Why am I stranded in this shitty Island again? chapter 45

In the front yard, where the broadcast could be heard, stood Yiyeon, who had entered Chunmong Pavilion.

Dansol, trying hard to avoid facing Yiyeon, positioned himself on the opposite side of where he stood.

Beside Dansol wereJisoo, Taeoh, Daesoo, and Minhyuk, standing firmly. After a while, Minseong and Doohyun also stepped out from the trailer side by side.

“You sure know how to use those 30 minutes effectively…”

Taeoh mumbled quietly, looking at them. Dansol, who didn’t understand why Taeoh said that, looked at him with curious eyes.

Taeoh then murmured in a voice that only Dansol could hear.

“Those 30 minutes allocated for comfortable conversations? They went in twice today, once after lunch and once after dinner. They sure make the most of it.”

“Oh…”

Dansol was surprised to find out that Minseong’s interest was Doohyun, but since he thought of him more as a childhood idol rather than a romantic interest, he was only momentarily surprised and didn’t feel any disappointment.

Instead, he was more interested in the various equipment lined up in front of him.

“What is all this…”

Doohyun muttered with a frown.

—Everyone has gathered. Did you have a good evening? Some of you might have spent a romantic evening with someone you like, while others might not have.

—Don’t worry too much. You still have opportunities ahead.

—Today, we have prepared a game to acquire voting rights to eliminate your competitors.

“Wow!”

“Ugh!”

Just then, a wig fell at Taeoh’s feet. Surprised by Taeoh’s scream, Dansol also screamed.

—Today’s game is a horror experience. We have hidden eight voting slips in a bag inside the haunted house by the coast. The rules of this game, where you can completely eliminate a competitor with a single chance, are simple.

—Draw a capsule containing your partner’s name and a capsule specifying the equipment and order you will use, then proceed.

—There is only one prepared bag, and its location changes each time.

Below the cliff was a fairly convincing haunted house set.

Dansol, who had already been certified as a coward in the haunted house once, gulped.

—Dansol?

“Yes?!”

Already quite scared, Dansol was startled even by the sound of his name.

—You have had a date in every round, haven’t you?

“Yes…”

—You seem to be quite lucky. In that spirit, would you like to draw a capsule first?

Although it wasn’t something he wanted to do, Dansol ended up being the first to draw a capsule as the one who had benefited the most from dates.

With trembling hands, Dansol reached into the capsule box. he secretly hoped to go in with Daesoo, who seemed fearless when they went to the haunted house that day.

“Ahhhhh!”

As Dansol reached into the capsule box, he felt a squishy sensation and grabbed someone else’s hand. he fell back, almost collapsing.

“Sol, are you okay?”

Jisoo, who helped the teary-eyed Dansol up, approached the box, and the youngest assistant director, who had been following Dansol’s date all afternoon, emerged from beneath the box in a hunched posture.

—Oh my, were you startled? It’s still too early to be surprised. We have more surprising setups hidden in the haunted house we’ve prepared.

—Dansol, could you open the capsule in your hand?

“Uh… okay…”

Somehow, Dansol was holding a red capsule. Contrary to his hope for a reliable partner, the sweat-soaked paper inside had Ma Taeoh’s name on it.

“Taeoh…”

Calling out Taeoh’s name with a trembling voice, Dansol saw that Taeoh already looked like he was about to cry.

Taeoh, as if being led to the slaughter, picked a capsule containing equipment and order numbers.

“A lantern… number 4…”

A lantern that would go out with the slightest breeze, and the last turn at that. Dansol felt like fainting even before starting.

Taeoh seemed to feel the same, as the reunited idol group trembled like a candle in the wind.

Meanwhile,Jisoo stepped forward and drew a capsule. he opened it to check the name, raised an eyebrow, then closed the capsule and acted like he was drawing a new one.

—Jisoo! You cannot change once you’ve drawn a capsule!

“Oh dear, I’ve already mixed them up?”

The broadcast’s normally emotionless AI-like voice hesitated briefly atJisoo’s blatant lie.

—Jisoo, you will be paired with Minseong.

“Why do you decide that? I know provocative broadcasts are in trend, but isn’t this overstepping? If this continues, I’ll take legal action.”

—The Jimmy Jib camera captured everything.

The broadcast answered firmly toJisoo’s serious protest.

“You’re working hard, Jimmy Jib director.”

With a forced smile,Jisoo sent an insincere cute hand heart to the Jimmy Jib director.

Normally, Dansol and Taeoh would have made a bigger fuss over this pairing, but they were already too pale and scared to speak, worrying about their dark future.

Sure, it would be an interesting story ifJisoo and Minseong, who were a couple in the past, faced the horror experience again and possibly rekindled their romance in front of the cameras.

But given the immediate task of entering that haunted place themselves, no one cared about others’ romance stories, especially not Taeoh.

Next, Doohyun and Daesoo drew phone lights, and Yiyeon and Minhyuk drew headlamps, forming teams.

—The course involves passing through the pine forest, entering the haunted house to retrieve a capsule with a lock, and then reaching the cave at the bottom of the coastal cliff. Inside the cave, there is a key, which contains a date vouchim. Lastly, eight voting slips that can eliminate a competitor in one go are hidden throughout the haunted house and forest.

Jisoo, holding a flashlight, teamed up with Minseong but seemed still in a bad mood.

He ignored the friendly instructions from the broadcast and just shone the flickering flashlight here and there.

“Hey, Han Jisoo. Fix your expression. Are you… scared?”

Minseong asked his in a low voice, sounding provocative. In response, Jisoo smirked, shining the flashlight in Minseong’s eyes mockingly.

“Ouch! Stop it!”

Minseong waved his long arms around to avoid the light, but Jisoo, just as tall, skillfully continued to shine it in his eyes.

Despite being a team rumored to have dated in the past, there was not a hint of affection in their playful antics.

“Hey, you! Damn it!”

Minseong yelled, irritated by the persistent light, and swatted Jisoo’s hand roughly.

A loud cracking sound indicated the flashlight was broken.

The flickering light quickly died out, drawing everyone’s attention to the pair, specifically to Minseong, because of his loud cursing in the sudden quiet.

“Haha… It’s just a joke, right?”

Minseong tried to defuse the tense atmosphere, but Jisoo, shrugging nonchalantly, smiled as if he knew nothing.

—Han Jisoo, Ha Minseong, shall you proceed first?

“Yes.”

“But the flashlight is broken,” Jisoo said, shaking the shattered flashlight from the earlier commotion. he expected it to be repaired or replaced, but the broadcast team wasn’t that lenient.

—That’s unfortunate. However, due to your carelessness, the only flashlight is broken. Rules are rules. You might want to take it just in case it works.

Dansol couldn’t believe his ears. The broadcasting team never gave anything easily and seemed to enjoy the unexpected turn of events.

Taeoh and Dansol checked the wick and oil of their lantern again. It was a relief that it hadn’t broken. Though the lantern only provided enough light for their feet, it was all they could rely on.

“We’re off.”

Jisoo, fearless, moved ahead without a flashlight. Minseong sighed and followed him.