After the diving challenge wrapped up and the last cheers faded into the salty evening air, the cast members packed up and began the trek back to their lodging for the night.
The sun had dipped low on the horizon, casting golden hues over the countryside, and by the time they reached the traditional guesthouse, dusk was already blanketing the sky.
Jihoon, who had quickly changed out of his wet clothes, was the first to step out into the courtyard.
His eyes lit up when he saw a large wooden platform bed nestled under a slanted tiled roof—clearly meant for communal lounging.
Without hesitation, he flopped down on it dramatically. "Aigoo! Finally, I can lie down!" he groaned, arms spread wide like a fallen soldier. "I thought we were filming an action movie, not a variety show!"
One by one, the others trickled out after changing—still drying their hair or slipping into house slippers.
They gathered around the him, settling on the wooden terrace as the sky turned navy blue and fireflies began blinking in the bushes nearby.
"Jaeseok hyung! Hyori noona!" Jihoon whined, still sprawled like a starfish. "I'm starving. Doesn't this show at least feed its people?"
"You're right. It's dinner time," Jaeseok nodded in mock seriousness. "Today, we're making glutinous rice dumplings."
Jihoon blinked. "Huh? Dumplings? Since when is this a cooking show?"
"Since we became a family," Jaeseok said cheerfully. "When new members like you and Taeyeon join us, it's tradition—we make dumplings to celebrate our reunion."
"So what's the main dish? Whitebait?" he added, turning to Hyori.
Hyori, now kneeling on the terrace and counting on her fingers, nodded. "To make the dumplings, we'll need chives, and to stew the whitebait, we need some root veggies, spring onions, garlic… maybe a few carrots if we're lucky."
"Okay then!" Jaeseok clapped his hands. "Let's send someone to the field to pick the chives. And since Taeyeon's our newest family member, she gets to choose who goes with her!"
All eyes turned to Taeyeon, who was playfully caught off guard.
Just then, Chunhee leaned in behind her and whispered something into her ear, barely loud enough to hear.
Jaeseok perked up instantly, grinning. "Wanna know what Chunhee just said to Taeyeon?" he asked the group with a mischievous glint.
He sat up straight and dramatically mimicked Chunhee: "You should pick someone young and strong like me to help you pick the chives.'"
Laughter exploded from the group.
Yoon Jongshin crossed his arms and deadpanned, "YA! Then I guess I'll never pick chives again in this lifetime."
Once the giggles died down, Jaeseok leaned toward Taeyeon and said, "Alright, now it's time. Who do you choose to help you?"
Taeyeon, ever playful, scanned the group and then locked eyes with Jihoon. Her lips curled into a smile.
Meanwhile, Jihoon, sensing her gaze, immediately covered his face with both hands. "Can't see me. I'm not here. Just a decorative houseplant," he muttered, as if shielding himself from responsibility.
"I choose… Lee Jihoon!" she declared, pointing at him with a playful grin, like delivering the final judgment in a courtroom.
Jihoon sat up as if struck by lightning. "Wait, wait, wait—me? Why me? If the two of us go out together, we're going to be trending on Naver tomorrow morning with dating rumors!"
The group burst into even louder laughter at his over-the-top protest.
"You and Chunhee hyung should go instead!" Jihoon added quickly, motioning between the two of them.
"Let's be real—if you two disappear together, people will just assume you're collecting wild herbs. But if I disappear with you? Dispatch is going to follow us with full gear camera."
Taeyeon crossed her arms defiantly. "Too bad. I already picked you."
"Taeyeon, listen," Jihoon stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his shirt like he was preparing for court.
"From a production standpoint, this is a logistical nightmare."
"Two guests can't just go off together. If we do that, the rest of the members won't get enough screen time," Jihoon said seriously, as if he were arguing from a production standpoint—though everyone could tell it was just a cleverly disguised excuse.
Jaeseok burst out laughing. "Why do you sound like a producer in the middle of a budget crisis?"
Watching the whole exchange unfold, Jaeseok mused quietly to himself.
This kid hasn't done a single variety show before, and yet he's reading the show flow like a seasoned PD. No wonder he's one of the most promising young directors.
As if trying to present his case in a courtroom drama, Jihoon dramatically walked over and stood between Taeyeon and Chunhee. "Look! The three of us standing together—it's like a K-drama setup already!"
"Oh?" Hyori raised an eyebrow. "What kind of drama are we talking about?"
"The classic korean type," Jihoon said, getting into character. "Chunhee hyung and Taeyeon are the local village boy and girl—childhood sweethearts, grew up together pulling radishes and chasing chickens. And then I," he gestured to himself with flair, "am the mysterious city guy who shows up in the village with Wi-Fi and leather shoes."
The others were already chuckling, and Jihoon continued, "And as K-dramas go, the village girl always ends up with the city boy, while the poor village boy watches sadly from behind the haystack."
He looked at Taeyeon and nodded solemnly. "So don't worry, Taeyeon-ah. Go with Chunhee hyung. You two are safe—no sparks, no rumors. Dramatically impossible."
His logic was so absurd—yet delivered with such charming conviction—that everyone burst into laughter again, even Chunhee, who stood beside Taeyeon looking unsure whether to feel flattered or completely rejected.
Hyori chimed in, shaking her head with a grin. "No wonder you're the first Korean director invited to shoot in Hollywood!"
In the end, Taeyeon—half amused, half exasperated—let out a sigh and gave in. "Okay, fine! Chunhee oppa, let's go."
With hats and baskets in hand, the two set off toward the field, waving back at the group. The rest stayed behind to prep dinner—or at least pretend to.
"So, what are we doing with the whitebait?" someone asked.
"Let's put Yejin in charge of the stew!" Sooro suggested, stretching his back.
"Why not Jihoon?" Yejin asked innocently. "He's the guest. Let's give him some camera time."
"Yejin noona! I can't cook!" Jihoon replied immediately, waving his hands like someone just asked him to do open-heart surgery.
Jaeseok raised an eyebrow. "YA! What do you mean you can't cook? What did your sister eat growing up, then? Air and dreams?"
Jihoon winced, forgetting that people here actually knew his background.
"Wait—Jihoon cooks for his sister at home?" Yejin asked, genuinely surprised.
"Yeah… There's just me and my little sister Jieun at home," Jihoon said, scratching the back of his head. "She's good at everything—cleaning, laundry, managing our bills. But cooking?"
He shook his head with a fond smile. "That girl doesn't even know how to open the rice cooker."
The others laughed warmly, and Jihoon added, "We can't live off takeout forever, right? So I just… figured it out. Trial and error. Lots of burnt eggs and undercooked noodles at first."
As they chatted, the men gathered around a large basin filled with slippery, silver-white fish. The task: gut and clean the whitebait for the stew.
What followed next could only be described as a comedy of errors.
"AAACK! It moved!" Daesung yelped, dropping his fish back into the water.
"I'm not touching that!" Jongshin said, backing away like the fish had insulted his mother.
"YA! Are you all seriously afraid of fish?" Hyori shouted, hands on her hips like a disappointed general addressing her cowardly troops. "One fish each! That's an order!"
And so, grumbling and groaning, each man reached into the basin with exaggerated horror, while the women looked on, trying—and failing—not to laugh.
(Sorry, guys—forgot to click the publish button again.)
[Author's Note: Heartfelt thanks to Wandererlithe, JiangXiu, Daoist098135 and Daoistadj for bestowing the power stone!]