond the gate, the aura he felt made him hesitate to enter alone.

“Um… wow. I can’t go in alone.”

Turning back, Jun-ho returned to the health center and began to overly exaggerate his description of the house he had seen to So-hyeon.

While he was doing so, the on-site PD received a phone call.

“Yes, understood.”

“Jin-yuk and Yeon-woo will be arriving at the dock soon.”

“Let’s go, let’s go.”

At the crew’s words, So-hyeon jumped up and Jun-ho followed her, heading towards the dock.

Having waited eagerly, the feeling of seasickness was finally starting to subside a bit.

The ship they were waiting for had arrived.

When Jin-yuk, Yeon-woo, and the staff disembarked, So-hyeon rushed forward.

“Yeon-woo!”

With a welcoming face, Yeon-woo embraced So-hyeon and spun her around.

“What if noona run towards me like that? noona might end up falling into the sea.”

Ignoring Yeon-woo’s gentle reprimand, So-hyeon immediately started chatting with Son Jin-yuk, who was beside her.

Seeing all the members gathered, the crew’s spirits lifted.

“They’re really like close siblings.”

“Really? PD-nim, actual siblings wouldn’t act like that.”

The production team was delightedly capturing these moments on camera and pondering how to add subtitles. Indeed, the actors made for great visuals just by being themselves.

“Hyung, we went to see the house. It’s completely in ruins.”

Suddenly, Jun-ho cheerfully informed Jin-yuk.

“Jun-ho, before we eat, we have to catch some fish.”

“Yes, uh?”

Fishing at a haunted house, it’s like jumping from one difficult situation to another.

“Okay, actors. Come over this way. Let’s move.”

Yeon-woo and the team rode in the car prepared by the production team and followed the winding path Jun-ho had walked.

Before they knew it, the car had arrived at the haunted house Jun-ho had scouted, and the team got out of the car.

“Here we are.”

When they opened the rusty gate, there was a jungle-like tangle of vines.

The overgrown grass seemed to prove that it had been untouched by human hands for a long time.

There was only a narrow path big enough for a person to pass through.

“Wow, it’s a jungle, isn’t it?”

“Ugh, do we really have to sleep here?”

But upon entering, the condition of the house was better than it appeared from the outside.

With a bit of cleaning, the interior seemed suitable for sleeping.

At that moment, the producer interjected, placing down various tools.

“This place used to be where an elderly couple lived until six months ago. They have moved to their children’s house in Seoul. The current owner is the broadcaster station. Feel free to renovate the place as you like.”

Clap, clap!

Upon hearing the producer’s words, Yeon-woo clapped his hands first to regain everyone’s attention and then found gardening gloves from somewhere.

“For now, I’ll clean up the yard. Could someone go inside and see if there are any usable items?”

“I’ll help you, Yeon-woo.”

Jun-ho also quickly received gardening gloves and put them on.

So-hyeon and Jin-yuk started organizing things inside the house, and Yeon-woo cleared the vines with a sickle.

“Wow, Yeon-woo, you’re really good with your hands.”

The production team admired the rapid transformation of the small jungle with Yeon-woo’s touch.

Compared to the hellish mangrove forest in Laos during their missions, these vines were child’s play.

Yeon-woo skillfully selected the main branches and cut them down, and Jun-ho carried them outside.

After about an hour, a spacious yard was revealed.

While the crew cleaned and organized items provided by the production team, Jin-yuk and So-hyeon emerged from the house.

“Wow, what’s this? It’s so spacious!”

“Yeon-woo and Jun-ho must have worked hard.”

After clearing away the vines, the house had become quite habitable.

“Is there anything useful inside?”

“Well, there’s not much other than what the production team provided. Still, there’s a vegetable garden behind here.”

“The production team has prepared a garden for you. You can harvest from there too.”

At the PD’s words, Yeon-woo and Jun-ho headed to the garden.

Jun-ho skillfully entered the vegetable patch and examined it.

“There are cucumbers and chili peppers here?”

Ahn Jun-ho diligently found vegetables from every nook and cranny.

“Really? I thought everything looked like grass, so I couldn’t find anything.”

“I lived in the countryside until I became an adult. Of course, I also took care of a garden.”

That’s how Jun-ho became responsible for the garden.

“PD, where are the fishing tools?”

“If you go to the back shed, there are things the old couple used.”

In response to Yeon-woo’s question, the PD pointed to a shabby shed behind the house.

Upon entering the shed, Yeon-woo found it in better condition than expected.

Soon, Yeon-woo pulled out a sturdy fishing net.

“Hyung, Noona, I’ll set up the fishing net.”

“Huh? Fishing net?”

Upon Yeon-woo’s announcement, other members came out of the house where they were cleaning.

“While lunch is fine, we have to eat dinner.”

“I want to join too!”

Raising her hand, So-hyeon put on her shoes.

“Oh, yes, go ahead. Catch a lot!”

Leaving Jin-yuk and Jun-ho in confusion, Yeon-woo took the fishing net and headed to the nearby beach.

“Yeon-woo, where are you going to cast the line?”

Following Yeon-woo’s actions, So-hyeon asked.

“Well, it’s best to cast near the dock, but the line might get tangled with the ship, and it’s too far from the house. We have to cast around here.”

After looking around for a while, Yeon-woo stood in front of a large rock and called So-hyeon.

“Noona, this spot seems good.”

Han So-hyeon and the camera director hurried over to Yeon-woo.

“Here? Here? So, we just put it in?”

Looking at So-hyeon as she held the fishing net, Yeon-woo handed her a coat pocket.

“Well, originally, using fish heads or chicken innards as bait would be great.”

Yeon-woo took out some leftover bread from the pocket.

“This is bread we had at a rest stop on the way. Let’s try using this.”

“Bread? Do fish come to eat bread?”

“They seem to enjoy it.”

Yeon-woo peeled off the bread crust, put it in the bait container, and spun it before casting it into the sea.

“Noona, give me the string.”

“Here you go!”

So-hyeon handed over the string from the fishing net she was holding, and Yeon-woo skillfully wound it around a nearby rock, tying a knot.

Tying knots so securely didn’t seem to be a common skill.

“Wow, where did you learn things like this?”

“Just, you know. Haha.”

He mentioned using this technique when tying hostages.

“I wonder what we’ll catch. I’m really excited.”

“I hope we catch something, anything.”

Praying for fish to be caught by evening, the two returned home.

Meanwhile, other members were busy stacking firewood and building a fireplace.

“Jin-yuk, have you tried doing things like this?”

Jin-yuk looked bewildered in response to the PD’s question.

“Have you tried? I totally fell for it. They said it was a healing variety show.”

Jin-yuk’s complaint made the staff members laugh.

Though he complained, Jin-yuk diligently followed the advice of the accompanying expert, creating wind holes and stacking bricks.

“Ah, why am I working so hard again? I can’t let my siblings go hungry.”

As the eldest, Jin-yuk couldn’t let his three younger siblings starve, so he worked diligently.

“Senior, we’ve set up the fishing net.”

At that moment, Yeon-woo and So-hyeon entered the yard by opening the gate.

“Well, yes. Rice and such are all in the kitchen. I’ve put rice in the electric rice cooker.”

“We have an electric rice cooker? I thought we had to use a traditional cauldron. This makes things much easier.”

Yeon-woo assessed the situation in the yard and then prioritized tasks.

“Alright, then Jun-ho hyung, So-hyeon noona, please go together and pick some vegetables that we can eat right away.”

“Okay, we’re going.”

Jun-ho and So-hyeon went to the back garden with a basket, while Yeon-woo rolled up his sleeves.

“Since hyung built the fireplace, let me gather firewood. Please take a break.”

“Oh dear, do I really need to? I’ve been stooping over for this, and now my back feels like it’s going to break.”

Jin-yuk, who was groaning and rubbing his back, lay down after straightening it.

Then, PD started a conversation with Jin-yuk.

“Is Yeon-woo the leader?”

Surprised by the youngest’s assertiveness in giving instructions, PD raised an eyebrow.

“Of course. He’s not your typical carefree guy. Our Yeon-woo.”

Without looking at the PD, Jin-yuk answered while lying on his stomach on the floor.

Lying down leisurely, feeling the gentle breeze, Jin-yuk began to doze off.

Meanwhile, Yeon-woo fetched a stack of firewood next to the shed and started splitting them with an axe.

Swish, thunk. Think.

Thunk, think.

With skillful axe swings, the firewood split evenly.

“I need to put these in slow-mo.”

“It feels like watching a photoshoot in real-time.”

Although it was just splitting firewood, PD and the main writer were captivated by the picturesque scene, already planning how to edit it.

After an intensive march since morning, Jin-yuk had unknowingly fallen asleep on the floor, while Yeon-woo added firewood to the fireplace and lit it.

The well-dried firewood quickly caught fire, and Yeon-woo brought a pot lid from the kitchen, pouring in cooking oil.

Sizzle.

The sound of heating oil woke Jin-yuk from his doze.

“Hey, Yeon-woo. Did you light the fire already?”

“Just stay there. It’s our first meal, so let’s just make a simple fried rice.”

“Wow, what’s this? The delicious smell is already wafting.”

At that moment, So-hyeon and Jun-ho approached from the vegetable garden with a bundle of vegetables they had picked.